As construction on the Athenaeum continues on the southeast side of campus, the Crow Museum of Asian Art unveiled two new exhibits at their Dallas location. Both exhibits allude to the museum’s budding partnership with UTD and the anticipated satellite museum set to open on campus in fall 2023.

“Cast,” the first exhibit, provides an updated timeline for the Athenaeum, UTD’s future home for the arts on campus. Visitors can look at a 3D rendering of the new building as well as initial mockups of the space and hear from student voices about the building process.

The second exhibit on display at the Crow, titled “Rare Earth,” is a collaboration with UTD’s Department of Geosciences. The exhibit displays ancient Chinese artifacts alongside raw minerals. A stunning silver mirror from the Qing dynasty sits next to an elaborate piece of pure silver, attempting to convey the relationship between art and science.

“As science can enhance our appreciation of beauty, perhaps beauty can lead us to study the wonders beneath the earth as well as in the heavens,” the display’s curators said in a promotional packet.

The impact of the partnership between UTD and the Crow also means that the museum has widened the scope of its collection thanks to a larger network of resources. Currently, visitors can also view a small collection of artifacts from Central America. Director of Operations at the Crow Abraham Carrillo said that their partnership with UTD is the reason the museum has been able to say yes to these types of exhibits.