Princeton University Art Museum Appoints Sally Bickerton as Associate Director for Museum Development

PRINCETON, N.J. – Sally Bickerton has been named associate director for development at the Princeton University Art Museum. A seasoned fundraising professional, Bickerton has more than 20 years of non-profit arts management experience in museums, higher education institutions and community arts organizations. Bickerton joins the Museum from the California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) in Valencia, California, where she has served for the last five years as director of leadership gifts. She begins her new position at Princeton Nov. 1, 2019.

            Bickerton joins the Museum at an exceptional time of growth, including a new facility being designed by Sir David Adjaye which is slated to begin construction in 2021. The new building will provide dramatically enhanced spaces for collections display, temporary exhibitions, collections study, education and public amenities.

            Working closely with the Museum’s director and with the University’s advancement team, Bickerton will lead the development of the Museum’s fundraising strategies, including donor cultivation, solicitation and stewardship; its efforts in securing new endowed funding, annual support and planned giving; and leading the advancement team to grow and diversify the Museum’s philanthropic revenue streams. 

            “Throughout her career Sally has proven to be supremely adept and creative, and is widely regarded for her team leadership,” said James Steward, Nancy A. Nasher—David J. Haemisegger, Class of 1976, director. “We were particularly impressed by Sally’s experience with both complex educational institutions and within visual art organizations, and look forward to having her at the helm of our outstanding development team.” 

            In her most recent capacity at CalArts, Bickerton managed a six-person leadership gift team focused on major gifts, donor relations, partnerships and special events, raising in excess of $5 million annually. She previously served as the acting executive director of advancement at CalArts, as well as the director of development at REDCAT, the Roy and Edna Disney/CalArts Theater in downtown Los Angeles, where she oversaw an annual fundraising budget of $1.2 million. Prior to CalArts, Bickerton held fundraising and operational positions at the Armory Center for the Arts in Pasadena, California, and at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Before relocating to California, Bickerton worked at The Met Cloisters in New York and the Milton Avery Graduate School of the Arts at Bard College.
            Bickerton received her B.A. in art from Bard College in Annandale-on-Hudson. She has served as a board member and advisor to several nonprofits in Pasadena and Los Angeles and participated in the Annenberg Alchemy Leadership Seminar.

            “The Museum’s globe-spanning collections, educational initiatives, and engaging public programming are truly exemplary. I look forward to working with James Steward and the talented team there and advancing their incredible work, especially at a time of such dynamic growth,” Bickerton said.

About the Princeton University Art Museum

            With a collecting history that extends back to 1755, the Princeton University Art Museum is one of the leading university art museums in the country, with collections that have grown to include over 110,000 works of art ranging from ancient to contemporary art and spanning the globe.

            Committed to advancing Princeton’s teaching and research missions, the Art Museum also serves as a gateway to the University for visitors from around the world. Intimate in scale yet expansive in scope, the Museum offers a respite from the rush of daily life, a revitalizing experience of extraordinary works of art and an opportunity to delve deeply into the study of art and culture.

            The Princeton University Art Museum is located at the heart of the Princeton campus, a short walk from the shops and restaurants of Nassau Street. Admission is free. Museum hours are Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Thursday 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.; and Sunday 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. The Museum is closed Mondays and major holidays.

            Art@Bainbridge, the Museum’s new gallery project dedicated to emerging contemporary artists, is located at 158 Nassau Street in downtown Princeton. Admission is free. Art@Bainbridge hours are Sunday to Wednesday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Thursday to Saturday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

            For more information: artmuseum.princeton.edu.

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Media Contacts:

Princeton University Art Museum
Gabrielle Langholtz
609-258-3767
gml@princeton.edu

Blue Water Communications
Lynnette Werning
Phone: 800-975-3212
Email: lynnette@bluewatercommunications.biz