Heard on The StreetJanuary 21, 2021
Mural by Carmen Herrera commissioned for the redesign of the Blanton Museum of Art
The Blanton Museum of Art at the University of Texas (Austin) announced plans for a comprehensive redesign of its space. The initiative will unify and revitalize the museum’s campus, which is approximately 200,000 square feet with two buildings, and Ellsworth Kelly Austin, through architectural and landscape improvements. The project is led by the international design firm Snøhetta and will feature a large public mural commissioned by Cuban artist Carmen Herrera.
The new design will engage visitors in a welcoming and cohesive experience touring the main buildings and the museum grounds. A pathway landscaped with native trees and plants will meander throughout, connecting all museum approaches and offering small garden areas and seating for relaxing and socializing. Entrances to the two museum buildings, the Mari and James A. Michener Gallery Building and the Edgar A. Smith Building, will be marked by protruding vaults that echo the loggia arches and the curves of the shade canopy. The Moody Patio is the heart of this new space, named after the Moody Foundation’s $ 20 million donation to the museum. The design incorporates two raised platforms on the Moody Patio to stage live music and other performances. The project also includes new space for al fresco dining with improvements to the current café area.
The site-specific mural commissioned to Carmen Herrera is a composition of 14 monumental green and white squares, entitled Verde que te quiero verde (Green How I Desire You Green) after a refrain in Federico García Lorca’s poem “Sleepwalking Ballad.” It will be prominently visible through the arches on the facade of the Michener Gallery building. Writing about the project, Herrera commented: “The opportunity to do something on such a grand scale and in a site of such importance was very appealing, especially to the hidden architect in me.” She also asserted: “It is an honor for me that my first commission for an important public mural is with the Blanton Museum of Art, an institution that I have admired and respected for decades. A museum that has long been at the forefront of the acquisition of works by artists of Latin American descent and the place where Ellsworth Kelly did his last great work, entering the collection at this time marks a high point in my long career.“ This major acquisition of the Blanton was possible with the generous support of the Kahng Foundation.
Other art installations will be announced in the upcoming months, providing additional ways to engage with art throughout the Blanton campus. To date, the museum has raised $ 33.1 million toward its goal of $ 35 million to fund the new campus. Construction is scheduled to begin in early 2021 and conclude in late 2022; the museum will remain open at all times.
The new design will engage visitors in a welcoming and cohesive experience touring the main buildings and the museum grounds. A pathway landscaped with native trees and plants will meander throughout, connecting all museum approaches and offering small garden areas and seating for relaxing and socializing. Entrances to the two museum buildings, the Mari and James A. Michener Gallery Building and the Edgar A. Smith Building, will be marked by protruding vaults that echo the loggia arches and the curves of the shade canopy. The Moody Patio is the heart of this new space, named after the Moody Foundation’s $ 20 million donation to the museum. The design incorporates two raised platforms on the Moody Patio to stage live music and other performances. The project also includes new space for al fresco dining with improvements to the current café area.
The site-specific mural commissioned to Carmen Herrera is a composition of 14 monumental green and white squares, entitled Verde que te quiero verde (Green How I Desire You Green) after a refrain in Federico García Lorca’s poem “Sleepwalking Ballad.” It will be prominently visible through the arches on the facade of the Michener Gallery building. Writing about the project, Herrera commented: “The opportunity to do something on such a grand scale and in a site of such importance was very appealing, especially to the hidden architect in me.” She also asserted: “It is an honor for me that my first commission for an important public mural is with the Blanton Museum of Art, an institution that I have admired and respected for decades. A museum that has long been at the forefront of the acquisition of works by artists of Latin American descent and the place where Ellsworth Kelly did his last great work, entering the collection at this time marks a high point in my long career.“ This major acquisition of the Blanton was possible with the generous support of the Kahng Foundation.
Other art installations will be announced in the upcoming months, providing additional ways to engage with art throughout the Blanton campus. To date, the museum has raised $ 33.1 million toward its goal of $ 35 million to fund the new campus. Construction is scheduled to begin in early 2021 and conclude in late 2022; the museum will remain open at all times.
