Since its founding in 1903, the DMA (as locals call it) has grown to become one of the top 10 largest museums in the country, with a permanent collection of over 24,000 works culled from around the globe and spanning over 5,000 years of history. Works by boldface Western names like Renoir, van Gogh, Warhol, Rothko, O’Keeffe, and Wyeth lead to extensive collections dedicated to art and antiquities from Africa, Asia, and South America; in between, limited-run exhibits might focus on Native American works, Asian textiles, or emerging contemporary artists. In addition to hosting popular events that engage the whole family, the museum is also committed to supporting Texas artists via foundations and special programs, and offers a searchable Texas artists database to help spotlight these native sons and daughters. Dine on casual, gluten-free Mediterranean fare at the plaza-side Socca, or head to the ever-popular DMA Cafe—set in a striking atrium—for globally flavored dishes inspired by works in the permanent collection.
Front
Dallas Museum of Art
Flash Parker
The Dallas Museum of Art
Paul Lowry/Flickr
More Recommendations
Courage in the Face of Art
I was impressed with the Dallas Museum of Art, and the Dallas art scene as a whole. I didn’t expect the city to be the spreading ground of creativity that it is. The DMA is one of the largest and most comprehensive art collections in the country. Admission is free, so there’s no reason you shouldn’t become antiquated with every exhibit at some point. I was particularly fond of the Ancient American Art section, though these ancient guardians from the Asian were rather impressive - and intimidating. I want one.
After-Hours Fun in the Arts District
On the third Friday of each month, something magical happens at the DMA: art-lovers are welcome to stay and stroll well past its usual closing time. Special programming, ranging from lectures to musical and dance performances reign, as the museum stays open until midnight. It’s a perfect date night.
The Heart of the Dallas Arts District
The Dallas Museum of Art (or DMA as locals call it) resides in Downtown Dallas in the Arts District. Throughout the museum, you will see exhibits representing every corner of the globe, including African Art, European Painting and Sculpture and Contemporary Art. The DMA also has a lovely café near the north entrance to the museum that provides a nice place to take a break in between exhibits. General Admission to the museum is free.
Heavy Hitter
The Dallas Museum of Art is one of the world’s greatest art institutions. Enlarged and relocated in the early 1980s to the city’s Arts District, the $54 million building, designed by Edward Larrabee Barnes, houses more than 24,000 pieces of art from the ancient to the modern. One of the museum’s most remarkable exhibits is the Wendy and Emery Reves collection with Impressionist, Post-Impressionist, and Early Modern works housed in a reproduction of the Reves home in France, the Villa La Pausa, which was originally built for and owned by Coco Chanel. Furnishings from the house put this fantastic collection of art in context—you can see it as the owners originally displayed it “at home,” while at the same time as imagining what it would have been like to live in chez Chanel.
