One Museum, Two Locations

Mint Museum Uptown

500 South Tryon Street
Charlotte, NC 28202
704.337.2000
Plan Your Visit

Mint Museum Randolph

2730 Randolph Road
Charlotte, NC 28207
704.337.2000
Plan Your Visit

Soundsuit

Nick Cave. American, 1959-
Created: 2007
Materials: Fabricated, beaded, and sequined body suit, metal armature, metal Victorian flowers
Dimensions: H 102" x W 36" x D 24"

An Alvin Ailey-trained dancer, Nick Cave is best known for his sculptural costumes exhibited in art galleries and ritualistic costumes worn for live performances. He received his B.F.A. from the Kansas City Art Institute and his M.F.A. from the Cranbrook Academy of Art in Bloomfield Hills Michigan, and since 1989 has taught surface design courses in the Fiber Arts Program at the Art Institute of Chicago. As a college student, he was immediately interested in the expressive potential of textiles, as well as ways of movement.

His Soundsuits address the issues confronting a black male in America and function both as static museum displays and as energetic performative pieces. Cave discovered the Soundsuits’ potential to alter the wearer’s identity: once inside the costume, it’s impossible to tell if one is male or female, white or black or brown, American or Asian. Although fragile and cumbersome, this suit could easily sprint into motion. The materials incorporated—flowers from a thrift-store Victorian chandelier, scraps from a traditional Bolivian costume, and bits of metal and beads—are throw-away objects transformed into something valuable and lovely. Cave sews—never glues—the elements together, giving a nod (or perhaps a brightly-sequined wink) to traditional craft forms like crocheting and quilting.

Museum Purchase: Founders’ Circle Annual Cause. Photography by James Prinz 2009.19.1A-OOOOO

What To See

The Mint Museum’s Schiff-Bresler Family Fiber Art Gallery has a new look, with works by Nick Cave, Edwina Bringle, Ian Woo, Carol Eckert, and more joining Hildur Bjarnadóttir’s Urban Color Palette, Charlotte.

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Things To Do

No matter which location you visit or if you are a student, adult, or family, an experience at The Mint Museum is as unforgettable as it is inspiring.

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Shop At The Mint

From exhibition-specific merchandise to collection-inspired books and products, the shops at both locations offer gifts as tasteful and elegant as the museum itself.

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Rent The Mint

Whether it’s a wedding, a corporate event, or any special occasion, The Mint Museum offers an unparalleled experience at its two dynamic locations.

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Blogs

Sep 20

2:49 pm

Young Affiliates of the Mint to celebrate MAINFRAME opening

by Leigh Dyer

The Young Affiliates of the Mint (the “YAMs”) announce their Third Annual Juried Art Show, MAINFRAME, a participatory compilat ...

Sep 12

7:30 am

UPDATED: All grand re-opening weekend activities RESCHEDULED

by Leigh Dyer

Monday September 17 update: All grand re-opening activities are now scheduled THIS WEEK! Join us for the YAMs’ opening party ...

Sep 10

7:51 pm

The Mint Museum acquires Russell Young Work ‘Nina Simone’

by Leigh Dyer

Screen print painting depicts North Carolina native and Hall of Fame inductee. The Mint Museum has acquired a painting of North Ca ...

Events

Sep 20 7:00 PM - 10:00 PM

Mint Museum Uptown

Grand Re-Opening for Mint Museum Uptown: MAINFRAME opening

Join the Young Affiliates of the Mint for the opening party of their third annual art show, MAINFRAME, exploring the role of technology in our society. READ MORE

Sep 21 5:00 PM - 11:30 PM

Mint Museum Uptown