The Dallas Museum of Art (DMA) is asking for $85 million in taxpayer funds from the City of Dallas.
DMA representatives delivered a series of updates to the City Council Quality of Life, Arts, and Culture Committee during a Monday meeting, covering increased security measures and personnel additions, along with proposed renovations and expansions that will require additional funding.
While much of this funding will be covered by private donors, DMA Board of Trustees President Gowri Sharma said the organization will ask for the City of Dallas to borrow money on behalf of the museum through the 2024 public improvement bond referendum.
“The DMA will request public bond dollars for critical infrastructure needs of the existing complex, such as electrical, HVAC, security updates, and fire control,” she said, declining to specify how much funding they were asking for until questioned by council members.
“You kind of grazed through what your need’s going to be with the bond,” said Council Member Adam Bazaldua. “There’s no figures that were presented to us.”
Tamara Wootton Forsyth, the deputy director of the DMA, said the organization is in need of $85 million to maintain the museum facilities as they operate today.
Agustín Arteaga, the director of the DMA, said future expansions to the museum are estimated to cost about $190 million, but the museum plans to petition private donors for the remainder of those funds.
“We likely will” ask for $85 million in the public bond election, Arteaga said.
The entire bond capacity is planned to be $1 billion.
“I would like to see there be a bigger push for those private donors to come to the table,” said Bazaldua. “There’s only so much bond capacity.”
Council Member Omar Narvaez referred to the $85 million request as “a pipe dream.”
“Come back with a reasonable number that voters might actually be able to vote yes for,” he said. “$85 million is basically going to be impossible.”
“The voters want their streets, alleys, and sidewalks repaired first,” Narvaez continued, noting that the City has $8 billion in deferred infrastructure maintenance.
Narvaez said he supports allocating funds for arts and culture but emphasized that “one organization cannot suck up all the dollars.”
City Council members have been discussing what spending priorities should be included in next year’s bond, which will raise about $1 billion, despite the City already operating with a $4.5 billion annual budget.
If museum spending were pursued at the proposed level of $85 million, it would take up 8.5% of that $1 billion total.
Infrastructure and transportation improvements are consistently brought up as the most urgent needs in conversations about bond spending priorities.
City of Dallas voters will have the opportunity to weigh in on the municipality’s priorities when the bond election is held in May next year.