National Museum Of Women In The Arts Director Susan Fisher Sterling To Retire

Susan Fisher Sterling is preparing to leave the National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington, D.C., closing a tenure that helped redefine the institution's scale, visibility, and reach. The museum said Sterling will retire on December 31, after nearly four decades there and 18 years as director. She will remain for several months to support the transition as the board, working with Howe-Lewis International, searches for her successor.

Sterling joined NMWA in 1988 as an associate curator and became director in 2008. Over the course of her leadership, the museum's collection expanded to more than 6,000 works by 1,000 artists. That growth was matched by a broader institutional ambition: in 2023, NMWA completed a $67.5 million renovation that refreshed the museum's physical presence and signaled its long-term commitment to the field.

Her directorship also deepened the museum's international and curatorial profile. NMWA developed partnerships with the Louvre, the State Hermitage Museum, and Tate Modern, extending its influence beyond Washington and into a wider network of major cultural institutions. At the same time, Sterling helped steer exhibitions centered on Judy Chicago, Remedios Varo, Carrie Mae Weems, Graciela Iturbide, and Faith Ringgold, reinforcing the museum's role as a serious platform for women artists across generations and geographies.

Sterling's departure comes at a politically charged moment for museums in the United States, with cultural institutions facing heightened scrutiny from the right. In that climate, she said NMWA's mission around gender equity, inclusion, and diversity has become even more urgent.“We face an unprecedented era when cultural institutions are under threat, when rights for women are at risk, and when concepts of equity - be it for racial minorities or LGBTQIA+ communities - are being called into question,” she said.“This is why we need the museum more than ever. And this is why I am so moved to ensure with my leadership and my departure that I help position the museum for the future.”

As NMWA begins its next search, Sterling leaves behind an institution that is larger, more connected, and more publicly consequential than the one she inherited.

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