The University of Texas at Dallas has taken major steps toward bringing to life an ambitious 12-acre cultural district — the Edith and Peter O’Donnell Jr. Athenaeum. Upon completion, the multiphase master plan for the new arts and performance complex will include two museums, a performance hall and music building, a grand plaza and a dedicated parking structure on the Richardson campus. UT Dallas leaders held a ribbon-cutting ceremony Wednesday for Phase I of the O’Donnell Athenaeum in celebration of the opening of a second location for the Crow Museum of Asian Art. The Phase I building serves as the anchor museum for what will be known as the UT Dallas Art Museums. Designed by architectural firm Morphosis, the new facility showcases an array of innovative Asian art exhibitions. It also features selections from the Dallas Museum of Art and UT Dallas’ founding families, along with objects from the University’s growing collection of Latin American art and works from renowned Dallas photographer Carolyn Brown. Admission is free, as it is at the Crow Museum’s original downtown location, which will continue its active and vibrant presence on Flora Street in the Dallas Arts District. — Taylor Mayad.