The J. Paul Getty Trust has announced the appointment of two prominent figures in the art world to its board of trustees. Glenn D. Lowry, the former longtime director of New York's Museum of Modern Art, and Lionel M. Sauvage, a distinguished French philanthropist and art collector, will both begin their roles as trustees in 2026.
Katherine E. Fleming, president and CEO of Getty, expressed her enthusiasm about the new appointments in an official statement. "It's an honor and delight to welcome Glenn and Lionel to Getty's Board of Trustees. Both have a lifelong commitment to the arts, and deep and varied experience. Their contributions will benefit Getty in countless ways," Fleming said. She added that having worked with both individuals over several years, she looks forward to their contributions as the organization works to transform its visitor experience and expand its global reach.
Lowry brings an impressive legacy to the Getty Trust board, having concluded a remarkable 30-year tenure as director of MoMA in September 2024. His leadership made him the longest-serving director in the institution's history, during which he guided the museum through significant transformations. Under his direction, MoMA underwent two major renovations and one substantial expansion, with the 2019 expansion increasing the museum's total area to 708,000 square feet.
One of Lowry's most notable achievements was the influential 2019 rehang of MoMA's collection, which accompanied the expansion and broke down traditional barriers between different artistic disciplines. This groundbreaking approach integrated art, architecture, dance, film, and other historically separated fields into a more cohesive presentation. Additionally, Lowry successfully orchestrated the merger of PS1, a contemporary art space housed in a former Long Island City school, with MoMA, expanding the institution's reach and contemporary art programming.
Beyond his work at MoMA, Lowry maintains active involvement in the international art community. He currently serves on the board of directors of the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation and sits on the advisory boards of several prestigious international institutions, including the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art, the Mori Art Museum, and the Istanbul Museum of Modern Art.
Lionel Sauvage brings his own wealth of experience as a French-American financier and collector who has held leadership positions in numerous cultural institutions on both sides of the Atlantic. His involvement includes significant roles with the American Friends of the Louvre and London's prestigious Wallace Collection. Currently, Sauvage serves as chairman of Les Arts Décoratifs, the influential French nonprofit organization that oversees multiple institutions including the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, the Musée Nissim de Camondo, and the École Camondo, which is recognized as a leading school of design and interior design in Paris.
As a specialist in 18th-century French art, Sauvage has made significant contributions to the field through his collecting activities and scholarly pursuits. He has generously loaned works from his personal collection to various exhibitions, including those held at the Domaine de Chantilly. His dedication to arts patronage has been formally recognized by the French government, which honored him as an Officer of the Order of Arts and Letters and a Knight of the Order of Merit.
The Getty Trust, which will benefit from these new appointments, stands as the wealthiest art trust in the world with an endowment of $8.59 billion as of 2023. This substantial financial foundation supports the organization's four main entities: the J. Paul Getty Museum, the Getty Foundation, the Getty Research Institute, and the Getty Conservation Institute. The addition of Lowry and Sauvage to the board is expected to enhance the Trust's ability to fulfill its mission of advancing the understanding and preservation of the visual arts globally while continuing to serve as a leading cultural institution in Los Angeles and beyond.
