The Dallas Museum of Art (DMA) Archives collects, preserves, and provides access to materials of enduring historical and research value. The DMA Archives consists of Museum archives that document the activities and operations of the DMA, as well as special collections related to the Dallas arts community, museum collections, and curatorial research. Collections include documents, photography, and graphic materials in physical and digital format; Museum publications; audiovisual resources; oral histories, and artifacts. 

The Museum's archives, also called institutional records, are physical documents or digital files created or received by Museum staff in the course of official business. The DMA Archives has records from all Museum departments, including the Director’s Office, Curatorial, Exhibitions and Interpretation, Education, and Marketing and Communication. The archives are classified by department. 

Special collections are materials created by individuals, groups, or organizations outside the DMA that contain information on the Dallas art community, such as the David and Norma McManaway Papers or Photographs Do Not Bend (PDNB) Gallery Records, or that directly relate to the DMA's collection, such as the John and Nora Wise Papers or Inge Asenbaum Collection. 

The DMA Archives collections document exhibitions held by the Dallas Museum of Art and Dallas Museum for Contemporary Arts (DMCA) from 1903 to the present. Documentation includes basic information, publications, installation views, records (checklists, correspondence, marketing and communications, planning and research), ephemera (brochures, flyers, invitations, tickets), and other photography.  

View Past Exhibition Information

• Browse DMA exhibition history list by year
• Browse DMCA exhibition history list by year
• Digitized past exhibition materials are also available through the Portal to Texas History. 

• Alphabetical list by artist with exhibition(s) referenced (PDF)
• Chronological list of exhibitions with artists referenced (PDF)

With so many incredible lectures, presentations, gallery talks, and interviews occurring at the DMA over the last four decades, the Museum is committed to preserving these moments for the enrichment of future generations. Browse available recordings below.

• Artist Talks – Distinguished artists discuss their work.
• Gallery Talks – Informal discussions are given by DMA staff, artists, and local scholars about the Museum's collection and exhibitions.
• State of the Arts – Dallas's key artistic leaders and special guests engage in thought-provoking conversations about the arts and the cultural landscape of the Metroplex. Presented in partnership with KERA's Art & Seek.
• Boshell Family Lecture Series – Internationally recognized archaeologists, historians, and authors working at the forefront of archaeological research are featured.
• Richard R. Brettell Lecture Series – Notable scholars of 19th- and 20th-century European art present new research and fresh interpretations of the Museum's modern masterworks.
• Michael L. Rosenberg Lectures – A scholar or curator comes to Dallas each year to discuss works of art in the Michael L. Rosenberg Collection, a distinguished group of 18th-century French paintings and sculptures.
• Exhibitions and Other Lectures – Curators, scholars, and special guests offer insight into special exhibitions and the DMA's collection.

The DMA Archives offers reference services for its collections and Museum history to researchers and the public. In-person research is available by advance appointment; regular hours for appointments are Tuesday–Thursday, 11:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Please email your reference requests to archives@dma.org and include your question, description of your project, and any materials you are interested in viewing (if applicable). 

Archival materials are noncirculating and must be used in the archives or other area authorized by the archivist and under the supervision of archives or library staff. To protect and ensure the continued accessibility of the collections, all archival materials must be used in accordance with the usage guidelines and as directed by archives or library staff.  

The DMA Archives seeks to make its collections available for research use to the fullest extent, although there may be legal, preservation, policy, or other obligation to restrict access to some information, collections, or parts of collections. Access information is noted in the finding aid. 

See the DMA Archives Access and Use Policy for more information on using the archives and publishing archival materials.