Enter the “Austin” installation at the Blanton Museum of Art at UT
Visitors will find works by renowned artists such as Ellsworth Kelly, who designed the monumental installation “Austin” at the Blanton Museum of Art.
It does not overwhelm the senses like the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City or the Louvre Museum in Paris.
Nevertheless, the Blanton Museum of Art in Austin is impressive. Three buildings enclose a new courtyard, which is shaded by huge metal petals and invites you to linger in the pleasant coolness.
The art inside is also cool. We have selected 6 things you shouldn’t miss on your first visit to this small palace of art.
1. Stay in Ellsworth Kelly’s chapel-like “Austin”
This groundbreaking work by the late artist Ellsworth Kelly feels like a brighter, friendlier version of Houston’s Rothko Chapel. The white barrel vaults are reminiscent of the Greek islands. The colored glass creates a dance of light that follows the patterns of sunlight – or lack thereof – outside. In a city obsessed with “placemaking,” this building is a distinct place as art.
2. Surround yourself with huge works of art in the museum’s atrium
While the modernized museum complex is careful to draw guests inside, two permanent works of art immediately catch the eye in the main atrium. Teresita Fernández’s “Stacked Waters” wraps the walls of the high-ceilinged room, while Thomas Glassford’s sculpture “Siphonophora,” which reflects the shape of giant sea creatures, hangs above. While this space sometimes fills with chatty people during social events, it can impress even the solo visitor.
3. Galleries specializing in guest exhibitions from all over the world
Downstairs, visitors encounter an L-shaped gallery devoted to temporary exhibitions, often divided into smaller galleries. Recently, it housed room after room of prints for “The Floating World: Masterpieces of Edo Japan from the Worcester Art Museum.” Coming soon is “Native America: In Translation,” which looks at the strange history and recent reclaiming of indigenous culture through the lens of cameras once reserved exclusively for white observers. Upstairs, in a room devoted to newer art, you can currently run your fingers over “Sky Dance Light” by Marie Watt.
4. Extensive American, Latin American and Latino art collections
The Blanton’s strengths include American, Hispanic and Latino art, as well as fine drawings and prints. In fact, the museum has one of the best collections of Latin American art in the country. Other works of art, such as Luis Jiménez’s massive 1989 sculpture “Cruzando El Rio Bravo (Crossing the Border),” come from closer to home and are emotionally moving in a way that never gets boring.
5. Magnificent old masters here in Austin
Acquired in 1999, the Suida Manning Collection gave the Blanton something that experts predicted the fledgling university museum would never get its hands on: genuine Old Masters. And in large numbers. Although the collection included many painters from Genoa, it nevertheless gave the UT institution a status previously unheard of. Fragile prints and drawings complement the paintings and invite a leisurely contemplation. And yet the paintings sometimes have the potential to overwhelm the senses. In a good way.
6. Don’t forget the elegant gift shop
Back in the West Building where you picked up your tickets, there’s one final treat: a museum gift shop unlike any other in Austin. Carefully curated, it’s like a small museum in itself. Looking for a rare gift for your sophisticated loved one, but want to see and touch it before you buy? Head to the quiet Blanton Market. In spring 2025, a bistro owned by Justine will open there and extend into this unique courtyard.
Blanton Museum of Art. 200 E. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., blantonmuseum.org
