When October brings a change in season, it also brings a change of culture to Austin. The Blanton Museum of Art is playing host to 40 works of art from 19^th century artists during these next few months. The exhibit will feature Impressionist painters Camille Pissarro, Édouard Manet, Edgar Degas, J.M.W. Turner, Gilbert Stuart, Asher B. Durand and the iconic Claude Monet. The Blanton will display these painters’ works October 2 through January 2.

     Students interested in art may find some of their greatest influences currently located at the Blanton.

     “My favorite work of Impressionism is ‘The Ironers’ by Edgar Degas,” Vaibhav Sapuram, senior said. “I enjoy Impressionism because it lets me feel what the artist felt about his subject matter through the interesting brushstrokes and lighting.”

     Students take notes and learn from the famous works of art.

      “I would love to [see the exhibit]; I have a deep interest in art and the ability of artists to convey their feelings through it,” Sapuram said. “I think it would help my own art to see these works because it could broaden my artistic perspective.” Expectations for this exhibit are very high because the Blanton is known for its wide spectrum of artistic viewing options.

      “I like how the Blanton offers so much variety of art and changes it around from time to time, which keeps it interesting,” Sapuram said. “There is something for everyone at the Blanton, and I can’t wait to see this 19^th century Impressionist exhibit!”

     Students aren’t the only ones excited about the new display of art. Mandy Gregory, art teacher, had some thoughts on the matter.

     “It’s exciting to have major exhibits coming to a reputable museum in Austin,” Gregory said. “We have so many artists in Austin, [but] we haven’t had a major museum or exhibit in a long time.”

     Brady Dyer, PR for the Blanton Museum, spoke on the matter of artwork availability in Austin.

     “Austin does not have an equivalent collection of paintings of this time period. The Blanton has a permanent collection of over 17,000 works of art, but we do not have 19^th century paintings such as this,” Dyer said. “The exhibition will present paintings to Austin by some of the most beloved artists of all time — French Impressionists Edgar Degas, Édouard Manet, and of course, Claude Monet. It will also include American and British paintings from the 19th century. To see works of this caliber, one would need to travel to Houston or Dallas, [or even] as far as the east or west coasts. Austinites will now have the opportunity to see these works in their home town.”

     Based on success of Impressionist exhibits in the past, the Blanton expects to draw large crowds at the ‘Turner to Monet’ exhibit.

     “Impressionism is an absolute favorite of museum-goers,” Dyer said. “Impressionist exhibitions all over the world continually draw thousands and thousands of people. The artists in this group are some of the most popular and loved artists of all time, [namely] Monet, Degas, Cézanne, Gauguin and Renoir, many of whom will have works in the exhibition.”

     After a long wait, the exhibit is open at last and will be available until January for students to check out at a five dollar admission fee before it leaves the Blanton collection.