Bonnie Pitman, outgoing director of the Dallas Museum of Art
First the unexpected death in December of Peter Marzio, the veteran director of the Houston Museum of Fine Arts.
Now the unexpected announcement by the Dallas Museum of Art that Bonnie Pitman will step down from its directorship next month “for health reasons.” Scott Cantrell of the Dallas Morning News reports that Pitman “is being treated for a protracted respiratory infection.”
Pitman succeeded the DMA’s longtime director John Lane almost three years ago. She had been deputy director since 2000.
According to the museum’s press release:
Pitman will continue to work with the museum and its board of trustees on special projects through April 2012, and will help with the search and transition to the new director.
Olivier Meslay, senior curator of European and American art, will become interim director.
Down in Houston, the search for a new director continues. Rebecca Cohen of the Texas Tribune on Saturday made it sound as if Marzio is regarded there as nearly irreplaceable. Houston’s interim director is Gwendolyn Goffe, who was the museum’s associate director for finance and administration.
The annual meeting of the American Association of Museums in Houston, May 22-25, will be dedicated to Marzio’s memory.