New Appointments at Smithsonian National Museum of African Art: From left, Director John K. Lapiana. | Photo: Noah Willman; Deputy Director Heran Sereke-Brhan. | Courtesy National Museum of Africa Art
THE YEAR 2024 marks the 60th anniversary of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African Art (NMAfA). The Washington, D.C., museum is concluding the milestone year with a new leadership team. John K. Lapiana was appointed director. A lawyer and longstanding Smithsonian official, Lapiana had been serving as interim director of the museum for a year and a half, since the departure of Ngaire Blankenberg. Heran Sereke-Brhan, an arts leader and advocate, joined NMAfA as deputy director. The appointments were announced on Nov. 25. Lapiana and Sereke-Brhan both officially started in their new roles on Nov. 4.
Over the past decade, the National Museum of African Art has met with some high-profile challenges, including an exhibition controversy, staff complaints of racism, and rightful ownership of the Benin bronzes in its collection. Leadership turnover has also been an issue. Over the past eight years, the museum has had four directors. The new director has worked with the Smithsonian for more than 25 years.
“I have gotten to know the museum well during my nearly two years as interim director. I’m very excited to work with the museum’s dedicated staff and advisory board to share African arts, cultures and knowledge with audiences across the nation and around the world,” Lapiana said in a statement.
In 1998, Lapiana joined the Smithsonian, working in the general counsel’s office as an attorney. At that point, his early career included serving as a trial and appellate attorney at the U.S. Department of Justice, clerk for the chief judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals, and an associate at Wilmer, Cutler and Pickering, a leading law firm.
At the Smithsonian, Lapiana spent nearly five years as a senior program officer working with the deputy secretary (2002-07) and then became chief of staff for the Smithsonian Board of Regents (2007-13). Next, he was promoted to deputy under secretary for finance and administration and he served as acting assistant secretary of communication and external affairs (2015-17).
More recently, Lapiana was senior advisor to the under secretary for museums and culture. Since March 2023, he had concurrently served as interim director of the National Museum of African Art until accepting the appointment on a permanent basis. He hails from Buffalo, N.Y., where he studied at the University of Buffalo and earned undergraduate and law degrees.
As deputy director, Sereke-Brhan brings diverse leadership experience in the arts. She was executive director of the D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities (2019-22) and also served as deputy director for the D.C. Mayor’s Office on African Affairs (2014–2017). A writer, producer, and artist in her own right, for more than two decades Sereke-Brhan has researched African histories and cultures, presented stage performances, and more than a decade ago made a short film (“Ethiopia in Movement”) that captured the experiences and insights of panelists who attended the 18th International Conference on Ethiopian Studies in Dire Dawa, Ethiopia, in 2012.
Born and raised in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Sereke-Brhan attended college in the United States, where she earned master’s and doctorate degrees in history, with an emphasis on African, African American and Caribbean history, from Michigan State University.
“This is an incredible opportunity,” Sereke-Brhan said a statement about joining NMAfA. “My studies and travels throughout Africa and my personal experience of growing up in Ethiopia taught me the depth and strength of Africa’s cultural and artistic diversity and its connection to the rest of the world. The museum honors and showcases this breadth and complexity.”
“I have gotten to know the museum well during my nearly two years as interim director. I’m very excited to work with the museum’s dedicated staff and advisory board to share African arts, cultures and knowledge with audiences across the nation and around the world.”
— New NMAfA Director John K. Lapiana
Exterior view of Smithsonian’s National Museum of African Art from the Enid A. Haupt Garden, with “Wind Sculpture VII” (2016) by Yinka Shonibare MBE, from the museum’s collection, installed in front. The museum is located on the National Mall, adjacent to the Smithsonian Castle. | Courtesy NMAfA
NMAFA IS OVERDUE for a leadership team that can succeed from a curatorial standpoint, in terms of management and administration, and a long-term strategy perspective, charting a vision for the museum’s future as a global leader in the African art sector.
It’s been a challenging decade. In 2014, the museum celebrated its 50th anniversary by mounting “Conversations: African and African American Artworks in Dialogue.” The exhibition featured more than 60 works from the rarely seen collection of Bill and Camille Cosby, in dialogue with objects from the museum’s holdings. From the outset, the show faced criticism when it opened in the midst of decades-old allegations resurfacing with dozens of women accusing Mr. Cosby of sexual assault. Further scrutiny came when it was revealed that the Cosbys donated $716,000 to the museum, covering the cost of the presentation.
Johnetta B. Cole was at the helm of the museum at the time. She had a close relationship with the Cosbys since she served as president of Spelman College (1987-97) and defended the decision to keep the exhibition open. The situation overshadowed her eight year-tenure at the museum. Cole retired in 2017.
Since Cole’s departure, leadership at the museum has been tenuous. Her successors have served less than two years. A London-born curator, cultural historian, writer and broadcaster, Augustus (Gus) Casely-Hayford was director of NMAfA from February 2018 through early 2020. He departed to lead Victoria & Albert Museum in London as inaugural director of V&A East.
The Smithsonian’s National Museum for African Art for a leadership team that can succeed from a curatorial standpoint, in terms of management and administration, and from a long-term strategy perspective, charting a vision for the museum’s future as a global leader in the African art sector.
AS THE SEARCH for the next director was getting underway, NMAfA closed to the public in March 2020, due to COVID-19 health and safety precautions, actions taken by museums around the world. A few months later, allegations of racism and racial bias at the museum, dating back at least five years, were raised in an unsigned letter, according to reports from the Huffington Post, Washington Post, and New York Times. The complainants stated that more than 10 former and current Black employees had experienced “incidents of racial bias, hostile verbal attacks, retaliation, terminations, microaggressions and degrading comments.”
Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie G. Bunch III said the situation was important to him on both a professional and personal level. “What I will do is evaluate this, look into this, put my own fingerprints on it, understand exactly what’s gone on and try to get to the bottom of it,” Bunch told the Times. “There is no room for racism at the Smithsonian. Too many times, I was the only Black person in the room and I want to make sure that doesn’t happen anymore.”
Blankenberg was hired more than one year after the departure of Casely-Hayford. A consultant for museums and heritage sites around the world, she was born in Winnipeg and has lived in Canada, New Zealand, Africa, and Europe.
When Blankenberg’s appointment was announced in July 2021, Culture Type followed up with the Smithsonian about the complaints of racism and bias, the status of the deputy director and chief curator who was the target of some of the concerns raised in the letter, and Bunch’s assessment of the situation.
Linda St. Thomas, the Smithsonian’s chief spokesperson, responded by email to Culture Type. “Secretary Bunch personally looked into the allegations made by former employees last year, meeting with our Office of Human Resources and EEO,” St. Thomas wrote. “There were no improper personnel actions taken by the previous director. Lonnie expressed his full support for the deputy director Christine Kreamer and she remains in her position.”
The period in question spanned the tenures of Cole and Casely-Hayford. In a follow up email, St. Thomas said, “there was no finding of wrongdoing by either director.” Both former directors are Black. Kreamer is white.
Edo artist, Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria, Plaque, Mid-16th to 17th century (opper alloy).
BLANKENBERG’S ARRIVAL signaled a fresh start. In an April 2022 interview with Smithsonian Magazine, Blankenberg discussed her plans for the museum. She said: “My vision is to create a 21st-century global African art museum, with an international presence in Africa and the African diaspora. Migration is not one way anymore. You may live in Lagos and then New York, Dubai or Dakar. Because of technology and social media, there’s a much more vivid sense of being in two places. This museum for a long time has been about Africa, and it needs to be for Africans of Africa, celebrating global creativity.”
A year later, The Art Newspaper reported Blankenberg quietly left NMAfA in March 2023, after being “pushed to resign.” Blankenberg told the publication that she encountered resistance to her ideas about change on both an institutional and individual level.
Lasting less than two years, Blankenberg’s tenure as director was brief but impactful. In an email, Blankenberg told The Art Newspaper she had “learned so much” during her time at NMAfA. “Although there was a lot of frustration, I have come away with much deeper insights into where some of the pain points lie when it comes to transformation,” she said. “If we are still committed to changing museums for the better (which I am), it’s important to have a clear idea as to where the resistance lies and how it manifests.”
It may not have been the right fit, but Blankenberg’s influence will endure at the Smithsonian. The Art Newspaper cited a memo to museum directors from Kevin Gover, the Smithsonian’s undersecretary for museums and culture. The memo said Blankenberg “served as a catalyst for the museum’s return of the Benin bronzes to the National Commission for Museum and Monuments in Nigeria. She also was a leading voice in developing the Smithsonian’s new ethical returns policy, which authorizes museums to return collections to the communities of origins based on ethical considerations.”
Among the current exhibitions at the National Museum of African Art is a presentation of Benin Bronzes. “Benin Bronzes: Ambassadors of the Oba” (June 3, 2024-Dec. 31, 2026) reflects the Smithsonian’s Shared Stewardship and Ethical Returns Policy established in 2022.
“The National Museum of African Art worked with the Nigerian National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM) and the Benin City National Museum to identify, and ultimately transfer, ownership of 29 objects. With permission from the kingdom of Benin, nine of these objects are now on long-term loan to the museum; the other 20 have been returned to Nigeria,” the introduction to the exhibition states.
“The objects in this exhibition reflect the dynamism of the Edo peoples, their artistry, and their cultural heritage. They also underscore the imperative for museums to remedy historical injustices and to work collaboratively with communities to better understand and preserve cultural heritage.”
“My studies and travels throughout Africa and my personal experience of growing up in Ethiopia taught me the depth and strength of Africa’s cultural and artistic diversity and its connection to the rest of the world. The museum honors and showcases this breadth and complexity.”
— New NMAfA Deputy Director Heran Sereke-Brhan
NEWS OF THE NEW APPOINTMENTS at the African art museum follow recent leadership shake ups at two other Smithsonian museums. After being named inaugural director of the forthcoming American Women’s History Museum in March 2023, Nancy Yao withdrew from the position a few months later in July, citing “family issues.” Yao was expected to begin in June, but her start date was delayed by a Smithsonian investigation into her handling of sexual harassment complaints and three wrongful termination lawsuits in her previous position as director of the Museum of Chinese in America (Moca) in New York. In March, the Smithsonian announced Elizabeth C. Babcock would serve as director of the museum.
Jane Carpenter-Rock is currently stewarding the Smithsonian American Art Museum (SAAM). She has been serving as acting director since September following the director’s ouster. SAAM’s deputy director for museum content and outreach, Carpenter-Rock took the helm on an interim basis after Stephanie Stebich, SAAM’s director since 2017, was removed from her position in the wake of staff complaints and “years of declining morale” and an “atmosphere of fear and recrimination” under the leadership of a “toxic director,” according to The Washington Post. Stebich is now serving as senior adviser to Gover, the Smithsonian’s undersecretary for museums and culture, and a search for her replacement is underway.
NMAfA was first established in 1964, joined the Smithsonian in 1979, and officially became known as the National Museum of African Art in 1981. The museum is described as “the only national museum in the United States dedicated to the collection, exhibition, conservation and study of the arts of Africa” with “the largest publicly held collection of contemporary African art in the United States.” The museum’s collection of more than 12,000 objects, includes ancient, traditional, and contemporary art spanning more than 1,000 years, from the 11th century to the present.
Bunch is optimistic about the latest chapter at the museum. “The National Museum of African Art is one of the Smithsonian’s little-known gems,” the Smithsonian Secretary said in a statement. “In a year celebrating its storied past, bringing in a strong new leadership team combining John’s deep knowledge of the museum and the Smithsonian with Heran’s fresh ideas and perspective rooted in African artistic tradition will help ensure the museum’s brilliant future.” CT
BOOKSHELF
National Museum of African Art publications include, “Royal Benin Art in the Collection of the National Museum of African Art” and “Selected Works from the Collection of the National Museum of African Art, Volume 1.” A catalog was also produced for “Conversations African and African American Artworks in Dialogue From the Bill Cosby Collection.” Heran Sereke-Brhan contributed an essay to “Continuity and Change: Three Generations of Ethiopian Artists.” The publication accompanied a 2007 exhibition at the Harn Museum of Art in Gainesville, Fla. “Emeka Ogboh: Lagos Soundscapes” is the first major monograph of the Nigerian sound and installation artist whose work was prominently featured at NMAfA. Also consider, “African Artists: From 1882 to Now” and “African Art Now: 50 Pioneers Defining African Art for the Twenty-First Century.”
