Sackler was born in New York City to Arthur M. Sackler, psychiatrist, entrepreneur and philanthropist, and mother Else Sackler (née Jorgensen), who was from Denmark. She has a sister, Carol Master.
In 1966, Sackler graduated from the experimental private high school, New Lincoln School, in New York City.
In 1997, Sackler received a PhD from Union Institute & University.
Career
In 1992, she founded and is the President of the American Ritual Object Repatriation Foundation.
She is President of The Arthur M. Sackler Foundation, NYC. Sackler is also president of the Elizabeth A. Sackler Foundation.
Brooklyn Museum
In 2007, she founded the Elizabeth A. Sackler Center for Feminist Art, the first museum center devoted to female artists and feminist art, located at the Brooklyn Museum. A centerpiece of the center's collection is Judy Chicago's installation of her work, The Dinner Party, which is located at the Brooklyn Museum.
In June 2014, Sackler became the first woman to be elected Chairman by the Brooklyn Museum Board of Trustees. She held this position until June 2016. She has served as a member of the Board of Trustees of the Brooklyn Museum since 2000.
Honors & awards
1994: Native American Film and Video Celebration, Lincoln Center (New York, NY), Honorary Award, Executive Producer Life Spirit
1998: The Union Institute (Cincinnati, OH), Sussman Award for Academic Excellence
1999: Yurok Tribal Council (Eureka, CA), Honor
2002: Brooklyn Museum (Brooklyn, NY), Community Committee's Women in the Arts Award
2003: Women’s eNews (New York, NY), 21 Leaders of the 21st Century Award
2004: Women’s Caucus for Art (Seattle, WA), President’s Award
2005: Drums Along The Hudson (New York, NY), Native American of the Year
2006: ArtTable Award, Distinguished Service to the Visual Arts
2007: Moore College of Art, Visionary Woman Award
2015: Studio Arts College International (SACI), Honorary MFA degree
Memberships & leadership
National Council on Public History, Member
Metropolitan Museum of Art, Fellow for Life
Institute of American Indian Arts Museum (Santa Fe, NM), Founder’s Circle
1987–present: The Arthur M. Sackler Foundation (New York, NY), CEO
1992–present: American Indian Ritual Object Repatriation Foundation (New York, NY), Founder and President
1995–1999: Smithsonian Institution (Washington, D.C.), Founding President, Friends of the Freer and Sackler Galleries
2000–present: National Museum of Women in the Arts (Washington, D.C.), National Advisory Board
2000–present: Brooklyn Museum (Brooklyn, NY), Board of Trustees, Collections Committee, Executive Committee
2014-2016: Chairman, Board of Trustees
2001–present: Elizabeth A. Sackler Foundation (New York, NY), President
2001–2006: New Mexico Statuary Hall Foundation, Office of Indian Affairs (Santa Fe, NM), Board Member for the National Statuary Hall Collection, Washington, D.C.
Works and publications
Sackler, Elizabeth A. (2006). "Chapter 6. Calling for a Code of Ethics in the Indian Art Market". In King, Elaine A.; Levin, Gail. Ethics and the Visual Arts. New York: Allworth Press. pp. 89–104. ISBN 978-1-581-15600-3. OCLC 859537911.
