Martin E. Sullivan

Who was Martin E. Sullivan?

Martin E. Sullivan was a museum director, and served as Director of the United States National Portrait Gallery, administered by the Smithsonian Institution, from 2008-12.

Born in Troy, New York, Sullivan expanded the range of portraits commissioned by the gallery to include "notable Americans such as Eunice Kennedy Shriver and Alice Waters" in addition to portraits of Presidents and First Ladies. Upon retirement in 2012, Sullivan became a Senior Scholar at the Smithsonian.

Sullivan's other museum positions included Director of the Heard Museum, a Native American museum of art and culture in Phoenix, Arizona from 1990–99, and Director of the New York State Museum from 1983-90. Sullivan also served as Assistant Commissioner for Museums in New York's State Education Department.

Martin Sullivan died of renal failure on February 25, 2014, aged 70.