A decade ago, I gave a presentation at a conference of the Iowa Museum Association (IMA) entitled “Thirty Days, Forty Museums, Ten Observations” based on a trip Paula and I made to Berlin and Prague. I reflected on this while returning from a long weekend in Fort Worth, Texas. Admittedly, Fort Worth may not be your first choice in planning a February escape, but Paula had a meeting there, we have dear friends in Fort Worth, and skipping a few days of Iowa winter made our decision easy. Oh, and did I mention, the Fort Worth – Dallas area (cities a half-hour apart) has truly exceptional art museums?
I hadn’t been to Texas in five years, COVID being the primary reason. During our recent three-day excursion, we scheduled a shorter version of our Berlin - Prague adventure, taking in seven glorious museums, plus three noteworthy meals with friends both new and longstanding. Hence, the name of this ramble, “Three Days, Seven Museums, Three Meals, Six Observations”.
Spoiler alert. While museums and meals were all superb, time with friends is my favorite takeaway.
First observation: What’s required to launch an art museum? For individuals, minimally… substantial wealth, good taste (one hopes), probably a healthy dose of ego. Evidently, these qualities were present at the founding of five organizations we visited: Amon Carter Museum of American Art, Kimbell Art Museum, Sid Richardson Museum, Crow Museum of Asian Art, and Nasher Sculpture Center… all bearing their patrons’ names. I salute these collectors’ visions.
Second observation: Making great art accessible. In addition to the aforementioned, I made a solo visit to the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth (“the Modern”) and, with Paula, to the Dallas Museum of Art (DMA). Six of these seven entities required no admission fee; it was “Free Friday” at the Modern and “Free First Sunday” at DMA. Additionally, convenient parking was also free at Fort Worth museums and accessible from one nearby lot for all three Dallas museums. We would have paid willingly… but hefty entrance and parking fees can deter some visitors. Meanwhile, without admission fees, we encountered many multi-children families. I salute these outreach and audience expansion efforts.
Third observation: Praiseworthy labels. For example, the Kimbell offers an easy, low-tech learning opportunity – “deep labels,” two or three informational paragraphs explaining and interpreting the artwork. Though reading these labels slows the pace of the visit, I find this vastly preferable to “dog-tag” labels… the equivalent of just name, rank, and serial number. I salute these educational efforts.
Fourth observation: Positive human encounters. Even when museums utilize technology, such as information made available via QR codes, access to knowledgeable people – including helpful suggestions and pleasant exchanges – invariably enhances a visit. For example, an attentive waiter in the Modern restaurant responded thoughtfully to my museum-related question, then stopped by my table later, extending his hand, (“Hi, I’m Patrick.”) and inquiring about my visit. I recall telling IMA conference attendees that gallery staff / volunteers should be regarded more as guides than as guards, which is generally what we experienced in Texas. I salute these engaging individuals.
Fifth observation: So much reaction to an out-of-town weekend is shaped by accommodations. We stayed in downtown Fort Worth, in a newly renovated, art-deco hotel, once headquarters of the Sinclair Oil Company (with its iconic green dinosaur and, a century ago, a key player in the Teapot Dome scandal). Sidestepping further discussion of this corruption case here, I simply note the handsome repurposing of Sinclair Oil’s former building. I salute these renovation efforts.
Sixth observation: Without an opportunity to spend time with people meaningful to us, this still would have been a fun weekend getaway. However, given the chance to break bread with three sets of friends, eight people total, (relationships ranging in duration from relatively recently, to a dozen years, to a quarter-century) made this trip memorable. Yes, we enjoyed compelling meals… but renewing relationships elevated our Texas trip to a much higher level. My final salute is to these notable friendships.
All in all, a wonderful weekend. I’m already looking forward to the next such opportunity.
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I’m pleased to be part of the Iowa Writers Collaborative. My talented colleagues: