Brandywine Museum of Art announces new Associate Curator, Kerry Bickford
Chadds Ford, PA, February 25, 2025 — The Brandywine Museum of Art is pleased to announce the appointment of Kerry Bickford as its new Associate Curator. Bickford has worked widely in the Philadelphia art community for 10 years as a curator and artistic producer, mainly focusing on site-responsive public art projects, many of them exploring the intersections between art and local ecology. In her new role at Brandywine, she will help steward, present, and interpret the Museum’s permanent collection and develop exhibitions while also working with the curatorial team to deepen and expand the Brandywine’s holdings of American Art.
"I've long admired the Brandywine Museum of Art's program of rigorous and revelatory exhibitions, as well as its thoughtful attention to artistic practice in this region. I'm honored and privileged to be joining their curatorial team,” said Bickford. “I'm looking forward to working with my colleagues to develop projects that emphasize equitable partnership, close attention to site and history, and intersections between art and ecological thought."
Prior to joining the Brandywine, Bickford served as the Senior Project Manager for Monument Lab in Philadelphia, where she most recently was one of the project managers for Declaration House, a collaboration with Independence National Historical Park and artist Sonya Clark. Previously, she served as the Curator of Ecological Futures and Director of Programs at Philadelphia Contemporary where she was responsible for conceptualizing, curating and producing multidisciplinary programs and exhibitions around the convergence of art and ecology, including her cornerstone project, Jean Shin: Freshwater, a site-specific sculpture commission that highlighted the crucial role of freshwater mussels in the Delaware River watershed. She has also produced and co-produced numerous projects including the Philadelphia Contemporary’s performance series “Grounds that Shout! (and others merely shaking)” and web series “Talking Breakfast.” In 2017, in her first year at Philadelphia Contemporary, Bickford co-curated a highly acclaimed exhibition for the Brandywine, Ana Vizcarra Rankin: time/scale. As part of this project, Bickford helped organize a site-specific commission with the artist featuring a star map inspired by the Brandywine’s scenic campus.
“We are thrilled to welcome Kerry to the Brandywine Museum of Art,” said Thomas Padon, the James H. Duff Director. “After a national search, we found in Kerry an impressive combination of expertise in contemporary art, strong relationships with artists and thought leaders in the region, and a robust artistic vision. Her specialty in environmental art and close attention to place and history make her uniquely suited to draw on Brandywine’s collection and its tradition of environmental stewardship, developing projects and pursuing acquisitions by artists who have drawn inspiration from nature.”
Bickford has an M.A. from the Williams College Graduate Program in the History of Art and a B.A. in English and Art History from Northwestern University.
About the Brandywine Museum of Art:
The Brandywine Museum of Art features an outstanding collection of American art housed in a 19th-century Mill building with a dramatic steel and glass addition overlooking the banks of the Brandywine Creek. The Museum is located on Route 1 in Chadds Ford, PA. Current admission rates and hours of operation can be found at www.brandywine.org/hours. Guided tours of the Andrew Wyeth Studio, N.C. Wyeth House & Studio and the Kuerner Farm—all National Historic Landmarks—are available seasonally (for an additional fee); advance reservations are recommended. For more information, call 610.388.2700 or visit brandywine.org/museum. The Museum is one of the two programs of the Brandywine Conservancy & Museum of Art.
About the Brandywine Conservancy & Museum of Art:
The Brandywine Conservancy & Museum of Art preserves and promotes the natural and cultural connections between the area’s beautiful landscape, historic sites and important artists. The Conservancy protects the lands and waters throughout the Brandywine Valley and other priority conservation areas, developing sustainable approaches to emerging needs and assuring preservation of majestic open spaces and protection of natural resources for generations to come. The Museum of Art presents and collects historic and contemporary works of American art, engaging and exciting visitors of all ages through an array of exhibitions and programs. The Brandywine unites the inspiring experiences of art and nature, enhancing the quality of life in its community and among its diverse audiences.
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