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Museum of Fine Arts—to create a new museum devoted to Texas art, important pieces of which have languished in storage at leading museums. In June 2020, the board of Fair Park First, the nonprofit corporation that manages Fair Park, voted 12–0 to pass on the MoTA proposal to instead pursue occupancy negotiations with Spark!, a nonprofit that designs creative environments for children. Brettell told the
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McKinney Avenue
Contemporary (MAC). The MAC is a nonprofit arts organization founded by Claude Albritton III, a former DMA board member who had disagreed with Brettell's treatment in the wake of his arrest. In the mid-1990s, as the DMA experienced an extended "exhibition drought," the MAC was viewed by some as a rival of the museum, or even, as
462:, develop a burgeoning reputation as a center for the study of the arts. With his help, the university succeeded in acquiring the Barrett Collection of Swiss Art in 2018 and the Crow Collection of Asian Art in 2019. As of 2021, UT Dallas plans to house both collections in the future UT Dallas Athenaeum, a
207:, where he served as Margaret M. McDermott Distinguished Chair of Art and Aesthetic Studies and inaugural director of the Edith O'Donnell Institute of Art History. During his time at UT Dallas, Brettell spearheaded the university's successful efforts to acquire the Barrett Collection of Swiss Art and the
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In 1998, Brettell accepted a position as
Professor of Aesthetic Studies at the University of Texas at Dallas. The following year he founded the university's Center for the Interdisciplinary Study of Museums. In 2005, he was appointed the Margaret M. McDermott Distinguished Chair of Art and Aesthetic
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Though ousted, Brettell continued to be actively involved with the DMA, consulting on the Hamon wing, which opened in 1993. After leaving the DMA, he found renewed success as a museum consultant, founding president of the Dallas
Architecture Forum, and Vice President in charge of programming for the
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Before his death from prostate cancer in July 2020, Brettell also took up the cause of what he and his collaborators called the "Museum of Texas Art," or MoTA. The MoTA board envisioned a $ 46 million-plus rehabilitation of the old
Science Place building at Fair Park—the home of the original Dallas
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ran a lengthy article on his first two years at the museum with the heading "Art's Bad Boy." Still, despite significant budget constraints and some controversy, Brettell's tenure at the DMA was marked by remarkable expansion: the museum hosted international exhibitions on the arts of Latin
America
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by the French government in 2010. In 2016, Margaret McDermott made a gift to UT Dallas to establish the
Richard Brettell Award in the Arts, a $ 150,000 award to be given every other year to a person "whose body of work demonstrates a lifetime of achievement in their field." In 2017, the first
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In 2014, UT Dallas received a $ 17 million gift from donor Edith O'Donnell to establish an art institute. Brettell was tapped to serve as the institute's founding director. Under his leadership, the Edith O'Donnell
Institute of Art History created a new master's degree program and developed
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see things through." His directorship came to a sudden and scandalous end in 1992, however, when he was arrested as part of a Dallas police sting and pressured by a divided board to resign. The sting and the media's reporting on
Brettell's arrest were criticized by the
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In 1976, Brettell accepted an offer to join the faculty at the
University of Texas at Austin as an assistant professor of the History of Art. He quickly became a student favorite for his engaging lectures and a popular course, "Modern Art and the City of Paris."
211:. Both collections will be housed in the future UT Dallas Athenaeum, a reading room of which is to be named for Brettell. At the time of his death in 2020, Brettell was campaigning for the creation of the "Museum of Texas Art"—or MoTA—at Dallas'
498:. Commentary on his legacy centered on his abilities as a scholar, fundraiser, and institution-builder, highlighting his stature as a "towering figure" who revolutionized the arts in North Texas between the late 1980s and 2020.
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In 1988, Brettell left
Chicago to become McDermott Director of the Dallas Museum of Art. He quickly developed a reputation as an ambitious, blunt, and somewhat rebellious leader—
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that he was "devastated" by the decision, arguing that, "The former DMFA building cries out to be filled with works of art again." Following Brettell's death, a tribute in
269:, however, convinced him to shift his focus to the arts. Brettell would remain at Yale to receive his Bachelor's, Master's, and PhD degrees, completing his dissertation, "
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and Africa, acquired more than 3,000 objects, and began construction on a 140,000 sq. ft addition, the Nancy and Jake Hamon Building. In 1992, Brettell partnered with
466:-designed museum and arts complex described as Brettell's "magnum opus." The university has announced that a reading room in the museum will be named for Brettell.
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and founded and led the French Regional and American Museum Exchange (FRAME). For his work with FRAME, he was made a
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called for honoring his legacy by redoubling efforts to make his "dream of a Museum of Texas Art a reality."
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1198:"Is it time for a Museum of Texas Art? One group says yes, and it has set its sights on Dallas' Fair Park"
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in 1990, "It's possible I'll be here ten years. It's possible I'll be here the rest of my life. I can't
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839:"Statement from the Dallas Museum of Art on the Death of Richard R. Brettell | Dallas Museum of Art"
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Brettell's final years were marked by further writing, organization, and advocacy for the arts in
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Brettell's death in July 2020 was met with various tributes, including a front-page story in the
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527:"Dallas' Rick Brettell, a critic, museum director and UTD rainmaker extraordinaire, dies at 71"
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700:"Dr. Richard Brettell - Endowed Chairs and Professorships - The University of Texas at Dallas"
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1102:"UT Dallas acquires Crow Museum of Asian Art, advancing its place in the region's arts scene"
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Brettell spearheaded UT Dallas' successful effort to acquire the Crow Collection of Asian Art
265:, where at first he planned to study molecular biophysics. His encounter with Yale professor
1078:"The Richard Brettell Award in the Arts Names Peter Walker as First Recipient – Art History"
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Brettell's dissertation examined Pointoise as represented in the artwork of Camille Pissarro
1053:"UTD lands a major arts award, courtesy of 105-year-old philanthropist Margaret McDermott"
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1178:"Support for Brettell Creates a New Era for the Arts - The University of Texas at Dallas"
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560:"Richard Brettell, Impressionism Scholar Who Transformed Texas Art Scene, Has Died at 71"
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In 1980, Brettell left academia to become the Searle Curator of European Painting at the
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1005:"University Mourns Loss of Dr. Richard Brettell, Distinguished Professor, Arts Leader"
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as a "rainmaker extraordinaire" and "the most culturally 'important' man in Dallas."
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458:. He was credited with helping UT Dallas, a university founded on the model of the
1226:"The proposed Museum of Texas Art is thwarted in its attempt to land at Fair Park"
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1251:"Why We Need To Make Rick Brettell's Dream of a Museum of Texas Art a Reality"
641:"Why We Need To Make Rick Brettell's Dream of a Museum of Texas Art a Reality"
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Studies. Brettell also continued working as a curator, and in 2010 organized
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Brettell envisioned a new Museum of Texas Art in Fair Park's Science Place I
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1127:"Barrett Collection Gift Expands Canvas for University's Art Aspirations"
783:"UTD distinguised professor, arts leader, Dr. Richard Brettell, has died"
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Alongside his academic work, Brettell worked as an art critic for the
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587:"Why Rick Brettell was the most culturally 'important' man in Dallas"
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981:"Founding Director of The Edith O'Donnell Institute at UT Dallas"
724:"The Richard R. Brettell Lecture Series | Dallas Museum of Art"
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Brettell moved to Dallas in 1988 to become the Director of the
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put it at the time, "Brettell's popular government-in-exile."
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Brettell remained open to a long future at the DMA, telling
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A Day in the Country, Impressionism and the French Landscape
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recognized for his transformative impact on the arts in
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Brettell Award went to celebrated landscape architect
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Fellows of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
666:"Dallas critic leads call for a Texas Museum of Art"
612:"Campaign Priorities | Transform the Arts on Campus"
178:(January 17, 1949 – July 24, 2020) was an American
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349:The Impressionist and the City: Pissarro's Series
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330:The Impression and the City: Pissarro's Series
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221:For his achievements, Brettell was made a
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897:"TEX. MUSEUM HEAD QUITS AFTER ARREST"
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261:in the 2nd grade. He later attended
929:"CRITICAL EYE The Gallery of Life"
16:American art historian (1949–2020)
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1151:"An Art Collection To Crow About"
320:Director of the DMA and aftermath
1332:Historians from New York (state)
895:O'Connor, Colleen (1992-12-15).
815:"THE ART Museum at a Crossroads"
328:Brettell's 1992 DMA exhibition,
1292:People from Rochester, New York
393:Returning to Academia and FRAME
369:American Civil Liberties Union
176:Richard Robson "Rick" Brettell
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558:Selvin, Claire (2020-07-29).
205:University of Texas at Dallas
150:University of Texas at Austin
138:University of Texas at Dallas
277:," under the supervision of
209:Crow Collection of Asian Art
862:Vogel, Carol (1992-12-18).
284:At Yale, Brettell also met
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781:Staff, FWBP (2020-07-29).
616:newdimensions.utdallas.edu
351:, the first exhibition on
316:by the French government.
314:Ordre des Artes et Lettres
787:Fort Worth Business Press
439:Ordre des Arts et Lettres
231:Ordre des Arts et Lettres
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302:Art Institute of Chicago
241:Early life and education
146:Art Institute of Chicago
1307:American art historians
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1297:Yale University alumni
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424:Museo di Capodimonte
233:and a Fellow of the
201:Dallas Museum of Art
142:Dallas Museum of Art
704:chairs.utdallas.edu
496:Dallas Morning News
480:Dallas Morning News
431:Dallas Morning News
412:Clark Art Institute
255:Rochester, New York
193:Dallas Morning News
102:Academic background
44:Rochester, New York
868:The New York Times
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420:Nanjing University
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353:Camille Pissarro's
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279:Anne Coffin Hanson
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164:Post-Impressionism
123:Anne Coffin Hanson
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53:July 24, 2020
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1259:. Retrieved
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1204:. 2020-01-24
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672:. 2019-04-07
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134:Institutions
1287:2020 deaths
1282:1949 births
1230:Dallas News
1202:Dallas News
1131:News Center
1106:Dallas News
1057:Dallas News
1033:News Center
1009:News Center
953:"BeloWatch"
670:Dallas News
591:Dallas News
564:ARTnews.com
531:Dallas News
456:North Texas
347:to present
62:Nationality
1276:Categories
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848:2021-06-07
824:2021-06-07
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