Philadelphia Art Museum names Sasha Suda's replacement

The recently rebranded Philadelphia Art Museum has accused former director Sasha Suda of misappropriating funds after she filed a wrongful termination lawsuit earlier this month. The museum’s board has also named her replacement as Daniel Weiss, the former president of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.

In a filing made Thursday in Philadelphia’s Court of Common Pleas, the museum said it voted 12-0, with one abstention, on October 27 to fire Suda after “reviewing evidence” that she allegedly misappropriated funds and “lied to cover up her theft.”

“Given Suda’s misconduct, no responsible board member could have done anything other than vote to remove Suda for cause,” the museum said. “Suda has compounded this self-inflicted damage by filing a public complaint laden with false, dishonest and irrelevant allegations in a baseless attempt to blame others for her misconduct.”

The museum said that, despite being hired in 2022 with an annual salary of $720,000, Suda made “persistent requests for more money” between 2023 and 2025.

After multiple “crystal clear” denials, Suda allegedly “took matters into her own hands to increase her compensation,” the museum said in its filing, and awarded herself three raises without informing or approval from the board.

The museum said the board’s compensation committee first learned of Suda’s alleged theft in a meeting on September 8 to discuss pay increases for certain executive team members. In it, Suda “blatantly admitted” she already approved the raises for her team and then sent a text to a committee member confessing she had also given herself raises.

In response, the museum’s board hired outside investigators to look into the matter and the board determined she had violated her employment agreement, terminating her “for cause.”

Last month, under Suda’s direction, the Philadelphia Museum of Art announced it would rebrand as the Philadelphia Art Museum with new custom typography and the redrawing of an image of a griffin in its logo. It also launched a website overhaul.

But the Philadelphia Inquirer soon reported that the rebrand surprised locals and board members with critics calling the design “more like a soccer team, a clothing brand for teens or a beer label than an art museum.” It was also reported that some trustees claimed they “never approved” the final rollout of the rebrand.

In Suda’s lawsuit, she said she was fired “without a valid basis” and accused the museum of breach of contract.

She is seeking damages “in an amount to be proven at trial” that would likely include two years of severance pay as promised in her contract, lost benefits, harm to reputation, and other financial losses caused by her alleged wrongful termination.

Suda is also seeking injunctive relief, asking the court to order the museum to abide by a mutual non-disparagement clause in her employment agreement and to issue a mutual release preventing further reputational harm, a legal device to prevent lingering or future civil claims from either party.

The museum announced Friday that it had tapped Weiss to take the helm of the museum, a quick turnaround just weeks after Suda’s termination. He is expected to lead the museum through at least 2028.

"We are extraordinarily fortunate to have someone of Dan Weiss's caliber and experience step into this critical role," board chair Ellen Caplan said in a statement.

"Dan's proven track record of museum leadership, his deep understanding of the field, and his ability to navigate complex institutional challenges make him ideally suited to provide stability and strategic direction during this critical period for the art museum."