Vibrant rays of sunshine gleam through the tinted glass, beautiful works of art sit still amongst crowds of fascinated people, and whispers of amazement come from a nearby room.
The Blanton Museum of Art at the University of Texas at Austin is one of the largest university art museums in the United States of America. The museum dedicates 189,340 square feet to permanent, temporary, and interactive exhibitions from across the ages. From immersive sonic landscapes to plaster casts of ancient Greek statues, you’ll surely find yourself in awe no matter where you look.
The museum doesn’t just housing art exhibitions, it also contains classrooms, study halls, a cafe, an auditorium, and a gift shop for the students of the University of Texas at Austin and the general public that pays for admission.
Established in 1963, the museum has created a ripple effect for creativity amongst the imaginative minds of the community of Austin. The Blanton Museum is located at 200 East Martin Luther King Junior Boulevard.
This museum is the perfect place to explore with friends and family, take pictures for an Instagram post, and break away from the hectic pace of the city. Although the drive downtown is daunting, the venture is worth it, as the museum has four-out-of-five stars according to Google Reviews and was voted the best museum in The Austin Chronicle.
To enter, you can purchase tickets at the museum’s front desk or ahead of time at blantonmuseum.org. The entree fee for adults is $15, $12 for seniors, $8 for youth, and free for children under five years old and active teachers. All visitors get free admission every Tuesday because of the Moody Family Free Day Endowment.
In regards to parking, the museum is conveniently adjacent to the Brazos Garage. The fee is $4 per hour and it’s best to get there early for a guaranteed parking spot.
I was starstruck when I went to the museum on a Sunday afternoon. I was intimidated by the crowd the people lined up at the front desk, however, everyone dispersed throughout the thousands of square feet of the museum which made it feel less busy.
The museum temporarily showcases eight exhibitions made by artists worldwide. Aside from the temporary art, the Blanton Museum holds seventeen permanent installations. The first temporary exhibit I came across was “The Floating World: Masterpieces of Edo Japan” from the Worcester Art Museum. This collection of pieces was unique because it highlighted the history and artistry of Japan after its centuries of foreign conflict.
At the showcase, you’re in a room with multiple walls that display a variety of woodblock prints and painted scrolls. Although the exhibition’s pieces are for looking rather than touching, it’s interesting to physically see the lifestyle of the urban world and its connection to samurais, geisha, and kabuki actors in palaces, landscapes, and boats.
I rate this exhibition five-out-of-five stars. I loved the variety of pieces, how the museum included education context beside every display, and the excess space used to make sure the room didn’t get crowded.
The next collection I visited was “Meet Melecio Galván: The Secret Artist and His Mexican Contemporaries”; it pleasantly surprised me. This display has multiple jaw-dropping Mexican contemporary pieces that you won’t find anywhere else.
In this room, you’re surrounded by over forty of Galván’s drawings. The pieces portray scenes of maternal love, men riding horses, and groups of violinists.
I rate this exhibit four-out-of-five stars. The designs are thought-provoking, eccentric, and unique, however, the lighting in the room made the visuals difficult to see.
The last exhibit I visited was “Austin” by Ellsworth Kelly. This design is an installation outside the museum’s courtyard. I loved this architecture because of the unique design and Kelly’s incorporation of tinted glass.
At this exhibition, you’ll walk into a white building with different designs of tinted glass that create a rainbow of light on the inside of the design. Kelly gifted this design concept to the Blanton Museum as a tribute to his seven decades dedicated to the arts.
I rate Kelly’s exhibit five-out-of-five stars because it allows visitors to walk into the artist’s design and is the perfect spot to get an iconic picture of one of the most well-known structures in downtown Austin.
All-in-all, I would rate my entire experience at the Blanton Museum five-out-five stars. The facility was equipped for people of all ages and backgrounds and each exhibit was nothing like the next.
I highly recommend that you check out this Austin hot-spot for yourself. The museum creates a safe space for everyone to explore art from around the world, the immersive exhibits are like no other, and there are many picture-perfect spots all around the facility.
