It’s hard to imagine a season as robust and exciting as our current one. From Naismith’s 1891 rules of basketball, to stunning masterworks from the collections of UT alumni, to contemporary objects including a whimsical 8 ½ foot milk carton, the Blanton has presented an astounding range of artwork this year. On top of that, we celebrated our 50th anniversary with the launch of a new brand and graphic identity, a successful gala, and Fifty Fest, a community party attended by over 10,000 of our friends. In short, the 2012-2013 season will be hard to top. Thanks to the ingenuity of our director, curators, and educators, however, we are prepared to do just that!

This helmet and a suit of armor on loan from the Met
will be on view as part of the Imperial Augsburg exhibition.
A radically different but equally compelling exhibition, The Nearest Air: A Survey of Works by Waltercio Caldas introduces audiences to the work of one of Brazil’s most important contemporary artists. A collaboration with the Fundação Iberê Camargo, Brazil, the presentation will explore the artist’s production from the 1960s through the present, and his unique position on art and its ethos. Included are sculptures, installations, and drawings that examine the physical qualities of objects and spaces, often challenging the assumptions viewers bring to the act of looking.

Moche stirrup spout bottle
Early Intermediate Period (350-600 CE)
ceramic
Photo by Mark Menjivar
Courtesy Landmarks, The University of Texas at Austin
In February, we will open Between Mountains and Sea: Arts of the Ancient Andes, a selection of exceptional objects from some of the most complex coastal societies of the Ancient Andes. Made over the course of seventeen centuries before the rise of the Inca Empire, the exhibition features woven textiles, modeled ceramic bottles, painted vessels and ceramic effigies that trace the artistic development of the ancient Paracas, Nasca, Wari, Moche, Chancay and Chimú cultures.

Sinibaldo Scorza
Studies of a Greyhound (detail), c. 1607
pen and black and brown inks on cream antique laid paper
6 9/16 x 9 7/16 in.
The Suida-Manning Collection
Beyond these great exhibitions, the Blanton will offer an array of public programs including film screenings, music performances, lectures, our B scene art parties, and even a beer tasting! With Dürer to dogs, and everything in between, the Blanton is a “must-do” for next season. Come for a relaxing moment alone, bring the kids for a family outing, or invite a date for a special night of art and culture. Whatever your need, we’ve got you covered. See you soon!
— Kathleen Brady Stimpert, Director of PR & Marketing at the Blanton Museum of Art
Visit the Upcoming Exhibitions page on the Blanton’s website for updates on what will be on view in our galleries next.