By Satvika Ananth
Staff Writer

The first few weeks of school were filled with exciting opportunities for weekend hi-jinks, but as the stresses of school settle in, students need a way to relax and enjoy weekends without craziness.

Allow me to introduce you to the Dallas Museum of Art, in the Arts District in downtown Dallas.

It’s a grand old place, filled with beautiful art that will take you across the world and across generations. You may have heard of artists like Georgia O’Keefe and Claude Monet, but rather than seeing their art on Google Images or in an art history textbook, try going and seeing them in person once in a while.

The museum is full of delightful pieces from different countries. A long-time favorite is the Asian Art collection, which spans the centuries with its pieces from India, China and Japan, or you can skip across the street and visit the wonderful Crowe Collection of Asian Art museum, which boasts free admission. 

The museum is a great place for a weekend visit, but don’t try to cram it in to a few hours. Allow yourself plenty of time to enjoy the numerous galleries at the DMA.

Kids tend to think of museums as boring and uneventful, but the DMA has taken strides to change that view, with special exhibits like the Bodies exhibit in 2008, and the King Tut exhibit in the summer of 2009.

Current exhibits include All the World’s a Stage, featuring musical instruments from around the world; Private Universes, which includes several media productions; American Art, which is exactly what it sounds like; and Materials and Meanings, a spectacular collection of pieces made from all types of media, including, but not limited to, chocolate.

And if there’s ever a reason to go anywhere, it’s chocolate.