Blanton Museum of Art

200 E Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, Austin, TX 78701, USA

Address:	200 E Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, Austin, TX 78701, USA
Phone:	+1 512-471-7324
Site:	blantonmuseum.org
Rating:	4.3
Working:	Closed 10AM–5PM 10AM–5PM 10AM–5PM 10AM–5PM 11AM–5PM 1–5PM

Location

Photos 100

Reviews 6

Leila Rahil

Austins little corner of the Louvre/MOMA...who knew? I sure didnt! A friend of mine had a groupon here that she had to use, but a friend of mine who also works at UT got us in gratis with his employee/student ID, so we have another way to come back when they change out their featured gallery. I really did not know what to expect when I came here as I knew nothing at all about the Blanton and its contents. What I was so pleased to discover is that you get a taste of any and every art form you could imagine. From gallery to gallery, the building has an excellent flow and unless you are trying to skip one (or several), you can hit almost every one without much effort. The hodgepodge of art here is impressive! From classical, archaeological, contemporary, installation, modern, sculpture...you will be hard pressed to find yourself wanting. Some of the collections are definitely more impressive than the others, but I really enjoyed experiencing everything. There are docents everywhere so if you have a question, they are on hand, but I like that their presence also keeps the "art gallery" decorum in constant check. The atrium is a great space that reminds of a courtyard you might encounter in Morocco or Turkey. And one of the featured installation pieces with black curtains, bones, and a pool of pennies was my favorite as it was such a fabulous metaphor for the juxtaposition of wealth, mortality and religion. I also liked that though this place is definitely an "art house" it did not feel pretentious or "hipster adjacent" with its attitude or vibe. It was the perfect place to peruse on a cold, gray Austin day and give the ubiquitous "contemplative stare" at anything in front of you.

Shannon Williams

Blanton is a fun weekend day activity to escape the new-to-Austin uber trendy crowd that causes lines. (Skip brunch, make your own, and come here instead.) I love the vinyl water colored walls when you enter the museum. It feels vast and impressive. And while Ive grown tired of their renaissance collection, its pretty good. That being said, I like being a member - Ive gotten a good value from coming back again and again. Fun for family outings, friend dates, first dates, etc. Ive been to a few of the "opening" events which were organized, fun, interactive, and not overly crowded. I think the curators do a good job of creating awesome, unexpected galleries that find uncommon links between art you might not normally see together. (Dog and Cat exhibit, and Caribbean Expressionism received A+++++ ratings in my book.) Also notable: Civil Rights, 60s exhibition did a really nice job of giving historical context to the works of art. TBH: I didnt love "come as you are" "Soundspace" just because I think that the branding and hype w/ music didnt match my experience, takeaway. Basically I think that I would have loved it if I had never read or heard any content about it before I experienced it. Most of the "music" just kind of made me feel hangry because it wasnt music. AKA I wish in the ads it would have been called "cultural noises" or "found sound art" or something (to indicate nothing would sound remotely like m83) at least a few times. I feel that the staff is courteous, comfortable air conditioning, cool reading room (!) and clean bathrooms.

Joe Stone

The Museum is right in the heart of the University of Texas. Parking is readily available in the parking garage nearby. We unfortunately chose to come here on a day when they were having an incoming freshman orientation or something, so there was way more activity than usual. We made the walk to the building and the front doors looked formidable. Tall and made of thick glass. As you walk inside there are a few displays posted up as well rules. You are then greeted by very friendly and informative staff that explain the facility to you and provide a map to help guide you along the way. Once you make it past the staff booth, you walk into a large open foyer with large staircase spread out in front of you. My fist impression was that it seemed sterile and rather uninspiring for an art museum. To get to the exhibits you have to make your way up the stairwell or take the elevator. The exhibits are laid out in orderly fashion and allow you to get close to each piece to admire the works of art. Each room is fairly large making it easy to see everything and not get in anyones way. From photography, to classical painting, to sculptures; there was a little something there for everyone to enjoy. There were a few patrons while we there that were sitting on the floor sketching some the sculptures. The younger kids were less than inspired for most of it until we got to the modern art section, which I must say was quite amazing.

sarah sablahblah

I wanted so badly to find a nice museum in Austin. Sadly, the $4 I spent for my parking wasnt even worth it. I went on a free admission, and was just given a map and told to stroll on in. I was there for maybe 2 minutes, after that when an employee told me that I needed to wear my backpack on one shoulder. So, I did what they asked. I would have had no problem with checking my backpack at the desk, which Ive done at museums before. Instead, I was followed around by the employees while I could here them talk about me on their walkie talkies. Im not sure if it was something about me, but it was impossible to enjoy myself while I was being followed around. After they left me alone, I guess deciding that Im not a master art theif, it was still impossible to enjoy myself. Ive never been in art museum that was loud. But here, there were crying babies, loud study groups, and even the employees clip clopping back and forth was obnoxious. If you never been to a museum in your entire life, I guess you could go here to get the idea of it. Otherwise, stay away.

Beatrice McMahon

Couldnt really enjoy the art because, while viewing a particularly bright painting (which babies love) with my daughter (6 mos) strapped to my chest in a carrier being quiet as a lamb, i was accosted by a "security" agent and informed that " i had to stand further back than other patrons because my daughter might spew on a painting. Wtf?! We werent doing anything wrong and my daughter and i were 2-3 feet away. If she was gonna "spew" shed have to be mighty sick to get it that far and i sure wouldnt have taken her out of the house! I went to complain because it was extremely rude and innapropriate to the situation and setting. They gave us free passes to visit again but im giving them back and asking for a refund, no need to go back where were not wanted. Not to mention in the same gallery bately 10 minutes later 2 boys (old enoughbto know better, about 12-14) were rough housing and not a word was said to them. Targeted cuz my daughter is a baby? Regardless of how well bahaved she was being. Idk but it sure felt like it.

Sarah Hunt

I wish I could give no stars. I am WHITE and like the reviewer below had a very unpleasant experience where we were followed and watched the whole time we were there. This is not a family friendly place whatsoever even though they have childrens programs and advertise as family friendly. We drove 40 minutes to get to this museum and my children were very excited but unfortunately we were only at the museum for about 10 minutes because of a man with a ponytail who followed us from room to room ready to pounce at the first sign of my children touching ANYTHING. He was blunt, arrogant, unpleasant, inconsiderate, and rude. He should not be working in a place where he has to interact with other human beings in any way. The ladies at the two front desks were amazing and very kind, welcoming to my children and gave them sketch books. Soon as we hit the second level and caught the eye of Mr. Ponytail our experience totally changed.