Alexandra Piper is a dedicated arts administrator and public historian with a proven track record in strategic leadership and management excellence within arts and humanities institutions. With a deep-rooted commitment to ethically uplifting marginalized narratives, she excels in fostering inclusive environments and spearheading impact-driven initiatives. At the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities, Piper shapes the work of the committee, driving positive change and amplifying underrepresented voices on a national scale.

Piper launched her career at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History’s African American History Program, where she researched and implemented learning experiences based on the diverse stories, objects, and cultures of African Americans. Transitioning into a role focused on program development, she curated and orchestrated immersive and innovative experiences for millions of museum visitors, including Cooking Up History and History Film Forum, the premier film festival focused on history. 

Beyond her public-facing responsibilities, Piper managed high-level collaborations across the museum, developed messaging and strategy for marketing campaigns, and served as a special assistant to the museum’s director. Notably, she played a pivotal role in the museum’s Center for Restorative History and served as the Project Director for the Center’s Goucher Prison Education Partnership Alumni Internship Program, a first-of-its-kind program in the U.S.

In addition to her tenure at the Smithsonian, Piper has worked with a range of museums and public history organizations as a consultant and researcher, including the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum, the Vermont 250th Anniversary Commission, and the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum’s Clean Water Act exhibition. Recognized for her commitment to ethical museum practices, she was selected for participation in the prestigious Ethical Interpretation Workshop at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture, which evolved into a leadership role within the program. In 2023, she continued her education and honed her leadership skills at the Southeastern Museums Conference’s Jekyll Island Management Institute.

She holds a B.A. in History and Political Science from Hope College and an M.A. in History from the University of Maryland, College Park, with specialization in histories of Black freedom in the antebellum United States.