MICA alum Anne Kraybill ’99 (Photography BFA) was recently named chief executive officer (CEO) of Art Bridges Foundation.
Kraybill is an accomplished leader in the museum field known for her expertise in program development, community engagement, fundraising, strategic planning, and research. She formerly served as the Director/CEO of the Wichita Art Museum and The Richard M. Scaife Director/CEO of The Westmoreland Museum of American Art, among others. At both museums, Kraybill partnered with Art Bridges to expand community access to a diverse range of artworks and public programs.
As head of Art Bridges, she will oversee the foundation's growing network of over 230 partner museums as it seeks to increase access to American art across the country. In working with museums of all sizes and locations, the foundation provides financial and strategic support for exhibition development, loans from the Art Bridges Permanent Collection, and programs designed to educate, inspire, and deepen engagement with local audiences. The Art Bridges Permanent Collection represents an expanding vision of American art from the 19th century to present day and encompasses multiple media and voices. For more information, visit artbridgesfoundation.org.
Art Bridges is the vision of philanthropist and arts patron Alice Walton. The organization's founder and board chair said, “We’re excited to welcome an entrepreneurial leader like Anne whose experience partnering with museums and the foundation will drive Art Bridges’ impact in the arts and culture sector.”
“I am honored to have been selected as the next CEO of Art Bridges,” Kraybill said. “As a director of two regional museums that have partnered with the foundation, I know first-hand how transformative Art Bridges is by creating and supporting programs that bring diverse artworks and exhibitions to communities across the country. Art Bridges is a true catalyst of change for the museum field and I’m excited to return to Bentonville to work with such a talented team and lead the foundation into its next chapter.”
As a leader in the arts and cultural sector, Kraybill has demonstrated success in program development, community engagement, fundraising, strategic planning, research and evaluation, interpretive planning, and staff mentorship. She holds an unwavering belief that the arts can enrich lives and strengthen communities and should be accessible and celebrated for all. A Bachelor of Fine Arts in photography graduate of MICA, Kraybill also has a Master of Arts in museum education from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, PA, a Master of Science in instructional technology from East Carolina University in Greenville, NC, and has taken doctoral level coursework in public policy at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, AR.