Mini Exodus For Boston's Museum Directors

Boston's museum directors are stepping down — call it a mini exodus.

First, Malcolm Rogers of the Museum of Fine Arts. Then, Thomas Lentz of the Harvard Art Museums.

And now, Anne Hawley, director of the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum for the past 25 years, announced that she, too, will step down at the end of the year.

So what do these resignations mean for Boston's arts community, and what have these directors taught us about what it takes to lead a major arts institution in the 21st century?

Sebastian Smee, Pulitzer Prize-winning art critic for The Boston Globe. He tweets @SebastianSmee.