After 20 years of distinguished work, Richard Andrews, director of the Henry Art Gallery, has resigned.

During his tenure, he transformed the gallery, creating a legacy that will endure as long as the gallery itself, Andrews' colleagues said.

"His departure is a sad loss for all of us here at the gallery," said Ethelyn Abellanosa, Henry Art Gallery administrator.

Andrews, who will be leaving in February, said nothing specific is pulling him away from his work at the UW. In fact, he has not even begun to consider what his next endeavor might be.

"The hardest thing to do when you are working is to stop working and just be open," Andrews said. "Twenty years is a long time to be doing something; it is time for reflection."

In addition to it being a natural progression for himself, Andrews said his departure will also be a good step for the gallery.

"It's not healthy for any institution to be under the leadership of a single person for too long," he said. "New, fresh ideas and new methods of carrying them out are vital to the success of an organization."

Under the leadership of Andrews, the Henry underwent massive renovations and expansions completed in 1997. The original brick building was about 10,000 square feet, but the gallery now encompasses four times this square footage. The expansion was designed to complement the original architecture by Carl Gould, who also designed the Suzzallo Library, and allow for future growth if necessary.

However, the transformation at the Henry was not limited to the building. Andrews used his experience as the director for the visual-arts programs at the National Endowment for the Arts in Washington, D.C. to expand the Henry's endowment from less than $400,000 to $10 million. This increase has allowed for a growth in size and scope of programs at the gallery, not to mention a significant enlargement of the permanent collection.

The Henry is now the only gallery of its size connected to an educational institution in the entire region.

"It really is an art museum of national, not just local, significance," Andrews said.

Throughout the last two decades, the Henry has featured a number of groundbreaking exhibits, some of which were the direct result of Andrews' influence. Among the most memorable was the display of Russian Constructivism co-curated by the director.

The Constructivists' art was symbolic of the Russian Revolution. Their work was outlawed when Stalin came to power and continued to exist largely in legend and memory alone.

During the late 1980s and early 1990s Andrews and a team from the Henry visited then-communist Russia a number of times to find existing works by the constructivists. They traveled throughout the Soviet Union contacting descendants of the artists and found enough pieces to an exhibit. When it opened in 1990, it was groundbreaking on an international level. The western world was being exposed to art of the Russian Revolution for the first time while, simultaneously, Russians were being introduced to the western world.

During his time at the Henry, Andrews said his intent was "to help artists achieve what they couldn't otherwise."

After he moves on early next year, Andrews said he hopes to continue doing the same.

Reach contributing writer Jeremiah Rygus at news@thedaily.washington.edu.