GUEST TOURS Tour of Austin Art
Texas Legends and Lore Tour Have an insider’s view of Austin-only attractions including the Capitol Building of the great Lone Star State. Enjoy a look into where our Texas legislature meets, and learn the history of our government and about some of the famous and infamous Texas politicians who have walked these hallowed halls.
We will experience the Texas Spirit Theatre; home to a multimedia event entitled “The Star of Destiny.” Your guests will feel the fury of the hurricane that rocked the Gulf Coast, experience the heat of the explosions that flattened the entire city and their hearts will rumble with the lightening and thunder from the Texas prairie lands. The ghost of Texas’ history leads you through a one-of-a-kind adventure. Our next stop is home to another one of a kind Texan.
AMD Lone Star Campus
You will have the opportunity to gain a greater understanding of AMD’s LEED® Gold (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) campus including rainwater collection systems and native landscape design.
Freescale Semiconductor, ATMC |
We will begin our Austin Art Tour with the University of Texas Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center. The group will be transported to the museum for a wonderful tour and visit. The Harry Ransom Center is a library, museum and archive, specializing in the collection of literary and cultural artifacts from the United States and Europe. The Ransom Center houses 36 million literary manuscripts, 1 million rare books, 5 million photographs, and more than 100,000 works of art. 
We will then visit the University of Texas Blanton Museum of Art. The Blanton is home to an inspiring collection of over 17,000 works of art, recognized for its European Old Master paintings, modern and contemporary American and Latin American art, and an encyclopedic collection of prints and drawings. At the edge of the university campus in downtown Austin, the new museum complex frames dramatic views of the State Capitol to the south and the university to the north, building a gateway between the university and the city. The Blanton is the largest university art museum in the country and the third largest museum in Texas. Our tour will feature highlights of the permanent collection with stops in the museum’s Modern and Contemporary Art Galleries, European Paintings Galleries, and Print and Drawing Galleries. We will also tale an engaging look at the Blanton’s special exhibition gallery. 
We will then be transported to the Umlauf Sculpture Garden & Museum. It is a non-profit organization founded around the work of American sculptor Charles Umlauf. Their work is dedicated to providing educational experiences that encourage the understanding and appreciation of sculpture. The museum features more than 130 paintings, sculptures and drawings by Charles Umlauf and rotating exhibits from other artists, such as his past students. Umlauf, a prolific and internationally known sculptor, created works ranging in style from realistic and abstract expressionism to lyrical abstraction during his career. In 1985 he and his wife, Angeline Allen Umlauf, gave their home and studio with sculptures, drawings and paintings to the Umlauf Sculpture Garden and Museum. Umlauf’s sculptures range from detailed realism to lyrical abstractions. His materials are equally diverse, from the exotic woods and terra cotta or cast stone of his earlier pieces, to the rich bronzes and alabasters or luminous marbles of his prime. With equal facility, Umlauf sculpted family groupings (particularly mothers and children), delightful animals and religious and mythological figures.
First we will set a monumental tone for the day by stopping at the State Capitol Building and Visitors Center. The State Capitol Building, which was completed in 1888, is currently the third building to serve as the Capitol. It was constructed of red granite taken from Granite Mountain near Marble Falls, Texas and modeled after the classical style of our Nation’s Capitol. The height of the dome is 309 feet, over fourteen feet higher than the United States Capitol. 
What bigger Texas Legend than the late President Lyndon Baines Johnson? The Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum on the University of Texas Campus houses Johnson’s desire to “show the facts, not just the joy and triumphs, but the sorrow and failures too”. This incredible facility is one of twelve Presidential libraries administered by the National Archives and Records Administration. Displays include the landmark Civil Rights Programs, the war in Vietnam and many other historical events, which took place during the Johnson administration. 
Yes, everything really is bigger in Texas. We will learn about the Story of Texas at The Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum. A most magnificent museum honoring the memory of one of Texas’ legendary politicians, Bob Bullock, as well as paying tribute to the deep love he had for his home state! As you arrive at the museum a lone star as large as the spirit of Texas herself greets you. Each floor of the museum guides you on a journey through Texas history. Even the floors and walls are incorporated to enhance your sense of time and place as you explore Texas from the time of early Indian settlement to present day. This museum exemplifies the bigger than life persona of Texas.