DALLAS (March 20, 2012) – The Trammell and Margaret Crow Collection of Asian Art opens Noble Change: Tantric Art of the High Himalaya to the public Saturday, March 31, 2011 at 9:00 am.  This unforgettable exhibition features a carefully curated selection of eleven copper-alloy Tantric Buddhist sculptures and one 20-foot long embroidered silk panel.  This group was acquired last year by Trammell S. Crow for his private collection, and is presented on loan to the museum.  Additionally, a finely-woven double ikat pictorial thangka from a second private collection has been added to the exhibition to contextualize the use of images in Tantric practice. Noble Change: Tantric Art of the High Himalaya is the first of a series of installations and programs planned at the Crow Collection over the next few years showcasing aspects of Tantric Buddhism with relevance to modern life.

The first in the series, Noble Change: Tantric Art of the High Himalaya displays the rich tradition of tantric art made in the Himalayan regions to serve the practices that developed there as Vajrayana Buddhism (in Sanskrit Vajra means “indestructible” and yana means “vehicle” or “path”).  These works, primarily works of sculpture from the late 17^th to the early 20^th centuries, share an interesting and compelling history including a believed stint at the notorious Clarkstown Country Club in the early 20^th century led by the charismatic Pierre Arnold Bernard, also known as "The Great Oom". 

“We are two centuries removed from the early Western fascination with or total rejection of tantra as titillating erotica or stultifying ritual, and more than fifty years removed from the crescendo of hippie exploitation of tantra to pursue sexual pleasure and free-wheeling states of consciousness,” says Crow Collection of Asian Art Curator Dr. Caron Smith.  “The time is ripe to reveal tantra for what it is truly intended to be--fresh, compassionate, open, produced out of wisdom, and devoid of preconception.”

Admission is free. The Crow Collection of Asian Art is open Tuesdays – Thursdays (10 a.m. – 9 p.m.), Fridays – Saturdays (10 a.m. – 6 p.m.), Sundays (12 p.m. – 6 p.m.) and closed on Mondays. For more information, please go to crowcollection.org or call 214-979-6430.

About The Crow Collection

The Trammell & Margaret Crow Collection of Asian Art features a variety of spaces and galleries with changing exhibitions of the arts of China, Japan, India and Southeast Asia drawn from cultures ancient and contemporary. Just 13 years in operation, this lovingly curated free museum offers a serene setting for quiet reflection in the heart of the Dallas Arts District.  The Crow Collection continues to grow in art and service to the Dallas-Fort Worth community with an emphasis on shared learning and fun.  New initiatives include the development of an Asian physical and mental wellness center endorsed by Dr. Andrew Weil as well as an Asian Sculpture Garden slated to open in the fall of 2012. For more information, please go to crowcollection.org.