Art Bridges CEO Anne Kraybill Visits Peoria Celebrating America 250

Museum Conversations with Art Bridges CEO Anne Kraybill, representing the Peoria Riverfront Museum’s largest national philanthropic partner, takes place Thursday, May 14, 2026.

PEORIA, Ill., May 14, 2026—As part of the Peoria Riverfront Museum’s ongoing America 250 celebration, Art Bridges CEO Anne Kraybill will speak at the museum on Thursday, May 14, 2026, at 6 p.m. This marks her first visit to Peoria since being appointed to the position in 2024. Representing the museum’s largest national philanthropic partner, Alice Walton's Art Bridges Foundation, she visits during the museum’s America 250 celebrations.

During her discussion, Kraybill will explore the power of expanding access to the arts, share the vision behind Art Bridges Foundation’s mission, and reflect on why the Peoria Riverfront Museum has become one of Art Bridges’ most dynamic collaborations.

Since 2018, the Peoria Riverfront Museum has been the beneficiary of over 25 exhibitions and programs supported by Art Bridges Foundation.

Alice Walton’s Art Bridges Foundation brings extraordinary works of American art to Peoria, Illinois, through landmark exhibitions such as American Revolutionaries: Art and Disruption, American Verses: Terry Adkins, Mark Bradford & Kerry James Marshall, and FRESH: New Directions in Contemporary Art.

Artworks on loan from Art Bridges can currently be seen in three museum exhibitions celebrating America 250: The Promise of Liberty, Joyful Resistance, and Exquisite Creatures. The latter, blending art and science, is the first exhibition to leverage the museum’s multidisciplinary approach in partnership with Art Bridges and is on display for the first time since its acquisition by Art Bridges.

From receiving the inaugural Bridgemaker Prize in 2025 to launching community-centered initiatives like Access for All free days, the Peoria Riverfront Museum’s partnership with Art Bridges has opened new doors for audiences across Greater Peoria and beyond to connect with world-class art in meaningful ways.

Anne Kraybill is a respected leader in the national arts and cultural landscape, known for her deep commitment to the idea that art can enrich lives and strengthen communities. This event offers a rare opportunity to hear directly from one of the driving forces behind a movement to make art more accessible and to gain fresh insight into how museums can better serve and inspire their communities.

“Alice Walton is the single most important national philanthropist to support the arts in the greater Peoria area in our history,” said president and CEO for the Peoria Riverfront Museum, John D. Morris. “It is an honor to welcome the foundation’s CEO as we continue building our partnership with our mutual mission to further access to the arts alongside the museum’s mission to unleash the full talent and genius of every individual.”

The “Museum Conversations” program with Anne Kraybill takes place Thursday, May 14, 2026, at 6 p.m. in the Exquisite Creatures gallery at the Peoria Riverfront Museum, with a meet-and-greet and refreshments beginning at 5:30 p.m.

Art Bridges generously supports the Peoria Riverfront Museum Achievement Passport program, and Art Bridges Access for All day at the museum, providing free public access to Peoria Riverfront Museum exhibitions, films, planetarium shows and special programming on the second Sunday of every month.

Generous support for Joyful Resistance and Exquisite Creatures is provided by Art Bridges.

“Museum Conversations” is sponsored by Visionary Society, America 250 donors and the Illinois Arts Council.

For more information, visit the museum’s website at peoriariverfrontmuseum.org.

About Art Bridges Foundation

Art Bridges Foundation, the vision of philanthropist and arts patron Alice Walton, creates and supports projects that share works of American art with communities across the United States and its territories. Since 2017, Art Bridges has partnered with a growing network of nearly 400 museums of many sizes — impacting 25 million people nationwide — to provide financial and strategic support for exhibitions, collection loans, and programs designed to educate, inspire, and deepen engagement with local communities. The Art Bridges Collection represents an expanding vision of American art from the 19th century to present day and encompasses multiple media and voices. For more information, visit artbridgesfoundation.org.

About Peoria Riverfront Museum

The Peoria Riverfront Museum is the only multidisciplinary institution of its kind in the nation, combining art, science, history, and achievement. The museum is dedicated to using its collections, exhibitions, giant screen theater, dome planetarium, and programming to tell the stories that build confidence, spark life-long learning, and unleash the full talent and genius of every individual. Learn more at riverfrontmuseum.org.

Contact Melody Konrad, Peoria Riverfront Museum assistant director of marketing and communications at MKonrad@peoriariverfrontmuseum.org