Director of Research and Evaluation

About Art Bridges

Art Bridges Foundation is the vision of philanthropist and arts patron Alice Walton. Since 2017, Art Bridges has created and supported projects that bring outstanding works of American art out of storage and into communities. Art Bridges partners with a growing network of over 200 museums of all sizes and locations on nearly 900 projects-impacting more than 5.3 million people across 49 states and Puerto Rico-to provide financial and strategic support for exhibition development, loans from the Art Bridges Collection and Partner Loan Network, and programs designed to educate, inspire, and deepen engagement with local audiences.

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.

The Director of Research and Evaluation leads the organization's research and evaluation strategy and provides leadership for how organizational impact is defined, assessed, understood, and communicated. This role develops research and learning agendas and consistent evaluation frameworks to assess effectiveness and strengthen programs and initiatives, leads rigorous quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-methods research and evaluation, and translates complex data and findings into actionable insights that support evidence-informed decision-making.

Working collaboratively across departments and with external stakeholders, the Director advances organizational learning, data-informed decision-making, and understanding of impact while contributing research and evaluation expertise to broader organizational and field-wide priorities. The role builds and maintains strategic relationships across the broader ecosystem and museum field, leads collaborative research and evaluation initiatives, and contributes evidence and thought leadership to national conversations about access, audience engagement, art sharing, institutional sustainability, and the public value of art museums.

Success in this role requires strong strategic and systems thinking, methodological rigor, analytical and research expertise, communication, leadership, and collaboration skills, along with the ability to translate complex information into meaningful and actionable insights for diverse audiences. The role also requires intellectual curiosity, sound judgment, strong interpersonal skills, professional integrity, and the ability to lead and develop a high-performing team while working effectively with diverse internal and external stakeholders.

Job Title:

Director of Research and Evaluation

Reports to:

Deputy Director, Operations and Strategy

FLSA Classification:
Exempt

Location:

Bentonville, Arkansas (On-site)

Date Reviewed: 08/16/2026

Art Bridges Foundation is the vision of philanthropist and arts patron Alice Walton. Founded in 2017, Art Bridges creates and supports projects that share works of American art with communities across the United States and its territories. Art Bridges partners 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.

The Director of Research and Evaluation leads the organization's research and evaluation strategy and provides leadership for how organizational impact is defined, assessed, understood, and communicated. This role develops research and learning agendas and consistent evaluation frameworks to assess effectiveness and strengthen programs and initiatives, leads rigorous quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-methods research and evaluation, and translates complex data and findings into actionable insights that support evidence-informed decision-making.

Working collaboratively across departments and with external stakeholders, the Director advances organizational learning, data-informed decision-making, and understanding of impact while contributing research and evaluation expertise to broader organizational and field-wide priorities. The role builds and maintains strategic relationships across the broader ecosystem…