At a forum in Washington, D.C., over the weekend, Brooklyn Museum Director Anne Pasternak expressed concern about what she saw as troubling patterns in the museum’s leadership. Given the recent shake-up in museum leadership, she believes male museum directors are often retiring while women are being fired more frequently, financial times reported.
Pasternak spoke at the Make a Mark forum, which included Jodie Foster, MoMA’s Christopher Chericks, Chelsea Clinton, and artists such as Joan Semel and LaToya Ruby Fraser. Pasternak said she is concerned about the direction of leadership in the state and museum departments.
Her concerns echo those of other museum leaders. Interviews conducted by the Burns Halperin Report, a study into representation in the arts world, found that many women working in the field raised issues that could create a backlash against female leadership. None of the men interviewed mentioned this.
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Susan Fisher Sterling, director of the National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington, D.C., said uncertain times may prompt institutions to be more cautious. In times like these, recently appointed leaders, often women or people of color, may face heightened scrutiny, especially if they try to push for major change, she said.
Over the past decade, many museums have publicly committed to appointing more women to leadership positions, often emphasizing the need to broaden audiences, diversify collections, and modernize institutions. However, following high-profile departures from several major museums in the United States and Europe, some observers have questioned how strong that commitment really is.
Of course, the circumstances behind these exits vary. Some leaders were fired, others resigned, and still others left amid governance or performance disputes. Still, many in the industry claim to see a recurring pattern, arguing that women hired to reform institutions sometimes seem to receive less support during difficult times.
Several recent cases have attracted close attention. Sasha Suda has been fired after three years in her contract as director and CEO of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. She was quickly replaced by Daniel Weiss, who had been advising the museum’s board of directors. Suda claimed wrongful dismissal, which the museum denies, and the matter is currently being handled through private arbitration.
In Washington, D.C., Kim Sajet resigned last June after 12 years as director of the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery. Shortly before her resignation, Donald Trump said on social media that he planned to fire her, accusing her of being overly partisan and supporting diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. Saget later became director of the Milwaukee Art Museum.
Across the Atlantic in Paris, Laurence des Cars resigned as director of the Louvre museum last month after facing a series of challenges, including a high-profile jewelry smash-and-grab that exposed long-standing security issues. She has previously warned French authorities and media about infrastructure problems at the museum. Christophe Leribault took her place.
Some cases also raise questions about the intersection of race and gender. In February, hundreds of cultural figures, including writer Salman Rushdie and artist Isaac Julien, signed an open letter opposing Devyani Saltzman’s departure from London’s Barbican Centre. Salzman, who previously served as director of arts and engagement, is one of the few South Asian heritage leaders in the institution’s history. Her departure follows the appointment of new chief executive Abigail Pogson. The letter said Saltzman’s departure would have an impact beyond a routine personnel change.
Elvira Dyangani Ose, director of the Barcelona Museum of Contemporary Art (MACBA), the first woman and first person of African descent at the museum, has resigned early from her post at the Abu Dhabi Public Art Biennale. The museum’s board of directors said the activity conflicted with her duties.
There have been leadership changes elsewhere. Colette Pierce Burnette, the first Black woman to lead the Newfield Cultural Campus, which includes the Indianapolis Museum of Art, is leaving the post after about 15 months.
Research shows that leadership diversity impacts institutional outcomes. The 2022 Burns Halperin Report found that the top four U.S. museums with the largest collections of works by female artists are all led by women. As Kymberly Pinder, dean of the Yale School of Art, pointed out at last weekend’s Make Your Mark forum, representation in leadership can help reshape ideas about who belongs in these roles.
At the same event, Sandra Jackson-Dumont discussed her departure from the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art following the separation of the characters, with George Lucas taking over content direction. Philanthropist Jennifer Soros said similar debates about women in leadership are happening outside the arts, including at American universities.
Pasternak concluded that it was important to discuss these pressures openly and warned that silence could have wider consequences for the industry.
