Dallas Museum of Art

barbara
barbara
First Reviewer
5 out of 5
Avg. Member Rating
4
Reviews
14
Photos
Editor Pick

Dallas Museum of Art

  • January 30, 2007
  • Rated 5 of 5 by zabelle from Portland, Connecticut
Dallas Museum of Art

The Dallas Museum of Art developed from a modest beginning in the Public Library. A dedicated group of citizens set about making the space an attractive, well-lit area. Once they had the space they began procuring additional art to display. The first two works were My Gondolier’s Kitchen by Herbert Faulkner and September Moonrise by Childe Hassam. These led to other donations and acquisitions, and in 1903 The Dallas Art Association was formed. In 1909 the DAA donated their collection to the City of Dallas.

In 1984 the museum moved downtown and since has expanded and supplemented the original building as need and funds have allowed. Major donations have given them a fabulous decorative art’s collection. Today the museum has more than 23,000 pieces of art from ancient to modern.

We began our visit by having lunch at the Atrium Café. Even the Café is a work of art. The large windows are covered in colorful glass flowers. There is a headphone tour that you may request at the check-in desk.

We fell in love with this museum. We began in the American section and they have done a wonderful job of integrating the art and the decorative arts. I was absolutely floored to find a late 18th century portrait that had a view of the town hall in my hometown, Middletown Ct. in the background. I have never seen a picture of the town hall from that period before and I am not quite sure if anyone knows that there is one. I was mesmerized by it.

Photography without flash is allowed in the museum so as you can imagine I had a ball. You need to look at your map of the museum because some of the Impressionist Art is a little hard to find. It is shown in room settings and you need to find the rooms. There is something extra special about seeing the art in the rooms as it would have been displayed.

There is an excellent silver collection. The Gorham dressing table and stool are like nothing else you have ever seen. Created for the Paris exposition it is breathtaking and just the tip of the iceberg.

Expect to see art work by John Singleton Copley, Frederick Church, John Singer Sargent, Georgia O"Keefe, Jackson Pollock, Pablo Picasso, Piet Modrian, Henri Matisse, and much more.

For us however, the standout was the Wendy and Emery Reeves Collection. Consisting of more than 1,400 pieces, it was donation to the Museum in 1984. The Museum opened a 16,500 floor wing to house the collection. It will knock your socks off. The rooms recreate the Villa of La Pausa where the Reeves entertained among others Winston Churchill and Greta Garbo. This will help explain the small room of Churchill art works and memorabilia. Add to this, works by Van Gogh, Renoir, Degas, Sisley and Monet among others and you will get a small idea of the magnificence that awaits you.

From journal Doing The Big D

Editor Pick

Dallas Museum of Art

  • October 11, 2003
  • Rated 4 of 5 by nilgun from , Virginia, Turkey
Dallas Museum of Art

Dallas Museum of Art was different from the other art museums I had been to. Its pre-Columbian collections were both art and archaeological artifacts. Dallas Museum of Art seemed to have many doors. We entered the museum from its back entrance. We inquired about the restaurants in the museum. We learned that there were two places to eat: Eighteen Eighteen Restaurant and the Atrium Cafe. The Atrium Cafe was near the front entrance. It had nice decorations, colorful chairs, and colorful modern art on the windows. We chose our lunch from the foods of the day. I chose Chicken Quesadilla ($7.50), and my husband chose Chicken Parmesan Sandwich ($7.50). My food was very delicious, while my husband's was banal. We drank sparkling water with our lunch.

We started our tour at Level 4, Arts of the Americas. The exhibit of arts of the Americas was one of my favorites. Two of the temporary exhibits were on Mayan textiles: "On the Way to Chichicastenango: Maya Textiles from Guatemala" and "Maya Textiles from Guatemala: Highlights of the Nasher Collection at the Dallas Museum of Art." We were taken by the beauty of the woven textiles. The exhibits on the pre-Columbus era were not only art pieces, but also historical artifacts. Aztecs, Incas, and the Sican (from Peru) produced astonishingly beautiful decorative pieces made from silver, gold, and other materials.

Other memorable exhibitions for me were Asia, Pacific, and Africa. The pieces from Asia were quite diverse. Some belonged to Gandharan Buddhist art of the 2nd to 4th centuries A.D., some to the Mughal Empire in India from the 15th to 19th centuries A.D., some from China, some from Japan, and some from the Near East (Arabia, Persia, a few Ottoman pieces). The African collection, we learned, focused on the sub-Saharan regions. (However, the temperature of the rooms housing these exhibits, especially ones that have wood pieces, was quite cold for me. Take a jacket.) The exhibits on Ancient Mediterranean included Greek, Roman, Etruscan, and Egyptian pieces. The piece called "Orpheus taming wild animals" was an Eastern Roman Empire piece and was taken from Gaziantep, Turkey. Although I enjoy watching ancient artifacts, I have a suspicion that this piece might have been an unauthorized piece.

The Dallas Museum of Art also had exhibits on European Painting and Sculpture, American Painting and Sculpture, Contemporary Art, and Design and Decorative Arts. The admission is free for students with ID, $6 for adults, and $4 for senior citizens and children over 11. On the first Tuesday of each month, and Thursday evenings from 5 to 9pm, the admission is free for all. There are free guided tours of the museum on Saturdays and Sundays at 2pm.

From journal Dallas: Searching for J.R.

Editor Pick

Dallas Museum of Art

  • June 23, 2003
  • Rated 5 of 5 by smileygirl from Cleburne, Texas
INTRODUCTION:
Dallas Museum of Art is an exclusive place that displays matchless collection of artwork who genuinely recognizes the true definition of the word Art. Here, you will find many "collections" that will satisfy your heart’s desire. Welcome . . .

THE COLLECTIONS:

  • Ancient Mediterranean
  • Asia
  • Pacific
  • European Painting and Sculpture
  • Africa
  • American Painting and Sculpture
  • Americas
  • Contemporary Art and Design
  • Decorative Arts
  • SOME OF THE FASCINATING EXHIBITS:

  • Church’s "The Icebergs"
  • Oldenberg’s "Stake Hitch"
  • Monet
  • Sargent
  • Matisse
  • Sculptures of Roden and Henry Moore
  • And Many, Many More
  • HOURS AND ADMISSION:

    HOURS:

  • Closed on Mondays, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and New Year's Day
  • Tuesday-Sunday- 11am-5pm
  • Thursday- 11am-9pm


  • ADMISSION:

  • Adults: $6
  • Children: 12 years and older and Senior Citizens: $4
  • Members, Children with school ID, Children under 12 years: FREE
  • First Tuesday of each month and every Thursday evening from 5 to 9pm: FREE
  • FOR YOUR CONVENIENCE:
    If you’re in the mood to do a little shopping, don’t forget to take advantage of their Museum Store. They are open the same operating hours as the museum. If you prefer, you can shop at their store online.

    For more information on the Dallas Museum of Art, please visit their website.

    OUR CONCLUSION:
    I can’t even begin to tell you how fascinated we were with the Dallas Museum of Art. It is an art lover’s dream comes true!! What impressed us the most was the many "collections" they had on display. We could have stayed here for hours and still not have seen all of their artifacts. We highly recommend the Dallas Museum of Art for people who truly appreciate the true exquisiteness of art.

    Please note: Enclosed pictures are from Dallas Museum of Art's website.

    From journal Dallas' Charismatic Personality

    Editor Pick

    Dallas Museum of Art

    • December 5, 2000
    • Rated 4 of 5 by barbara from Atlanta, Georgia
    The Dallas Museum of Art is HUGE! It has an extensive modern art collection. Though I personally am not a great modern art lover, this section was fun to walk through. Our son had a hard time understanding why he couldn't touch the pool table which was one of the pieces displayed! Apart from the modern art, however, the Dallas Museum of Art has extensive collections from every time period. There is also an interesting sculpture garden to walk through outside, though it was cold the day we visited, and we only spent a short time looking at those displays. Our son really enjoyed the kids' section of the museum. Apparently every Saturday in the afternoons, kids are treated to a "drop-in" art project. Children who come to the museum are allowed to do a different project for free. As we visited in December, we were able to paint a Christmas cookie with different colors of icing and then top it off with all kinds of different colored sprinkles. There are tons of hands-on activities in the kids' room, such as making rubbings of native Texas animals, available. There is also a movie room that often shows films of merit for children. The Grinch who Stole Christmas (the original movie) had just finished playing when we visited the museum. When kids' films aren't being shown, educational films about art that are more appealing to adults can be found. We had a lovely afternoon in this museum.

    **We did not have time to visit the Kimball Museum of Art, but we were told this is a fine art museum as well.

    From journal A Family Experience in Dallas

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