Amon Carter Museum of American Art appoints new Executive Director and CEO

Robert Stein, currently Chief Information Officer at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., will join the Fort Worth museum on November 9.

For a museum with many spectacular depictions of cowboys in its collection, a new sheriff is coming to town.

The Amon Carter Museum of American Art (the Carter) announced the appointment of Robert Stein as its new executive director and CEO. The announcement comes one year after Andrew J. Walker stepped down from the role.

Stein will join the Fort Worth museum on Nov. 9.

"I am honored to join the Carter and lead the museum into its next chapter,” Stein said. “The Carter’s founding mission of making exceptional art freely accessible to the people of Fort Worth and telling the story of American creativity through the diverse perspectives that shape it resonates deeply with my career-long dedication to public access. I look forward to working alongside the Carter’s staff, Board, partners, supporters, and artists to extend that mission, deepening the Museum’s engagement with the local community and expanding its reach to new audiences to ensure the Carter's remarkable collection continues to shape how we understand ourselves as Americans for generations to come."

Stein is not new to North Texas. His nearly 20 years of experience as a museum executive include serving as deputy director of the Dallas Museum of Art (DMA) from 2012 to 2016. At the DMA, he oversaw conservation, digital experience, education, libraries, finance, marketing, human resources, IT, security, and visitor services. He also served as deputy director at the Milwaukee Art Museum (2021-2023) and the Indianapolis Museum of Art (2006-2012).

While in Dallas and Indianapolis, Stein led initiatives to transition those museums from paid to free general-admission models, resulting in significantly increased attendance and bolstering engagement within their respective communities. At the DMA, he created the first visitor loyalty program in museums, which later grew to more than 250,000 members and shaped how the cultural sector approaches measurement and audience engagement. This effort at the DMA, along with a return to free general admission, led to sustained attendance growth of more than 50% in just two years and similar growth in participation among diverse new audiences.  

Stein is currently serving as chief information officer at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., a role he has held since 2023. He leads enterprise technology strategy and modernization and pioneers advancements in artificial intelligence and data analytics that support strategic efforts in conservation, scholarship, and public access.

During his time at the National Gallery, he established a significant cross-disciplinary effort to dramatically improve and unify the public’s access to art, library, and archival collections online. In the process of doing so, Stein and team created and applied first-of-its-kind AI techniques to expand public access to more than 140,000 of the Gallery’s artworks for blind and low-vision visitors.

The Carter has grown significantly over the last 15 years, including a major renovation completed in 2019. Stein will work closely with the Board of Trustees, the Amon G. Carter Foundation, and the Carter leadership team and staff to steward and expand the museum’s collections, advance the study of American Art, and support curatorial and programmatic excellence.

"We are thrilled to welcome Robert Stein as the Carter's next executive director and CEO," said Karen Hixon, President of the Board of Trustees. "Rob pairs deep respect for collections and scholarship with a proven ability to welcome new audiences and build longstanding institutional support. Throughout his career, Rob has demonstrated a consistent commitment to expanding public access, building lasting relationships with stakeholders and communities, and strengthening the institutions he has served, qualities that we are certain will enable him to expertly guide the Carter into the future."

Stein is charged with strengthening the Carter’s national presence and visibility, deepening community engagement and impact, and ensuring its long-term sustainability.

"Rob's collaborative approach, his ability to connect curatorial excellence to public access, and his understanding of what it takes to lead a complex, mission-driven institution make him the ideal leader for the Carter at this moment," said Mark Johnson, vice president of the Board of Trustees. "We are confident he will build on the Museum's remarkable legacy and guide it toward even greater growth and impact for Fort Worth and beyond."

Learn more: Amon Carter Museum of American Art