Asian Art Museum Strengthens External Affairs and Strategic Communications with Appointment of Sabine de Maussion

San Francisco, OCTOBER 26, 2026 — The Asian Art Museum is strengthening its external affairs and strategic communications capacity with the appointment of Sabine de Maussion as its new Director of External Affairs & Strategic Communications. De Maussion brings more than 25 years of international experience in cultural diplomacy, civic engagement, and cross-sector partnerships to this role.

Reporting to Soyoung Lee, the museum’s Barbara Bass Bakar Director and CEO, de Maussion will help advance Lee’s vision for the museum as a Bay Area cultural anchor and Asia’s global voice. Her work will focus on public positioning and reputation, strategic communications, and relationships connecting the museum to civic and cultural conversations in the Bay Area, nationally and globally, with a particular focus on Asia.

De Maussion begins her tenure on November 2, 2026.

“Sabine has a remarkable ability to extend an institution’s reach beyond its walls by building relationships across culture, civic life, academia, innovation, and communities,” said Lee. “That experience will be invaluable as we create new ways for people to connect through art and culture and tell a broader story about how Asia and its diasporas shape the Bay Area and the world.”

De Maussion’s relationship with the Asian Art Museum began through Night of Ideas San Francisco. Under Ms. de Maussion’s leadership at Villa Albertine, the museum joined the initiative alongside the San Francisco Public Library and KQED, becoming one of its key Civic Center anchors. In 2025, Night of Ideas drew 12,600 participants — a record among 323 participating cities worldwide — across the Main Library, Fulton Plaza, and, for the first time, the Asian Art Museum.

Most recently, de Maussion advised arts and culture organizations at Unliminal, a San Francisco-based, AI-native studio and consultancy. Over a career spanning more than 25 years, she has held leadership and diplomatic positions in cultural institutions and government, including as Head of the Arts & Culture Department at the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, where she supported France’s cultural network across 134 countries, as well as diplomatic assignments in Southwest Asia and North Africa. Earlier, she worked at the Centre Pompidou and helped shape the international strategy of CENTQUATRE-PARIS. She also co-founded MakerBrane, a design and education technology platform reaching more than 1,500 schools and 100,000 learners worldwide. A member of the Curatorial/Knowledge research community at Goldsmiths, University of London, she has taught curatorial studies at universities, including the American University of Beirut.

“My career in cultural diplomacy has been about translating across cultures and institutions and creating the conditions for new conversations to emerge,” said de Maussion. “I am thrilled to bring that experience to the Asian Art Museum and contribute to this next chapter.”

About the Asian Art Museum

Located in the heart of San Francisco, the museum is home to one of the world’s finest collections of Asian and Asian American art, with more than 20,000 awe-inspiring works ranging from ancient jades and ceramics to contemporary video installations. Dynamic special exhibitions, cultural celebrations, and public programs for all ages provide rich art and culture experiences that unlock the past and spark questions about the future.