That's what it plans. Details from Strategic Government Insider:
The Dallas Museum of Art (DMA) has launched a two-stage global competition to find architect-led multidisciplinary design teams to lead the $150 million – $175 million expansion and redesign project. The goal is to enable the Texas institution to set the standard for 21st-century museums.
leadership envisions additions that would yield flexible gallery spaces, a reorganization of the DMA’s circulation and entrances and a “holistic reapportioning of internal space.” They would like to add an auditorium, event spaces, staff facilities, dining and retail spaces.
The first stage of the competition will involve a presentation. Competitors will be required to show their overall approach and experience. At a minimum, teams must include a lead design architect, landscape architect, exhibition designer and engineers.
Five teams will be selected in the spring to move into the second phase. They will engage with the museum and prepare concept designs that will be displayed at a public exhibition during the summer. Each finalist will receive a $50,000 honorarium for their concepts along with up to $10,000 for expenses.
Funding for this project is set to launch late this year. The deadline to enter the competition is March 15.
Interesting.
More in a Dallas Morning News story.
==
Linked within it, a 2022 News piece discusses the first DMA mentions of expansion plans, and whether the footprint would expand vertically, horizontally, or a bit of both — or launch a separate "satellite" campus at its original home in Fair Park — as well as calls for it to be better about reaching out to minority communities.
That piece also discusses other issues that have grown in volume in the 21st century. Foremost is where major donors to any museum have gotten their money from. Military contracting and fossil fuels extraction are just two of the prickly areas.
Related? Some of the "Fast Forward" art donors have sold some of the items that were in their original bequests to the DMA. Maybe it doesn't need to expand as much as it claims.
Speaking of that, Mark Lamster also notes that the DMA has a small endowment compared to Houston. Interestingly, he doesn't look over to Cowtown and ask about the Kimbell (surely larger) or the Amon Carter. (A Yelp reviewer of the Kimbell says it has the nation's second largest art museum endowment after the Getty. If so, no wonder that other than King Tut tours, most the "A list" traveling art shows go to the Kimbell, not the DMA, when they hit the Metromess.)
As for space? There's also the option, as at a place like Indianapolis, of cleaning house. Art museums in San Antonio or Austin might be buyers. Or, in a smaller place like Waco, getting Baylor's art museum to expand. Or Denton, right up the road, where the Patterson has room to expand and could be beefed up. If stuff weren't sold to it, items could be sent there on a rotational basis.
Personally, I think they could get rid of a fair amount of their "Americana" stuff, especially the furniture. And, the side room with the one founding donor family's "heritage" material or whatever could also be gotten rid of, or if that's not legally possible, put in storage or something.
Within classic dead white males European art, most of it is not close to A-list. Get rid of it.
The DMA does beat the Kimbell on New World art, both North American pottery, and the occasional rug, and South American goldwork. Getting rid of a fair amount of other stuff might let them play that up more, as well as their sub-Saharan African collection. Also, they beat the Kimbell on Greco-Roman antiquities. So, consolidate and get rid of as much shit as you can that you're not obligated to keep because of current endowment strings. Then, build on your strengths. In addition to the above, you have a lot of Muslim art rotating in from Keir Collection stuff. Build on that. Get more in the way of modern American Indian items. More sub-Saharan African. Etc., etc.
No comments:
Post a Comment