Blanton Museum of Art: A New Era for Austin?
It’s raining culture on San Jacinto Boulevard.
Austinist was given a special tour of the new Blanton Museum of Art last Tuesday, much to the delight of our journalistic ego. We even got a press pass. And, let us tell you, fellow Austinites – this one’s a winner. Our only complaint is that, with so much to see inside, it may prove a little overwhelming for those of lesser stamina.
By our "skilled" estimation, former Texas Lt. Governor Bob Bullock is turning in his grave at this very moment. Located across street from the museum bearing his namesake – not much more than a modern Pharaoh’s pyramid, a monument to Bullock’s various achievements in life – the Blanton sits in stoic derision to cowboy artifact exhibits and IMAX films flung to those surly masses so easily placated. Blanton is actually a “museum,” in other words. It’s a world-class experience.
The grand opening of the new Blanton Museum begins this weekend with a 24-hour, hedonistic affair, and not a moment too soon, gentle readers. You’ll see us there front and center, imbibing strong drink, sampling hors d’oeuvres, making loud claims about the future of the minimalist approach, and savoring the beautiful art on display. For years, Austin has been in need of a flagship museum, a focal point for artistic endeavor and achievement that can be tied to our city’s culture. At long last it seems we may have a legitimate art museum in our midst.
Boasting a permanent collection of over 17,000 works of art (and growing), and planning to serve as a global magnet for touring art exhibitions, the new Blanton Museum seems to have massive potential, both for the UT art program and for Austin as a whole. While the Blanton’s impact on Austin may be hard to predict, one fact is certain: This museum has more than enough material to work with.
True, the external appearance of the building may be a tad lacking in much unique flavor or style (its earthy tones blend with the looming Jester Center a little too well), but don’t let yourself be fooled – there are new, progressive advances being made inside this giant limestone rectangle that everyone should see. Upon entering the building, one is blinded by the gleaming, white walls and spacious design, and there’s a blast of cooled, dry air that reminds you of field trips back in elementary school. But it's only the beginning.
The interior layout of the museum is highly innovative, with the various galleries organized in new ways never before attempted in a major museum. The largest galleries include:
- “America/Americas” – For the first time, this gallery integrates the Blanton’s Latin American and American works of art in a comprehensive, permanent installation, blurring the artificial boundaries between North and South American contemporary art and revealing their common influences.
- “European Paintings, Prints and Drawings from the Permanent Collection” – Introduces one of the most significant presentations of European art in the country. Includes the Suida-Manning Collection of paintings and drawings, the Leo Steinberg Collection of prints, and 7,000 more prints from the museum’s permanent collection.
- “Workspace Exhibition Series” – Workspace will showcase developments in the work of emerging contemporary artists. This series of ongoing temporary exhibition projects is designed to be as flexible and open-ended as possible. In essence, this is a small space set aside in which artists can experiment with new forms, test new concepts, and show work that has never before been seen publicly. Exhibits rotate every 8 weeks.
Perhaps most enticing about the Blanton is that it’ll be showing a huge amount of art that few people have ever seen before. Since 1963, they've maintained a steadily increasing collection of works by a wide variety of artists. Most of these works have never been seen by the public. With a new, larger building at its disposal, the Blanton now has the means to put this behemoth collection on full display.
With a subtle mixture of the classical and the contemporary, both in its exhibitions and its overall design, we’re pretty sure that the Blanton Museum of Art may well turn out to be a big hit with Texans. But, of course, that all depends on a few things. Does your soul thirst for the truth and simple beauty of classical European forms? Do you often dream of yielding your body to the sensory throes of artistic decadence? Do you wish you could not only read about cutting-edge developments in the arena of contemporary art, but also witness them take shape? The Blanton has just what you’re looking for, and then some.
*Banner image courtesy of Matt Wright. All other images courtesy of the Blanton Museum (http://www.blantonmuseum.org/).
