Deanna Dallal, Staff Council Coordinator of Special hares her experience: at the museum during Comets Day at the Crow
As an employee of The University of Texas at Dallas, I learned about the Crow Museum of Asian Art and why I should visit it. The Crow Museum opened to the public in December 1998 as a gift from Trammell and Margaret Crow. The museum is located within the Dallas Arts District, in downtown Dallas.
The mission of the museum is to inspire and promote learning while creating dialogue about the arts and cultures of Asia. The Crow Museum defines Asia as “endlessly diverse, and not of one place, time, or idea. By cultivating compassion and inclusivity through our work, we build greater awareness and a shared sense of what it means to be human.”
The Crow Museum currently has two special exhibitions: “Rare Earth: The Art and Science of Chinese Stones” and “Jooyoung Choi: Songs of Resilience from the Tapestry of Faith”.
“The Art and Science of Chinese Stones” explores the rocks and stones that have been popular in China throughout its rich history. China has historically used rocks and minerals strictly for art and industrial purposes. However, in the 1980s the minerals gained visibility in Western markets and collecting fine minerals within China began to rise in popularity. The Crow Museum displays the rocks and minerals to share their beauty and cultural significance.
“Songs of Resilience from the Tapestry of Faith” introduces artist Jooyoung Choi’s Comic Womb multiverse through painting, video, sculpture and animation. Choi is a multidisciplinary artist based in Houston who was born in Seoul, South Korea. Choi was adopted in 1983 and moved to Concord, New Hampshire. Her art is inspired by her childhood and ongoing research on identity representing women, intersex, transgender, and nonbinary people of color in Texas and abroad.
Choi explores resilience related to identity, belonging and trauma through the sci-fi/fantasy genre. Each character has their own identity and narrative about going through a difficult situation. For example, the character in the blue dress was influenced by Dorothy from “The Wizard of Oz.” Choi uses one of her favorite childhood characters, drawing inspiration of being lost in the world and what adventures can come from being lost.
The Crow Museum is one of the only museums dedicated strictly to the arts of Asia. Exploring this gem is worth a visit. The museum is open six days a week and is free for all visitors. The Crow Museum strives to implement the University’s mission of education and research through art and culture. A second location for the Crow Museum will be housed in the Edith and Peter O’Donnell Jr. Athenaeum at UT Dallas.
