Jul 9, 2013 Kevin Murphy, Crystal Bridges Curator of American Art, will leave his post in August, 2013, to become the Eugénie Prendergast Curator of American Art at the Williams College Museum of Art in Williamstown, Mass. Murphy will be a key member of the Williams team, working in collaboration with the curatorial staff and engaging with faculty, students and community members to plan exhibitions that provide new directions for the museum’s existing collection of American art. He will also maintain the museum’s Prendergast Archive and Study Center, which contains the world’s largest body of work by the artists Charles and Maurice Prendergast, and will have an opportunity to teach in Williams’ renowned art history master’s program. Murphy holds a bachelor’s degree from Pitzer College of The Claremont Colleges in California and a master’s degree from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. He earned a doctorate in art history from the University of California, Santa Barbara. Prior to joining Crystal Bridges’ curatorial team, he served as associate curator of American art at the Huntington Library in San Marino, California. “This is an outstanding opportunity for Kevin and we wish him well in this new endeavor,” said Crystal Bridges Executive Director Rod Bigelow. “Kevin has left an indelible mark in the launch of the Museum. He joined our team in early 2011 at a critical point in the Museum’s development, working on the debut of our permanent collection and the excellent exhibitions for which we’ve become known. Kevin’s contributions to Crystal Bridges have been numerable, from curating exhibitions such as the Hudson River School and American Chronicles: The Art of Norman Rockwell, to managing the inaugural year of our Tyson Scholars of American Art program.” Murphy will assume his new post on September 3, 2013. # # #
