Blanton Museum of Art Meets Fundraising Challenge for Upcoming Exhibitions

The Blanton Museum of Art at The University of Texas at Austin is pleased to announce that through an outpouring of generous gifts to the museum, the community has met a fundraising challenge issued by philanthropists Teresa and Joe Long in support of the upcoming exhibitions Matisse as Printmaker and Turner to Monet: Masterpieces from The Walters Art Museum. Originally pledged in April 2009, the Longs challenged the museum to raise $200,000 to be matched by their gift of $100,000 to help underwrite the costs to bring these two extraordinary exhibitions to Austin. Mr. Long states, “The outpouring of support from the community not only shows their interest in and hunger for good art but also shows that even with a downturn in the economy the public is willing to and will support exhibitions of high quality.”

To date, $235,106 has been raised toward the goal from 256 museum members and other donors—a testament to the community’s shared belief in the vital role of the visual arts and arts education. Major donors to the challenge include: Mr. and Mrs. Jack S. Blanton, Sr., Leslie and Jack Blanton, Jr., the Booth Heritage Foundation, Bruce Buckley and Mrs. Vincent Buckley, Sarah and Ernest Butler, Mary Ann and Larry Faulkner, the Elva J. Johnston Foundation, Audre and Bernard Rapoport, the William A. and Madeline W. Smith Foundation, Eliza and Stuart Stedman, and Carolyn and John H. Young. The Blanton continues to fundraise for much-needed additional support for Turner to Monet to meet the high costs of bringing this world-class exhibition to Austin.

Matisse as Printmaker, now on view, and Turner to Monet: Masterpieces from The Walters Art Museum, opening October 2, 2010, present unique opportunities for students and visitors to study and enjoy original works by masters including Matisse, Degas, Manet, Turner, Delacroix and other artists rarely exhibited in this area. Nineteenth-century painting, the focus of the Turner to Monet exhibition, is an area of particular focus in the Longs’ own art collection. Their challenge provided a perfect opportunity for Mr. and Mrs. Long to share their passion for this genre with Austin. Speaking to the broader importance of supporting the arts, Joe Long states, “We believe it is only in excellence in the arts that we will become a great city and a great university.”