After a 2024 national search brought John Suau to the Peale as Executive Director, the Baltimore museum has announced that he is no longer with the organization. His departure marks another leadership transition for the institution, following the eight-year tenure of founding director Nancy Proctor, who led the Peale from 2017 through early 2025 and transformed the long-vacant landmark into one of Baltimore’s most innovative community museums.
Located at the corner of Holliday and Saratoga Streets in downtown Baltimore, the Peale occupies one of the city’s most historically significant buildings. Constructed in 1814 by artist and museum founder Rembrandt Peale, it is recognized as the first purpose-built museum building in the United States. Over more than two centuries, the building has served as Baltimore’s first City Hall, a courthouse, and the city’s first public high school before undergoing a $5.5 million restoration and reopening in 2022 as Baltimore’s Community Museum.
Proctor joined the Peale in 2017 as its (re)founding director, leading the capital campaign, overseeing the building’s extensive restoration, and developing a new model for the institution centered on civic engagement rather than a permanent collection. During her tenure, she helped establish the Peale as a laboratory for museum innovation, launching community exhibitions, artist collaborations, public programs, The Lab @ The Peale, and workforce development initiatives including the Guild and apprenticeship programs. After announcing her departure in 2024, she remained through the leadership transition before accepting the executive director position at the SNF Parkway Theatre in 2025.
Following Proctor’s departure, the Peale conducted a national search and selected John Suau, a museum executive with experience in cultural heritage, innovation, and institutional leadership. Prior to joining the Peale, John Suau spent more than two decades in museum leadership, education, and cultural heritage, serving as director of the DC History Center, executive director of the Mid-Atlantic Association of Museums, and an education and diversity leader at the American Alliance of Museums. His career has focused on institutional management, accessibility, digital innovation, and strengthening connections between museums and their communities, most recently through founding the International Database of Galleries, Libraries, Archives, and Museums (IDbGLAM).
The museum released the following statement regarding Suau’s departure:
As of last week John Suau has moved on from the position of Executive Director at the Peale. Under his leadership the successful Illuminator Awards brought recognition to a group of Baltimoreans who have truly brought light to the cultural life of the city.
This transition provides an opportunity to re-examine leadership structures appropriate to a community museum. To accomplish this, a working group composed of staff and board members will look at options and current best practices in order to make a recommendation regarding structure and leadership going forward.
While this activity is underway, the Peale’s ambitious exhibitions program continues to showcase exciting works for Baltimore’s diverse communities. In addition, the Guild at the Peale, an ambitious work force development program, continues.
Visit ThePeale.org to stay up to date on happenings, and come for an in person visit.
The announcement indicates that the museum will use this transition to evaluate its governance and leadership structure while continuing its exhibitions and community programming. No timeline has been announced for appointing new leadership.
