Imagine a Museum
Vision Culture Vision Vision Vision
Vision Culture Vision Vision Vision
Vision Culture Vision Vision Vision

 

Vision

An opportunity to do something truly great for humanity, for the people of the world, comes along once in a lifetime. Possibly, not even once in a lifetime. Most of our great cultural and educational institutions, like the Smithsonian and the National Geographic Society, date back to the Nineteenth Century.

Since that time, the world has witnessed more cultural and technological advancements, more changes to our ways of life - for better and worse - than it did in the 500 years before that, or the 100,000 years before that.

The establishment of a visionary and provident Museum of Culture is our highest priority. The imminent vacancy in the Texas Rangers stadium presents a tremendous opportunity for Arlington and all of Dallas-Fort Worth to make it possible.

Just as the establishment of the National Parks is remembered as "America's Best Idea", the creation of a modern, world class museum of culture for the Dallas-Fort Worth region, Texas, and visitors from around the world, is "Arlington's Best Idea".

Imagine a Museum for the Metroplex in the Ballpark
Just as steel bridges and train stations (many were converted to history and heritage museums) became symbols of progress through the end of the Nineteenth and into the Twentieth centuries, the Texas Rangers Baseball stadium is an exceptional location for a modern museum and prominent attraction to serve 2-5 million visitors annually.

The Smithsonian Institution Arts and Industries Building
While a baseball stadium may not strike us as a proper museum, it has some similar characteristics to the Smithsonian's Arts and Industries Building (pictured above). More than that, it has the necessary halls, galleries, labs, theaters, restaurants, and even an amphitheater-style festival grounds.

It is inspiring to think of retrofitting an iconic sports facility to be a museum, bearing in mind that many famous world heritage sites were historically public spectacles and stadiums, like Olympia and the Roman Coliseum. The cultural legacy of these gathering places endures today, not only in athletic events, but in cultural festivals, concerts, religious gatherings and political conventions. Therefore, the entire stadium facility has potential use in the context of an innovative Museum of Culture, bustling festival site, and major center for cultural and educational activities.


Benefits

Imagine a Museum advocates for creation of the most visionary and provident museum for cultural literacy, cross-cultural experience, diverse interests, education and quality of life in the United States.


ECONOMIC ACTIVITY

While sports teams are able to attract large numbers of visitors on approximately 90 game days, a major museum is able to attract similar visitor numbers, but spread out over 360 days per year. The economic impact will certainly compliment sports activities, but will not be seasonal or weekend-oriented, and will help support employment in restaurants, shops and hotels more consistently over the year.

Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington is well connected to Texas and the world, having over 2,700 flights into its airports daily, as well as rapidly developing transportation solutions. But the region fails to utilize massive interests in educational and topical cultural subjects - history, architecture, music, religion, foods, health, traditional lifeways, future studies, and more - for the benefit of residents across the Metroplex. Cultural institutions and resources are significant industries for many U.S. and international cities, and they have a major impact on career opportunities, entrepreneurship, creativity, health and quality of life.

CULTURAL TOURISM

As a major hub for visitors seeking cultural and educational attractions, the museum can better diversify the economic impact in the city and across the Metroplex. It will strengthen support for the cultural assets in Dallas, Fort Worth and throughout the region. By being centrally located, it will support a greater cohesiveness for the greater Dallas-Fort Worth region, with Arlington at the center.

EDUCATION

As a museum subject, Culture is applicable to the academic subjects and research that is accomplished at all universities. All social sciences, humanities and arts are directly related to the understanding of Culture and Cultural Literacy. Fields of study, from hospitality to engineering and science have an impact on our ways of life. And, while Culture is largely thought to encompass history and archaeology - human development, trade, material culture and the advance of civilizations - or, sociology and political science - the current state of diversity, happiness, identity, security and population movement - it is also a critical subject area that concerns our ways of life in the future.

While the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington region has nationally competitive university programs and opportunities for students, a Museum of Culture will provide a forum for better access to academic work by the public, as well as more possibilities for collaboration between universities and communities. The museum will develop greater involvement in education, as well as inspire interests in diversity and commitment to lifelong learning.

QUALITY OF LIFE

A deliberate approach to thinking about our ways of life - our occupations, social activities, health, technology, etc. - is important to improve our quality of life. Interests in cultural activities, humanities subjects, as well as hobbies and lifelong learning, are critical for individual health. Individual health, quality of life, opportunities and productive interests are key to healthy communities.


Potential

The best candidate for a museum in the Texas Rangers stadium is a Museum of Culture, based on the diversity of the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington metropolitan area, increasing pluralism of communities around the world, the wide array of subjects available, and the broadest possible interest to the public. In fact, the name for the museum that emerges as the most direct and appealing is "Texas Museum of Culture".

By putting forth a Texas-sized effort (think of Fair Park, the Astrodome and NASA), a museum with the prominence of the Field Museum in Chicago, the American Museum of Natural History in New York City, and the British Museum in London, the "Texas Museum of Culture" (proposed) will attract 2-5 million visitors, or more as it grows.

While the Smithsonian Institution is generally the national museum of culture (in fact, the nation would have others if it were named that), Culture is a vast, unexplored territory, studied largely in community and academic interests. Culture - understanding or improving ways of life - is the basis of nearly all academic disciplines. And it is the occupation of nearly all community organizations, from the preservation of history and diverse identities, to the practice of cultural traditions and creation or presentation of arts.

While it may seem like a pioneering effort in the historic context of the United States, being people from diverse cultures around the world who coexist and interact, find interest in common ways of life, and have a need to resolve conflicts and differences, is the way most peoples of the world think of themselves. Great examples of cultural museums include Singapore's Museum of Asian Civilizations, Mexico's National Museum of Anthropology and Sweden's Museum of World Cultures.

With over 7 million people in the Metroplex (the fourth-largest metropolitan statistical area in the United States), more than 40 universities, and some of the most diverse neighborhoods in the nation, the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington region has the impetus to build some of the world's great cultural institutions.

The "Texas Museum of Culture" has the potential to launch this phase for the region, building on the existing resources, while inspiring growth in cultural education and arts, and developing many new partnerships and visitor assets. This is an important step for Dallas, Fort Worth and certainly Arlington (along with numerous aspiring satellite communities like Grapevine) to be more than global cities, but for them to become recognized World Class cities.


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GALLERY AND LINKS


Monks from Bhutan Perform at the Smithsonian
Bhutanese monks perform a ceremonial dance during the Smithsonian Folklife Festival on the nation's mall in Washington DC.


A pilgrim travels to Chimayo New Mexico
As they have for over two centuries, a pilgrim travels to Chimayo, New Mexico during Semana Santa to pray for a child in the military.


A mandala or Tibetan sand painting
A mandala, or Tibertan sand painting, is created during hundreds of hours of work before it is washed away in a body of water following prayers.


Rajastani dance evolved with migration
A group of Rajastani dancers watch with interest as a modern dancer performs folk traditions that evolved over a thousand years of Gypsy migration.


The Berlin Wall symbolizes cultural divides
Long after its fall, the Berlin Wall remains an iconic symbol of cultural divides that result from political and economic ideologies.



SPECIAL REPORT


Overview of Tulsa Cultural Institutions
Tulsa, Oklahoma is experiencing a renaissance of cultural interests based on the combination of historic awareness and visionary development. An overview of its benefits will be shared soon.


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