Crow Museum of Asian Art facts for kids
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| Established | 1998 |
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| Location | Dallas, Texas |
| Type | Asian art |
| Collection size | Over 4,000 pieces |
| Public transit access |  M-Line: Olive & Ross |
The Crow Museum of Asian Art is a cool museum in downtown Dallas, Texas. It's all about celebrating the amazing art and cultures from different parts of Asia. You can see art from countries like China, Japan, India, Korea, and many more! The museum opened on December 5, 1998. It was a special gift to the people of Dallas from Mr. and Mrs. Trammell Crow. The museum is part of the Dallas Arts District.
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Discovering Asian Art
Trammell and Margaret Crow started collecting Asian art in the 1960s. They loved to travel all over the world, but Asia was one of their favorite places. As they traveled, they added many beautiful pieces from countries like China, Japan, and India. Their collection grew to include amazing artworks from as far back as 3500 B.C. all the way to the early 1900s.
The Crows wanted to keep their collection together. They hoped it would be a special gift for their children, grandchildren, and everyone else to enjoy. Before the museum, the art was displayed in different office buildings, hotels, and even in their homes. Mrs. Crow said they didn't realize how big their collection was until they gathered it all!
The Crow family has gathered more than 4,000 pieces of Asian art. Experts carefully chose 569 of the best pieces for the museum. The building where the museum is located was specially designed to show off these ancient artworks. Trammell S. Crow, a son of the family, helps lead the museum today.
In 2018, the Crow Museum got a big makeover and expanded its space. It now has more room for art and special programs. The museum also changed its name to the Crow Museum of Asian Art. This new name shows how much the museum has grown and how many people support it.
The museum also started something called the Center for Contemplative Leadership. This program helps people learn about mindfulness and compassion. They offer classes and workshops to help you become more aware and kind to yourself and others. In 2019, it was announced that the University of Texas at Dallas would take over the museum. They even plan to open a second museum location on the UT-Dallas campus in Richardson!
Exploring the Collection
Most of the art in the Crow Museum was bought from private art dealers and auctions. Some pieces also came from other important collections, like the Morrie A. Moss collection.
The Crow Museum of Asian Art has three main galleries:
- Gallery I: This gallery is on the first floor. It usually shows Japanese art, but sometimes it hosts special traveling exhibitions. You can also find the Lotus Shop and a peaceful garden nearby.
- Gallery II: This gallery is on the second floor. It's where you'll find Chinese art, including a famous collection of jade pieces. Many of these jade items are from the 1700s, when Chinese jade carving was at its best. You can also see many small Qing Dynasty snuff bottles here.
- The Skybridge: This is a cool glass walkway that connects Gallery II and Gallery III. From here, you can see the Nasher Sculpture Center and the Trammell Crow Center. You can also look down at The Seated Daoist Deity fountain.
- Gallery III: This gallery is the main place for art from Southeast Asia and India. It features a very heavy Mugal wall, which hangs from the ceiling! You'll also see two Indian gazebos, called "baradari." These were used in Indian palace gardens for relaxing and meditating. One of them was even at the Crow family farm for many years before coming to the museum!
Museum Gallery
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Tang Dynasty Horse, China, 8th century
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China, Qing dynasty, Kangxi period, 1672 Ink and pigment on silk
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China, Qing dynasty, 18th century Glass
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West India, Rajasthan, Mughal period, 18th century Sandstone
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Cambodia, pre-Angkor period, 7th century Sandstone
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The skybridge connecting Gallery II to Gallery III.
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Japan, Edo period, Kano-school style, 1850 Pair of six-fold screens; ink, pigment, silver and gold leaf on paper; wood, silk, and lacquer
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China, Qing dynasty, Qianlong period, 1762 Nephrite and gilding
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The Jade Room, on the second floor of the Crow museum.
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Sweepers sculpture by Wang Shugang in the outdoor sculpture garden.
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Styled With Poise: Figures in Japanese Paintings and Prints exhibit
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Sculpting Nature: Jade from the Collection exhibit
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Past Exhibitions
The Crow Museum has hosted many interesting exhibitions over the years:
- Touching the Mekong: A Southeast Asian Sojourn (2006) showed black-and-white photos of daily life in Southeast Asia. These pictures were taken by Andrea Baldeck in 2001 and 2002. They showed cultures and people from Vietnam, Myanmar, Cambodia, and Laos.
- The Spinnaker Collection of Chinese Snuff Bottles (2007) featured beautiful snuff bottles from China's Qing Dynasty (1644–1912). These were made for emperors and important people.
- Changing Identity: Recent Works by Women Artists from Vietnam (2007) introduced art by ten modern Vietnamese women. Their art challenged old ideas about women in Vietnamese society. It was the first show of its kind to travel in the United States.
- Texas Collects Asia (2008) was a series of shows celebrating the museum's tenth birthday. It featured Japanese, Indian, Southeast Asian, Chinese, and modern Asian art collected in Texas.
- Untamed Beauty: Tigers in Japanese Art (2009) displayed how tigers were shown in art by 21 famous Japanese painters.
- Yeohlee: Design For Now (2009) was a big show in Dallas about fashion designer Yeohlee. It showed her clothing designs and ideas from 2004–2009.
- Modern Twist: Bamboo Works from the Clark Center and the Art of Motoko Maio (2010) looked at how tradition and new ideas meet in art. It featured bamboo baskets and screen art.
- New Vision: Ballpoint Drawings by Il Lee (2010) explored the art of Korean-American artist Il Lee. He created amazing drawings using only a ballpoint pen.
Images for kids
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The Trammell Crow Center tower.
