The Milwaukee Art Museum has selected a new director: Kim Sajet, the former director of the National Portrait Society at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. She’ll start the role effective Sept. 22.
The selection comes nearly four months after the museum announced former director Marcelle Polednik would be stepping down in July. Polednik came under fire in February from a Milwaukee County supervisor over her salary, which had risen to over half a million dollars. The museum responded that she was not a county employee and her salary was “principally funded” through the museum’s endowment, not county or taxpayers’ money.
In the museum’s announcement, Sajet mentioned MAM’s significant international collection and Milwaukee’s entrepreneurial spirit as draws to the position.
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“From the first moment that I started talking to the search committee, I was impressed with how passionate everyone was about the museum and how they saw it as a central part of what makes Milwaukee a world-class city” she said. “The general vibe is entrepreneurial, culturally vibrant and refreshingly authentic. This sense of experimentation is also a major part of the museum’s collecting and exhibition history.”
Sajet led the National Portrait Gallery for 12 years as the first woman to helm the museum. During her tenure, she was known for focusing on museum accessibility, expanding the range of its subjects and bringing in more contemporary artists. In June, Sajet resigned from the position after President Donald Trump said he was firing her for being a “highly partisan person” and a “strong supporter of DEI.” Before the National Portrait Gallery, Sajet served as president and CEO of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania and deputy director of the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts.
MAM’s announcement listed Sajet’s “innovative exhibitions” and her work increasing the National Portrait Galley’s attendance, making capital improvements and raising $85 million for the gallery’s operations and endowment.
“Kim brings with her a passion for making museums educational and meaningful while also ensuring accessibility and fun,” said board chair Andy Nunemaker. “We believe more visitors and patrons to the museum is a good thing, not only to support the sustainability of the organization, but to engage in the museum’s vision of connecting with art and each other.
“MAM’s ability to attract talent of Kim Sajet’s caliber – who is among only a handful of world-class, values-based museum leaders – speaks to the excellent reputation and collections represented by the museum and its role as a cultural cornerstone of our community and the nation,” said Nunemaker.
Sajet’s first day comes right after MAM’s annual Art:Forward Gala on Sept. 20 and days before the opening of its major fall exhibition, “The Bradley Collection of Modern Art,” celebrating the 50th anniversary of the collection, which makes up the majority of the MAM’s holdings.
“I am keen to expand on [the museum’s] commitment to living artists and also explore the educational opportunities that flow from the art and design of the past,” Sajet said. “The museum itself is gorgeous, and I want to invite everyone across the country to see for themselves what a special place this is.”
