An Exhibit 2,000 Years in the Making

On the Silk Road at the Crow Collection of Asian Art explores history of globaltrade

Peacock blue fish vase with ormolu mount. Qing dynasty, Jiaqing reign(1796–1820). Gilt bronze mounts in Louis XV style, 19th century. Porcelain,overglaze enamel or enamel-on-biscuit decoration.
Hound with collar and bell. Qing dynasty, Qianlong reign, about 1750–1775.Porcelain, overglaze enamel decoration and gilding.
Dragon jar and cover. Song–Yuan dynasty, 13th century, Longquan kilns.Stoneware, celadon glaze.

Although the Trammell & Margaret Crow Collection of Asian Art opened almost 14 years ago, it still remains a bit of a hidden treasure within the Dallas Arts District. For anyone who works downtown, this little museum on the first floor of the Trammell Crow Building can be a respite from a hectic workday. One of only a few museums in the United States to focus solely on Asian art, it not only houses the extensive collection of the Crow family, but it hosts numerous exhibits from other museums and collections.

Its latest exhibit, On the Silk Road and the High Seas: Chinese Ceramics, Culture and Commerce — showing now through January 27, 2013 — is on loan from the Norton Museum of Art in West Palm Beach, Florida. Through the 60 or so objects on display, On the Silk Road examines why Chinese ceramics were such prized commodities in trade, dating as far back as 2,000 years. Stimulated by foreign trade and changing domestic markets, Chinese potters continually reinvented their craft through shape and technique.

Most of the exhibit, which fills part of two floors, focuses on ceramics; some horseheads on display date back to Biblical times, while the majority of the pieces come from the 1700s and 1800s. If some of the pieces seem out of place from your expected Chinese art, that's because influences ran in both directions along the so-called Silk Road. A peacock blue fish vase created in China was adorned with an ornate bronze mount by its new owners in France. A ceramic hound has features not usually befitting a dog, because the artist made it based on oral descriptions from Europeans, not from a firsthand visual reference.

On the Silk Road is the latest example of how the Crow Collection searches far and wide to expose Dallas to the best in Asian art. Unlike other Crow exhibitions, its stay in Dallas is relatively short — making it a bit of a prized commodity too.

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Season Announcement

Kitchen Dog Theater unleashes immersive 2025 season in new Dallas space

Kitchen Dog Theater presents Safe at Home

Photo by Jordan Fraker

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Seven years after announcing it had purchased a building in the Design District, Kitchen Dog Theater is finally ready to move into its new home.

The third and final production of its 2025 season — the theater company's 34th — will take place all around the new "Doghouse." The other two productions will follow the immersive format at non-traditional performance spaces that was established last season.

With three fully produced events that each run the gambit from captivating and gutsy to heartfelt and hilarious, the monthly New Works Festival Staged Readings Series returns, as does the 23rd annual PUP Fest, nurturing high school talent from all over DFW.

First up is the area premiere of Will Eno's Wakey, Wakey, directed by KDT's artistic director Tina Parker and starring KDT co-artistic director Christopher Carlos.

"Is it now? I thought I had more time." These first words in Will Eno's play are spoken by Guy, a man who knows, like all of us on some level, that he is about to die. The play questions why we are here and the journeys that everyone takes to eventually get to the same place. Performances will take place at Expo Park, 840 Exposition Avenue, and run February 7-23, 2025.

Production No. 2 is full of mystery: The title and performance location will be announced soon and run in March/April 2025.

The Happiness Gymby Ken Weitzman closes out the season in August 2025 (exact dates TBA).

This regional premiere is a joyous, experiential event based on the science of well-being. Participants take part in a curated theatrical experience meant to boost their sense of happiness, joy, and feelings of connection. This one-of-a-kind project will be the soft opening to Kitchen Dog’s new theater and will take place all over the entire facility, giving patrons unparalleled access to KDT’s new home.

From March to July 2025, the 26th annual 2025 New Works Festival will showcase four-to-five staged readings of the newest and most exciting local and regional playwrights working in contemporary theater today. Each reading will feature some of DFW's most accomplished actors and directors and will take place at different venues across DFW.

For its 23rd annual event, PUP Fest will feature six staged readings of jury-selected plays written by DFW high school students, featuring student actors directed by area professional directors. PUP Fest is the culminating event of Dallas Playwriting Arts Collective (D-PAC), a partnership with Dallas ISD and Junior Players. Performance location is TBA, but the event will happen June 7, 2025.

For more information, visit kitchendogtheater.org or call 214-953-1055.

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