After a month of turbulence following the contested communications campaign and the dismissal of former director Sasha Suda on October 27, the board of directors of the Philadelphia Art Museum (PhAM) announced on November 21 the appointment of Daniel H. Weiss, who will take over as director of the institution on December 1.
This experienced director spent part of his career at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (Met) in New York between 2015 and 2023, first as president and chief operating officer then, from 2017, as president and CEO. During these eight years, he faced several issues and difficulties for the museum, such as the Covid and post-Covid period. He also adjusted the museum’s accounts, which showed a deficit of 40 million dollars (nearly €35 million) by laying off some of the teams and reducing programming. He had to deal with the scandal surrounding the Sackler family, a major patron of the museum but responsible for the opioid crisis in the United States.
An art historian (his doctoral thesis focused on medieval and Byzantine art) and holder of an MBA, he taught for a long time at Johns Hopkins University. He then moved to Lafayette College and Haverford College between 2005 and 2015 as president.
The Philadelphia Art Museum, formerly the Philadelphia Museum of Art, established in 1876, houses one of the largest collections in the United States, comprising 240,000 works spanning 2,000 years of history. Recently, the museum opened a wing on contemporary African art. The museum welcomes around 700,000 visitors per year. Weiss will have to prepare for the museum’s 150th anniversary in 2026 and settle the era of the former director who is suing the museum. The museum, for its part, filed a complaint for embezzlement and lying, accusing Sasha Suda of having granted himself undue increases.
“Dan’s proven museum leadership experience, in-depth industry knowledge, and ability to manage complex institutional challenges make him the ideal person to ensure the stability and strategic direction of the art museum during this critical period.”said Ellen Caplan, president of the board of directors, in the press release.
