Wanda McManus was a art teacher and watercolorist in Santa Rosa and later in Bodega Bay. She hosted a long running art show at the Bodega Harbour Yacht Club in Bodega Bay, and was the organizer and leader of Bodega Bay's annual Fish Fest Art Tent. She was well loved by local artists, students, and many friends and fans in the Bodega Bay community and beyond. She and her husband Patrick owned a home in Kailua Kona where each winter, Wanda would lead painting workshops on the Big Island.

Wanda was a special friend and supporter of Bodega Bay Heritage Gallery. She was a long-time resident of Bodega Harbour and was among the first to welcome Dan Rohlfing and Linda Sorensen to the neighborhood back in 2003.