Nasher Sculpture Center

Address: 2001 Flora Street, Dallas, TX 75201
Phone: 214.242.5100
Operating Hours:
Monday: Closed
Tuesday – Wednesday: 11 am – 5 pm
Thursday: 11 am – 9 pm
Friday – Sunday: 11 am – 5 pm
Web site: http://www.nashersculpturecenter.org
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If you visit only one museum in Uptown Dallas, this should be it. Over the course of four decades, Dallas entrepreneur Raymond Nasher and his wife Patsy amassed an extraordinary collection of over 300 sculptures. Truly extraordinary! It is considered one of the finest modern sculpture collections in the world, with works by artists such as Matisse, Miró, Picasso, and Rodin.

And the museum facility itself is a work of art. In fact, Mr. Nasher paid for its construction himself! World-renowned architect Renzo Piano designed the contemporary 55,000-square-foot building – which occupies an entire city block – and accompanying outdoor garden which serves as a gallery as well.

In her New York Times review, Kathryn Jones recounts her run-in with Mr. Nasher himself, who was present the very day she visited the Sculpture Center:

I wanted to tap him on the shoulder and tell him I understood what he meant when he often has said that he and Patsy had bought only works that “gave us butterflies.” After several hours at the Nasher Sculpture Center, I, too, felt the flutterings of excitement.

Get the butterflies yourself!

Other mentions include:

Architecture Week
Guide Live
Vacation Idea

An interesting side note: Raymond Nasher has been sharing his collection with the Dallas public long before opening the Sculpture Center in 2003. The original developer of north Dallas’ chic NorthPark Center shopping mall, Mr. Nasher has rotated his prized pieces by artists such as Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, and Henry Moore in the mall since its doors opened in 1965. And who said that shopping wasn’t a cultural experience?

What are your thoughts? Write a review in the comments section!