Nasher Sculpture Center facts for kids
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| Established | 2003 |
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| Location | 2001 Flora St, Dallas, Texas |
| Type | Art Museum |
| Architect | Renzo Piano, Peter Walker |
| Public transit access |  M-Line: Olive & Flora, St Paul & Woodall Rodgers |
The Nasher Sculpture Center is a special museum in Dallas, Texas. It opened in 2003 and is home to an amazing collection of modern and contemporary sculptures. These artworks were collected by Patsy and Raymond Nasher. The museum is located in the Dallas Arts District, right next to the Dallas Museum of Art. It sits on a large area of land, about 2.4 acres.
Contents
How the Nasher Sculpture Center Started
Patsy and Raymond Nasher started collecting sculptures in the 1950s. They gathered a huge collection of amazing artworks. These included pieces by famous artists like Constantin Brâncuși, Alexander Calder, Alberto Giacometti, Henri Matisse, Henry Moore, and Pablo Picasso.
In 1997, Raymond Nasher bought land in downtown Dallas. He hired a famous architect named Renzo Piano to design the Nasher Sculpture Center. The Nasher Foundation paid the entire $70 million cost to build the museum. It has both indoor and outdoor areas for art.
The Sculpture Center opened in 2003. It often changes the artworks on display from the Nasher Collection. By building the museum on old farmland, Raymond Nasher helped start the Dallas Arts District. This area now also includes the Winspear Opera House and the Wyly Theater.
Museum Design and Outdoor Garden
Renzo Piano, who won a big award called the Pritzker Prize in 1998, designed the museum building. It is about 55,000 square feet in size. Piano is known for designing many great art museums around the world. These include the Beyeler Museum in Switzerland and the Pompidou Centre in Paris. He is praised for combining art, building design, and engineering.
Piano worked with landscape architect Peter Walker to design the outdoor garden. The garden is about 2 acres. Walker is famous for his work in landscape architecture. His projects range from small gardens to large city spaces.
The building was constructed by The Beck Group. The museum has two levels. The ground floor holds four galleries, offices, and a meeting room. The garden slopes down to an auditorium, creating an outdoor theater.
What You Can Experience at the Nasher
The Nasher Sculpture Center often features different exhibitions. These shows include artworks from the Nasher Collection and special guest exhibitions. They are displayed in both the indoor and outdoor galleries.
The museum also hosts monthly events for visitors.
- Target First Saturdays are for children and families.
- Til Midnight offers outdoor dining, evening walks, bands, and movies.
- The NasherSalon series brings in important speakers. They talk about art, architecture, and other interesting cultural topics.
The Nasher Sculpture Center also joins other museums in the Dallas Arts District for special block parties.
Speaker Series: Artists and Experts
The museum hosts a speaker series called "360 Speaker Series: Artists, Critics, Curators." This series brings in artists, art critics, and museum experts to share their ideas. Past speakers have included famous artists like Giuseppe Penone, Phyllida Barlow, and Antony Gormley. These talks help visitors learn more about art and the creative process.
Special Art Exhibitions
The Nasher Sculpture Center regularly presents exciting art exhibitions. These shows feature works by many different artists. Here are some examples of past exhibitions:
- Lynda Benglis (2022)
- Harry Bertoia: Sculpting Mid-Century Modern Life (2022)
- Carol Bove: Collage Sculptures (2021)
- Betye Saar: Call and Response (2021)
- Elmgreen & Dragset: Sculptures (2019)
- Sterling Ruby: Sculpture (2019)
- Tom Sachs: Tea Ceremony (2017)
- Richard Serra: Prints (2017)
- Tony Cragg: Seeing Things (2011)
- Alexander Calder and Contemporary Art: Form, Balance, Joy (2010)
- Jaume Plensa: Genus and Species (2010)
- Matisse: Painter as Sculptor (2007)
Nasher XChange: Art in the City
To celebrate its 10th anniversary, the Nasher Sculpture Center held "Nasher XChange." This event took place from October 2013 to February 2014. It focused on public art, which means art displayed in public spaces. These artworks were placed around Dallas to connect with the city's people and culture. The project was supported by grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Texas Commission on the Arts.
The Nasher Prize
The Nasher Prize was created in 2015. It is a special award given to a living artist who has shown great skill in contemporary sculpture. It celebrates artists who are pushing the boundaries of what sculpture can be.
Here are some of the artists who have won the Nasher Prize:
- 2016 – Doris Salcedo: An artist from Colombia who turns everyday objects into artworks about loss and memory.
- 2017 – Pierre Huyghe: An artist who uses many different materials and ideas, including music, film, biology, and even animals, in his sculptures.
- 2018 – Theaster Gates: An artist from Chicago whose work explores memory, history, and places.
- 2019 – Isa Genzken: A German artist who constantly reinvents sculpture using ideas from popular culture and history.
- 2020–2021 – Michael Rakowitz: An Iraqi-American artist whose work explores his identity and the complex history between the US and the Middle East.
- 2022 – Nairy Baghramian: An Iranian-born German artist who challenges how sculpture is made and shown, often with humor.
- 2023 – Senga Nengudi: An artist known for works that explore the body and combine sculpture with performance.
Important People at the Nasher
The Director
- Jeremy Strick has been the Director of the Nasher Sculpture Center since 2009. He is in charge of the museum's collections, exhibitions, and daily operations.
Curators
- Jed Morse is the Chief Curator.
- Catherine Craft and Leigh Arnold are also Curators.
Curators are like art detectives. They research, organize, and care for the artworks. They also plan the exhibitions you see at the museum.
The Nasher Family's Role
Nancy A. Nasher and David J. Haemisegger are important members of the museum's Board of Directors. Nancy is the daughter of Raymond D. Nasher, who founded the museum. She worked closely with her father to create the Sculpture Center. David is currently the President of the Nasher Sculpture Center. They both help guide the museum and its mission.
See also
In Spanish: Centro de Escultura Nasher para niños
- List of buildings and structures in Dallas, Texas
