So far, the King Tut exhibit at the Dallas Museum of Art has drawn 270,000 in the first three months of its eight-month run — sounds like pretty good business, huh? Apparently, though, the crowds may not be enough to keep the DMA from losing money on the show, according to a DMN story.

The DMA is blaming the economic slowdown for what appears to be lower-than-expected attendance (so far, the crowds have averaged 90,000 per month and would need to average 140,000 per month for the remaining run to meet goal). I haven’t seen the show, but I’ve read mixed reviews: Some people absolutely love the show, while others are complaining it costs too much and shows too little (read the DMN comments at the end of the story for a sampling of what people are saying).

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The News story raises an interesting question, too: If the DMA loses money on the exhibit, will the city of Dallas have to underwrite the loss? No, according to the city’s director of cultural affairs — the city’s not a party to the contract. And both the DMA director and the Dallas Convention Center president say there’s plenty of time to turn the attendance shortfall around.