When the AMA opens to the public on March 30, 2024 inside the Arlington Expo Center, it will be in the midst of its transformation. On that day, visitors will see three different kinds of galleries—the Traditional Gallery, Immersive Galleries, and our Community Gallery—which altogether total just over 40,000 square feet of exhibition space.
In our previous location, we had a total of 5,500 sq feet of exhibition space, which is the same as the square footage of JUST our new Community Gallery.
This still blows our minds.
If you’ve been following our announcements over the last few months, you already know we’ve planned three unique art exhibitions to open our new galleries. These exhibitions feature artists and artifacts from up the street and around the world. We chose them specifically and strategically to help us begin to demonstrate the capabilities of our new exhibition spaces. They are:
- Pompeii: The Immortal City will debut the AMA’s Traditional Gallery.
- One Point Five Degrees, an AMA collaboration with American artist Adam Fung and Canadian artist Sabrina Ratté, will debut our four Immersive Galleries. As you walk through Immersive Gallery #3, keep in mind that gallery can convert into a Black Box theatre. Imagine its potential for art talks, lectures, theatrical performances, and private event rentals!
- The 34th annual Youth Art Month show will debut the AMA’s Community Gallery.
In addition to our galleries and exhibitions, our new Lobby and Gift Shop will also be open on March 30 and ready to welcome guests.
Phase One
Even after we open, transformations will continue. Construction of our Education Center and Board Room will be fully complete by June. We’ll also continue to envision possibilities for our Grand Hallway, which connects our Traditional and Immersive galleries. Finally, we’ll also be launching some new programming (watch our blog and enewsletter for details!) and the first AMA Summer Art Camp to be held in our brand new space.
Phase Two
Under our special use agreement with the City of Arlington, later this year the main hallway through the Expo Center will become an upgraded common area.
Upcoming Exhibits
Stay tuned for announcements of our plans for Summer and Fall 2024 – Winter 2025 exhibitions.
Traditional Gallery
The Traditional Gallery in the new AMA will provide the ideal backdrop for Pompeii: The Immortal City. We can’t wait for you to explore this premier space! As you can see, the gallery is divided into a number of smaller gallery rooms, giving visitors a sense of discovery as they make their way through the exhibition. The gallery rooms also make the larger space feel more intimate, bringing visitors and the artwork close together. Altogether, the Traditional Gallery is over 12,000 square feet, a capacity that can accommodate a wide variety of traditional and interactive art exhibitions.
And what do we mean by “traditional” art? To us, traditional art is one that is an established part of a culture, with skills and knowledge passed down through generations of artists. Traditional art mediums include painting, sculpture, textile, photography, ceramics, clay, glass, ink, collage, etc.
Immersive Galleries
In our Immersive Galleries, we curate multisensory experiences that envelop viewers within the artwork itself. A unique blend of art and technology, the defining features of the immersive art installations we present are their originality, artistry, and meticulous design. Our Immersive Galleries provide nearly 21,000 square feet of exhibit space. The walls in the Immersive Galleries are 18 feet tall.
According to Chris Cleek of Bridgewater Studio, the characteristics of an unforgettable immersive art experience are:
- Transformational — By altering the surrounding environment, artists set the stage for visitors to suspend their idea of reality and embrace the artist’s alternative.
- Encompassing — Immersive art’s effect requires that the illusion be maintained across the entirety of the visitor’s field of vision and beyond. The experience is one of being within, not looking in.
- Multi-sensory — Human beings use all their senses to identify their position in space and time. By orchestrating these sensory inputs, immersive artists change our perceptions.
- Multidimensional — Whether created through special effects or physical construction, immersive art may be viewed and experienced from varying perspectives. What the observer sees or experiences will change depending on their position in relation to the work.
- Responsive — A static piece of art does not change as its viewer changes. Because immersive art is intended to convey a complete environment, it usually includes reactive features that change in response to the viewer just as the real environment does.
Black Box
A black box theater, a modern concept for live performance venues, is a simple space with black walls and a flat floor. Its simplicity allows it to be used to create a variety of configurations of stage and audience interaction. The AMA Black Box, which is designed to be set up inside Immersive Gallery #3 on the northeast side, offers theatre-style “in the round” riser seating for up to 300 people, giving the space enormous range, flexibility, and programming potential.
Although rental availability is limited, the Black Box is a versatile space that can be used for as concerts, dance recitals, theatrical performances, film screenings, lectures, and meetings.
Community Gallery
The Community Gallery has the heart of a local art gallery and the soul of a community gathering place. Celebrating diversity and encouraging artistic expression are its driving forces. Through an ambitious rotation of curated exhibits and related programs, the Community Gallery provides a platform for emerging and established artists to showcase their unique perspectives and talents. Because there is no admission fee to the Gallery, it makes the transformative power of art accessible to all, encouraging people of all ages and backgrounds to explore, appreciate, and participate in the arts while fostering a shared sense of belonging.
The Community Gallery is available to rent for private events such as business retreats, parties, weddings, meetings, and reunions.
Education Center
As excited as we are about the exhibition capabilities of our new location, opening on March 30, the opportunity to reimagine our space for hands-on learning thrills us just as much! By late Spring 2024, the build-out of our new Education Center will be complete. It will have just over 3,300 square feet of dedicated learning space, including four classrooms connected by a shared gallery.
The Education Center will provide the perfect setting for AMA Summer Art Camp as well as DIY workshops for adults as well as new family-friendly programs like Art+Juice Boxes. With just over 3,300 square feet of dedicated learning and gallery space, the Education Center is poised to meet the growing demand of the AMA’s art camp programs.
The Education Center Gallery capacity is 100. Each classroom can seat 30 people. When not in use, the Education Center will be available for private event rentals.
Lobby and Gift Shop
One you enter the Arlington Museum of Art, you’ll be welcomed by friendly AMA greeters who will assist you with your tickets and direct you to galleries. Directly behind them you’ll find the Gift Shop stocked with brand new AMA merch, books, stickers, gift ideas, exhibition-inspired items, beautifully-crafted pieces by local artists, and more.
Board Room
The Arlington Museum of Art Board of Directors, which meets in the Board Room, is a group of DFW-area community leaders, artists, educators, entrepreneurs, and art enthusiasts.
With a 48-person seating capacity, the Board Room has the flexibility to accommodate a conference table set-up or banquet set-up. The Board Room is available to rent for private events such as retreats, small catered events, business meetings, and more.
We love a sneak peek. So over the next few weeks in our Monday enewsletter, we’ll be sharing floor plans and insights into our emerging spaces. After we do, we’ll be updating this story…. so if you want to be the first to hear the latest, sign up for our enewsletter here: arlingtonmuseum.org/connect
Quick Facts
New Location
Arlington Museum of Art
1200 Ballpark Way
Arlington, TX 76011
Museum Hours starting March 30, 2024
Tuesday-Saturday: 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Sunday: 1 p.m. – 5 p.m.
Monday: Closed
Tickets
Tickets for our exhibitions are only available via our Etix site.
About the Arlington Museum of Art
A thriving visual arts museum in the heart of North Texas, the Arlington Museum of Art is constantly in motion, with ever-changing exhibits and experiences that unite art, technology, innovation, and education.
In keeping with our growing reputation for ground-breaking exhibitions and programming, coupled with our hometown pride, on March 30, 2024, the AMA will open in the heart of Arlington’s Entertainment District. We will serve our community and visitors as a new kind of arts destination, presenting the world’s great masters alongside the very best of contemporary art and evolving genres of experiential art. Our unwavering commitment to fostering creativity, conversation, and connection brings together diverse art, artists, and audiences of all ages, transforming them through the power of art.
