Dallas Museum of Art

Introduction

The Dallas Museum of Art (DMA) is located in the Dallas Arts District and traces its history to the founding of the Dallas Art Association in 1903. Its global collection includes more than 25,000 works spanning roughly 5,000 years, with holdings in ancient, Asian, European, American, Indigenous American, Islamic, and contemporary art.

Art and Artists

The current assessment reflects relatively substantial Jewish and Israeli representation. Exhibitions with Jewish representation have included X Marks the Spot (2026); Focus On: Alex Katz (2017); and Passages in Modern Art: 1946 – 1996 (2016).

A notable positive is provenance. DMA has conducted Nazi-era provenance research since 2000 under American Alliance of Museums (AAM) and Association of Art Museum Directors (AAMD) standards and publicly identifies European paintings with gaps in their provenance during the 1933–45 period. Because DMA is evaluated on the contemporary-museum track, that work is recognized as a bonus rather than as a standard provenance criterion.

Policies

Visitors can reach the museum through a general information email, but the research did not identify a dedicated public reporting mechanism for bias or discrimination. However, the DMA’s employee handbook includes detailed information on reporting claims of discrimination among staff. Reported complaints are investigated and recommended for disciplinary action, up to and including termination.

The DMA assigns mandatory annual anti-discrimination training that is generally applicable to all situations of discrimination. These mandatory HR-issued training modules have covered topics including, but not limited to: DMA Code of Ethics, Empowering Disability Inclusion, Inclusion & Equity, Cultivating a Culture of Belonging, Anti-Harassment, and Understanding Microaggressions, among others.

In addition, the DMA prohibits staff from wearing clothing with political expressions to work. The DMA also bars the use of the name of the Museum in the conduct of political activities, as well as the portrayal of the institution as a sponsor of any political activities or leanings. Furthermore, the DMA Code of Ethics precludes staff from using or taking advantage of their museum affiliation to support political or social causes and the organizations that represent them.

No public policy was found that explicitly prohibits antisemitism.

Community Engagement and Programming

The assessment identified meaningful and, in several cases, sustained Jewish institutional partnerships, as well as substantive educational programming engaging Jewish history, culture, religion, and identity. Institutional relationships include Temple Emanu-El in Dallas, the Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum, the National Council of Jewish Women Greater Dallas, the Jewish Museum, and the Israel Museum. The DMA has also presented a range of relevant educational and public programs, including Arts & Letters Live events with authors addressing Jewish history, culture, and identity; a Chagall: Art and Religion lecture featuring Rabbi David Stern of Temple Emanu-El; a reading of H. Leivick’s The Golem in partnership with Undermain Theatre; and an artist lecture by Clyde Connell concerning her work at Golden Acres, The Dallas Home for the Jewish Aged.

The DMA recognizes several other heritage months but has historically not recognized Jewish American Heritage Month.

Bottom Line

DMA has a strong record of engaging Jewish history, culture, and community, and it can further strengthen this work by formally recognizing Jewish American Heritage Month and explicitly prohibiting antisemitism in its institutional policies.