Born into the fifth generation of a farming family, Marianne grew up on the Oxnard plains in Southern California.  She studied Bioolgy and Ceramics at The University of Colorado at Boulder, and recieved her MFA in Studio Art from the University of Texas at Austin.  Afer teaching in Austin for almost ten years, she retunred to California,  joining the faculty at California State University Channel Islands in 2017 as an Assistant Professor of Art and Head of Ceramics.  Marianne has exhibited extensively throughout her career, and has upcomong solo exhibtions in Austin, Texas and Viborg, Denmark.  Her work is in numerous public and private collections across the county.  She has been the coordinator and juror for NCECA's Projects Space Exhibtiion numerous times, and currently sits on the Board of Directors for the Santa Paula Art Musuem.  Marianne has participated in several residiency programs including Medalta, in Medicine Hat, Alberta,  and OxBow in Saugatuck, MI. She lives in Ventura, CA with her daughter Marlowe and husband Michael Napolitano.