Dallas Museum of Art

[tamtagon]

I don't think the vaulting comments included in the DMN article overstate the importance of this gift.

Margaret McDermott rocks!

https://www.dallasnews.com/arts/visual- ... museum-art

Works by Monet, Degas, Renoir, Picasso will live at DMA, thanks to 'transformative' McDermott collection

Michael Granberry, Arts Writer

“In one fell swoop, you just became a much more important museum.”

“truly transformative” collection, one that sharply elevates the Dallas museum and the cultural profile of Dallas-Fort Worth “one of the most important collections of impressionist and modern art in the United States .... It gives the area great strengths in impressionist and modern painting,” Lee said. “People interested in that art will come from all over the world to see the collections here. This is a wonderful thing. It is extraordinary.”

“will bring shape and give international importance in a particular way to the DMA’s existing collection of impressionist and modern art.”

As Brettell noted: “The DMA now has four paintings by Monet, and, with the McDermott [collection], it will have seven. ... Its four wonderful major works by Degas will be joined by two masterpieces.”

This museum is climbing the ladder, it's remarkable. 20 years ago I pined for the DMA to come up with a combination of art {like this gift from MMcD with The Kier Collection of Islamic Art}, but would have only been able to hope it would happen. IT HAPPENED, this is a big deal, maybe not in the world, but certainly in the country.

[jrd1964]

Some might think this part of the country could hold one sorta-all right museum... but no. We are much more fortunate--we have several good--well, dare I say *great* museums in the area. And now, even more impressionist pieces in a collection here. IMO, you can't have enough of those! Sincere thanks, Mrs. McDermott. Your wonderful gift just made downtown Dallas--and our little corner of the art world--an even more beautiful place.

[I45Tex]

Speaking of beauty, jrd... hate the game, not the player, I suppose, but will Dallas have ever "arrived" before a discussion like that one actually includes the word beauty? I read the article; I sure noticed profile, impact, importance, check box, check box, extraordinariness, tourism magnet, endowment, blah de blah. The first time in the party it occurred to anyone to remember something like humanity or beauty was in the comments thread, where someone said it about the philanthropist herself. We're so attracted to touting our relevance we forget what would be relevant.

Great art and beauty is more often about giving than getting. A person's taste can be a good and truly laborious, if enjoyable, endeavor for them to develop in themselves, but having a really big cache of great and thoughtful art around hasn't been able to bring tasteful people closer to reality and thoughtfulness so far. Dallas is super hung up on getting.

We almost seem to like art that *doesn't* change our taste in that regard, or threaten our conception of our worth and relevance. That starts to neuter it and us. This's a grief.

[tamtagon]

Speaking of beauty, jrd... hate the game, not the player, I suppose, but will Dallas have ever "arrived" before a discussion like that one actually includes the word beauty? I read the article; I sure noticed profile, impact, importance, check box, check box, extraordinariness, tourism magnet, endowment, blah de blah. The first time in the party it occurred to anyone to remember something like humanity or beauty was in the comments thread, where someone said it about the philanthropist herself. We're so attracted to touting our relevance we forget what would be relevant.

Great art and beauty is more often about giving than getting. A person's taste can be a good and truly laborious, if enjoyable, endeavor for them to develop in themselves, but having a really big cache of great and thoughtful art around hasn't been able to bring tasteful people closer to reality and thoughtfulness so far. Dallas is super hung up on getting.

We almost seem to like art that *doesn't* change our taste in that regard, or threaten our conception of our worth and relevance. That starts to neuter it and us. This's a grief.

I know that's right.

It's part of the Texas Way, selling to everyone else that what we've got is just as good or better as what they've got. Self-conscious because of immensely high standards?

I would be worried or at least concerned about the art scene except for two things, Dallas Contemporary and the Dallas Arts Fair. Both show the evolution of the culture of art appreciation beyond the well hung museums.

[tamtagon]

Another great step for the Dallas Museum of Art.

https://www.dallasnews.com/arts-enterta ... rican-art/

By Dan Singer

10:17 AM on Aug 31, 2019

The Dallas Museum of Art announced this week the appointment of Dr. Mark A. Castro as its first curator of Latin American art.

I keep wondering if the DMA has a gallery expansion plan. The starchitect will cost a bundle and so will engineering the addition of couple more floors, rooftop sculpture garden and library....

Land acquisition around the Latino Cultural Center in Old East Dallas is mandatory at this point.

[cowboyeagle05]

They def seem limited on expansion options without tearing down and totally regearing an entire section of the original building. The Ross side seems like the most easily modified room for change.

[tamtagon]

I'm under the impression the newest section, near the park, was built to accommodate additional floors.

[itsjrd1964]

I'm under the impression the newest section, near the park, was built to accommodate additional floors.

I thought I read that somewhere also. If they can add on enough height, there would be room for a piece of Sanger Harris mosaic...
(yes I know, but let me have my moment and dream... besides, they managed to get "Genesis, the Gift of Life" before it went to rubble like its office building did)

[tamtagon]

https://www.theartnewspaper.com/2021/11 ... ion-report

Caillebotte masterpiece goes to Getty and four artists smash records at Christie’s New York sale of Edwin Cox’s Impressionist trove

The vaunted Impressionist art collection of Texas oilman and philanthropist Edwin Lochridge Cox, who died in Dallas last November aged 99, fetched a massive $332m at Christie’s New York last night.

The total (calculated with fees) for the 23-lot white-glove sale soared beyond pre-sale expectations...

What a shame this collection didn't find a home at the Dallas Museum of Art.

[sterling]

An "Impressionist Trove" sounds like a nice shot in the arm for the DMA. Too bad.

[BigD5349]

Dallas Museum of Art Plans Major Expansion

https://www.dallasnews.com/arts-enterta ... expansion/

[tamtagon]

I've daydreamed about this since the Opera house opened! I would hate to lose the lawn on Ross, and as much as I want more art in Fair Park, building up is the only way to go with this facility.

[BigD5349]

My opinion, FWIW, which I admit isn't much... I'd demolish the whole building and start over. We have an art museum that looks like a mausoleum, walled off on all sides from the city and the usually-dead arts district that it should be a centerpiece for, and also separated from a signature public park.

Like all streets descending up and down from KWP, we just have a 500 to 800 feet of blank walls and parking garages - when KWP was supposed to link Uptown and Downtown. It's not the fault of the original planners of the DMA, but the direct proximity of KWP and the need to enliven the arts district demands a completely different approach.

I'll keep an open mind, but I'm not sure how expanding what is there will solve these problems. Building on top sounds like another situation where Dallas elevates something that could be interesting to keep the hoi polloi at the street level away.

[cowboyeagle05]

Umm since Art should not be exposed to natural light so you have to be careful about opening up the building too much. Keeping in mind when it was designed Downtown was a massive crime and homeless encampment back when the vision for the Dallas Arts District was imagined. I am sure there are examples in the world that do have more open like designs but many museums like Department stores or Vegas casinos are not full of actual windows or too many access points. Museums instead focus on being giant sculptures in their urban landscapes sometimes breaking out of the cities traditional urban format with parks surrounding them or collecting old buildings into massive mall like structures of galleries and atriums. I welcome anyone to provide examples of Museums buildings that they would like to see here in Dallas so we can set expectations around what usually is done in the Architecture for Art.

[OrangeMike]

Just came across this and found it interesting. Ties into the DMN story and comments above in this thread.

https://competitions.malcolmreading.com ... useumofart

[I45Tex]

Thanks Mike
Here's another link about it: "Dallas Museum of Art launches design competition for campus expansion project"

https://www.archpaper.com/2023/02/dalla ... n-project/

[tamtagon]

Sweet

[IcedCowboyCoffee]

Thanks Mike
Here's another link about it: "Dallas Museum of Art launches design competition for campus expansion project"

https://www.archpaper.com/2023/02/dalla ... n-project/

‘This will be a fascinating architectural challenge for the competition finalists. The campus needs to have a strong presence and be an inviting space. But also, be less complex internally, easy to navigate and use,” Reading added.

"Fascinating architectural challenge" for sure.. Given how peculiarly this building is shaped and laid out, that's a pair of goals very difficult to achieve with renovations rather than a complete tear down and rebuild. I'm super interested to see how this turns out. There is certainly lots of room for expansion, and certainly every entrance to this building could be significantly improved.

But there is a massive risk of turning it into a frankenstein building whose new elements are not copacetic with the old. And even the most picture-perfect proposal renderings can't totally account for how a renovation will look when it finally materializes. The more a building is a singular artistic vision, the greater the risk is of any modification causing the structure to get lost in the visual noise. More often than not it inevitably feels exactly like what it is: two different voices trying to reconcile each other. Fascinating challenge for sure.

[I45Tex]

If I were to get to enter, I honestly think I would split the existing superblock building between the DMA and a sidecar institution and then simplify their two circulations completely separately, one as part of a vertical DMA vision.