The Blanton Museum of Art at The University of Texas at Austin has received a $20 million gift from The Moody Foundation of Galveston, Texas, to transform the museum’s exterior spaces. The project will be overseen by the architecture firm Snøhetta. Blanton Director Simone Wicha, and president of UT Austin, Gregory L. Fenves, announced the gift at the museum’s 2019 gala on Saturday, Feb. 9.
“I am sincerely grateful to the Foundation for this extraordinary gift. The Blanton collections inspire thousands of scholars, students and art lovers from around the world to visit our city and university each year. With a beautifully reimagined exterior, the Blanton will continue to expand its reputation as one of the premier destinations for fine art in Texas,” Fenves said.
The Moody gift is the largest gift ever given in support of Austin’s outdoor spaces. Details of the Blanton master plan are expected to be released this summer. The Blanton’s master plan project will coincide with the State’s development of the Capitol Complex Master Plan, which will create a pedestrian-oriented “Texas Mall” on North Congress Avenue between 16th Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.
The Moody Foundation was established by W.L. Moody, Jr. and Libbie Shearn Moody in 1942. Since then, The Moody Foundation has made more than $1.5 billion in grants throughout the state.
For more, go here.
