AUSTIN, TexasThe Jack S. Blanton Museum of Art at The University of Texas at Austin received two new gifts toward its capital campaign. The H.E. Butt Grocery Company of San Antonio (HEB) has pledged $250,000 toward the building campaign and the T.J. Brown and C.A. Lupton Foundation of Fort Worth has approved a grant of $100,000 for the new building.
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Blanton Museum of Art |
These gifts signal the expanding role of the Blanton Museum of Art as a community resource relevant not only to the university and central Texas communities, but also to visitors and scholars from across the state. Scheduled to open in fall 2005, the new building will provide more than 135,000 square feet for the care, storage and display of its permanent collection and temporary exhibitions, as well as a range of spaces for educational programs and social activities. The two gifts bring the total raised to $60.1 million of an $83.5 million campaign goal.
For almost a century, HEB has funded a broad range of causes, including education, hunger awareness, economic development, recreation, health and human services, and the arts. The company’s $250,000 gift to the Blanton underscores its commitment to the arts and acknowledges the need for a premier art museum in Austin.
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Blanton Museum of Art |
“We believe that this museum will be a wonderful resource for the Austin community, and we are proud to be involved,” said Kate Rogers, director of public affairs for HEB’s Central Texas Region. “Art is a profound way to educate both adults and children about the world around us and our shared experiences as human beings. The Blanton has a world-renowned collection that soon people from all over Texas and beyond will be able to enjoy. We are thrilled by the opportunity to partner with such an outstanding organization.”
The T.J. Brown and C.A. Lupton Foundation, a family foundation based in Fort Worth, supports education, health and human services, and arts and cultural institutions, among other causes. While most of the foundation’s giving has focused on organizations in the north Texas region, the present gift acknowledges the Blanton’s statewide reach.
“The T.J. Brown and C.A. Lupton Foundation has a vital interest in The University of Texas at Austin and particularly in the construction and future operation of the Blanton Museum,” said Whitfield J. Collins, treasurer of the foundation. “We are pleased to support the construction of this new building with this grant.”
For more information contact: Nicole Chism, Blanton Museum of Art, 512-232-1988.
