The Westmoreland Museum of American Art Named a Recipient of the 2026 Bridgemaker Prize
Art Bridges Foundation honors the Art Maze, an interactive gallery that doubled family visitation and helped drive record attendance
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
GREENSBURG, Pa., Aug. 3, 2026 — The Westmoreland Museum of American Art has been named a recipient of the 2026 Bridgemaker Prize, awarded by Art Bridges Foundation to museum partners whose work has expanded access to American art and deepened community connections. The Westmoreland is one of two institutions recognized in the prize’s second year, honored for reimagining how families experience the museum.
The annual Bridgemaker Prize recognizes Art Bridges partners for exceptional art sharing and community engagement. Each recipient receives a $75,000 award to support future projects aligned with Art Bridges’ mission, along with the opportunity to spotlight their work across Art Bridges’ digital platforms.
With Art Bridges’ support, The Westmoreland redefined family engagement through the presentation of Art Maze, a groundbreaking interactive gallery centered on exploration and play. By pairing murals by regional artists with hands-on, discovery-based activities, the museum doubled its share of family visitors to 30 percent in 2025 and achieved record attendance.
The Art Maze positioned The Westmoreland as a leader in intergenerational experiences — spaces designed to spark a lifelong appreciation for the arts.
“We believe a museum should be a place where curiosity is welcomed at every age,” said Silvia Filippini-Fantoni, Ph.D., The Richard M. Scaife Director/CEO of The Westmoreland Museum of American Art. “The Art Maze invited families to explore, play, and discover together, and it was deeply gratifying to see so many new visitors making the museum part of their lives. We are honored that Art Bridges has recognized this work with the Bridgemaker Prize.”
“The Westmoreland has reimagined what a family visit to an art museum can be,” said Anne Kraybill, CEO of Art Bridges. “By designing for play and shared discovery, the museum brings whole families together around American art while inspiring the museumgoers of the future. It is a wonderful example of the creativity the Bridgemaker Prize was established to honor.”
About The Westmoreland Museum of American Art
Established in 1959 through a bequest from Greensburg resident Mary Marchand Woods, The Westmoreland Museum of American Art is a regional museum with a national presence, located in historic Greensburg, Pennsylvania, about 35 miles east of Pittsburgh in the Laurel Highlands. The Westmoreland’s collection comprises thousands of works of fine and decorative American art dating from the mid-18th century to the present, with a special focus on the art of Southwestern Pennsylvania. Admission is always free. The museum is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums. For more information, visit thewestmoreland.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.
Media Contact
Claire Ertl, Director of Marketing & Public Relations
The Westmoreland Museum of American Art
certl@thewestmoreland.org | 724-837-1500 x128
Jack Pate, Director of Marketing & Communications
Art Bridges Foundation
jack.pate@artbridgesfoundation.org
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