The Smithsonian Institution removed the director of the Smithsonian American Art Museum (SAAM) in Washington, DC, following years of staff complaints of tumultuous leadership, according to a Washington Post report published today, November 18.
Stephanie Stebich vacated her role as director of the museum in September, leaving a position she’d held since April 2017 after informing staff in July that she would be taking indefinite medical leave, the Washington Post reported. According to her LinkedIn profile, she is now a senior advisor to the Under Secretary for Museums and Culture at the Smithsonian Institution. SAAM, which claims to house the nation’s first collection of American art, announced the appointment of Jane Carpenter-Rock as acting director on September 3. It did not publicize Stebich’s departure or her new position.
The Washington Post said it interviewed nearly a dozen current and former employees, including senior leadership, who alleged that Stephanie Stebich’s management tactics created an environment of fear during her tenure. Employees said her instructions were often “contradictory” and disruptive and that she blamed staff for her mistakes, in addition to stoking rivalries through demotions and title changes.
More than a year before Stebich was ousted from her role, senior staffers reportedly sent a complaint letter to Smithsonian leadership. Informed by an anonymous member of the museum’s board of commissioners, the Washington Post said that the SAAM’s advisory board conducted a review of the grievances communicated in the July 2023 letter this past spring. The paper found that some Smithsonian leaders had resisted letting go of Stebich, but that other board members threatened to resign if she was not removed. After some disagreement, the museum’s board then recommended removing Stebich from her position, an action that can only finalized by Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie G. Bunch, according to the report.
Before she arrived at SAAM, Stebich served as the executive director of the Tacoma Art Museum in Washington State for over 10 years. At SAAM, Stebich is credited with raising over $100 million over the course of her seven-year tenure.
But while senior leadership said Stebich was a skilled fundraiser, some appeared to question her competency in leading an institution the size of SAAM. “She was very good at managing up,” an anonymous board member told the Washington Post. “She was not very good at managing down.” They added that the board was “quite shocked” that they didn’t hear of employees’ dissatisfaction earlier, claiming that the grievances with Stebich were “always self-contained within the Smithsonian system” and its administrators.
Complaints of work culture under Stebich predated the July 2023 letter that eventually led to her removal, according to the Washington Post, which reports that SAAM hired consultants to facilitate conversations after staff surveys revealed a decline in satisfaction and morale. During an all-staff meeting with over 100 employees in spring 2023, the consultants allowed attendees to submit anonymous concerns that would compose a digital “word cloud.” The phrase “toxic director” loomed large, following terms including “bullying” and burnout.” Some employees also reportedly took issue with donations accepted by Stebich, including a monetary contribution by real estate developer Albert H. Small accompanied by 1,297 model cars, some of which are on permanent display near works by artists Albert Bierstadt and Nam June Paik. Two employees said the display made them “cringe.”
SAAM and a spokesperson for the Smithsonian Institution did not immediately respond to Hyperallergic’s inquiries. Hyperallergic has also attempted to contact Stebich for comment.
