Glenn D. Lowry and Lionel M. Sauvage Join Getty Board of Trustees

The J. Paul Getty Trust announced today the appointment of Glenn D. Lowry and Lionel M. Sauvage to the Getty Board of Trustees. They will join an 11-member group that includes leaders in art, education, and business who volunteer their time and talent on behalf of Getty.

“It’s an honor and delight to welcome Glenn and Lionel to Getty’s Board of Trustees. Both have a lifelong commitment to the arts, and deep and varied experience. Their contributions will benefit Getty in countless ways,” said Katherine E. Fleming, president and CEO of Getty. “Having known and seen each of them in action over several years, I look forward to what they will bring to Getty as we work to transform our visitor experience and expand our global reach.”

Glenn D. Lowry

Glenn D. Lowry is the former David Rockefeller Director of The Museum of Modern Art in New York City, from 1995-2025. During his tenure he significantly enhanced the Museum’s holdings in all media and acted as a strong advocate for contemporary art and artists. Lowry’s major initiatives include the creation of a new curatorial department, Media and Performance Art, in 2009; the establishment of the Contemporary and Modern Art Perspectives in a Global Age Initiative (C-MAP), and the successful merger of The Museum of Modern Art and P.S.1 Contemporary Art Center (now MoMA PS1). Lowry guided the Museum’s 2004 expansion and accompanying capital campaign, raising nearly one billion dollars for the new building and for the endowment.

Lowry began his career as curator of Oriental art at the Rhode Island School of Design Museum. He was appointed as the first director of the Muscarelle Museum of Art at the College of William and Mary; he later became curator of Near Eastern Art at the Smithsonian Institution's Arthur M. Sackler Gallery and Freer Gallery of Art. He was also director of the Art Gallery of Ontario.

Lowry lectures and writes in support of contemporary art, on the role of museums in society, and on other topics related to his research interests. He is a member of the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation’s board of directors, on the advisory boards of the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art, the Mori Art Museum, and the Istanbul Museum of Modern Art. He is a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, a member of the steering committee for the Aga Khan Award for Architecture, and a resident member of the American Philosophical Society. He also serves on the advisory council of the Department of Art History and Archaeology at Columbia University. Lowry has been honored as Officier dans l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres and Chevalier in the Legion d’Honneur and was the 2025 Chaire du Louvre.

Lowry received a B.A. magna cum laude from Williams College, an M.A. and a PhD in the history of art from Harvard University, and honorary degrees from the College of William and Mary and the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts.

Lionel M. Sauvage

Lionel M. Sauvage is a French philanthropist and a collector of 18th century French art. Sauvage worked as an engineer for six years and spent 28 years at The Capital Group Companies, as a senior Vice President and Chairman of Capital International Limited, managing global equity portfolios. His successful career in finance led him to philanthropy where he became deeply involved in supporting the arts. In 2003, Sauvage also co-founded FLAX, the foundation connecting France-based artists with opportunities in Southern California.

Sauvage is currently chairman of the Arts Décoratifs in France, a non-profit that includes the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, the Musée Nissim de Camondo with an annual combined 700,000 visitors, and the Ecole Camondo, the prestigious school of design and interior design in Paris. He is also a trustee of the LA Opera, the Master Drawings publication, the Abraham Path Initiative, and the endowment fund of INSEAD. He, along with his wife, Ariane, are members of the Getty Museum Paintings Council and the Museum Drawings Council.

Sauvage is Chevalier dans l’Ordre du Mérite and Officier dans l’Ordre des Arts et Lettres, both honors bestowed by the French government.

Additionally, Sauvage collects art and pursues research in art history, with a concentration on the French painter Antoine Watteau. He holds an MBA from INSEAD and an electronic engineering degree from ENSEM in Nancy, France.

Lowry and Sauvage will begin their terms in early 2026.