The Peale, the first purpose-built museum in America, announced a new executive director ready to take the storied museum into the future.

John Suau, a 20-year museum innovation and cultural heritage professional, will succeed founding Executive Director Nancy Proctor as the leader of Baltimore’s city museum, the center said in a news release.

Suau is hoping to build on Proctor’s efforts and his experience to propel The Peale forward by building partnerships with other community-based organizations and institutions and infusing technology in their work.

“I think there’s an opportunity to fill in some of the blanks that the demise of BOPA [Baltimore Office of Promotion and the Arts] has left for the city. We’d love to collaborate as much as possible with all the other organizations around Baltimore to sort of, on a citywide basis, become that central hub where things like Arts Fest and some of the components that BOPA did, we can assist with,” Suau said.

He starts his new role on Jan. 6, but he’s no stranger to the Baltimore arts community. He was based in Charm City from 2002-2006 as the executive director of the Mid-Atlantic Association of Museums, a nonprofit membership organization for museums and museum professionals.

He returned to the region in 2014 as the museum and library director of the DC History Center. There, he established partnerships with technology giant Apple to renovate the museum and introduced programs like “DC History Makers,” where they spotlighted influential people across sectors in the city.

“I would love to do the same thing in Baltimore, where we’re really spotlighting those organizations, individuals, companies who are making Baltimore better, or who have supported social programs to impact the lives of those who need,” Suau said. “Those are important parts of Baltimore that, when you shine a light on them, it brings the relevance of what The Peale represents to light for the community and helps to engage those people or organizations.”

He also sees his new position at The Peale as an opportunity to continue infusing technology with art and history. Using technology as a tool for addressing diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility (DEIA) issues in museums has been a significant part of Suau’s career.

In September 2023, he founded IDbGLAM, an international database for galleries, libraries, archives and museums. Suau has his pulse on emerging technologies that could improve gallery and museum experiences, such as virtual reality and augmented reality, and hopes The Peale can become an incubator for them in Baltimore.

“It’s about the A of DEIA, that technology really is most suited to assist museums. So whether it’s creating audiovisual tours, audio tours that can be delivered both on a computer or on a smart device in the institution, as well as audio AI that helps to transcribe audio and caption videos to make them more accessible to the visually impaired and hearing-impaired,” he said.

Suau, who got his start as a student working at the University of Iowa’s art museum, said he loves museums and what they can do for communities. He said he’s admired Proctor’s work and what she has done for the museum and is confident in his ability to take the baton.

The Peale Center for Baltimore History and Architecture Inc. was established in 2012 with the goal of preserving the building. Proctor became the founding executive director of The Peale in 2017 and will now become a consultant and collaborator for the museum.

“Our goal has always been for The Peale to remain dynamic and inclusive of new voices and directions for the organization. I am excited to continue to support The Peale and engage with Baltimore’s creative communities in new ways through its ever-evolving platform,” Proctor said in a news release on Thursday.

In the 210 years since its construction on Holliday Street, the building, which houses the Peale Museum, has served as Baltimore’s City Hall, the Male and Female Colored School No. 1, the city’s water board and several private businesses. The most recent renovation was in 2022.

The Peale is open from 3 to 7 p.m. on Thursday and Friday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.