Wood Has Crossed Many Bridges To Arrive at Bentonville Museum

Dina Wood often alludes to bridges when talking about the path her career has taken.

The reference is tongue-in-cheek, because she is director of development at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art. But, it is accurate. To Wood, everything in her life bears a clear connection.

“Ideas are unlimited. There has always been a way in and a way out and a way home,” she said.

Her way into Crystal Bridges was cohesive with the 11 years she spent as senior director of development at the J. Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Arkansas, where she oversaw contributions to the college, the Razorback bands and KUAF radio.

Wood held this position when she was featured by the Northwest Arkansas Business Journal as one of its Forty Under 40 honorees in 2003.

“I raised a lot of money for a cause there and was surrounded by top-grade professionals,” Wood said.

The school, where Wood also received both her undergraduate in political science and her law degree, “is part of my constitution,” she said. “It has my heart.”

Wood deems the relationships she made to be among the cherished rewards from her time at Fulbright. Those are the people she will always consider dear friends, she said.

Her positive working relationship with Sandy Edwards, who previously acted as vice chancellor of development at the UA before taking on the associate director position at Crystal Bridges, provided a natural conduit for Wood when she made the move in July.

“Leaving the University of Arkansas was a very tough decision. I wouldn’t have left for any other institution,” Wood said.

Crystal Bridges celebrates its two-year anniversary Nov. 11 and, as of August, has welcomed more than a million patrons.

Crystal Bridges’ permanent collection features masterworks from colonial times to modern-day. Artists include Thomas Moran, Andy Warhol, Mary McCleary, Norman Rockwell and James Henry Beard.

Wood knows the backstory of Crystal Bridges’ acquisition of its prominent pieces, and is happy to share tidbits not found engraved on information plaques throughout the museum.

She’ll tell you about how a curator found the “missing Moran,” the fourth in a collection from the Hudson River Artist featured in Crystal Bridges in a home after the occupant had passed — and how the family had no idea what they had.

Wood seems to relish giving tours and touting the merits of the museum. “We have to lift it up so people will want to be a part of it,” she said.

Although the building is paid for by the Walton family and admission is sponsored by Wal-Mart Stores Inc., the programs and exhibitions must be paid for by the nonprofit organization.

For instance, Crystal Bridges paid $30 million for the Georgia O’Keeffe and Alfred Stieglitz collection that will open this month. That money has to come from somewhere.

Wood’s work as a practicing lawyer in estate planning ties into her position at the museum. She also has extensive investment experience from her previous job as Overseas Private Investment Corporation director of intergovernmental affairs, one of three positions for which she was appointed by President Bill Clinton.

An essential stop on Wood’s museum tour is to the wall where all of its sponsors are listed. “This year, this wall needs to have more names. That’s my job,” she said.

Specifically, her job is to build endowments and sustain long-term funding with individuals, corporations and foundations.

It’s not your basic fundraising. In her words, Wood’s responsibility is to “strategically grow the base of its stakeholders,” including its patrons.

Wood is happy to be on a team that feels specifically chosen.

“We all work long days, but it’s more collaborative than I could have ever imagined,” she said.

Wood got to where she is through hard work. But she refuses to take full credit.

“I’m one of the luckiest people I know,” she said.