It’s lights out for Jazz Under the Stars at the Dallas Museum of Art

The museum will skip 2012 and plans to find new venues for the event in 2013.

Photo by Catherine Cuellar

The Texas Gypsies drew a healthy crowd to the Dallas Museum of Art's Thursday night "Jazz Under the Stars" series in 2008 despite summer heat.

After nearly three decades, the Dallas Museum of Art has decided to discontinue its Jazz Under the Stars program. The free Thursday night summer concert series has featured bands like Havana NRG, Inner City All-Stars, UNT's One O'Clock Lab Band, and many more.

FrontRow first reported the closure of the popular summer series. Its abrupt end was announced on the DMA's website.

The series cost about $70,000 per year, not including staffing costs, according to Jill Bernstein, interim chief marketing and communications officer for the museum. Most was paid for by sponsors like Chase, and the idea was for the museum to break even each series.

With the series canceled for 2012, Kimberly Daniell at the DMA said the museum will try to set up other activities with outdoor venues for 2013. A partnership with the not-yet-open Klyde Warren Park is a possibility, but neither DMA spokesperson would confirm it as the new venue for Jazz Under the Stars.

"We have really enjoyed providing these outdoor concerts to the community, and we enjoy knowing that they were appreciated by our visitors," Bernstein wrote in an email. "We remain committed to offering live jazz performances every week at the DMA, and with the growth of the Arts District, we are equally excited about creating future opportunities in various outdoor spaces."