Sasha Suda Leaves National Gallery of Canada for Philadelphia
Sasha Suda (courtesy National Gallery of Canada)
Sasha Suda has resigned as director and chief executive of the National Gallery of Canada to take over as director of the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
The New York Times reported Tuesday that Suda, director and chief executive of the National Gallery of Canada, will replace Timothy Rub, who stepped down in January after 13 years and an apology to employees.
The Times reported in 2020 that a young male manager had been accused of mistreating several women on the Philadelphia museum's staff. The museum was criticized by government officials and workers unionized, citing gender and equity issues. Rub, who apologized to his staff, announced his resignation last summer.
Leslie Anne Miller, the Philadelphia museum’s board chair, told the Times that Suda is “the right person for the institution at this time in its history.”
Indeed, the Ottawa gallery's brief statement announcing Suda's departure emphasized her role in leading transformation.
“The board hired Sasha in 2019 with a very clear mandate, and she has delivered on those objectives,” said Françoise Lyon, the chair of the National Gallery's board. “Under our direction, she led the creation of the National Gallery of Canada’s first-ever strategic plan, embraced reconciliation, justice, equity, diversity, inclusion and accessibility, and revitalized the institutional brand.”
The statement said Suda had fostered "a new purpose, vision and mission" for the Ottawa gallery. "She was able to recruit top talent to lead the gallery in this new direction and engaged with Algonquin elders to shape a new future for the institution together."
Suda, who starts her new job in September, described her role in Ottawa as “the opportunity of a lifetime.”
“It was a privilege to lead the NGC team and make visual art meaningful for Canadians from coast to coast to coast.”
The Ottawa gallery says an announcement on an interim director will be made shortly.
Source: National Gallery of Canada
