The Westmoreland’s Director/CEO Anne Kraybill leaving for Kansas museum post
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Anne Kraybill will step down as the Richard M. Scaife Director/CEO of The Westmoreland Museum of American Art on July 22 to become director/chief executive officer of the Wichita (Kan.) Art Museum.
“This is a bittersweet moment for me because the past four years at The Westmoreland have been some of the most fulfilling of my professional career,” Kraybill said. “I am so proud of what the organization has accomplished, and it has been a privilege to work alongside such a talented team.”
The museum’s board of trustees is planning a search for a new director/CEO. In the meantime, chief operating officer Suzanne Wright will serve as interim director/CEO and chief operating officer, and chief advancement officer Rhonda Madden also will serve as interim deputy director.
“It is the museum’s talented team who will continue to offer the region exceptional exhibitions that explore the definition of American art, provide diverse and engaging programs for all audiences, forge new and lasting partnerships and ensure that we remain relevant and accessible to all,” Kraybill said.
Kraybill came to the Greensburg museum in 2018 from a position as director of education and research in learning and a member of the leadership team at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Ark., which was founded by Alice Walton, daughter of Walmart founder Sam Walton.
She succeeded Judith Hansen O’Toole, who retired after 25 years in the director/CEO position.
The Westmoreland’s longtime chief curator, Barbara L. Jones, retired April 1 after a tenure of more than 26 years. Jones was hired as the museum’s first curator in 1995 and was promoted to chief curator in 2009.
Jeremiah William McCarthy began his role as The Westmoreland’s curator of American art on April 19.
“The Museum Board of Trustees, staff and volunteers will miss Anne greatly. All that she has accomplished during her tenure is impressive, and she is leaving our organization in a very strong place,” said Claire Ertl, The Westmoreland’s director of marketing and public relations. “We thank her for her dedicated service to The Westmoreland and wish her continued success in her career.”
Kraybill was chosen for the Wichita Art Museum position in a national search, said Martha Linsner, the museum’s board chair.
“She quickly rose to the top of the list,” Linsner said. “The search committee was impressed by her credentials, her work history, and her references were glowing. We’re looking forward to her coming on board to take the museum to the next level.”
Founded in 1935, the Wichita Art Museum is a public/private partnership, owned by the City of Wichita and managed by Wichita Art Museum Inc. Its collection emphasizes American art and includes works by Mary Cassatt, Edward Hopper, Winslow Homer, Andrew Newell Wyeth, Thomas Eakins, Dale Chihuly and many others.