Chock full of name brands such as Giacometti, Matisse, Miró, Calder and de Kooning, the Nasher Sculpture Center opened five years ago. Designed by Renzo Piano (quite a label himself), the stunning DMA-adjacent retreat was the dream of the late Patsy and Raymond Nasher, who together amassed a powerhouse collection of modern art and sculpture.

FILE/Staff

Raymond and Patsy Nasher in 1977

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But many of the Nashers' favorite works haven't made it into the center – until now.

To celebrate the museum's five-year anniversary, acting chief curator Jed Morse has assembled more than 100 works, some directly off the walls of the Nasher home, into "The Story of the Nasher Collection: A Tribute to Raymond and Patsy Nasher."

"One of the things that gives us insight is the personal stories behind the collection, what it was like to pursue the works and live with them," says Morse, noting that the couple's daughters, Andrea, Joan and Nancy, were "essential to the exhibition."

In addition to the daughters' stories, he says, "we also have a lot of recorded material of Raymond and Patsy sharing the stories about their friendships with artists like Andy Warhol and Henry Moore and the experience of building the collection. We learn what got them started and their hopes and desires for what the collection might become."

Adding to the celebratory mood, a public anniversary party on Oct. 18 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. will offer free admission, tours and performances by the Arts District Chorale, Dallas Black Dance Theater and Dallas Opera.

"The Story of the Nasher Collection: A Tribute to Raymond and Patsy Nasher," Sept. 30 through Jan. 4; 2001 Flora St., 214-242-5100. nashersculpturecenter.org