North Texas Art Museum Overview
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The current show at the Dallas Museum of Art, Bluebonnets and Beyond: Julian Onderdonk-American Impressionist, which runs from March 23-July 20, 2008 is the perfect antidote to all the really awful bluebonnet paintings that have piled up in dens around Texas throughout the 20th C. |
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Dallas Museums | |||
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Dallas Museum of Art1717 N. Harwood, Dallas, TX 214-922-1200 Hours: Tu-Su 11a-5p. Th open 'til 9p www.dallasmuseumofart.org Located on the north side of downtown Dallas in a wonderful barrel vaulted building designed by Edward Larabee Barnes, the Dallas Museum of Art has a collection of over 23,000 works. The Contemporary collection is a particular strength as well as a large collection of African Art, Pre-Columbian Art and Decorative Arts. The Reves Collection, which is housed in a fully furnished replica of the Villa La Pausa, the French Riviera home of Wendy and Emory Reves, includes some incredible impressionist paintings and drawings, a large papier maché grouping and even a few paintings by Winston Churchill. |
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Meadows Museum5900 Bishop, Dallas, TX (SMU Campus) 214-768-2516 Hours: Tu-Sa 10a-5p. Th open until 8p. Su Noon-5p www.meadowsmuseumdallas.org Located on the campus of Southern Methodist University (SMU), the Meadows Museum has one of the largest collections of Spanish art outside of Spain, with works from the 10-20th century. It includes masterpieces by El Greco, Velázquez, Ribera, Murillo, Goya, Miŕo and Picasso. In addition, the collection also includes select sculptural pieces by such modern and contemporary masters as Rodin, Smith and Oldenburg. |
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Nasher Sculpture Center2001 Flora Street, Dallas, TX (across from DMA) 214-242-5100 Hours: Tu-Su 11a-5p. Th open 'til 9p www.nashersculpturecenter.org If it’s a beautiful day and you want to spend it in an inspiring outdoor space, a visit to the Nasher Sculpture Center is a must! Located just next door to the Dallas Museum of Art, the Nasher opened in 2003 to showcase modern and contemporary sculptural works, from small to monumental. Raymond and Patsy Nasher began collecting sculpture in the 1950’s for display at their home and at the various commercial real estate developments. From the beginning, their collection included both the biggest established names of contemporary sculpture and major works by younger artists. The garden includes works by Picasso, Moore, Abakanowicz, Hepworth, Borofsky and many others, all in a gorgeous setting designed by Peter Walker. Even when the weather is uncooperative, the Renzo Piano designed building is the perfect space for enjoying one of the largest and best collections of 20th C. sculpture in the nation. |
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| Fort Worth Museums | ||||
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Amon Carter Museum3501 Camp Bowie Ave., Fort Worth, TX 817-738-1933 Hours: Tu-Sa 10a-5p. Th open 'til 9p. Su Noon-5 www.cartermuseum.org The Amon Carter opened to the public in 1961. The building designed by Philip Johnson houses a superb collection of American art. In addition to a large collection of Remington and Russell paintings and sculpture, major works by Thomas Moran, Albert Bierstadt, Winslow Homer, William Harnett, Thomas Eakins and many other 18-19th C. pioneers of American art are included. The Amon Carter also has an impressive collection of American photography. The building was just recently updated and expanded. It now can accommodate the showing of some 700 pieces of the best American art at any given time. |
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Kimbell Art Museum3333 Camp Bowie Ave., Fort Worth, TX 817-654-1034 Hours: Tu-Th, Sa 10a-5p. Fr Noon-8p. Su Noon-5 www.kimbellart.org The Kimbell is located in Fort Worth’s wonderful cultural district between the Modern and the Amon Carter. Surrounded by several acres of landscaped grounds, the park-like setting offers a perfect complement for the building designed by Louis I. Kahn, with its repeated concrete vaults sheathed in travertine. Since its opening in 1972, much has been written about Kahn’s use of natural light in his innovative building. Almost as much has been written about the Kimbell’s generous endowment, which has made it possible for it to assemble one of the best collections of Old Master paintings in the region. From its inception, the focus of the museum’s collection has been on acquiring the highest quality works in an area, rather than assembling a broader based, more historically complete collection. The museum’s permanent collection is less than 400 of the highest quality works. They range in age from antiquity to the 20th C. Over the years, the Kimbell has also been known for hosting many block-buster traveling exhibits. |
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Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth3200 Darnel Street, Fort Worth, TX 817-738-9215 Hours: Tu-Sa 10a-5p. Fr open 'til 8p. Su 11a-5p www.themodern.org Located within a short walking distance from both the Kimbell and the Amon Carter, the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, known locally as just “the Modern,” is the newest addition to the cultural district. The Modern opened in 2006 in a building designed by Japanese architect Tadao Ando that features five long, flat-roofed pavilions surrounded by a 1.5 acre reflecting pond. The focus of the collection is post WWII art in all media. In addition to the permanent collection of more than 2,600 pieces, the Modern is active in hosting large traveling exhibits. The Café Modern overlooks the reflecting pond and serves a fabulous lunch menu. It has been recognized in Gourmet Magazine as one of “America’s Best Restaurants.” |
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Sid Richardson Museum309 Main Street., Fort Worth, TX 817-332-6654 Hours: Mo-Th 9a-5p. Sa 9a-8p. Su Noon-5p www.sidrmuseum.org Legendary Texas oilman Sid Richardson amassed a good collection of paintings and works on paper by Charles Marion Russell and Frederic Remington during his lifetime. These include some of the best action scenes by these artists. The Sid Richardson Museum is located on Main St., in Sundance Square. The Tarrant County Courthouse and plenty of great restaurants are just a short walk from its door. Seeing this small, high quality grouping of western art is a highlight of a trip to downtown Fort Worth. |
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