Your City. Your Art. Your Museum.

At the Blanton Museum of Art, we’re committed to creating a museum experience that inspires visitors to discover the unexpected about the world and themselves.

Over the past 60 years, the Blanton has emerged as the principal art museum for both the city of Austin and The University of Texas at Austin, with a national reputation for innovative programming and bold leadership.

Our collection includes more than 21,000 artworks, with expertise in Latin American, American, European, and international contemporary art. We present regularly changing installations from the collection, special projects with contemporary artists, dynamic site-specific installations throughout our grounds, and major thematic exhibitions built from our pioneering scholarship and partnerships with museums worldwide.

As part of our commitment to Austin and to helping shape its future, the Blanton offers education and community programs that gather and connect people, represent diverse perspectives and  experiences, deepen learning and understanding, and bring joy.

 

Our Core Values

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We believe in the power and promise of art: it connects, challenges, and inspires us.

We put people first, by representing a variety of perspectives and experiences; by being welcoming, down-to-earth, kind, and collaborative; and by being here for our communities and thankful for them.

We champion learning, by supporting UT’s mission to expand knowledge and human understanding; by making learning fun and accessible; and by being curious and creative thinkers.

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We aim high, doing our part to shape Austin’s future; striving to break new ground and impact the world; and working to be proactive, rigorous, and resourceful.

Our History

1963

Archer M. Huntington and his wife, sculptor Anna Hyatt Huntington
Archer M. Huntington and his wife, sculptor Anna Hyatt Huntington

The University Art Museum opens at The University of Texas at Austin, thanks to a generous gift philanthropist Archer M. Huntington made in the 1920s that eventually led to the establishment of the museum. Proceeds from the sale of his donated land and related income created an endowment that still provides essential funding for the museum.

1965-1985

Lafayette Maynard Dixon, 'Top of the Ridge,' 1933, oil on canvas, 45 in. x 57 1/4 in., Blanton Museum of Art, The University of Texas at Austin, Gift of C.R. Smith, 1976
Lafayette Maynard Dixon, ‘Top of the Ridge,’ 1933, oil on canvas, 45 in. x 57 1/4 in., Blanton Museum of Art, The University of Texas at Austin, Gift of C.R. Smith, 1976

Distinguished UT alumnus C.R. Smith donates 91 works, the C.R. Smith Collection of Western American Art, to the museum.

1968-1991

Mari Sabasawa Michener visiting the Huntington gallery with her husband, James A. Michener. Photo taken circa. mid-1970s.
Mari Sabasawa Michener visiting the Huntington gallery with her husband, James A. Michener. Photo taken circa. mid-1970s.

A transformative gift of almost 300 20th-century American paintings from the novelist James A. Michener and his wife, Mari, significantly expands the collection.

1971

Alejandro Obregón, 'Isla coseajo [Coseajo Island],' 1964, oil on canvas, 33 7/16 × 39 9/16 in., Blanton Museum of Art, The University of Texas at Austin, Gift of Barbara Duncan
Alejandro Obregón, ‘Isla coseajo [Coseajo Island],’ 1964, oil on canvas, 33 7/16 × 39 9/16 in., Blanton Museum of Art, The University of Texas at Austin, Gift of Barbara Duncan

Pioneering collectors of Latin American art, Barbara and John Duncan, donate a transformative gift of 95 paintings and 227 works on paper to the museum, furthering this important programmatic focus, which the museum had a long history of supporting.

1977

The Blanton launches a multiple-visit arts education program for local 4th and 5th grade students — one of the first of its kind in the country.

Learn at the Blanton

1988

View of Jeffrey Gibson: This Is the Day at the Blanton Museum of Art, The University of Texas at Austin, July 14, 2019–September 29, 2019
View of Jeffrey Gibson: This Is the Day at the Blanton Museum of Art, The University of Texas at Austin, July 14, 2019–September 29, 2019

The Blanton establishes the first Latin American art curatorship in the U.S.; the museum has since become renowned for its art from the region.

https://blanton.emuseum.com/collections

1998

Simon Vouet, 'Saint Cecilia,' circa 1626, Oil on canvas, 52 13/16 x 38 11/16 in., Blanton Museum of Art, The University of Texas at Austin, The Suida-Manning Collection, 2017
Simon Vouet, ‘Saint Cecilia,’ circa 1626, Oil on canvas, 52 13/16 x 38 11/16 in., Blanton Museum of Art, The University of Texas at Austin, The Suida-Manning Collection, 2017

The acquisition of the Suida-Manning Collection brings more than 700 Old Master paintings and drawings to central Texas, elevating the stature of the Blanton’s European art collection. This same year, the Archer M. Huntington Art Gallery was officially renamed the Jack S. Blanton Museum of Art in honor of former UT Regent Jack S. Blanton.

2006

The Blanton Museum of Art opens its current complex, the first permanent home for the museum’s collection. In the first year after opening, 130,000 people visit.

2009

Teresita Fernández, 'Stacked Waters,' 2009, cast acrylic, 240 × 795 × 561 in., commissioned by the Blanton Museum of Art through the generosity of Jeanne and Michael Klein, 2008
Teresita Fernández, ‘Stacked Waters,’ 2009, cast acrylic, 240 × 795 × 561 in., commissioned by the Blanton Museum of Art through the generosity of Jeanne and Michael Klein, 2008

The museum unveils Stacked Waters in its Rapoport Atrium. The large, site-specific installation by Teresita Fernández is now iconic and synonymous with the Blanton.

Watch: A Deep Dive into ‘Stacked Waters’

2013

The Blanton celebrates its 50th anniversary with Through the Eyes of Texas: Masterworks from Alumni Collections, a special exhibition of extraordinary objects from the collections of UT alumni.

View Exhibition

2014-2019

Charles and Judy Tate
Charles and Judy Tate

The Blanton expands its Latin American program. Highlights include a gift of 120 modern and contemporary Latin American artworks from Judy and Charles Tate and the creation of an endowed curatorial position devoted to art of the Spanish Americas, funded by the Carl & Marilynn Thoma Foundation.

Learn More

2017

The first Blanton Block Party commemorates the reinstallation of the museum galleries and becomes an annual day-to-night community festival.

Blanton All Day

2018

Austin by Ellsworth Kelly, the only building designed by the renowned American artist, opens to the public as part of the Blanton’s permanent collection. That year, the Blanton welcomes 200,000 annual visitors for the first time, distinguishing itself as the art museum for the city of Austin.

Learn More

2023

The Blanton’s reimagined grounds  open to the public. The almost 200,000 square feet of redesigned public outdoor space include architectural features designed by award-winning firm Snøhetta, large-scale artworks, the Moody Patio and the Butler Sound Gallery. That same year, public programs like Blanton All Day and Blanton Live: Conversations for Now are launched.

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How can you help the Blanton bring the power and promise of art to Austin? We’re glad you asked.

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