Milwaukee Art Museum Hires New Director Trump Once Tried To Fire

Kim Sajet. Photo from Milwaukee Art Museum.

The Milwaukee Art Museum (MAM) has found a high-profile new leader.

Kim Sajet was announced Wednesday morning as the new Donna and Donald Baumgartner Director of MAM.

She previously led the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery in Washington D.C. Appointed in 2013, Sajet became the first woman to hold this position.

“During her twelve-year tenure, she expanded the gallery’s reach through innovative exhibitions and public programs that brought a contemporary focus to the museum’s collections. Under Sajet’s leadership, museum attendance doubled and major capital improvements were made—including reinstalling the America’s Presidents gallery. She also raised more than  $85 million for the gallery’s operations and endowment,” says a MAM press release.

But it’s how her tenure ended that made Sajet headline news earlier this year.

In May, President Donald Trump announced his intention to fire Sajet as part of his takeover of several D.C. cultural institutions. The New York Times reported she was alleged to have made “public comments about racial and gender inequality in America.” Sajet resigned in June before she could be fired and issued a statement saying her resignation was “the best way to serve the institution I hold so deeply in my heart.”

The Smithsonian’s loss is Milwaukee’s gain.

“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 MAM board chair Andy Nunemaker. “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.”

“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,” said Sajet in a statement. “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. Since 1982, for example, the Currents series has provided an important platform for contemporary artists such as Cindy Sherman, Felix Gonzalez-Torres, Isaac Julien and Lawrence Weiner to launch their careers, and international artists such as Damien Hirst and Idris Kahn to have their first American showing. 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. The museum itself is gorgeous, and I want to invite everyone across the country to see for themselves what a special place this is.”

The new director brings international lived experience to the role. She was born in Nigeria to Dutch parents and raised in Australia. In addition to her Smithsonian role, she has served as the President and CEO of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, vice president and deputy director of the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, director of corporate relations at the Philadelphia Museum of Art and director of two art museums in Australia.

She earned bachelor of arts and master of business administration degrees from Melbourne University, a master’s degree in art history from Bryn Mawr College and a doctorate in liberal studies from Georgetown University.

Sajet replaces Marcelle Polednik, who announced her resignation in May. After leading the museum for almost nine years, her last day was July 31. Polednik holds a Ph.D. in art history from New York University and came to MAM after leading the Museum of Contemporary Art Jacksonville.

Polednik was praised by then-chair Jeffery Yabuki for expanding MAM’s endowment and donor base. But she also presided over a period of soaring executive pay, staff layoffs and declining attendance.

MAM’s press release expressed optimism that Sajet would reverse challenging attendance figures. “Kim brings with her a passion for making museums educational and meaningful while also ensuring accessibility and fun,” said 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.”

Her first day is Sept. 22, three days before the museum debuts The Bradley Collection of Modern Art: A Bold Vision for Milwaukee.

“To begin my tenure during this milestone exhibition is a privilege, and a reminder of the impact that art—and the generosity behind it—can have on a community for generations,” said Sajet.