The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art announces the appointment of Dr. Carrie Rebora Barratt, PhD, as Senior Curator-at-Large, American Art. In this newly created role, Dr. Barratt will serve as a scholarly and strategic advisor on the museum’s significant American art collections, guiding their growth, interpretation, and institutional positioning as the museum advances its renovation and expansion plans.
Dr. Barratt is an art historian, author, and accomplished museum and public garden leader with a distinguished record of transformative institutional impact. At The Metropolitan Museum of Art, she rose from Curator of American Art to Deputy Director, where she oversaw curatorial, conservation, education, libraries, publications, and digital initiatives, while helping shape strategic planning, governance, and visitor experience.
Trained as an American art specialist, Dr. Barratt served as Curator of American Paintings and Sculpture (1990–2009), Manager of the Henry R. Luce Center for the Study of American Art at The Met (1989–2009), and Deputy Director for Collection (2009 – 2018). During that time she organized and contributed to numerous exhibitions, including: “American Stories: Paintings of Everyday Life, 1765–1915” (2009–2010), a major survey of genre painting in the United States that traced shifting narratives of daily life, class, race, and national identity across 150 years; “Gilbert Stuart” (2004–2005), a comprehensive exhibition of the preeminent early American portraitist, exploring image-making at the founding of the United States and the politics of representation around figures such as George Washington; and “John Singleton Copley in America” (1995–1996), a landmark exhibition that reassessed Copley’s American period and the visual culture of colonial and Revolutionary-era society.
Throughout her career, she has maintained a deep scholarly engagement with 18th- and 19th-century American art, contributing to a think tank at Crystal Bridges, publishing a column and podcast, and is currently working on a book about Martha Washington and the American widow.
“Carrie brings a wealth of knowledge of historic American art and museum practice, shaped by her experience as a curator, senior administrator, and museum director,” said Dr. Julián Zugazagoitia, Executive Director and CEO. “She will be a vital partner to our curatorial team in this important advisory role as we plan for exciting changes ahead, including our expansion by WEISS/MANFREDI Architects.”
In accepting the appointment, Dr. Barratt said:
“I am honored to join the Nelson-Atkins during this period of transformation and possibility. The museum’s extraordinary collection offers a powerful lens through which to explore the complexity, creativity, and diversity of the American experience. I look forward to collaborating with colleagues whose scholarship and imagination continue to expand the field, and to helping shape new conversations about American art as the museum enters an exciting new chapter.”
In addition to her work at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Dr. Barratt has held a number of other positions supporting cultural organizations through periods of change. In 2018, she became the ninth President and CEO of the New York Botanical Garden—and its first woman leader—guiding the 250-acre institution through a period marked by major institutional transition, climate challenges, and a renewed emphasis on wellness and public engagement. In 2020, she founded The Solace Project, a consulting and creative studio focused on the intersection of art, nature, and well-being.
From 2021 to 2025, Dr. Barratt worked with LongHouse Reserve in East Hampton, the former residence of textile designer Jack Lenor Larsen (1927–2020), successfully guiding its transition from a founder-led organization to a public institution. Her work included securing National Register status, expanding access and community engagement, and establishing innovative programs in art, design, and wellness.
She has also served as curator for the Well-Being Project and has advised institutions, including the Chicago Botanic Garden and the South Bend Museum of Art.
Dr. Barratt will work closely with Dr. Stephanie Fox Knappe, Sanders Sosland Senior Curator of Global Modern and Contemporary Art and Head of American Art, and Dr. William Keyse Rudolph, Deputy Director, Curatorial Affairs, Chief Curator, and Head of Architecture, Design, and Decorative Arts.
“Carrie Rebora Barratt’s unparalleled knowledge of 18th- and 19th-century American art—from landmark exhibitions on John Singleton Copley and Gilbert Stuart to her work on American portrait miniatures—brings a fresh and exciting perspective to our historic collections,” said Dr. Rudolph. “We look forward to benefiting from her insight, collegiality, and deeply empathetic understanding of American visual culture.”
Dr. Fox Knappe added:
“Our significant collection of historic American art—and our guests—will greatly benefit from Carrie’s expertise and vision. Following an extensive search, we could not have asked for a more dynamic and experienced addition as we look ahead to the museum’s expansion.”
Atha Lecture
In conjunction with her appointment, Dr. Barratt will deliver the museum’s 44th Annual Atha Lecture on September 10, 2026. The Atha Lecture series honors Joseph S. and Ethel B. Atha and brings leading scholars to Kansas City to share their work with the public and engage with graduate students in the region.
American Art Collection
The Nelson-Atkins’ American collection spans paintings, sculpture, and works on paper from the eighteenth through the mid-twentieth century. The collection includes strong holdings in Missouri artists such as Thomas Hart Benton, George Caleb Bingham, Birger Sandzén, and Albert Bloch, alongside important works by Benjamin West, Joshua Johnston, the Peale family, Frederic Edwin Church, Henry Ossawa Tanner, John Singer Sargent, Thomas Eakins, Aaron Douglas, Florine Stettheimer, Georgia O’Keeffe, William Merritt Chase, Marsden Hartley, and Charles Wilbert White.