The first thing you will see upon arrival at the Dallas Museum of Art is Mark di Suvero’s Ave, a striking bright red steel structure which sets the tone for the rest of the exhibits. The museum houses more than 20,000 pieces from a range of periods and artists over four floors.
The ground floor is where you’ll find post-1945 contemporary art from renowned artists such as Anish Kapoor, Jackson Pollock and Francis Bacon. One level up and you’ll travel back several centuries to find the oldest pieces in the museum – art from Ancient Greece and Rome. There is also some more modern European art and sculpture.
African art can be found on the second floor, with most of the exhibits dating from the 16th to 20th centuries. Also on this floor you can find the Reves Collection. This selection of art includes works by some of the biggest names in European art, such as Paul Cezanne, Edgar Degas, Claude Monet and Vincent Van Gogh. The collection gets its name from Hungarian writer Emery Reves, whose French villa originally housed the art. The top floor contains three centuries of North American art.
Families will love the C3 area, where kids get to learn about art interactively. Activities are organised for different age groups, from building blocks and picture books for the under-4s, to hands-on introductions to creating your own art for older kids of all ages!
The Museum aims to make art as accessible as possible, and runs Gallery Talk, a free 45-minute presentation every Wednesday at 12:15 pm. This tour starts at the Visitor Services Desk and explores a different gallery every week. If you’re in town on the third Friday of the month, visit Late Nights, as the museum stays open until midnight.
The museum is open every day except Mondays and some national holidays. Entry is free and there is an on-site café. Come prepared to do plenty of walking around this extensive site.
