Tamara Wootton Forsyth Now the Museum’s First
Marcus-Rose Family Deputy Director
DALLAS, TX, September 28, 2018 – Dr. Agustín Arteaga, The Eugene McDermott Director of the Dallas Museum of Art (DMA), announced today the endowment of the Museum’s Deputy Director position. With an extraordinary new $3 million gift from Catherine Marcus and Will Rose, Tamara Wootton Forsyth is now the DMA’s first Marcus-Rose Family Deputy Director. Longtime patrons of the Museum, Catherine Marcus Rose currently serves as President of the DMA’s Board of Trustees and Will Rose serves on the DMA’s Investment Committee.
“Strong leadership is critical to the vigor and growth of our city’s Museum. We are thrilled to support the Museum’s endowment and this crucial leadership position,” said Catherine Marcus and Will Rose. “We are especially delighted to support Tamara Wootton Forsyth in this role. She is a wonderful complement to Agustín Arteaga, The Eugene McDermott Director, and we know she will continue to distinguish the DMA with her dedication to virtually every aspect of the Museum.”
“We are enormously grateful to the Marcus-Rose family for their visionary and long-standing commitment to the DMA, and for their recognition and support of this integral role in the Museum,” said Dr. Agustín Arteaga, the DMA’s Eugene McDermott Director. “This endowment is incredibly significant as we shape and carry out exciting plans for the DMA in both the near- and long-term.”
Among the DMA’s most dedicated and generous donors, Catherine Marcus and Will Rose have supported education, exhibition, and acquisition initiatives across the institution for more than 20 years, with a demonstrated passion for elevating the Museum’s role as a cultural and educational resource for the entire city. Catherine and Will were married in the Museum in 1994. Marcus Rose joined the Board of Trustees in 2003 and has served as President since 2015. Notably, she co-chaired the Museum’s Campaign for a New Century, which raised over $185 million.
In February Wootton Forsyth was promoted to the position of Deputy Director. In her near two-decade tenure at the DMA, she was central to the realization of many of the DMA’s most exciting and innovative achievements, including the construction and subsequent renovation of the Eagle Family Plaza, which expanded the DMA’s community and outdoor spaces, and, in 2013, the creation of the Museum’s signature Paintings Conservation Studio, part of the Museum’s initiative to establish a more comprehensive in-house conservation program. In addition, she oversaw the care of the Museum’s extensive collection, comprising more than 24,000 works, including paintings, sculptures, works on paper, and installations, and the execution of the Museum’s ambitious exhibition and publication program.
As the DMA proceeds with its new strategic plan, Wootton Forsyth is collaborating with Arteaga and the DMA’s senior staff to strengthen the Museum’s position both as an international leader in scholarly
research, interpretation, and stewardship of its renowned collection and as a pioneer in public engagement. She also partners with Arteaga to build a culture of innovation, collaboration, and experimentation at the DMA.
Well known in the Dallas philanthropic community, Catherine Marcus and Will Rose are also passionate supporters of education. Catherine currently serves as Board Chair of Teach for America Dallas-Fort Worth’s Advisory Board. She is a past Board Chair of the Lamplighter School. Will is immediate past chair of Greenhill School.
About the Dallas Museum of Art
Established in 1903, the Dallas Museum of Art (DMA) is among the 10 largest art museums in the country and is distinguished by its commitment to research, innovation, and public engagement. At the heart of the Museum and its programs is its global collection, which encompasses more than 24,000 works and spans 5,000 years of history, representing a full range of world cultures. Located in the nation’s largest arts district, the Museum acts as a catalyst for community creativity, engaging people of all ages and backgrounds with a diverse spectrum of programming, from exhibitions and lectures to concerts, literary events, and dramatic and dance presentations. Since the Museum’s return to free general admission in 2013, the DMA has welcomed more than 4 million visitors. For more information, visit DMA.org.
The Dallas Museum of Art is supported, in part, by the generosity of DMA Members and donors, the citizens of Dallas through the City of Dallas Office of Cultural Affairs, and the Texas Commission on the Arts.
###
For more information, please contact:
Jill Bernstein
214-922-1802
JBernstein@DMA.org