Christina Shutt biographical information
Christina Shutt is the Executive Director of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, the premier institution for understanding the history and legacy of Abraham Lincoln and Illinois. She is a recognized leader in libraries and museums and is frequently sought after for her expertise in libraries, curation, museum management, and accreditation.
Since her appointment in 2021, Shutt has launched community outreach efforts to make the institution more welcoming and inclusive, curated national award-winning exhibitions showcasing the diverse history of Illinois, created the museum’s first augmented reality digital experience in partnership with Google and Thoughtworks, and received the 2024 National Leadership in History Award for her curated exhibition, “Here I Have Lived: Home in Illinois.” Additionally, her innovative and collaborative leadership resulted in the ALPLM being awarded first-time national museum accreditation, a distinction only 3% of museums hold in the United States.
Previously, Shutt was Executive Director for the Mosaic Templars Cultural Center, the African American museum of history and culture for the state of Arkansas. Under Shutt’s leadership, the center saw significant increases in visitor audience, fundraising and exhibition development, with her co-curated exhibit “Don’t Touch My Crown” winning the 2019 Arkansas Museums Association Award for Outstanding Exhibition. Under her guidance, the center was awarded first-time national museum accreditation, making it the ninth Black culture museum in the US to receive such designation. She has also served as Associate Librarian for Special Collections and Instruction at Hendrix College and an archivist for notable collections ranging from the history of medicine at Harvard University to the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. papers at Boston University.
Throughout her career, she has championed efforts to make libraries, archives, and museums more diverse, equitable, inclusive, and accessible, believing that the heart of these institutions must represent the communities they serve. Shutt is the co-author of an upcoming new book, Lincoln: The Life and Legacy that Defined a Nation in 100 Objects that weaves together expert commentary, poignant anecdotes, and beautiful photographs to bring to life rare, personal objects and the most iconic items and documents from Lincoln’s life and tenure as president.
She earned a bachelor’s degree in history from Central Methodist University (Fayette, Mo.), and holds two master’s degrees in library science/archival management and history from Simmons University (Boston, Mass.).