A new director for the Smithsonian American Art Museum

Lynda Roscoe Hartigan, 75, has been appointed director of the Smithsonian American Art Museum (SAAM), succeeding Stephanie Stebich after a vacancy of nearly 17 months. Hartigan, who began her career at SAAM in the 1970s and rose to chief curator before leaving in 2003, most recently served as executive director of the Peabody Essex Museum, becoming its first woman to lead the institution. She will assume her new role on September 8.

Hartigan's appointment comes amid heightened political pressure on the Smithsonian Institution following President Trump's 2025 executive order requiring exhibitions to align with "patriotic education." Several Smithsonian museums have seen leadership departures in recent years, including the Hirshhorn Museum, the National Museum of African American History and Culture, and the National Portrait Gallery. As SAAM grapples with debates over diversity, memory, and national narrative, Hartigan's deep institutional knowledge and vision to "shape the museum's next chapters" position her to navigate these turbulent times.