Blanton Museum of Art

The Blanton Museum of Art is in Austin, TX, and houses one of the most important collections in the United States. The museum's permanent collection includes over 17,000 works spanning 5,000 years.

Founded by Robert J. Jones with his wife Linda Pace Jones in 1972 as a memorial to their mother Alice Jones Blanton, the museum has been open since 1974 when it was formally dedicated by Lady Bird Johnson at its original location on the University of Texas campus.

Today, the Blanton is located in downtown Austin across from the Colorado River. The museum sits on a five-acre site that was donated by Walter E. Long and his wife Edith to house an art collection gifted to the University of Texas at Austin in 1950 by Mr. & Mrs. W. L. Moody Jr. Upon the death of the Moodys, their children donated a portion of this collection to establish an art museum named in honor of Mrs. Moody's father James Stephen Hogg, who was the first native-born governor of Texas and the youngest person elected to that office.

In 2001 under director Simone Wicha, The Blanton began its transition from a university museum to the heart of Austin's vibrant visual arts community. In June 2012, The Blanton was named as one of the top six public art venues in America by Time Magazine and has been included on several lists highlighting great museums for families.

In addition to its permanent collection, the Blanton is well known for organizing traveling exhibitions from around the world and is considered to be one of America's top venues for international contemporary art. The museum offers a wide range of educational programs for all ages, from family workshops to lectures and symposia.