Alexandra Kennedy, executive director of The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art in Amherst, Massachusetts, will be stepping down from her post later this year. In her nearly 15 years at The Carle, Kennedy dramatically raised the profile of the Museum, which has become a champion for picture book illustration around the world.
Kennedy came to The Carle in 2008 from Disney Publishing Worldwide, where she was a vice-president and editorial director in charge of U.S. magazines. She is only the second executive director in the Museum’s 20-year history. H. Nichols B. Clark was the founding director, and continues to be an active committee member, guest curator, and donor at the Museum.
Under Kennedy’s leadership, the Museum created innovative exhibitions and award-winning education programs, grew its collection to more than 9,000 objects, and built a traveling exhibition program that reaches as many as 750,000 museum-goers around the world each year. Before she leaves, she has to put up with our exit interview.
