The United States Artists staff and board are thrilled to share that Kristy Edmunds has joined its Board of Trustees, with her term beginning June 1.

A self-ascribed “doer busy doing the thing,” Edmunds has made profound contributions and a significant name for countless artists and institutions throughout her career as administrator, curator and artistic director. She is the Director of Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art (MASS MoCA), internationally recognized for her commitment to visual and performing arts and artists.

Notably, in 2019, Kristy was the inaugural recipient of USA’s Berresford Prize, an award conceived by USA Fellows to acknowledge those who have dedicated their careers to the advocacy and care of artists, creating and nurturing the conditions for them to thrive. As an administrator who has centered artists in her decades of work, built networks and generated resources that would enable their flourishing, Kristy Edmunds was an exemplary first recipient. Now, we are thrilled to welcome her to USA’s board of trustees.

As USA embarks on the twentieth anniversary of its Fellowship program, we are grateful for Edmunds' vision and insight, gained through many rich and varied experiences leading arts institutions and nurturing artists from many backgrounds. Edmunds’ robust career has included work as a visual artist, an independent filmmaker, a playwright, a director, and a creative producer. In recognition of her contributions to the arts, Edmunds was bestowed with the honor of Chevalier (Knight) de L’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French Government in 2016.

Previously, she was the Director of the Center for the Art of Performance in Los Angeles. She was also the founding Artistic Director of the Park Avenue Armory in New York, and the founder of the Portland Institute for Contemporary Art in Oregon. She serves on numerous other boards and select committees including Young Arts and the Governor's Executive Committee for the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

Welcome, Kristy!