Birth of the Cool B scene: Tonight at the Blanton [Art Preview]

Usher in the summer in style tonight at the Blanton for yet another B scene art party. This month's event marks the final big celebration of the museum's impressive multi-disciplinary Birth of the Cool exhibit. The show covers visual art, architecture, interior design, music, and film from Midcentury Modern masters such as Charles and Ray Eames and Miles Davis. In fact, Austin's own jazz trumpeter Jeff Lofton and his quartet will be performing a Miles Davis Tribute set to get everyone in the mood to be cool. The music for tonight's B scene is being curated by Transmission Entertainment and will also include a set by the Learning Secrets and tunes by DJs Manolo Black and Hobo D.

As always tonight's B scene will feature free appetizers and a cash bar, art activities and tours of the museum's current exhibits. For those who have may already seen the Birth of the Cool exhibit, the Blanton is unveiling a significant piece of conceptual art that is being displayed for the first time in the museum. The piece is titled "Swimmer" and was created in 1975 by Bill Lundberg, who is now a professor at UT. An early piece of video art, "Swimmer" is a perfect fit for our warming climate and the evening's cool event.

B scene beings at 6:00 p.m., admission is $5 for Blanton members and $10 for the general public. Birth of the Cool: California Art, Design, and Culture at Midcentury closes on May 17th. Bill Lundberg's "Swimmer" will be on view in the Blanton's Modern and Contemporary Gallery until August 20th.