When summer days get either too hot or too rainy, it’s good to have some indoor options for family entertainment. The Blanton Museum of Art on the UT campus is offering up some family fun this summer. Kids ages 12 and under are always free, and everyone can enjoy free admission on Thursdays.
You can check out the exhibit that opened on Sunday, June 14 and will be up through Sunday, September 6 — Impressionism and the Caribbean: Francisco Oller and His Transatlantic World. This is an exhibition of approximately eighty paintings by Realist-Impressionist painter Francisco Oller (1833–1917) and his contemporaries. But in addition to this current featured exhibit, you can browse The Blanton’s huge collection of over 17,000 works of art in a variety of mediums.
–> WorkLab
Wednesdays & Fridays from 10 a.m. – 12:30 p.m
WorkLAB is an open studio that invites makers of all ages to explore a range of media used by artists, while experimenting with a variety of techniques and enticing materials. Drop by to create, engage, and connect through art!
–> Storytime Tours
Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays at 10:30 a.m.
Meet in the Rapoport Atrium
Encourage young art lovers to look carefully and make connections between art, story, and life during these 30-minute thematic tours. Space is limited. Recommended for kids ages 3-7 and their adult companions. Tour tickets are free but required for participation on the storytime tour. These tickets are available at the Visitor Service Desk thirty minutes prior to tour time.
–> Deeper Dives
Wednesdays & Fridays (starting June 24) at 1 – 2:30 p.m.
Meet in the Rapoport Atrium
Deeper Dives are 90-minute experiences that encourage adult and child interaction by combining close looking, conversation, and related art-making activities. Each week will focus on a different theme from works on view in the exhibition Impressionism and the Caribbean. Recommended for families with kids ages 8-13. Space is limited, and free tour tickets are required. Tickets available at the Visitor Services Desk one hour prior to tour time.
No matter when you go, there is something to appeal to everyone at The Blanton. Before you go, you can also read their helpful tips for talking to children about art at the museum.
–> Admission:
- Adults, $9
- Seniors (65+), $7
- Youth (ages 13-21) and non-UT college students, $5
- Children ages 12 and under, free
- Free Admission every Thursday
- Active-duty military, free
- Current UT faculty/students/staff, free
- Big Brothers/Big Sisters Program participants, free
–> Hours:
- Closed Mondays
- Tuesday – Friday, 10 a.m. -5 p.m. (Third Thursdays open until 9pm)
- Saturday, 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.
- Sunday, 1-5 p.m.
–> Parking: Parking is available in the Brazos Garage for $4 if you present your ticket and pay at the Blanton’s Visitor Services Desk. Please be sure to bring your ticket with you to the museum to receive this special validation rate. For more information visit the website’s parking page. If you choose street parking, be sure to bring coins because they do not take credit cards like meters downtown.
Have fun!
