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Dr. Don Bacigalupi brings 16 years of comprehensive experience in museum management
to Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art. In his role as director, Dr. Bacigalupi
is responsible for the planning, organization, construction and implementation of
the entire museum project. Specifically, he oversees the key areas of professional
staffing, governance, building design and construction and development of the museum’s
collections and programs. When the museum opens, he will direct the staff, museum
operations and outreach activities.
Prior to joining Crystal Bridges, Dr. Bacigalupi served as president, director and
CEO of the Toledo Museum of Art. There he oversaw the construction and 2006 opening
of the renowned Glass Pavilion, designed by the Japanese firm SANAA, Sejima and
Nishizawa and Associates, which was named “Best Museum” design in the world by Travel
and Leisure magazine in 2007. He previously served as executive director of the
San Diego Museum of Art; director and chief curator of the Blaffer Gallery, the
art museum of the University of Houston; and the Brown Curator of Contemporary Art
at the San Antonio Museum of Art.
A specialist in post-WWII American art, Dr. Bacigalupi has contributed to publications
and exhibition catalogs addressing a wide range of topics, including contemporary
art in many media, and he has lectured throughout the United States. He has served
on the boards of organizations such as the Association of Art Museum Directors and
currently serves on the board of the national committee of the International Council
of Museums. He has also been active in the American Association of Museums. He has
won numerous honors, including most recently 2007 and 2008 Institutional Excellence
Awards from the Ohio Museums Association, a 2007 Newsmakers Award from the Northwest
Ohio Black Media Association and a 2007 “Design 100” designation from Time magazine.
Dr. Bacigalupi received his master’s and doctorate degrees in art history from the
University of Texas at Austin, and his bachelor’s degree in art history from the
University of Houston, where he was honored as valedictorian. He was a 1996 fellow
at the Museum Management Institute of the J. Paul Getty Trust and the American Federation
of Arts at the University of California, Berkeley.
Sandra (Sandy) Keiser Edwards is associate director of Crystal Bridges Museum of
American Art. In her role as associate director, Sandy is responsible for all activities
of the Outreach Division of the museum, including: fundraising, membership, special
events, visitor services, public relations and marketing.
Prior to this appointment, Sandy served as associate vice chancellor for development
at the University of Arkansas for nine years. She and her late husband, Clay, served
as the management team for University Development, directing the Campaign for the
21st Century. The campaign’s goal of one billion dollars was exceeded by $46 million.
Previously, Sandy served as director of development for outreach and cooperative
extension at Pennsylvania State University, a post she held from 1992 until 1998.
She created the first comprehensive advancement program in the field of continuing
and distance education at a public university. She was part of the management team
that created Penn State's World Campus, a virtual university for students at a physical
distance from the university. From 1988 to 1992, she was director of station development
for WPSX-TV and WPSU-FM, Penn State's public broadcasting stations.
Prior to her involvement in the field of development she was general manager of
the Shreveport, La. Symphony; executive director of the Celebrity Theater in Bossier
City, La.; and associate director of the Hammons Center – Southwest Missouri State
University Museum in Springfield, Mo. Sandy has been honored with many awards including
Fundraising Professional of the year; the Alpha Kappa Alpha Trailblazer Award; and
honorary alumna of the university by the Arkansas Alumni Association.
She holds a bachelor’s degree from Lenoir Rhyne College in Hickory, N.C., and a
master’s degree in college student personnel/concert management from Western Illinois
University, where she has been honored as a Distinguished Alumni.
Chris Crosman is Crystal Bridges’ chief curator. In this role, he will lead the
organization’s acquisitions, research and preservation activities within the context
of a major new museum. Some of his chief responsibilities will include: refining
the vision for the Crystal Bridges permanent collection, establishing the scope
and breadth of a temporary exhibitions program, undertaking primary research on
the collections leading to publication, and assisting in long-term development and
refinement of an art research library.
He most recently worked as the executive director of the William A. Farnsworth Library
and Art Museum in Rockland, Maine, a position he held for 17 years until he became
director emeritus earlier this year after stepping back from the top spot to focus
more on research and consulting activities. Crosman’s major accomplishments at the
Farnsworth include developing a 10-year master plan, tripling the physical plant
and leading a $20 million capital and endowment campaign.
During his tenure at the Farnsworth, he defined the focus of the museum’s collection
on Maine artists and national artists who worked in Maine. Of particular note is
his extensive work researching and writing about the Wyeth family as well as establishing
exhibition space and education facilities to house, interpret and show works by
three generations of Wyeths in Maine.
Crosman was responsible for numerous major acquisitions by artists with significant
ties to Maine such as Robert Feke, Fitz Hugh Lane, Winslow Homer, George Bellows,
Edward Hopper, Alex Katz, Louise Nevelson, David Salle, Rackstraw Downs, Jennifer
Bartlett, and Jamie and Andrew Wyeth.
In addition, Crosman has an established track record of collaboration with other
art museums and significant experience creating exhibitions that highlight artists
who have made important contributions to American art. Several of his exhibitions
have traveled to other museums including the Delaware Art Museum in Wilmington,
Del. and the Naples Art Museum in Naples, Fla.
To honor his many accomplishments at the Farnsworth, the museum’s board of directors
named a gallery in his honor during 1998. Prior to his work at the Farnsworth, Crosman
worked at the Heckscher Museum and Albright-Knox Art Gallery, both in New York.
He was active in the Rockland business community as well as in the local and regional
art and tourism industries, serving on several boards and also as chair of the Maine
Arts Commission. In 2002, he received an award from the governor of Maine for his
work in stimulating tourism through the Farnsworth Art Museum.
Crosman has a bachelor’s degree in American history from Washington and Lee University
and he has completed graduate studies in art history at Oberlin College.
Tracy Cude was named chief financial officer of Crystal Bridges Museum of American
Art in 2008. She is responsible for the daily administrative and operational functions
of the museum including finance, human resources, information technologies, facilities,
retail and food operations.
Prior to joining Crystal Bridges, Tracy led the accounting and operational support
team at the Walton Family Foundation, a private grant-making organization pursuing
the philanthropic mission established by Sam and Helen Walton.
Before serving at The Walton Family Foundation, Tracy was vice president for finance
and planning at the Walton Arts Center where she gained arts-related experience
and helped develop strategic planning functions for a fast-growing, mission-driven
arts institution. One of her accomplishments with the Center was the development
and execution of a major enhanced-programming grant funded by the Walton Family
Foundation. This grant included a number of mission-critical initiatives including
larger scale performances and quality visual art exhibitions.
Tracy has a diverse background in both the non-profit as well as for-profit sectors.
In her past work experience, she served on a merger and acquisition team for Raytheon
Corporate Jets, as well as conducting nine years of private consulting. Tracy began
her career in public accounting with KPMG Peat Marwick.
Tracy has a bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville
and soon after obtained her Certified Public Accounting License.
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