The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts announced Thursday that it has named Kristen Shepherd as its new president and CEO. Shepherd will start in the role on February 9.
Shepherd, 54, previously served as executive director and CEO at the Museum of Fine Arts in St. Petersburg, Florida for five and a half years. She also held leadership positions at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Whitney Museum in New York, and Sotheby’s in New York and London. She has also served as a consultant to various museums through her firm Shepherd Lane + Associates.
“PAFA’s collection is superlative, and it demonstrates that American art is an ever-evolving story,” Shepherd said in a statement. “The fact that the institution has been collecting contemporary art since its inception in 1805 and was the nation’s very first fine arts school is a remarkable legacy and mandate. PAFA has always been at the forefront of nurturing, teaching, and collecting important work for every generation of American artists. It is a privilege to build on this foundation and identify bold new ways to lead the institution into its next chapter as a force in the world of American art.”
Shepherd joins at a tumultous time for the institution. Last May, it closed its college, ending its degree-granting programs, which then-president Eric Pryor blamed on rising costs and low enrollment. The museum has continued to offer other educational programs, including a K-12 arts program and continuing education classes.
Established in 1805, PAFA has a storied list of alumni, including artists Mary Cassatt, Robert Henri, Thomas Eakins, Alexander Milne Calder, Alexander Stirling Calder, and Mother Goose illustrator Jessie Wilcox Smith.
This year, PAFA will reopen its iconic Frank Furness and George Hewitt-designed building following renovations with the exhibitions such as “Threaded Currents” (opening today). Future shows include “Bodies and Souls: Kohler Collection” and “A Nation of Artists.”
