With a Record of Expanding Museum Audiences and Access, Stein Returns to North Texas to Lead the Carter’s Next Chapter

Fort Worth, Texas, September 9, 2026—The Amon Carter Museum of American Art (the Carter) today announced the appointment of Robert Stein as its next Executive Director and CEO. Stein brings nearly two decades of experience as a museum executive and global thought leader to the Carter, where he will shape the Museum’s next chapter by continuing its commitment to groundbreaking exhibitions, innovative programming, new scholarship, and deepened community engagement. Currently serving as Chief Information Officer at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., Stein will join the Carter on November 9, 2026.

Stein’s appointment positions the Carter to build upon the institution’s significant growth over the last 15 years. As Executive Director and CEO, he will strengthen the Carter’s national presence and visibility, deepen community engagement and impact, and ensure its long-term sustainability. He will also 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 brings experience as Deputy Director at three major encyclopedic art museums, including at the Dallas Museum of Art (DMA) from 2012 to 2016, where he oversaw conservation, digital experience, education, libraries, finance, marketing, human resources, IT, security, and visitor services. He has also held Deputy Director positions at the Milwaukee Art Museum (2021-2023) and the Indianapolis Museum of Art (2006-2012).

While in Dallas and Indianapolis, Stein led initiatives to move 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 a sustained growth in attendance of more than 50% in just two years and a similar growth in the participation of diverse new audiences.

Stein is internationally known as an innovator in technology for the cultural heritage sector and its application to the advancement of scholarship, the experience of the public, and the health of arts institutions. In his current role at the National Gallery of Art, which he has held since 2023, Stein leads enterprise technology strategy and modernization along with pioneering 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-discipline 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.

"I am honored to join the Carter and lead the Museum into its next chapter,” said Robert Stein. “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."

"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."

About the Amon Carter Museum of American Art

Located in the heart of Fort Worth’s Cultural District, the Amon Carter Museum of American Art (the Carter) is a dynamic cultural resource that provides unique access and insight into the history and future of American creativity through its expansive exhibitions and programming. The Carter’s preeminent collection includes masterworks by legendary American artists such as Ruth Asawa, Alexander Calder, Frederic Church, Stuart Davis, Robert Duncanson, Thomas Eakins, Georgia O’Keeffe, Jacob Lawrence, Frederic Remington, Charles M. Russell, and John Singer Sargent, as well as one of the country’s foremost repositories of American photography. In addition to its innovative exhibition program and engagement with artists working today, the Museum’s premier primary research collection and leading conservation program make it a must-see destination for art lovers and scholars of all ages nationwide. Admission is always free. To learn more about the Carter, visit cartermuseum.org.