Lyman Allyn Art Museum Announces Retirement of Director Sam Quigley After 12 Years of Transformative Leadership

The Lyman Allyn Art Museum announced today that after a remarkable and deeply impactful tenure, Director Sam Quigley has shared his intention to retire in early summer 2026, concluding 12 years of visionary leadership.

“While this moment is bittersweet, it is also one filled with gratitude for Sam’s leadership, his vision, and the indelible mark he leaves on this institution and its community,” said Board President Liza Sharp. “During his tenure, he led a complete revitalization of the Museum, guiding it into a more dynamic, welcoming, and forward-looking institution. He cultivated and strengthened an exceptional team, ensuring that the Museum is not only thriving today but well positioned for continued success in the years ahead. On behalf of the entire Board of Trustees and staff, it has been a privilege and a pleasure to work in partnership with him.”

Over the past decade, Quigley’s leadership has transformed how the Lyman Allyn engages with art, artists, and audiences. Under his direction, the Museum expanded its role both as a cultural anchor and a community gathering place. The Near :: New gallery has become an important platform for regional artists, fostering dialogue among contemporary voices. His creation of the Louis Comfort Tiffany in New London exhibition brought renewed attention to one of the region’s most significant artistic legacies, while the reimagined American Perspectives exhibition presents American art through a local lens, highlighting the strengthsof the Museum’s collection. 

He championed a diverse and engaging schedule of special exhibitions that both complemented and deepened interpretation of the permanent collection, while expandingthe Museum’s reach to a broad range of visitors. Through strategic acquisitions and the cultivation of significant gifts, he also strengthened the collection, adding works by artists such as John Singer Sargent, Louis Comfort Tiffany, David Driskell, and Jacob Lawrence. 

Quigley also advanced a broader vision that extends beyond the Museum’s walls. Through the launch of Lyman Allyn Park, he set in motion the realization of the Museum’s founding ideals—creating a more open, inclusive, and integrated space that invites the public toexperience art, nature, and community in new and meaningful ways. These initiatives, among many others, have strengthened the Museum’s identity as a place of discovery, reflection, and connection. 

“There is so much to admire about a leader who, over time, became synonymous with this place,” Sharp added. “As an institution rooted in the humanities, we are continually exploring the enduring questions of what it means to be human, and how those questions are expressed across cultures and generations. Sam has embodied these ideals in his leadership: thoughtful, curious, generous in spirit, and deeply committed to the essential role that art and culture play in our lives.”

Reflecting on his tenure, Quigley expressed gratitude for the opportunity to serve the Museum and its community. “It has been the honor of a lifetime to lead the Lyman Allyn Art Museum,” he said. “I am deeply proud of what we have accomplished together—expanding access, strengthening our collections, and creating meaningful experiences for our audiences. Most of all, I am grateful to the dedicated staff, trustees, supporters, and community members who make this Museum such a vibrant and inspiring place.”

With an eye toward the future, the Board of Trustees has engaged the executive search firm Museum Search & Reference to conduct a comprehensive national search for the Lyman Allyn’s next Director. The Board is committed to identifying a dynamic and visionary leader who will build upon Quigley’s extraordinary legacy and guide the Museum into its next chapter of growth. 

Further details about transition plans and opportunities to celebrate Mr. Quigley’s contributions will be shared in the coming months. For more information, please contact Rebecca Dawson by email at dawson@lymanallyn.org.

About Lyman Allyn Art Museum 

Lyman Allyn Art Museum welcomes visitors from New London, southeastern Connecticut and all over the world. Established in 1926 with a gift from Harriet Allyn in memory of her seafaring father, the Museum opened the doors of its beautiful neoclassical building surrounded by 12 acres of green space in 1932. Today it presents several changing exhibitions each year and houses a fascinating collection of over 20,000 objects from ancient times to the present, including art from Africa, Asia, the Americas and Europe, with particularly strong collections of American paintings, decorative arts and Victorian toys and doll houses. 

The museum is located at 625 Williams Street, New London, Connecticut, exit 83 off I-95. It is open Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. and Sundays 1 – 5 p.m., and closed on Mondays and major holidays. For more information call 860.443.2545, ext. 2129 or visit www.lymanallyn.org.