Susan Fisher Sterling, director of the National Museum of Women in the Arts (NMWA) in Washington, D.C., will retire at the end of 2024 after 18 years in the role and nearly four decades at the institution. Sterling joined NMWA as an associate curator in 1988, rose through the ranks to become director in 2008, and oversaw a $67.5 million renovation completed in 2023, expansion of the collection to over 6,000 works, and partnerships with the Louvre, the State Hermitage Museum, and Tate Modern. The board of trustees has begun a search for her successor with executive search firm Howe-Lewis International.
Sterling’s departure comes at a time of heightened political polarization in the U.S., where cultural institutions face increased scrutiny from the right. She emphasized that NMWA’s mission of advancing gender equity, inclusion, and diversity is more urgent than ever. Her leadership transformed NMWA into a globally recognized institution dedicated solely to women in the arts, and her retirement marks the end of an era for the only museum of its kind, highlighting the ongoing challenges and importance of gender-focused cultural spaces.