ST. LOUIS, August 18, 2026—Cristal De La Cruz has joined the Saint Louis Art Museum as the 2026-2028 Romare Bearden Graduate Museum Fellow.
Named for artist Romare Bearden, the two-year, paid fellowship provides hands-on experience working throughout the museum on specific assignments tailored to the fellow’s background and interests.
De La Cruz received a master’s degree in museum studies from the Cooperstown Graduate Program earlier this year. As a graduate student, she served as the New York state coordinator for National History Day and interned at Emory University’s Michael C. Carlos Museum, where she helped develop digital resources to increase museum accessibility. She studied history and art history at Dartmouth College, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in 2022. During her time at Dartmouth, she worked with the Hood Museum of Art, helping strengthen engagement between the museum and the student community.
De La Cruz will join Daniella Statia, the 2025-2027 Romare Bearden fellow.
The museum program began 35 years ago and expanded in 2021 from a one-year paid fellowship to a two-year paid fellowship. A new fellow begins work each year, which allows first-year fellows to work closely with those completing their second year of the program. Past fellows have gone on to hold key positions at the Saint Louis Art Museum as well as at other noteworthy museums and universities, including the Art Institute of Chicago, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Philadelphia Museum of Art and University of Texas at Austin.
CONTACT: Molly Morris, 314.655.5250, [email protected]
Cristal De La Cruz, the 2026-2028 Romare Bearden Graduate Museum Fellow