Lynda Roscoe Hartigan Appointed Director of Smithsonian American Art Museum

On Tuesday, Lynda Roscoe Hartigan was named the new director of the Smithsonian American Art Museum, effective September 8. She takes over from Jane Carpenter-Rock, who has been the acting director since September 2024 and will transition to the role of deputy director for museum content and outreach. Hartigan, who previously worked at the Royal Ontario Museum, returns to the Smithsonian after her tenure as executive director at the Peabody Essex Museum, where she managed the addition of a new wing and enhanced programming. Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie G. Bunch III commended her as "a visionary leader." Notably, the museum features important collections of New Deal art, American Impressionist paintings, and contemporary craft. Currently, three Smithsonian museums are without permanent directors during this leadership shift.