In May 2022, The University of Texas at Dallas broke ground on the edge of its campus, marking more than two years of design and planning for a new arts and performance complex. Slated to open in Spring 2024, The Edith and Peter O’Donnell Jr. Athenaeum will house the second location of the Crow Museum of Asian Art with additional gallery space for temporary exhibitions and collaborations.

The Edith and Peter O’Donnell Jr. Athenaeum [aTHəˈnēəm] at The University of Texas at Dallas represents a strong continuum of cultural growth and engagement for the campus and beyond. The new 12-acre cultural district on the southeast edge of campus in Richardson will house two art museums and a performance hall, designed by Morphosis, founded by Pritzker prize winning architect
Thom Mayne.

This exhibition invites you into the studio to see how a museum is made – from the daring ideas drafted by the late Dr. Richard Brettell to the creative drawings, models, and conversations that formed this new campus home of art, knowledge, and connection. This laboratory of learning is for everyone, whether you are a student, neighbor, or visitor. The future-forward architectural design thoughtfully represents the innovations of science, technology, engineering, and math in which The University of Texas at Dallas has excelled for the past 50 years. World-class architecture as art gives us the vessel for new connections within these disciplines.

Featuring three 3D models of the planned campus, renderings, and behind-the-scenes documentation of the architectural design and planning, Cat gives viewers an insider’s look into the meticulous process of building a new museum. Several art objects are also featured, drawn from the Crow Museum’s own collection as well as pieces from additional collections gifted to the University in anticipation of the opening of the Athenaeum.

Cast: Molding a New Museum for UT Dallas was organized by Morphosis Architects and the Crow Museum of Asian Art.