2013 MARCH BLOG
What a challenge for the curatorial staff of the BLANTON ART MUSEUM on the University of Texas campus at Austin. The challenge, organizing diversity, was clearly met in the exceptional exhibition called "THROUGH THE EYES OF TEXAS: MASTERWORKS FROM ALUMNI COLLECTIONS". Feb. 24th through May 19th.
Annette Carlozzi, assistant director to Simone Wicha, described procuring the selected works of art of all media and from many periods and cultures to make a handsome assemblage of great variety. The exhibition is a little like taking a short course in Art Appreciation. Or it's comparable to walking through a book describing art objects from Greek, Egyptian, Roman and Mayan cultures. And there are paintings, drawings and prints from ancient periods to the present.
Congratulations to the staff for the excellent labeling that gives the usual credits and information plus instructive comments about each piece and sometimes anecdotal information. An audio guide of a few selected works is available by using your smart phone. The audio features voices of the collectors as well as comments by Blanton staff and UT faculty. Also available is an illustrated catalog of the exhibition.
Annette's delightful comments at the exhibition's opening made the large crowd of listeners aware of the monumental task of locating and visiting the many private homes of the alumni collectors as well as the museums that have received gifts from University of Texas alumni, past and present. "THE EYES OF TEXAS" is a fine celebration of the museum's 50 years.
A brief history: In 1963 a university art museum was established with money from the sale of land given by art patron Archer M. Huntington. In the early 1980s it was my pleasure to serve on the board of the Huntington Museum located in the new art building on San Jacinto street across from the stadium. I experienced, the yet to be director, JESSE OTTO's gifts as she worked with staff, faculty and potential supporters that later included Jack Blanton. During her tenure as the museum's director she supervised the planning of a new museum, dealing with regents, navigating through the acquisitions of several important collections, hiring more curators and staff and finally celebrating the completion of a new building for the Jack S. Blanton Museum of Art.
Mari and James Michener gave their collection of 300 twentieth century American paintings and a generous bequest in 1991. That same year C.R. Smith gave his collection of Art of the American West. In 1998, the Suida-Manning Collection of Italian Renaissance and Baroque art was added and the first full time curator of Latin American art in the country was hired establishing leadership in that field. In 2002, with the ground breaking for the new Blanton Museum, Leo Steinberg donated his collection of 3200 prints. The museum now houses over 17,000 works of art.
The Blanton, becoming an internationally renowned teaching museum, is conveniently located on the University of Texas campus at MLK Blvd. a few blocks behind the state capitol building. It is 19 blocks north of the Lady Bird Johnson Lake in downtown Austin. All visitors and all residents of the city interested in art will be gratified after spending time with the amazing quality and great variety of art currently on view through Sunday, May 19th. It's indeed a celebration, not only of the museum's 50 years, but of all those who made the museum happen.
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