Leadership

Alice L. Walton, Chairwoman of the Board

Alice Walton is a committed patron of the arts and philanthropist. She founded Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art and serves as chairwoman of the museum’s Board of Directors. She is a board member of the Walton Family Foundation and founder of the Alice L. Walton Foundation.

Alice is committed to increasing access to outstanding works of American Art for communities across the country. In 2017 she founded Art Bridges, a non-profit foundation that partners with institutions of all sizes to provide greater access to American art through projects that deeply engage communities.

Alice remains dedicated to improving the quality of life in her home state. She was the first chairperson and driving force behind the Northwest Arkansas Council. This organization played a major role in securing the development of the Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport, improving transportation infrastructure throughout the region. She also established Camp War Eagle, which offers Northwest Arkansas children of differing socio-economic backgrounds an exceptional summer camp experience.

Arts and philanthropic leadership has prompted numerous accolades for Alice. She is a recipient of the Smithsonian Institution’s Archives of American Art Medal, the John Cotton Dana Medal for Visionary Leadership in Museums, and the Leonore and Walter Annenberg Award for Diplomacy through the Arts for her significant philanthropic contributions. She was recognized by TIME magazine in 2012 as one of the most influential people in the world and was inducted into the International Women’s Forum Hall of Fame in 2018.

Alice began her career in finance and later founded Llama Company, an investment bank. She has served as a member of the board of the Amon Carter Museum in Fort Worth, Texas, and the Trustees' Council of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Trinity University and an honorary Doctor of Arts and Humane Letters from the University of Arkansas.

Alice is the daughter of Helen Walton and Walmart founder Sam Walton.

Rod Bigelow, Executive Director & Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer

Rod Bigelow has served as executive director of Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art since 2013, guiding all facets of the museum’s development and reflecting his more than 20 years of experience in management of arts and cultural institutions. He joined Crystal Bridges in 2010, serving as the deputy director of operations and administration, focusing on organizational and policy development as well as construction activities leading up to the museum’s opening in November, 2011. In that role, he led the Crystal Bridges’ strategic planning process, resulting in a comprehensive plan guiding the museum’s focus.

During Bigelow’s tenure at Crystal Bridges, the museum has welcomed more than 2.5 million visitors. Prior to joining Crystal Bridges, Bigelow was chief operating officer at the Toledo Museum of Art, where he implemented a federal grant program to increase funding for the museum’s sustainability projects, initiated collaboration with local non-profit organizations, and coordinated planning and pre-construction activities for a new contemporary gallery space. He was appointed interim executive director at the Toledo Museum of Art in 2009.

Bigelow previously served as director of administrative and financial services at The Art Institute of Seattle, where he oversaw financial aid, accounting, facilities, and retail activities. Bigelow also spent eight years with the Tacoma Art Museum in Washington, serving initially as chief financial officer and later as interim executive director.

He holds a master’s in business administration degree from Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma. In 2012, he completed the Museum Leadership Institute sponsored by the Getty and Claremont Graduate University.  He has served on the board of directors of the Children’s Museum of Tacoma and currently serves as a board president of Downtown Bentonville, Inc.

Sandra Keiser Edwards, Deputy Director

Sandra (Sandy) Keiser Edwards career exemplifies her deep commitment to improving quality of life through arts and education. She has served as deputy director for Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art since 2007, playing a vital role in the conception, planning, building, and opening of the museum.  She was instrumental in the establishment of endowments for the museum’s operations, acquisitions, and capital improvements, as well as a grant that provides free admission to the museum. Edwards has been and continues to be a guiding force in establishing this cultural destination, creating and growing connections to bring increased tourism to the area, as well as offering the region’s residents unparalleled arts, cultural, and educational experiences.

Prior to Crystal Bridges, Edwards and her late husband, Clay, served for nine years as the management team for University of Arkansas’ development program directing the Campaign for the Twenty-First Century.

Edwards previous work has emphasized art and education as well. She served as director of development for outreach and cooperative extension at the Pennsylvania State University. She created the first comprehensive advancement program in the field of continuing and distance education at a university, where she held a post from 1992 to 1998. She was part of the management team that created Penn State’s World Campus, a virtual university for students at a distance from the physical location. Prior to her involvement in university development, she was recognized nationally for her work in the fields of major concert promotion, and performing arts.

As an advocate of access to quality education, Edwards served as a trustee on the board of her alma mater, Lenoir Rhyne College; received the Penn State’s Outreach Pioneer Award for Distance Education; was named honorary alumna of the University of Arkansas; and received an Honorary Doctorate in Humane Letters and Distinguished Alumna Award from Western Illinois University where she received a master’s degree. 

Margaret C. Conrads, Ph.D., Director of Curatorial Affairs and Strategic Art Initiatives

Margaret (Margi) Conrads joined Crystal Bridges in 2015 leading the curatorial, collection management, and library and archives teams. Margi also leads the curatorial activities of Art Bridges, a nonprofit organization started in 2017 by Alice Walton to share great works of American art across the country. She also serves as the museum liaison to the newly established University of Arkansas School of Art.

Prior to Crystal Bridges, Margi served as deputy director of art and research at the Amon Carter Museum of American Art in Fort Worth, Texas. Previously, she spent 20 years at The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City, Mo., where she was the Samuel Sosland senior curator of American art. Margi and her husband David have two grown daughters, Lee and Kim.