Texas Museums to Merge and Consolidate, Hire Architects For New Mega-Complexes Around the State

In an effort to think outside the box in this moment of social distancing, museums in Texas are looking ahead and banding together to form Superhubs of art. We anticipate what some people are calling maybe the biggest capital campaigns the world has ever seen, and our Texas museums may never be the same.

There is no greater and shocking change than in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. The Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, The Kimbell Art Museum, and the Amon Carter Museum of American Art are merging to form the ModKimCarter. The mega-plex, currently being designed, will be temporarily housed in the new Dickies Arena in Fort Worth.

In Dallas, the Dallas Museum of Art, The Crow Collection of Asian Art, the Meadows Museum of Art, and the Nasher Sculpture Center will form Nash: The DalCrow Meadows, a sprawling complex that combines all the architectural elements we love about each of these buildings.

The area Museums have hired architect Lorenzo Pianoforte, whose work, people are saying, more and more, is great.

Not to be outdone, some area galleries are also capitalizing on the movement. Dallas’ Site131 and 12.26, and Fort Worth’s Artspace 111 will now be 12.26-131-111, which they have already registered as their common IP address. The Conduit Gallery and the Power Station found it made sense to connect as The Power Conduit.

In Houston, the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston, The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, and The Menil Collection are combining, and will simply be called The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.

San Antonio-area museums, upon hearing the news, convened a hurried Zoom meeting and agreed that the San Antonio Museum of Art, Ruby City, The McNay, and the Witte should become WitteSAMA: The Ruby McNay.

From the Texas Capitol, The Contemporary Austin has decided to meld with the Blanton Museum, the Harry Ransom Center and the Mexic-Arte. Ransom: The Mexic-Blan-Temporary will be a permanent institution for years to come.

Reports are still coming in, but it seems that Chinati, after years of being mistaken for a fine Tuscan red blend, will simply tweak its name and begin bottling its own wine: The Chinati Chianti.

If any of these new museum mega-plexes offer a Five-Minute Tour, we will be the first to bring it to you.