Art Bridges Foundation in Bentonville names Anne Kraybill new CEO

Northwest Arkansas

by Paul Gatling ([email protected]) December 19, 2023 9:45 am 818 views 

Bentonville nonprofit Art Bridges Foundation has named Anne Kraybill its new chief executive.

She is replacing Paul Provost, the founding CEO (2019-2023). A foundation spokeswoman said Provost stepped down to pursue new opportunities in the arts. The fourth person hired by the foundation, Provost helped grow it to about 40 people.

Most recently, Kraybill was the chief executive of the Wichita Art Museum in Kansas and the Westmoreland Museum of American Art in Pennsylvania. At both museums, Kraybill partnered with Art Bridges, an endeavor launched by Alice Walton in 2017 to expand access to American art. Art Bridges acquires works of art that it loans to about 220 museums and provides funding for education around that art.

According to its most recent IRS filings, Art Bridges had over $1.24 billion in assets and a $46 million annual operating budget,

Walton, the only daughter of Walmart founders Sam and Helen Walton, is the founder of Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville. It opened in November 2011 and has welcomed approximately 11 million visitors, with no admission cost.

“We’re excited to welcome an entrepreneurial leader like Anne whose experience partnering with museums and the foundation will drive Art Bridges’ impact in the arts and culture sector,” Walton said in a statement.

Kraybill’s work experience also includes seven years (2011-2018) working at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, where she was director of education and research in learning.

She has also held leadership roles at:

  • Durham Arts Council in Durham, N.C.
  • Vero Beach Museum of Art in Vero Beach, Fla.
  • Norton Museum of Art in West Palm Beach, Fla.

Kraybill earned a bachelor’s degree in photography from Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore, Md., a master’s degree in museum education from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia and a master’s degree in instructional technology from East Carolina University in Greenville, N.C. She’s also taken doctoral level coursework in public policy at the University of Arkansas.

“I am honored to have been selected as the next CEO of Art Bridges,” Kraybill said. “As a director of two regional museums that have partnered with the foundation, I know first-hand how transformative Art Bridges is by creating and supporting programs that bring diverse artworks and exhibitions to communities across the country.

“Art Bridges is a true catalyst of change for the museum field and I’m excited to return to Bentonville to work with such a talented team and lead the foundation into its next chapter.”