First Saturdays at the Dallas Arts District
The Dallas Arts District offers an incredible range of art and what’s better than enjoying it all for free?
Cover photo: Three Piece No. 3: Vertebrae, bronze, by Henry Moore, 1968, Nasher Sculpture Center, Dallas, Texas (2016).
View of the Dallas Museum of Art from Flora Street, Dallas, Texas (2016).
The Dallas Arts District has a lot to offer! There are three incredible museums with a gorgeous collection of art between them, as well as an action-packed park! Visitors and locals alike must check out the Dallas Arts District.
The Crow Museum is always free (donations are welcomed) and so is the permanent collection of the Dallas Museum of Art. The Nasher Sculpture Center offers free admission on the first Saturday of every month which makes it a perfect day to visit the Dallas Arts District!
Parking can be tricky and expensive ($15 at the DMA) so I recommend using DART, Dallas’ public transportation system.
The Hashimoto Index I and II, woodblock prints, Jacob Hashimoto, 2017-2018, Crow Museum, Dallas, Texas (2019).
The Crow Museum
The Crow Collection, recently renamed Crow Museum, features a beautiful selection of Asian art. The Crow opened in 1998 and is the only museum in Texas dedicated to the art of Asia. The Museum is currently undergoing expansion but remains open to the public.
At the moment, the Crow is featuring a wonderful collection of vases and lacquer-ware. Works by Colorado-born Jacob Hashimoto are also on view, including his site-specific Clouds and Chaos installation, which was assembled with the help of local UNT students. The bamboo and paper kites are magical in the way they hang above the sandstone Mughal Façade of a Residence, reminiscent of a suspended sea of clouds.
The Nasher Sculpture Center
The Nasher is a Renzo Piano designed space dedicated to the exhibition of modern and contemporary sculpture. The Nasher opened in 2003 and is a world-class institution that regularly hosts temporary exhibits while maintaining a formidable permanent collection including Rodin, Hepworth, and Calder. The Nasher recently awarded German assemblage artist Iza Genzken the prestigious Nasher Prize laureate.
The Nasher Sculpture Center is free the first Saturday of every month. The center is currently in between exhibits and highlights from the permanent collection are now on view. I always enjoy the garden, which is occasionally used for movie screenings and concerts.
Klyde Warren Park
After enjoying the Crow and Nasher, I like to walk around the vibrant Klyde Warren Park. I usually stop by my favorite vendor, Steel City Pops, for an all-natural popsicle!
The 5-acre space opened in 2012, and has led the way in the modern urban greening movement. The park is a feat of engineering, designed to sit over the Woodall Rodgers Freeway, in an act of urban reclamation.
The park is constantly abuzz with activity. There’s a playground for kids, a dog park, game carts, and even a full service restaurant. The park is also lined with an assortment of foodtrucks.
There are events scheduled for every single day of the year! Yoga is especially popular and there’s many festivals too! A few years ago, I came with my parents to a Polish Heritage Festival and, more recently, for a Hindu celebration called the Festival of Joy.
Ave, painted steel, by Mark Di Suvero, 1973, Dallas Museum of Art, Dallas, Texas (2016).
The Dallas Museum of Art
The Dallas Museum of Art was established in 1903, and moved to its current location in the 80s. The DMA is among the 10 largest museums in the United States with a massive international collection of over 24,000 works! The DMA has African, American, Asian, European, Latin American, and Pacific art… It is simply impossible to see everything in one day. Luckily, admission to the permanent collection is always free!
The DMA has a particularly strong collection of American art. One of my favorite’s is the enormous Hart Window by Seattle artist Dale Chihuly who learned glass-blowing on the island of Murano in Venice. At the time of installation, in 1995, the forms were the largest pieces Chihuly had created. The shapes are reminiscent of flowers and the colors are especially beautiful on a sunny day.
Paper Clip, oil and acrylic on canvas, by James Rosenquist, Dallas Museum of Art, Dallas, Texas (1973).
Another favorite of mine is James Rosenquist’s Paper Clip. Any Dallas local will immediately recognize the Mobil Oil Company pegasus as the “flying red horse” has become the unofficial logo of the city. Here we see a paper clip and wallet with the rotated words “THIS IS LOVE IN 1971”, an apparent comment on capitalism and the American dream. Rosenquist began his career as a billboard painter and he skewered advertising in his pop art. In the same atrium, visitors will notice Rauchenberg’s Skyway including U.S. President John F. Kennedy who was assassinated in Dallas.
There’s truly too much to see. It’s impossible for me to include everything but I’ll definitely make a “must see at the DMA” post in the near future.
Genesis, the Gift of Life, ceramic mosaic, by Miguel Covarrubias, 1954, Dallas Museum of Art, Dallas, Texas (2018).
Bonus - SEESAWS ENDING SOON
Go! Go! Go!
I’m definitely going this Saturday and if you’re in the area (and you don’t already have plans) you should go too! See you there!