Mar 31, 2025
March 28, 2025 [Troy, NY]– The Board of Directors of The Museum Association of New York is pleased to announce the appointment of Sarah Van Anden as the new executive director effective April 7, 2025.
With decades of experience as an advocate, and exemplified leadership in museum engagement, expertise in fundraising and program development, and deep commitment to strengthening New York’s museum community as a whole, we are thrilled to welcome her as the new leader of the association.
Sarah brings a wealth of expertise and vision to MANY as the association advances our mission and vision in a climate of change MANY continues to raise the standard of service and professionalism for membership.
Sarah distinguished career expands through 15 years of experience in museum leadership, nonprofit management, and cultural advocacy. Most recently, she served as Programs & Finance Director at the Center for Curatorial Leadership, where she expanded funding, strengthened professional networks, and supported leadership development for museum professionals nationwide. Previously, she worked at the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, overseeing annual funding for more than 140 cultural organizations.
More About Sarah:
Sarah Van Anden has worked to build bridges and strengthen relationships between artists, cultural professionals, and institutions. She maintains a wide network of creative and curatorial professionals and has diverse experience in collection and archive management, museum engagement, program design, communications, fundraising, strategic philanthropy, and nonprofit administration.
Previously, as Programs & Finance Director at the Center for Curatorial Leadership, Sarah led program planning, fundraising, communications, and strategic initiatives, working with Fellows, alumni, supporters, and the Board of Trustees to develop and carry out the organization’s full schedule of activities. Earlier in her career, Sarah was a Program Officer with the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs. There, as a member of the Programs Unit, she oversaw a portfolio of more than 140 New York City cultural organizations and helped distribute over $30 million annually through the Cultural Development Fund, the city’s open, competitive funding process for arts nonprofits. In an earlier position at the Shelley and Donald Rubin family office, Sarah was part of the curatorial team responsible for organizing exhibitions and programs extending from the Rubins’ philanthropic activities centered on art and social justice. Her additional experiences include roles with Eric Firestone Gallery, Ford Foundation Gallery, McGraw-Hill Higher Education, Art in America magazine, the Center for the History of Collecting at the Frick Art Reference Library, and Research and Academic Programs at the Clark Art Institute. She also previously served as vice president and treasurer on the board of AIGA NY (the New York chapter of the American Institute of Graphic Arts).
Sarah received her M.A. in the History of Art from Williams College, where she focused on art collecting in early modern Europe. She began higher education at the Community College of Philadelphia before completing her B.A. at Temple University and Tyler School of Art with a dual major in History and Art History.
Reflecting on her appointment, Ms. Van Anden shared: “MANY is an exceptional community, and the vibrant diversity of its membership is its greatest strength. I am truly honored to join as its next Executive Director. I believe in the transformative power of museums, and I am excited to support the advancement of institutions of all sizes in New York. I, too, am steadfast in my commitment to help shape a better future for our member organizations, their staffs, and the communities they serve. I’m thrilled to work with MANY’s board, staff and membership to bring its resources to the lives of New York residents and visitors, while advocating for museums across the state.”
As we prepare for our conference next week, “we salute and thank our interim executive director and past board member Ms. Sheila McDaniel for steering and steadying the ship and making sure we didn’t miss a beat,” said MANY Board Georgette Grier-Key. We also congratulate Sheila on her new role as the new COO for the International African American Museum in Charleston, South Carolina.
“We have great anticipation and expectancy as we begin this new chapter for MANY. We are strong and resilient. The MANY board and dedicated staff are positioned to succeed, I’m looking forward to working with Sarah on this new Journey”, said Georgette Grier-Key.
We hope you join us in welcoming Sarah at MANY’s 2025 annual conference in Ithaca stop by say hello and introduce yourself and your museum.