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The Blanton Museum of Art
Rating Details »
Neighborhood: University of Texas
Martin Luther King at Congress
Austin, TX 78701
(512) 471-7324
Martin Luther King at Congress
Austin, TX 78701
(512) 471-7324
B Scene
Every first Friday of the month be seen at B Scene! Enjoy appetizers, live music, a cash bar, tours, and more!
- Hours:
Tue-Fri. 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Sat. 11:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Sun. 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
38 reviews for The Blanton Museum of Art
B Scene: August 7, 2009.
Only in Austin. The first Friday of every month at the Blanton Museum.
How cool is it when you go to a museum where the atmosphere is usually austere and you find a cash bar, free appetizers, performance art, personalized and guided tours of the exhibits for ten bucks?
Then, after taking a personalized tour during which a free exchange of thoughts about the exhibits occur with the docent, you walk back from the statuary, exhibits, and art work to the landing above the vestibule, portico, atrium (whatever you wanna call it) and down below the size of the crowd has grown. There's a DJ spinning house tunes and people are breaking into impromptu dance.
A couple of people have laid out a blanket and set up lawn chairs and they are bouncing around a beach ball. Yeah, in an art museum! And nobody's having a coronary! How cool is that?
People are milling about, talking, drinking...some drinking very much, but no matter, eating, looking at art, talking about art, or not. But it's all good!
There is no pressure to do anything. See what you want. Lounge where you want. It's a cool event. I definitely plan on going back next month and beyond.
Love the space. I always feel like I've travelled to a large urban city (like Chicago, perhaps) when I walk through the door.
Huge and bright and airy. I want to breathe the air more deeply when I'm there. Perhaps the modern art makes me hyperventilate---but in a good way.
I take my kids here on Thursdays since it's free. It's much more child-friendly than one might think. We go here for me (to get my modern art fix) but they always find something cool to look at.
They have laid on the floor to better view mobiles hanging from the ceiling and played with the art toys the museum leaves out in that corner computer room upstairs. They have also run their fingers through the pennies in the exhibit with the black gauze and bones. They once even sat quietly!! with their friends!! and watched a silent film that showed factory workers building and packaging light bulbs. They were all captivated.
The museum also offers various educational tours for kids. I have booked a couple of them for a homeschooling group. They were OK. They could be much better if they incorporated actual art making at the end of the tour. The occasional family events they have here can be quite fun and educational. Kudos to Blanton for the awesome Japanese event last year! Perhaps with their new building open , Blanton will be ready to start up a new and exciting kids' program as well??!?!
Pretty please.
Just when I thought Austin didn't have any real museums, I visited the Blanton to check out the Birth of the Cool exhibit, and I have to say it is a lovely museum with a really diverse art collection. I honestly thought I would have to travel all the way to Houston or Dallas to get my museum fix, but gladly I was wrong. The Blanton was a pleasant surprise.
Let me start off by saying that I like free things. I especially like free things that are fabulous. The Blanton has FREE admission every single Thursday! And it's fabulous! Gotta love that. Parking is easy and convenient at the Brazos garage, and only costs $3. The folks working at the museum were really nice and knowledgeable, although I did find it a little odd that I had to stash my purse in a locker while I was walking around (but it WAS free).
The entire first level of the museum was taken up by the Birth of the Cool exhibit, which showcases the art, architecture, music, style, and design of 1950s - 60s California. It is my favorite time period and the exhibit is definitely one of the best I have seen in a very long time.
After exiting the main exhibit, you come to a stunning staircase leading to the upper floor where the permanent collection is housed. I have been to art museums all over the country, and while the collection here is small, it contains an array of pieces you won't find anywhere else. I especially loved the Texas and Latin American art that the museum has on display.
I can't wait to see what the Blanton has in store next, and am even contemplating becoming a member. I also definitely plan to check out one of their B Scene art events, which happen every first Friday. I am so glad to have discovered this lovely little gem!
There is something about the silence of this museum and other museums that just heals me.
Love the gorgeous wood soffits outside and the arched porticos! The main staircase when you walk in is a little daunting, as it should be. Something about having to walk up a grand blank staircase to view the best the human race has to offer seems right.
I've seen several travelling collections as well as their permanent collection and I've been pleased each and every time.
I should really be saying thanks to all the financial supporters of this institution that make what the Blanton does, possible. So, thanks supporters. You are awesome.
This is probably THE best museum in Austin.
I went to see their visiting exhibit called "Birth of the Cool" a few days ago, which is a collection of "culture" (music, art, design, architecture, film) from Southern California during the 1950s. I was totally blow away! :) Definitely go see it if you can! It's like Mad Men exploded in there.
The Blanton is actually a really great museum. They have a very "diverse" collection, from modern experimental art to Greek pottery to art noveau prints to gilded medieval work to Impressionist sketches, you can find a little taste of EVERYTHING here. (I guess so that Art History and Art students can find an example of everything.)
TIP #1:
If you parked in the Brazos Garage beside the museum, show them your ticket when you pay to enter the museum. They'll knock the price down to $3 for you, no matter how long you're looking around (which is good if you plan on slipping over to any other museums or restaurants in the area!)
TIP #2:
When you get to the infamous "Bones n' gold" installation, you CAN pull the curtains aside and enter the little room to get a better look at the coins.
The Blanton is a cool art museum. Yes, it is quite small but it is very well done and the permanent exhibition is quite cool. They also have temporary exhibits, I believe all on the first floor, and most of them are quite interesting as well.
The best day for going to the Blanton is B-Scene which is on every first Friday of the month. They charge $10 admission and have a band playing in the foyer. You can buy beer and wine for decent prices and they have little stands with free appetizers. You can walk through the exhibition as well, have to finish your drink first of course. B-Scene has an interesting mix of people, mostly thirtysomethings mixed with some college kids. Definitely worth checking out.
To start off with, I'm a senior chemical engineering student. Some would guess that I have little to no appreciation for art and most likely completely blew off my Art History class, wrong. The visits to the Blanton are what made me love my class the most!
I've discovered recently that I can get lost in art museums, something I never thought I had the patience to do. But when it's a museum like the Blanton, it's easy to do. I love the entryway to start off, it's so well light and feels, well, clean!
Unfortunately, with said major, I have little free time to go anymore so I can't say what exhibits are going on right now and rate them. But, the ones I did see, were extremely impressive. Each collection had the right number of pieces with the perfect explanatory blurb next to each one. The plaster casts of the Greek/Roman statues (yea, already forgetting specifics...) were pretty cool. There's also a printmaking area downstairs that we go to check out that I was fascinated by, who has the patience/talents to carve that much detail?
Maybe I'm just easily impressed, but if you're looking for somewhere to relax your brain for an afternoon, I highly suggest the Blanton.
If you ask me what I like about art in Austin, five days out of seven I will tell you that I really like how organically creative people are in Austin. But for the other two days, I want the arts to be fancy and regal. These are the days when I like to go to the Blanton.
The light-filled atrium makes me feel like I have suddently been transported to a fancy museum in a big city. I really like the more modern pieces in the permanent collection and in the short time that the museum has been open, I have really liked the temporary exhibits. After looking at the art, you can walk across the sidewalk to the administrative building which houses a cafe, a gift store, and classrooms.
Even if I did not like the art (which I do) I think that the Blanton's events and programs -- ranging from a book club and yoga in the galleries to monthly happy hours and musical performances -- are an important contribution to the artistic and cultural landscape in Austin.
I went with a friend to see the exhibit, The Birth of Cool. I dig it.
The museum was beautiful. The entrance hall has this shimmery blue Acrylic wall art, it's so dreamy and makes me happy.
The exhibit I went in to see, was awesome.
The rest of the collection was pretty interesting too. I do not usually like modern art. The exhibits here were interesting and I really want to go back just to look at that section again.
I enjoyed seeing the museum and I will be back.
On a recommendation, I went to The Blanton Art Museum tonight to experience the Friday night entertainment and scene. The museum definitely knows how to draw (no pun intended) a nice mix of Austin locals.
The Blanton is currently featuring Birth Of The Cool, a California Art, Design, and Culture at Mid-century exhibit. I won't go into too much detail because you should really just go and see for yourself this wonderful exhibition. That period has a special meaning to me because of the amazing jazz music that evolved from it. They feature a great blend of music, art, and architecture from the period.
The only flaw I can find in the evening was the sound equipment used for the live band which was featured in the late evening. I am not sure if the PA belonged to the band or the museum, so all I have to say is, if it was the museum's, shame on them. It made the band sound like amateur hour. They weren't an amazing band overall and I probably wouldn't have booked them in that venue, but what are you gonna do?
In closing, I highly recommend visiting the exhibit. If I were in control of the shows, I'd compliment the featured gallery with live bands playing cool jazz from the period.
B Scene --- hip, urban, good people watching, good art... what's not to love?
B Scene with Foot Patrol ruled. Only 4 stars because Mari and Ellen were missing. High art and foot fetish music mixed nicely.
The Brady twins rule.
And if you're reading this and you're from the museum, PUT OUT THE ALICE NEEL PAINTING! I know you have one.
The Blanton is sort of special to me, and I just found this out recently. I was maybe 10 years old when I first visited -- an addle-brained punk kid in a museum that doesn't have any cheesy interactive games or bright shiny objects to serve as distractions of any sort. And I was mesmerized, staring at the huge contemporary paintings, the greco-roman sculptures, and I even remember marvelling at my father's knowledge of Remington's bronco sculptures.
I totally forgot these memories and 17 years later, I thought I was visiting the Blanton for the first time. But as soon as I ascended the wide staircase and ran my fingers against the expanse of still bleach white walls, it all came back. This place represents a time in my life when I found that the same emotion can be evoked from a 17th century block print as from a 21st century silkscreen, and art started to mean something more than Ghost Rider comics and anime. Judging from the many kids wandering around with that familiar wide-eyed expression, it means something more to other generations, too.
Of course, today, I now know that my dad's cliched asian immigrant fascination with the wild west fueled his interest in Remington, and that I can only take so much Baroque-era iconoclasm, but also that a 30-foot giant blob of paint still sends shivers down my spine all these years later.
I will say that while the Blanton may not represent the bleeding edge of art scenesters, it definitely is progressive. More importantly, it's an informative and accessible state-run collection that exists as a great foundation for art appreciation in a place that needs it.
The Blanton breaks my Architectural heart. Oh what it could have been had the big wigs not run off Herzog & De Muron.
And my heart breaks again now that the mirror image of yet another limestone building with a tile roof pops up just to the west. Now I can't even look away!
I will give it 2 stars though because the art itself is not bad. (Except I am not a fan of the new blue acrylic tile in the central staircase area. Kind of reminds me of a bathroom, or a swimming pool.)
So if you are the least bit interested in architecture, ask about the story of the Blanton and you will be sad to hear about how Austin missed its chance to become a modern architectural landmark.
I fell in love with the Blanton during my first week as a student at the University of Texas. It is the perfect place to relax between classes in the midst of great art and amazing architectural spaces.
The Blanton is my favorite place to experience art in Austin, and continuously slides in new pieces and exhibitions so that every time I go there, I see and learn new things. I love being able to see everything from European to Latin American to Contemporary works.
Also, the Blanton is great at finding innovative ways to connect people with art. The student MIX and B scene are always a good time, with tasty treats and great music! I also think the WorkSpace gallery is a really fantastic way to allow artists to really have freedom over a museum space.
Definitely check it out if you haven't already!!
Reviewing art museums can be tricky business. if you gauge them on the strength of a given permanent collection, are you reviewing the museum for having strong work, or are you really reviewing the collection, which would be outstanding anywhere? Heck if I know, but I do know this: I think that the folks at the Blanton do a terrific and creative job of curating this museum; I think the space is downright delicious, from the open giant cascading staircase, to the progressive work that seems to often find a natural home here. If you ask me, there's loads to like, and I always am reminded that I should visit more often when I do actually remember to darken the door.
In line with that assertion are some of the cool community oriented things that happen, like the B Scene, where they tend to bring in local music talent (DJs, awkward Journey cover bands, what have you) and crank up a show, serve up some cold ones or cocktails, and let folks goof and hang out amongst the artwork in a more social way. It's an ingenious way of breathing hip life into what can be a stoic existence, and it's made the Blanton a regular resident of a soft spot in my heart.
So thanks Blanton. Keep on keepin' on. I'll be by to see what's new, and what hopefully isn't, again some time soon.
go there...
NOW!
what could you possibly be waiting for?
pssst... thursdays are free.. shhhhh
Any museum that is walking distance from my house makes me happy. While the Blanton is not (yet) a world class museum it is the best that Austin has to offer.
I went for the Birth Of The Cool exhibit, something that was curated for the Getty Museum in California and brought here to Austin. It was a decent exhibit-but offered nothing new for insight into that late 1950's era. The upstairs offered two area of viewing. Modern Art and older European pieces. Personally, I'm not a fan of the older European stuff (lots of Madonna and Child), but the small collection is still worthwhile. The modern collection was also small, but had some interesting pieces that I enjoyed.
Across the courtyard from the museum was the cafe and store. The cafe looked okay-but not enough for me to stop in and the store had a nice selection dedicated to the current exhibit.
The museum offers some good events to bring people in especially the B-Scene a monthly gathering of hipsters on the first Friday who pay $10.00 to drink, hear some live music and view the culture hanging on the walls.
This review is for the B Scene, first Friday event at the Blanton.
I went with a few friends to the B Scene this month and we had an amazing time! The free appetizers are nice and the cash bar is not overly priced.
We signed up for one of the tours, which typically focus on a monthly theme (this month's focus theme was the human form). Each docent's tour was different and our guide (Susan Bauer, I think) was incredible! She engaged our group in discussion about the art work and was very knowledgeable. It was a very memorable and unique experience that we will never forget...we were still talking about the artwork the next weekend!
Foot Patrol, who performed that night, was hilarious and we ended our night dancing and swinging on the spaghetti. We're going to make the B Scene a monthly affair...it's a great alternative to going out to the bars!
The Blanton made me feel like a lady Friday night with their monthly B Scene party. This month's theme was "Art is Feminine."
There is easy nearby garage parking so it's okay to wear those heels. I immediately felt "pretty" walking into the large, white, open entry to the museum with arched walkways. There are lockers so you don't have to walk around carrying your coat. Every woman got a raffle ticket as they walked in and prizes were given away throughout the evening-Alamo Drafthouse tickets, a Blanton gift bag, and spa prizes.
Entry for the parties is $10 and there is a cash bar. Prices are a little steep, but this kind of evening isn't typical for me so I was okay with splurging a little. I expected nice appetizers but they consisted of mixed nuts, licorice, and m&m's. The display was cute though.
The people watching was fabulous as the party and the museum seem to attract a wide variety of people. The DJ, DJ Honeycomb (yes, a woman!) was so good that it was hard not to dance. The Carrots, a band reminiscent of Phil Spector girl groups, performed. The sound was not the greatest, but they put on a fun performance. There was supposed to be a make and take art project going on but I never saw it. Every woman received a red rose as they left. A nice girly touch.
Overall this was a nice change from my typical Friday night and a fun way to enjoy the museum.
By far the nicest museum in Austin, with the most distinguished collection. It's also a space that has absolutely revolutionized the consideration of Latin American art by placing it alongside N. American art. Also, its Latin American modern and contemporary collection are the finest in the country, and well worth a visit. Though it's unfortunate the original Herzog and de Meuron building didn't end up happening, and the new space is pretty basic, it's still a good museum and has some interesting educational aspects.
It's better than the Austin Museum of Art, but.... that's not saying much. The building is pretty bland, which frustrates me every time I see it because UT had hired some world-renowned architects to build an amazing place, but the uber-traditional, non-artsy board of regents nixed the project and demanded something boring.
The art collection is decent with a little of everything though no great masterworks. The layout is a bit confusing and there is a lack of good signage to help visitors find what they want to see. The temporary exhibitions are usually pretty good.
I am not a talented artist, nor am I a student of art history. The extent of my art knowledge comes from my experience as president of the "Art Club" (6th-8th grade), and 6 months of volunteer work at the Dallas Museum of Art, so take my assessment with that in mind.
The building was pleasant and open, but the layout of rooms seemed counterintuitive to me--it didn't flow well. Additionally, I found many of the works unappealing and meaningless. As I read the captions explaining the deep symbolism of some pieces, I kept thinking of "The Gallant Gallstone" from The Fountainhead. And I LIKE modern and non-figurative art. In the more traditional area, I didn't recognize many of the artists, which is okay, but I just didn't see any piece I really loved and wanted to go visit again either. Admittedly, I was sort of tired by the time I was in that area, so I should probably hit that part up first next time. It might have been better than I thought.
Honestly, I was a little disappointed at the Blanton Art Museum. I went on a Thursday, so admission was free, and it was a holiday week, so parking was free as well. So since I had zero investment, I can't really complain. I would give it another shot and go back again for free. But, would I pay to go back? No, probably not, unless a special exhibit came in town.
Ah, the joyous irreverence of modern art! It is always a unique experience to see art restored to the masses. One can take comfort in knowing that any man, woman, child, or animal with access to colored paints can create works of art worthy of viewing by thousands.
I took particular notice of one painting that had actually been created by an artist who injected paint into a replica of a - hmm...how can I put this delicately? - a...human rectum...and then forcibly emptied it onto a canvas. What can I say, but that it was a real treat! Pure ingenuity!
I could write for hours and hours about the uninhibited exploration of meaningless, nothingness, despair, and destruction of traditional concepts of beauty - but I fear I would not do it justice. You really must go see it for yourself.
Having grown up in Los Angeles, my childhood is filled with memories of Saturday afternoons at the LACMA, Norton, and a whole slew of other galleries and museums. When I went to college in Pittsburgh, I had an impressive selection as well. Then I moved to Austin, and granted - there is a very lively local art scene - I missed the "big city" museum. See, it's not always about the art itself (although a good museum should include good art) - it can sometimes be about experiencing the space.
Although finding the main entrance was a bit difficult (it looked more like a side entrance - shall we say, a "postmodern" entrance?), once inside, I was pleased that the space did not have a boxed-in feel. The extremely wide open atrium space featuring a lot of white and neutral colors, and skylight's playful angles, give the interior a feeling of fluidity. (But not in that overbearing, frightening Frank Gehry type of way.)
They have a fairly diverse collections and visiting exhibitions - from Renaissance to Contemporary. My favorites were the Latin American collection and the Prints and Drawings collection.
Don't plan to see it all in one day. Save a little for the next time, and the next, and the next... Admission is only $5, and if you're still a youth (meaning, under 25!), it's only $3.
The Blanton is nice, but the building is more impressive than the art. What gorgeous architecture! The entrance is very grand. It makes you feel like you are at a wedding in the old south, waiting for the bride to come gracefully down the stairs.
There are definitely a few great pieces, but there are also a lot of so-so pieces. I am very happy that Austin is growing its art scene and the Blanton is a wonderful addition to that scene. Hopefully, they will draw some great traveling exhibits.
The location is great. We went on a weekend, so there was plenty of free street parking. I hear that is a parking garage, also, that costs $3 with the price of admission.
My 9 yr old likes it. We really enjoy this place. We also like the yellow death-by-strangulation hazard out front too. Just a matter of time.
I went to my first B Scene a couple of months ago, and paired with dinner first, it made for a really fun, alternative Friday night. You get to dress up a little and hang out in a museum at night with cocktails! But be prepared to drop a chunk of cash on admission and drinks.
It's not the best way to see all of the museum--I still need to go back to do that--but it's a great way to get introduced. The night we went, there was a poetry slam in the foyer, but the sound left a lot to be desired; the acoustics made it impossible to understand. Then Cat Scientist played, and the sound was a lot better, and it was fun to see whole families dancing to this band I love but I'd only ever seen in a club. Afterward, I got to explore a bit, and the modern art upstairs is an awesome collection.
The Blanton is Austin's newest and probably hippest art museum. A really large beautifully designed two story gallery, The Blanton brings out Austin's art fanatics in full force. The night I went was for their B-Scene at the Blanton event which happens on the first Friday of every month. This event proposes a theme, serves appetizers, has a cash bar, minimal entertainment ,a do it yourself art project and a chance to tour the art work. Sounds cool, right...
I was ready to take on the Blanton. There is a ten dollar admission charge ( 5 dollars for museum members) and I found the whole experience a bit dull. The first time I came they had an art project that involved drawing a picture on a big piece of paper, the second time creating sculptures out of strange white objects ( styrofoam, toothpicks, string.)
The entertainment also didn't really work for me either. That night they had two artists dueling to make 2D and 3 D art out of scraps and things, although I've heard on other night they have had some cooler acts, like slam poetry performers.
While I think the Idea for the Blanton's event (B-Scene at the Blanton) is a good one.... drawing together Austin's funky art types for an event, the execution didn't match what I had hoped it would be. The appetizers seemed a bit cheap, the drinks slightly overpriced and the do it yourself art projects not really pointful.
The actual art is nice, a bit out there for me. I saw one truly beautiful exhibit, a sculpture of a man made entirely out of photographs of other people's bodies. They have some shifting exhibits and all different types of art from contemporary to mixed media to Greek looking sculptures.
While I did have an interesting time people watching at the event ( it usually has quite a large attendance), I doubt I would go again. If you enjoy schmoozing with other art lovers, and don't mind a pricy cash bar and not much activity, then you might want to check it out.
If not, skip the B-Scene and go to the regular museum where you can tour the art gallery itself for 5 dollars a pop.
i like the blanton alot. it doesn't completely dazzle me as i would like my local fancy art museum to ... but it is a start in this capacity for austin.
i've been a member since before they opened - it is worth joining - they have nice little member appreciation parties, reduced party entrance, member's only viewing, private tours, shop discounts.
also - just nice to know you are supporting such a great thing.
i usually always go to the b scene on the first fridays of the month - a little party in the lobby of the museum with a theme every month.
live music, a little nosh, cash bar, activities.
you can browse upstairs but no drinks or food allowed in any gallery.
you may take personal photos of the permanent collection but not any of the current exhibits - (all the downstairs rooms).
the permanent collection is ok. not amazing.
it grows on me as i return time and time again ...
alot of reproductions - which i don't like.
the angels & saints exhibition was fantastic as is the current japanese print collection of james a michener.
i am very much looking forward to an exhibition next year called :
Birth of the Cool: California Art, Design, and Culture At Midcentury
February 22 - May 17, 2009
also a great thing about being a member is free entrance anytime. i sometimes just go with my headphones on and walk around by myself. it's a beautiful, expansive building - grande --- ripe for grand thinking time.
soon to open across the way - a restaurant or cafe i think - that will be welcome.
they have .25 locker rental so you can stash your bag or shopping ...
there is a coat check and really nice bathrooms.
really neat, exhibition-appropriate gift shop.
Am I the only one seriously turned off by the Blanton? We could have had something by Herzog & de Meuron Arkitekten, but no.
Once inside, the spaces feel odd and wasteful. There's no clear path among the exhibits. Yes, I know it's a teaching collection, but I'm just underwhelmed. I have zero desire to bring my out-of-town guests to this shamble of a museum.
The fact that I lived in NYC for 8 years and therefore have been spoiled when it comes to art museums should tell you I'm a tough customer. It's always slightly painful for me to visit one...I gear up for the letdown and maybe that leads to self-fulfilling prophecies.
However, I had a certain expectation about the Blanton, since there was so much square footage (unlike the AMOA), and because they ran a pretty successful hype campaign prior to opening.
Thank gawd I went on the free day.
I bypassed the special exhibition to head straight for the permanent collection. In so doing, the first thing I came across were some casts of Greek statues.
Reproductions? That's the first thing you're gonna hit me with? It sort of reminded me of those plaster cast sellers who feature lawn art a la Easter baskets and big gorillas.
When I go to an art museum, I want to see stuff that's famous and stuff that's DIFFERENT.
Their European paintings are probably great if you're really into Madonna & Child over and over and over and over. And over. Plus a few military portraits thrown in for good measure. I can appreciate the detail and the age of these pieces but am bored beyond belief other than that. It's just same ol' same ol' to me after seeing the bazillion others that exist in the world. Moving on.
The modern & contemporary art galleries were filled with what struck me as mostly student-quality work. They do have a piece from Louise Nevelson and one by Stuart Davis but there's a lot of schlock in there too. There were more interesting pieces in the Latin American gallery.
The special exhibit, on the other hand, was awesome. Jorge Macchi: The Anatomy of Melancholy featured these amazing works of cut paper, evoking...well, melancholy. Several were street maps he meticulously cut the buildings out of, leaving a lacy pattern of empty streets. Another featured obituary pages from the newspaper...all of the photos and text were cut out, leaving only the empty framework and tiny crosses above the former pictures. He layered several of these cut newspaper sheets on top of one another, which created a somewhat architectural-looking piece. They were so delicate and different. If you go, don't miss out on the interactive piece set up on a Mac. It's a tour of a different sort...you click on various stops on the subway map to see photos and objects found in the area of that subway stop. Unlike landmarks, the images on this tour are snippets of daily life in the area...some of the minutia that gives you a real sense of being a lonely tourist there.
The best work in the whole museum is curiously cast aside in a small hallway off the bathrooms. There's an autobiographical triptych by Robert Rauschenberg that is really fascinating. While I was standing there looking at it, a museum employee passed by and volunteered a lot of interesting information. She said the x-rays featured were Rauschenberg's own x-rays, and that the type arranged in a huge spiral was actually creating his fingerprint. She was not pretentious about the art, which was really refreshing. I feel like you get around a lot of art types and they try to out-profound each other, but this woman seemed genuinely excited that someone (I) was appreciating this particular work in the museum. That really endeared the place to me.
Why this amazing work should be kicked to the curb like it was is beyond me. C'mon people, this is ROBERT RAUSCHENBERG! This is the creme de la creme of UT art gallery coups! A) He's an alumnus. B) He's one of THE most eminent artists of his (our) time. C) He even mentions UT in the piece! But you hang it out by the loo? Shame on you!
I might go back again to see their special exhibits but I would not make a point to go back to see their permanent collection.
Bottom line: go on Thursday when you can pay nothing or donate whatever amount you want. Parking is $3 if you bring your parking stub into the museum and pay at the front desk.
Finally, Austin has a real museum that's worthy of the art that's inside of it. Since the University of Texas acquired the Suida Manning collection in 1998, our fair city has possessed the eighth largest collection of Italian Old Master paintings outside of Europe, and a collection of 17th century French paintings that's second only to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. So where was this work displayed? In the freaking poorly lit Ransom Center and the UT Art building! What a shame.
As I walked into the Blanton, I immediately felt like I was in a real art museum, which is not something I had experienced in Austin. I couldn't stop gushing to my out of town friend saying, "You don't know how long we've needed this".
It's not perfect, as some of the lighting on the larger paintings interferes with your ability to see them, but I was so happy to have a nice place to see the art that I overlooked that. They're also constructing a second building that is due to be finished in 2007.
Admission is only five dollars for adults, and memberships are very reasonable. If you love art, you'll want to support this big step that Austin's art community has taken.
I may be in the minority among the reviewers, since I actually prefer the more classical portions of the museum, like the European paintings and the ancient Greek artifacts and statues. The Blanton was much bigger than I expected; I went with my Dad, and we got tired of looking at art before we'd seen the entire museum.
The works themselves were decent, though not overwhelming. I think I was most impressed by several of the lithographs in the European section -- the detail in those is just amazing. I also liked the circular room with all the Greek and Roman statue-recreations. But I'm just into that sort of thing.
Overall, I enjoyed the visit, and will probably try and make it a point to bring art-loving visitors from out of town. But I don't know if I'll rush back otherwise. I think the Blanton's a good idea, and it seems to host a number of events to get folks interested -- like the B-Scene -- but maybe I'm just not "arty" enough to truly appreciate it. That's okay, though. It's nice to know it's there.
I heard about the B Scene because of a Yelp Event posting and thought it sounded like a fun thing to do. I decided to treat my boyfriend to a "surprise" date and spent the last few days answering questions about what we were going to do in vague short answers. I had no idea the Texas Relays were this weekend and as we got closer to the Blanton I was really worried about parking. I decided to plow forward with my plans of parking in the Brazos garage, and luckily we had NO problem finding a spot. The person who gave us our wristbands was my next door neighbor when I was in the first grade. He's got some grey but looks exactly the same. Amazing. We head in a go straight for the cash bar and food. Duh. They had big bowls of thick potato chips and a couple of dips, and some tasty little coconut bites. The only sodas, to my utter dismay were Pepsi and Sierra Mist. Horror. This is Texas. I usually only have a hard time finding Dr. Pepper if I go out of town, like up north. I almost deducted a star for that. My boyfriend found a beer he liked so that was fine. We hooked up with a friend of mine who has a degree in dance and headed upstairs for the first performance of the night. We saw 4 dance performances and one film and stayed for the Q&A with the performers. I'm not saying I understood it all, but I did have fun. The big modern paintings were a wonderful backdrop for two of them, and the other performances were in the next building. We even stopped in and made our own Flip Books. Colored Pencils on a date. Awesome. At the same time as the performances docents were giving tours and I wish I could have been a part of that too. I recognized some of my favorite paintings from the Harry Ransom Center. Oil Field Girls and also The Marathon Dancers were there. There was some stuff I hadn't seen as well. For party central, the blue entry room, DJ Mel was spinning some awesome stuff. He really set a nice mood. And then at 9 Foot Patrol took the stage. I had heard of them and I was looking forward to the show. They came dancing in and didn't stop dancing all night. And they got quite a few people dancing along. They are now one of my favorite Austin bands. It's a seven piece funk band, with horn section, that does nothing but songs about feet. The main guy is blind, plays keyboard, and has a serious foot fetish. I laughed so hard I was starting to cry. After the show we ran to the Birth Of Cool exhibit. We didn't have time to read everything, or listen to every listening station before it was time to go. I gotta go back. I like to dilly dally in museums and this was rushed. We also need to go back to inspect the big weird yellow string sculpture outside. When we left we needed some real food and had a mission. Since every month is different I can see making this a regular thing to do. Time just zipped by. It was great fun.
The Blanton Art Museum is an amazing museum for a medium sized city. The Blanton has a fine assortment of modern to pre-renaissance. This is a serious museum and looking at their modern media piece as daring, evocative and daring for the heart of Texas. Austin is not Houston or Dallas and this museum lives beyond its environs. I thoroughly enjoyed this museum and I am a serious museum hound. Please GO to the Blanton.
I haven't been to a lot of museums which shows my lack of culture, but maybe there is hope for that. I went here last weekend and really enjoyed an exhibit called "Mikes World" The artists who put it together are either completely insane or very creative. Check it out and you be the judge. They were handing out buttons that said "take Your pants off" before entering the exhibit. And I did wear that button for a while but chickened out when running into HEB and took it off. Perhaps I have some sense after all. The museum is really nicely laid out and was uncrowded on a Sunday afternoon. I will definitely be back.
My experience is admittedly limited at the Blanton, but that's largely because I wasn't impressed at all. I went there on opening night like a lot of other people did (around 1.5 hours waiting) - and the wait was not worth it at all. Art is, like most things, all a matter of personal experience. Me, I prefer my galleries to be more about the pieces themselves and less about a pretentious attempt at making the space an artistic expression in itself. The Blanton has everything so spaced out and scattered that navigating around the other visitors is a massive distraction. I can imagine the collection improving over time, but as my memory stands, I don't feel compelled to return any time soon.
