One of Austin's leading arts institutions, the Blanton Museum of Art, is renewed this spring after a $1.2 million infusion from a black-tie gala on March 29. Austinites who couldn't make the fancier affair are invited to stop by on Saturday, April 12, for this month's Blanton All Day: a free day of arts and craft activities.

According to a press release, the funds secured will "support the museum’s exhibitions, education programs, and care of its renowned collection."

The gala welcomed nearly 200 guests onto the museum grounds, where they learned more about the museum, which saw record attendance in 2024, according to a press release. They also got a preview of a new café due at the museum later in 2025, created by local French staple Justine’s Brasserie.

It was a good night for foodies, who tried bites by Justine's, a champagne tower, barbecue by LeRoy and Lewis, and beverages by Twin Liquors, Shiner Beer, and Lalo Tequila. Fashionable attendees dressed according to theme — the 1984 Western film, Paris, Texas — and Trovador Customs brought some bespoke hats made in Austin. An auction topped things off. Other attendees and contributors included Austin designer Dave McClinton, musicians Alice Spencer and Calder Allen, and museum leaders.

The gala was a good time for fashion, food, and wine-lovers.Photo by David Brendan Hall

“We are the only place in this city, in the heart of this great state of Texas, where people can see an exceptional range and quality of art and exhibitions,” said Blanton Director Simone J. Wicha at the event. “Our talented curators and staff produce scholarship, care for Austin’s largest art collection, and keep us connected to the art world. Above all, we are committed to showing art in a way that is beautiful, straightforward, and inspiring for our visitors."

Vice chair of the Blanton’s National Leadership Board Elle Moody added, “While Dallas, Fort Worth, and Houston have their own great scenes and top-tier museums, Austin is staking its own claim—with the Blanton at the forefront, we're quickly becoming a cultural powerhouse in our own right.”

Austinites who aren't dropping hundreds of dollars on gala tickets have a chance to see more of the museum at its monthly Blanton All Day events. The next event, on April 12, offers eight programming blocks between 10:30 am and 8 pm for visitors of all ages.

• 10:30 am and 11:30 am – Look & Listen Storytime: Children from 4-8 are invited to a picture book reading.
• 1:30 pm – Looking Together: Staff show visitors how to find deeper meaning in art, using fan-favorite pieces in the museum's collection as examples.
• 12:30-3:30 pm — Ikebana Flower Arrangements with Austin Ikebana Group: Attendees can learn and practice the art of Japanese flower arrangement.
• Noon and 12:30 pm — Sound Bath Meditation: Cynthia Bernard of ATX Yoga will leads 20-minute sound bath meditations around "Summer Circle" by Richard Long., a 1991 art piece that arranges stone pieces in a large circle.
• 2-8 pm — Poetry for Self-Reflection: Austin Typewriter Ink gives attendees prompts for writing poems.
• 2:00 pm — Curator’s Choice: The Triumph of Death at the Michener Building: - Attendees learn about the background behind the "Triumph of Death (Triunfo de la muerte)," a woodcut on paper by Artemio Rodríguez with Florencia Bazzano. It's part of an exhibit here through July 20, In Creative Harmony: Three Artistic Partnerships.
• 4 pm - Art with an Expert: Claire Howard at the Capitol Room: Art curator Claire Howard (who worked at Blanton and is now with the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston) sheds light on the Gorky/Noguchi presentation of the In Creative Harmony exhibition.
• 4-8 pm — Pop-Up Print Exhibition: Garden of Delights at the H-E-B Study Room: This print show curates colorful works inspired by nature.

Every Blanton All Day event offers different workshops, talks, and more. Attendees can check in on the next month at blantonmuseum.org. A Mother's Day version of the event in May will feature cardmaking, massage therapy, live music by local band Annabelle Chairlegs, and more.