Good news for art lovers (and anyone who likes a good growth story): The Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art and its contemporary art sibling, the Momentary, just landed Courtenay Finn as their new chief curator. She steps into the role on August 24, reporting to Austen Bailly, who's been busy as deputy director of curatorial affairs since last October.
Finn is currently the chief curator and director of programs at the Orange County Museum of Art (OCMA). A place that, in a rather modern twist, merged with the University of California, Irvine last year. Before that, she was holding court at moCa Cleveland and the Aspen Art Museum. So, she's seen a few different art scenes.
Her resume includes helping OCMA open a brand-new building, which is no small feat. During her tenure, visitor numbers apparently shot up by a neat 200%. Let that satisfying number sink in. She also added over 100 artworks to the collection, including pieces by art world heavyweights like Joan Brown and Derek Fordjour. Plus, she co-curated the "2025 California Biennial" and organized solo shows for Alice Neel and Fred Eversley. So, she knows her way around an exhibition.
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This appointment comes right after Crystal Bridges finished a rather significant expansion. They tacked on an additional 114,000 square feet of new galleries and educational spaces. Because apparently, 300,000 square feet of art wasn't quite enough. Which, if you think about it, is both impressive and slightly terrifying for anyone who's ever gotten lost in a museum.
Finn's pretty thrilled, noting she's excited to build on the museum's commitment to exhibitions and programs that "increase access, spark curiosity, and transform and expand traditional narratives." Which is a fancy way of saying: more cool stuff, for more people, maybe in ways you haven't seen before.
And because you can't have a growth spurt without a few new faces, Crystal Bridges also welcomed Ryan Owen as chief development officer and Shayne Hart as chief communications and marketing officer. All three will now sit on the museum's executive council, presumably to figure out how to fill all that new space and keep those visitor numbers climbing. Rod Bigelow, the executive director, seems pleased, noting their "distinct perspective, deep expertise, and a shared commitment to our mission." Sounds like a plan.
