Members of the media and museum supporters were bussed into the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art construction site on Wednesday for a sneak peek at the museum’s progress, along with the announcement of new staff, a new logo, and the acquisition on three new pieces of art.
Crystal Bridges director Don Bacigalupi announced that the museum recently purchased Andy Warhol’s 1985 painting, “Dolly Parton“, Benjamin West’s “Cupid and Psyche,” and a Roy Lichtenstein sculpture, “Standing Explosion (Red)” before a large crowd gathered at the museum grounds.
Bacigalupi also announced the hiring of two new staff members, including Rod Bigelow (Toledo Museum of Art) as deputy director of operations and administration, and former Soul Restaurant proprietor Case Dighero as food and beverage director. Marlon Blackwell, head of the architecture department at the UA’s Fay Jones School of Architecture was announced as architect for the museum’s 3,000-square-foot retail store.
Those in attendance who were hoping for a timeline on the opening of the new museum, however, left disappointed.
“There are probably a couple other things that you would like to hear about that I will be very anxious to share with you, but we’re not quite there yet,” Bacigalupi concluded. “Very shortly we’ll be announcing opening dates and schedules.”
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