PITTSBURGH, PA.- Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh announced today that Richard Armstrong, The Henry J. Heinz II Director of Carnegie Museum of Art, will retire from the museum at the end of the year. Armstrong came to Carnegie Museum of Art in 1992 to organize the 1995 Carnegie International as curator of contemporary art. He became chief curator in 1995 and was appointed director in 1996.

"My 16 years in Pittsburgh have been endlessly satisfying," said Armstrong. "Carnegie Museum of Art is a great treasure, and in the hands of an exceptional staff, Board, and volunteer groups. Its future is bright, and I leave with real gratitude."

"Richard will be leaving an indelible mark on Carnegie Museum of Art and Pittsburgh when he ends his career here later this year," said David Hillenbrand, President & CEO of Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh. "From his great stewardship of the museum's galleries and its collections, to the host of amazing curatorial talents he has brought to the museum, Richard's leadership has built a stronger museum—one that is respected throughout this community for its great contributions to the Pittsburgh region's cultural and educational landscape."

During Armstrong's 12 years of leadership, Carnegie Museum of Art has made significant physical improvements. Renovations to the museum's Heinz Galleries and the expansion of its Heinz Architectural Center galleries allowed the museum's curators to present larger, more ambitious exhibitions—among them, Aluminum by Design; Light! The Industrial Age, 1750-1900; Fierce Friends, Artists and Animals, and the 1995, 1999, 2004, and 2008 Carnegie Internationals—each of which engaged broad audiences and garnered acclaim for the museum. In 2003, the museum completed the renovations of its Scaife Galleries, home to most of its permanent collections.

Armstrong has also been instrumental in building the museum's extensive collections. Multiple acquisitions from Carnegie International exhibitions have bolstered the museum's contemporary holdings—following the dictum of museum founder Andrew Carnegie to build a collection of the "old masters of tomorrow." Further, in 2003, the museum acquired the Charles "Teenie" Harris Archive, a collection of more than 80,000 negatives by Teenie Harris, who photographed life in Pittsburgh's African American community from the 1930s through the 1970s. The archive is considered one of the most important documentations of African American life in the 20th century. Additionally, Armstrong initiated the museum's first joint acquisition of a work of art, Rachel Whiteread's monumental Untitled (Domestic), with the Albright-Knox Art Gallery. Dozens of other landmark works in various media from the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries were acquired through purchase and gift.

Under his guidance, the museum has raised significant support for endowment, including a generous gift from the Fine Foundation in support of the Carnegie International exhibitions, a sizeable gift from the Alan G. and Jane A. Lehman Foundation to establish a named curatorship in decorative arts and support for the purchase of paintings and sculptures made prior to 1970 and decorative art for the collection, and the Jill and Peter Kraus Endowment for Contemporary Art.

"Richard's tenure at Carnegie Museum of Art will be known as the years of increased financial stability, strong growth with the education programs, renowned exhibitions, erudite art acquisitions, and the recruitment and oversight of a preeminent curatorial staff," said William E. Hunt, the museum's Board chairman. "These numerous achievements are directly correlated to Richard's wonderful ability to work with everyone, from staff to board members to his peers in the industry, in an extremely professional and personal manner. Richard elevated the stature of the Carnegie Museum of Art, not only in Pittsburgh, but within the art world."

Prior to joining Carnegie Museum of Art, Armstrong worked at the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York. He worked previously as a curator at La Jolla Museum of Contemporary Art, California. Born and educated in Kansas City, Missouri, Armstrong studied at the University de Dijon and the Sorbonne in Paris, receiving his B.A. in Art History from Lake Forest College, Illinois.

Established in 1895 by Andrew Carnegie, Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh is a collection of four distinctive museums: Carnegie Museum of Art, Carnegie Museum of Natural History, Carnegie Science Center, and The Andy Warhol Museum. In 2007, the museums reached 1.4 million people through exhibitions, educational programs, outreach activities, and special events.