Nasher Garden

On Sunday we went to the Dallas Art Museum (DAM) and the adjoining Nasher Sculpture Garden.  Of the four museums visited this trip, the Nasher was my least favorite.  It is opulent in its appointments and the fact that it offers such a large, beautiful garden in the middle of downtown Dallas.  The DAM on the other hand is a tremendous institution.  Designed by Edward Larrabee Barnes (one of his most recognized projects – he died in 2004 and this year he was awarded the AIA’s Gold Achievement Award) the museum is large, beautifully constructed; a tremendous showcase for a tremendous collection.  I cannot compare the LACMA’s collection size with that of the DAM – but the DAM has it all over LACMA in the quality of the viewer’s experience.  My curious observation of the Dallas/Fort Worth art scene is that - there isn’t any.  There are virtually no galleries or any other local venues that normally would be supported by such a prestigious museum presence.   There seem to be under a dozen very rich art patrons who have built these museums and endowed their collections.  The museums are a present from the very rich to show that this region is cultured, in-the-know, and very, very rich.  Two or three days in this metroplex is a very rewarding art museum experience.