TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — With the resignation of Taipei Fine Arts Museum Director Wang Jun-jieh (王俊傑) and Tainan Fine Arts Museum Director Lin Chin-fang (林秋芳) in January, and the Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts operating under an acting director for more than a year, three of Taiwan’s top contemporary art museums are now without permanent leadership.

This has led some to believe that once-coveted positions in Taiwan’s arts and culture sector are now increasingly difficult to fill, per UDN.

Huang Kuang-nan (黃光男), former director of the National Museum of History, said museums play a crucial role in Taiwan’s “soft power” and international reputation. He added that museum directors often shoulder responsibilities in “cultural diplomacy” and should be valued for their expertise.

Huang criticized the government’s failure to promptly appoint directors, saying it reflects a lack of respect for the influence museums wield. He also warned that prolonged vacancies hinder long-term exhibition planning and international collaboration.

According to art industry insiders, low salaries relative to the heavy responsibilities of museum directors make recruitment difficult. Government officials also believe the position requires strong personal charisma, and civil servants within the museum system are rarely promoted to the role.

Museum directors in Taiwan are often recruited from academia or established artists, but these selections pose challenges. Universities may hesitate to release faculty mid-semester, and many directors ultimately resign to return to the stability of tenured posts.

Huang pointed to France as a model Taiwan should follow, where museums have a structured system for career progression. In France, curators gain experience at various levels before advancing to high-profile institutions like the Louvre. In contrast, Taiwan lacks a professional mechanism for training museum directors.

He noted that in Taiwan, directors are typically "airdropped" from outside rather than promoted from within. This practice, he said, lowers morale among museum professionals and creates a gap in talent development.

Huang argued that hiring directors from academia or other industries without museum administrative experience often leads to complications and a lack of understanding of institutional regulations. Without reforms, he warned, Taiwan’s museums will continue to face chronic leadership shortages.