Ellsworth Kelly “Red Yellow Blue White and Black,” 1953. Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

On Friday, February 6, 2015, the Blanton Museum of Art announced that it will acquire and construct Ellsworth Kelly’s only building. Kelly, an American painter, sculptor, and printmaker associated with Color Field painting, hard-edge painting, and Minimalism, conceived the stand-alone structure in 1986 for a private collector. At the age of 91, he is finally seeing the project come to fruition.

Austin, a 73-by-60-foot stone building, will be constructed on the museum’s grounds at the University of Texas at Austin. The structure will feature luminous colored glass windows, a totemic wood sculpture, and fourteen black-and-white stone panels in marble -- all designed by the artist.  Kelly has gifted the Blanton the design concept for the work, including the building, the totem sculpture, the interior panels, and the glass windows. Once it is complete, Austin will become part of the museum’s permanent collection. The Blanton has launched a campaign to raise $15 million to realize the project and has received commitments totaling $7 million.

According to a release from the museum, the Blanton’s Director, Simone Wicha, said, “It is a great privilege for the Blanton to share the vision of one of the greatest artists of our time. Ellsworth Kelly’s Austin will be a joyful place of inspiration on The University of Texas campus, welcoming millions of visitors from around the world. A treasure in the Blanton's collection, it will transform the landscape of this vibrant city and have a lasting impact on all who experience it. We are deeply grateful to Ellsworth Kelly and Jack Shear of the Ellsworth Kelly Foundation for their generosity, and to our early supporters, who, with the help of others, will make this important project a reality.”

While Austin has no religious affiliation, it is intended to be a space for contemplation -- much like Mark Rothko’s tranquil and meditative Chapel in Houston. Kelly’s design for the structure draws inspiration from his time spent in Paris from 1948 to 1954, the simple geometric forms of Romanesque architecture, and the Chartres Cathedral’s celebrated Gothic stained glass rose window. Kelly said, “I was intrigued by Romanesque and Byzantine art and architecture. While the simplicity and purity of these forms had a great influence on my art, I conceived this project without a religious program. I hope visitors will experience Austin as a place of calm and light.”

The Blanton currently owns Kelly’s High Yellow, a significant early canvas by the artist, and an untitled print gifted to the museum by Robert Rauschenberg. In honor of the institution’s commitment to building Austin, David Booth, a local businessman, has promised to the Blanton a recent painting by Kelly titled Red Relief with White.