Release: Immediate
Contact: Esther Wu | 214-271-4484
Photos: available upon request
The Trammell & Margaret Crow Collection of Asian Art is celebrating its 10th anniversary.
To help commemorate the occasion, please join us at the museum for birthday cake from noon to 2 p.m. Saturday, December 6, 2008.
The free museum, which is dedicated to the arts and cultures of China, Japan, India, and Southeast Asia, was presented as a gift to the people of North Texas from the Crow family.
Shortly after it opened, the Crow Collection of Asian Art was dubbed the Jewel Box of the Dallas Arts District and now, 10 years later, it continues to dazzle visitors with its treasures.
Close to a million people have visited the museum to view the exhibitions, participate in Tai Chi, yoga and meditation session, learn about Asian cultures or simply enjoy the many festivals and family day celebrations.
The museum may have begun as a venue for the Crow family's extensive collection of Asian Art, but it has since become a showcase for works of art from renowned collectors, other museums, and private institutions throughout the world. The Crow Collection is a first-class museum, just one of a handful in the country dedicated solely to the arts of Asia.
Its mission is to bridge the gap that exists between East and West.
Margaret and Trammell Crow bought their first piece of Asian art during their travels to China in the early 1970s.
That first acquisition led to many others. Mr. and Mrs. Crow began buying Asian art at auction houses and from private collectors. They used their acquisitions to decorate their home, hotels and offices. The driving force behind many of their purchases was simple – they liked it.
Finally in 1996 the couple assigned son Trammell S. the task of inventorying the family’s collection. More than 7,000 pieces of art—from delicate hand-carved pieces of jade to a 2,000 pound bronze daoist deity—were found. A hand carved marble boradaris which is one of the focal points in the Crow Collection’s Gallery III was found at the family’s lake house.
Asian art expert Clarence Shangraw, from the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco, identified 569 pieces as highly prized, world-class museum finds.
Next Trammell S. Crow was given another assignment—create a museum to house these remarkable treasures. With no prior museum experience, in 18-months Trammell S. accomplished what many thought was impossible. He created the Trammell & Margaret Crow Collection of Asian Art.
The museum is a tribute to his parents and their passion for arts and cultures of Asia.
The jewel box continues to amaze all those who visit.
The Crow Collection of Asian Art is located at 2010 Flora Street in the Arts District of Dallas. The museum is open Tuesday–Sundays 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. with extended hours on Thursdays until 9 p.m. The museum is closed Mondays. Admission is free. For more information call 214-271-4484.
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