Only 38 minutes after the public opening of the Crow Museum of Asian Art’s second home, located at the University of Texas at Dallas (UT Dallas), several UT Dallas students wandered around the galleries, murmuring the same reaction.
“Wow!”
This second location for the museum is part of the Phase I building and anchor museum that will be known as the UT Dallas Art Museums. It is the first part of the University of Texas at Dallas’ 12-acre cultural district, the Edith and Peter O’Donnell Jr. Athenaeum, to open to the public. As Phase I opened, UT Dallas launched Phase II of the project, breaking ground on a performance hall and music hall. That project is slated to open fall 2026. The Athenaeum will also eventually include a grand plaza, another museum building and a dedicated parking garage.
The museum opening is the culmination of years of collaboration between the Crow Museum of Asian Art and UT Dallas. The two-story, 57,000 square-foot allows the museum to display more of its permanent collection. The opening exhibition is Ancient Echoes, Modern Voices: The Crow Collection Goes Beyond, featuring the museum’s impressive collection of jade, ceramic works, and textiles. A multimedia gallery debuts Kinmakers: Hidden Songs in Our Mother’s Dreams, a polyphonic exploration of spiritual and world-building rituals…