What does DMA stand for?
| Full form | Dallas Museum of Art |
|---|---|
| Category | Arts & entertainment |
| Type | Initialism |
The initialism DMA stands for Dallas Museum of Art in museum and arts references. It identifies the Dallas institution, rather than a particular exhibition or artwork.
An institution name helps identify a collection credit or museum page, while an artwork title, exhibition and visit date remain separate details. The museum’s own timeline also distinguishes its organizational roots, adoption of the present name and opening of a building. The 1984 name-change entry does not give an exact day for the change; January 29, 1984 specifically dates the public opening of the building.
Meaning in context
- Dallas
- The place word in the institution’s name.
- Museum of Art
- The institutional wording; an artwork or exhibition needs its own title.
Practical examples
Read a credit
- Before
DMA is the title of the artwork in this collection credit.
- After
DMA expands to Dallas Museum of Art; identify the artwork from its own title and credit information.
Institution and work are different parts of a reference.
Read the timeline precisely
- Before
January 29, 1984 must be the exact day the museum adopted its name.
- After
The timeline dates the building’s public opening to January 29, 1984, and gives 1984 for the name change.
Do not transfer the precision of one event to another.
Original illustrative examples, not quotations or reports of actual events.
Use DMA with clarity
Does a date in the DMA timeline refer to the organization, its name or the building?
See all guidance
Expand the museum name
Use the full institutional name on first mention.
Dallas Museum of Art (DMA) is the institution named.
Identify an artwork
Retain its title and the actual credit line.
The museum name does not supply the work’s title.
Read a historical date
Keep the date with the event actually described.
A building opening and a naming event are separate milestones.
Read the event label before deciding whether its date has year or day precision.
Documented origin and history
The museum’s own history separates the Dallas Art Association’s 1903 founding from the present museum name and the 1984 building opening.
The name change is given as a year, without an exact day. The building-opening day must not be reused as the naming date or first use of DMA.
Dallas Art Association founded
1984Present museum name
Building opened to the public
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By AcronymIndex Editorial Team · Editorial policy