Ellsworth Kelly’s ‘Austin’: A building that’s a work of art

Ellsworth Kelly’s ‘Austin’: A building that’s a work of art
In this Monday, Feb. 12, 2018, photo, colorful windows are seen at Ellsworth Kelly's "Austin" at the Blanton Museum of Art, in Austin, Texas. The exhibit, a 2,715-square-foot stone building with luminous colored glass windows is set to open to the public Sunday. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

By The Associated Press

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — A work of art that’s a free-standing building designed by the late abstract artist Ellsworth Kelly is coming to the outskirts of the University of Texas in Austin.
The building is called “Austin” in keeping with Kelly’s tradition of naming works for their location. It opens Sunday.

The stone building is 2,715 square feet, with rows of luminous colored glass windows reminiscent of a Microsoft logo. It also features a totemic redwood sculpture and 14 black-and-white marble panels.

It’s the only building Kelly designed. It becomes the centerpiece of the permanent collection at the Blanton Museum of Art. The museum in 2015 announced a $23 million campaign to build it.

Kelly was one of the nation’s most-celebrated post-World War II artists. He died in 2015 at age 92.

In this Monday, Feb. 12, 2018, photo, Ellsworth Kelly’s “Austin” at the Blanton Museum of Art is seen at dusk, in Austin, Texas. The exhibit, a 2,715-square-foot stone building with luminous colored glass windows is set to open to the public Sunday. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)