About National Museum of Women in the Arts
Founded by collector and philanthropist Wilhelmina Cole Holladay, the National Museum of Women in the Arts (NMWA) holds a singular place in the cultural landscape as the world’s first institution solely dedicated to championing women through the arts. Located in Washington, DC, the museum opened its doors in 1987, bringing recognition to the achievements of women artists across all periods and nationalities by exhibiting, preserving, acquiring, and researching their work, and educating the public about their enduring contributions. Its mission is both focused and expansive: to address the persistent gender imbalance in the presentation of art by illuminating important women artists of the past while actively promoting the great women artists working today.
NMWA operates from the conviction that an art museum can be a force for social change: a place where women’s voices are heard and diverse stories are told through exhibitions and programs designed to inspire dynamic exchanges about art and ideas. Its core values, Champion, Open, and Fresh, shape everything from curatorial choices to community engagement, reflecting an organizational culture that prizes both advocacy and accessibility.
The museum is headquartered in an iconic Washington, DC building that recently underwent a sweeping $70 million renovation. With a staff of 102 (70 full-time and 32 part-time) and a FY27 operating budget of approximately $20.5 million, NMWA operates at meaningful institutional scale, supported by an endowment of approximately $76 million, with a $25 million Cornerstone Fund dedicated to the building. Approximately 60 percent of operating revenue is derived from contributed support, reflecting the museum’s deep reliance on philanthropic relationships.
NMWA’s collection spans the sixteenth century to the present, and its exhibitions and programs reach audiences locally, nationally, and internationally. The museum invests significantly in digital engagement and is actively exploring how emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, can elevate its profile and deepen its reach.
The museum is approaching a significant milestone: its 40th anniversary in 2027. The planned retirement of longtime Director Susan Fisher Sterling, appointed in 2008 after joining the museum in 1988, opens a new chapter for an institution that has never been more prepared to pursue its founding vision at scale. In a moment when questions of representation and equity are reshaping the arts world, NMWA has been asking and acting on these questions for nearly four decades.
Learn more about NMWA at nmwa.org.
The Opportunity
The National Museum of Women in the Arts seeks a bold, relationship-driven leader to serve as its next Executive Director at a pivotal moment in the institution’s history. As NMWA approaches its 40th anniversary and embarks on its next chapter, the Executive Director will serve as the museum’s chief executive and primary fundraiser, upholding the museum’s mission and securing the philanthropic partnerships necessary to sustain and expand its impact.
The Executive Director will provide the strategic vision and operational authority to position NMWA as an essential voice in national and global conversations about women, art, and culture. Leading a staff of 102 and overseeing a $20.5 million annual budget, this leader will drive programmatic excellence, promote digital innovation, and serve as the museum’s primary public ambassador, inspiring diverse audiences and elevating NMWA’s reputation across media, government, and civic platforms.
The Executive Director will partner closely with the Board of Trustees to ensure trustees are active advocates, connectors, and donors, and will leverage NMWA’s distinctive infrastructure of state and international committees to build new constituencies and deepen existing ones. They will personally cultivate and close major gifts, and build a culture of philanthropy across the institution, engaging individual donors, foundations, corporations, and government funders alike.
The ideal candidate brings proven executive leadership in a museum or comparable cultural institution, demonstrated success as a frontline fundraiser, and deep passion for gender equity and the arts. This is a rare opportunity to lead one of the most distinctive and mission-driven institutions in the American cultural landscape.
Candidate Profile
We recognize that there is a spectrum of lived and professional experience that will set candidates up for success in this role. While no one candidate will have every experience outlined in the position description, ideal candidates will display the following professional skills and qualities, and personal attributes.
Top candidates will have at least ten years of success in senior leadership roles in a museum, cultural institution, or comparable organization. Deep passion for the arts, gender equity, and the mission of championing women artists globally. Advanced degree in art, art history, arts administration, or other relevant subject matter; our client is also open to candidates with equivalent professional experience in a nonprofit setting.
Strategic Vision and Mission Advancement
Our client seeks leaders with experience developing and executing a multi-year institutional strategic plan, with measurable outcomes and demonstrated board and staff buy-in. This executive will partner closely with the Board and team members to articulate a clear, differentiated organizational identity, successfully unifying internal and external stakeholders around a shared mission narrative. They should have the ability to develop and implement strategic plans to guide growth and development. Experience building high-profile partnerships and collaborations that elevate institutional visibility and deepen artist/community relationships.
Philanthropic Relationship Building and Leadership
Candidates should have exceptional relationship-building skills with the presence and credibility to engage and persuade major donors, board members, government officials, and media. Ideal candidates should be well-networked in relevant donor communities, with a personal track record of cultivating and closing six- and seven-figure gifts. Experience leading or playing a central role in a major capital or comprehensive campaign and an understanding of the long arc of arts philanthropy and donor relationships is desirable. Demonstrated ability to build a culture of philanthropy across an organization, engage volunteer networks as fundraising assets, and develop a sustainable pipeline. Success with personally cultivating and closing significant gifts, an understanding of the relational, non-transactional nature of arts philanthropy, and the credibility to lead significant capital campaign.
Board Partnership and Governance
Experience working in partnership with an engaged Board of Trustees and other key stakeholders. Prior success partnering effectively with complex boards and navigating governance dynamics with diplomacy while moving the institution forward. Track record of evolving a board toward higher engagement, clearer giving expectations, and stronger philanthropic participation. A trusted partner to board leadership across generations who understands and enforces the appropriate boundary between board oversight and staff operations.
Financial and Operational Leadership
Broad expertise in financial management for art museums and/or other relevant not-for-profit settings, with the ability to manage budgets, analyze financial data, and optimize resources for sustainable growth. We seek candidates who have served as effective stewards of complex nonprofit finances, including endowment management, and the discipline to reduce structural reliance on draw while growing earned and contributed revenue to achieve revenue diversification. Our client seeks a leader with a track record of implementing organizational accountability frameworks, including clear processes, defined roles and performance metrics, that translate strategy into execution. An executive who applies a data-driven approach to resource allocation and organizational design while promoting a positive organizational culture and enhancing staff morale.
Communications, Advocacy, and Innovation
Superior communication and public speaking skills, adept at storytelling, in order to serve as a passionate advocate and effective ambassador for the institution. A compelling, credible public voice, comfortable on national stages, in media, and in policy conversations; able to expand an institution’s relevance and presence. Track record of establishing or significantly improving internal communications infrastructure, ensuring staff alignment and engagement during periods of change. Experience defining and advancing a community and public relations agenda tied to an institutional mission and embracing innovative approaches to audience development. Comfort with digital technologies, participatory platforms, and engagement strategies, with an interest in the possibilities for integration of digital and AI tools to effectively interact, build relationships and expand audiences, and drive meaningful internal and external outcomes.
Team Leadership
History of inspiring and motivating a team, setting clear goals, and making informed decisions. A people-first leader known for warmth, approachability, and high emotional intelligence, who builds trust with mission-driven staff navigating organizational transitions. A collaborative leader who empowers senior leaders with clear authority and accountability while maintaining an inclusive workplace culture. Meaningful experience leading organizations through cultural or operational transformation with both decisiveness and compassion.
Comfort with Leading through Changing Times
Forward-looking orientation that honors institutional legacy while building the organization’s adaptive capacity and governance structures needed for long-term sustainability. Attuned to the evolving field for 21st-century museums. Experience leading an organization through sector-wide disruption, funding volatility, or significant leadership transition with steadiness and strategic clarity. Adaptability and creativity to work in ambiguous or changing conditions and with diverse individuals and groups.
Compensation and Benefits
The compensation range for this role is $400,000 - $450,000, commensurate with experience and accomplishments plus attractive benefits.
Contact
DSG | Koya has been exclusively retained for this engagement, which is being led by Naree W.S. Viner, Gerard Cattie, and Stephen Milbauer. Submit a compelling cover letter and resume by filling out our Talent Profile. All inquiries are strictly confidential.
(To view the full profile, please download the PDF)