Charles Lane Venable (born ) is an American art curator and museum director. Early in his career, he published multiple articles and books on American art history, including on the history of silverware and furniture. Starting in 1986, Venable was a curator at the Dallas Museum of Art, before moving to the Cleveland Museum of Art in 2002, and the Speed Art Museum in 2007, where he served as the director. In 2012, Venable became the director of the Indianapolis Museum of Art, which was renamed to "Newfields" under a rebranding effort he initiated. Venable served as the head of the museum until 2021, when he stepped down from the role amidst calls for his removal. Early life and education Charles Lane Venable was born in Houston, Texas in 1960, where he was also raised. He attended Rice University where he studied art history and history, graduating in 1982. Venable then graduated from the University of Delaware's Winterthur Program in Early American Culture masters degree program in 1986. He completed the doctoral program in American Studies at Boston University in 1993, with a focus on the history of the American silverware industry. Career Early curatorial roles and directorship (1986-2011) Venable was hired by the Dallas Museum of Art in 1986 as its first curator of decorative arts. His book, Silver in America was published during this time and was followed by Venable’s first major exhibition by the same title, which opened in Dallas in November 1994. Venable worked at the Dallas Museum of Art for 16 years, during which time he became the museum's deputy director. Venable was hired in 2002 by the Cleveland Museum of Art (CMA) as the deputy director for collections and programs, overseeing the development of exhibitions, publications, and art acquisitions. His work also included the expansion and building renovation done by architect Rafael Viñoly. Venable left the Cleveland Museum of Art in 2007 to become the director of the Speed Art Museum in Louisville, Kentucky, starting on October 29, 2007. His work there included overseeing a quality assessment of the institution’s collection that led to a major refinement of its holdings, as well as renovated building space designed by Kulapat Yantrasast. Time at the Indianapolis Museum of Art (2012-2021) In 2012, Venable became the director of the Indianapolis Museum of Art (IMA), replacing Maxwell L. Anderson who left the museum in late 2011. In April