Center for Creative Connections Opening Weekend Celebration

Free admission provided by Target. To celebrate the May 3 opening of the Center for Creative Connections, a 12,000-square-foot unique space for learning about art and creativity, the Dallas Museum of Art will offer two days of admission-free extended hours (Saturday, May 3, 11:00 a.m. to midnight; Sunday, May 4, 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.) and full days of interactive programs with more than 100 participating artists held throughout the Museum for visitors of all ages. This very special opening weekend will be sponsored by Target. Additionally, the DMA will provide a special ticket price of $9 to view the acclaimed J. M. W. Turner exhibition and free for children under 12.

The Center for Creative Connections is an innovative and dynamic museum learning environment that will engage visitors’ interactive experiences with works of art and artists. Located at the core of the Museum on the first floor, the Center for Creative Connections is designed to stimulate curiosity, inquiry, reflection and creativity in guests of all ages as they connect more deeply with works of art. Designed by Gluckman Mayner Architects, the Center for Creative Connections is comprised of six areas that will offer exhibitions and programs that will focus attention on the DMA's extraordinary collections and illustrate new partnerships with artists and community and educational associates. Balfour Beatty Construction completed the renovations.

Activities for Saturday and Sunday will include sneak peeks of the new Center for Creative Connections, family experiences, presentations by extraordinary artists, art projects and live music. Exclusive to the opening weekend, Target will present the “Target Creation Station” inside one of the Museum’s first floor galleries. There, kids of all ages are invited to express their creativity. Art activities will be available for children to enjoy along with a relaxation space for “bigger” kids to unwind. Bullseye, the Target dog costume character, will be on hand posing for free photos.

Get a sneak peek of the just-opened Center for Creative Connections and its inaugural exhibit Materials & Meanings Saturday 11:00 a.m. – midnight and Sunday 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. at the Center for Creative Connections. The Center’s innovative and interactive installation, organized by Gail Davitt, the DMA’s Director of Education, and designed by Jonathan Ingram of i.design, features artworks from the DMA’s collections, artist demonstrations and more.

Join an Artist Conversation featuring Janine Antoni on Sunday from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. in Horchow Auditorium, where the internationally renowned artist will discuss the importance of materials and meaning in her works, including Lick and Lather (made of chocolate and soap) currently on view in the new Center for Creative Connections’ first exhibition, Materials & Meanings.

Enjoy Family Experiences Saturday 11:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. and Sunday 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. in the Museum galleries and Horchow Auditorium. Take part in storytelling, films, sketching in the galleries, art-making activities, and appearances by Arturo, the Dallas Museum of Art’s loveable family mascot.

Get involved in a Community Art Project Saturday 11:00 a.m. – 11:00 p.m. and Sunday 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. in Fleischner Courtyard. Join artist Brad Tucker in the creation of an outdoor playscape using found and recycled materials.