About Meadows School of the Arts
The Meadows School of the Arts celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2019. Formally established at SMU in 1969 and named in honor of benefactor Algur H. Meadows, it is one of the foremost arts education institutions in the United States. The Meadows School offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in advertising, art, art history, arts management and arts entrepreneurship, corporate communication and public affairs, creative computation, dance, film and media arts, journalism, music and theatre. The goal of the Meadows School, as a comprehensive educational institution, is to prepare students to meet the demands of professional careers. The Meadows School is a leader in developing innovative outreach and community engagement programs, challenging its students to make a difference locally and globally by developing connections between art, entrepreneurship and change. Meadows is also a convener for the arts in North Texas, serving as a catalyst for new collaborations and providing critical industry research.
Inspiring spaces for aspiring artists
Composed of three interconnected buildings designed by noted architect George Dahl in the 1960s, the 250,000-square-foot Owen Arts Center is the largest academic building on the SMU campus and a top arts and cultural institution in Dallas.
This first phase the Owen Arts Center renovation will modernize the north wing of the building from Hillcrest Avenue to Bishop Boulevard. Highlights include:
- Nancy C. and Richard R. Rogers Center for Visual Arts: Home to the academic pursuits of art, art history and creative computation, including renovated studios, galleries, classrooms and offices with a new formal entrance on the north side of the building.
- Gene and Jerry Jones Grand Atrium and Plaza: Revamped Bishop Boulevard entrance and glass-enclosed atrium creating ample space in a natural light environment for formal and impromptu performances, concerts and events.
- Sexton Family Courtyard: Lush space along Hillcrest Avenue suitable for performances and gatherings, serving as the west entryway for Greer Garson Theatre and Hamon Arts Library.
- Main Gallery: The original home of the Meadows Museum restored as a gallery to display rotating exhibitions and to serve as an elegant entertainment space, with access to the Dean’s Suite.
- Dean’s Suite: Offices for the Dean of Meadows School of the Arts and key academic leadership prominently located on the first and second floors adjoining the Main Gallery.
- William B. Jordan Gallery: New gallery for student critique sessions, temporary exhibitions and gallery talks named in memory of William B. Jordan, founding director of the Meadows Museum and former chair of the Division of Fine Arts, through a fundraising effort spearheaded by Dr. Jordan’s friends, former students and colleagues.
- Gallery Conference Room: Elegant conference room located next to the Main Gallery and Jordan Gallery used for meetings with distinguished guests of the University and for faculty and student presentations and seminars.
- Studios: Multiple studios specialized for drawing, painting, printmaking, photography and other disciplinary studies located on all four levels, including the newly created, expansive Sexton Family Art Studio and Terrace on the top floor, with accompanying terrace suited for en plein air painting; and on the first floor, a new Foundations Studio for learning the fundamentals of techniques, processes and principles involved in the creation of art.
Sexton Family Creative Computation Suite: Fully equipped technology labs and classrooms for students to explore computing as a creative medium, integrating aesthetic principles and practices from the arts with analytical theories and processes from computer science and engineering.
- Jennifer Burr Altabef Student Lounge: Located on the third floor of the Greer Garson Theatre, an informal space for students to work, study and relax.
- Barbara Thomas Lemmon Art History Suite: Offices for key art history leadership and The Lady Tennyson d’Eyncourt Visual Resources Laboratory.
The transformation ensures the Meadows School’s physical spaces are on par with the academic excellence and artistic creation taking place at the school.
“A modernized Owen Arts Center will showcase our renowned arts and design programs and encourage bold work by faculty and students,” said SMU Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs ad interim Peter K. Moore. “Students learning in this innovative environment will have the potential to redefine creativity and become leaders in emerging areas of artistic expression.”
The reenvisioned and restructured space will amplify the Meadows School’s cutting-edge curriculum and its leadership among university arts programs.
“We aim to create spaces that will inspire and foster creativity, attract current and future generations of artists, and solidify the Meadows School’s place among the city’s top arts and cultural institutions,” said Samuel S. Holland, Algur H. Meadows Dean of the Meadows School.
Inside the Owen Arts Center is a world that transcends conventional boundaries, bridging the classic, contemporary and emerging frontiers. “It’s a place where they’re generating new, energetic and innovative ideas. New ways of seeing the world,” said Caren Prothro, chair of the Owen Arts Center Transformation initiative and member of the SMU Board of Trustees. “The Meadows School is such a dynamic part of SMU’s reputational rise, and I anticipate broad support from alumni and arts enthusiasts everywhere.”