Transforming Austin

Blanton reveals details on dazzling transformation to UT Austin grounds

The Moody Patio will unite the museum's two main buildings.

Rendering courtesy of Blanton Museum

Austin's premier art museum is lifting the curtain on its ambitious next chapter.

The Blanton Museum of Art, located on the University of Texas campus, is undergoing "a comprehensive grounds redesign," spanning 200,000 square feet and transforming both of the museum's buildings and its famed Ellsworth Kelly Austin chapel into a cohesive space.

Central to the project is the new Moody Patio, named in honor of the Moody Foundation's record-breaking $20 million gift to the Blanton in 2019. The patio will unite the museum's two main buildings, located on Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard, and serve as a community and events space, as well as a place for live music. Design will be overseen by Snøhetta, a Norway-based architecture firm.

Above the patio will be a "distinctive shade canopy" composed of 15 petal-shaped structures designed to both provide relief from the sun and also serve as a visual landmark for the Blanton. Down below, the space will include seating and two stages.

Another key element will be the addition of Cuban-American artist Carmen Herrera's first-ever major mural commission. The 105-year-old Herrera was born in Havana and lives in New York City where she's spent most of her career. Though she's been creating art prolifically throughout her adult life, she didn't sell her first painting until she was 89. Over the past 15 years, Herrera has finally received the attention of the art world, including a solo show at the Whitney in 2016 and acquisitions of her work by museums such as the Museum of Modern Art and the Tate Modern.

For the Blanton, Herrera will create "Verde que te quiero verde," which translates to "green how I desire you green," and was inspired by the poem "Romance Sonámbulo" by Federico García Lorca.

A pathway will wind throughout the space, landscaped with native trees and shrubs, creating more cohesion between the Mari and James A. Michener Gallery Building, the Edgar A. Smith Building, and Kelly's Austin. Lobbies for both buildings have also undergone a redesign to accommodate the museum's increase in visitors and students.

"I believe that landscape has the power to transform a community, very much in the way that great art can transform our hearts and minds,” said Blanton Museum director Simone Wicha in a release.

“The new grounds initiative will transform the Blanton, opening the museum into the city, inviting people in not just to see great art, but also to linger, gather, and be inspired before and after each visit. We want to create a destination — a beloved destination — for families, students, tourists, and art lovers alike.”

museums

Outside the Lines

Buda artist releases intuitive drawing book with fun prompts

Photo courtesy of Ronald Gross

Artist Ronald Gross creates an intuitive drawing with crayon, which he considers a "joyful" medium.

Buda-based artist and writer Ronald Gross released a book in November called Unlock Your Creativity: A Guide to Intuitive Drawing, which will walk aspiring expressers through drawing without worry. On December 6, he'll be on hand to help in an intuitive drawing demo at Buda Public Library's Holiday Open House.

The book is a hands-on guide that teaches readers how to lean into their own desires and intuitions when drawing, whether they feel like an artist or not. In this way, intuitive drawing should feel relaxing, meditative, and ultimately, beneficial for mental health. If you find coloring books relaxing and meditative, intuitive drawing may have the same effect on you.

"Intuitive drawing is the practice of creating art without a specific plan or outcome in mind," says Gross. "It’s about letting your hand move freely, guided by emotion, curiosity, or subconscious impulses; not about making something perfect."

An intuitive drawing by author and artist Ronald Gross. Intuitive drawing is simple, joyful, and according to Gross can calm the mind much like meditation. Photo courtesy of Ronald Gross

This book presents exercises to access a mindful state: freeform doodling, blind contouring drawing, drawing from the imagination, and drawing from emotions. For artists feeling stuck, Gross also includes plenty of exercises for overcoming creative blocks and even discusses ways intuitive drawing can be applied to other creative projects and areas of life.

In the December workshop, Gross will give a quick demonstration on how to create an intuitive drawing using nothing but lines, shapes, and simple marks. Then participants can try it out with a variety of crayons, because crayons are "tactile" and can quickly transport people into a "playful, unselfconscious space," according to Gross.

"The workshop is all about creating a supportive, judgment-free space to explore intuitive drawing," he says. "Attendees will leave with tools to keep practicing on their own and, hopefully, a renewed sense of creativity and playfulness."

An intuitive drawing from author and artist Ronald Gross. In college Gross was taught how to take a doodle and elevate it into fine art.Photo courtesy of Ronald Gross

Gross's own journey into intuitive drawing started at a young age, when he would doodle and sketch throughout the school day. Years later at the Academy of Art University, a professor encouraged him to lean into this more intuitive and abstract style of art. Since then, Gross has been exploring intuitive drawing's ability to access a meditative state, as well as tap into the subconscious mind.

"When you draw intuitively, you’re fully present in the moment," Gross says. "Your mind quiets, and you become attuned to the flow of your thoughts, feelings, and physical movements. It’s akin to meditation, only instead of sitting still, you’re actively channeling your inner experience onto the page."

An intuitive drawing by author and artist Ronald Gross. Gross's intuitive drawings each evoke a different feeling through his simple use of color and linework. Photo courtesy of Ronald Gross

Gross adds that over time, doing some of the exercises included in the book may even help boost confidence, since intuitive drawing can help people learn to trust their instincts.

"Intuitive drawing can unlock creativity, reduce stress, and help people reconnect with their inner selves," he adds. "It offers a space to process emotions, spark ideas, and break free from perfectionism or overthinking."

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