Gary Tinterow will replace the late Peter Marzio at the MFAH: Photo by Nick de la Torre

The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston has named internationally-recognized curator and scholar Gary Tinterow as its new director. Tinterow, 58, will take the reins of Houston’s largest cultural institution early next year.

The seventh director in the history of the 111-year old museum, he succeeds the late visionary Peter Marzio, who died Dec. 9, 2010. During nearly 30 years, Marzio developed the MFAH into one of the nation’s most respected — and richest — museums. Its endowment is valued at more than $1 billion.

It’s a critical point in the history of the museum, which is preparing to construct a third exhibition building.

Tinterow had a distinguished 29-year tenure at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art, where he has been chairman of the department of 19th-century, modern and contemporary art since 2008. He brings impeccable credentials to the job, both as an art-history scholar and an innovator with a passion for contemporary art.

In addition to acquiring dozens of significant works for the Metropolitan’s collection, curating some of the most successful shows in that museum’s history, collaborating on national and international projects, spearheading two major gallery renovations and the Met’s coming expansion to the Whitney Museum of American Art’s landmark Marcel Breuer building, he also commissioned hugely popular site-specific projects from such artists as Cai Guo-Quiang, Frank Stella, Jeff Koons, and Mike + Doug Starn.

Tinterow’s engagement of contemporary artists has helped transform the Metropolitan’s image and made its Roof Garden one of New York’s top destinations.

“We’ve got a good selection to lead the museum for the foreseeable future,” said Richard D. Kinder, chair of the search committee and the museum’s long-range-planning committee. “His background is perfect for an encyclopedic museum like ours. He’s got almost as many curators working for him at the Met has the MFAH has.”

Tinterow’s mandates, Kinder said, include continuing Marzio’s successful programs but also developing the museum even further — in part by making it more encyclopedic.

“We want to expand our reach and the number of shows we organize from our collection and curators,” Kinder said. The board also wants to continue “the tremendous outreach Peter Marzio created; the idea that the museum is a place for all,” he added. Key to that vision is the planned construction adjacent to the Lillie and Hugh Roy Cullen Sculpture Garden, which will make the MFAH one of the largest art museums in the U.S.

“If we are successful with the new building, it will complete the campus. There are no guarantees, but if everything works out it’s probably a five-year project,” Kinder said.

For Tinterow, the job brings both new challenges and a homecoming. He graduated from Bellaire High School in 1972 before graduating magna cum laude from Brandeis University in 1976 and receiving his graduate degree from the Department of Fine Arts at Harvard University in 1983. He also holds a diploma from the Center for Curatorial Leadership at Columbia University Business School.

In an exclusive interview with the Chronicle Thursday, Tinterow had a ready answer for the question, “After New York, why Houston?”

“It’s not anything that I hesitated about for a second,” he said. “New York has tremendous resources, and the Met is the greatest museum in the world. But Houston has infinite opportunity.”

New York isn’t just physically crowded, Tinterow suggested. With so many large institutions programming simultaneously, it also fosters competition for what he calls “mental space.”

“I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had an idea and started exploring it only to realize that one of my colleagues is also doing that. And they’re going to do it before I can,” he said. “Houston has space. It has physical space and it has mental space. Anything one does here is going to matter for this community in a way that’s often more important than what I’ve done for my community there.”

Tinterow knew Marzio professionally and senses he’s filling big shoes. “It’s not building foundations. It’s a great temple. I want to embellish the temple and just do more and better. Just to keep up with this amazing program and level of quality is going to be a big job. And if one can improve on that, great.”

“Peter left a wonderful legacy,” Kinder said. “There’s no way we can replicate it; he was a once-in-a-lifetime character. But each director brings something unique.” Kinder said the board reached out to about 120 candidates, did a detailed analysis of about 20 and interviewed seven in-depth before narrowing the field to two.

“Gary just made a tremendous impression on all of us.”