MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) – This week marks the first week on the job for Kim Sajet, the new director of the Milwaukee Art Museum (MAM). Born in Nigeria, raised in Australia and a citizen of the Netherlands, she’s adjusting to her new home on Milwaukee’s east side as people warn her about Wisconsin winters.

“The weather has been nothing but spectacular, so I’m sure it’s just going to keep going this way the whole time!” Sajet teased.

Sajet comes to the Milwaukee Art Museum after she worked as the director of the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C. for 12 years. Under her leadership, museum attendance doubled, and major capital improvements were made, including reinstalling the America’s Presidents gallery. She also raised more than $85 million for the gallery’s operations and endowment.

“One of the first things that we did was look around and say, ‘You know what? America doesn’t look like this anymore.’” Sajet said. “It was lots of men, as you can imagine. Women, people of color, immigrants, all different types of people didn’t easily get into power for a long long time, so there were big gaps in the collection.”

In May 2025, President Trump posted on his Truth Social platform that he was ousting Sajet from her position, calling her a “highly partisan person, and a strong supporter of DEI, which is totally inappropriate for her position.” 

Though Sajet said President Trump did not have the authority to remove her from her position, she resigned.

“There was so much discussion about who I was and my background that it was just healthier for the Smithonsian, who I love, to step away.”

Sajet said she has always loved art, but growing up she thought she’d work in a field related to assisting people with disabilities.

“I grew up with a severely disabled brother. Growing up, I always thought I’d be in the disability sort of work,” Sajet said. “I always loved making art, I loved being around art, I love to read, I love to cook, I love to garden.”

Before directing the National Portrait Gallery, she served as President & CEO of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, Vice President and Deputy Director at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, and Director of Corporate Relations at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. She has also directed two museums in Victoria, Australia, and has close ties to museums in the Netherlands. Sajet holds a BA and MBA from Melbourne University, an MA in Art History from Bryn Mawr College, and a doctorate in Liberal Studies from Georgetown University. She is an elected member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the International Council of Museums (ICOM), and the Association of Art Museum Directors (AAMD), where she served on the board from 2021 to 2025. Formerly the host of the PORTRAITS podcast—nominated for a Webby Award in 2025—Sajet is currently completing a book with Princeton University Press on early photography and the carte-de-visite album of American social reformer Emily Howland.

“MAM’s ability to attract talent of Kim Sajet’s caliber—who is among only a handful of world-class, values-based museum leaders—speaks to the excellent reputation and collections represented by the Museum and its role as a cultural cornerstone of our community and the nation,” said Andy Nunemaker, Chairman of the Milwaukee Art Museum Board of Trustees. “This moment marks a unique opportunity to bring in a leader who can unlock the Museum’s full potential and advance its vision of connecting people with art and with each other, creating experiences that inspire, spark curiosity, and bring joy, while also sharing the Museum’s story on the national and international stage.”

Sajet comes to the Milwaukee Art Museum as it faces its own challenges, like recent staffing cuts. Sajet says she plans to make a focus of her leadership, encouraging memberships and creating new experiences for guests.

“The basic business propositions for museums has changed,” Sajet said. “I want everyone that walks into the Milwaukee Museum to feel like this is somewhere they can feel comfortable and can express themselves.”

You can read more about Sajet’s background here.