Former Walters Art Museum CEO and Executive Director Julia M. Alexander died Sunday night at the Greater Baltimore Medical Center, the Baltimore museum confirmed. The cause of death was a heart attack. She was 57.

The Claremont, California, native was named the Walters’ director in 2013 — the fifth in the museum’s history and the first woman to hold the position. In 2024, she left the Walters to become president of New York’s Samuel H. Kress Foundation, which supports the studies of European art, architecture and archaeology.

She is survived by two children, Jack and Beatrice; her mother, Catharine Alexander; her former husband, Dr. John Marciari; and her sister, Kitty Alexander, according to a statement from Alexander’s family provided to the Walters.

Kate Burgin, who took over as the Walters’ CEO and executive director in January, said in a statement that Alexander was “both a mentor and a friend.”

“We are deeply saddened by the passing of Julia Alexander, whose influence on this organization, and on all of us, is both lasting and significant,” Burgin said. “One of her most important contributions to the Walters was shifting the museum’s focus toward creating greater and more meaningful engagement with our local community — a visionary decision to center our work on Baltimore and Maryland.”

Peter Bain, president of the Walters’ board of trustees, said in a statement that Alexander’s leadership “not only strengthened the museum’s foundation but also deepened its relevance and connection to the many audiences it serves.”

“For many of us, Julia was more than a colleague — she was a friend,” Bain said. “She shared her deep love of art generously, along with a steadfast belief in its transformative power to bring people together. She will be dearly missed.”

Asma Naeem, director of the Baltimore Museum of Art, said in a statement to The Banner that Alexander welcomed her “with open arms” when she was appointed the institution’s new leader in 2024.

“Instead of leaving me to my own devices after that, she became a new friend, a director bestie, always cheering for me, offering insights, and generously sharing resources, not to mention making me laugh,” Naeem said.

Alexander studied art history and French at Wellesley College in Massachusetts and earned master’s degrees at New York University and Yale University, where she also completed a doctoral degree in art history in 1999. Before the Walters, she worked at the Yale Center for British Art at Yale University and the San Diego Museum of Art.

In a 2024 interview with The Banner, Alexander praised Baltimore’s “vibrant art and culture scene.”

“There’s really an integrated community of living artists and art from the past. And it’s in a city that’s not too big for itself, so all of us come together regularly and deeply,” she said.

When asked her advice for the next director, Alexander said to “lean into every single thing Baltimore has to offer.”

“Baltimore is so unique and exciting. It has so much potential to be the leading arts city in the world,” Alexander said.

After Alexander headed north to lead the Kress Foundation, she continued to champion Baltimore, Naeem said.

“She was committed to our beloved Baltimore, even when she left for New York, and we were all rooting for her from afar,” she said. “I daresay I will never have a colleague as genuinely supportive.”