This Sunday at half-past noon, the Blanton Museum of Art hosted their grand opening of the late Ellsworth Kelly’s “Austin.”

By Mary Pistorius

Inaugurated by a performance from the Austin Longhorn Band, with tributes paid by Mayor Steve Adler, University of Texas at Austin President Greg Fenves, Blanton Museum Director Simone Wicha and Director of the Ellsworth Kelly Foundation Jack Shear, hundreds of Austinites gathered to celebrate the opening.

In a gesture similar to Mark Rothko’s chapel in Houston, Kelly designed his chapel of light for “contemplation.” He was inspired by his study of art abroad and at home, admiring the French Chartres Cathedral in particular. Though “Austin” was commissioned by a private collector, Kelly always intended for many to enjoy his first and last piece of architecture. The building will remain on the Blanton’s grounds indefinitely as Kelly’s tribute to the study of light and scale.