Until a new director for the Tarble Arts Center has been chosen and has accepted the position, it will be filled in an interim capacity by Glenn Hild, who is currently the interim dean of the College of Arts and Humanities.

Michael Watts, who was the director of Tarble for the past 29 year, retired in May 2014 but stayed part-time to give Hild the time to do a national search.

Watts’ official last day as part-time director was Tuesday.

Blair Lord, the provost and vice president for academic affairs, is to make the final decision on a new director for the museum.

Hild said a decision has not yet been made.

Because Hild is the supervisor of the Tarble director, he will take on the duties of that position until it can be filled.

“Often times, when a department chair at the university is vacant, that position’s immediate supervisor, or immediate supervisor’s designee, will serve in an ‘interim’ capacity until the new hire starts,” he said.

The finalists include Peter Van Ael, from Northern Illinois University; Rehema Barber, from the University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana; Sherry Maurer, previously from Black Hawk College; and Michael Schuetz, the assistant director of Tarble.

All four candidates visited campus for open community interviews in February.

Stephanie White can be reached at 581-2812 or at sewhite2@eiu.edu.