Trammell & Margaret Crow Collection of Asian Art

The Crow Museum of Asian Art is a museum dedicated to the arts and cultures of Asia, with two locations in the Dallas, Texas, area. It opened its first location in Downtown Dallas on December 5, 1998, as a gift to the people and visitors of Dallas from Trammell and Margaret Crow. The museum is a member of the Dallas Arts District and celebrates the arts and cultures of Asia including China, Japan, India, Korea, Nepal, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Indonesia, Myanmar, and the Philippines, from ancient to the contemporary. In 2024, a second location opened on the campus of the University of Texas at Dallas, significantly expanding the museum's reach and accessibility.

Trammell and Margaret Crow bought their first piece of Asian art in the mid-1960s, and their extensive travels throughout Asia fueled decades of collecting. Pieces from countries such as China, Japan, and India were added over time, evolving into a distinguished collection spanning 3500 B.C. to the early 20th century. Prior to the museum's formation, the artwork had been displayed in lobbies, reception, and office areas of the Trammell Crow Center, other office buildings, marts, hotels, and in the homes of the Crows and their children. The family amassed more than 4,000 pieces of Asian art, from which 569 works were selected by a noted curator for inclusion in the museum collection. The interior of the Pavilion at the Trammell Crow Center was redesigned and renovated to meet the special needs of a gallery displaying centuries-old art year-round. Trammell S. Crow, a son of the family, serves as president of the Crow Family Foundation and oversees the development of the collection. The museum was partially closed for the majority of 2018 for renovations and expansion along the southwest corner of Harwood and Flora Streets in the Dallas Arts District. Oglesby Greene Architects of Dallas led the expansion project, with The Beck Group as general contractor. In September 2018, the institution changed its name from the Crow Collection of Asian Art to the Crow Museum of Asian Art, reflecting both the breadth of the collection and programming and the museum's wide community support. The museum also launched the Center for Contemplative Leadership with programming focused around The Charter for Compassion, coupled with mindfulness-based art education. In January 2019, it was announced that the University of Texas at Dallas would acquire the museum, with the deal including the establishment of the second location at the UT-Dallas campus in Richardson, which opened in 2024. The collection has grown through donations and acquisitions, including the 2010 acquisition of the art collection of Jerry Lee Musslewhite, which added historical Korean art.

The permanent collection comprises more than 4,000 works representing over 6,000 years of art and culture from across Asia, including Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Myanmar, Nepal, Thailand, Tibet, and Vietnam. The majority of works were obtained through individual purchases from private dealers and auction houses, as well as through the acquisition of major collections such as the highly respected Morrie A. Moss collection. The collection is particularly strong in Chinese art, especially jade, with more than 450 works from the Neolithic period to the early 20th century, including pieces from the Ming and Qing dynasties and from the imperial workshops of the Qianlong Emperor. Most jade items date from the 18th century, when the traditional Chinese jade industry reached its zenith before the industrial age. The collection also includes a significant number of Qing dynasty snuff bottles. Other notable areas include Buddhist sculpture, Japanese screen paintings, and historical Korean art. The museum's library holds more than 12,000 books, catalogues, and journals.

The museum's three galleries each focus on distinct regional and cultural strengths. Gallery I, on the first floor, is devoted to Japanese art and is flanked by the Lotus Shop and a garden. Gallery II, on the second floor and mezzanine, displays Chinese artifacts including the renowned jade collection. The Skybridge, a glass structure held up by steel beams connecting Gallery II and Gallery III, offers views of the Nasher Sculpture Center and the Trammell Crow Center, and overlooks The Seated Daoist Deity fountain. Gallery III is the primary site for works from Southeast Asia and India, dominated by the Mugal wall, which is hung from the ceiling due to its extreme weight, and two Indian gazebos. One of these baradari, used in gardens of Indian palaces and residences for relaxation and meditation, spent years at the Crow family farm in East Texas before its selection for the collection. The Samurai Gallery presents a complete suit of armour regarded as one of the most beautiful of its kind in the world.

The museum's original location is situated in the Dallas Arts District, within the Trammell Crow Center, which was designed in 1984 by the American architectural firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill. The interior of the museum was designed by Booziotis and Company Architects of Dallas. The 2018 expansion dramatically increased the museum's footprint along the southwest corner of Harwood and Flora Streets. The museum also includes a sculpture garden. The second location, opened in 2024 on the campus of the University of Texas at Dallas in Richardson, extends the museum's physical presence into the northern Dallas metropolitan area.

The Crow Museum of Asian Art operates two locations in the Dallas, Texas, area: the original downtown Dallas site in the Dallas Arts District, and a second location on the campus of the University of Texas at Dallas in Richardson, which opened in 2024. The museum was acquired by the University of Texas at Dallas in 2019. Amy Lewis Hofland has served as director since 2002. The museum's website is www.crowcollection.org.