Meadows Museum, Bechtler, DMA, and Crystal Bridges Announce Major Acquisitions
Christina and Robert Tonti donated 40 pieces of art to the Meadows Museum at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, featuring the museum's inaugural Picasso drawing, Tête de femme (1963). Several of these artworks are currently displayed in the exhibit Picasso Beyond the Canvas, which runs until January 24, 2027. The collection also encompasses four first edition prints from Francisco de Goya’s Follies (1824) and works by Eduardo Chillida. Meanwhile, 33 pieces by Jasper Johns are set to be transferred to the J.S. Bridwell Library at SMU. Additionally, on August 24, the Bechtler Museum in Charlotte acquired David McGee’s Drum Call (2025), followed by the Dallas Museum of Art's purchase of Shuling Guo’s Pelvis (2025) on September 21, and Crystal Bridges Museum's acquisition of Natasha Bowdoin’s Seedling (2025-2026) on September 12.
Key facts
- The Meadows Museum at SMU received a gift of 40 artworks from the family of Christina and Robert Tonti.
- The gift includes a drawing, linocut, and 15 ceramic pieces by Pablo Picasso, with Tête de femme (1963) being the first Picasso drawing in the museum’s collection.
- Works by Francisco de Goya and Eduardo Chillida are also part of the gift, including Chillida’s complete set of 16 woodcuts from Beyond (Más allá) (1973).
- 33 works on paper by Jasper Johns were donated to the J.S. Bridwell Library at SMU’s Perkins School of Theology.
- The Bechtler Museum of Modern Art purchased David McGee’s Drum Call (2025) on August 24, marking the museum’s second-ever purchase.
- The Dallas Museum of Art acquired Shuling Guo’s Pelvis (2025) during the inaugural Untitled Art, Houston fair in 2025.
- Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art acquired Natasha Bowdoin’s Seedling (2025-2026) for its entrance roundabout.
- Bowdoin’s first large-scale outdoor sculpture, Seedling, was announced by Talley Dunn Gallery on September 12.
Entities
Artists
- Pablo Picasso
- Francisco de Goya
- Eduardo Chillida
- Jasper Johns
- David McGee
- Shuling Guo
- Natasha Bowdoin
- Christina Tonti
- Robert Tonti
- Anthony Elia
- Todd D. Smith
Institutions
- Meadows Museum
- Southern Methodist University
- J.S. Bridwell Library
- SMU Perkins School of Theology
- Bechtler Museum of Modern Art
- Laura (the gallery)
- Dallas Museum of Art
- Untitled Art, Houston
- Hotel Lucine
- Talley Dunn Gallery
- Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art
- Moody Center for the Arts
- Rice University
- Anderson Biology Building
- Christie’s
- Glasstire
Locations
- Dallas
- United States
- Houston
- Texas
- Arkansas
- North Carolina
- Charlotte
- Bentonville
- Philadelphia
- Galveston
- Spain