Philadelphia Museum of Art Names Sasha Suda as Next Director

The Board of Trustees of the Philadelphia Museum of Art (PMA) today elected Sasha Suda as the museum’s new George D. Widener Director and CEO.  Suda brings new-generation leadership to the PMA, which as one of the nation’s largest art museums is renowned for its exceptional and broad-ranging collection.

An accomplished director, curator, and community builder, Suda joins the PMA from the National Gallery of Canada, where as director and CEO she broadened and deepened the gallery’s relevance to diverse audiences across Canada.

“After an extensive international search, our Board has elected Sasha Suda as our new Director and CEO,” said Leslie Anne Miller, Chair of the Board of Trustees. “We believe Sasha’s arrival will mark a new era of growth and civic engagement for the museum.  She is an accomplished arts scholar with an inspiring vision for the museum’s future and a proven commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and access. Sasha is the leader we need at this transformational moment.”  

“I am honored to be joining the Philadelphia Museum of Art, which I have long admired,” said Suda. “With its exceptional artistic program and internationally renowned collection, the museum is one of the world’s most important cultural institutions. I look forward to working collaboratively with the Board, the internal teams, and our partners to enhance the museum’s relevance and build on its success locally, nationally, and globally.”

Osagie Imasogie, Chair of the Board of Trustees Search Committee, noted, “Sasha’s record of excellence in arts leadership, strategic vision, and commitment to authentic collaboration impressed our Search Committee and our entire Board. I join Leslie in offering our deepest thanks to the Search Committee for the work that led to this superb outcome.”

About Sasha Suda
With a Bachelor of Arts from Princeton University, an MA from Williams College and a Ph.D. from the Institute of Fine Arts, New York University, Suda began her career at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art. In 2011, she moved back to her hometown, Toronto, where she joined the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) as Curator of European Art. Suda successfully restructured, re-visioned, and reinvigorated all aspects of the AGO’s European works on paper collections and programs. Her exhibition, Small Wonders: Gothic Boxwood Miniatures, seen in Ontario, New York, and Amsterdam, received glowing reviews.

In 2019, Suda became the youngest person to be named Director and CEO of the National Gallery of Canada since World War 1. In 2020, she chaired the jury that chose Stan Douglas to represent Canada at the Venice Biennale. 

Suda will officially join the Philadelphia Museum of Art on September 21, 2022, where she will become 14^th director in the museum’s 145-year history.

About the Philadelphia Museum of Art
Founded in 1877 as an outgrowth of the nation’s Centennial Exhibition, Philadelphia’s art museum is today among the largest in the United States, with collections representing remarkable human creative achievement across two millennia. With more than 240,000 works of art and strong concentrations in the arts of Asia, the Americas, Europe, and global contemporary practice, the museum offers a rich and important cultural resource for the communities and schools of the Philadelphia region, and its collections and temporary exhibitions draw visitors from around the world. With the recent completion of a major phase of architect Frank Gehry’s long-term Master Plan, the museum has greatly expanded its interior public space, enhanced the visitor experience, and continues to deepen its civic engagement, to provide an engaging destination for families and to generate programs and exhibitions that expand the reach and meaning of art in our lives.