Kim Sajet
Kim Sajet | |
|---|---|
Sajet in 2013 | |
| Born | 1965 (age 60–61) Nigeria |
| Education | University of Melbourne (BA, MBA) Deakin University (GrDip) Bryn Mawr College (MA) Georgetown University (DLS) |
| Occupations | art historian, curator |
| Website | Official website |
Kim Sajet (/ˈseɪɛt/ SAY-et;[1] born September 1965) is a Dutch art historian and curator who serves as the director of the Milwaukee Art Museum.[2]
She was the director of the Smithsonian Institution's National Portrait Gallery for twelve years.[3] Appointed in 2013, Sajet became the first woman to hold this post.[3][4][5] During her tenure at the museum, she worked to increase representation of women and minorities in the Portrait Gallery's collection.[6] In May 2025, Sajet's appointment was purportedly terminated by a directive from President Donald Trump.[7] The following month, she resigned her post.
Biography
Sajet was born to Dutch parents in Nigeria and raised in Australia from the age of four; she is a citizen of the Netherlands.[8][9] She has a doctorate in liberal studies from Georgetown University, a Master's degree in art history from Bryn Mawr College, a master's degree in business administration, a bachelor's degree in art history from University of Melbourne, and a graduate diploma in museum studies from Deakin University.[10]
Sajet served as director of the Monash Gallery of Art (now the Museum of Australian Photography) from 1993 to 1995, and deputy director of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts between 2001 and 2007.[11] She began as director of the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C., on April 1, 2013, following a stint as the president and CEO of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania.[12]
On May 30, 2025, President Donald Trump claimed to have fired Sajet. Legal experts said such an order would have to come from Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie Bunch, as Sajet's position is appointed not by the president but by the Smithsonian Board of Regents.[13][14] On June 13, Sajet resigned as director of the National Portrait Gallery.[15]
In September 2025, she became the new director of the Milwaukee Art Museum.[16][17]
See also
References
- ^ Cohen, Patricia (February 5, 2013). "New Director Named for National Portrait Gallery". The New York Times. New York: The New York Times Company. Retrieved September 3, 2025.
- ^ Pogrebin, Robin (September 3, 2025). "Former Smithsonian Museum Director Heads to Milwaukee". The New York Times. New York: The New York Times Company. Retrieved September 3, 2025.
- ^ a b "The Dutchwoman guiding the gallery of America's most famous faces". The Guardian. December 31, 2024. Retrieved May 31, 2025.
- ^ "Trump fires Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery Director Kim Sajet". Los Angeles Times. May 30, 2023. Retrieved May 31, 2025.
- ^ "Trump Says He's Fired Director of National Portrait Gallery … Over 'DEI'". Rolling Stone. May 30, 2025. Retrieved May 31, 2025.
- ^ McGlone, Peggy (October 25, 2015). "Experimentation is key to success for National Portrait Gallery's director". The Washington Post. Retrieved November 17, 2020.
- ^ Higgins, Charlotte (January 8, 2026). "Trump's assault on the Smithsonian: 'The goal is to reframe the entire culture of the US'". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved January 8, 2026.
- ^ Boyle, Katherine (March 29, 2013). "Kim Sajet enters the picture at the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery". The Washington Post. Retrieved November 17, 2020.
- ^ "Kim Sajet Becomes Director of National Portrait Gallery". Artforum.com. February 5, 2013. Retrieved July 8, 2021.
- ^ "Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery Director and Senior Historian Spotlight Newly Acquired Painting of Truman and Portraiture's Value in Illuminating History". Kansas City Public Library. 2015. Archived from the original on July 9, 2021. Retrieved July 8, 2021.
- ^ "Kim Sajet named U.S. Portrait Gallery chief". Politico. Associated Press. February 5, 2013. Retrieved November 17, 2020.
- ^ "HSP Appoints Kim Sajet as New President and Chief Executive Officer". Historical Society of Pennsylvania. Philadelphia: HSP. February 14, 2007. Retrieved November 26, 2025.
- ^ Mackey, Robert (May 30, 2025). "Trump says he fired National Portrait Gallery chief in latest conflict with arts". The Guardian. Retrieved May 31, 2025.
- ^ Kingsberry, Janay; Judkis, Maura; Nguyen, Sophia; Tashjian, Rachel; Yuan, Jada (May 30, 2025). "Trump says he fired museum director as his budget targets Smithsonian". The Washington Post. Retrieved May 31, 2025.
- ^ Chao-Fong, Léonie (June 13, 2025). "Director of National Portrait Gallery resigns after Trump's effort to fire her". The Guardian. Retrieved June 13, 2025.
- ^ Jannene, Jeramey (September 3, 2025). "Milwaukee Art Museum Hires New Director Trump Once Tried To Fire". Urban Milwaukee. Retrieved September 3, 2025.
- ^ Aton, Francesca (September 3, 2025). "Ex-National Portrait Gallery Head Kim Sajet to Direct the Milwaukee Art Museum". ARTnews. New York: Penske Media Corporation. Retrieved November 26, 2025.