RECENT AMERICAN PAINTINGS
Donald B. Goodall [introduction]
Donald B. Goodall [introduction]: RECENT AMERICAN PAINTINGS. Austin: University of Texas, University Art Museum, 1964. Original edition. Oblong quarto. Thick printed stapled wrappers. 16 pp. 23 black and white photographs. Catalog of 57 works. Artists’ biographies. A fine, uncirculated archive copy.
11 x 8.5 softcover booklet with 16 pages and 23 black and white photographs detailing the debut exhibition at the University of Texas, University Art Museum from April 15 to May 15, 1964.
Includes artwork by Josef Albers, Paul Burlin, Willem De Kooning, Sam Francis, Philip Guston, Franz Kline, Walter Kuhlman, Conrad Marca-Relli, Nicholas Marsicano, George McNeil, Carl Morris, Kyle Morris, Kenneth Noland, Kenzo Okada, George Ortman, Stephen Pace, Raymond Parker, Jackson Pollock, Robert Rauschenberg, Larry Rivers, and Mark Rothko.
Also includes short biographies of Josef Albers, Richard Anuszkiewicz, James Brooks, Paul Burlin, Giorgio Cavallon, Jim Dine, Edward Dugmore, Sam Francis, Helen Frankenthaler, Leon Goldin, Philip Guston, Julius Hatofsky, Hans Hofmann, Franz Kline, Willem De Kooning, Walter Kuhlman, Louis Morris, Conrad Marca-Relli, Nicholas Marsicano, George Mcneil, Carl Morris, Kyle Morris, Kenneth Noland, Kenzo Okada, George Ortman, Stephen Pace, Raymond Parker, Jackson Pollock, Robert Rauschenberg, Larry Rivers, Milton Resnick, Mark Rothko, and Ludwig Sander.
The University of Texas, University Art Museum was founded in 1963 as the University Art Museum on the campus of the University of Texas at Austin. The University Art Museum was initially housed in the Art Department of the University of Texas (though supervision of the Museum was later moved to the Office of the Provost) and was founded through the proceeds from the sale of land donated by Archer M. Huntington. This land was donated with the stipulation that it be used to support an art museum at the University. In 1964, Donald Goodall became the Museum’s first director.
By 1972, a portion of the Museum’s collection was housed at the Harry Ransom Humanities Center, while the print study room and temporary exhibition galleries remained at the Art Department. In 1979, Eric S. McCready became the Museum’s second director, and the museum was renamed the Archer M. Huntington Art Gallery shortly thereafter.
In 1993, Jessie Otto Hite became the museum’s third director. In 1994, Mari Michener, wife of novelist James Michener, gifted $5 million for the construction of a new museum complex, which would be the first dedicated space for the museum’s permanent collection since its founding. The campaign to build a new building began in 1997 with a $12 million gift from the Houston Endowment, Inc. in honor of its then-chairman, Jack S. Blanton. The museum was renamed the Blanton Museum of Art, with construction on the new building commencing in 2003.
Although the Museum was built as designed by Kallmann McKinnell & Wood Architects, they were not the first architectural firm hired for the project. The notable Swiss-based architectural firm Herzog & de Meuron had originally been commissioned for the project, but resigned the commission in 1999 due to differences in their design and the wishes of the Board of Regents regarding the university's Campus Master Plan. Lawrence Speck, disappointed in the series of events that led to Herzog & de Meuron's resignation, resigned as dean of the School of Architecture, although he remains a faculty member.
The new gallery building, named the Mari and James A. Michener Gallery Building, opened to the public with a 24-hour marathon celebration in 2006. A second education and administration building (the Edgar A. Smith Building), totaling 56,000 square feet, opened in 2008. In 2009, Ned Rifkin was named to replace the retiring Jessie Otto Hite as director. In 2011, Simone Wicha was named director.— Wikipedia