Crystal Bridges Biographies
Don Bacigalupi, Director
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, which was named “Best Museum” design in the world by Travel and Leisure magazine in 2007 and contributed to 2010 Pritzker Prize recognition for the pavilion’s architects, Japanese firm SANAA, Sejima and Nishizawa and Associates. 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 Keiser Edwards, Associate Director
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.
Christopher B. Crosman, Chief Curator
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, Chief Financial Officer
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.
