National Portrait Gallery appoints its first ever female director

Victoria Siddall will take up the post in the autumn

The National Portrait Gallery has appointed its first ever female director, who has said she is “honoured” to have the opportunity to help write the next chapter in its history.

The appointment of Victoria Siddall, who has over two decades of experience leading in the art world, was announced on Wednesday (28 August) after being approved by prime minister Sir Keir Starmer.

Her experience includes co-founding the charities Gallery Climate Coalition and Murmur, which encourage increased environmental responsibility in the worlds of music and art, and serving as director of the global art fair Frieze Masters.

Ms Siddall’s appointment also comes in the wake of the gallery’s three-year £41.3m refurbishment – the biggest in the building’s history – under the acclaimed Nicholas Cullinan, who left to lead the British Museum.

The refurbishment included the creation of a new, more accessible entrance and a new Learning Centre equipped with resources for learners of all ages.

Ms Siddall said of her appointment: “I’m truly honoured to have the opportunity to lead the National Portrait Gallery, a museum that holds the world’s greatest collection of portraits and is unique in being about people and for people.

“The art within its walls tells stories of human achievement and what unites us as a society, inspiring and shaping our view of the world and our place in it. This is perhaps the most exciting time in the NPG’s history, following the recent reopening and Inspiring People project that the team delivered so flawlessly under Nicholas Cullinan’s leadership.

“The perfect stage has been built and I am thrilled to work with my new colleagues, the museum’s trustees and supporters, and of course the artists, as we look to the future and embark on a new chapter.”

Victoria Siddall has more than two decades’ experience as a leader in the art world (Getty)

David Ross, chair of the trustees of the National Portrait Gallery, said: “I am delighted to welcome Victoria Siddall as the new director of the National Portrait Gallery. Her strengths as a cultural leader are considerable, as is her knowledge of the art world, understanding of audiences, and international profile.

“I know that she has the vision and determination to build on our recent successes and lead the next stage of the gallery’s development, and I greatly look forward to working with her.”

The gallery reopened its doors last year after undergoing a three-year refurbishment. (David Parry/National Portrait Gallery)

First opened in 1856, the gallery holds a unique position on the world’s artistic stage and is widely believed to be the first gallery in the world to be entirely dedicated to portraits.

Now creating a new first for the space, Ms Siddall told Art News in June: “In order for art to have that power [to create change], we need to have our house in order as an industry. We need to be doing the work. We need to show we take this seriously.”

Ms Siddall will take over the role from the National Portrait Gallery’s interim director Michael Elliott in the autumn.