New Cultural Facilities

[eastsider]

Blanton Museum of Art

http://www.blantonmuseum.org/

Located on the University of Texas campus, the new Blanton Museum will house about 17,000 works of art. The Gallery Building and Public Plaza will open on April 30, 2006 and the Education & Visitors Pavilion will open in early 2007. Some of the features of the $83.5 million project include: state of the art galleries, a 294-seat auditorium, and a 60-seat lecture hall.

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Long Center for the Performing Arts

http://www.artscenterstage.org/

Located in Town Lake Park, the Long Center is evolving out of the former Palmer Auditorium (opened 1958). About 45% of the old structure will be reused in the new facility. The Long Center for the Performing Arts will be home to the 2,400-seat Dell Foundation Hall, the 240-seat Rollins Studio Theater, and an intermediate sized 700-seat theater. Dismantling of the Palmer Auditorium began in July and the Long Cenetr will open in March 2008 at a cost of $77 million.

Palmer Auditorium

Long Center

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Mexican American Cultural Center

Located on the north shore of Town Lake in downtowns' Waterfront District, the Mexican American Cultural Center will have about 30,000 sf of classroom, exhibit, and multipurpose space with a focus on Mexican American, Latino, and Native American heritage. The 6-acre will also include a 22,000 sf outdoor plaza. Groundbreaking for the MACC was held yesterday (Nov. 19), site work will start in December with construction begining in January and complete in early 2007.

Recent News:

Austin American-Satesman: Finally, the Mexican American Cultural Center breaks ground

[mcheiss]

Very Nice, Looks like even more culture is coming to Austin.

[eastsider]

Preparations are under way for the Arpril 30 opening of the Blanton Museum of Art. When it opens, it will be the third largest art museum in Texas and the largest university art museum in the nation.

News 8 Austin: Cooped up art can breathe again at Blanton Museum

[eastsider]

The second building to open at the Blanton Museum will be named the Edgar A. Smith Building after a $.5 million donation from Mr Smith. The 56,000 sf building will open in early 2007 when it will join the 124,000 sf Mari and James A. Michener Gallery Building set to open on April 29th.

The Smith Building will house a 300-seat high-tech auditorium, a 60-seat lecture hall, several classrooms, a museum store, cafe and museum offices.

A 145,000-square-foot public plaza and garden designed by famed landscape architect Peter Walker will separate the Michener and Smith buildings.

Austin American-Statesman: Donor's name to grace building

[txstl]

An update on the Mexican American Cultural Center (MACC)...

Solis Construction did break ground in December and foundation work is now underway. I'll update everyone with some additional design pictures this week.

[eastsider]

The new Blanton Museum opened to rave reviews with a 24 hour opening over the weekend which was attended by about 13,000 people.

Austin American-Statesman: Austin proudly unwraps the Blanton

[eastsider]

Construction on the Mexican American Cultural Center is expected to be complete by June, although there may be an informal opening on Cinco de Mayo.

A tower with a narrow, vertical window will be able to be seen from Interstate 35.

There will be an entrance with skylights. A lobby with a reflecting pool. Offices and classrooms. A multipurpose room with ceiling "clouds" for acoustics and a wooden floor with springs for dance performances. Exhibit space for Mexican American, Hispanic and Native American art.

A snake-shaped walkway of red, yellow and dark gray bricks designed by a local artist that will extend from the hike-and-bike trail through the building to the parking lot. A second-floor viewing balcony that overlooks Town Lake. An outdoor plaza that will seat hundreds that is being called the "z