The Washington County Museum of Fine Arts will begin a leadership transition as Executive Director Sarah J. Hall prepares to leave the Hagerstown institution for a new position with the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust.

Hall will step down effective Dec. 18, according to a community announcement. The museum said in the announcement that Hall has accepted the role of director of galleries with the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust after leading the Washington County Museum of Fine Arts since July 2020.

During her tenure, Hall led the museum through the COVID-19 pandemic, expanded online programming and worked to broaden the exhibition schedule and public visibility of the institution.

Among the major exhibitions presented during Hall’s leadership were “Bernini & the Roman Baroque: Masterpieces from the Palazzo Chigi in Ariccia,” “Exploring Jonathan Street: History, Art, Imagination and Art,” “Fashion, Symbol, Statement: Tattooing in America, 1960s to Today,” “In Nature’s Studio: Two Centuries of American Landscape Painting,” “Frida Kahlo – Picturing an Icon,” “The Scandinavian Home: Art and Identity 1880–1920” and “Alphonse Mucha: Master of Art Nouveau.”

Board begins search for next director

Ted Reeder, president of the museum’s Board of Trustees, credited Hall with strengthening the museum’s exhibition program and expanding its visibility.

“We thank Sarah Hall for her six years at the museum’s helm and wish her only the best in all future endeavors,” Reeder said in the announcement. “During her tenure as the museum’s executive director, Sarah has fostered wonderful exhibits and helped extend the vision and visibility of our museum as a great asset for Washington County and beyond. The board of trustees will undertake to find a new executive director to carry on our successes, while helping the museum plan for our 100th anniversary, and build for its second century.”

The museum said in the announcement that Hall also oversaw its first professionally led master planning process and a period of institutional development that included growth in the annual fund. The board plans to form a search committee in the coming weeks to identify the museum’s next executive director.

The incoming leader will help guide the institution toward its 100th anniversary in 2031.

Hall reflects on museum tenure

Hall said that she is proud of the work accomplished during her six years leading the museum and thanked staff, volunteers, board members, members and community partners.

“I am deeply grateful for my six years at the Washington County Museum of Fine Arts and for the opportunity to work alongside such a dedicated staff, board, volunteers, members and community,” Hall said in the announcement. “There is so much that I will miss about the museum, especially the people who make this institution such a special part of our community. I am proud of what we have accomplished together and grateful for the many partnerships and friendships that have grown during my time here. I look forward to watching the museum continue to grow and serve the community in the years ahead. This is a very bittersweet goodbye. I will be honoring my pledge to the museum’s capital campaign and encourage all of you to invest in the museum’s future too!”

Hall will remain in her current role through Dec. 18 to assist with the leadership transition.

Before joining the Washington County museum, Hall spent 25 years at The Frick Pittsburgh, including 13 years as chief curator and director of collections. In that position, she oversaw care of the permanent collection as well as temporary exhibitions.

Her new role returns her to the Pittsburgh arts community and continues a career focused on exhibitions, collections and arts leadership.

Museum operations to continue

The museum said in the announcement that exhibitions, educational programming, events, collections care and daily operations will continue throughout the transition.

Now in its 95th year, the Washington County Museum of Fine Arts continues to offer free daytime admission and remains focused on collecting, preserving, interpreting and exhibiting art for the community and the surrounding region.

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This article originally appeared on The Herald-Mail: WCMFA executive director Sarah Hall leaving for Pittsburgh role