Two North Texas art museums are preparing for new leadership.
Aug. 31 will be Dr. Andrew J. Walker’s last day as Executive Director of the Amon Carter Museum of American Art. During his 14 year tenure, the Fort Worth museum’s collections and endowment have expanded significantly, and the museum’s internal galleries have been renovated and reimagined to improve visitor experience and to emphasize a thematic presentation that connects artists and works through time. He also expanded the Carter’s exhibition program to include site-specific installations by living American artists, and enhanced access to the Carter’s collection onsite and online.
“I have been honored to lead the Carter for the past fourteen years and watch it evolve into the impactful institution it is today,” Walker said. “I am exceptionally proud of all that we have accomplished, whether through our commitment to new scholarship on American art, our exceptional exhibition program, or our continued expansion of the Carter’s collection to include new voices and seminal works that tell the story of American creativity.”
During Walker’s tenure, the museum has continued to acquire important works of art by acclaimed American artists, with noted acquisitions of artwork by Ruth Asawa, George Bellows, Dawoud Bey, Mary Cassatt, Gabriel Dawe, Richard Hunt, Norman Lewis, Glenn Ligon, and John Singer Sargent. Walker also spearheaded the museum’s collecting initiative dedicated to amplifying Indigenous artists’ contributions to American visual identity through the history of photography, which saw the addition of artwork by more than ten Indigenous photographers including Tom Jones, Shelley Niro, Cara Romero, Sarah Sense, and Hulleah Tsinhnahjinnie.
Andrew Walker has led the Fort Worth museum for 14 years. (Amon Carter Museum of American Art)
“Andrew Walker became director of the Amon Carter Museum of American Art before my mother Ruth Carter Stevenson passed away,” said Karen Hixon, President of the Board of Trustees. “Andrew came to understand her passion and vision and continued to ably lead the Museum through the transition years and beyond.”
In 2019, Walker led the museum through a major renovation that expanded and updated exhibition spaces to create wider galleries and better sightlines, while dedicating 7,000 square feet for special exhibitions. During this time, the museum also unveiled a new website, dramatically increasing public access to the collection and the wealth of stories about American art that it possesses. The renovation also included an expansion of the museum’s photography vaults with the latest advancements in climate control cold storage, allowing for the future growth of the collection and the continued preservation of the museum’s holdings.
In 2018, Walker supported the launch of the museum’s Carter Community Artists initiative dedicated to supporting and working with local artists, providing the public with access to collaborate and learn from artists working in the community. The Museum has also established a robust network of community partners to enhance engagement with visitors at the Carter and beyond the museum walls.
“A particular highlight for me has been our expanded engagement with the communities we serve, and the relationships we have built with our partners and supporters,” said Walker. “Given all that we have accomplished together, it feels like the right moment for me to depart and allow a new leader to take the helm as the Carter plans for its future,” Walker said.
Scott Wilcox, the Amon Carter Museum of American Art’s Chief Operating Officer, has been named interim Executive Director. The Board will be launching a search for the Carter’s next Executive Director in the coming weeks.
Eleven months after Agustin Arteaga left his role at the Dallas Museum of Art, the museum will welcome Brian Ferriso as the museum’s next Eugene McDermott Director on December 1. Ferriso has served as Director of the Portland Art Museum (PAM) in Oregon for nearly 20 years.
“I’ve long believed that museums can play a vital role within the civic and social fabric of a community, and as the City’s museum, the Dallas Museum of Art is the perfect place for me to carry on this work. The Museum is at an inflection point, with an impressive legacy behind it and a new future ahead, catalyzed by the current expansion project that will allow the DMA to establish greater connections with the community through its outstanding collections and programs. I feel lucky to join at such a transformative moment and am excited to work hand-in-hand with the Museum’s dedicated staff and Board—as well as City leaders, stakeholders, and the public—to help shape the evolving vision for the DMA,” Ferriso said.
Brian Ferriso will begin his new role at the Dallas Museum of Art on December 1. (Owen Carey)
Since his appointment as Director of the PAM in 2006, Ferriso has more than doubled the museum’s curatorial staff and permanently endowed almost half of those positions, increased the endowment by $40M, and eliminated $7M in unfunded debt. Ferriso also created the Art Access Endowment at PAM, which supports free admission in perpetuity for children 17 and under, free school tours, and family free days. Under his leadership, PAM served as the co-presenting institution for the space in which to place me (2024), Jeffrey Gibson’s exhibition for the U.S. Pavilion at the Venice Biennale—the first solo presentation of an Indigenous artist for the U.S. Pavilion.
Ferriso has driven the diversification of PAM’s collection to incorporate more works by underrepresented artists, with emphasis on acquiring works by women, Native American, and Black artists, as well as by other artists of color. He has also worked to expand engagement with the Native American community and its representation within the museum, including creating a new Assistant Curator of Native American Art position, adding Native American representation to the museum’s Board, and establishing a Native American Advisory Committee to provide guidance on exhibitions and programs.
“Brian Ferriso is a leader with a proven track record in realizing successful capital campaigns and sustainable organizational growth. He has shaped an ambitious vision for the Portland Art Museum and developed programs that advance its cultural, civic, and social role in the city and region,” said the Dallas Museum of Art’s Board President Gowri Natarajan Sharma.
Before he comes to Dallas, Ferriso will open PAM’s comprehensive campus transformation to the public in November. His experience managing a renovation project is a major assets as the Dallas Museum of Art embarked on its own renovation project, selecting Nieto Sobejano Arquitectos for the transformation of its Edward Larrabee Barnes-designed building in 2023.
“He comes fully equipped with learnings and know-how from the capital project he led in Portland, which will be a tremendous asset as he advances the DMA’s own transformation,” said Sharon Young, the DMA’s Board Chairman and co-chair of the executive search committee.
Learn more: Amon Carter Museum of American Art and Dallas Museum of Art