Who We Are
The Blanton is the art museum for both The University of Texas at Austin and the city of Austin. We’re dedicated to serving local audiences and making a national impact through innovative programming and bold leadership. We steward the largest collection of art in Central Texas, with expertise in Latin American, U.S., and European art, and international contemporary art. We present major thematic exhibitions built from our pioneering scholarship and partnerships with museums worldwide as well as regularly changing presentations from our collection, special projects with contemporary artists, and dynamic programs throughout the museum grounds and galleries.
What’s new at the Blanton?
- NEW GROUNDS: Thousands attended the grand opening of the reimagined Blanton’s grounds in spring 2023. Since then, we’ve welcomed more than 100,000 students, families, and art lovers to our vibrant grounds. The Moody Patio at the center has become a popular gathering space for students and visitors of all ages to picnic, study, relax, and enjoy outdoor art (and even the occasional friendly game of cornhole, dance-off, and engagement proposal—true story!). The now iconic “petals” on the grounds provide shade and collect rain for the native plantings. And immersive artworks like the Butler Sound Gallery—the first-ever outdoor gallery dedicated to sound art—bring art beyond the galleries.
- NEW DAYS & HOURS: Our community asked for late night hours and we delivered. The Blanton is now open late till 8 p.m. every Saturday with special Second Saturdays happening every second Saturday of the month. These community favorite events bring the galleries and grounds to life with live local music, art tours and talks, artmaking, picnics, and more (silent disco, anyone?). What’s more, we’re now open on Tuesdays with free admission to all visitors every Tuesday.
- NEW GALLERIES: Last year, we opened new gallery spaces dedicated to U.S. Latino art. as part of the Blanton’s Latino art initiative and longtime commitment to modern and contemporary art of the Americas. This was supported by the gift and purchase of more than 5,000 artworks from the Gilberto Cárdenas and Dolores Garcia Collection. We’ve already had two stand-out presentations in the galleries with more to come this year!
What We’re Fundraising For
We’re proud to serve as a resource for UT Austin faculty, staff, and students; Central Texas K-12 schools; and Austin community members and visitors. It is our mission to provide a diverse, world-class range of art and educational opportunities to students and Austinites. With generous support like yours, the Blanton has and will be able to continue to underwrite things like:
- All admission and transportation costs for Title 1 schools
- Admission costs for all visitors every Tuesday
- Admission costs for all UT Austin students, faculty, and staff every day
Your Impact
While we are a proud part of UT, the university provides an average of 18% of our annual operating budget. This means we are heavily dependent on visitor admissions and donor contributions to fund our team and program. It is only because of the generosity and support of our passionate community that we’re able to develop innovative exhibitions, introduce students to art (many first-time museum visitors!), offer dynamic programs for our community, and so much more. Your 40 for Forty gift of any size directly supports our mission to bring art to all.
If you want to get more involved with the Blanton, learn more about becoming a member here!
