Forbes is the magazine that annually assesses the value of professional sports franchises, and at the moment, the Dallas Cowboys are No. 1, at $4.2 billion. But now, Forbes has turned its attention in a different direction — the arts.
“In the Texas culture, Dallas has been investing heavily in making the city a Southwest hub for art, architecture and modern museums, doing so by hiring some of the best architects in the world: Renzo Piano did the Nasher Sculpture Center, Thom Mayne did the Perot Museum of Nature and Science, Robert A.M. Stern the George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum, and Naud Burnett Landscape Architects just did a unique addition to the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden called A Tasteful Place, a $12 million, 3.5-acre ornamental garden, pavilion and kitchen, along with the Margaret and Jay Simmons Lagoon.”
“Also new to the city’s cultural landscape is the Texas Sculpture Walk in the downtown Dallas Arts District, said to be the largest contiguous urban arts district in the nation. More than 20 works by prominent Texas artists were installed along the walkway from the private collection of Craig and Kathryn Hall, whose 18-story, LEED Gold Certified KPMG Plaza at Hall Arts opened three years ago, done by architectural firm HKS Inc. The 50,000-square-feet property also includes the city’s most acclaimed new restaurant, Stephan Pyles’ Flora Street Café, and the Asian fusion concept Musumé.”
“Houston still likes to brag about its size and Lone Star heritage, and Austin promotes its music and hipsterism. But as Dallas keeps building outward and upward during the current economic boom, the smart money is on the arts and culture for the long run.”
