AppointmentJuly 31, 2023
Amada Cruz named Director and CEO. Santa Barbara Museum of Art
The Santa Barbara Museum of Art (SBMA) announced the appointment of Amada Cruz as the Robert and Mercedes Eichholz Director and CEO from October 30, 2023. Cruz comes to SBMA from the Seattle Art Museum (SAM), where she served as the Illsley Ball Nordstrom Director and CEO since 2019; Born in Havana, Cuba, she holds a bachelor's degree in art history and political science from the New York University.
Cruz states, "I am thrilled to be joining SBMA with its important mission 'to integrate art into the lives of people.' That inspiring charge is a call to engage the different communities of the Santa Barbara region by increasing the Museum's local relevance and global visibility. I look forward to working with the staff and Board to build upon the strong foundation of scholarly exhibitions and robust educational programs established under my predecessor, Larry Feinberg."
Over her 30-year career, Amada Cruz has held posts as the Director of the Phoenix Art Museum; Executive Director at San Antonio-based Artspace, an artist residency program; Director of the Center for Curatorial Studies Museum at Bard College, where she co-organized the first US museum survey of Takashi Murakami's work; and Acting Chief Curator and Manilow Curator of Exhibitions at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago. In 2015, W Magazine named her one of America's 11 most powerful female museum directors.
In 2018, Cruz received the Virginia Cardenas Arts Advocacy Award from Xico, an Arizona cultural institution serving Latinx and Indigenous artists.
Cruz states, "I am thrilled to be joining SBMA with its important mission 'to integrate art into the lives of people.' That inspiring charge is a call to engage the different communities of the Santa Barbara region by increasing the Museum's local relevance and global visibility. I look forward to working with the staff and Board to build upon the strong foundation of scholarly exhibitions and robust educational programs established under my predecessor, Larry Feinberg."
Over her 30-year career, Amada Cruz has held posts as the Director of the Phoenix Art Museum; Executive Director at San Antonio-based Artspace, an artist residency program; Director of the Center for Curatorial Studies Museum at Bard College, where she co-organized the first US museum survey of Takashi Murakami's work; and Acting Chief Curator and Manilow Curator of Exhibitions at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago. In 2015, W Magazine named her one of America's 11 most powerful female museum directors.
In 2018, Cruz received the Virginia Cardenas Arts Advocacy Award from Xico, an Arizona cultural institution serving Latinx and Indigenous artists.
