On April 1, 2011, Andrew J. Walker stepped into the role of executive director, at the Amon Carter Museum of American Art, succeeding the retirement of Dr. Ron Tyler. Walker — who was working at the Saint Louis Art Museum at the time — packed up his bags and moved to Panther City.

Over 14 years later, Walker announced his resignation this week. His last day is Sunday, Aug. 31. The museum's COO Scott Wilcox will act as interim director while the national search for Walker's successor begins.

To commemorate 14 successful years as director of one of Fort Worth's most notable museums, let’s highlight three ways the museum wouldn’t be the same without him:

Walker stepped into the role of Director in 2011. | Photo by Amon Carter Museum of American Art

He started as a research consultant

Before he was appointed as director in 2011, Walker served as a research consultant for the Amon Carter in the 1990s. He assisted in research on the famous painters Thomas Eakins and William M. Harnett — whose works are still on view today.

He added the website

In 2019, following a major expansion, Walker launched the museum's website, allowing patrons who can't physically visit to view the collections online. Today, we still have its online galleries, events calendar, and the gift shop all at our fingertips.

He oversaw "Cowboy"

Last year, one of the museum's most talked-about exhibits reexamined popular myths surrounding the concept of the cowboy. The museum secretly closed the exhibit, only to reopen it two weeks later with a "Mature Content" warning.

Want to get involved at the Amon Carter? Check out the Modern Painting Adult Workshop on Saturday, Oct. 25.