Report Highlights Lingering Gender Gap in Top Museum Jobs

A new report from the Association of American Art Museum Directors found that women hold the top posts at only a quarter of major institutions in the United States and Canada, and those who do earn significantly less than their male peers, writes The New York Times.

The study released Friday found that women have nearly achieved parity at small and midsize museums, but just 24 percent of institutions with budgets of $15-million or more had female directors, and these women were paid 29 percent less than comparably placed men. Over all, 42 percent of the association’s member directors are women, up from 38 percent five years ago.

“Everyone just claps their hands and says that it’s getting better,” said Elizabeth Easton, director of the Center for Curatorial Leadership, a New York-based training program for museum leaders. “But with boards full of men and search committees gravitating to men, it’s not going to get better.”