Shaping the Future: Transformative Gifts to the Blanton Collection celebrates gifts of art from donors whose works strategically strengthen and elevate the museum’s collection. The art ranges from historic to contemporary and spans paintings, sculpture, photography, prints, and drawings. These gifts play an essential role in enriching the museum’s collection, which is critical to our mission of preserving, interpreting, and contextualizing art, and our belief that art helps us better understand ourselves and the world around us. 

In 2017, we launched an ambitious campaign to build a museum that stood out at The University of Texas at Austin, in the city, and in the art world.  We wanted to reimagine our grounds to create a vibrant gateway and gathering place.  We wanted to develop a program of must-see exhibitions.  And we wanted to continue to build our collection of art in meaningful ways.  

This exhibition recognizes the transformative gifts of art that have redefined the Blanton through this campaign. It is a recognition of the people—the collectors, the gallerists, and even the artists themselves—who support the Blanton’s commitment to expanding access and inspiring audiences. It is also a celebration of the voices and histories embodied in the works of art that sparked a sense of connection with the people who acquired them. Each artwork in this show ultimately tells two stories: through the artist’s lens, we see the lasting impact of creative expression, and through the collector’s story, we witness a group of remarkable people who have chosen to help shape the future of our community.

The 2027 Blanton Gala on Saturday, March 6, 2027, will serve as the preview of Shaping the Future; the exhibition will open to the public on March 14, 2027.  Shaping the Future will have complementary projects on view in our permanent collection galleries, including in our Paper Vault galleries (Shaping the Paper—title pending), which celebrates additional gifts of works on paper.

Organized by Simone Jamille Wicha, Director, and Carter Foster, Chief Curator and Deputy Director of Collections; with the support of the curatorial team at the Blanton Museum of Art, as well as the collections and development teams. 

Diego Rivera, Pico con naranja [Pico with Orange], 1925, oil on canvas, 26 3/4 x 22 in., © 2024 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York 

Diego Rivera, Pico con naranja [Pico with Orange], 1925, oil on canvas, 26 3/4 x 22 in., Blanton Museum of Art, The University of Texas at Austin, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Joe R. Long, Austin, Texas, 2019 (photo: © 2025 Banco de México Diego Rivera Frida Kahlo Museums Trust, Mexico, CDMX / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York) 

Ellsworth Kelly, Green Blue Black, 1963, acrylic on canvas, 97 x 144 in., © The Ellsworth Kelly Foundation 

Ellsworth Kelly, Green Blue Black, 1963, acrylic on canvas, 97 × 144 in., Blanton Museum of Art, The University of  Texas at Austin, Gift of Jack Shear and Ellsworth Kelly Studio, 2022, © The Ellsworth Kelly Foundation 

Roberto Matta, Composition, 1950s, oil on canvas, 35 13/16 x 4, Blanton Museum of Art, The University of Texas at Austin, Promised gift of Judy S. and Charles W. Tate (photo: © 2025 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / ADAGP, Paris)

Roberto Matta, Composition, 1950s, oil on canvas, 35 13/16 x 44 1/2 in., Blanton Museum of Art, The University of Texas at Austin, Promised gift of Judy S. and Charles W. Tate (photo: © 2025 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / ADAGP, Paris)

John Singer Sargent, The Countess of Essex, 1906–1907, oil on canvas, 49 1/2 x 36 1/4 in.

John Singer Sargent, The Countess of Essex, 1906–07, oil on canvas, 49 1/2 x 36 1/4 in., Blanton Museum of Art, The University of Texas at Austin, Promised gift of Kathryn Ketelsen