Letting Go is Love

Yesterday at 3 pm a media flurry launched with new news about the Crow Museum of Asian Art and The University of Texas at Dallas. For me, it was a much anticipated announcement after 14 months of hard work.

Just over a year ago we began talking with the University of Texas at Dallas about a possible union: Asian Art to the University in trade for perpetual care and support to a museum needing an evergreen future. We maximized our resources to a greater good. For those of you who have asked, this is very good news, and I am truly thrilled. Our region celebrates one museum in two locations: one one Flora and one to come on the campus of UT Dallas.

Here are four things this "acquisition" brings the Crow Museum of Asian Art:

1. Room to Grow: we called ourself a museum without walls because we've always lived beyond them: in vision, in practice and in heart. UT Dallas has space and vision.

2. Auditorium: At least weekly I am contacted by a member of the Asian-American Community asking about opportunities to present dance, theater and the cultures of Asia. That mean's I've said no 52 times a year for 20 years. I'm sure I am exaggerating, but the point is, now I can begin saying yes. UT Dallas has beautiful auditoriums.

3. Students: 24,000 to be exact-ish. I've longed for a University partner. We are an internationally-minded museum. Universities are too. We will bring the world to Dallas together. And Dallas to the world. Through research of the collection (and beyond) offering new contexts for how art is among the greatest human commonalities. Art and Academia are nothing less than Double Happiness.

4. Forever: Trammell Crow had a practice of planting saplings: little baby trees that he knew would grow far into the future offering shade he would never experience. We were this. The family nourished us with spectacular generosity. We invited others to our "Community Garden": Asian-American Leaders, friends and Asian Art Enthusiasts. Our Garden Grew. UT Dallas is the Future: blazing trails in STEM and rivaling CalTech and MIT. Universities are forever and now we are too.

This was an idea that felt impossible at times. Some days I felt like I was working two jobs: missing basketball games and spring break to push these two comets together. I had tremendous support from Trammell S. and my new mentor at UT Dallas, Dr. Hobson Wildenthal. I am learning that when you let go for big futures, you find that you have exactly what you need.

And the lessons in non-attachment! When you're working with new partners and going for big vision you have to be prepared to see their vision, too. The Tibetan Mandala has taught me a few things over the years and inside of this immense change, we may feel like we're being swept up, but truly we are the sand. We will form again in a different way, but the DNA of our museum: compassionate, inclusive and accessible will always be there. I'll write more about this but for now please know that all is well, very well. The future is bright.