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Amon carter director,
resigns after 15 yearsJan Muhlert leaves
behind strong legacy
By Janet Kutner
Art Crific of The Dallas Morning News
Jan Muhlert, director of the
Amon Carter Museum for 15
years, resigned Friday for per-
sonal reasons.
The move, which is effective im-
mediately, came during a regularly
scheduled meeting of trustees. She
said that she has no plans at the
moment, other than to "take some
time for my family and myself - to
stand back and take stock.
"I really have so much reading
and writing that has stacked up,
and there's some travel we've been
wanting to do out West," she said.
Board president Ruth Carter Ste-
venson praised Ms. Muhlert's con-
tributions to the museum.
"Looking back for 15 years, she's
just done a fabulous job here, and
we're really proud of her," Ms. Ste-
venson said. "But we're very sym-
pathetic to her commentsfthat after
30 years in the business, she's hav-
ing burnout. ... It's her decision,
and nothing's changing in terms of
our friendship."
The board named Rick L. Stew-
art, the museum's senior curator,
as acting director. He said he ex-
pects the board to name a search
committee soon.
"I've known Jan for 20 years,
and she's an absolutely wonderful
person and a really good scholar,"
said Dr. Stewart, who first met her
when he was curator at the Dallas
Museum of Art.
"I was pleased when she hired
me to come to the Amon Carter
because she's a very easy person to
work with, and she's done a lot for
the museum here. She has many,
many accomplishments to her
credit," he said.
Ms. Muhlert was the second di-
rector in the Amon Carter's 34-year
history. She assumed the post in
1980 after the death of founding
director Mitchell Wilder.
The permanent collection grew
dramatically during her tenure,
and major acquisitions included
Thomas Cole's Garden of Eden and
William Merritt Chase's Idle Hours.
She also oversaw the effort toLjdher th
JAN MUHLERT: The former drectfi
will take some time to be with family.
keep Thomas Eakins' famous Ahe
Swimming Hole in Fort Woyi,
which involved a public campaign
to help purchase it from the t4gd-
em Art Museum of Fort Worth.^"
The photography collection Io,
grew significantly, with the ajdi-
tion of the estates of Eliot Porter,
Laura Gilpin and Karl Struss. pd
she was instrumental in organizing
a number of important exhibitips,
including "Winslow Homer WtAgr-
colors," "Charles Willson Pealenid
His World" and "An American Sm-
pier: Folk Art from the Shelburte
Museum." -i
"I'm very sad to hear the news,"
said Modern Art Museum director
Marla Price. "I hope it doesn't mean
we lose her in the community. :
"She's been a great colleague for
me," Dr. Price said. "I came into
this job with no experience ,as a
director, and she was extreme ly
helpful to me."
"My 15 years with the Atnon .
Carter Museum have been both-tx-;
citing and rewarding, and I f6el
privileged to have played a sigitlfi-
cant part in the museum's coming
of age," Ms. Muhlert said. "The mu-
seum is now poised to meet pew
challenge and change. Certainly,
change is the word of the mid-'90s,
and therefore this is an opportune
time for me to make a change.
"I've been in the museum Po-
fession for 30 years, and I assure
you that Chris, my husband be-
lieves that a sabbatical is long oTer-
dueC
)
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Kutner, Janet. [Amon Carter director resigns after 15 years], article, 1995; (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc1213593/m1/1/: accessed July 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Special Collections.