Westmoreland Museum appoints new director/CEO

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

The Westmoreland Museum of American Art announced Wednesday the appointment of Anne Kraybill as director/CEO, effective Aug. 20.

Ms. Kraybill succeeds Judith Hansen O’Toole, who will retire this month after 25 years in the position. The museum celebrates its 60th anniversary next year.

Ms. Kraybill, 41, was born in Portland, Ore. She was previously director of education and research in learning and a member of the leadership team at the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Ark.

She joined Crystal Bridges nine months before the museum opened in 2011, she said by telephone Wednesday. She eventually oversaw a team of 35 fulland part-time staff, one of the largest teams in the organization, and reported directly to the museum’s executive director. Her department, supported by 80 volunteers, provided educational and public programming to 160,000 visitors each year, “from babies to centenarians.” Programming ranged from traditional lectures and symposia to community outreach.

Ms. Kraybill has extensive experience in fundraising. She wrote National Endowment for the Arts grant applications and met with donors and sponsors making $5,000 to $100,000 contributions. In 2017, she acquired $15 million from the Arkansas-based Windgate Charitable Foundation to establish the Windgate Educational Excellence through the Arts Endowed Fund at the museum.

Ms. Kraybill earned a master’s degree in museum education from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, during which time she was a graduate assistant at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. She has also held positions at the Vero Beach Museum of Art in Florida; the Center for Creative Education and the Norton Museum of Art in West Palm Beach, Fla.; and the Durham [N.C.] Arts Council.

“I think arts councils are really wonderful, but I realized that I need art,” Ms. Kraybill said. “I really need to have exhibitions and a great collection to work with.”

The Crystal Bridges Museumdrew 608,000 visitors in 2015, according to the latest annual report on its website. Attendance at The Westmoreland was 27,500 in fiscal year 2015-16, when it reopened after renovation and expansion. Attendance in fiscal year 2016-17 was 23,200.

The Westmoreland appeals to her because of the impact a smaller institution and cohesive staff can make. “I saw a progressive institution that’s incredibly nimble with a healthy culture and a good collection,” she said.

“We are excited and delighted to have Anne join The Westmoreland as our new director,” board president Ellen Swank said in a statement. “She brings a wealth of experience to the role, and we are confident in her ability to lead us into the nextera for the museum.”

Ms. Kraybill plans to live in Greensburg with her husband, James, and children Liam, who is almost 11, and Calvin, 2.