Kim Sajet will take the helm as director of the Milwaukee Art Museum (MAM) on September 22, the institution announced Wednesday.
“This moment marks a unique opportunity to bring in a leader who can unlock the Museum’s full potential and advance its vision of connecting people with art and with each other, creating experiences that inspire, spark curiosity, and bring joy, while also sharing the Museum’s story on the national and international stage,” Andy Nunemaker, chairman of the Milwaukee Art Museum board of trustees, said in a statement.
The news comes not long after Sajet was ousted as director of the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery for supporting diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives (DEI) within the museum.
During her twelve-year tenure, Saget introduced a contemporary perspective to the collections with innovative exhibitions and public programs that doubled museum attendance. Sajet also raised more than $85 million for the for the gallery’s operations and endowment, facilitating major capital improvements, including the reinstallation of the America’s Presidents gallery.
Prior to that, she served as president and CEO of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, vicepPresident and deputy director at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, and director of corporate relations at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
Sajet is also an elected member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the International Council of Museums (ICOM), and the Association of Art Museum Directors (AAMD), where she served on the board from 2021–25.
Formerly the host of the “Portraits” podcast, which was nominated for a Webby Award in 2025, Sajet is currently writing a book on early photography and the Civil War era carte-de-visite album by American social reformer Emily Howland.
“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. 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 explained in a statement. “I am keen to expand on this commitment to living artists and also explore the educational opportunities that flow from the art and design of the past.”
