JANNE SIRÉN, PHD
PEGGY PIERCE ELFVIN DIRECTOR
Dr. Janne Sirén joined the Albright-Knox Art Gallery as the Peggy Pierce Elfvin Director in April 2013. Over the course of a decade of his leadership, the museum has embarked upon the most significant campus expansion and development project in its 160-year history, which will culminate in the reopening in spring 2023 of the new Buffalo AKG Art Museum, designed by OMA/Shohei Shigematsu.
A passionate advocate for the active role of the museum and the arts in shaping and supporting diverse communities, Sirén launched the museum’s pioneering Public Art Initiative in 2013. This innovative partnership between the museum, local government bodies, and private individuals and businesses has been hailed as a national model for museums and their communities to sustainably create and install public art. It has generated more than forty public art works across the city of Buffalo and Western New York, advancing the principle of cultural equity across different neighborhoods.
Prior to joining the Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Sirén served as Director of Finland’s Helsinki Art Museum. In this role, he was a member of Helsinki’s Tourism Advancement Group, representing the cultural and museum field and helping to strengthen the tourism industry in Helsinki while identifying strategic principles for future development. Sirén also serves as the President of the Board of Directors of Eschaton—Anselm Kiefer Foundation.