Janne Sirén to step down as Buffalo AKG director after 13 years

Janne Sirén will leave his post as director of the Buffalo AKG Art Museum in October 2026, after 13 years leading the institution. The museum announced his departure on April 29, 2026, and the board will begin a search for a new director this summer. Sirén oversaw a period of major growth, including a $230 million campus renovation and expansion completed in 2023, designed by OMA with Shohei Shigematsu. During his tenure, the collection grew, staff increased from 62 to nearly 200, the endowment rose from $31.3 million to $79.3 million, and annual attendance reached 340,000. He launched a public art department that brought over 60 projects to Western New York, the Innovation Lab (2014–2020), and the AKG Nordic Art and Culture Initiative in 2021. In 2023, the museum established a National Council. Sirén faced challenges including layoffs of 13 employees in 2025, alleged by the union as retaliation (denied by the museum, no NLRB ruling yet), and a $335,000 home loan from his 2013 recruitment package that was later repaid. Sirén plans to return to Europe and focus on writing and spending time in nature, not seeking another museum director role immediately.