This year, the Meadows Museum celebrates its twentieth anniversary in its current location on the Southern Methodist University (SMU) campus. With an extensive collection of Spanish artwork, the museum has the well-earned nickname Prado on the Prairie. A trip to the museum is like a tasting at a winery … you get a small sampling of a large swath of Spanish art. On the afternoon of my visit, I’d come to see the twelfth century frescoes on the second floor landing. The two large Romanesque paintings had figured prominently in an art history class I recently attended. These and several other art pieces are on long term loan to Meadows Museum.
Medieval and Renaissance Art
I confess that I’m not a big fan of the hyper-religious and often gaudy medieval and early Renaissance art. The Meadows Museum offers wonderfully ornate examples of fine altar pieces and paintings of the time without overwhelming visitors with too much gilded piety. I appreciate that their collection encompasses more than paintings. My favorite was a painted liturgical cabinet, beautiful and practical.
Spanish Masters
The Meadows Museum collection includes a sampling of painters from the Spanish Golden age. You’ll find portraits by Diego Velazquez, and Saint Francis Kneeling in Meditation by El Greco. There are Baroque artists like Bartolome Murillo and Claudio Coello. Spanish painters who found their way to Paris during the Impressionist period are represented. And modern artists like Picasso and Salvador Dali also have works on display. What I enjoy most about the Meadows Museum is how seamlessly it allows the visitor to travel through almost eight hundred years of Spanish art during a short two hour visit.
Fossils to Film
Fossils to Film is an exhibit highlighting SMU’s other collections. You’ll find incredible fossils from the Shuler Museum of Paleontology and artifacts from the school’s archeology collection. Pieces from the Birdwell Library and Hamon Arts Library are also on display. Finally, the University Art Collection includes many fine paintings from Texas Regional artist and former SMU professor, Jerry Bywaters. This smorgasbord of SMU gems will be on display through June 20, 2021.
Meadows Mobile Tour
When you visit the museum, be sure to bring your ear buds and smart phone. Posted placards have you scan a QR code or dial (214) 466-6543 for extended detail on many art pieces. This mobile system beats the old style headphone tours, especially given current pandemic concerns. And best of all, once home, you can still access the information including short talks from art experts.
Outdoor Sculptures
The largest example of Spanish art at the Meadows Museum is outside. Santiago Calatrava’s Wave is an impressive sixty-eight feet long. The kinetic sculpture undulates at a hypnotic pace. While not an official sculpture garden, several of the Meadows Museum large sculpture ring the upper plaza and can be enjoyed without a museum ticket. Concrete benches are strategically positioned throughout if you just want to relax a bit.
When You Go
The Meadows Museum (5900 Bishops Blvd, Dallas) is located on the SMU campus. Free underground parking is available for museum visitors. Admission is $12 with discounts for seniors and students. Admission is free to military and veterans. As of this writing, pandemic precautions include advance tickets, masks, and reduced museum capacity. The museum is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 am to 5 pm and Sunday from 1 to 5 pm. Thursdays the museum remains open until 9 pm with free museum entry after 5 pm.
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