Imagine a Museum
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About

Imagine a Museum is a community organization with the mission to establish a visionary museum in a strategic way, so that it will live up to its potential as a great cultural asset for the region. While there are several possible locations, the main goals are: to establish one of the most prominent museums, education resources and activity centers in the nation; and, to provide diverse interests, excellent services and quality of life benefits for Texas and visitors from around the world.


GOALS

1. Promote future utilization of the current Texas Rangers stadium (known as Globe Life Park) as a major Museum of Culture.

2. Should Arlington not be interested to achieve the vision of an international museum, locate in another DFW-area community.

3. Work with other Texas communities that have expressed interest in establishment of a prominent Museum of Culture.

4. Advocate for the foundation and advancement, and serve to network cooperation of various culture-focused museums in Texas.


Though the organization currently does not seek donations (other than in-kind support), donations for future activities and for the museum in a later phase of development will be tax-deductible. The organization is a non-profit community association.


FAQs

Is the Texas Rangers stadium too big?
Why build a museum of culture?
Will it hurt support for other museums?
Why Arlington, not Dallas or Fort Worth?
Isn't Arlington just a sports city?
How will it affect the Entertainment District?
Isn't the land needed for parking?

Additional questions and answers will be posted as needed.
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Hotel development rendering with current ballpark
The Texas Live! hotel and entertainment center as originally portrayed adjacent to the current Texas Rangers stadium (Globe Life Park).

Is the Texas Rangers stadium too big?

No. The footprint of the stadium is 643,204 sq ft. The field is approximately 122,500 sq ft. Compare that to a these museums: The Blanton Museum of Art at the University of Texas at Austin is about half that size, 325,000 sq ft (180,000 sq ft interior space and 145,000 sq ft of plaza and garden space). The Museum of Culture should be, at the very minimun, the same amount of space, but really needs to be larger as it will present substantially more topics in various venues and serve more people. The Texas Rangers stadium is about the right size. To compare museums that will be similar in stature to the Museum of Culture, the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry interior is 400,000 sq ft and New York City's American Museum of Natural History is 2 million sq ft.

For the potential subject matter, exhibits, activities and services, as well as space to accomodate the high number of visitors, the entire stadium would be utilized, with growing needs for additional space over time. Due to interest, expansion of the museum would most certainly be necessary in the future, creating further opportunities for Arlington and surrounding communities.


Why build a museum of culture?

Culture is the most interesting subject matter for audiences from around Texas and throughout the world. The broad topics, from ethnic and religious identities to our common lifeways, and from traditional arts to modern technologies, are the attraction for over 30 million visitors to the Smithsonian Institution annually. Cultural institutions serve more than 15 million people in Chicago. An estimated 60 million tourists visit New York City to take advantage of cultural attractions each year. While it is not a likely ambition to have that many visitors, it is an indication that cultural institutions and innovative parks dominate the interests of travelers and that there is a enormous share of success in cultural tourism to be gained with smart planning and vision.

To be successful, the museum must have the flexibility to pursue the vast interests of its visitors and student guests. It must offer the broadest content and activities to expand public interests and support. Rather than a museum that presents art, history, anthropology, music, nature, environment, food traditions or media technologies, a Museum of Culture will present all of those subjects and more.


Will it hurt support for other museums?

No. Nationally prominent museums increase visitation for major cities and expand support for most, if not all, of the cultural assets of their communities. In fact, cities like Chicago, Los Angeles, New York and Washington DC demonstrate that the increase in World Class cultural institutions produce an exponential increase in visitors for each of them. Increased tourism will result in additional support for many other cultural and community organizations in the region.

The placement of a major museum in Arlington will create the possibility for other organizations, galleries and museums to establish their efforts in the immediate area and surrounding communities. And, by positioning a major museum in the vastly-underutilized territory between Dallas and Fort Worth, the Metroplex will be a more cohesive and attractive visitor destination, and will be more satisfying to residents, as well. Many visitors will increase the length of their stays in the area to visit other cultural centers and attend events.


Why Arlington, not Dallas or Fort Worth?

Arlington is the geographic center of the Metroplex, which has a population of more than 7 million people. Arlington is ambitious and interested to increase visitors, but like most communities outside of Dallas and Fort Worth, it has very little in the way of cultural attractions. As it seeks a new hotel, entertainment and conference center, it will need larger, year-round attractions to make them successful.

To host most prominent conferences, festivals and sports events, search committees examine the cultural attractions and transportation options available to guests. A major museum that is open 360 days per year and serves more than 2 million visitors will make it possible to attract more large conventions and international events. The museum will provide constant visitor support, helping additional transportation, services and other amenities to thrive between Dallas and Fort Worth.

Outside of the Olympics, World Cup soccer and the Super Bowl, national and international visitors rarely travel for sports, but rather they are interested in scenery, history, architecture and cultural attractions, particularly great museums. And for those who travel to attend regular season football or baseball games, most expect the city to offer a much wider variety of interests. That means current visitors are likely to gravitate to Dallas or Fort Worth, and their exploration of the Metroplex will be limited, with so few attractions in the middle.


Isn't Arlington just a sports city?

Because of its interest in attracting sports fans, Arlington has excellent sports facilities. In fact, that is the reason a potential site for establishment of an internationally prominent museum exists, as the successful Texas Rangers want to move to a new state-of-the-art covered facility in several years. But that is not the limit of Arlington's potential or its possibilities to serve more people.

The diverse populations of Arlington and the surrounding communities (like Grand Prairie and Irving), as well as the close proximity to airports and other transportation, make Arlington an enticing possibility as a location for new and exciting cultural and educational institutions. As populations grow and communities become more diverse, needs and interests in cultural education are inevitable. It is likely that many leaders in Arlington (along with the entire Metroplex) have considered the benefits and gained the vision to become a destination for Americans and international visitors, and achieve the status and reputation of other World Class cities.


How will it affect the Entertainment District?

It will add a significant attraction to the Entertainment District, improving the viability of the other attractions. In fact, it will be an important anchor for new transportantion and area businesses throughout the year, while other facilities and amusement parks are closed during their off seasons.


Isn't the land needed for parking?

The parking solutions must be worked out before construction begins on the new stadium. The current stadium will continue to be used during the construction projects.

As a community with greater population density than Dallas and Fort Worth, Arlington must focus on transportation solutions, rather than parking solutions. Solutions should connect Dallas and Fort Worth in a way that benefits Arlington's businesses by attracting new patrons. Planning should also include walkability, cycling and healthy lifestyles. Interestingly, those are a few of the relevent topics that are concerned with ways of life and may be represented in an effective Museum of Culture.

SEE MORE FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS


Media

See News and Updates for the latest information.

For media inquiries, please contact Imagine a Museum at media [at] imagineamuseum.org.

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OPINION

August 19, 2016 - The opportunity to consider repurposing the Texas Rangers stadium
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Imagine a Museum is hosted by the Digital Story Resource Center

GALLERY AND LINKS


El dia de los muertos in Oaxaca, Mexico
A woman commemorates El di de los muertos in Oaxaca, Mexico.


Issues of gender and generations
Cultural education includes issues of gender and generations.


Health and economic issues
Sociologists conduct field research on health and economic issues.


Costumes and regalia in cultural traditions
Costumes and regalia are a significant part of cultural traditions.


Demonstrating henna art
An Omani woman demonstrates henna art during the Smithsonian Folklife Festival.


Costumes and regalia in cultural traditions
The study of cultural history explores beliefs and technologies.


A sculture represents indigenous food traditions
Art frequently represents aspects of culture, ways of life and future interests.


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