Elizabeth Broun

Elizabeth Broun (2013) served as director of the Smithsonian American Art Museum and its branch museum, the Renwick Gallery, from 1989 to 2016. She is responsible for the nation’s premier collection of American art and major exhibition, research, publication, education, and new media programs. During Broun’s tenure, the museum has become a leader in distance learning, Web-based resources, research databases, and new media. Also during her tenure, Broun oversaw the comprehensive renovation of the museum’s two historic landmark buildings. In addition, the museum has developed a significant national education program. Under Broun’s leadership, several new public facilities were created—a visible conservation center, the Luce Foundation Center for American Art, an enclosed courtyard, an auditorium, and an education center. Broun came to Washington in 1983 as chief curator and assistant director of the museum. Her research interests include contemporary art, 19th-century art, and prints and drawings. Broun earned a doctorate (1976) in art history at the University of Kansas and she holds a Certificate of Advanced Study from the University of Bordeaux, France.