Marja Sakari appointed Museum Director

Marja Sakari, PhD, appointed Museum Director of the Ateneum Art Museum

Sakari moves to her new role from her current position as Chief Curator of exhibitions at the Museum of Contemporary Art Kiasma. She will start work on December 3, 2018.

The Board of Directors of the Finnish National Gallery used both a public recruitment process and an executive search to find a professional with experience in both art history and the art museum field. “We interviewed several viable candidates,” says the Director General of the Finnish National Gallery, Risto Ruohonen. “Marja Sakari has strong expertise in art history research, art museum work and exhibition activities. She is also extensively networked within the cultural sector both in Finland and abroad.”

“I’m grateful for the trust shown in me,” says Marja Sakari. “It’s great to be appointed as the Museum Director of Finland’s most well-known museum. I will follow the road paved by my predecessors, with a firm confidence in the experts at the Ateneum. I’m really looking forward to my new role.”

“The Ateneum is Finland’s best-known art museum and the home of Finnish art. The board is convinced that Marja Sakari will successfully steer the research conducted at the Ateneum and promote the visibility of its operations both nationally and internationally”, says the Chairperson of the Board Directors of the Finnish National Gallery, President Tarja Halonen.

More information: 
Finnish National Gallery, Director General Risto Ruohonen, T +358 50 556 7169
Marja Sakari, Museum Director of the Ateneum Art Museum, as of December 3, 2018, T +358 40 513 7164

The Finnish National Gallery comprises the Ateneum Art Museum, the Museum of Contemporary Art Kiasma, and the Sinebrychoff Art Museum. The Finnish National Gallery is responsible for the State Art Collection, which is managed by the National Gallery's collection management department. The Finnish National Gallery also incorporates the Finnish State Art Commission and its collection.