Blanton in Austin Sort Of Gets Its Own Rothko Chapel by Acquiring an Ellsworth Kelly Building

by Christina Rees February 6, 2015

kellysquaresThe Blanton Museum of Art at the University of Texas at Austin has just announced the acquisition of a to-be-built Ellsworth Kelly standalone building titled Austin. The stone structure will be 73 x 60 feet ( 2,715 sf) “with luminous colored glass windows, a totemic wood sculpture, and fourteen black-and-white stone panels in marble, all designed by the artist.” It will be part of the Blanton’s permanent collection. (Seems the University of Texas is getting all the big art these days.)

Kelly has donated the design, “including the building, totem sculpture, interior panels, and colored glass windows.” Cost for construction is an estimated $15 million; $7 million has been raised thus far.

Also, UT “has committed $1 million, funded by earnings from the University’s Longhorn Network, to create an endowment for the care and conservation of Austin and for the research and study of Kelly’s work.”

Austin is the only freestanding building Kelly has ever designed.

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Chris Whiteburch February 7, 2015 - 09:29

This article sounds like a snobby little baby crying. What were you trying to say again? I couldn’t understand over the snark and piercing “whaaaaa–whaaaa!” My ears are probably just blown out from all the shitty, live “blues” they play around here though. I should print t-shirts for all of us here in Austin that read, “We begged and begged for a Rothko Chapel but all we got was this shitty Elsworth Kelly building! Thanks Obama!” That’s probably too long for a shirt though. Love ya!

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Iva K February 7, 2015 - 13:51

Hi Chris,
I agree the wording is strange. Nothing in the article, but the title reads as oddly condescending in comparing the two. This is all news to me, but I assume they are unrelated buildings. Maybe we’ve got a chip on our shoulder. I am excited to see it completed nonetheless!

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Chris Whiteburch February 7, 2015 - 17:11

I don’t even have a shoulder to put a chip on! And truthfully there was nothing to the article but the tittle and tag line. If you notice most of the information is directly quoted from the university’s announcement. Just a little lightly chewed cud for the purpose of propping up that witty, zinger of a headline. Shade received loud and clear! We needed it though, it was hot outside today. Thanks a lot Obama!

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