Dallas Arts District Changes
New name and more space on the horizon for Dallas art museum
The Crow Collection of Asian Art in the Dallas Arts District will undergo a series of changes in 2018, including a multimillion-dollar expansion and a name change to the Crow Museum of Asian Art.
The expansion will broaden the museum's footprint along the southwest corner of Harwood and Flora Streets. It will include a new gallery, a "reimagined" Lotus Shop, an interactive “street-side” art studio, and Center for Contemplative Leadership. Oglesby Greene Architects of Dallas, which handled earlier renovations of the museum, is also in charge of this expansion.
Amy Lewis Hofland, executive director of the Crow Collection of Asian Art, says that the changes to the museum will also include plans for it to become financially independent from its founding family. The Crow family has provided millions of dollars in support since its opening in 1998. Hofland says the museum will work toward replacing the Crows' contribution over the next 10 years, with $2 million having been raised in the past two years.
The construction, which has already begun, is scheduled to be finished in October 2018. At that point, the museum will officially change its name to the Crow Museum of Asian Art, a name officials say reflects both the breadth of the collection and programming and the museum’s widespread community support.
The new gallery will be downstairs, and will connect with the existing upper galleries via a new wood-and-glass staircase and new elevator. The new Pearl Art Studio, which will be across Olive Street on the north side of the Belo Pavilion, will be a street-level space featuring workshops, classes, and art-making opportunities for families, corporate teams, individuals, school groups, and artists.
During the construction phase, Gallery I and the Samurai Gallery on the Lower Level will remain open.
