Austin, TX

Blanton Museum of Art in Austin

Address: 200 East MLK, Austin, TX 78701 - MAP
Phone: (512) 471-7324
Web: www.blantonmuseum.org

The Blanton Museum of Art is located at the University of Texas at Austin and is considered to be one of the preeminent university museums. In fact, is is one of the largest in the U.S. More than 18,000 works of art are housed at the museum, which specializes in works from the United States, Europe and Latin America.

The museum was built after a donor willed land to the University, which was then sold and the proceeds used to build the museum in 1963.

The early success of the museum's mission to become a world-class center for artwork was buoyed by a gift from author James A. Michener. He and his wife gifted 400 20th century American paintings from part of their extensive collection.

The museum has also grown in other areas, including Latin American art and is considered to be one of the premier collections in the U.S.

The museum is also noted for its collections of Renaissance and Baroque art. It features 230 paintings and four hundred drawings from eminent artists of the period.