Washington, DC—The National Gallery of Art Board of Trustees announced the election of Sarah F. Perot as a new trustee at its meeting today.

"On behalf of the trustees, it is with great pleasure that we welcome Sarah Perot to the National Gallery's board. I have personally known Sarah for over 30 years and admire the incredible work she and her family have done to support American cultural institutions. Sarah is a sensitive, thoughtful, and distinguished leader committed to advancing the arts, education, and civic life in the nation's capital and across the country. We look forward to her contributions to the National Gallery as we continue to expand our reach and impact," said Darren Walker, president of the National Gallery of Art.

Perot, a Texas-based philanthropist, arts patron, and civic leader, said, "I consider it a profound honor to join my fellow citizens on the Board of Trustees of the National Gallery of Art. The National Gallery is one of this country's most important cultural institutions - distinct in its mission, its history, and its public service. To help preserve and sustain this national treasure for future generations is not only a privilege, but a responsibility I embrace with deep gratitude and seriousness of purpose."

Sarah F. Perot

Sarah Fullinwider Perot is an active civic and philanthropic leader committed to historic preservation as well as the arts. She currently serves as chairman of the Blair House Foundation in Washington, DC, where she is also a member of the National Board for the Smithsonian Institution, the Committee for the Preservation of the White House, the Ford's Theatre Board, and the Library of Congress Madison Council.

A graduate of Southern Methodist University (SMU) in Dallas, Texas, Mrs. Perot is on the SMU Board of Trustees and is vice chair for the SMU Meadows School of the Arts Executive Board.

She previously served on the boards of the East West Institute in New York City, the Global Fund for Children in Washington, DC, the Thomas Jefferson Foundation at Monticello, and the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center at the University of Texas in Austin.

Mrs. Perot was honored in 2011 with the TACA Silver Cup Award for her contributions to the arts in North Texas. She is also the recipient of the 2016 SMU Distinguished Alumni Award, the 2023 Portrait Society of America Wetmore Leadership in the Fine Arts Award, and the 2024 Southwestern Medical Foundation Sprague Award.

Board of Trustees

The National Gallery of Art is governed by a nine-member board of trustees, composed of five general trustees, who must be private US citizens and are appointed to staggered ten-year terms, and four ex officio trustees. By statute, ex officio trustees do not vote on the election of general trustees. As of July 2025, the National Gallery of Art Board of Trustees includes general trustees Darren Walker, president of the National Gallery of Art; David M. Rubenstein, chairman of the board; Indra Nooyi; Sarah F. Perot; and Mitchell P. Rales and ex officio trustees Chief Justice of the United States John G. Roberts Jr., Secretary of State Marco A. Rubio, Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent, and Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution Lonnie G. Bunch III.

Press Release: National Gallery of Art Trustees Elect Sarah F. Perot as New Trustee

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