President and Chief Executive Officer
Dr. David R. Brigham is President and CEO of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. He looks forward to leading PAFA to being recognized as a national leader in American fine arts education. To accomplish that vision, Brigham will work with Board, faculty, and staff to maximize the impact of PAFA’s rare combination as an exceptional School and Museum, complete its campus master plan, enhance the curriculum and public programs, develop world-class exhibitions, grow its already impressive collections, and develop and dedicate the resources necessary to promote those many strengths.
Formerly The Edna S. Tuttleman Museum Director, Brigham joined PAFA in October 2007. Under his leadership, the museum saw audience growth; the launch of a comprehensive exhibition and public programs plan; the growth of the collection through more than 300 works of art and several major purchases; and a significant enhancement of its profile. Brigham’s commitment to diversity has been evident in the formation of a Community Outreach Committee and in the selection of exhibitions and acquisitions, including the planning of the first international retrospective for Henry O. Tanner in 2012.
Brigham earned his master’s degree in Museum Studies/American Civilization and a doctorate in American Civilization at the University of Pennsylvania, and bachelor's degrees in English and Accounting summa cum laude from the University of Connecticut. His publications and exhibition projects span four centuries of American art, from the 17th to the late 20th centuries.
Previously, Brigham was the Executive Director of the Allentown Museum of Art (2002-2007), and the Director of Collections and Exhibitions and Curator of American Art at the Worcester Art Museum in Massachusetts (1996-2002). He has also taught at the University of Southern California, George Mason University, and Lebanon Valley College and worked at the Huntington Library.
His wife, artist Holly Trostle Brigham, studied at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts in the early 1990s and earned her MFA from The George Washington University. They have two young children.