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Remembering Alexandra Keiser

Alexandra Keiser stands in front of a bookshelf with various art catalogues. She is a white woman with shoulder length grey hair, wearing a black shirt and beaded necklace.

The staff and board of the Foundation are mourning the passing of Alexandra Keiser (1970–2026), an art historian who served as the project director for the Joan Mitchell Catalogue Raisonné from March 2024 to January 2026.

Born in Germany, Alexandra lived an adventurous life rooted in her love of art. She earned a Master’s Degree in Art History from Universität Trier in Germany and a PhD from the Courtauld Institute of Art in London. In 1996, Alexandra moved to New York, where she embarked upon a career in curatorial research and developed a specialization in catalogues raisonnés, while completing her PhD (in 2013).

As Project Director for the Joan Mitchell Catalogue Raisonné, Alexandra oversaw research and planned for the phased publication of the catalogue raisonné of Joan Mitchell’s painted work. Keiser brought two decades of expertise to this project, as co-editor of the digital Archipenko sculpture catalogue raisonné, which was launched in 2018, and a regular speaker on catalogues raisonnés best practices. She actively participated in the Catalogue Raisonné Scholars Association (CRSA), serving as an officer since 2017 and as the organization’s managing director (2022-2025).

In her previous role as research curator at the Archipenko Foundation, Keiser made significant contributions to the Archipenko scholarship and its broader context, and curated the traveling retrospective Archipenko: A Modern Legacy. Prior to her work on Archipenko, she was the founding director of the contemporary art gallery AU base in New York City.

“Alexandra was an extraordinarily gracious colleague who brought as much warmth and kindness to her work as she did integrity and intellect,” noted Sarah Roberts, the Foundation’s Senior Director of Curatorial Affairs. “She made a lasting impact on the Joan Mitchell Catalogue Raisonné team, and we will carry her spirit and intentions forward as we continue the project.”

Alexandra’s family invites friends and colleagues to visit benches dedicated to her in places where Alexandra loved to take walks in the Hudson Valley: the Spring Farm Trailhead in the Mohonk Preserve, High Falls, NY, and Poets' Walk Park in Red Hook, NY.