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Earl (Rusty) Powell
Director, National Gallery of Art
In a way, this entry is more about past influence because Powell will retire in 2019. “I’ve had a pretty good race here, and it seemed like a logical time [to retire],” said Powell, who turns 75 later this year. “I still have some gas in the tank, and I’m not particularly interested in sitting on the porch looking at sunsets.” Powell became the NGA’s fourth director in 1992. His tenure has been marked by growth in every aspect from the size of the collection and the restoration of the gallery to the number of visitors – 122 million since he took over.
