Kathryn Oosterhuis and Rachel Ellis are exceptional new hires.

The Mint Museum has hired two new staff members to round out its team. After a national search, Kathryn Oosterhuis has been hired to fill the new position of Archivist for The Mint Museum. She will be responsible for developing and managing the archives to keep an accurate, well-preserved record of the museum’s holdings and activities. Rachel Ellis has been hired as the Membership Manager to further the development of the museum and its membership program.

The creation of the Archivist position is enabled by a Documenting Democracy grant awarded by the National Historical Records and Publications Commission (NHRPC) to The Mint Museum for the initiation and development of its museum archives. The NHRPC is a statutory body affiliated with the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) and supports a wide range of activities to preserve, publish, and encourage the use of documentary sources, created in every medium, relating to the history of the United States.

The museum was awarded more than $45,000 from the NHPRC last year. The Mint was founded in 1936 as North Carolina’s first art museum, but its history goes back even further, reflecting significant historical data on the culture and society of both Charlotte and the region. The NHPRC’s grant also enables the museum to establish a physical space for the archives and initiate a museum-wide program to ensure that its history is preserved and made accessible to the community – now, and in the future.

“This is another huge step forward in establishing the Mint as a vibrant and relevant cultural leader. Sharing our history with the community furthers the Mint’s ability to serve as center of excellence in collections, exhibitions, scholarship, learning, engagement, and service. By strongly preserving our history, we are better poised to step into the future,” said Dr. Kathleen V. Jameson, President & CEO of the Mint.

“Not only do the funds received from the grant award enable us to document, preserve, and make accessible the records of the history of The Mint Museum, but the award of the grant itself is significant. The Documenting Democracy: Access to Historical Records Projects awards are given to support projects that preserve documentary heritage considered essential to understanding American democracy, history, and culture. The award of this grant is a profound recognition of the Mint’s role in the history of this city, the region, even the country,” said Joyce Weaver, the Mint’s librarian.

Oosterhuis was archivist for the YMCA Minneapolis collection at the Kautz YMCA archives at the University of Minnesota and Project Archivist at the James K. Hosmer Special Collections of Hennepin County Library. Her previous involvements also include archival work with the American Craft Council, a national organization founded to raise awareness and celebrate the American craft movement; work with the American Swedish Institute’s library and archive collection; and work with the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. Oosterhuis received her Master of Information and Library Science degree from St. Catherine’s University in St. Paul, Minn.

“The range of experience Kathryn brings to the Archivist position will be instrumental in the success of the grant project and the development of our museum archives. I am believe she will be an invaluable asset to the museum and the community,” said Weaver.

Rachel Ellis has worked in the nonprofit industry for most of her professional career, focusing on development and donor relationships. She is excited to return to the museum world, having graduated from Baylor University with a degree in Art History and Museum Studies and prior work with the Amon Carter Museum and the Mayborn Museum Complex in Texas.

The Mint Museum is committed to providing an excellent membership experience, sponsoring many exclusive programs for its members throughout the year, such as First Look Fridays, where members get a private first glance at new exhibitions.

“As the Mint ramps up its general membership cultivation efforts, Rachel is the perfect person to assume the post of Membership Manager for the museum. Her rich experience and expertise, and passion for driving membership, will help us achieve our goal to have 20,000 members by 2016 through inspiring and engaging our global community,” said Jameson.

Ellis has lived in Charlotte since 2011 and most recently headed Individual Gifts & Member Services for Blumenthal Performing Arts.

(Above image: Ellis, left, and Oosterhuis, right.)

FECUND was developed as an experiential installation and one-man show.

UPDATE: The atrium installation is on hiatus until Sunday, May 12. The public is invited to return to the atrium  from May 12-20.

The public is invited to the atrium of Mint Museum Uptown from May 6-20 to experience an installation from local performance artist John W. Love, Jr., who will be inviting visitors to contemplate notions of “yes” as part of an interdisciplinary project entitled FECUND.

Access to the Robert Haywood Morrison Atrium, inside Mint Museum Uptown at Levine Center for the Arts, 500 South Tryon Street, is free during the hours of 10 a.m.- 6 p.m. Monday-Saturday (and until 9 p.m. on Tuesdays), 1-5 p.m. Sundays. Regular admission policies to the remainder of the museum will apply during Love’s residency. The Mint will post updates about the project at facebook.com/mintmuseum and @TheMintMuseum.

Love is the first individual artist to receive the Arts & Science Council McColl Award, which he was awarded in 2011 to pursue the development of FECUND. Love is a visual artist, playwright, poet, stage/video director, and actor. The installation will culminate with a one-man performance at Mint Museum Uptown on May 17 at 7:30 p.m., which is free to Mint members and $15 for non-members. Click here for more details on the performance and to register. (The May 17 performance is recommended for mature audiences). Registration is required for the performance and seating is limited.

“John is an essential reason why Charlotte’s art scene has continued to flourish,” said Brad Thomas, the Mint’s curator of Modern & Contemporary Art. “He could not be more deserving of the McColl Award. We are honored to feature John’s innovative installation and performance as part of the Mint’s ongoing commitment to supporting regional artists.”

The installation itself is entitled Path of Yes and will use texture, objects, and sound. The May 17 performance is entitled The Diaries of Neequa or She Who Would Be King. Together, these two components make up FECUND. Prior to this new installation and performance at the Mint, Love concluded his second artist residency at The McColl Center for Visual Art in the fall of 2012. His time at McColl was dedicated to the creative aims of FECUND in a process he described as “…steeped in exploration, experimentation, discovery, collaboration, play, and an exhilarating process of editing.” Love’s studio was a hub of activity for workshops, invigorating connections, and meditative contemplation. A collection of mixed-media sculptures was produced for the Path of Yes and will be positioned along a tiled floor developed in collaboration with Fine Arts students from Winthrop University and Adjunct Professor of Fine Arts Jon Prichard.

The installation marks the second time this year that the Mint has activated the atrium of Mint Museum Uptown with an art installation and invited the public to participate. In February, Japanese artist Motoi Yamamoto spent two weeks constructing a temporary saltwork, Floating Garden, drawing thousands of visitors to the atrium and drawing worldwide attention to the Mint in both social media and traditional media. The saltwork was dismantled March 3 and visitors were invited to return the salt to the sea, but a smaller saltwork remains on view in the Modern & Contemporary galleries of Mint Museum Uptown through May 26.

“The Mint is pleased to continue fulfilling the original vision of Mint Museum Uptown and Levine Center for the Arts by creating a community gathering spot where visitors can have transformative experiences,” said Dr. Kathleen V. Jameson, President & CEO of the Mint. “We look forward to continuing to surprise and delight our visitors with new offerings each time they return to our facilities.”

Grant supporting digital documentation of art was one of 817 given nationwide

National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Acting Chairman Joan Shigekawa announced this week that The Mint Museum is one of 817 nonprofit organizations nationwide to receive an NEA Art Works grant. The Mint Museum’s $40,000 grant will support the digital cataloguing of the museum’s collection.

The Mint Museum intends to use the grant on a digitization project, ensuring that the museum’s collection is properly catalogued for posterity and is easily accessible. The museum is committed to improving public access to art and will further that initiative through this venture. Documenting The Mint Museum’s holdings in digital high-definition will bring the collection into the 21st century and the homes of art lovers across the world.

Acting Chairman Shigekawa said: “The National Endowment for the Arts is proud to support these exciting and diverse arts projects that will take place throughout the United States. Whether it is through a focus on education, engagement, or innovation, these projects all contribute to vibrant communities and memorable opportunities for the public to engage with the arts.”

“The Mint is pleased to receive this national support for preserving its collection for many generations to come,” said Dr. Kathleen V. Jameson, President & CEO of The Mint Museum.

In August 2012, the NEA received 1,547 eligible applications for Art Works grants requesting more than $80 million in funding. Art Works grants support the creation of art that meets the highest standards of excellence, public engagement with diverse and excellent art, lifelong learning in the arts, and the strengthening of communities through the arts. The 817 recommended NEA grants total $26.3 million and span 13 artistic disciplines and fields. Applications were reviewed by panels of outside experts convened by NEA staff and each project was judged on its artistic excellence and artistic merit.

For a complete listing of projects recommended for Art Works grant support, please visit the NEA website at arts.gov.

Keynote speech and day-long conference are open to the public

The public is invited to join a roster of chefs, writers, historians, and international designers – led by internationally renowned architect Michael Graves – who are visiting the museum later this month for a conference devoted to the innovative Mint-organized F.O.O.D. (Food, Objects, Objectives, Design) exhibition. Graves will be speaking on April 25 as part of the Mint’s Contemporary Architecture + Design (CAD) Series at Mint Museum Uptown, which will serve as the F.O.O.D. Conference’s keynote address, and the day-long conference follows on April 26.

Michael Graves and his firms have received more than 200 awards for design excellence since he founded his practice in 1964, including the 1999 National Medal of Arts from President Bill Clinton. Michael Graves & Associates provides planning, architecture and interior design services, and Michael Graves Design Group specializes in product design, graphics and branding. As one of the most well-recognized contemporary architects in the country, Graves is widely credited with the ‘democratization of design’ through his partnership and accessible product line with Target.

“Good design not only addresses practical problems, it humanizes the products we use daily. Fittingly, the Mint’s CAD Series (Contemporary Architecture + Design) concludes its season and opens the F.O.O.D. Conference with a lecture by Michael Graves, the visionary architect and designer. More than anyone else, Graves has changed the field by championing good design as essential to everyday life, and by creating objects that are accessible, intuitive, functional and beautiful,” said Cheryl Palmer, the Mint’s director of Learning & Engagement.

Graves’ lecture begins at 7 p.m. and the lecture is $5 for museum members, $15 for non-members, and free for students with valid ID. A light reception precedes the program at 6 p.m. Registration is required at mintmuseum.org/happenings.

The F.O.O.D. Conference promises a day of learning and creativity with presentations from industry leading writers, historians, chefs, and designers to complement the museum’s current exhibition devoted to objects designed to prepare, cook, and present food. The conference sessions mirror the four sections of the F.O.O.D. exhibition: Kitchen, Pantry, Table and Garden.

Presenters include Jessica Harris, author of 11 cookbooks and contributor to magazines such as Gourmet and Saveur; James Beard Award-winning author, bread expert and Johnson & Wales chef Peter Reinhart; Darra Goldstein, food historian and founding editor of Gastronomica: The Journal of Food and Culture, named the 2012 Publication of the Year by the James Beard Foundation; Asheville-based architect Ken Gaylord, and Matteo Bologna, founding partner and principal of Mucca Design in New York.

Designers Andrea Trimarchi and Simone Farresin of the FormaFantasma Studio, who created the work “Autarchy” for the Mint’s F.O.O.D. exhibition, will also be presenting.  Based on a prototype from 2011, this version of Autarchy was created especially for the Mint, and is made of agriculture waste, spices such as turmeric and paprika, and Geechie Boy corn meal. The two Italian designers are based in The Netherlands and their work seeks to bridge the relationship between craft, industry, object, and user. This is the studio’s first showing in an American museum. In 2011 the studio was nominated as one of the 20 most promising young design studios by Alice Rawsthorn, the design critic of The New York Times and Paola Antonelli, the senior design curator of The Museum of Modern Art.

“Designers are creative individuals who apply art and engineering to solve a problem. Regarding food, that problem might be making a spoon that holds just the right amount of liquid, that is comfortable to hold, and that looks really cool.  It might be creating a kitchen that incorporates sustainable appliances, green machines, and ergonomic furniture.  And it could even be coming up with a typeface, and innovative graphic designs, for restaurant advertisements, menus, or cookbooks. The Mint’s F.O.O.D. Conference brings together top international talent – chefs, culinary historians, designers, and architects –  to discuss their perspectives on the meaning of table, pantry, kitchen, and garden in our lives today,” said Annie Carlano, the Mint’s director of craft + design.

The conference runs from 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m. and the cost for Mint or Center for Craft, Creativity and Design members is $60 with a box lunch and includes admission to Michael Graves’ CAD lecture. Cost for non-members is $85 with a box lunch, or $100 for lunch and admission to the Graves CAD lecture. Registration is required at mintmuseum.org/happenings. The conference is co-presented with The Center for Craft, Creativity and Design in Hendersonville, N.C., and funded by the Founders’ Circle. In-kind partners include Johnson & Wales University and The Mother Earth Group. Michael Graves’ lecture is generously supported by a grant from the Arts & Science Council.

The F.O.O.D. exhibition features approximately 300 modern and contemporary pieces, including unique and mass-produced works chosen from the Mint’s permanent collection, loans and new acquisitions. The exhibition is co-organized by the research center FoodCultura, Barcelona, and remains on view through July 7, 2013. F.O.O.D. (Food, Objects, Objectives, Design) is made possible through major support from PNC with additional support from Piedmont Natural Gas. Acquisition support was provided by the Design Committee of The Mint Museum.

Experience three museums in 48 hours for $20

Beginning April 1, 2013, individuals will have the opportunity to experience the Bechtler Museum of Modern Art, Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Culture and The Mint Museum at Levine Center for the Arts within 48 hours for $20 through the purchase of the new Levine Center for the Arts Access Ticket. Tickets are available only on CarolinaTix.org and exclude special events and performances in the Knight Theater. The purchase price represents a discount on the combined regular adult admission prices at the three institutions ($10 at the Mint and $8 apiece at the Bechtler and Gantt Center).

The Levine Center for the Arts Access Ticket is for regular admission only and may not be used for admittance to programs, performances or special events held at any of the participating institutions.

“This ticket provides access for cultural enthusiasts to experience all that Levine Center for the Arts has to offer,” said Scott Provancher, president of the Arts & Science Council.  “The incredible diversity of art ranging from one of the premier craft and design collections in the U.S. at The Mint Museum, exhibitions that tell and share the African-American experience at the Gantt Center, to one-of-a-kind works by some of the most important and influential artists of the mid-20th century at the Bechtler Museum of Modern Art, is one that our community is fortunate to have and share with residents and visitors.”

The museums at Levine Center for the Arts

The Bechtler Museum of Modern Art (420 South Tryon Street, bechtler.org) is dedicated to the exhibition of mid-20th-century modern art. It is named after the family of Andreas Bechtler who assembled and inherited a collection created by seminal figures in modernism. On view through July 29, 2013 is Artistic Relationships: Partners, Mentors, Lovers, an exhibition of 85 works by artists including Joan Miró, Alexander Calder, Fernand Léger and Le Corbusier who were not only connected by the creative spirit but also by personal circumstances. On view are paintings, prints, textiles and sculpture from the Bechtler collection that reflect the 20th century’s experimentation with abstract art and reveal a variety of approach, intent and result.

The Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Culture (551 South Tryon Street, ganttcenter.org) presents preserves and celebrates excellence in the art, history and culture of African-Americans and those of African descent.  The Center has three new exhibitions celebrating the South that include: I Got Freedom Up Over My Head: Portraits by Julie Moos that captures women who have been active citizens, church members and civil rights activists; Jonathan Green: A Spiritual Journey of Life that provides a sense of place in the southern U.S. reflecting Gullah culture and the Low Country and Etched In The Eyes: David Herman, Jr. that examine “the young, the old, and the lives in between” of the unique Gullah/Geechee coastal culture.

The Mint Museum (500 South Tryon Street, mintmuseum.org) houses the internationally-renowned Craft + Design collection, as well as outstanding collections of American, contemporary, and European art at its Mint Museum Uptown location. Currently on view are three special exhibitions: F.O.O.D. (Food, Objects, Objectives, Design), a thematic look at objects used to prepare, cook and present food which will be open through July 7; Sociales: Débora Arango Arrives Today, a look at the career of one of the pioneers of modern Colombian art on view through June 16; and Return to the Sea: Saltworks by Motoi Yamamoto, featuring a small saltwork installation on view through May 26. In addition, admission to the Mint includes access to the historic Mint Museum Randolph three miles south, which houses collections of decorative arts, fashion, African art, and art of the Ancient Americas, among other collections.

Click here to purchase a ticket.

About Levine Center for the Arts

Levine Center for the Arts comprises four separate organizations: Mint Museum Uptown, Bechtler Museum of Modern Art, Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Culture and the Knight Theater. The development is located on South Tryon Street between Stonewall Street and West Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd in Uptown Charlotte. As one of Charlotte’s key cultural destinations, Levine Center for the Arts was made possible through the Campaign for Cultural Facilities, the support of the City of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County, and the generosity of The Leon Levine Foundation, one of the country’s largest and most impactful philanthropic organizations.

Contact:

Krista Terrell, APR

704-335-3035

krista.terrell@artsandscience.org

Three new exhibitions showcase the Mint’s permanent collections.

Three exhibitions showcasing the enormous variety and global reach of The Mint Museum’s permanent collections will open next month at Mint Museum Randolph. The lineup includes American Glass, featuring selections from the Decorative Arts Collection spanning the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries; Arts of Africa, which includes extraordinary loans from local, regional, and national collectors as well as works from the Mint’s collection of African Art that have never before been on view; and Elegance and Ease, featuring designs from legendary French designers Christian Dior, Pierre Balmain, and Yves Saint Laurent, which will give fashionistas another exhibition to applaud from the Mint’s renowned Fashion Collection.

“These three exhibitions illustrate the strength and diversity of the Mint’s permanent collection, which includes over 34,000 objects comprising one of the largest collections of art in the Southeastern United States,” said Dr. Kathleen V. Jameson, President & CEO of the Mint. “We are thrilled to one again offer our community and visitors the opportunity to be inspired and transformed by their experiences at this museum.”

The openings of American Glass and Arts of Africa will be celebrated at a First Look Friday at 6:30 p.m. on April 5 at Mint Museum Randolph. The event includes tours, complimentary hors d’oeuvres, cash bar, and more. Admission is free for Mint members and $10 for non-members; click here to register.

American Glass
6 April 2013 – ongoing

The nineteenth and early twentieth centuries represent a time of extraordinary growth for the American glass industry. Companies such as Boston & Sandwich Glass Company in Sandwich, Massachusetts; Steuben Glass Works in Corning, New York; and Libbey Glass Company in Toledo, Ohio began operation and soon developed notable reputations for producing fashionable wares that were coveted by many middle- and upper-class consumers. American Glass showcases objects by these and other American glass companies in order to illustrate the variety of forms and styles that prevailed during this period. Glass-manufacturing techniques will be another focus of the exhibition, with representative examples of pressed, cut, blown, and molded glass. Nearly all of the works on view are from The Mint Museum’s permanent collection of glass, which is second in size only to the ceramics collection in the museum’s Decorative Arts holdings.

Arts of Africa
6 April 2013 – ongoing

The African continent is remarkable in its geographic, social, political, and cultural diversity. This impressive diversity is reflected in the visual arts through a variety of media and forms including ceramics, masks, textiles, sculptures, prestige staffs, and shrines. With exceptional loans from private collectors and The Mint Museum’s own collection of African Art, the museum is pleased to announce the expansion of its presentation of Arts of Africa, thereby providing visitors a more in-depth, meaningful, and exciting overview of African art.

Dior, Balmain, Saint Laurent: Elegance and Ease
27 April 2013 – 12 January 2014

Elegance and Ease explores the designs of three major Parisian designers with selections from The Mint Museum’s Fashion Collection, which celebrates its 40th anniversary this year. French fashion has long been and continues to form the foundation of global designs.

Christian Dior (1905-1957) established Paris as the center of the world of modern haute couture. In the late 1940s, Dior’s “New Look” fashions presented small, nipped-in waistlines above full skirts which emphasized the bust and hips in these silhouettes. He selected extravagant fabrics for his dresses and gowns, and his designs soon captured the attention of prominent clients from around the world. His innovations and designs, for decades thereafter, influenced women’s fashions and the designers who created them.

Known for the elegance and movement of his formal designs, Pierre Balmain (1914-1982) created fine, slim silhouettes for his tailored suits. Even today, Balmain’s vintage gowns are highly sought after by fashionistas across the globe.

Yves Saint Laurent (1936-2008) is recognized as one of the greatest names in fashion history, called “the most consistently celebrated and influential designer of the past twenty years” by fashion historian Caroline Rennolds Milbank. He was among the first to present ready-to-wear designs, including his famous tuxedo suits for women that became a symbol of fashionable ease. His formal and evening fashions as well as tailored suits display his talent and ability to create impressive directions in the world of haute couture and luxury fashion.

Sociales: Débora Arango Arrives Today; F.O.O.D. (Food, Objects, Objectives, Design); and Return to the Sea: Saltworks by Motoi Yamamoto

The Mint Museum is preparing to open three exhibitions of international significance over the next two weeks, with subject matter spanning the range of the human condition, from simple pleasures to the most profound of emotions.

“We welcome the entire community, from Charlotte and beyond, to visit one of the strongest slates of exhibitions ever to appear simultaneously at The Mint Museum,” said Dr. Kathleen V. Jameson, President & CEO of The Mint Museum. “These shows illustrate the emerging position of the Mint as a leader on the national and global stage.”

The community is invited to celebrate all three exhibitions at a “First Look Friday” on March 1 from 6:30-11 p.m. at Mint Museum Uptown at Levine Center for the Arts, 500 South Tryon Street. The event is free for Mint members, $10 for non-members, and $15 for couples. It includes light hors d’oeuvres, cash bar, and curator tours along with a cultural dance celebration featuring salsa, cha cha and more.

F.O.O.D. (Food, Objects, Objectives, Design)
2 March-7 July 2013

The most delicious of the shows on the Mint’s agenda is F.O.O.D. (Food, Objects, Objectives, Design), co-organized by the Mint with research institute FoodCultura, Barcelona. It draws on the strengths of the Mint’s internationally-recognized Craft + Design Collection to present an innovative look at objects used to prepare, cook, and present food. The Mint’s Decorative Arts and Art of the Ancient Americas Collections are also featured.

The exhibition was conceived by Annie Carlano, the Mint’s Director of Craft + Design, as a way to combine her knowledge of art and food. “F.O.O.D. combines 21st-century design works by avant-garde designers and manufacturers with mass-market, popular culture works and everyday objects by unknown makers, and posits that brilliant or clever design solutions can be found in all types of objects, not just award-winning contemporary Western works,” said Carlano.

Antoni Miralda, known simply as Miralda, is an artist who specializes in art made from food that highlights food’s powerful influence on culture, politics, and the human psyche. He started FoodCultura with Barcelona chef Montse Guillén in 2000 as an archive of food-related objects and a vehicle for social performances. “FoodCultura is a concept based on communication, investigation, and the global history of food, objects, customs, cultural experiences, and art,” said Miralda. “The connection of FoodCultura with F.O.O.D. is obvious, from the interest in the relationship between diet and the constant evolution of object design, theories, techniques, tools, and practices. Throughout history, man has not stopped evolving and refining all the aspects related to food: researching, preserving, cooking, processing, presenting, and enjoying food.”

The exhibition is arranged into thematic sections: TABLE, KITCHEN, PANTRY, and GARDEN, followed by a LOUNGE where people can submit recipes for a community cookbook to be compiled and published by the Mint.

It is the first fully-bilingual exhibition organized by the Mint, joining Sociales: Débora Arango Arrives Today to offer an unprecedented opportunity to view two simultaneous exhibitions with all written materials appearing in both English and Spanish. The Mint Museum’s bilingual initiative is brought to the community through generous support from Duke Energy.

F.O.O.D. (Food, Objects, Objectives, Design) is made possible through major support from PNC with additional support from Piedmont Natural Gas. Acquisition support was provided by the Design Committee of The Mint Museum.

The exhibition will be accompanied by several special events, including a co-curators’ dialogue on March 3 at 3 p.m. (free for Mint members or after museum admission, $10 for adults); a FREE ArtFusion event on March 12; a discussion entitled “F.O.O.D. Stories: Food Memories from Area Writers” featuring Andrea Cooper, Kali Ferguson, Rebecca McClanahan, and Dannye Romine Powell on April 7 at 3 p.m. (free for Mint members or after museum admission); an appearance by Michael Graves, noted architect and designer of  home products at 7 p.m. on April 25 (part of the museum’s Contemporary Architecture + Design series, $5 for museum members/$15 for nonmembers); a day-long F.O.O.D. conference featuring engaging presentations by food writers, chefs, historians, and designers on April 26 (prices $60-$100, see website for details); and a monthly “Taste of the Mint” program featuring small plate and beverage pairings from restaurants Halcyon, Flavors from the Earth and e2 emeril’s eatery followed by special museum tours ($30 mint members/$45 non-members). Details and registration links for all events are available at mintmuseum.org/happenings or by calling 704.337.2000.

Sociales: Débora Arango Arrives Today
23 February-16 June 2013

The Medellín-born painter Débora Arango, who died in 2005 at the age of 98, was one of the pioneers of modern Colombian art. She is considered one of the most important and controversial modern artists of her time. Although her work is well regarded today in her native country, Arango had to fight against the conservative elite’s prejudice throughout her life due to the political and social context of her paintings about the non-official civil war of the 1940s and 1950s, la época de La Violencia (1946-1963). Today, these paintings constitute an important site of collective memory.

Arango presented political events in Latin America as if they were sociales (society columns). This is the first show by Arango in the United States.  This exhibition includes the most emblematic works from every stage of her career and is accompanied by a scholarly bilingual catalogue with color illustrations.

“This exhibition focuses on the most productive and, at times, controversial period in Arango’s career,” said Brad Thomas, the Mint’s curator of Modern & Contemporary art. “As the exclusive Southeastern venue for this groundbreaking exhibition, The Mint Museum will lead vital initiatives to develop meaningful and lasting relationships within the burgeoning Latin American community in the Charlotte region and beyond. The presentation of this exhibition in both Spanish and English will further establish those connections to our growing community.”

The exhibition’s organizing curator, Oscar Roldán-Alzate of the Museo de Arte Moderno de Medellín, Colombia. will deliver a public lecture at Mint Museum Uptown about Arango and her works on Sunday February 24 at 2 p.m. The lecture will be in Spanish with English translation, and is free after museum admission ($10 general admission; free to Mint members). On March 5 at 7 p.m., Davidson College Professor Dr. Magdalena Maiz-Peña will give a FREE public lecture entitled “Débora Arango and Frida Kahlo: Women Artists/Activists of Latin America.”

Sociales: Débora Arango Arrives Today is made possible through generous support from Polymer Group Inc. The exhibition is organized by Museo de Arte Moderno de Medellín, Colombia, and Museum of Latin American Art, Long Beach, California. This exhibition tour has been made possible through the generous support of the Ministry of External Affairs of Colombia and the Embassy of Colombia in the United States.

Return to the Sea: Saltworks by Motoi Yamamoto
2 March-26 May 2013

The opening of this exhibition is being preceded by a historic event in the atrium of Mint Museum Uptown as Motoi Yamamoto creates a temporary saltwork, Floating Garden, from February 18 through March 1 which will then be disassembled by members of the community on March 3.

“In Japan, salt is a symbol of purification and is also used in funeral ceremonies. Motoi’s remarkable body of work was born out his grief following the death of his young sister in 1994 from brain cancer. It was at that point Motoi adopted salt as his primary medium and for almost twenty years, he has developed a unique artistic expression that celebrates both life and remembrance,” said Brad Thomas, the Mint’s curator of modern & contemporary art. “It is not until you experience Motoi and his work in person that the true impact of his singular, yet universal, journey is felt.”

Motoi was born in Onomichi, Hiroshima in 1966 and still calls Japan home. He received his B.A. from Kanazawa College of Art in 1995. He has exhibited his award-winning creations in such cities as Athens, Cologne, Jerusalem, Mexico City, Seoul, Tokyo, and Toulouse. He was awarded the Philip Morris Art Award in 2002 as well as the Pollock-Krasner Foundation Grant in 2003.

“Drawing a labyrinth with salt is like following a trace of my memory,” Motoi has said. “Memories seem to change and vanish as time goes by; however, what I seek is to capture a frozen moment that cannot be attained through pictures or writings. What I look for at the end of the act of drawing could be a feeling of touching a precious memory.”

The exhibition features a smaller saltwork in the Mint’s Level 4 galleries along with a series of recent works on paper, mixed media works, a video about the artist, and a 170-page color catalogue documenting twelve years of the artist’s saltworks around the world. The catalogue includes essays by Mark Sloan, director and senior curator of the Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art at College of Charleston School of the Arts, and Mark Kurlansky, author of the New York Times best seller Salt: A World History.

The public is invited to view the atrium saltwork for FREE through March 3; museum admission must be paid to see it from higher vantage points within the building. On March 3 at 1:30 p.m., community members are invited to take away part of the elaborate work in specially designed containers and release it back into a body of water so it may re-enter the natural cycle. Pre-register for the community dismantling by clicking here.

Return to the Sea: Saltworks by Motoi Yamamoto is presented to the community with generous support from Sapporo USA Inc. and Tryon Distributing. It was organized by the Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art, College of Charleston School of the Arts.

Desde Colombia a España y a Japón: Tres exhibiciones que atraviesan el planeta se abren en el Museo Mint Uptown
Sociales: Débora Arango llega hoy; F.O.O.D. (Comida, Objetos, Objetivos, Diseño), y El Retorno al Mar: Trabajos de Sal de Motoi Yamamoto

CHARLOTTE, Carolina del Norte (Febrero 22, 2013):  El Museo Mint Uptown se prepara para la apertura de tres significativas exhibiciones de importancia internacional, a realizarse en las próximas dos semanas con temas que tocan la calidad de la condición humana y los placeres más simples de las más profundas emociones.

“Damos la bienvenida a toda la comunidad de Charlotte y sus alrededores, para que visiten algunas de las más importantes exhibiciones que aparecerán simultáneamente en el Museo Mint”, dijo la doctora Kathleen V. Jameson, presidenta y CEO del Museo Mint. “Estos programas ilustran la emergente posición del Mint, como líder en el escenario cultural nacional y mundial”.

La comunidad está invitada a celebrar la apertura de estas tres exhibiciones en un “Primer Vistazo”, el 1 de marzo de 6:30 a 11 pm, en el Centro de Artes Levine del Museo Mint Uptown, localizado en el 500 South Tryon Street. El evento es gratuito para todos los miembros del Mint, $10 para los no miembros y $15 para parejas. Incluye aperitivos ligeros, barra (pagando por las bebidas) y un largo recorrido con los curadores a través de una celebración cultural que incluye bailes de salsa, cha cha cha y mucho más.

F.O.O.D. (Comida, Objetos, Objetivos, Diseño)
2 de marzo – 7 de julio de 2013

El más delicioso de los espectáculo del Mint ya está en agenda, F.O.O.D. (Comida, Objetos, Objetivos, Diseño), coorganizado con el Mint y el instituto de investigación FoodCultura, de Barcelona. El fuerte reconocimiento internacional del Mint se basa en su gran colección de Artesanía + Diseño donde presenta una mirada innovadora a los objetos utilizados para preparar, cocinar y la presentación de alimentos.

La exhibición fue creada por Annie Carlano, directora de Artesanía + Diseño del Museo Mint, como una manera de fusionar sus conocimientos de arte y comida. “F.O.O.D. combina el trabajo del siglo 21 con los diseños vanguardistas y productos para el mercado masivo, trabajos de la cultura popular y objetos cotidianos de fabricantes desconocidos, que contribuyen a través de sus diseños con soluciones brillantes e inteligentes que se pueden encontrar en todo tipo de objetos, no sólo en las obras contemporáneas occidentales premiadas”, señaló Carlano.

Antoni Miralda, conocido simplemente como Miralda, es un artista que se especializa en el arte de la comida, que resalta influencia poderosa de los alimentos en la cultura, la política y la sicología humana. El comenzó con FoodCultura, en Barcelona, con el chef Montse Guillén en 2000, como un archivo de objetos relacionados con los alimentos y como un vehículo para las actuaciones sociales. “FoodCultura es un concepto basado en la comunicación, la investigación y la historia global de la comida, los objetos, las costumbres, las experiencias culturales y el arte”, expresó Miralda. “La conexión de FoodCultura con F.O.O.D. es obvia por el interés en la relación entre la alimentación y la constante evolución de diseño de los objetos, teorías, técnicas, utensilios y costumbres. Así, a lo largo de la historia, el hombre no ha dejado de evolucionar, sofisticando todos los aspectos relacionados con la alimentación: investigar, conservar, cocinar, procesar, presentar y disfrutar los alimentos”.

La exhibición está organiza en secciones temáticas: MESA, COCINA, DESPENSA Y JARDÍN, seguido por un SALÓN donde las personas de la comunidad podrán presentar recetas para un libro de cocina que el Mint recopilará y publicará.

Esta es la primera exhibición completamente bilingüe organizada por el Mint, uniéndose a Sociales: Débora Arango llega hoy, ofreciendo una oportunidad sin precedentes, debido a que podrán ver dos exhibiciones simultáneas con todos los materiales escritos en inglés y español. La iniciativa bilingüe del Museo Mint es brindada a la comunidad gracias al generoso apoyo financiero de Duke Energy.

F.O.O.D. (Comida, Objetos, Objetivos, Diseño) es posible gracias al importante apoyo del Banco PNC junto con el apoyo adicional de la empresa de Gas Natural Piedmont. El apoyo para la adquisición fue proporcionada por el Comité de Diseño del Museo Mint.

La exposición estará acompañada por varios eventos especiales que incluye la conferencia con los curadores de las exhibiciones a realizarse el 3 de marzo a las 3 pm (gratis para los miembros del Mint y para todos los que entran al museo, $10 adultos); la charla titulada “F.O.O.D. Historias: Memorias de alimentos de los Escritores del Área”, con Andrea Cooper, Kali Ferguson, Rebecca McClanahan y Dannye Romine Powel, a realizarse el 7 de abril a las 3 pm (gratis para los miembros del Mint y para todos los que entran al museo); el evento Una Aparición de Michael Graves, arquitecto y diseñador de productos para el hogar, el 25 de abril a las 7 pm (parte de una serie del museo sobre el Diseño + Arquitectura Contemporánea, $5 para miembros del Mint y $15 para los no socios); una conferencia de un día de la exhibición F.O.O.D, con presentaciones atractivas de escritores de comida, chefs, historiadores y diseñadores, el 26 de abril (precios $60-$100, ver la página de internet para más detalles) y el evento mensual “El Sabor del Mint”, un programa en donde se ofrecerán platos pequeños y un par de bebidas de los restaurantes Halcyon, Sabores de la Tierra y e2 emeril, seguido de unas visitas especiales al museo ($30 los miembros del Mint y $45 no socios). La información y la registración para todos los eventos están disponibles en la página de internet www.mintmuseum.org/happenings o llamando al 704.337.2000.

Sociales: Débora Arango llega hoy
23 de febrero – 16 de junio de 2013

La pintora Débora Arango, nacida en Medellín, que falleció en 2005 a la edad de 98 años, fue una de las pioneras del arte moderno colombiano. Ella es considerada como una de las más importantes y controversiales artistas modernas de su tiempo. Aunque el trabajo de Arango es muy reconocido en su país natal, la pintora tuvo que luchar a lo largo de su vida contra los prejuicios de la élite conservadora, debido al contexto de sus obras, las cuales tenían como tema el ambiente político y social de la guerra civil no oficial, que ocurrió en las décadas de los cuarenta y cincuenta, la época de La Violencia (1946-1963). Hoy las pinturas de Arango constituyen una importante memoria colectiva de aquel tiempo.

Arango presenta eventos políticos de América Latina como si fueran sociales (columnas de sociedad). Esta es la primera exhibición de Arango en Estados Unidos. En esta muestra se incluyen las obras más emblemáticas de todas las etapas de su carrera y es acompañada por un catálogo bilingüe con ilustraciones a color.

“Esta exhibición se centra en los más productivos y controversiales períodos de la carrera de Arango”, dijo Brad Thomas, curador de Arte Moderno y Contemporáneo del Mint. “Es una exhibición innovadora y exclusiva de esta parte del sureste. El Museo Mint llevará a cabo iniciativas vitales para desarrollar relaciones significativas y duraderas con la floreciente comunidad latinoamericana de la región de Charlotte y sus alrededores. La presentación de esta exposición en español y en inglés busca establecer esas conexiones con nuestra creciente comunidad”.

El curador organizador de la exposición, Oscar Roldán-Alzate del Museo de Arte Moderno de Medellín, Colombia, ofrecerá una conferencia pública en Museo Mint Uptown sobre Arango y sus obras el domingo 24 de febrero a las 2 pm. La conferencia será en español con traducción al inglés y es gratuita al público después de ingresar al museo ($10 la entrada general, gratis para los miembros del Mint). El 5 de marzo a las 7 pm, Magdalena Maiz-Peña, doctora y profesora del Colegio Davidson dará una conferencia pública gratuita titulada “Débora Arango y Frida Kahlo: Mujeres Artistas/Activistas de América Latina”.

Sociales: Débora Arango llega hoy es posible gracias al generoso apoyo económico de Grupo Polymer Inc. La exhibición es organizada por el Museo de Arte Moderno de Medellín, Colombia y el Museo de Arte Latinoamericano de Long Beach, California. El tour de la exhibición ha sido posible gracias al generoso apoyo de la Secretaría de Relaciones Exteriores de Colombia y a la Embajada de Colombia en los Estados Unidos.

El Retorno al Mar: Trabajos de Sal de Motoi Yamamoto
2 de marzo – 26 de mayo de 2013

La inauguración de esta exhibición está precedida con un evento histórico creado en el atrio del Museo Mint Uptown, donde Motoi Yamamoto ha realizado temporalmente el Jardín Flotante, de Trabajos de Sal, el cual se exhibe desde 18 de febrero al 1 de marzo y que será desmantelada el 3 de marzo ante la presencia de los miembros de la comunidad.

“En Japón, la sal es un símbolo de la purificación y también es utilizada en las ceremonias fúnebres. Motoi se ha hecho un extraordinario trabajo, que nació tras su dolor por la muerte de su hermana menor en 1994, de cáncer al cerebro. A partir de ese momento Motoi  ha adoptado la sal como su medio principal y por casi veinte años a desarrollado una expresión artística única que celebra la vida y la memoria”, explicó Brad Thomas, curador de Arte Moderno y Contemporáneo del Museo Mint. “No es hasta ver la experiencia de Motoi y su obra en persona que se siente el verdadero impacto de su singular y universal viaje”.

Motoi nació en Onomichi, Hiroshima en 1966 y todavía llama a Japón su hogar. Recibió su bachillerato en arte en el Colegio de Artes de Kanazawa en 1995. Ha expuesto sus creaciones premiadas en ciudades como Atenas, Colonia, Jerusalén, Ciudad de México, Seúl, Tokio y Toulouse. Fue galardonado con el Premio de Arte Philip Morris, en 2002 y con una beca otorgada por la Fundación Pollock-Krasner, en 2003.

“Dibujar un laberinto con sal es como seguir el rastro de mi memoria”, declaró Motoi. “Los recuerdos parecen cambiar y desaparecer con el tiempo, sin embargo, lo que busco es capturar un momento congelado que no se puede lograr a través de imágenes o escritos. Lo que busco al final del acto es dibujar lo que puede ser una sensación de tocar un precioso recuerdo”.

La exposición cuenta con pequeños trabajos de sal a lo largo de la galería del nivel 4 del Mint, donde se exhiben una serie de obras recientes sobre el papel, trabajos de técnica mixta, un vídeo sobre el artista y un catálogo a color de 170 páginas documentando los doce años de trabajos de sal del artista alrededor del mundo. El catálogo incluye ensayos de Mark Sloan, director y curador del Instituto de Arte Contemporáneo de Halsey de la Escuela de Artes del Colegio de Charleston y Mark Kurlansky, autor del best seller de la lista del New York Times “Sal: Una Historia del Mundo”.

El público está invitado a ver el trabajo de sal en el atrio del museo, GRATIS hasta el 3 de marzo, la entrada al museo se debe pagar para verlo desde los puntos de vista más altos dentro del edificio. El 3 de marzo a las 1:30 pm, los miembros de la comunidad están invitados a quitar parte del trabajo elaborado en contenedores especialmente diseñados y que lo convertirá nuevamente en un cuerpo de agua que puede volver a entrar en su ciclo natural. El público debe preregistrarse para asistir al desmantelamiento en la página de internet www.mintmuseum.org/happenings.

El Retorno al Mar: Trabajos de Sal de Motoi Yamamoto será presentado a la comunidad con el apoyo generoso de Sapporo USA Inc. y Tryon Distributing. Fue organizado por el Instituto de Arte Contemporáneo Halsey de la Escuela de Artes del Colegio Charleston.

Special guests join the latest ‘Taste of the Mint’ tour

With a menu well-seasoned by salt, 22 people enjoyed the latest installment of the “Taste of the Mint” program on Wednesday evening – among them, the inspiration for the evening’s dining, artist Motoi Yamamoto of Japan.

“Taste of the Mint” allows participants to sample small plate and drink pairings at two world-class restaurants housed within Mint Museum Uptown: Halcyon, Flavors from the Earth restaurant and e2 emeril’s eatery. Then, the group heads inside the museum for a special tour. Future dates are scheduled for March 20, April 20, May 15, and June 26 and will be themed around the Mint’s upcoming F.O.O.D. (Food, Objects, Objectives, Design) exhibition. The series will resume monthly dates in fall 2013, and “Taste of the Mint” experiences are also available by appointment for groups of 10 to 25 people with at least 30 days’ notice. (Click here for details on group tours and click ‘Experiential tourism’).

In addition to Motoi Yamamoto, special guests during Wednesday evening included Brad Thomas, the Mint’s curator of Modern & Contemporary art; and Oscar Roldán-Alzate, organizing curator of the upcoming exhibition Sociales: Débora Arango Arrives Today, from Museo de Arte Moderno de Medellín, Colombia. After dining with guests, Motoi resumed work on his large-scale saltwork, Floating Garden, in the museum’s atrium and answered a few questions from participants.

The evening began inside Halcyon, where Chef Marc Jacksina led a presentation entitled “Interactive Tomatoes,” demonstrating the difference in taste between three varieties of salt. The same tomatoes tasted remarkably different when paired with lava salt from Hawaii, Jurassic salt from Utah, and fleur de sal from Portugal. The course was paired with a Tarragon Salty Dog cocktail (in a salt-rimmed glass, of course).

Next, Jacksina introduced cabbage fermented in kosher salt (resembling simplified sauerkraut) paired with salmon, and for dessert, guests lingered over a scoop of rich salted caramel ice cream. But the evening had just begun, because it was soon time to head downstairs to e2 emeril’s eatery.

There, manager Jeff Wakem led demonstrations including a lesson in how to shuck an oyster, and chefs explained the process for curing bacon (in salt, of course), and braising it to be served on top of crostini. The signature cocktail for the evening, Zydeco Punch, included a splash of South American pisco liquor. Finally, it was time for the evening’s second dessert – a chocolate ganache tart with a light sprinkling of grey salt on top. “Salt balances, and it’s very necessary in any form of cooking,” said Stephanie Nikolic, the restaurant’s pastry chef. A dry Zinfandel wine was the perfect pairing to bring out the chocolate taste.

Once inside the museum, guests marveled at both the atrium installation and the smaller one being installed on Level 4 to remain in place during the run of Motoi Yamamoto’s exhibition, through May 26. One guest asked how Motoi developed his process for applying salt to the floor. His response: His parents owned a motorcycle repair shop, and all his life he was accustomed to the small plastic bottles they filled to oil the machinery. Those same bottles are what he uses to create his works of art.

Exhibition co-organized by Museo de Arte Moderno de Medellín

Members of the media are invited to Mint Museum Uptown on Friday, February 22 to preview the new exhibition Sociales: Débora Arango Arrives Today and conduct interviews with its organizing curator, Oscar Roldán-Alzate of the Museo de Arte Moderno de Medellín, Colombia. One-on-one interviews are available by reservation between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. on that date (other dates and times may be available upon request).

Sociales: Débora Arango Arrives Today opens to the public at Mint Museum Uptown on Saturday, February 23 and remains on view through June 16. The Medellín-born painter Débora Arango, who died in 2005 at the age of 98, was one of the pioneers of modern Colombian art. She is considered one of the most important and controversial modern artists of her time. Although her work is well regarded today in her native country, Arango had to fight against the conservative elite’s prejudice throughout her life due to the political and social context of her paintings about the non-official civil war of the 1940s and 1950s, la época de La Violencia (1946-1963). Today, these paintings constitute an important site of collective memory.

Her work displays a sharp, perceptive, and courageous attitude, as she presented any political event in Latin America as if they were sociales (society columns). This is the first show by Arango in the United States.  This exhibition includes the most emblematic works from every stage of her career and is accompanied by a scholarly bilingual catalogue with color illustrations.

Roldán-Alzate will deliver a public lecture at Mint Museum Uptown about Arango and her works on Sunday February 24 at 2 p.m. The lecture will be in Spanish with English translation, and is free after museum admission ($10 general admission; free to Mint members).

Media are also invited to Mint Museum Uptown on Friday March 1 at 10 a.m. and may tour the Sociales exhibition along with previewing two other new exhibitions: F.O.O.D. (Food, Objects, Objectives, Design) and Return to the Sea: Saltworks by Motoi Yamamoto, both of which open to the public on March 2 following a “First Look Friday” on March 1 at 6:30 p.m. Both Sociales and F.O.O.D. are fully bilingual exhibitions, with all written materials appearing in both English and Spanish.

Media gallery tours and interviews with curators of both F.O.O.D. and the Motoi exhibition will be available at the preview on March 1 at 10 a.m. And on March 3, the media is invited to return to observe the community dismantling of a large-scale saltwork by Motoi, Floating Garden, which is being created in the Robert Haywood Morrison Atrium of Mint Museum Uptown between February 18 and March 1. RSVP to all events by emailing leigh.dyer@mintmuseum.org.

Sociales: Débora Arango Arrives Today is made possible through generous support from Polymer Group Inc. The exhibition is organized by Museo de Arte Moderno de Medellín, Colombia, and Museum of Latin American Art, Long Beach, California. The Mint Museum’s bilingual initiative is brought to our community through generous support from Duke Energy.

Comunicado de prensa: Oportunidad para entrevistar al curador del Museo de Arte Moderno de Medellín
Oscar Roldán-Alzate, organizador de la nueva exhibición del Museo Mint
Sociales: Débora Arango llega hoy

El Museo Mint invita este 22 de febrero, a los medios de comunicación a la presentación de su nueva exhibición Sociales: Débora Arango llega hoy y a entrevistar al organizador, Oscar Roldán-Alzate, curador del Museo de Arte Moderno de Medellín, Colombia. Las entrevistas personales se realizarán con previa cita y estarán disponibles entre las 11 am y 1 pm, de esa fecha (en otra fecha y hora pueden ser disponibles bajo solicitud).

Sociales: Débora Arango llega hoy, se exhibirá al público en el Museo Mint Uptown, el sábado 23 de febrero y permanecerá abierta hasta el 16 de junio. La pintora Débora Arango, nacida en Medellín, que falleció en 2005 a la edad de 98 años, fue una de las pioneras del arte moderno colombiano. Ella es considerada como una de las más importantes y controversiales artistas modernas de su tiempo. Aunque el trabajo de Arango es muy reconocido en su país natal, la pintora tuvo que luchar a lo largo de su vida contra los prejuicios de la élite conservadora, debido al contexto de sus obras, las cuales tenían como tema el ambiente político y social de la guerra civil no oficial, que ocurrió en las décadas de los cuarenta y cincuenta, la época de La Violencia (1946-1963). Hoy las pinturas de Arango constituyen una importante memoria colectiva de aquel tiempo.

Su trabajo muestra fuerza, sensibilidad y coraje, ya que a través de sus obras logró representar cualquier evento político de América Latina como si fueran sociales (columnas de sociedad). Esta es la primera exhibición de Arango en Estados Unidos. En esta muestra se incluyen las obras más emblemáticas de todas las etapas de su carrera y es acompañada por un catálogo bilingüe con ilustraciones a color.

Roldán-Alzate ofrecerá el domingo 24 de febrero a las 2 pm, una conferencia al público en el Museo Mint Uptown, sobre de Arango y su trabajo. El dialogo  será en español con traducción al inglés y es gratuita al público después de ingresar al museo ($10 la entrada general, gratuito para los miembros del Mint).

Los medios de comunicación están invitados al Museo Mint Uptown, el viernes 1 de marzo a las 10 am, a recorrer la exhibición Sociales y las otras dos próximas nuevas exhibiciones: F.O.O.D. (Comida, Objetos, Objetivos, Diseño) y El Retorno al Mar: Trabajos de Sal de Motoi Yamamoto, las cuales se abrirán al público el 2 de marzo, después del evento “Primer Vistazo” que abre el 1 de marzo a las 6:30 pm. Ambas exhibiciones Sociales y F.O.O.D. son completamente bilingües, todos los materiales estarán escritos en inglés y español.

Las visitas al museo para los medios de comunicación y las entrevistas con los curadores tanto de F.O.O.D. como de Motoi, estarán disponibles durante la presentación del 1 de marzo a las 10 am. El 3 de marzo, los medios de prensa están nuevamente invitados a observar el desmantelamiento a gran escala de Trabajos de Sal de Motoi, Jardín Flotante, que será creando en el atrio Haywood Robert Morrison del Museo Mint del Centro entre 18 de febrero y 1 de marzo. Hacer las reservaciones sobre su asistencia para todos los eventos al correo electrónico: leigh.dyer@mintmuseum.org.

Sociales: Débora Arango llega hoy, es posible gracias al generoso apoyo económico de Grupo Polymer Inc. La exhibición es organizada por el Museo de Arte Moderno de Medellín, Colombia y el Museo de Arte Latinoamericano de Long Beach, California. La iniciativa bilingüe del Museo Mint es brindada a la comunidad gracias al generoso apoyo financiero de Duke Energy.

Community is invited to watch artist Motoi Yamamoto create a temporary large-scale saltwork at the Mint from February 18-March 2, then help dismantle it on March 3

The public is invited to take part in an unprecedented event at Mint Museum Uptown as internationally renowned artist Motoi Yamamoto visits to create a temporary large-scale work out of salt in the building’s atrium over two weeks in late February.

Motoi, who calls his native Japan home, will be in the Robert Haywood Morrison Atrium creating his saltwork, to be entitled Floating Garden, from February 18 through March 1 and the public is invited to watch him at work during regular museum hours. Atrium access is free, although visitors must pay admission to experience the saltwork from higher vantage points within the five-story space. The museum is normally closed on Mondays but will also grant free public access to the atrium level on February 18 and 25 (no other areas of the museum will be open those days). The museum will also continue to grant free access to all levels each Tuesday from 5-9 p.m., the Mint’s normally scheduled free hours. The work will be celebrated at a “First Look Friday” on March 1 at 6:30 p.m., remain on view March 2, and then be dismantled on March 3.

“Japanese installation artist Motoi Yamamoto’s residency here in Charlotte is another opportunity for the Mint to present to our community innovative works by an international roster of artists,” said Dr. Kathleen V. Jameson, President & CEO of the Mint.

“In Japan, salt is a symbol of purification and is also used in funeral ceremonies. Motoi’s remarkable body of work was born out his grief following the death of his young sister in 1994 from brain cancer. It was at that point Motoi adopted salt as his primary medium and for almost twenty years, he has developed a unique artistic expression that celebrates both life and remembrance,” said Brad Thomas, the Mint’s curator of modern & contemporary art. “It is not until you experience Motoi and his work in person that the true impact of his singular, yet universal, journey is felt.”

The “First Look Friday” from 6:30-11 p.m. on March 1 is free to Mint members and tickets are available to non-members for $15 per person. The night will also celebrate the openings of two other special exhibitions at Mint Museum Uptown, F.O.O.D. (Food, Objects, Objectives, Design) and Sociales: Débora Arango Arrives Today, as well as including a multicultural “Mint to Move” dance party.

The community is also invited to help dismantle the saltwork at a special ceremony on March 3 at 1:30 p.m. Visitors may collect salt in specially designed containers to be released back into a body of water so that it may re-enter the natural cycle. Participants are encouraged to document their own personal ceremonies and upload images to Motoi’s website at www.motoi.biz, and the Mint’s Facebook page, www.facebook.com/mintmuseum.

Motoi Yamamoto was born in Onomichi, Hiroshima in 1966 and received his B.A. from Kanazawa College of Art in 1995. He has exhibited his award-winning creations in such cities as Athens, Cologne, Jerusalem, Mexico City, Seoul, Tokyo, and Toulouse. He was awarded the Philip Morris Art Award in 2002 as well as the Pollock-Krasner Foundation Grant in 2003.

The saltwork’s creation leads up to the opening of the exhibition Return to the Sea: Saltworks by Motoi Yamamoto, which will be on view in the Modern & Contemporary galleries of Mint Museum Uptown from March 2 through May 26. The exhibition features a smaller saltwork along with a series of recent works on paper, mixed media works, a video about the artist, and a 170-page color catalogue documenting twelve years of the artist’s saltworks around the world. The catalogue includes essays by Mark Sloan, director and senior curator of the Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art at College of Charleston School of the Arts, and Mark Kurlansky, author of the New York Times best seller Salt: A World History.

Return to the Sea: Saltworks by Motoi Yamamoto is presented to the community with generous support from Sapporo USA Inc. and Tryon Distributing. Organized by the Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art, College of Charleston School of the Arts. Learning and engagement programming for the exhibition is generously underwritten by the Mint Museum Auxiliary.

Media photographers are welcomed to capture Motoi at work on the installation at the Mint. Contact Leigh Dyer at leigh.dyer@mintmuseum.org to schedule a time. Images of Motoi’s works are also available upon request.

SAVE THE DATE: Members of the media are invited to see the Mint’s three new exhibitions, Return to the Sea: Saltworks by Motoi Yamamoto, F.O.O.D. (Food, Objects, Objectives, Design), and Sociales:Débora Arango Arrives Today at a special media preview on Friday, March 1 at 10 a.m. at Mint Museum Uptown. RSVP to leigh.dyer@mintmuseum.org.

Above image: Artist Motoi Yamamoto making Floating Garden in the Morrison Atrium at Mint Museum Uptown on February 18, 2013. Photo: James Martin.

Two renowned speakers visit Mint Museum Uptown next week.

Visitors have TWO great chances to experience widely renowned speakers next week when they visit Mint Museum Uptown: artist Joyce Scott and architect/designer Preston Scott Cohen.

First, Joyce Scott will appear for a FREE “meet the artist” lecture on Tuesday, February 5 at 7 p.m. at Mint Museum Uptown (both locations of the Mint are always open FREE on Tuesdays from 5-9 p.m.).

Her work is featured in the Mint’s permanent collection, and she is the Artist-in-Residence at the McColl Center for Visual Art. For more than four decades, Scott has created complex objects of skill, beauty, and sophistication that double as a social mirror. She blends pop culture with political/social references to explore race, sexism, morality, stereotypes, and other forms of social injustice. Her preferred technique is beadwork.

Then, on Thursday at 7 p.m., return to Mint Museum Uptown for the latest installment of the Mint’s groundbreaking CAD (Contemporary Architecture + Design) Series, featuring celebrated architect and designer Preston Scott Cohen. Cohen is a Boston-based designer and the Gerald M. McCue Professor in Architecture and Chair of the Graduate School of Design at Harvard. He is Principal at Preston Scott Cohen, Inc.  Cohen won the Herta and Paul Amir Competition to design a new building of the Tel Aviv Museum of Art, a triangle form on a rectangle plot of land.

A light reception accompanies Cohen’s visit. Admission is $15 or $5 for Mint members; free for students with valid ID.

Pre-registration is required for both events; Visit mintmuseum.org/happenings to register.

“Vote for Art” winner discusses his artistic process

Brazilian artist Vik Muniz, winner of the Mint’s recent “Vote for Art” competition, drew a record crowd of 450 people to the Mattye and Marc Silverman Grand Room on the fifth floor of Mint Museum Uptown on Tuesday January 8 as he shared his life story and philosophy on art.
Despite his international success, Muniz said he has never created his art for the walls of a museum, but for individuals from all walks of life. “I’m very big with museum security guards,” he told the audience – because they have a better perspective than art critics on whether people truly like his work.
Muniz, a sculptor-turned-photographer, has photographed images created from materials including wire, sugar, chocolate, children’s toys, pigments, layers of paper, and even diamonds and caviar – all of which he shared with Tuesday’s audience. But it is his decision to use objects salvaged from the world’s largest landfill, Jardim Gramacho, located just outside Rio de Janeiro (and which recently closed) to re-create classic works of art that have earned him the most notice. Those images became the subject of the Mint’s Vik Muniz: Garbage Matters exhibition, on view through April 28 at Mint Museum Uptown. Muniz’s process was documented in the film Waste Land, which will screen at the Mint at 7 p.m. on January 29.
Muniz’s The Birth of Venus II (Pictures of Junk), a re-creation of Botticelli’s famous work, was the top vote-getter in the Mint’s “Vote for Art” competition last fall, and is being added to the Mint’s permanent collection.
“Art is not something that you make,” Muniz told the crowd. “It is something that flows through you, as life.”
Muniz shared more of his philosophies – and his impressions of Charlotte – in an interview after the lecture. Coming from a city of more than 30 million, he said, Charlotte feels small – but has lots to offer. “Everything is more condensed, the community is more tight, people know each other, but they also have lots of opportunities for culture,” he said.
He was pleased that the Charlotte audience provided such a strong turnout for his talk, he added, because he enjoys explaining his process. “My main mission is to demystify what I do, and what art does, too,” he said.
He encouraged Charlotteans to visit and support the Mint and other art museums. “To feel how an image changes as you approach it – that is something that you can only experience when you come to a museum,” he said. “When you share physical space with artworks, you have the chance to interact and engage with them – there is an interactive aspect to great art.”

(Above photo of Vik Muniz at Mint Museum Uptown on January 8 by Daniel Coston)

Click here for new hires, new Happenings, and more at the Mint!

Here’s a sampling of our latest news releases:

–An update on the Mint’s Project Ten Ten Ten

–Three new hires: An accomplished educator; an experienced Chief Registrar; a versatile Latino Community Education Liaison

–Winners in the Mint’s innovative “Vote for Art” project

–Upcoming 2013 exhibitions

And much more!

Stay tuned for more exciting updates in 2013!

Above image credit:

Kate Malone. British, 1959-
Mr. and Mrs. Tutti Atomic  2012
Stoneware
Project Ten Ten Ten commission. Museum Purchase: Founder’s Circle 2011 Annual Cause with additional funds provided by Suzu and David Neithercut, Libba and Mike Gaither, Carol and Shelton Gorelick, and Adrian Sassoon. 2012.13A-B
Photograph by Andrew Smart

TOP 13 REASONS TO JOIN THE MINT MUSEUM IN 2013!

#1:  Engaging, inspiring, and transformative art experiences every visit

#2:  Coolest cultural organization in Charlotte

#3:  FREE entry to Mint Museum Uptown and Mint Museum Randolph all year long

#4:  Exclusive member previews of all major exhibitions

#5:  Invitations to special events and riveting educational programs

#6:  Reduced admission to lectures, classes, and summer camps

#7:  10% discount in Mint Museum Shops for all purchases over $10

#8:  10% discount at Mint Museum Uptown’s restaurant Halcyon, Flavors from the Earth and all Something Classic Café locations, plus discounts at other local businesses

#9:  FREE subscription to our eNews publication, Beyond the Wall, and bi-annual HAPPENINGS brochure

#10: Reciprocal privileges at designated Southeastern museums

#11: Private curator-led tours and special access to visiting artists

#12: Membership eligibility in the Mint’s affiliate and interest groups

#13: Playing an integral role in the cultural fabric of our community. Plus, you just won’t want to miss out on all of the fun!

Click here for membership details or to sign up!

Three new works join the Mint’s Craft + Design collection

To commemorate the opening of Mint Museum Uptown in October 2010, the Mint commissioned ten works from ten of the world’s leading Craft + Design artists. Here are updates on the three latest works to be completed in what is known as Project Ten Ten Ten:

Kate Malone. British, 1959-
Mr. and Mrs. Tutti Atomic  2012
Stoneware
Project Ten Ten Ten commission. Museum Purchase: Founder’s Circle 2011 Annual Cause with additional funds provided by Suzu and David Neithercut, Libba and Mike Gaither, Carol and Shelton Gorelick, and Adrian Sassoon. 2012.13A-B
Photograph by Andrew Smart

After making their debut at Mint Museum Uptown in the acclaimed exhibition Fairytales, Fantasy, & Fear (3 March – 8 July 2012), Mr. and Mrs. Tutti Atomic are spending some quality time at Mint Museum Randolph. When commissioned to create work for Project Ten Ten Ten, Kate Malone envisioned two large-scale, brilliantly glazed pots as metaphors for people—a husband and wife team, with their own personalities, who would travel back and forth between the two Mint Museum locations. Malone comments: “So, I hear that Mr. Atomic and Mrs. Tutti are off on a trip to the other side of town. They love to travel and meet new folk, so knowing the collection there I am sure all the pots at Randolph will be getting down to fine parties when the doors are closed at night…Imagine all the pots from those cabinets escaped and animated and dancing through the night…pots, like people from all walks of time and life…what a hoot!”

Cristina Córdova. Puerto Rican (active United States), 1977-
Preludios y Partidas  2012
Ceramic, concrete, steel, resin
T12.71
Cristina Córdova with Preludios y Partidas in her studio (come to Mint Museum Uptown to see what it looks like in the gallery!)
Photograph courtesy of Cristina Córdova

Cristina Córdova’s figural sculpture, Preludios y Partidas, now commands a wall at one end of the ceramics gallery on Level 3 at Mint Museum Uptown. Of this subtle yet powerful psychological work, Córdova says: “In understanding this piece as a metaphorical topography, I wanted to use the title to hint as to what that corresponding psycho-emotional space would be. This landscape is one of transition and like the reference to the distillment of reason and logic from uncertainty and chaos, these figures are in the preliminary charged states (preludios) before a great action (partidas /departures). Although the floating concrete elements could hint of the residual vestiges of a previous reality, I am not thinking of it as further leading to an ending but to the beginning of a new cycle. Common to the human experience are profound shifts where the ground gives way and one is thrust into powerful periods of self-reflection, growth, and renewed vision; this is how this space looks in my mind right before the next grand launch.”

Ayala Serfaty. Israeli, 1962-
Joy of Transition  2012
Glass filaments in polymer membrane with light bulbs
Project Ten Ten Ten commission. Museum Purchase: Founders’ Circle 2011 Annual Cause.
DVD produced with additional funds from The Association of Israel’s Decorative Arts (AIDA).
Photograph courtesy of Ayala Serfaty

Ayala Serfaty’s evocative light sculpture, Joy of Transition, now adorns a corner of the Design Gallery on Level 3 of Mint Museum Uptown. Delicate, ethereal, and fragile, this sculpture is made from glass rods individually heated with a torch and formed into abstract shapes that evoke the natural world. The glass forms are sprayed with a polymer coating and lit from behind so that they glow from within. Joy of Transition is part of a series of light sculptures called SOMA—the Greek word for the human body, chosen to suggest the sculptures’ connection to living beings. The title has many possible interpretations, including the evolution of art, craft, and design, and the opening of the new building at Mint Museum Uptown.

Cynthia Moreno is new Assistant Director of Lifelong Learning

Cynthia Moreno, a career art museum educator who has collaborated with top museums around the country during nearly two decades as a museum education director, has joined The Mint Museum’s staff in the new position of Assistant Director of Lifelong Learning.

Moreno was previously Director of Education at the Speed Art Museum in Louisville, which is Kentucky’s oldest and largest art museum, for 18 years. There she directed innovative programs for schools, families, youth, and adults. She successfully implemented grant projects funded by major organizations including the National Endowment for the Arts and the Wallace Fund, and initiated numerous community partnerships. She founded the Speed’s award-winning interactive gallery Art Sparks, which serves as a national model for engaging children and families in hands-on learning experiences. Working with colleagues at the High Museum in Atlanta and Frist Center for the Visual Arts in Nashville, she guided extensive research at the Speed on family learning in art museums (see www.familiesinartmuseums.org for more information). She has an active record of presentations and publications and has served in leadership roles with professional associations including the American Alliance of Museums, the National Art Education Association, and Southeastern Museum Association.  Moreno has also been recognized by her peers as one of the outstanding art museum educators in the Southeastern United States. A Florida native, she received two B.A. degrees in Humanities and Mass Communications, and a M.A. in Art Education and Arts Administration from the University of South Florida.

“Cynthia Moreno’s extensive experience in museum programming, assessment, and planning will reap many benefits,” said Cheryl Palmer, the Mint’s Director of Learning and Engagement. “Cynthia’s leadership in innovative and creative interpretive efforts at the Speed Art Museum, and her successes with national grants and research, are impressive and inspiring. With Cynthia’s ideas and energy, I am confident that the Mint will be able to engage and serve even more families, students and adults.”

“I’m thrilled to be joining the Mint’s staff at such an exciting time of growth and expansion,” said Moreno. “The Mint Museum has a national profile for its strong collections and dynamic exhibitions.  Cheryl Palmer, the Mint’s Director of Learning and Engagement, is recognized as a leader in the field of museum education and community outreach.”

Moreno is part of a recent string of hires that are deepening the Mint’s expertise and helping it reach new populations. In recent weeks, the museum has also announced the hiring of Ana Lucia Divins in the newly-created position of Latino Community Education Liaison, and of Michele Leopold as the museum’s new Chief Registrar.

“We are pleased to see the Mint’s staff continue to acquire new expertise to match its leading, innovative collections, programming, and facilities,” said Dr. Kathleen V. Jameson, President & CEO of the Mint. “Cynthia’s extensive knowledge and experience will help the Mint become an even more valuable asset for people of all ages in Charlotte, the region, and the world.”

Michele Leopold to join the Mint’s staff in December

Following a six-month national search, Michele Leopold has been hired as the Mint’s new Chief Registrar, playing a key role in overseeing the museum’s collections and exhibitions.

“Michele will bring an extraordinary background to the Mint; we considered some of the top talents in the field from across the nation for this position, but she stood far and above other candidates,” said Kristen Watts, the Mint’s director of collections & exhibitions.

“My career has taken me to many fine institutions around the world, and I consider The Mint Museum to be one of those. I am excited to work with the museum’s outstanding collection and support its ambitious exhibition schedule,” said Leopold. “It is an honor to be a part of such a wonderful team of professionals.”

Leopold brings to the Mint over 20 years of experience in museum logistics, risk management, insurance knowledge, traveling exhibitions, and more. She has worked for institutions including the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C.; the Atlanta History Center in Atlanta, Georgia; the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art in Sarasota, Florida; and the Huntington T. Block Insurance Agency in Washington, D.C., where she supervised a fine art team. Most recently, she joined the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2009 as one of its founding staff members. She helped oversee the planning, construction, and installation of the hall’s exhibitions for its inaugural 2010 opening and has continued to maintain and manage its collections and exhibitions since.

Leopold replaces Martha Mayberry, who retired in May after 36 years on the Mint’s staff. “We are thrilled to welcome someone of Michele’s caliber to The Mint Museum,” said Dr. Kathleen V. Jameson, President & CEO of the Mint. “We look forward to putting Michele’s many talents to work. Building, and caring for, our collections and exhibitions is paramount to everything we do and Michele will help lead this charge in her new role.”

Campaign will bring gift museum memberships to community families

The Mint Museum has partnered with Thompson Child & Family Focus to provide gift memberships to families who may not otherwise have had the opportunity to participate in the Mint’s educational programming.

For its annual holiday “Gift of Membership” campaign, the Mint’s new partnership offers a twist to those who wish to give a membership to The Mint Museum as a holiday gift to a loved one: For every gift membership purchased by a member of the public before December 31, the Mint will give another membership to a family identified by Thompson Child & Family Focus.

Founded in 1886 as an orphanage, Thompson Child & Family Focus is a non-profit organization, operating three distinct campuses in Charlotte, that provides comprehensive education, treatment, and care for children and families in need.

“We are pleased this year to be able to expand our reach in the community in a new way, and to offer the Mint’s inspirational art and programming to a greater number of families,” said Hillary Cooper, the Mint’s director of communications and media relations. “Those who purchase gift memberships this year are truly giving twice as much as they have in years past, while providing valuable support to the Mint and its programming.”

“We’re so excited and very grateful to the Mint for providing Thompson’s families the opportunity to extend their children’s exposure to the arts,” said Ginny Amendum, president of Thompson Child & Family Focus.  “The Mint’s expansive cultural experiences will wonderfully complement Thompson’s current arts curriculum.”

The Mint’s memberships cost $60 for individuals; $100 for families; $45 for students and teachers; $80 for two adults; seniors receive a $15 discount. Memberships bring unlimited free admission to both museum locations year-round; invitations to special members-only events; free or discounted  admission to educational programs and classes; a 10 percent discount at the Museum Shops; 10 percent discounts at Halcyon, Flavors from the Earth restaurant and American Roadside; special rates at Flex + Fit; and reciprocal privileges at designated Southeastern museums.

The museum packages gift membership cards in wrapped gift boxes and mails them to the intended recipients; to ensure delivery in time for the holidays, givers are urged to purchase by December 14. They can be purchased online at www.mintmuseum.org/support. For more information, call Martha Loftin at 704.337.2011 or email martha.loftin@mintmuseum.org.

Campaign will bring gift museum memberships to community families

The Mint Museum has partnered with Thompson Child & Family Focus to provide gift memberships to families who may not otherwise have had the opportunity to participate in the Mint’s educational programming.

For its annual holiday “Gift of Membership” campaign, the Mint’s new partnership offers a twist to those who wish to give a membership to The Mint Museum as a holiday gift to a loved one: For every gift membership purchased by a member of the public before December 31, the Mint will give another membership to a family identified by Thompson Child & Family Focus.

Founded in 1886 as an orphanage, Thompson Child & Family Focus is a non-profit organization, operating three distinct campuses in Charlotte, that provides comprehensive education, treatment, and care for children and families in need.

“We are pleased this year to be able to expand our reach in the community in a new way, and to offer the Mint’s inspirational art and programming to a greater number of families,” said Hillary Cooper, the Mint’s director of communications and media relations. “Those who purchase gift memberships this year are truly giving twice as much as they have in years past, while providing valuable support to the Mint and its programming.”

“We’re so excited and very grateful to the Mint for providing Thompson’s families the opportunity to extend their children’s exposure to the arts,” said Ginny Amendum, president of Thompson Child & Family Focus.  “The Mint’s expansive cultural experiences will wonderfully complement Thompson’s current arts curriculum.”

The Mint’s memberships cost $60 for individuals; $100 for families; $45 for students and teachers; $80 for two adults; seniors receive a $15 discount. Memberships bring unlimited free admission to both museum locations year-round; invitations to special members-only events; free or discounted  admission to educational programs and classes; a 10 percent discount at the Museum Shops; 10 percent discounts at Halcyon, Flavors from the Earth restaurant and American Roadside; special rates at Flex + Fit; and reciprocal privileges at designated Southeastern museums.

The museum packages gift membership cards in wrapped gift boxes and mails them to the intended recipients; to ensure delivery in time for the holidays, givers are urged to purchase by December 14. They can be purchased online at www.mintmuseum.org/support. For more information, call Martha Loftin at 704.337.2011 or email martha.loftin@mintmuseum.org.

Support the museum by purchasing unforgettable finds

Forget mall gifts – Mint Museum Shops offer a variety of one-of-a-kind finds. The holiday gift hunt is easy – just stop at one of the two convenient museum locations: Mint Museum Uptown at Levine Center for the Arts, 500 South Tryon Street, or Mint Museum Randolph, 2730 Randolph Road.

“The Mint Museum offer a memorable shopping experience, and gift-givers have the added benefit of knowing they are supporting a treasured local cultural institution with their purchases,” said Sandy Fisher, manager and buyer for retail operations at the Mint. Museum members receive 10 percent off all purchases over $10 at the Museum Shops.

Gift of membership:

Give a gift that lasts all year long – and provides two gifts for the price of one! For every gift membership to The Mint Museum purchased by a member of the public before December 31, the Mint will give another membership to a family identified by Thompson Child & Family Focus, a local organization serving families in need. (Read more about the Mint’s partnership with Thompson here). This will enable many families to participate in the Mint’s educational programming who may not have otherwise had the opportunity. Membership brings unlimited admission to both Mint locations all year long, plus free or discounted admission to many programs and classes, invitations to members-only events, discounts at local businesses and much more! Click here to purchase a gift membership.

Muniz, Biagi, and Bengtsson are the world-famous names to be added to the Mint’s permanent collection

The ballots have been counted, and the winners of The Mint Museum’s one-of-a-kind election have been announced: Vik Muniz, Mattia Biagi, and Mathias Bengtsson were the three favorites from among six candidates at The Mint Museum during its “Vote for Art” project.

The museum, in partnership with three of its affiliate groups – the Mint Museum Auxiliary, Founders’ Circle, and Young Affiliates of the Mint – placed six specially-chosen contemporary works of art on view throughout the project and invited visitors to cast ballots for up to three. A special early-voting period ran during the Democratic National Convention in September, and public voting for all museum visitors ran during October and up through the museum’s Ballot Ball gala fundraiser on Friday evening, November 9, where attendees cast the final votes. The project drew nearly 20,000 votes throughout its run. The winners are:

Vik Muniz. Brazilian, 1961-
The Birth of Venus, after Botticelli (Pictures of Junk), 2008
Digital chromogenic print
3 parts: 92 x 153 ¼ inches overall
On loan from Sikkema Jenkins Gallery
Art © Vik Muniz/Licensed by VAGA, New York, NY

Vik Muniz, born in Sao Paulo in 1961, has arguably become the most famous contemporary Brazilian artist. Muniz’s recreations of famous paintings are notable for their uncanny attention to detail and the non-traditional nature of the media he chooses. For the Pictures of Junk series, Muniz painstakingly gathers discarded objects such as tires, bolts, coils of wire, broken appliances, and soda cans, arranging them on a warehouse floor in piles and layers to create representations of iconic paintings by historical artists. After this labor-intensive process is complete, Muniz photographs the massive creation from a balcony above, thereby preserving the final appearance before the image is disassembled. The Birth of Venus, after Botticelli (Pictures of Junk), 2008, is included in The Mint Museum’s exhibition, VantagePoint X / Vik Muniz: Garbage Matters, which has recently received a two-month extension and will remain on view through April 28, 2013 at Mint Museum Uptown. This work was the first-place winner in “Vote for Art.” Muniz is scheduled to visit Mint Museum Uptown for a FREE public lecture on January 8 at 6:30 p.m.

Mattia Biagi. Italian, 1974-
Before Midnight, 2012
Mixed media, tar
67 x 93 x 49 inches
On loan from Anna Kustera Gallery, New York City

Mattia Biagi attended the I.R.F.A., an Italian art and design school, and the illustrious Brera Academy of Art in Milan. He immigrated to Los Angeles in 2001 and became captivated by the La Brea Tar Pits and the idea of a primordial site in the midst of a bustling city. Since then, his tar-covered works transform discarded, everyday objects into interpretations of lost innocence. Dipped in the thick texture-rich substance, the underlying forms are fossilized in time and transport the viewer immediately back to childhood memories of fairytales. In the tar-and-fiberglass Before Midnight, the viewer re-lives the scene from “Cinderella” when the pumpkin has been turned into a carriage. One recalls the warning to be home before midnight, at which time the magical spell will be broken. The work was featured in the Mint’s exhibition Fairytales, Fantasy, & Fear in spring 2012. It was the second-place vote-getter in “Vote for Art.”

Mathias Bengtsson. Danish, 1971-
Slice Chair Paper, 2010
Paper, one of two
On loan from Industry Gallery, Washington, D.C.

Born in Copenhagen in 1971, Mathias Bengtsson earned a BA in furniture design from the Danish College of Design and an MA in furniture and industrial design from the Royal College of Art, London. He established his own studio in 2002, after collaborating with other designers and gaining international acclaim for his Slice chairs in 1998. Bengtsson’s Slice Chair Paper blurs the boundaries between design and sculpture by combining inspiration from futuristic technology and nature. Made entirely from paper glued together in layers, using no screws or fasteners, the paper chair resembles a topographic map or a cliff face eroded by wind and water. Because of the labor-intensive process, the designer has decided not to make any more paper chairs and will now become the only paper chair by Bengtsson in a museum collection anywhere in the world. It was the third-place “Vote for Art” candidate.

“Great museums are defined in part by the collections they hold in the public trust. The Mint’s collection must reflect the hopes and desires of the community, and it must be world-class. We are poised to be among the best art museums in the country, and we can only do this through continuing to build and strengthen our collection,” Dr. Kathleen V. Jameson, President & CEO of the Mint, told attendees of the Ballot Ball event. Honorary co-chairs for the event were the Hon. and Mrs. Anthony Foxx and Jim and M.A. Rogers.

The Mint will purchase the three winning works through a combination of sponsorships by Neiman Marcus and US Bancorp, ticket sales from the Ballot Ball, and acquisition funds.

And the Mint’s efforts to acquire works by the world’s best-known contemporary artists have not ended – the museum is committed to continuing to raise funds from the community to potentially acquire the three remaining “Vote for Art” candidates, works by Nacho Carbonell of Spain; Sebastian Errazuriz of Chile; and Beverly McIver, a North Carolina native. Those interested in contributing to this effort can email Martha Loftin at Martha.loftin@mintmuseum.org.

Artfusion: Maya comes to Mint Museum Randolph on Tuesday, November 13

The public is invited to “spice up their evening” by joining The Mint Museum for ArtFusion: Maya on Tuesday, November 13 at Mint Museum Randolph, 2730 Randolph Road. Admission is FREE for a night of art, chocolate tasting, stories on Mayan mythology and stargazing.

Begin the night by exploring the museum’s Art of the Ancient Americas Collection, which includes many rare Mayan art items on view. Then, enjoy free chocolate tastings with chocolatiers from Davidson Chocolate Co. Afterward, get ready for a lecture on Mayan mythology (and its fabled “doomsday” implications) with Dr. Dorie Reents-Budet, Consulting Curator of Ancient American Art. And finally, end the night by stargazing and learning about the night sky with Charlotte Amateur Astronomers Club. A cash bar will be offered.

“We are extremely excited for this wonderful event showcasing the Mint’s Art of the Ancient Americas Collection,” said Reents-Budet. “The Mint’s collection is nationally acclaimed, and we are thrilled to share the collection with guests through this event-filled evening.”

One of The Mint Museum’s painted Mayan pottery vessels was recently loaned to the Princeton Art Museum’s exhibition Dancing into Dreams: Maya Vase Painting of the Ik’ Kingdom, which is on view through February 17, 2013. This exquisite exhibition is the first ever presentation of many works by two of the finest painters in the Classic Period, the pieces not having been together since around the year 760 in northern Guatemala. Dr. Reents-Budet was recognized in the dedications of the exhibition’s accompanying catalogue for her contributions to the field.

“The catalogue is a tour de force of scholarship and design, and like the exhibition, is the first publication to explore the works of two master Mayan painters in the same light as is traditionally done for other areas of the world,” said Reents-Budet. “In all, The Mint Museum is in good company in this exhibition and publication, both of which will be seen widely and for many years to come.”

The ArtFusion: Maya event will bring new opportunities for interaction with Latino artists. Ana Lucia Divins, the Mint’s newly hired Latino Community Education Liaison, has invited a group of artists from Art Sí, a community initiative supporting Latino arts, to attend the event. “It is exciting to be able to offer this opportunity to the community. This is an interesting inter-cultural event and we are looking forward to welcoming a diverse group of people for this special night,” Divins said. And in a further illustration of the Mint’s increased bilingual outreach efforts, Mint Museum Randolph will host a free children’s story time featuring the bilingual duo Criss, Cross Mangosauce (of which Divins is a member) at 10:30 a.m. this Saturday, November 10.

More information about Princeton University Art Museum’s exhibition is available at www.princetonartmuseum.org. Images of the Mint’s loaned item and interviews with Dr. Reents-Budet are available on request. Information about ArtFusion: Maya, upcoming performances by Criss, Cross Mangosauce and more events is available at www.mintmuseum.org/happenings.

Celebremos el arte Maya con chocolate y astronomía
Evento Arte-Fusión: Maya llega al Museo Mint de Randolph el 13 de Noviembre

El público está invitado a “ponerle un poco de picante a la noche” participando en el evento Arte-Fusión: Maya el martes, 13 de noviembre en el Museo Mint de Randoph, 2730 Randolph Road. La entrada es gratis por una noche de arte, muestras de chocolate, historias de la mitología Maya y astronomía de aficionados.

La noche comenzará con una exploración de la colección de arte antiguo de las Américas, la cual incluye muchos objetos únicos de origen Maya. Después disfrute de muestras gratis de chocolate de la compañía Davidson Chocolate Co. Después, prepárese para una charla sobre mitología Maya con Dr. Dorie Reents-Budet, Consultora de Arte Antiguo de las Américas. Y finalmente, termine la noche observando las estrellas y conociendo más sobre el cielo nocturno con el club de astrónomos aficionados de Charlotte “Charlotte Amateur Astronomers Club”

“Estamos supremamente emocionados por este gran evento mostrando la colección del arte antiguo de las Américas del Mint” dice Reents-Budet. “La colección del Mint es aclamada nacionalmente, y estamos fascinados de compartir la colección con nuestros invitados a través de esta noche llena de actividades”

Uno de las vasijas de cerámica del Museo Mint pintada por los Mayas fue traída del Museo de Arte de Princeton de su exhibición Bailando en los Sueños: Vasijas Maya Pintadas del Reino Ik, la cual está en exhibición hasta el 17 de febrero del 2013. Esta exquisita exhibición presenta por primera vez varios trabajos de dos de los más destacados pintores del periodo Clásico, las piezas no han estado juntas desde el año 760 en el norte de Guatemala. Dr. Reents-Budet fue reconocida por su dedicación en el catálogo que acompaña la exhibición por su contribución en este campo.

“El catálogo es una combinación de explicaciones y diseño, y así como la exhibición, es la primera publicación que explora el trabajo de dos maestros pintores Maya de la misma forma como se exploraría otras áreas del mundo” dice Reents-Budet “Sobre todo, el Museo Mint está muy bien acompañado en esta exhibición y en esta publicación, y los dos serán vistos por muchas personas y por muchos años por venir”

El evento Arte-Fusión: Maya  presentará nuevas oportunidades de interacción con artistas Latinos de la ciudad. Ana Lucia Divins, la nueva persona contratada por el Mint que sirve como Enlace con la Comunidad Hispana/Latina, ha invitado a un grupo de artistas de ArtSí. “Es muy emocionante el poder  ofrecer esta oportunidad a nuestra comunidad. Este es un evento inter-cultural muy interesante y estamos listos para darle la bienvenida a un diverso grupo de personas de la comunidad Latina. También hemos confirmado la participación de ArtSí, una iniciativa comunitaria que apoya el arte Latino en la ciudad; miembros de este grupo participarán de las actividades en esta noche tan especial”.

Y una muestra más de los esfuerzos bilingües del Mint, es la hora de cuentos bilingüe con el duo Criss Cross Mangosauce (al cual Divins pertenece) a las 10:30 de la mañana el sábado, 10 de noviembre.

Para mayor información sobre la exhibición en el Museo de la Universidad e Princeton, visite: www.princetonartmuseum.org. Imágenes sobre los objetos que fueron prestados de ese Museo y entrevistas con Dr. Reents-Budet están disponibles por petición. Información sobre el evento Arte-Fusión: Maya, la próxima presentación de Criss Cross Mangosauce y otros eventos en: www.mintmuseum.org/happenings

Ana Lucia Divins is part of a broader museum-wide effort to increase outreach

The Mint Museum has created a new staff position, Latino Community Education Liaison, as part of a comprehensive effort to broaden and diversify its base of visitors and members, and expand its bilingual community engagement.

A well-known local arts leader, Ana Lucia Divins, has been hired and assumed  her new role at the Mint this month. She was born in Colombia and has lived in Charlotte since 2000. She is a gifted singer-songwriter, and a leader in Art Sí, Con A de Arte, and the Gil Project, among others. She also has extensive corporate experience in project management, communications, marketing, and business initiatives with Bank of America and Wachovia (now Wells Fargo). She led two important efforts for Crossroads Charlotte and the Community Building Initiative in 2011, developing outreach strategies and facilitating community dialogues. Divins holds a B.S. degree in Industrial Engineering from the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana of Cali, Colombia. She was selected for the 2008-2010 William C. Friday Fellowship for Human Relations, part of the Wildacres Leadership Initiative. She and her husband Brad have two children, Nicholas and Natalie Sofia.

The staff position and associated efforts are being funded by a generous grant from Duke Energy.

“We are pleased to welcome Ana Lucia Divins to our staff, and her hiring is just one of a series of efforts that cross all areas and departments of the museum,” said Dr. Kathleen V. Jameson, President & CEO of the Mint. “We are grateful for Duke Energy’s support which made this critical initiative possible.”

Cheryl Palmer, the Mint’s director of learning and engagement, said the effort fits into values the Mint has long been putting into practice. “We strive to be welcoming and accessible to our entire community, and this Latino initiative is just the latest evidence of that,” she said.

“I am grateful for the opportunity to continue strengthen the connections between The Mint Museum and the diverse Latino community,” said Divins. “I am looking forward to tackling this exciting work, from expanding connections with the community to leading the development of bilingual materials and programs within the museum.”

Prior to the Democratic National Convention in September, the Mint created bilingual versions of its visitor guides and general information cards. In September, Mint Museum Uptown hosted the Hola Charlotte 2012 cultural festival in cooperation with the Latin American Women’s Association and Norsan Media, which led nearly 2,000 people to visit the museum during the festival. This month, the museum launched a FREE monthly bilingual storytime at Mint Museum Randolph with local performing duo Criss, Cross, Mangosauce (of which Divins is a member). Many of the museum’s educational publications are routinely now translated into Spanish. And, in spring 2013, two of the special exhibitions at Mint Museum Uptown will be fully bilingual, with all text panels and labels translated into Spanish. Sociales: Débora Arango Arrives Today, which runs February 23-June 16 and is organized by Museo de Arte de Medellín (MAMM), Colombia, in collaboration with the Museum of Latin American Art (MOLAA), Long Beach, California, for its U.S. tour; and F.O.O.D. (Food, Objects, Objectives, Design), which runs March 2 through July 7 and is organized by The Mint Museum with Food Cultura, Barcelona. Future efforts will also be aimed at strengthening the Mint’s Latin American art and design collections and initiating collaborations with community organizations around Latino art and artists.

For more information about the initiative or interviews with Ana Lucia Divins, please contact Public Relations Manager Leigh Dyer.

Mint contrata nueva posición que servirá de puente con la comunidad Latina
Ana Lucia Divins es parte de una amplia iniciativa para aumentar los esfuerzos de compromiso con la comunidad
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (29 de Octubre, 2012) – El museo Mint ha creado una nueva posición, Enlace con la Comunidad Hispana/Latina.  Esta iniciativa es parte de un esfuerzo significativo para expandir y diversificar la base de visitantes y miembros del museo, así como ampliar los programas comunitarios bilingües.

Ana Lucia Divins es una reconocida líder de las artes en la ciudad y ha sido contratada para asumir su nuevo cargo en el museo Mint a partir de este mes. Ella es de Colombia y ha vivido en Charlotte desde el año 2000. Es también una talentosa cantautora que ha liderado iniciativas artísticas con ArtSi, Con A de Arte, y Gil Project, entre otros. Ana Lucia combina su pasión por el arte con su experiencia corporativa en gerencia de proyectos, comunicaciones y mercadeo con Bank of America y Wachovia (ahora Wells Fargo). En el 2011, lideró dos esfuerzos de gran importancia para Crossroads Charlotte y Community Building Initiative, desarrollando estrategias de compromiso con la comunidad y facilitando diálogos.  Ana Lucia se graduó de la Pontificia Universidad Javeriana de Cali, Colombia con el título de Ingeniería Industrial.  Fue elegida para ser parte de un programa de aprendizaje de relaciones humanas William C. Friday Fellowship parte de la iniciativa de liderazgo Wildacres entre el 2008 y el 2010.  Ella y su esposo Brad tienen dos niños, Nicholas y Natalie Sofia.

Esta posición y los esfuerzos mencionados han sido posible gracias a una contribución (grant) generosa por parte de Duke Energy.

“Le damos la bienvenida a Ana Lucia Divins al museo, y su posición es solamente el principio de una serie de esfuerzos que involucrarán a todas las áreas y departamentos del museo” dice Dr. Katlhleen V. Jameson, Presidente y CEO del Mint. “Estamos muy agradecidos por el apoyo de Duke Energy, lo cual ha hecho posible esta importante iniciativa”.

Cheryl Palmer, la directora de aprendizaje y compromiso con la comunidad, dice que este esfuerzo está totalmente alineado con los valores que el Mint ha puesto en práctica por muchos años. “Nosotros nos esforzamos por ser accesibles y acogedores para toda la comunidad, y esta iniciativa Latina es una evidencia de lo mismo”, dice ella.

“Estoy muy agradecida por la oportunidad de continuar fortaleciendo las conexiones entre el museo Mint y la diversa comunidad Latina”, dice Divins. “Estoy lista para empezar a desempeñar este trabajo tan emocionante, desde expandir los enlaces en la comunidad hasta liderar el desarrollo de más materiales y programas bilingües en el museo”.

Antes de la Convención Nacional Democrática (DNC) en septiembre,  el Mint creó versiones bilingües de sus guías de visitantes y tarjetas de información en general. En septiembre, el museo Mint Uptown sirvió de sede para el festival cultural Hola Charlotte 2012 colaborando con la asociación de mujeres Latinoamericanas (LAWA) y Norsan Media, lo cual resultó en la visita de cerca de 2,000 personas al museo durante el festival. Este mes, el museo lanzó un programa mensual de hora de cuentos bilingües para familias, GRATIS, en el museo Mint de Randolph con el duo Criss Cross Mangosauce (del cual Divins hace parte). Muchas de las publicaciones educativas del museo  son traducidas al español como parte del proceso normal.

Y, en la primavera del 2013, dos exhibiciones especiales en el museo Mint de Uptown serán totalmente bilingües, con todos los textos, paneles y anuncios traducidos al español. Sociales: Débora Arango llega hoy, la cual se presentará entre el 23 de Febrero y el 16 de Junio y es organizada por el Museo de Arte de Medellín (MAMM), Colombia, en colaboración con el Museo de Arte Latino Americano (MOLAA), Long Beach, California, para su tour en los Estados Unidos; y F.O.O.D.  (Comida, objetos, objetivos y diseños por las siglas en inglés) que corre desde el 2 de Marzo al 7 de Julio y es organizada por el museo Mint en colaboración con Food Cultura, Barcelona. Esfuerzos en el futuro incluyen el incrementar la colección de arte y diseño Latino Americano del Mint de arte y diseños y estableciendo colaboraciones con organizaciones de la comunidad alrededor de artes y artistas Latinos.

Para mayor información sobre la iniciativa y entrevistas con Ana Lucia Divins, por favor contacte a la Gerente de Relaciones Públicas Leigh Dyer.

SOBRE EL MUSEO MINT

Como uno de los museos más antiguos de Carolina del Norte, con una de las colecciones más grandes del Sureste, el museo Mint ofrece a sus visitantes experiencias inspiradoras y transformadoras a través del arte y diseño internacional y programas educativos. El museo Mint es una organización de arte visual sin fines de lucro con dos localidades: museo Mint Uptown y museo Mint Randolph.

El museo Mint de Randoph está ubicado donde se encontraba la oficina original del United States Mint, el museo abrió sus puertas en 1936 en el vecindario del este de Charlotte como el primer museo de arte del estado.

Hoy, en la mitad de un bello parque, las galerías íntimas invitan a los visitantes a envolverse con el arte de vieja America, cerámicas y arte decorativo, moda, arte europeo y africano, entre otras colecciones.   Entre los recursos se incluye una biblioteca con más de 18.000 libros, un teatro para charlas y presentaciones, y una tienda en el museo que ofrece productos que complementa tanto las colecciones permanentes como las exhibiciones especiales.

El museo Mint de Uptown alberga una colección de artesanía y diseño, así como una excelente colección de arte americano, contemporáneo y europeo. Diseñado por Machado y Silvetti Associates, esta construcción de cinco pisos y 145.000 pies cuadrados, combina arquitectura inspiradora con exhibiciones de vanguardia  para ofrecer a los visitantes experiencias educativas y culturales inigualables.  Ubicado en el corazón de Charlotte, el museo Mint de Uptown es una parte integral del Levine Center for the Arts, un campo cultural que incluye el museo de arte moderno Bechtler, el Harvey B. Gantt Center de artes y cultural afro-americana, el teatro Knight, y el Duke Energy Center. El museo Mint de Uptown también incluye una serie de espacios para el visitante, incluyendo el Auditorio James B. Duke con capacidad para 240 personas, la galería de la familia Lewis, estudios de arte, un restaurante, y una tienda del museo. Para mayor información, visite el NUEVO mintmuseum.org.

Robert and Cortney Novogratz are the featured speakers in the Mint’s upcoming Contemporary Architecture + Design (CAD) series

Former Charlotteans Robert and Cortney Novogratz plan to visit Mint Museum Uptown in November for the latest installment of the Mint’s ongoing Contemporary Architecture + Design (CAD) series, which explores innovative perspectives and insightful stories on architecture + design, today and beyond. The husband-and-wife design team and authors, whose TV shows have included Bravo’s “9 by Design” and HGTV’s “Home by Novogratz,” juggle seven children and dozens of clients.

The public program is at 7 p.m. on November 15 and costs $5 for Mint members, $10 for non-members, and is free for students with valid ID. A light reception and book signing will follow their hour-long presentation. Copies of their newest book entitled “Home by Novogratz” (Artisan Books, $35, published October 9) will be available for purchase that evening. More information is available at www.mintmuseum.org/happenings.

“The Mint Museum could not be more honored to welcome Robert and Cortney back to Charlotte,” said Hillary Cooper, Director of Communications and Media Relations for the Mint, “Their funky, downtown-chic aesthetic, trademark brand of cool, and incomparable style is sure to enchant and inspire our entire community.”

Robert and Cortney Novogratz specialize in a seemingly effortless melding of vintage finds and modern touches known as “the Novogratz look.” In their new book, they break down their design process from start to finish, making it easy for anyone to breathe new life into a variety of spaces. The book provides an inside look at 20 of the design pair’s projects—including the homes of Ree Drummond (the “Pioneer Woman”), skateboarder Tony Hawk, and musician Suzanne Vega—complete with tips, tricks, and takeaway ideas and detailed budget breakdowns. From reviving a Brooklyn townhouse to creating a last-minute nursery, from building a family space in a suburban basement to overhauling a beachside surf shack, each completed job is presented step-by-step.

Parents of seven children (theirs has been called “the coolest family in the world” by The Times of London), Robert and Cortney have extensive, firsthand experience in creating solutions for active families, big and small. Whether it’s making space for triplets in a shared Manhattan bedroom or building the ultimate tree house for their own family, no challenge is too intimidating or idea too grand.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS: Robert and Cortney Novogratz and their seven children are known to millions worldwide through their unique design aesthetic and TV programs. Raised in Virginia and Georgia respectively, Robert and Cortney now make their home in New York City. Their children are Wolfgang (age 15), Bellamy and Tallulah (14), Breaker (11), Five and Holleder (7), and Major (3). Follow the family’s adventures at Twitter.com/TheNovogratz and Facebook.com/Novogratz. HGTV’s Home by Novogratz airs Saturdays at 7 p.m.

HOME BY NOVOGRATZ

By Robert and Cortney Novogratz with Elizabeth Novogratz

Foreword by Julia Roberts

Published by Artisan Books on October 9, 2012

Hardcover / $35.00 320 pages; More than 500 color photographs

ISBN: 978-1-57965-499-3

STAR Gallery exhibition opportunities illustrate the Mint’s efforts to engage the community and cultivate school partnerships.

Metrolina Regional Scholars Academy exhibiting student artists, their families, faculty, and administration enjoyed a reception in new the Uptown STAR Gallery October 11, 2012. The reception celebrated the opening of a K-8 student art exhibition at the STAR (Student Artist) Gallery at Mint Museum Uptown.

This exhibition opportunity illustrates the Mint’s efforts to engage with the community and cultivate school partnerships. A parent, Nilma Amin, noted:  “To have an opportunity to…go beyond the confines of the school community and in the presence of the City’s top art museum is a remarkable accomplishment and a memorable experience for the children!”

The Metrolina Regional Scholars Academy is a publicly funded charter school that serves K-8 students in a multi-county area around Charlotte.  Their Uptown STAR exhibition will be on display until November 4, 2012.

K-12 student works from Union County Public School’s Weddington Elementary, Middle, and High School are on display in the STAR Gallery at Mint Museum Randolph (generously supported by Harris Teeter).  This exhibition features several works inspired by the recent Mint exhibition, Hard Truths: The Art of Thornton Dial, and illustrates how the Mint connects its special exhibitions and collections to schools and the community.  This exhibition will be on display until November 4, 2012.

An Inspiring, Engaging, and Innovative Array of Shows

Following are highlights of the exhibition lineup at The Mint Museum for the coming year. High-resolution images for each exhibition are available upon request; email leigh.dyer@mintmuseum.org.

European Art, 1750-1900
Mint Museum Randolph
17 November 2012 – Ongoing

Following the closure on 28 October of Celebrating Queen Charlotte’s Coronation, the upcoming reinstallation of the Alexander Gallery at Mint Museum Randolph will feature an inspiring selection of fine and decorative European arts from The Mint Museum’s collection, created between the mid-eighteenth and early twentieth centuries. These paintings and objects trace the wide range of styles and subjects popular in Western Europe during the period. Familiar audience favorites, such as Allan Ramsey’s majestic portraits of Queen Charlotte and King George III and the elegantly decorated sedan chair, will remain on view, and will be joined by other highlights from the collection including pastoral French Barbizon landscapes and light-filled impressionist scenes by artists including Eugène-Louis Boudin and Henri Martin.

A number of fascinating juxtapositions will link the fine and decorative arts, including a case containing ceramics adorned with images of Queen Charlotte, the city’s namesake, installed near her portrait by Allan Ramsay, and a black basalt sculpture by Josiah Wedgwood displayed near a portrait of his cousin, Thomas Wedgwood. Other objects on view showcase a combination of fine and decorative traditions, such as miniatures integrating painting and jewelsmithing, and the stately sedan chair, which incorporates elements of architectural design, fine woodworking, painting, and upholstery. This installation also highlights the generosity of local collectors and patrons and their importance to the museum, as many of the objects on view were donated by area families over the past fifty years.

Throughout 2013, visitors can expect to see many other installations celebrating The Mint Museum’s permanent collection at Mint Museum Randolph, including unique displays of American Art Glass, African Art, and Contemporary Fashion. Some will include collection items that have never before been on public view. Details of these installations will be announced in the coming months.

Sociales: Débora Arango Arrives Today / Sociales: Débora Arango llega hoy
Mint Museum Uptown
23 February – 16 June 2013

The Medellín-born painter Débora Arango, who died in 2005 at the age of 98, was one of the pioneers of modern Colombian art. She is considered one of the most important and controversial modern artists of her time. Although her work is well regarded today in her native country, Arango had to fight against the conservative elite’s prejudice throughout her life due to the political and social context of her paintings about the non-official civil war of the 1940s and 1950s, la época de La Violencia (1946-1963). Today, these paintings constitute an important site of collective memory.

Her work displays a sharp, perceptive, and courageous attitude, as she presented any political event in Latin America as if they were sociales (society columns). Her work clearly does not make use of “political correctness” as a strategy of dissemination and permanence.

This is the first show by Arango in the United States. Arango did not consider herself liberal or revolutionary, but she was critical of the society of her time and believed that art should be involved with the real world. Arango referred to herself as an “expressionist” to describe her strong desire to interpret reality through her own uncensored personal sensitivity and sensibility. At the beginning of the 1940s, Arango started to produce works about social concerns exploring themes such as prostitution, poverty, women’s issues, historical events, violence, and injustice, for which she is also known today.

This exhibition includes the most emblematic works from every stage of her career and is accompanied by a scholarly bilingual catalogue with color illustrations. It is curated by Oscar Roldán, Chief Curator at Museo de Arte de Medellín, Colombia. Sociales: Débora Arango Arrives Today is organized by Museo de Arte de Medellín (MAMM), Colombia, in collaboration with the Museum of Latin American Art (MOLAA), Long Beach, California, for its U.S. tour.

Learning and engagement programming for Sociales: Débora Arango llega hoy / Sociales: Débora Arango Arrives Today is generously underwritten by the Mint Museum Auxiliary.

F.O.O.D. (Food, Objects, Objectives, Design)
Mint Museum Uptown
2 March – 7 July 2013

F.O.O.D.  (Food, Objects, Objectives, Design) provides a thematic look at inventive modern and contemporary objects, handmade and mass produced, that have one of three objectives: to prepare, to cook, or to present food. It includes approximately 300 selections culled from the permanent collection of the Mint, loans, and new acquisitions. Artist Antoni Miralda of the research center FoodCultura, Barcelona, is co-curating and designing the installation.

The exhibition is organized into four sections. The first section, TABLE, is an intimate space with low light levels, and an abstracted dining table displaying various “invented” table settings such as plates, cutlery, glasswork, and centerpieces/candelabra by different makers and of different time periods.

KITCHEN is outfitted with “Über design” kitchen appliances and various levels of green production. Shelving installed in the kitchen holds objects made to prepare food, such as spice mills, cheese graters, ginger and garlic graters, bamboo steamers, mixing bowls, pots and pans, baking dishes, tagines, molds, and utensils. Ergonomic and green materials are also featured.

PANTRY is small and densely installed and features objects such as food and spice storage containers, mortars and pestles, tea tins, water bottles, noodle packages, chopsticks in paper, and grits packages,  as well as food advertising posters.

GARDEN is dramatically designed with objects in the shape of fruit and vegetables. Included in the exhibition will be a Resource Room, containing cookbooks and related books about sustainable food, gardening, health, and nutrition.

F.O.O.D. (Food, Objects, Objectives, Design) is organized by The Mint Museum with FoodCultura, Barcelona. It will be the first fully bilingual Mint-organized exhibition, with all text panels and object labels in both English and Spanish.

Return to the Sea: Saltworks by Motoi Yamamoto
Mint Museum Uptown
2 March – 26 May 2013

Motoi Yamamoto is an internationally renowned artist who calls his native Japan home. Yamamoto is known for working with salt, often in the form of temporary, intricate, large-scale installations. Salt, a traditional symbol for purification and mourning in Japanese culture, is used in funeral rituals and by sumo wrestlers before matches. It is frequently placed in small piles at the entrance to restaurants and other businesses to ward off evil spirits and to attract benevolent ones. Yamamoto forged a connection to the substance while mourning the death of his sister, at the age of twenty-four, from brain cancer, and began to create art out of salt in an effort to preserve his memories of her. His art radiates an intense beauty and tranquility, but also conveys something ineffable, painful, and endless.

“Drawing a labyrinth with salt is like following a trace of my memory. Memories seem to change and vanish as time goes by; however, what I seek is to capture a frozen moment that cannot be attained through pictures or writings,” Yamamoto has said. “What I look for at the end of the act of drawing could be a feeling of touching a precious memory.”

Motoi Yamamoto was born in Onomichi, Hiroshima in 1966 and received his B.A. from Kanazawa College of Art in 1995. He has exhibited his award-winning creations in such cities as Athens, Cologne, Jerusalem, Mexico City, Seoul, Tokyo, and Toulouse. He was awarded the Philip Morris Art Award in 2002 as well as the Pollock-Krasner Foundation Grant in 2003. The artist will travel to The Mint Museum in spring 2013 to create a site-specific salt installation in public spaces over the course of two weeks.

This exhibition is organized by the Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art, College of Charleston School of the Arts. The exhibition also features a series of recent drawings, photography, sketchbooks, a video about the artist, and a 170-page color catalogue documenting twelve years of the artist’s saltworks around the world. The catalogue includes essays by Mark Sloan, director and senior curator of the Halsey Institute, and Mark Kurlansky, author of the New York Times best seller Salt: A World History.

Learning and engagement programming for Return to the Sea: Saltworks by Motoi Yamamoto is generously underwritten by the Mint Museum Auxiliary.

Inventing the Modern World:  Decorative Arts at the World’s Fairs 1851-1939
Mint Museum Uptown
21 September 2013 – 19 January 2014

This groundbreaking international exhibition presents outstanding examples of glass, furniture, jewelry, ceramics, precious metalwork, and textiles displayed at the world’s fairs between The Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All Nations in London in 1851 and the New York World’s Fair in 1939. Many of these objects have never before left their respective institutions or countries.

World’s fairs were the most important vehicles for debuting advancements in modern living. Some fairs were broad in scope, displaying decorative arts alongside paintings, sculpture, industrial design and agricultural products; others concentrated on exhibiting decorative arts alone.  Both types of expositions functioned as showcases and marketplaces for design. Above all, they democratized design, exposing countless visitors and others to the latest artistic and technological achievements of their time.

Inventing the Modern World comprises approximately 200 objects shown at every major world’s fair from 1851 to 1939. Large and small in scale, these seminal objects are culled from private and public collections, primarily in America and Europe. Among the many lenders are the Metropolitan Museum of Art, MAK – Museum for Applied Arts/Contemporary Art, Vienna, Designmuseum Danmark, and the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris. A fully-illustrated scholarly catalogue accompanies the exhibition. This exhibition is co-organized by Carnegie Museum of Art, Pittsburgh, and The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. Major support for this exhibition was provided by Wells Fargo, the Windgate Charitable Foundation, and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Learning and engagement programming for Inventing the Modern World: Decorative Arts at the World’s Fairs 1851-1939 is generously underwritten by the Mint Museum Auxiliary.

Above image credit:

Motoi Yamamoto

Labyrinth, 2012

Salt

Courtesy of the artist

“The Weir Family, 1820-1920: Expanding the Traditions of American Art’ and ‘Reflections: Portraits by Beverly McIver’ both open October 20

Two new exhibitions celebrating nearly 200 years of American art from the early 19th century to present day are opening to the public at Mint Museum Uptown on Saturday, October 20, and will remain on view for the next three months.

“The Mint is pleased to continue offering Charlotte audiences a range of exhibitions celebrating art that is beautiful, inspiring, and historically significant,” said Dr. Kathleen V. Jameson, President & CEO of the Mint. “We look forward to our visitors engaging with these works and being transformed in ways that transcend the walls of our museum.”

The Weir Family, 1820-1920: Expanding the Traditions of American Art

The Weir Family, 1820-1920: Expanding the Traditions of American Art, organized by the Brigham Young University Museum of Art and on view through January 20, 2013, is the first major exhibition to collectively examine the paintings of American artists Robert Walter Weir and his two sons, John Ferguson Weir and Julian Alden Weir, and in doing so it traces the trajectory of American art across the 19th century and into the 20th.

“I am delighted to be able to bring such an important exhibition to the Mint,” said Jonathan Stuhlman, the Mint’s curator of American art. “This exhibition traces almost the entire history of American painting in the nineteenth century through the lens of a single family, and does so with beautifully-executed paintings containing engaging subject matter.”

Robert Weir was one of the first American artists to study in Italy, working there from 1824 until 1827. Upon his return to America, he became an associate at the recently-founded National Academy in New York in 1829 and, a few years later, an instructor at the United States Military Academy in West Point. He was renowned for his talent as a portraitist and a history painter and painted one of the murals in the Capitol rotunda in Washington, D.C. Robert’s first son, John, trained with his father and in Europe. He then taught at Yale University for 44 years and established the first academic art program at a university in the United States. John’s younger brother, Julian, was educated at the École des Beaux Arts in Paris from 1873 until 1877 and became one of the country’s leading Impressionist artists.

Mint members have the opportunity to preview the exhibition at a members-only First Look Friday on October 19 beginning at 6:30 p.m. The Mint will offer a number of lectures and other special events during the run of the exhibition, beginning with a Sunday Fun Day this Sunday, October 21 from 1-4 p.m. with activities celebrating the exhibition (FREE for children under 18; half-price admission for adults). On Tuesday October 30, David Park Curry, the Senior Curator of Decorative Arts, American painting and Sculpture at the Baltimore Art Museums, will visit for a FREE discussion of the life and career of James McNeill Whistler, who studied under Robert Walter Weir. A curator’s tour with Stuhlman will be November 14 at noon and is free after museum admission. A FREE concert featuring local handbell choirs, celebrating the 1866 painting The Christmas Bell by John Ferguson Weir and other holiday-themed works in the exhibition, will be December 18. And a FREE ArtFusion event with a lecture and other activities will be held January 15. For more information on these and other events, visit https://mintmuseumold.wpengine.com/happenings/.

The Weir Family, 1820-1920: Expanding the Traditions of American Art is organized by Weir expert Marian Wardle for the Brigham Young University Museum of Art. It is made possible through the generous support of the National Endowment for the Arts and foundation sponsor, the Henry Luce Foundation. Additional assistance has been provided by Jack and Mary Lois Wheatley and the Milton A. and Gloria G. Barlow Foundation. Presentation in Charlotte of The Weir Family is generously made possible by McColl Brothers Lockwood and McColl Partners, and the Mint Museum Auxiliary. A fully-illustrated hardcover catalogue is available in the Mint Museum Shops for $49.95.

Reflections: Portraits by Beverly McIver

Reflections: Portraits by Beverly McIver, on view through January 6, 2013, celebrates the last decade of work by a North Carolina native artist who is renowned for her expression-filled, emotive canvases that commemorate her life and the lives of those closest to her – in particular, her mother Ethel, who passed away in 2004, and her sister, Renee, who is mentally disabled.

“Beverly McIver’s vibrant colors and expressive brushstrokes give voice to matters of identity and personal integrity. Having left the security of a tenured faculty position to honor a promise made to her terminally-ill mother to care for her disabled sister, Renee, McIver tracks the complex emotions of despair, hope and resiliency,” said Curator Carla Hanzal. “This is a powerful show that speaks to difficult choices made by contemporary families.”

McIver is a significant presence in contemporary American art, examining racial, gender and social identities through her experiences as an African-American female artist. Her family history allowed her to contemplate and illustrate complicated emotions that arrive from depression, frustration, compassion, and joy. “All of my portraits are self-portraits,” McIver has said. “I use the faces of others who reflect my most inner being.”

McIver’s 2002 work Dora’s Dance is a candidate for acquisition by the Mint through the museum’s “Vote for Art” project, which allows museum visitors to cast ballots for their favorites from among six works of art. The winning work will be announced at the museum’s Ballot Ball on November 9.

A documentary about McIver, “Raising Renee,” will screen at the Mint for FREE on Tuesday, November 20. The artist herself will visit for a FREE discussion on Tuesday, November 27. For more details on these and other events, visit www.mintmuseum.org/happenings.

Reflections: Portraits by Beverly McIver is organized by the North Carolina Museum of Art. This exhibition is made possible, in part, by the North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources; the North Carolina Museum of Art Foundation, Inc.; and the William R. Kenan Jr. Endowment for Educational Exhibitions. An illustrated softcover catalogue is available in the Mint Museum Shops for $15.

The Ballot Ball will celebrate the culmination of The Mint Museum’s groundbreaking ‘Vote for Art’ project

Thousands of visitors to Mint Museum Uptown have been casting ballots for their favorite works of art in “Vote for Art,” a project that invites the public to help the Mint build upon its permanent collection by participating in a one-of-a-kind election. And now, the project is building toward its culmination with the Ballot Ball, a gala bringing together three of the museum’s affiliate groups for the first time. The fundraising event is set for Friday, November 9 at the museum.

Tickets to the Ballot Ball are on sale for $200 per person; the gala chairs are Susan and John Cole, Simone McDowell, Laura and Stephen Philipson, and Kellie and Jeff Scott. Honorary chairs are the Honorable and Mrs. Anthony R. Foxx, Mr. and Mrs. James E. Rogers, Jr., and a diverse host committee consisting of passionate community leaders and arts supporters. The event begins at 6:30 p.m. and will include cocktails and last-chance voting; dinner; the announcement of the winning work of art; and dessert and dancing. All funds raised will benefit The Mint Museum.

Voters are choosing from among six works of art selected by a committee consisting of curators and members of the Mint Museum Auxiliary, Founders’ Circle, and Young Affiliates of the Mint. A special early voting period during the Democratic National Convention drew more than 9,000 votes; voting opened to the general public at the museum’s Community Day on September 29 and will remain open through the first 90 minutes of the Ballot Ball. Election Day, November 6, will be a free admission day from 10 a.m.-9 p.m. at Mint Museum Uptown so any interested voters can come to the museum to vote for art after they travel to the polls to vote for their candidates.

“Vote For Art is an exciting and dynamic way for the museum to engage the public with the work of some of the best contemporary artists of our time, while leaving a lasting legacy for generations to come,” said Dr. Kathleen V. Jameson, President & CEO of the Mint.

All six works are by contemporary artists from as far away as Denmark and Chile and as close as North Carolina, and three of the works represent the best current offerings from the field of craft and design, a particular focus for the Mint.

Voters must be inside the museum to cast a vote; no online voting is allowed, although an overview of the project is available on mintmuseum.org and visitors may use the website’s +INSPIRING button to show support for their favorites.

Only one ballot is permitted per visitor per day, but patrons can visit on multiple days if they wish to cast multiple votes for their favorite candidates. For non-members of the museum, admission must be paid for each visit unless it is during the museum’s scheduled free hours. And unlike the Board of Elections, the Mint does not require voters to be 18 – children are offered their own opportunities to cast ballots.

Click here for more information and images of the six works of art!

Beyond the Wall – e-News from The Mint Museum

VISIT Mint Museum Randolph       Mint Museum Uptown 2730 Randolph Road           at Levine Center for the Arts    Charlotte, NC 28207            500 S. Tryon Street                                          Charlotte, NC 28202   UPCOMING HAPPENINGS   ART CLASSES     ALL OTHER HAPPENINGS   SUPPORT THE MUSEUM SHOP Vote for Art shirts now available at The Mint Museum Shops! Please check out our new, cool t-shirts designed to promote our innovative Vote for Art project. Vote for Art aims to educate the public on both the electoral process and the process of building upon a world-class art collection. The Mint has put six specially-chosen works of art on view in the museum and encourages the public to cast votes on their three favorites. The museum will acquire the winning work of art and add it to its permanent collection. This project only runs through November 9 but the t-shirt will last forever! OCTOBER 4, 2012 Noted Critic Garth Clark speaks at Traditional Pottery: Back to the Future Symposium Nationally noted critic Garth Clark will visit Mint Museum Randolph for a day-long symposium, Traditional Pottery: Back to the Future, on Tuesday, October 16 from 10AM-4PM. Clark, a prolific writer and advocate of ceramics, brings North Carolina and its potters a unique opportunity to exchange ideas with one of the field’s brightest thinkers. The symposium is organized by the Delhom Service League, an affiliate group of The Mint Museum devoted to the support and study of ceramics. Admission is $25 or $20 for Mint members and includes lunch. Read more The Mint Goes Pink this October! The Mint Museum wishes to express its support for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. We are offering free admission to all breast cancer survivors at both Mint Museum Uptown and Mint Museum Randolph throughout the month of October. Simply notify the Guest Services staff of your status at the time of your visit (no documentation required). In addition, survivors can receive 25 percent off a new Mint membership if purchased during your visit. We honor all those who have fought and are fighting breast cancer. The Mint Museum is committed to its role in sustaining a healthy community in Charlotte and beyond. Read more “The Art of Collecting: Conversations with Collectors” series kicks off at the Mint The Mint Museum is proud to introduce The Art of Collecting: Conversations with Collectors series. This new series will appeal to a wide range of audiences, from novice and beginning collectors to lifelong aficionados. The conversations feature a dynamic roster of local, regional, national and international presenters, including private collectors, scholars, museum curators, gallery owners, and more. A light reception follows each conversation. Please click here to learn more. Catch a Movie at the Mint! Film is a form of art that can be every bit as inspiring as the works in our galleries. Our lineup for the next few months includes documentaries related to themes in both our permanent collection and our special exhibitions. (All screenings occur at Mint Museum Uptown). Film lovers, mark your calendars, beginning with Airmen and Adversity this Tuesday, October 9, at 6:30PM. Be at The Mint Museum Ballot Ball! The Mint Museum is proud to present the Vote for Art Ballot Ball on Friday, November 9, 2012. This special fall gala is the culmination of the innovative and historic Vote for Art project. The evening will include last chance voting, cocktails, dinner, the announcement of the winning work of art, and dancing. Click here for details and to purchase tickets online. Last chance to take advantage of 75th Anniversary membership specials! The Mint Museum has been celebrating its 75th anniversary all year long with membership discounts on the 22nd of every month. The anniversary year comes to a close Oct. 22. From Oct. 16-22, save $7.50 on Individual, Dual and Family memberships, or save 75% on Sustainer and Benefactor memberships. Memberships include free admission to both Mint Museum Uptown and Mint Museum Randolph, 10% off at Mint Museum Shops, Halcyon and American Roadside restaurants plus a special members rate at Flex + Fit, invitations to members-only events, and much more. Regular membership prices are $60 for Individuals, $80 for Dual, $100 for Family, $250 for Sustainer, and $500 for Benefactor. In-person purchase only; new members only.   The Mint chosen as Charlotte’s Best Museum! Annual Creative Loafing ranking picks the Mint as “Best Museum” and recognizes Fairytales, Fantasy, & Fear and Hard Truths: The Art of Thornton Dial as the year’s best exhibitions.   Carolina Panthers Game Day Parking On Carolina Panthers game day Sundays, Childress Klein will charge a $20 fee to park in the decks below Levine Center for the Arts. Mint guests and families participating in Sunday Fun Days will be exempt from the charge as long as they inform the attendants upon entering the garage. They will still need to pay the flat Sunday fee of $5 to park for the afternoon. RECENTLY OPENED & UPCOMING EXHIBITIONS  See all exhibitions AGAINST THE GRAIN: WOOD IN CONTEMPORARY ART, CRAFT, AND DESIGN Mint Museum UPTOWN SEP 1 – JAN 27, 2013 This exhibition examines woodworking in contemporary art and engages aspects of art, craft, and design that have been characterized as “performative” and critique the traditional art/craft/design divide. View exhibition UPCOMING THE WEIR FAMILY, 1820 – 1920: EXPANDING THE TRADITIONS OF AMERICAN ART Mint Museum UPTOWN Oct 20 – Jan 20, 2013 This exhibition traces the trajectory of American art across the 19th century and into the 20th, exploring the wide range of styles in which Robert Walter Weir and his sons worked. View exhibition VANTAGEPOINT X / VIK MUNIZ: GARBAGE MATTERS Mint Museum UPTOWN AUG 25 – FEB 24, 2013 Combining 3D elements within a two-dimensional pictorial space to create visually and conceptually loaded images, Muniz creates work that fosters a shift in visual perception as well as cultural preconceptions. View exhibition UPCOMING REFLECTIONS: PORTRAITS BY BEVERLY MCIVER Mint Museum UPTOWN OCT 20 – JAN 6, 2013 This exhibition celebrates the last decade of work by Beverly McIver, a North Carolina native renowned for her expression-filled, emotive canvases. View exhibition CLASSICALLY INSPIRED: EUROPEAN CERAMICS CIRCA 1800 Mint Museum RANDOLPH JULY 14 – Features examples of European ceramics and other works of art from The Mint Museum’s permanent collection that were inspired by classical antiquity. View exhibition AND THE BEAD GOES ON Mint Museum RANDOLPH MAY 31 – FEB 17, 2013 Talented designers and skillful artisans collaborate to achieve dazzling fashions, featuring twentieth and twenty-first century inventive beadwork embroidery. View exhibition The Mint Museum | 704.337.2000 | Visit the NEW mintmuseum.org Mint Museum UPTOWN at Levine Center for the Arts | 500 South Tryon Street, Charlotte, NC 28202 Mint Museum RANDOLPH | 2730 Randolph Road, Charlotte, NC 28207 CREDITS: Julian Alden Weir. In the Sun, 1899, oil on canvas, 33 15/16 x 26 15/16 in., Brigham Young University Museum of Art, Purchase/gift of Mahonri M. Young Estate. Lisa Folawiyo. Jewel by Lisa (Nigerian, 1976-). Dress, 2012. Form: Fabric blend, beads. Meissen porcelain factory (Meissen, Germany, 1710-present). The Sacrifice, circa 1783-1784. Vik Muniz (Brazilian, 1961-). The Birth of Venus, After Botticelli (Pictures Of Junk), 2008. Art © Vik Muniz/Licensed by VAGA, New York, NY. Robert Walter Weir (American, 1803-1889). The Microscope, 1839. Oil on canvas. Floris Wubben. Tree Fungus Shelf, 2011. Pollard willow; cast epoxy resin. Beverly McIver (American, 1962-). Dora’s Dance, 2002. Oil on canvas. Blanche Lazzell. American, 1878-1956. Bouquet of Flowers, 1914. Oil on canvas. Museum purchase with funds provided by the Mint Museum Auxiliary. The Mint Museum is funded, in part, with operating support from the Arts Science Council of Charlotte-Mecklenburg, Inc., the North Carolina Arts Council, a division of the Department of Cultural Resources; the City of Charlotte; and its members.

Museum recognized with multiple accolades from both critics and readers.

Creative Loafing has published its annual Best of Charlotte issue, and the Mint won many awards from both its critics and readers, including:

Best museum – staff pick (for Mint Museum Uptown, with a shout-out to Mint Museum Randolph too!)

Best museum – readers’ pick

Best art exhibit (group) for Fairytales, Fantasy, & Fear

Best art exhibit (established artist) for the recently-concluded Hard Truths: The Art of Thornton Dial

This follows our recent designation by Charlotte Magazine in May as the Best Museum (voters’ pick), for both Mint Museum Randolph and Mint Museum Uptown, in their annual Best of the Best awards. We also won Best Art Exhibit in the Past 12 Months for Romare Bearden: Southern Recollections.

Many thanks to the staffs of these publications and to their readers and voters for their support of the Mint!

Series brings FREE documentaries to film lovers.

Did you know that you can catch a FREE movie at the Mint each month? Film is a form of art that can be every bit as inspiring as the works in our galleries. Our lineup for the next few months includes documentaries related to themes in both our permanent collection and our special exhibitions. (All screenings occur at Mint Museum Uptown). Film lovers, mark your calendars:

Tuesday October 9, 6:30 p.m.: Airmen and Adversity: The story of the “Tuskegee Airmen,” African Americans who enlisted in the Air Force during World War II.  Veterans on camera relate their struggle to become an integral part of the Air Force.  A segregated unity, they were assigned to escort bombers piloted by whites; in 200 missions they never lost a bomber. This documentary is by Charlottean Steve Crump, who has also created documentaries about Charlotte-born artist Romare Bearden and many other subjects.

Tuesday, November 20, 6:30 p.m.: Raising Renee: The story of acclaimed artist Beverly McIver, a North Carolina native, and her promise to take her mentally disabled sister Renee when their mother dies – a promise that comes due just as Beverly’s career is taking off. The same themes that fuel the artist’s work – race, class, family, disability – propel this cinematic portrait. The film is by Academy Award nominees Jeanne Jordan and Steven Ascher. View it along with a visit to the special exhibition Reflections: Portraits by Beverly McIver, and come back on November 27 to meet artist Beverly McIver.

(December: No program)

Tuesday, January 29, 7 p.m.: Waste Land: This film follows artist Vik Muniz on a singularly ambitious project: going to the world’s largest garbage dump north of Rio de Janeiro, photographing its catadores, or trash pickers, and then collaborating with them to transform these photos into portraits created with recyclable materials. Winner of Audience Awards of Sundance and Berlin Film Festivals. View it along with a visit to the exhibition Vik Muniz: Garbage Matters, and don’t miss a visit to the Mint by Muniz himself on January 8.

Free admission for survivors in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month

The Mint Museum wishes to express its support for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. We are offering free admission to all breast cancer survivors at both Mint Museum Uptown and Mint Museum Randolph throughout the month of October. Simply notify the Guest Services staff of your status at the time of your visit (no documentation required). In addition, survivors can receive 25 percent off a new Mint membership if purchased during your visit.

We honor all those who have fought and are fighting breast cancer. The Mint Museum is committed to its role in sustaining a healthy community in Charlotte and beyond.

Image:

BLANCHE LAZZELL. American, 1878-1956                               

Bouquet of Flowers  1914

oil on canvas

Museum purchase with funds provided by the Mint Museum Auxiliary. 2009.3

Pottery symposium, inspiring art classes, and much more!

Nationally noted critic Garth Clark will visit Mint Museum Randolph for a day-long symposium, Traditional Pottery: Back to the Future, on Tuesday October 16 from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Clark, a prolific writer and advocate of ceramics, brings North Carolina and its potters a unique opportunity to exchange ideas with one of the field’s brightest thinkers.

The symposium is organized by the Delhom Service League, an affiliate group of The Mint Museum devoted to the support and study of ceramics. Admission is $25 or $20 for Mint members and includes lunch.

Clark, considered one of the nation’s leading critics, is South African by birth and has lived in the U.S. since the 1970s. He is a graduate of the Royal College of Art, London, and the recipient of several lifetime achievement awards. His book Shifting Paradigms in Contemporary Ceramics was recently published by Yale University Press.

The symposium featuring Clark is just one of the October highlights at the Mint, which offers a range of free and affordable events to bring inspiration and scholarship to the larger community.

Breast Cancer Awareness Month

The Mint Museum plans to support Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October by offering free admission to anyone who is a breast cancer survivor. Visitors to either Mint location may simply notify the Guest Services Desk of their status at the time of their visit (no documentation is required).We honor those who have fought and are fighting breast cancer. The Mint Museum is committed to its role in sustaining a healthy community in Charlotte and beyond.

Inspiring art classes for children, adults, and teens

The Mint’s lineup of fall art classes begins in October, and there is still room in the classes beginning as soon as October 2, so please be sure to peruse the full listings at mintmuseum.org/happenings/learning. A sampling of upcoming offerings:

ADULT CLASS: OCTOBER IN THE GLEN |Oct. 2, 9, & 16, 6 p.m. | RANDOLPH
Take inspiration from the long light filtered through the trees as autumn arrives in the Carolinas. Make plein air studies from observation and then develop the study of your choice into a finished work. Materials provided. Tuition is $125; members save $15.

TEEN CLASS: MUD WORK | Oct. 6, 20 (four Saturdays), 10 a.m. | UPTOWN
Be inspired by ceramic sculpture in the permanent collection, and then make your own sculptural forms using a combination of pinch, slab, coil, and wheel techniques. Classes continue Nov. 3 & 17. Ages 10-15. Tuition is $160; members save $20.

SPECIAL EDITION CLASSES FOR TEENS | Oct. 6 (three first Saturdays), 10 a.m. or 1 p.m. | UPTOWN
Journeyman classes, 10 a.m.- 1 p.m., are based on working from observation and explore a wide range of materials and techniques. Ages 13-15. Intermediate level. Personal Voice, 2-5 p.m., focuses on developing concepts and defining intent, emphasizing two-dimensional media. Ages 14-18. Intermediate and advanced level. Classes continue Nov. 3 & Dec. 1. Tuition is $125; members save $25.

ADULT CLASS: POLITICAL PUNDITS | Oct. 10, 13, 17, 10 a.m. | UPTOWN
Work with metal smith Allie Farlowe in this three-part metal fabrication class to create brooches that carry symbolic messages from the wearer to the world. Intermediate level. Tuition $90; members save $15.

Membership special

The Mint Museum has been celebrating its 75th anniversary all year long with membership discounts on the 22nd of every month.  The anniversary year comes to a close Oct. 22. From Oct. 16-22, save $7.50 on Individual, Dual and Family memberships, or save 75% on Sustainer and Benefactor memberships.  Memberships include free admission to both Mint Museum Uptown and Mint Museum Randolph, 10% off at Mint Museum Shops, Halcyon and American Roadside restaurants plus a special members rate at Flex + Fit, invitations to members-only events, and much more.  Regular membership prices are $60 for Individuals, $80 for Dual, $100 for Family, $250 for Sustainer, and $500 for Benefactor.  In-person purchase only; new members only.

An amazing array of happenings, from classes to nibbles, this month!

There’s so much to see and do in October, you can fill your calendar now! Some classes start SOON, so you should register as soon as possible. Keep scrolling and clicking for more inspiring options (or, visit mintmuseum.org/happenings for a complete list of upcoming events).

CLASSES COMING UP SOON – REGISTER NOW!

TEEN CLASS: MUD WORK | Oct. 6, 20, Nov. 3, 17, 10 a.m. | UPTOWN
Be inspired by ceramic sculpture in the permanent collection, and then make your own sculptural forms using a combination of pinch, slab, coil, and wheel techniques. Ages 10-15. Tuition is $160; members save $20.

SPECIAL EDITION CLASSES FOR TEENS | Oct. 6, Nov. 3, Dec. 1, 10 a.m. or 1 p.m. | UPTOWN
Journeyman classes, 10 a.m.- 1 p.m., are based on working from observation and explore a wide range of materials and techniques. Ages 13-15. Intermediate level. Personal voice, 2-5 p.m., focuses on developing concepts and defining intent, emphasizing two-dimensional media. Ages 14-18. Intermediate and advanced level. Tuition is $125; members save $25.

ADULT CLASS: POLITICAL PUNDITS | Oct. 10, 13, 17, 10 a.m. | UPTOWN
Work with metal smith Allie Farlowe in this three-part metal fabrication class to create brooches that carry symbolic messages from the wearer to the world. Intermediate level. Tuition $90; members save $15.

Our events offer a great value for everyone – some are free to all, some free or discounted to members! (Scroll all the way down for an amazing membership discount this month!)

FREE HAPPENINGS

FREE ADMISSION TUESDAYS | Oct. 2,9,16, 23, 30, 5 p.m. | UPTOWN/RANDOLPH
Both Mint Museum Randolph and Mint Museum Uptown are always FREE from 5-9 p.m. on Tuesdays!

SPECIAL ADMISSION: BREAST CANCER AWARENESS | All month | UPTOWN/RANDOLPH
In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness month, all breast cancer survivors receive free admission all month long. Simply tell the Guest Services Desk about your status at the time of your visit. (No documentation required.)

THE STORY BEHIND THE BOOK: JUDY GOLDMAN | Oct. 2, 7 p.m. | RANDOLPH
Charlotte author Judy Goldman reveals the story behind her latest book Losing My Sister, a memoir set in Charlotte. Brief reading with books available for purchase and signing.

MOVIE AND A MINT | Oct. 9, 6:30 p.m. | UPTOWN
Visit to view the documentary “Airmen and Adversity,” about the legendary Tuskeegee Airmen, by Charlotte documentary filmmaker Steve Crump.

CRISS, CROSS MANGOSAUCE AT THE MINT: BILINGUAL STORYTIME | Oct. 20, 10:30 a.m. | RANDOLPH
Ages 2-8, all ages welcome. Join the dynamic duo Criss, Cross Mangosauce for a fun and exciting bilingual music and storytime at the Mint.

ARTFUSION: JUNK | Oct. 23, 6-9 p.m. | UPTOWN
Discover the beauty of junk and create your own recycled masterpiece with environmental artist Bryant Holsenbeck. The series is supported in part with a generous contribution from the Friends of the Mint.

LECTURE: AMERICANS IN PARIS: JAMES MCNEILL WHISTLER |Oct. 30, 7 p.m. | UPTOWN
David Park Curry, Senior Curator of Decorative Arts, American Painting and Sculpture at the Baltimore Museum of Art, discusses the life and career of James McNeill Whistler.

FREE HAPPENINGS FOR MEMBERS
(Regular adult admission is $10 for non-members)

VOTE FOR ART: YOUR VIEW, YOUR VOTE | Through Nov. 9 | UPTOWN
Six specially-chosen works of art are on view; vote for your three favorites. The Mint will acquire the winner and add the work to its permanent collection! All ages are welcome to vote; one ballot per visit. Winners will be unveiled at the Ballot Ball on November 9. Presented by Founders’ Circle Ltd., Mint Museum Auxiliary, and Young Affiliates of the Mint. More info on the works of art and the Ballot Ball at the NEW mintmuseum.org.

SATURDAY ART SESSION: GEOMETRIC CLAY CREATIONS | Oct. 6, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. | RANDOLPH
We provide the art supplies, you provide the imagination! Studio art projects are inspired by the museum collections and are appropriate for the entire family.

MINT TO MOVE CULTURAL DANCE NIGHT | Oct. 12, 7 p.m. | UPTOWN
Celebrate our global community and the art of movement with music and salsa dancing. A collaboration with ArtSí Charlotte, a community initiative supporting Latino arts and Charlotte Latin dance. Mint to Move is a Let’s Move Museums and Gardens event. Admission $10 for non-members or $15 per non-member couple.

FIRST LOOK FRIDAY | Oct. 19, 6:30 p.m. | UPTOWN
An exclusive MEMBERS ONLY look at The Weir Family, 1820-1920: Expanding the Traditions of American Art and Reflections: Portraits by Beverly McIver with light refreshments, art activities, and docent-led tours. Members bring up to three guests for $10 each. See mintmuseum.org to RSVP.

OPENING DAY: THE WEIR FAMILY, 1820-1920: EXPANDING THE TRADITIONS OF AMERICAN ART | Oct. 20, 10 a.m. | UPTOWN
This exhibition, open through January 20, 2013, is the first major exhibition to examine collectively the paintings of the American artists Robert Walter Weir (1803-1899) and his two sons, John Ferguson Weir (1841-1926) and Julian Alden Weir (1851-1919). It is organized by the Brigham Young University Museum of Art and made possible through the generous support of the National Endowment for the Arts and foundation sponsor, the Henry Luce Foundation. Additional assistance has been provided by Jack and Mary Lois Wheatley and the Milton A. and Gloria G. Barlow Foundation. Presentation in Charlotte is generously made possible by McColl Brothers Lockwood and McColl Partners, and the Mint Museum Auxiliary.

OPENING DAY: REFLECTIONS: PORTRAITS BY BEVERLY MCIVER | Oct. 20, 10 a.m. |UPTOWN
Beverly McIver, a North Carolina native, is renowned for her emotive canvases that commemorate her life and the lives of those closest to her, in particular, her mother, Ethel, who passed away in 2004, and her sister, Renee, who is mentally disabled. This exhibition, open through January 6, 2013, is organized by the North Carolina Museum of Art and is made possible, in part, by the North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources; the North Carolina Museum of Art Foundation, Inc.; and the William R. Kenan Jr. Endowment for Educational Exhibitions.

SUNDAY FUN DAY: AN AMERICAN STORY: THE WEIR FAMILY PAINTERS | Oct. 21, 1 p.m. UPTOWN
Enjoy family-friendly art projects, healthy living activities, artist demonstrations, and more! Sponsored by Carolinas Medical Center, with additional support from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Mint Museum Auxiliary. FREE for children; adult non-members pay $5.

CURATOR’S TOUR: AGAINST THE GRAIN: WOOD IN ART, CRAFT, AND DESIGN | Oct. 24, noon | UPTOWN
Tour the exhibition with Curatorial Assistant Sarah Wolfe.

FINAL DAY: CELEBRATING QUEEN CHARLOTTE’S CORONATION | Oct. 28 | RANDOLPH

Last chance to see this exhibition of works of art from the Mint’s permanent collection celebrating our city’s namesake!

MORE VALUE FOR MEMBERS

FALL ENRICHMENT FORUM: PASSION FOR FASHION | Oct. 15, 7 p.m. | UPTOWN
Designer Trina Turk visits for this Mint Museum Auxiliary fundraiser. Tickets $100; see mintmuseumauxiliary.org for details.

TRADITIONAL POTTERY: BACK TO THE FUTURE | Oct. 16, 10 a.m. | RANDOLPH
A day-long symposium featuring noted critic Garth Clark, sponsored by the Delhom Service League. Registration is $25 (including lunch); members save $5.

TASTE OF THE MINT | Oct. 16, 4 p.m. | UPTOWN
Become a food expert for the day! Explore a food tasting tour with small plate and drink pairings at Halcyon, Flavors from the Earth and E2: Emeril’s Eatery, then receive a customized one-hour exploration of the Mint’s exhibitions! RSVP to kacy.harruff@mintmuseum.org or 704.337.2018. $40/person; members save $5.

CONTEMPORARY ARCHITECTURE + DESIGN (CAD) SERIES: ULTERIOR ART | Oct. 18, 7 p.m. | UPTOWN
Exploring innovative perspectives and insightful stories on architecture + design, today and beyond. The son of a sculptor and a painter, Ian Cunningham is Design Director and Head of the Industrial Design and Prototyping Departments for the Rubbermaid Brand. Light reception follows. Costs $10; members save $5 (students free with valid ID).

CHILDREN’S CLASS: ART AROUND THE WORLD | Oct. 20, Nov. 17, Dec. 15, 10 a.m. (three Saturdays) | RANDOLPH
Discover the many ways different cultures around the world use line, shape, and color to create patterned designs. Ages 6-9. Costs $100; members save $25.

TEEN CLASS: BILINGUAL LANDSCAPE DRAWING | Oct. 23, 30, Nov. 13, 20, 5 p.m. | RANDOLPH
Work with artist Luz Aveleyra in this exploration of pencil, graphite, and watercolor techniques for rendering the landscape as subject matter. Ages 10-15. Tuition is $75; members save $15.

MINI MASTERS ART WORKSHOP: AWESOME ART MONSTERS | Oct. 24, 10:30 a.m. or 1:30 p.m.  | RANDOLPH
Young artists and their adult companions investigate art in a museum gallery, explore fun new art techniques in the classroom, and take home a unique creation. Choose between the morning or afternoon program. Juice will be served. Ages 3-5, accompanied by an adult. Costs $15; members save $5.

THE ART OF COLLECTING: THE CONE SISTERS AND MATISSE | Oct. 25, 6:30 p.m. | UPTOWN
A new series about education and advocacy around collecting. Features Dr. Sarah Schroth, senior curator at the Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University. Light reception follows. Cost is $10; members save $5; free for students with valid ID.

MEMBERSHIP SPECIAL | Oct. 16-22 | UPTOWN/RANDOLPH
The Mint Museum has been celebrating its 75th anniversary all year long with membership discounts on the 22nd of every month.  The anniversary year comes to a close Oct. 22. From Oct. 16-22, save $7.50 on Individual, Dual and Family memberships, or save 75% on Sustainer and Benefactor memberships.  Memberships include free admission to both Mint Museum Uptown and Mint Museum Randolph, 10% off at Mint Museum Shops, Halcyon and American Roadside restaurants and a special membership rate to Flex + Fit, invitations to members-only events, and much more.  Regular membership prices are $60 for Individuals, $80 for Dual, $100 for Family, $250 for Sustainer, and $500 for Benefactor.  In-person purchase only; new members only.

The Mint Museum Auxiliary is the lead sponsor for educational programs in 2012-13. Additional support provided by Belk, Inc.

Museum hosts VIPs throughout the week

The Democratic National Convention provided a big boost in visitation and revenue to the Mint, as the museum saw more than six times as many visitors as the same week last year, and enjoyed Museum Shop sales that more than tripled the levels of the same week a year ago.

Between special events and regular admissions, more than 11,000 people visited both Mint locations from September 1-7. The biggest day was CarolinaFest on Labor Day, when more than 3,100 people enjoyed free admission to Mint Museum Uptown.

The convention dates coincided with the launch of “Vote for Art,” a project allowing museum visitors to help contribute to the museum’s permanent collection by casting ballots for their favorites among six specially-chosen works of art on view throughout the museum. After votes are tallied, the museum plans to acquire the winning work or works of art.

“Early voting” ran from Sept. 1-7, while the general public voting period runs during October and early November. The winners will be announced at the Ballot Ball gala at Mint Museum Uptown on November 9.

Many delegates from the states of Illinois, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Hawaii, and Ohio voted during the delegate welcoming reception at the Mint on Sunday September 2, which also featured a marching band and national-champion cheerleader performances. Throughout the week, the Mint played host to an array of famous visitors, including governors, members of Congress, Cabinet secretaries, ambassadors, former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, Dr. Jill Biden, and celebrities including actress Jessica Alba, “CSI: NY” actor Hill Harper, singer Khalil, television personality Ty Pennington, and even “Queen Charlotte” herself!

The early votes have been tallied – and more than 4,500 were cast during the week, including more than 600 votes from children under 18! “Exit polling” has begun to indicate who some of the favorites are: “Before Midnight,” a representation of Cinderella’s carriage covered in tar by Italian artist Mattia Biagi; “Birth of Venus II,” a re-creation of Botticelli’s “The Birth of Venus” made out of garbage by Brazilian artist Vik Muniz; and “Slice Chair Paper,” a chair assembled from sheets of paper by Danish artist Mathias Bengtsson, are some of the early leaders, but it’s still anybody’s race! Very close to them in the polls are the other three contenders: “Wood Branches” by Spanish artist Nacho Carbonell, “Dora’s Dance” by North Carolina native Beverly McIver, and “Porcupine Cabinet” by Sebastian Errazuriz of Chile.

If you want your chance to cast a “Vote for Art” ballot, come back to the museum for our FREE community day on Saturday, September 29! All visitors on that day will be offered ballots in a special kick-off of the general voting period.

If you have a favorite work, you can cast multiple votes by returning to the museum – one ballot per visitor per day.

So make your views count – visit the Mint and Vote for Art!

Special Guests                                 

During DNC week included:

Governor Neil Abercrombie                                HI

Congressman Xavier Becerra                             CA

Senator Robert Casey                                       PA

Congressman Jim Clyburn                                 SC

Congressman Gerry Connolly                            VA

Fmr. Governor Howard Dean                             VT

Fmr. Governor Michael Dukakis                         MA

Senator Al Franken                                           MN

Senator Kay Hagan                                           NC

Congressman Steny Hoyer                                 MD

Senator Daniel Inouye                                       HI

Senator John Kerry                                           MA

Congressman Dennis Kucinich                            OH

Congressman John Lewis                                   GA

Governor Dan Malloy                                         CT

Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi                            CA

Senator Harry Reid                                           NV

Congressman Jan Schakowsky                           IL

Senator Elizabeth Warren                                  MA

Senator Sheldon Whitehouse                             RI

Dr. Jill Biden (wife of Vice President Biden)

Madeline Albright, Former Secretary of State

Wesley Clark, General (Ret.)

Morgan Tsvangirai, Prime Minister of Zimbabwe

Valerie Jarrett, Senior Advisor to the President

Hill Harper, Actor

Khalil, Singer

Jessica Alba, Actress

Jay Thomas, Actor

The Mint remains one of the only museums in the region with a public gallery dedicated to young artists.

The STAR Gallery, at Mint Museum Randolph, opened in 1985 to showcase local K-12 student works of art and has been integral to the Mint’s vision to become one of the most relevant and revered art museums in the country, with an unparalleled commitment to excellence, engagement, innovation, and inclusiveness. The Mint remains one of the only museums in the region with a public gallery dedicated to young artists. Annually, there are eight to ten student exhibitions on view  which run for six weeks, respectively, comprising works of art from approximately 700 students from both local public and private schools. Approximately 13,500 students have been touched by this program and have had works of art displayed since the gallery’s inception.

The STAR Gallery offers a way to promote and connect visitors to other exhibitions or collections in the museum. For instance, there is often either a technical or conceptual connection between the students’ work and the Mint’s permanent collection and special exhibitions, thereby offering additional value to the average museum visitor. The connection exhibited in the students’ work is often tied into their visit to the museum or participation in specialized educational programming by Mint staff. This early engagement with the arts helps encourage lifelong learning and love of art and design.

With the success of the STAR Gallery at Mint Museum Randolph, an additional STAR Gallery opened at Mint Museum Uptown in January 2012. The Uptown STAR Gallery has allowed the Mint to double its capacity to serve school-age children and expand upon current programming.

The Mint Museum is grateful to Harris Teeter for their generous support of Mint Museum Randolph’s STAR Gallery.

Please mark your calendars for the STAR Gallery exhibitions this fall!

Mint Museum Uptown STAR Gallery: Metrolina Regional Scholar’s AcademyOctober 2 – November 4, 2012

Mint Museum Randolph STAR Gallery: Weddington Middle School October 16-November 4, 2012

Local and regional partnerships this year will include:
Metrolina Regional Scholars Academy, Char-Meck Charter School
Weddington Middle School, Union County
Cannon School, Concord
McAlpine Elementary, CMS
Cox Mill Elementary, Cabarrus County
Mid-Carolina Region Scholastic Silver Key students
Gaston County Elementary and Secondary School students

Lend a Helping Hand. Re-link Your VIC Card
It’s easy to support local schools through Harris Teeter Together in Education, and please do not forget to re-link your VIC card to your child’s school this month.  Simply give the cashier your VIC card and your school’s Together in Education school code during checkout or visit harristeeter.com to link your VIC card.  Once you link your card, it will be linked to the school of your choice until May 31, 2013.  You can link your VIC card to up to five schools, and Harris Teeter will evenly distribute the funds to which your card is linked.  Harris Teeter Brand products qualify, including pharmacy prescriptions!  For a list of participating school codes or more information, visit harristeeter.com.

Inspiring “happenings” every day this coming week!

Be sure to visit the NEW mintmuseum.org and click on “Happenings” to view all of our exciting upcoming events. This week is a particularly great example, with events offering inspiration, learning, and engagement every day from Tuesday through Sunday. (Check each individual item for location information). Click the links below to get the details:

Tuesday, Sept. 11:  During our FREE admission (every Tuesday from 5-9 p.m.), take a tour of Hard Truths: The Art of Thornton Dial at 6:30 p.m. Mint Museum Uptown with Brad Thomas, curator of Modern and Contemporary Art.

Wednesday, Sept. 12:  Excited to see our latest exhibition at Mint Museum Uptown? Use your lunch hour at noon to tour Against the Grain: Wood in Contemporary Art, Craft, and Design with Sarah Wolfe, Curatorial Assistant.

Thursday, Sept. 13: Join us at Mint Museum Uptown as we welcome a special guest, Bernard L. Herman, George B. Tindall Distinguished Professor of American Studies and Folklore at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he also serves on the Art History faculty. His talk is entitled “The Mule Is the History of the World” – Hard Truths: The Art of Thornton Dial. Exhibition tour begins 5:30 p.m.; lecture at 6:30 p.m.; $10 or free for Mint members.

Thursday, Sept. 13:  For a taste of fashion, visit Neiman Marcus at SouthPark mall, 4400 Sharon Road, to celebrate the Art of Fashion Fete.  Reserved seating is almost sold out, but there will be plenty of standing room to view a runway show of fall fashion and enjoy beauty tips from the pros. Sips and light bites begin at 6:30 p.m.; runway presentation at 7:30 p.m.; proceeds benefit the Mint Annual Fund.

Friday, Sept. 14: Join us at 6:30 p.m. at Mint Museum Uptown for First Look Friday, a MEMBERS ONLY look at Against the Grain: Wood in Contemporary Art, Craft, and Design, with live music, light hors d’oeuvres, an artist demonstration, and docent-led tours. Don’t forget to RSVP!

Saturday, Sept. 15: Visit Mint Museum Randolph for the 8th annual Potters Market Invitational, featuring 40 outstanding North Carolina potters selling their creations under a tent on the grounds for one day only, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Be early for the best selection! Your $10 admission ($8 after 2 p.m.) includes museum admission.

Saturday, Sept. 15: Join us at 3 p.m. at Mint Museum Uptown to gain rare insight into the curatorial decisions behind Against the Grain: Wood in Contemporary Art, Craft, and Design as Lowery Sims, Curator at the Museum of Arts and Design, discusses the works she selected for this groundbreaking exhibition.

Sunday, Sept. 16: Our monthly Sunday Fun Day at Mint Museum Uptown, Recycled Masterpieces: The Art of Vik Muniz, explores one artist’s approach to material and meaning in the exhibition VantagePoint X / Vik Muniz: Garbage Matters. Half-price admission for adults; free for ages 18 and under.

Facility is a hub showcasing Charlotte’s creativity and innovation to visitors during the Democratic National Convention

The Mint Museum is a participant in a FREE exhibition of creativity and innovation in the Charlotte region during the Democratic National Convention, Charlotte Creates @ Packard Place. The facility at 222 South Church Street will feature a variety of creative and innovative organizations in the sectors of arts + culture, technology + informatics, product design + development, social entrepreneurship, and energy + sustainability.

The Mint Museum will have a display in place overlooking the future site of the under-construction Romare Bearden Park at Third and Church streets during the hub’s hours of operation: Monday September 3 from noon-6 p.m., and Tuesday and Wednesday September 4 and 5 from 2-5 p.m. (The location near the park is fitting; Mint Museum Uptown has a permanent gallery devoted to the works of internationally renowned Charlotte-born artist Romare Bearden).

Home to more than 30,000 creative jobs, Charlotte-Mecklenburg has received a 31% higher ranking for creative vitality than the national average. Charlotte Creates is a joint initiative of the Charlotte Chamber, Arts & Science Council, and Innovation Institute that seeks to establish Charlotte as a world-class center of creativity and innovation. Charlotte Creates @ Packard Place will showcase Charlotte’s creative assets to raise Charlotte’s profile as an innovative center and contribute to its long-term economic growth.

About Packard Place

Packard Place is the hub of like-minded entrepreneurs sharing skills and business opportunities in Charlotte. Serving as a community center for entrepreneurial activity in the heart of the city, it allows access to technology, education, and hands-on assistance to help business partners and start-ups design, build, market, and deliver innovation and solutions. The mission of Packard Place is to develop fast-growth businesses and the professional community to drive them. Its focus and motto is to build community, entrepreneurialism, and innovation in Charlotte.

Watch this video to learn more about Charlotte Creates @ Packard Place: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ccS-6_LiZx8

For other inquiries about Charlotte Creates @ Packard Place, contact Carmella Jarvi at 980-253-9170 or cjarvi@packardplace.us.

Volume released just in time for the Democratic National Convention is a work of art in itself

In a unique collaboration combining art and scholarship, The Mint Museum has published a new book in association with Yale University Press titled  One Work, which will be available for sale to museum visitors beginning with the Democratic National Convention activities on September 1. The volume, totaling 100 pages including photos, is devoted to the massive four-story work hanging in the atrium of Mint Museum Uptown, Mega Footprint Near the Hutch (May I Have This Dance?) by Sheila Hicks. It contains two pullout accordion folds with images of Mega Footprint on them and a hanging loop embedded into the cover, enabling readers to literally hang the book on their walls and enjoy the book itself as a work of art.

The book was designed by internationally renowned Amsterdam-based designer Irma Boom, who won the 2007 Gold Medal at the Leipzig Book Fair for “The Most Beautiful Book in the World” for designing Sheila Hicks: Weaving as Metaphor, published by Yale University Press. One Work includes a foreword by Dr. Kathleen V. Jameson, President & CEO of the Mint; an essay by Annie Carlano, director of Craft + Design; an afterword by Rodolfo Machado of Machado and Silvetti Associates, architects of Mint Museum Uptown; and photos by James Martin, Digital Media Manager at the Mint.

“In the field of art history it is rare to find publications dedicated to one singular work of art; books about iconic contemporary works are rarer still,” said Jameson. “At a time when The Mint Museum strives to lead in collecting the most innovative art being made in the world today, and especially with the eyes of the nation and world focusing upon Charlotte and our museum during the coming week, we are thrilled to celebrate Sheila Hicks’s Mega Footprint Near the Hutch (May I Have this Dance?) as a signature work of art for this institution.”

The book was the idea of Carlano, who was also instrumental in bringing Boom on board as designer. “This ‘one work’ is central to the discourse on how 21st century art and architecture can, with their rapport, transform a space and inspire individuals,” said Carlano. “Mega Footprint captivates us because it doesn’t look like anything we’ve ever seen before.”

The Mint acquired Mega Footprint Near the Hutch in fall 2011 through a generous gift from Target Corporation. The company originally commissioned the work for its Minneapolis headquarters, where it was first named May I Have This Dance? A redesign of the headquarters prompted a search for a permanent new home, and the Mint was among many of the nation’s largest and most important museums considered for the gift. Its distinctive tubes, made of linen thread wrapped around plumbers’ pipe insulating foam, were reconfigured for the atrium space of Mint Museum Uptown. Its new title referred to Charlotte’s “mega footprint” of growth near the “hutch,” used as a synonym for animal pen, and referring to Charlotte’s proximity to still-rural countryside. The newly reimagined work was unveiled concurrently with the opening of Sheila Hicks: 50 Years, a retrospective organized by The Addison Gallery of American Art that was on view at the Mint from October 2011 through January 2012. Hicks is considered one of the world’s leading contemporary artists and designers, known for her work with thread and textiles.

One Work is on sale for $40 at both Mint Museum Shop locations and is also being distributed internationally by Yale University Press. All proceeds from sales at Museum Shops benefit The Mint Museum. For more information or media review copies, contact Leigh Dyer at leigh.dyer@mintmuseum.org.

Click here and click on the second highlight image to see more about Mega Footprint Near the Hutch.

Exhibition examining trends in woodworking will greet visitors to the Democratic National Convention at Mint Museum Uptown

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (August 28, 2012) – Featuring more than 60 installations, sculptures, furniture, and objects, Against the Grain: Wood in Contemporary Art, Craft, and Design explores the most cutting-edge conceptual and technical trends in woodworking today. Organized by the Museum of Arts and Design, New York, and debuting September 1, 2012, at Mint Museum Uptown and running through January 27, 2013, the exhibition emphasizes the ways artists, designers, and craftspeople have incorporated modernist approaches and strategies into woodworking—deconstructing vessel shapes, playing on the relationship between function and form, and utilizing woodturning and furniture techniques in the creation of sculpture. The works, all created since 2000, challenge traditional applications of wood within the design and craft worlds, and exemplify the wide-ranging, frequently unexpected approaches to the medium by contemporary artists and designers. The exhibition will subsequently be on view at the Museum of Arts and Design from March through July, 2013.

“It is very important for the museum to present world-class special exhibitions to complement our internationally-regarded permanent collection during the Democratic National Convention,” said Dr. Kathleen V. Jameson, President & CEO of the Mint. “Against the Grain: Wood in Contemporary Art, Craft, and Design is a fascinating look at the way artists and designers use traditional woodworking techniques to create startlingly fresh work.  Organized by the Museum of Arts and Design in New York, in consultation with the Mint, we are honored to premiere the exhibition in Charlotte.  On behalf of the Mint, I express my gratitude to Moore & Van Allen PLLC and the Founders’ Circle for their generous support of Against the Grain.”

The exhibition features 57 artists and designers from around the world, including influential sculptors Ursula von Rydingsvard, Courtney Smith, and Martin Puryear, who will display one of his furniture pieces for the first time; installation artists Gary Carsley and Alison Elizabeth Taylor; designers Maarten Baas, Sebastian Errazuriz, and Pablo Reinoso; and studio wood artists Wendell Castle, Andrew Early, and Hunt Clark, among others.

“Against the Grain: Wood in Contemporary Art, Craft, and Design aligns beautifully with the Mint’s commitment to innovative 21st-century creative expression from a variety of cultural perspectives.  Moreover, the museum’s collection is very strong in both turned wood and studio furniture, most notably, the Jane and Arthur Mason Collection, as well as recent major acquisitions; Joseph Walsh’s Enignum from the Mint’s Project Ten Ten Ten series, and Silas Kopf’s Who’s Chicken, Now? will both be on view during the exhibition,” said Annie Carlano, the Mint’s Director of Craft + Design. “Beyond museum walls, Against the Grain has a particular connection to our community and region.  The American furniture industry is centered here, and until just a few months ago, the Furniture Society was based in Asheville. Designers and makers live amongst us.”

“Against the Grain is a complete immersion into the seemingly limitless world of contemporary woodworking, an imaginative experience where function is subsumed by fantastical forms and textures,” said Holly Hotchner, Nanette L. Laitman Director of the Museum of Arts and Design. “The creators featured in the exhibition exemplify the innovative practice that MAD is dedicated to supporting and bringing to the fore. Their work defies clear categorization and draws together traditionally disparate themes, ideas, and techniques into stunning and surprising works of art.”

Organized by MAD Curator Lowery Stokes Sims, Against the Grain is part of MAD’s ongoing “Materials & Process” series, dedicated to exploring contemporary innovations in traditional techniques and materials, and highlights the tremendous creative energy and fresh thinking that creators are bringing to wood today. “Wood is a ubiquitous material and a medium of basic function as well as tremendous versatility. In the last several decades, artists have truly begun to test its creative boundaries, expressing and expanding wood’s aesthetic and conceptual possibilities,” said Sims. “The artists featured in Against the Grain represent the forward-thinking approach that has spurred the medium’s renaissance.”

The featured works fall into seven thematic designations that encapsulate the breadth of creative production in wood. Many of the artists and designers are inspired by wood’s most natural state as trees, utilizing branches, logs, and planks and creating works that draw upon the wood’s grains, textures, and patterns. Others fuse a variety of wood elements together to create distinctly new visual forms, producing a more powerful experience than the individual parts might allow. Digital techniques have also transformed woodworking, allowing creators to manipulate materials and produce illusions that were previously impossible. The use of wood as a material to convey political and social content as well as humor and visual puns has also grown and been refined as artists experiment with the medium. Additionally, environmental issues will be woven throughout the exhibition as increased ecological consciousness is implicit in the work of all contemporary woodworkers.

Highlights from the exhibition include the following works:

• Mark Moskovitz’s fully-functional chest of drawers mimicking wood stockpiled for the winter exemplifies the type of camouflage and secret compartments that have long been an intriguing feature of furniture. His Facecord Chest, 2011, was inspired by the haphazard geometry of cordwood and the accidental poetry in its stacking.

• In Oddychająca, 2011, Ursula von Rydingsvard manipulates a field of flat 2-by-4 beams into an organic form that gently curves out into space.

• Designers Ian Spencer and Cairn Young are presenting their Roccapina V chair, 2012, a product of the Yard Sale Project, which produces furniture that combines computer-aided design and traditional construction techniques. The result is a richly patterned surface resembling a volumetric quilt.

• Alison Elizabeth Taylor’s installations of illusionistic marquetry, which recreate architectural elements of abandoned houses—including linoleum floors or painted and papered walls whose many layers have been worn away after years of water damage.

• Maarten Baas’ “smoked” version of a Marc Newson chair, which has been torched and rendered nonfunctional and yet maintains lyricism and elegance in its new sculptural form.

• A chest of drawers by artist Courtney Smith, whose functionality has been subverted by the insertion of arbitrary rectangles and boxes of plywood. The resulting sculpture challenges ideas of structural integrity and authorship as Smith intrudes on existing design elements.

• Ai Weiwei’s 2008 evocation of a cluster of grapes in his eccentric assembling of ten simple Qing Dynasty stools, rendering the group useless.

• Gary Carsley’s cabinet installation is part of an ongoing project of photographing parks and landscapes all over the world, printing them on vinyl, and then applying them to walls and IKEA furniture. He plays with our sense of space as the print blends the wall and furniture together into one landscape environment.

• Cameroon-born artist Barthélémy Toguo’s large-scale stamp, hewed out of a block of wood and engraved with “Who is the true terrorist?,” taps into the tradition of the woodblock-printed image and evokes the political paranoia infecting recent international relations.

• Chilean designer Sebastian Errazuriz, whose Porcupine Cabinet, 2011, is a candidate in the Mint’s “Vote for Art” project. It is one of six specially-chosen works by some of the world’s top artists and designers that will be on display throughout Mint Museum Uptown. Museum visitors will cast ballots for their three favorite works. Visitors to the museum during the Democratic National Convention will be offered ballots from September 1-7; voting opens to the general public October 1 through November 9.

MEDIA PREVIEW
All media are invited to preview the exhibition at Mint Museum Uptown from 3:30-5 p.m. on Thursday August 30 (curator’s tour and refreshments provided) or during a media drop-in from 3:30 – 5 p.m. on Friday August 31. In addition, admission is FREE to all members of the media throughout public operating hours during the Democratic National Convention (reservation required). See more information about operating hours at mintmuseum.org; email leigh.dyer@mintmuseum.org to RSVP.

ABOUT THE EXHIBITION

Against the Grain: Wood in Contemporary Art, Craft, and Design is organized the Museum of Arts and Design and curated by Lowery Stokes Sims, Charles Bronfman International Curator at the Museum of Arts and Design, assisted by Elizabeth Edwards Kirrane, Assistant Curator at MAD and project manager for the exhibition. The exhibition has been curated at The Mint Museum by Annie Carlano, Director of Craft + Design. Against the Grain is made possible at The Mint Museum through generous support from Founders’ Circle Ltd. and Moore & Van Allen PLLC.

The exhibition tour includes The Mint Museum, Charlotte, North Carolina (September 1, 2012 – January 27, 2013), Museum of Arts and Design, New York, New York (March – July, 2013), and other locations to be announced.

The catalogue, published by Monacelli Press, includes essays by Curator Lowery Stokes Sims, who writes on the conceptual framework of the exhibition; Assistant Curator Elizabeth Edwards Kirrane, who chronicles how history, environmental issues, and politics have predicated the use of various woods; and noted writer on art and craft Suzanne Ramljak, who will examine the enduring preoccupation with wood in human cultures. It is available in the Mint Museum Shops for $45.

ABOUT THE MUSEUM OF ARTS AND DESIGN

The Museum of Arts and Design explores the blur zone between art, design, and craft today. The Museum focuses on contemporary creativity and the ways in which artists and designers from around the world transform materials through processes ranging from the artisanal to digital. The Museum’s exhibition program explores and illuminates issues and ideas, highlights creativity and craftsmanship, and celebrates the limitless potential of materials and techniques when used by gifted and innovative artists. MAD’s permanent collection is global in scope and focuses on art, craft, and design from 1950 to the present day. At the center of the Museum’s mission is education. The Museum’s dynamic new facility features classrooms and studios for master classes, seminars, and workshops for students, families, and adults. Three open artist studios engage visitors in the creative processes of artists at work and enhance the exhibition programs. Lectures, films, performances, and symposia related to the Museum’s collection and topical subjects affecting the world of contemporary art, craft, and design are held in a renovated 144-seat auditorium.

For more information, please contact:

Sophie Henderson, Museum of Arts and Design, 212.299.7762, sophie.henderson@madmuseum.org,  or
Alina Sumajin, Resnicow Schroeder Associates, 212.671.5155, asumajin@resnicowschroeder.com.

For one weekend only: Three powerful exhibitions with the potential to make an impact!

For one weekend only, experience this exciting intersection of exhibitions, plus a special event. A collaboration among the Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Culture, Levine Museum of the New South, and The Mint Museum offers an exciting and important opportunity to deeply explore the impact of African-Americans through art, experience, and dialogue.

The Gantt Center’s America I AM: The African American Imprint,The Mint Museum’s Hard Truths: the Art of Thornton Dial, and Levine Museum’s Without Sanctuary: Lynching Photography in America are coming together along with The Black Arts Movement: Present Condition – Future Vision.

THE BLACK ARTS MOVEMENT: PRESENT CONDITION – FUTURE VISION
SATURDAY, SEPT. 29, 3 P.M.
A moderated panel discussion presented by OnQ Performing Arts, at Duke EnergyTheatre, Spirit Square. Distinguished leaders of the black arts movement explore the radicalism, relevance and vision of this groundbreaking creative crusade from its emergence out of the 1960s civil rights movement to current 21st century reality. Moderated by John (Moe) Moore, panelists include: Amiri Baraka, poet/playwright (Newark, N.J.); Lou Bellamy, Founder/Artistic Director of Penumbra Theatre Company (St. Paul, Minn.), and JoanMyers Brown, Founder of Philadanco! – The Philadelphia Dance Company (Philadelphia, Penn.). FREE TO ATTEND. TICKET INFO 704.372.1000.

Presented by ONQ Performing Arts, JOMA Arts & Consulting LLC, and the Arts & Science Council.

AMERICA I AM: THE AFRICAN AMERICAN IMPRINT presents a historical continuum of pivotal moments in courage, conviction and creativity that helps to solidify the undeniable imprint of African Americans across the nation and around the world. On display through Jan. 1, 2013, the exhibit’s more than 200 artifacts and information provide context to how African Americans have contributed to and shaped American culture, with diverse objects ranging from the typewriter Alex Haley used to pen his Pulitzer Prize-winning book Roots to Prince’s guitar!

Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Culture
Open Saturday 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Sunday 1-5 p.m.
551 South Tryon Street at Levine Center for the Arts; ganttcenter.org

HARD TRUTHS: THE ART OF THORNTON DIAL is an epic gathering of more than 30 large-scale paintings, sculptures, and wall assemblages that address the most compelling issues of our time, on view at Mint Museum Uptown through Sept. 30. A companion exhibition, DRAWINGS BY THORNTON DIAL, is on view at Mint Museum Randolph through Sept. 30. Hard Truths: The Art of Thornton Dial is organized by the Indianapolis Museum of Art and is brought to the community with generous support from Wells Fargo, and additional support provided by Duke Energy.

Admission is FREE at both Mint locations on Saturday September 29 in conjunction with Museum Day Live! Also join the Hola Charlotte 2012, A Cultural Celebration! It takes place noon-5 p.m. Saturday outside Mint Museum Uptown. And take part in the public launch of the Mint’s Vote for Art project at Mint Museum Uptown!

Mint Museum Uptown at Levine Center for the Arts, 500 South Tryon Street

Mint Museum Randolph, 2730 Randolph Road

Open Saturday 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Sunday 1-5 p.m.; mintmuseum.org

WITHOUT SANCTUARY: LYNCHING PHOTOGRAPHY IN AMERICA is a graphic exhibit that examines one of the most horrific chapters of American history, and one that continues to influence society today. A powerful collection of photographs and postcards documenting hangings and other killings carried out by lynch mobs, the exhibit is designed to recognize the humanity of the victims and to promote cross-cultural discussion that can bring healing and vigilance against future acts of bigotry and violence. Presented by Bank of America, Without Sanctuary will be on display Sept. 29 – Dec. 31, 2012.

Levine Museum of the New South
Open Saturday 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Sunday noon-5 p.m. (free admission on 9/30)
200 East 7th Street; museumofthenewsouth.org

Mint Museum Uptown to be closed to public Sunday Sept. 2, Tuesday September 4, and Wednesday September 5 for special events; open to the public all other days!

   The Mint Museum has announced its hours of operation during the Democratic National Convention week. Special events that take over the museum will close Mint Museum Uptown to the public for three days: Sunday September 2; Tuesday September 4; and Wednesday September 5. But there’s plenty of other time throughout the week for the public to enjoy the Mint’s spectacular lineup!

Highlights include the blockbuster new exhibition Against the Grain: Wood in Contemporary Art, Craft, and Design, which opens to the public for the first time at 10 a.m. on Saturday September 1; VantagePoint X / Vik Muniz: Garbage Matters, opening August 25; the launch of the museum’s Vote for Art project, which will invite DNC week visitors to view six specially-chosen works of art and vote for their three favorites (the museum will acquire the winning works of art after the general public voting period, running October 1-November 9); and the ongoing exhibitions Read My Pins: The Madeleine Albright Collection and Hard Truths: The Art of Thornton Dial.

Visitors should note that Mint Museum Randolph is observing normal hours of operation during the week (including being closed Labor Day Monday). At Mint Museum Uptown, visitors can enter FREE from 10 a.m.- 5 p.m. on Labor Day, September 3, as part of the CarolinaFest celebration, and many other days will include extended hours for the Museum Shop. See the chart below for details. Also please note that all public visitors will be required to enter from the side of the museum facing Levine Avenue for the Arts at street level (directional signage will point the way). Security staff will also be conducting bag checks, using metal-detecting wands, and observing guidelines similar to the TSA in airports restricting items that can be brought inside the museum (see below for details).

Hours are subject to change, so check back at mintmuseum.org before your visit for the latest updates! (Note: Members of the media are being offered complimentary admission all week during public hours of operation; contact Public Relations Manager Leigh Dyer at 704.337.2009 or leigh.dyer@mintmuseum.org to make a reservation).

Parking: The Levine Center for the Arts parking garage will be closed to non-monthly parkers during the week, but museum visitors are invited to park in The Green, 425 South Tryon Street, or to use public transportation.

Visitors should park in The Green’s garage due to special events this weekend

Due to special events taking place in uptown Charlotte this weekend, Saturday August 25 and Sunday August 26, the parking garage for Levine Center for the Arts will be closed to museum visitors and non-monthly parkers on both days. Part of South Tryon Street will be closed, so visitors should park in The Green‘s parking deck, utilizing the entrance off College Street. (The address for The Green is 425 South Tryon Street, but guests should use the address of the Charlotte Convention Center, 501 South College Street, to find The Green’s parking entrance facing the Convention Center).

Mint Museum Uptown will observe normal hours of operation, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m.-5 p.m. Sunday. The museum is opening the new exhibition VantagePoint X / Vik Muniz: Garbage Matters on Saturday August 25. For more information, contact Guest Services at 704.337.2000.

Here is the information from the Charlotte Department of Transportation’s street closing advisory:

Pride Charlotte
The event is on Saturday, August 25 from 12:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. and on Sunday, August 26 from 12:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Tryon Street. Event organizers expect 25,000 attendees. Tryon Street between Fourth Street and Stonewall Street will be closed from Saturday, August 25 at 5:00 a.m. until Sunday, August 26 at 10:00 p.m. Levine Avenue of the Arts will also be closed. For more information call 704-333-0144 or email info@pridecharlotte.com.

Exhibition is part of The Mint Museum’s VantagePoint series

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Vik Muniz, a Brazilian contemporary artist who is known for transforming garbage  into re-creations of world-famous works of art, is the subject of a new exhibition opening August 25 at Mint Museum Uptown at Levine Center for the Arts, and running through February 24, 2013 (UPDATE: The exhibition has been extended to run through April 28, 2013).

Muniz’s re-creations of famous paintings are notable for their uncanny attention to detail and the non-traditional nature of the media he chooses. Muniz painstakingly gathers such discarded objects as tires, bolts, coils of wire, broken appliances, and soda cans, arranging them on a warehouse floor in piles and layers to create representations of iconic paintings by historical artists. After this labor-intensive process is complete, Muniz photographs the massive creation from a balcony above, thereby preserving the final appearance before the image is disassembled.

“Muniz mines the transformative power of art and representation. Muniz’s pictures enlighten us to better see the consumerist, transitory culture in which we reside and to which we contribute, by making beautiful imagery from the detritus of contemporary life,” said Carla Hanzal, the Mint’s curator of modern and contemporary art. “Muniz makes visible the refuse of consumption — the discarded, ugly, forgotten, and suppressed. The waste is transformed, through ordering and arranging, into venerated images, resulting in something entirely new and valuable.”

Muniz, born into poverty in São Paulo in 1961, has arguably become the most famous contemporary artist from his native country. His conceptual photographs are exhibited internationally, and he is represented in significant museum collections throughout the world. Beginning his art career in the mid-1980s after relocating to the United States, Muniz established a studio in Brooklyn.

“The beautiful thing about garbage is that it’s negative; it’s something that you don’t use anymore; it’s what you don’t want to see,” Muniz has said. “So if you are a visual artist, it becomes a very interesting material to work with because it’s the most nonvisual of materials. You are working with something that you usually try to hide.”

The exhibition consists of seven large-scale photographs, accompanied by comparative images of the historical works upon which they are based. It includes The Birth of Venus, after Botticelli (Pictures of Junk), 2008, which is a candidate in the Mint’s “Vote for Art” project. It is one of six works by some of the world’s top artists and designers that will be on display throughout the museum. Museum visitors will cast ballots for their three favorite works from the field of candidates, and the museum will acquire the three winning works and add them to its permanent collection. Visitors to the museum during the Democratic National Convention will be offered ballots, from September 1-7; voting opens to the general public October 1 through November 9.

In another tie-in to the Democratic National Convention, the exhibition includes a work that was a gift to President Obama. Marat (Sebastião), Pictures of Garbage, 2008, was generously loaned to the exhibition by the State Department Collection of the United States Government. It is modeled after the well-known painting by Jacques-Louis David, The Death of Marat, and named after Sebastião (Tião) Carlos Dos Santos, a man who made his living from the age of 11 by working as a “picker,” recovering recyclables at the world’s largest landfill, Jardim Gramacho, outside of Rio de Janeiro.

On September 16, visitors of all ages will be invited to experiment with Muniz’s techniques in a special Sunday Fun Day, “Recycled Masterpieces: The Art of Vik Muniz,” from 1-4 p.m. at Mint Museum Uptown. Admission is free for children and Mint members and half-price for adults ($5). The run of the exhibition will include two more special events: Muniz himself is scheduled to visit the museum on Tuesday, January 8, 2013 at 6:30 p.m. for a FREE artist’s lecture; and the award-winning 2010 documentary film “Waste Land,” depicting Muniz’s work, is scheduled for a FREE screening at Mint Museum Uptown on Tuesday, January 29, 2013 at 7 p.m.

Collectively, Muniz’s photographs bring to mind ideas of ecology, impermanence, and mortality. Muniz’s photographs implicate the viewer in a consumerist, transitory culture. His photographs fuse two important strands of postmodern photography — staging and appropriation. Staging is the creation of an image through choreographing all visual components of the photograph; appropriation is borrowing imagery from a source of reference, in this case historically significant paintings from the Western tradition. The resulting photographs are both fascinating and disarming, and probe the function and traditions of visual representation.

This exhibition is organized by The Mint Museum and is scheduled to travel to the Frist Center for the Visual Arts in Nashville, Tennessee to be on display from June 14-September 22, 2013. It is the tenth installment of VantagePoint, the Mint’s contemporary art series that emphasizes new developments in recent art practice. VantagePoint X / Vik Muniz: Garbage Matters exhibition and accompanying brochure are generously sponsored by the Goodrich Foundation.

Tetsunori Kawana’s “Passage: Waterway” is part of Mint’s Project Ten Ten Ten

When it was unveiled on the lawn in front of Mint Museum Randolph on August 14, 2011, Tetsunori Kawana’s remarkable bamboo sculpture “Passage: Waterway” was envisioned as a temporary work that would return to nature after it experienced four seasons.

And now, as the work approaches its one-year mark, it is scheduled for demolition on Thursday, August 16, 2012. Visitors are invited to Mint Museum Randolph to experience “Passage: Waterway” a final time in the coming days. (Parking is free at Mint Museum Randolph, 2730 Randolph Road, and there is no charge to enter the grounds outside the museum).

The 20- by 20- by 80-foot passageway was commissioned by the Young Affiliates of the Mint as part of Project Ten Ten Ten, an effort launched in conjunction with the opening of Mint Museum Uptown in October 2010. The museum and its affiliates have commissioned 10 works by 10 of the world’s leading craft and design artists.

Kawana’s bamboo work is an example of the strength and beauty of the ancient art of Ikebana. The artist and community volunteers worked for weeks in some of the city’s hottest and wettest weather to assemble it from Madake bamboo. It was unveiled during a free-admission Community Day with a celebration of Japanese culture.

It began its life the bright green of fresh bamboo and has gently weathered to a yellow-gray color over the past year. The artist’s hope was for visitors to leave the installation with a sense of well-being and connectedness to the natural cycle of life. “Passage: Waterway” has now come full circle. It’s gone through the four seasons, its life cycle, and is coming to an end. How lucky we have been to live with it, walk through it, and experience it over the past year,” said Annie Carlano, the Mint’s director of craft and design.

ALSO ENDING THIS MONTH

Two exhibitions at Mint Museum Uptown at Levine Center for the Arts, 500 South Tryon Street, are also coming to an end in August. The final day for Colorbind: The Emily and Zach Smith Collection is August 12. For over three decades, Charlotte and surrounding communities have benefited from Emily and Zach Smith’s tireless dedication to improving the cultural infrastructure of our region. This intimate display of works illuminates a personal side of the couple’s relationship to art––one that has enriched and informed their life together. Works by Pop artists Jasper Johns, Robert Rauschenberg, and Wayne Thiebaud play alongside geometric abstractions by Peter Halley, Sol Lewitt, and Sean Scully––vibrant color binding each creative voice into the collectors’ unified vision. This exhibition is organized by The Mint Museum.

The final day for Matthew Weinstein is August 19. Weinstein, a visual artist currently living and working in Brooklyn, New York, has achieved notoriety in the art world as the first artist to focus exclusively on 3D animation. Using precision airbrush techniques and single-hair paintbrushes, Weinstein also creates paintings, essentially abstractions of his animated worlds. These paintings accompany the digital installations and enable the artist to explore the often-tenuous boundary between the real and the virtual in contemporary culture. The Charlotte Symphony Orchestra commissioned Weinstein to create a digital accompaniment to debut with their performance of Maurice Ravel’s Bolero on May 4. The Mint Museum organized a spotlight exhibition of Weinstein’s art, including four paintings and a video.

Diplomat tells the stories behind “Read My Pins: The Madeleine Albright Collection”

Pioneering diplomat Madeleine Albright delighted hundreds of museum visitors throughout the weekend of July 13-14 during her visit in honor of the recent opening of Read My Pins: The Madeleine Albright Collection.
The weekend began Friday afternoon with a walk-through of the exhibition for members of the local and regional media, at which Secretary Albright stopped at nearly every case within the gallery to share her insights and recollections. Local jeweler Perry’s Fine, Antique and Estate Jewelry, which provided support for the exhibition, presented Secretary Albright with a spectacular 18-karat gold pin encrusted with 2.75 carats of diamonds, shaped in the crown inspired by Queen Charlotte and the city’s logo. The base of the crown was hand-engraved with “Albright” and set between an olive branch and a bundle of thirteen arrows.
Later that evening, Albright attended a members-only VIP reception at which many of the more than 300 attendees were treated to one-on-one conversations with Secretary Albright. She then thrilled the crowd with an impromptu question-and-answer session, sharing her insights into global diplomacy.
Saturday morning, Albright returned to the museum for an educational program featuring Youth Opportunity University, Friendship Missionary Baptist Church, Johnson C. Smith University, Queens University, international students, and community leaders.   After that, a sellout crowd packed into the auditorium for “A Conversation with Madeleine Albright,” and dozens more attendees filled satellite seating in the atrium. She then signed hundreds of copies of the book “Read My Pins: Stories from a Diplomat’s Jewel Box” and her recently-published “Prague Winter” (both on sale in the Mint Museum Shops).
Read My Pins: The Madeleine Albright Collection will remain on view through September 23 at Mint Museum Uptown. It is brought to The Mint Museum through the support of Perry’s Fine, Antique and Estate Jewelry. Exhibition organized by the Museum of Arts and Design. Generous support for this exhibition was provided by Bren Simon and for the exhibition catalogue by St. John Knits.

About Perry’s Fine, Antique and Estate Jewelry
Perry’s Fine, Antique and Estate Jewelry has been in business for over thirty-four years and has been established as one of the nation’s finest antique and estate jewelers. Ernest Perry, the company’s owner and president, has more than thirty-five years experience and expertise in fine, antique and estate jewelry. Perry’s consigns, buys, sells, and trades vintage, antique and estate jewelry, gold, coins, diamonds, silver, platinum, and much more. www.perrysjewelry.com

(Photo of Madeleine Albright with Dr. Kathleen V. Jameson, President & CEO of the Mint, by Wendy McCarty, Aphrodite Photography Inc.)

Visitors expected to pack the museum during convention week

UPDATE August 21, 2012: Please click this link to see hours of operation during the Democratic National Convention week for both locations of The Mint Museum!

The Charlotte Observer declared the Mint the most “coveted” venue in town during the Democratic National Convention, and bookings at both museum locations have followed suit! Museum staffers are hard at work finalizing the plans for the convention week, September 1-7, so keep a close eye on mintmuseum.org for updates as the week draws near. For now, here are some of the updates we can share:

• As previously announced, Mint Museum Uptown will host the delegations from Illinois, Hawaii, Delaware, Pennsylvania, and Ohio during the official welcoming party on Sunday, September 2.
• Mint Museum Uptown will be open FREE on Labor Day, September 3, in conjunction with the CarolinaFest street festival to be held along Tryon Street in uptown Charlotte. The hours of the festival are 10 a.m. to 6:15 p.m.; the Mint will announce specific hours of operation closer to the date.
• Mint Museum Randolph has so far landed three DNC bookings (and more bookings may be added). Currently, plans call for keeping Mint Museum Randolph OPEN during normal operating hours throughout the week. Hours are subject to change, however, so check mintmuseum.org before planning your visit that week.
• As of this week, Mint Museum Uptown has 18 bookings during the DNC week, and bookings are still being accepted. In addition, Halcyon restaurant, which shares the museum’s second floor, has another six bookings so far. The museum will need to be closed to the public during certain times that week when events occupy the entire museum, but those hours are still being determined. They will be announced as soon as they are finalized. Also keep an eye out for updates regarding museum entrance access and parking (but keep in mind, use of public transportation to enter uptown is strongly encouraged).
• Just in time for the arrival of the delegates and the national media, Mint Museum Uptown is preparing to debut the blockbuster new exhibition Against the Grain: Wood in Contemporary Art, Craft, and Design, featuring the work of the world’s top contemporary artists and designers in the versatile medium of wood. Local and national media will be invited to a preview of the exhibition on Friday, August 31, and it will open to museum visitors on Saturday, September 1. The museum is expected to be open to the public that day (specific hours to be determined). Against the Grain: Wood in Contemporary Art, Craft, and Design will remain on view through January 27, 2013. It is brought to The Mint Museum through the support of Moore & Van Allen PLLC and Founders’ Circle Ltd.  The exhibition is organized by the Museum of Arts and Design and made possible, in part, by the National Endowment for the Arts, with additional support from Larry and Madeline Mohr.
• The Mint Museum is also launching its innovative new project, “Vote for Art,” during the DNC. Six of the world’s top contemporary works of art will be on display, and visitors can vote for their favorites. The museum will acquire the work or works with the most votes. All visitors during DNC week will be offered ballots and opportunities to cast votes; voting opens to the general public on October 1 and winners will be announced November 9. Click here for more information!

Classically Inspired: European Ceramics Circa 1800 and American Ceramics, 1825-1875 celebrate the Mint’s internationally-renowned permanent collection

The Mint Museum has recently opened two new exhibitions at Mint Museum Randolph that celebrate one of the Mint’s largest and most well-known collections: Classically Inspired: European Ceramics Circa 1800 and American Ceramics, 1825-1875. They will remain on view on an ongoing basis until the Mint moves forward with plans to re-envision Mint Museum Randolph in the coming years.

“These installations are comprised solely of works from The Mint Museum’s historic ceramics collection, illustrating its tremendous depth and the museum’s ongoing commitment to present that collection in compelling ways to our public,” said Brian Gallagher, the Mint’s curator of decorative arts.

As announced in April 2012, the Mint’s Board of Trustees approved a sweeping five-year plan that charts an ambitious course for 2016 and places renewed emphasis on Mint Museum Randolph, the Mint’s original location dating to 1936, following the 2010 opening of Mint Museum Uptown. The plan calls for completing a feasibility study of the re-envisioning of Mint Museum Randolph, to include such factors as a North Carolina Pottery Research Center, classroom space, studios, a children’s center, and increased public access to the museum’s library.

These exhibitions join two others celebrating the Mint’s decorative arts collection: A Thriving Tradition: 75 Years of Collecting North Carolina Pottery and Sophisticated Surfaces: The Pottery of Herb Cohen, both on view at Mint Museum Randolph through January 6, 2013.

Classically Inspired: European Ceramics Circa 1800

Classical art – the art of ancient Greece and Rome – had a tremendous influence on the art of Western Europe from at least the fifteenth century through the late nineteenth. During the 1400s and 1500s, the period of the Italian Renaissance, artists and designers regularly emulated aspects of the antique, although in general they attempted to surpass, rather than simply copy, the art of antiquity. In contrast, their counterparts in the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries often endeavored to create more precise imitations of classical prototypes, especially in regard to objects for the fashionable domestic interior.

These later artists were aided considerably in their quest for historical accuracy by the discovery of two archaeological sites in southern Italy: Herculaneum, where excavations began in 1738, and Pompeii, where they commenced ten years later. As reports and illustrations of the artifacts and architectural interiors from these digs were disseminated, European artists, designers, and architects utilized them as important sources for inspiration. Artists were similarly inspired by catalogues of prestigious antiquities collections that were published in the eighteenth century, most notably that of Sir William Hamilton (1730-1803), who amassed a large collection of classical vases while serving as British envoy to Naples.

On view in this exhibition are examples of European ceramics and other works of art from The Mint Museum’s permanent collection that were inspired by classical antiquity. Not all of the works are faithful copies of antique prototypes, but they do all reflect the great interest in the classical world in the decades surrounding 1800.

American Ceramics, 1825-1875

The mid-nineteenth century was a time of evolution, expansion, and innovation in American ceramics. While utilitarian forms in earthenware and stoneware continued to be made throughout the century, their numbers slowly decreased as a growing urban population had less need for large storage jars, churns, and other objects designed for an agrarian economy. Many potters adjusted to this lower demand by creating wares that were more aesthetically appealing – objects that consumers would want to live with in their homes.

Numerous factories from Vermont to Ohio to South Carolina produced “fancy” wares: objects that might still have practical functions — such as pitchers, vases, or flasks — but were notable primarily for their attractive shapes. Porcelain factories also began to proliferate during this period, producing high-quality wares that catered to the tastes of more affluent consumers.

On view in this exhibition are works of art from The Mint Museum’s permanent collection, selected to illustrate the variety of American wares produced in the second and third quarters of the nineteenth century. The objects range from the unadorned to the ornamented and include examples from prominent manufacturers and craftsmen active during this time period.

High-resolution images from both exhibitions are available on request. Please see more information at the following links:

https://mintmuseumold.wpengine.com/art/exhibitions/detail/classically-inspired-european-ceramics-circa-1800

https://mintmuseumold.wpengine.com/art/exhibitions/detail/american-ceramics-1825-1875

Eighth annual Potters Market Invitational set for September 15

A taste of Seagrove, the Catawba Valley, and other well-known centers of North Carolina pottery will visit Charlotte when the 8^th annual Potters Market Invitational sets up its tent on the grounds of Mint Museum Randolph on September 15.

Forty outstanding North Carolina potters have been invited to participate in this year’s event, presented by the Delhom Service League, an affiliate group of The Mint Museum dedicated to the support and study of ceramics. The event typically lures over 1,200 collectors and enthusiasts, many of whom line up hours in advance of the opening to make sure to gain access to the day’s best treasures.

“We are thrilled to have this opportunity to share our enthusiasm for this important art form with the Charlotte community and the region, and to give residents a chance to engage with some of our state’s most significant artists and their work,” said Lee Abbott, chairperson of this year’s Potters Market. “The Mint Museum already boasts the largest collection of North Carolina pottery in the United States, and we look forward to future opportunities to put a strengthened focus on ceramics at Mint Museum Randolph.”

A $10 admission fee includes access to the event, running from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., as well as admission to both locations of The Mint Museum (admission is reduced to $8 after 2 p.m.)*. The event is still selling $100 individual sponsorships which grant early admission at 9:15 a.m. and a greater chance to acquire the most-desired items. For $150, individuals can also be admitted to a Potters Party being held Friday, September 14 from 7-9 p.m. at Mint Museum Randolph, where they will have the opportunity to mingle with the potters.

PMI tickets go on sale online Aug. 1 at mintmuseum.org/delhom-service-league.html, or are available at the door. More information is available at 704.337.2010 or by emailing PottersMarketInvitational@gmail.com. The event also includes live folk music and pottery-making demonstrations. Funds raised go toward acquisitions of pottery and library materials for the museum.

The honorary chair of this year’s market is Herb Cohen, a league member whose work is featured in the exhibition Sophisticated Surfaces: The Pottery of Herb Cohen, on view at Mint Museum Randolph through January 6, 2013.

Also on view at Mint Museum Randolph through January 6 is the exhibition A Thriving Tradition: 75 Years of Collecting North Carolina Pottery, which contains many significant acquisitions obtained through the help of the Delhom Service League and its individual members. An example is a ceramic sculpture of a rabbit, “Alice Goes to Washington,” by Carol Gentithes, which contains images of Barack Obama, Martha Stewart, George W. Bush, Jay Leno, and other figures emblematic in current culture. “Like a classical language, the vocabulary that I create has many layers of meaning. I leave it with the viewers to derive their personal interpretations,” Gentithes has said of her work. Gentithes is one of this year’s participating potters, who also include Judith Duff, designer of a vase purchased at the 2009 Potters Market Invitational that became the primary image for this year’s event; and Ben Owen III of the legendary Owen and Owens families of North Carolina potters. First-time participating potters this year include Julie Wiggins, Steven Abee, Ross Edwards, Becky and Steve Lloyd, Joy Tanner, Alex Matisse, and Frank Neef. A complete list of potters is available at mintmuseum.org/happenings/18/delhom-service-league-8th-annual-potters-market-invitational.

Recently, Mint Museum Randolph opened two more permanent-collection exhibitions that illustrate the depth and breadth of the Mint’s ceramics collection: Classically Inspired: European Ceramics Circa 1800, and American Ceramics, 1825-1875. Find more information about them here.

Corporate sponsor for this year’s Potters Market Invitational is Subaru South Boulevard. Top-level individual sponsors are Bill Musgrave, Betsy Brand, Herb Cohen and José Fumero, Jane M. Conlan, and Sarah Belk Gambrell.

*Note: Visitors must purchase their PMI ticket first in order to gain free museum admission on the event date.

ABOUT DELHOM SERVICE LEAGUE

Delhom Service League is an affiliate group of The Mint Museum dedicated to developing interest in ceramics by studying the work of experts and by supporting the ceramics collection of The Mint Museum. It is named for M. Mellanay Delhom and her outstanding collection of historical pottery and porcelain, which entered the museum’s collection in 1965. The league offers monthly programs that are open to the public, on the third Tuesday of the month from September through May, and holds study and research classes on Monday afternoons. The league, consisting of both potters and ceramics enthusiasts, supports acquisitions of pottery and library materials for the museum.

Spanish artist Nacho Carbonell is assembling one of six works set to become part of the Mint’s “Vote for Art: Your View, Your Vote” project

Photographers and reporters are invited to Mint Museum Uptown beginning Thursday, July 26 to capture internationally-acclaimed artist Nacho Carbonell in the atrium assembling his work Wood Branches, Diversity n. 17 (prototype), 2010. Carbonell will be assisted by Paloma Castaño Sanchez, an emerging fashion and textile artist. They are scheduled to complete the work by Monday July 30.

Reporters and photographers are welcome to visit to observe the assembly in progress, but must schedule appointments beforehand with Public Relations Manager Leigh Dyer at 704.337.2009 or Leigh.Dyer@mintmuseum.org. The artists will be working on Thursday July 26 from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., on Friday and Saturday July 27-28 from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., and on Sunday July 29 from 1 – 5 p.m. (Click here for more information.)

Carbonell’s work is one of six to be featured in the Mint’s “Vote for Art” project, a one-of-a-kind election taking place within the walls of Mint Museum Uptown.

“Vote for Art” is aimed at educating the public on both the electoral process and the process of building a world-class collection for Charlotte and the region. Six specially-chosen works of art will be on view in the museum, and the public can cast votes on their three favorites. The museum will acquire the three winners and add them to its permanent collection. The other five works will be installed within the museum in coming weeks.

Voting opens on September 1 to coincide with the beginning of the Democratic National Convention – and to allow the DNC delegates the first opportunities to cast votes, as they do during the nation’s real-life electoral process. Mint Museum Uptown, which is normally closed to the public on Mondays, will be open FREE all day on September 3, Labor Day, to coincide with CarolinaFest, a day-long party for the Democratic National Convention visitors to be held along Tryon Street. All visitors to the museum through September 7 will be offered ballots and the opportunity to cast votes. Voting then closes after the DNC and reopens October 1, running through November 9.

Election Day, November 6, will be a free admission day from 10 a.m.-9 p.m. so any interested voters can come to the museum to vote for art after they travel to the polls to vote for their candidates (the museum is always open for free from 5-9 p.m. each Tuesday). And unlike the Board of Elections, the Mint does not require voters to be 18 – children will be offered their own opportunities to cast ballots.

A committee consisting of curators and representatives of three of the museum’s affiliate groups nominated the six works of art. The Founders’ Circle, Mint Museum Auxiliary, and Young Affiliates of the Mint will collaborate on the project’s culminating event, the Ballot Ball, on November 9. At that gala, to be held at Mint Museum Uptown, the winners will be unveiled. Ticket registration for the Ballot Ball will begin September 1.

The Mint is in the process of discussing sponsorship of the project with local and national corporations. Each sponsor will contribute a sum toward the purchase of the works, and will be recognized on a large banner in front of Mint Museum Uptown, which will appear prior to the DNC and remain on view through the Ballot Ball, allowing the corporations to receive a lucrative marketing opportunity in addition to contributing toward this philanthropic project. Sponsors will also be permanently recognized within the museum as the donors of the works of art. Those interested in becoming a sponsor can contact May Nixon at May.Nixon@mintmuseum.org.

During the project, voters must be inside the museum to cast a vote; no online voting will be allowed, although an overview of the project is available on mintmuseum.org and visitors may use the website’s +INSPIRING button to show support for their favorites.

Only one ballot will be permitted per visit, but patrons can make multiple visits throughout the run of the project if they wish to cast multiple votes for their favorite candidates. For non-members of the museum, admission must be paid for each visit unless it is during the museum’s scheduled free hours. (See a complete news release about “Vote for Art” and descriptions of all six works of art here: https://mintmuseumold.wpengine.com/news/vote-for-art-your-view-your-vote)

MORE INFORMATION

Nacho Carbonell. Spanish. 1980-

Wood Branches, Diversity n. 17 (prototype), 2010 (click to view image)

Metal armature, wood, branches, papier-mâché

On loan from Spazio Rossana Orlandi, Milan, Italy.

Extreme experimentation with materials and ideas is central to the work of Nacho Carbonell (known internationally as simply Nacho). The distinct gravel-, thorn-, or branch-covered surfaces of the combined desk forms in the Diversity series suggest a demographically diverse neighborhood and made Nacho the star of the 2010 Salone di Mobile in Milan. The chairs are handmade by a small team of assistants using laborious processes in Nacho’s studio in Eindhoven, The Netherlands; he is assembling Diversity n.17 inside Mint Museum Uptown himself. Nacho graduated from the Spanish University of Cardenal Herrera-CEU and the prestigious Design Academy, Eindhoven. He was nominated Designer of the Year in 2009 by the Design Museum, London, and designated as Designer of the Future by the Design Miami / Basel committee later that same year.

“With a reputation as an innovator in his use of various media, techniques, and as a provocateur par excellence, Nacho is one of the hottest young designers of the moment,” said Annie Carlano, the Mint’s director of craft and design.

High-resolution images of all six “Vote for Art” works are available on request.

Participation is part of national Museum Day Live! event

On Saturday September 29, 2012, Carolina Raptor Center, Carolinas Aviation Museum, and The Mint Museum will all open their doors free of charge along with over 1,400 other participating venues for the eighth annual Museum Day Live! This immensely successful program, in which the museums will emulate the free admission policy of the Smithsonian Institution’s Washington, D.C.-based facilities, encourages learning and the spread of knowledge nationwide.

Inclusive by design, Museum Day Live! fulfills Smithsonian Media’s mission to make cultural education accessible to everyone. For one day only, the museums will grant free access to visitors who download a Museum Day Live! ticket at Smithsonian.com. Last year’s event drew over 350,000 museum-goers, and this year’s Museum Day Live! is expected to attract close to 400,000 participants.

The Museum Day Live! Ticket is available to download at Smithsonian.com/museumday. Visitors who present the Museum Day Live! ticket will gain free entrance for two at participating venues for one day only. One ticket is permitted per household, per email address. For more information about Museum Day Live! 2012 and a list of participating museums and cultural institutions, please visit Smithsonian.com/museumday.

More information about the attractions and events at each venue:

Carolina Raptor Center

The center at 6000 Sample Road in Huntersville is dedicated to environmental stewardship and the conservation of birds of prey through education, research, and the rehabilitation of injured and orphaned raptors. General adult admission is normally $10. On September 29, events include an 11 a.m. Live Bird Presentation, a 12:30 p.m. Vulture Feeding, and a 2 p.m. Meet the Keeper Program. More information at www.carolinaraptorcenter.org.

Carolinas Aviation Museum

The museum devoted to the history of aviation and aircraft is at 4672 First Flight Drive near Charlotte Douglas International Airport. General adult admission is normally $12. Exhibits include a recently completed exhibit on the “Miracle on the Hudson, Flight 1549.” On September 29, visitors will be able to take a special tour of an Eastern Airlines DC-7 and a replica of Air Force One as it was during President Reagan’s tenure for a special charge of $7. More information at www.carolinasaviation.org.

The Mint Museum

Charlotte’s oldest and largest art museum is offering free admission at both its locations: Mint Museum Randolph, 2730 Randolph Road, and Mint Museum Uptown at Levine Center for the Arts, 500 South Tryon Street. General adult admission is normally $10. Free admission will be offered to all visitors and a Museum Day Live! voucher is not required. Mint Museum Uptown’s free admission day coincides with Hola Charlotte Festival 2012, A Cultural Celebration! In cooperation with the Latin American Women’s Association and Norsan Media, the festival includes a salsa contest, live music, cuisine and a celebration of the culture of Latin heritage. Museum visitors will also experience the final weekend of the exhibition Hard Truths: The Art of Thornton Dial, closing September 30, and will be invited to cast ballots in the “Vote for Art” project, which allows visitors to select which work or works of art from among six choices should be added to the museum’s permanent collection. At Mint Museum Randolph, visitors will experience the final weekend of Drawings by Thornton Dial, which also closes September 30. More information at the NEW mintmuseum.org.

UPDATE: It’s an important cultural weekend in uptown Charlotte, with the debut of “Our Heritage, Our History,” the unprecedented joining of three exhibitions and a special event for one weekend only. Read details here.

About Carolina Raptor Center

Carolina Raptor Center is dedicated to environmental stewardship and the conservation of birds of prey through research, education and the rehabilitation of injured and orphaned raptors. Over 35,000 people walk the Raptor Trail each year, enjoying our 25 species of raptor including hawks, eagles, owls and vultures. In 2012, 834 birds were treated in the Raptor Medical Center with almost 70% of those that live through the first 24 hours being released back into the wild. CRC Educators present programming to over 25,000 school children a year onsite and in their classrooms.

About Carolinas Aviation Museum

Founded in 1992, and located at Charlotte Douglas International Airport, the Carolinas Aviation Museum has the largest collection of aircraft and aerospace artifacts between Washington, D.C. and Robins, GA.  The collection spans the entire history of powered flight, and includes the world-renewed “Miracle on the Hudson” Airbus A-320.  The museum’s mission is to educate and inspire the next generation to excel academically in the areas of math, science, and history through the preservation of our aerospace heritage.  More information about the museum can be found at http://www.carolinasaviation.org or http://www.facebook.com/ft1549.  Follow the Museum on Twitter @Carolinairmusem.

About The Mint Museum

As the oldest art museum in North Carolina, with one of the largest collections in the Southeast, The Mint Museum offers its visitors inspiring and transformative experiences through art from around the world via innovative collections, groundbreaking exhibitions, and riveting educational programs. The Mint Museum is a non-profit, visual arts institution comprised of two dynamic facilities: Mint Museum Uptown and Mint Museum Randolph.

Located in what was the original branch of the United States Mint, Mint Museum Randolph opened in 1936 in Charlotte’s Eastover neighborhood as the state’s first art museum. Today, in a beautiful park setting, intimate galleries invite visitors to engage with the art of the ancient Americas, ceramics and decorative arts, fashion, European and African art, among other collections. Resources include a reference library with over 18,000 volumes, a theater featuring lectures and performances, and a museum shop offering merchandise that complements both the permanent collection and special exhibitions.

Mint Museum Uptown houses the internationally renowned Craft + Design collection, as well as outstanding collections of American, contemporary, and European art. Designed by Machado and Silvetti Associates of Boston, the five-story, 145,000-square-foot facility combines inspiring architecture with cutting-edge exhibitions to provide visitors with unparalleled educational and cultural experiences. Located in the heart of Charlotte’s burgeoning center city, Mint Museum Uptown is an integral part of the Levine Center for the Arts, a cultural campus that includes the Bechtler Museum of Modern Art, the Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts and Culture, the Knight Theater, and the Duke Energy Center. Mint Museum Uptown also features a wide range of visitor amenities, including the 240-seat James B. Duke Auditorium, the Lewis Family Gallery, art studios, a restaurant, and a museum shop. For more information, visit the NEW mintmuseum.org.

About Smithsonian Media

Smithsonian Media comprises its flagship publication, Smithsonian magazine, as well as Air & Space, goSmithsonian, Smithsonian Media Digital Network, and the Smithsonian Channel. Smithsonian Media is a division of Smithsonian Enterprises, the revenue-generating business unit of the Smithsonian Institution. The Smithsonian Institution is the world’s largest museum and research complex consisting of 19 museums and galleries, the National Zoological Park and nine research facilities. Approximately 30 million people from around the world visit the museums annually.

The Mint Museum announces innovative project celebrating the democratic process, to coincide with the Democratic National Convention

The Mint Museum is inviting the public, and the tens of thousands of visitors preparing to travel to the city for the Democratic National Convention, to participate in a one-of-a-kind election taking place within the walls of Mint Museum Uptown.

“Vote for Art” is a project aimed at educating the public on both the electoral process and the process of building a world-class collection for Charlotte and the region. The Mint will put six specially-chosen works of art on view in the museum and allow the public to cast votes on their three favorites. The museum will acquire the winner or winners and add them to its permanent collection.

“Vote For Art is an exciting and dynamic way for the museum to engage the public with the work of some of the best contemporary artists of our time, while leaving a lasting legacy for generations to come,” said Dr. Kathleen V. Jameson, President & CEO of the Mint. “We welcome the community, nation, and world to join us in this innovative project.”

Voting opens on September 1 to coincide with the beginning of the Democratic National Convention (and with the opening of the Mint’s blockbuster new exhibition, Against the Grain: Wood in Contemporary Art, Craft, and Design). Mint Museum Uptown, which is normally closed to the public on Mondays, will be open FREE all day on September 3, Labor Day, to coincide with CarolinaFest, a day-long party for the Democratic National Convention visitors to be held along Tryon Street. All visitors to the museum through September 7 will be offered ballots and the opportunity to cast votes. Voting then closes after the DNC and reopens October 1, running through November 9. Election Day, November 6, will be a free admission day from 10 a.m.-9 p.m. so any interested voters can come to the museum to vote for art after they travel to the polls to vote for their candidates (the museum is always open for free from 5-9 p.m. each Tuesday). And unlike the Board of Elections, the Mint does not require voters to be 18 – children will be offered their own opportunities to cast ballots.

A committee consisting of curators and representatives of three of the museum’s affiliate groups nominated the six works of art from an original field of 12 being offered by top galleries and artists from around the world. All six works are by contemporary artists from as far away as Denmark and Chile and as close as North Carolina, and three of the works represent the best current offerings from the field of craft and design, a particular focus for the Mint. “The strength and reputation of our curatorial team is the reason we received so many significant selections,” said Annie Carlano, director of craft + design for the Mint. Curators Carla Hanzal and Brad Thomas, who oversee the museum’s modern and contemporary collections, joined Carlano in the nomination process.

The Founders’ Circle, Mint Museum Auxiliary, and Young Affiliates of the Mint also participated in the selection, and will collaborate on the project’s culminating event, the Ballot Ball, on November 9. At that gala, to be held at Mint Museum Uptown, the winners will be unveiled. Ticket registration for the Ballot Ball will begin September 1.

During the project, voters must be inside the museum to cast a vote; no online voting will be allowed, although an overview of the project is available on mintmuseum.org and visitors may use the website’s +INSPIRING button to show support for their favorites. “Would you marry someone just by seeing their picture?” asked Carlano. “Pictures can’t convey what the work really is.”

Only one ballot is permitted per visit, but patrons can make multiple visits throughout the run of the project if they wish to cast multiple votes for their favorite candidates. For non-members of the museum, admission must be paid for each visit unless it is during the museum’s scheduled free hours.

THE SIX CANDIDATES: AN OVERVIEW

(Follow links to see images, or click here for the Mint’s Vote for Art page:https://mintmuseumold.wpengine.com/art/projects/vote-for-art)

Vik Muniz. Brazilian, 1961-
The Birth of Venus, after Botticelli (Pictures of Junk), 2008
Digital chromogenic print
3 parts: 92 x 153 ¼ inches overall
On loan from Sikkema Jenkins Gallery

Art © Vik Muniz/Licensed by VAGA, New York, NY

Vik Muniz, born in Sao Paulo in 1961, has arguably become the most famous contemporary Brazilian artist. Muniz’s recreations of famous paintings are notable for their uncanny attention to detail and the non-traditional nature of the media he chooses. For the Pictures of Junk series, Muniz painstakingly gathers discarded objects such as tires, bolts, coils of wire, broken appliances, and soda cans, arranging them on a warehouse floor in piles and layers to create representations of iconic paintings by historical artists. After this labor-intensive process is complete, Muniz photographs the massive creation from a balcony above, thereby preserving the final appearance before the image is disassembled. The Birth of Venus, after Botticelli (Pictures of Junk), 2008, will be included in The Mint Museum’s exhibition, VantagePoint X/Vik Muniz: Garbage Matters, which will be on view August 25, 2012 through February 24, 2013 at Mint Museum Uptown. “This monumental triptych photograph, exemplary of Muniz’s style and methodology, would be a welcome addition to the Modern and Contemporary Art Collection, and its burgeoning photography collection,” said Carla Hanzal, curator for the Muniz exhibition.

Beverly McIver.  American, 1962-
Dora’s Dance, 2002
Oil on canvas
152 ½ x 122 inches
On loan from Craven Allen Art Gallery, Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Attaining national recognition for her autobiographical paintings, Beverly McIver consistently examines racial, gender, and social identities through the lens of her own experiences as an African-American female artist.  A native of North Carolina who currently lives in Durham, McIver is renowned for her expression-filled, emotive canvases that commemorate her life and the lives of those closest to her — in particular, her mother, Ethel, who passed away in 2004, and her sister, Renee, who is mentally disabled.  Her solo exhibition, Reflections: Portraits by Beverly McIver, is on view at the North Carolina Museum of Art and will travel to The Mint Museum, where it will be presented October 20, 2012 – January 6, 2013. Among the portraits included in this exhibition is McIver’s masterful painting, Dora’s Dance, 2002.  “The addition of Dora’s Dance to the Mint’s Modern and Contemporary Collection would enable the Museum to increase its holdings of contemporary portraiture, as well as bolster its representation of nationally-recognized artists residing  within our state,” said Hanzal.

Mattia Biagi. Italian, 1974-
Before Midnight, 2012
Mixed media, tar
67 x 93 x 49 inches
On loan from Anna Kustera Gallery, New York City

Mattia Biagi attended the I.R.F.A., an Italian art and design school, and the illustrious Brera Academy of Art in Milan. He immigrated to Los Angeles in 2001 and became captivated by the La Brea Tar Pits and the idea of a primordial site in the midst of a bustling city. Since then, his tar-covered works transform discarded, everyday objects into interpretations of lost innocence. Dipped in the thick texture-rich substance, the underlying forms are fossilized in time and transport the viewer immediately back to childhood memories of fairytales. In the tar-and-fiberglass Before Midnight, the viewer re-lives the scene when the pumpkin has been turned into a carriage. One recalls the warning to be home before midnight, at which time the magical spell will be broken. The work was featured in the Mint’s exhibition Fairytales, Fantasy, & Fear, on view at Mint Museum Uptown from March 3 through July 8.  “Before Midnight, a tour de force of Biagi’s use of tar, would enable The Mint Museum to increase its holdings of works by internationally-acclaimed contemporary artists,” said Thomas.

Sebastian Errazuriz. Chilean, 1977-
Porcupine Cabinet, 2011
Lacquered wood, steel, and glass; 5/6
20 x 26 ¾ x 63 inches
On loan from Cristina Grajales Gallery, New York

Sebastian Errazuriz was born in Santiago de Chile; raised between that city and London; and completed his artistic studies in art, film, and design in Washington, Edinburgh, and Milan, ultimately earning an MFA from New York University. Featured in over 40 exhibitions in Asia, Europe, and the United States, Errazuriz’s objects demonstrate his belief that design can be a powerful way to impact our lives, through the dynamic interaction that his work demands. As Porcupine Cabinet opens before the viewer’s eye, it transforms from an elegant minimalist sculpture to an energetic anthropomorphic character. One knows that this is a cabinet — but much more, too. It is included in the upcoming exhibition Against the Grain: Wood in Contemporary Art, Craft, and Design, on view September 1, 2012 – January 27, 2013 at Mint Museum Uptown. With the acquisition of Porcupine Cabinet, the Mint would be the first American art museum to have a work by Sebastian Errazuriz in its collection. “Errazuriz is a cutting-edge, 21st-century designer whose innovative and inspired works align with the Mint’s goal of building the finest collection of contemporary international design in the world,” said Carlano.

Mathias Bengtsson. Danish, 1971-
Slice Chair Paper, 2010
Paper, 1/2
On loan from Industry Gallery, Washington, D.C.

Born in Copenhagen in 1971, Mathias Bengtsson earned a BA in furniture design from the Danish College of Design and an MA in furniture and industrial design from the Royal College of Art, London. He established his own studio in 2002, after collaborating with other designers and gaining international acclaim for his Slice chairs in 1998. Bengtsson’s Slice Chair Paper blurs the boundaries between design and sculpture by combining inspiration from futuristic technology and nature. Made entirely from paper glued together in layers, using no screws or fasteners, the paper chair resembles a topographic map or a cliff face eroded by wind and water. Because of the labor-intensive process, the designer has decided not to make any more paper chairs. “If acquired, this would be the only paper chair by Bengtsson in a museum collection anywhere in the world,” said Carlano.

Nacho Carbonell. Spanish. 1980-
Wood Branches, Diversity n. 17 (prototype), 2010
Metal armature, wood, branches, papier-mâché
On loan from Spazio Rossana Orlandi, Milan, Italy.

Extreme experimentation with materials and ideas is central to the work of Nacho Carbonell (known internationally as simply Nacho). The distinct gravel-, thorn-, or branch-covered surfaces of the combined desk forms in the Diversity series suggest a demographically diverse neighborhood. The chairs are handmade by a small team of assistants using laborious processes in Nacho’s studio in Eindhoven, The Netherlands; he will assemble Diversity n.17 in The Mint Museum’s atrium beginning July 25. Nacho graduated from the Spanish University of Cardenal Herrera-CEU and the prestigious Design Academy, Eindhoven. He was nominated Designer of the Year in 2009 by the Design Museum, London, and designated as Designer of the Future by the Design Miami / Basel committee later that same year. “With a reputation as an innovator in his use of various media, techniques, and as a provocateur par excellence, Nacho is one of the hottest young designers of the moment,” said Carlano.

Like sports, art captures emotion and spurs inspiration. Visit The Mint Museum during the run of the 30th Olympiad and be inspired.

In honor of the athletes worldwide competing in the 30^th Games of the Olympiad, the 2012 London Olympic Games, The Mint Museum will offer a 30 percent discount on admission from Friday, July 27 – Sunday, August 12 for anyone who brings a printout of this promotion or shows a copy on a mobile device. Visitors can also receive special discounts on new memberships, and members receive a special discount on Museum Shop merchandise!

DETAILS:

COUPON: Either bring a printout of this page, or show this promotion to The Mint Museum’s Guest Services staff on your mobile device.

ADMISSION DISCOUNT: Regular admission ($10) is discounted 30 percent, to $7; valid at both Mint Museum Randolph and Mint Museum Uptown from July 27-August 12, 2012.

MEMBERSHIPS: Become a member and support The Mint Museum today! From July 27 through August 12, receive $10 off a new membership when you show this coupon!

SHOP FOR INSPIRATION: MEMBERS SPECIAL – Receive an additional discount on Museum Shop merchandise! The regular member discount is 10 percent off purchases of $10 or more; all members who show this coupon can receive 15 percent off between July 27 and August 12!

Both groundbreaking exhibitions to be accompanied by special events

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (June 19, 2012) – Two exhibitions illustrating diverse and thought-provoking  views of what it means to be an American will open June 30 at Mint Museum Uptown. The community is invited to engage with the museum during special events associated with each exhibition.

The exhibitions mark the beginning of a spectacular lineup The Mint Museum will have on display when tens of thousands of visitors arrive in Charlotte for the Democratic National Convention in early September. More news of other exhibitions and special projects will be arriving in the coming weeks.

“The eyes of the nation and world will be on Charlotte soon, and the Mint is prepared to lead the way in displaying the depth and breadth of our city’s ascending cultural scene,” said Dr. Kathleen V. Jameson, President & CEO of the Mint. “We are proud to be able to bring two such significant exhibitions to our community and visitors.”

Hard Truths: The Art of Thornton Dial
30 June – 30 September 2012

“All truth is hard truth. We’re in the darkness now, and we got to accept the hard truth to bring on the light. You can hide the truth, but you can’t get rid of it. When truth come out in the light, we get the beauty of the world.” –Thornton Dial

An artist raised in the rural South, Thornton Dial is a keen observer of the human spectacle and its narratives of corruption and moral strength, folly and triumph. As an artist, he has spent the last two decades exploring the truth of American history and culture in all its complexities and contradictions. This exhibition presents a major survey of Dial’s work, an epic gathering of over thirty large-scale paintings, sculptures, and wall assemblages that address the most compelling issues of our time.

The Mint is kicking off the exhibition with a pre-opening reception, “Get DIAL’d In,” on June 27 from 6-10 p.m. at Mint Museum Uptown. The event will feature a performance by the Grammy Award-winning Carolina Chocolate Drops, and Dial himself is scheduled to be present as a special guest. Tickets are $50 for Mint members, and $75 for non-members, and proceeds will benefit the Romare Bearden Society, which supports acquisitions of works by African American artists. (https://mintmuseumold.wpengine.com/happenings/9/opening-reception-for-hard-truths-the-art-of-thornton-dial)

The exhibition and opening reception are brought to the community with generous support from Wells Fargo. “Wells Fargo is proud to provide major funding to bring this compelling exhibition to the community,” said Jay Everette, the chair-elect of The Mint Museum’s Board of Trustees and the Senior Vice President and Community Affairs Manager for Greater Charlotte for Wells Fargo. “And we are especially excited to host the opening community celebration. We invite our neighbors and friends to join in previewing these highly significant works by Mr. Dial.”

Added Brad Thomas, the Mint’s curator of contemporary art: “Since I joined the Mint team in January, it has been my distinct pleasure to work with our staff and many supporters on bringing this remarkable body of work to our museum. This retrospective exhibition shines a well-deserved light on one of the most original and prolific American artists of our time.”

The Mint decided to engage both its campuses in the exhibition. In addition to the large-scale assemblages on display at Mint Museum Uptown, a selection of drawings by Dial will be on display at Mint Museum Randolph, 2730 Randolph Road in Charlotte, in the Dickson Gallery for the duration of the exhibition.

Dial spent his childhood toiling in the farm fields of western Alabama, followed by decades spent as a laborer in the region’s factories and heavy industry. A working-class man whose art was weaned in the unheralded expressive practices of the black vernacular South, Dial speaks in a voice long overlooked in the canons of modern art and culture. Since his discovery in the late 1980s, critics have likened Dial’s complex and tumultuous creations to the renowned works of such artists as Jackson Pollock and Anselm Kiefer.

To create his art, Dial employs a vast universe of symbolically charged materials — from plastic grave flowers, child’s toys, bed springs, and carpet scraps to cow skulls and goat carcasses. Salvaged from garbage cans and trash heaps, these items reappear in dense accumulations amidst the artist’s fields of dripped paint and expressionistic brushworks.

Over the years, Dial has tackled a wide range of social and political subjects in his art, from gripping commentaries on the homeless, the abuse of the environment, and the failings of global capitalism to haunting meditations on the War in Iraq, Hurricane Katrina, and the tragedy of 9/11. Concerned with representing those otherwise rendered invisible within the contours of history, he has also created many works on the plight of women, labor, the rural poor, and the impoverished underclass. Still other paintings and sculptures examine the long history of racial oppression in America. Recounting the atrocities of slavery and Southern sharecropping, the aspirations of the Great Migration, the fight for Civil Rights, and other episodes in black memory, these pieces form a powerful anthology on the human struggle for freedom and equality.

A fully illustrated catalogue is available in The Mint Museum Shops for $45. In addition to the support provided by Wells Fargo, Hard Truths: The Art of Thornton Dial received additional support provided by Duke Energy. Hard Truths: The Art of Thornton Dial is organized by the Indianapolis Museum of Art.

Read My Pins: The Madeleine Albright Collection
30 June – 23 September 2012

During her career in public service, Madeleine Albright famously used her jewelry to communicate diplomatic messages. Read My Pins: The Madeleine Albright Collection reveals an intriguing story of American history and foreign policy as told through former U.S. Secretary of State Albright’s jeweled pins.

“I am delighted that the pin exhibition will be at the spectacular Mint Museum, particularly at such an important time for Charlotte,” said Secretary Albright. “This is an exciting time for Charlotte residents to share with the rest of the world the city’s rich and diverse cultural heritage.”

Albright will visit Charlotte in July for a series of events to promote community learning and engagement with the exhibition. On Friday July 13, following a media event at the museum, Albright will appear at a members-only reception at 6:30 p.m. (tickets are $150 per person, $200 per couple; attendees must be Mint members to purchase). On Saturday July 14, she will appear at a special educational program for invited local students before conducting a public conversation at Mint Museum Uptown at 1 p.m., followed by a book signing. Tickets to the public event are $20, or $10 for members. (https://mintmuseumold.wpengine.com/happenings/29/a-conversation-with-former-secretary-of-state-madeleine-albright)

The collection that Secretary Albright cultivated is distinctive and democratic — sometimes demure and understated, sometimes outlandish and outspoken — and spans more than a century of jewelry design and fascinating pieces from across the globe. The more than 200 works on view are chosen for their symbolic value. While some are fine antiques, many are costume jewelry. Together the pieces in this expressive collection explore the power of jewelry to communicate through a style and language of its own.

Albright told reporters during a visit to the Mint in February: “My pin collection….would not exist if it had not been for Saddam Hussein.” Jewelry became part of Albright’s diplomatic arsenal in 1994 when Saddam Hussein’s government-controlled press referred to Albright, who was at that time U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, as an “unparalleled serpent.” At her next meeting on the subject of Iraq, Albright wore a golden snake brooch, beginning a career-long practice of using jewelry to convey and reinforce diplomatic messages.

“While President George H.W. Bush had been known for saying ‘Read my lips,’ I began urging colleagues and reporters to ‘Read my pins’,” Albright has said. This traveling exhibition is accompanied by the book “Read My Pins: Stories from a Diplomat’s Jewel Box” (2009), which is on sale now in The Mint Museum Shops ($40). Secretary Albright has given the world an opportunity to explore American history and foreign policy through the unique lens of jewelry.

Read My Pins: The Madeleine Albright Collection is brought to The Mint Museum through the support of Perry’s at SouthPark. Generous support for the original exhibition was provided by Bren Simon and for the exhibition catalogue by St. John Knits. Organized by the Museum of Arts and Design in New York.

ABOUT LEVINE CENTER FOR THE ARTS

Levine Center for the Arts is one of Charlotte’s key cultural destinations, comprised of Bechtler Museum of Modern Art, Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Culture, John S. and James L. Knight Theater, Mint Museum Uptown, and Duke Energy Center. The Levine Center was made possible through the Campaign for Cultural Facilities, the support of the City of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County, and the generosity of the Leon Levine Foundation, one of the country’s largest and most impactful philanthropic organizations.

The opening of Hard Truths: The Art of Thornton Dial at the Mint coincides with the opening of America I AM: The African American Imprint at the Gantt Center. America I AM, on display 30 June 2012-1 January 2013, celebrates nearly 500 years of African American contributions to the United States. The exhibition was developed in partnership with Tavis Smiley and organized by Cincinnati Museum Center and Arts and Exhibitions International (AEI). America I AM is made possible by Wal-Mart, which serves as its presenting sponsor. Visit ganttcenter.org for more information.

Find art, news, or an event you like? Click the “Inspiring” button and create your own “MyMint” page

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (May 31, 2012) – The Mint Museum is doing more than unveiling a refreshed brand and complete new website – it is incorporating aspects of the most popular social media features into a one-of-a-kind tool.

Up in the top right-hand corner at the NEW mintmuseum.org is a colorful icon labeled “Inspiring.” Resembling the “Like” button on Facebook, it allows users to identify anything on the website they find inspiring by clicking it – a work of art, a bit of news, or an upcoming exhibition, lecture, film screening, or children’s program. The information is saved to each user’s own unique “MyMint” page – much like the popular site Pinterest, leading some Mint staffers to affectionately call the feature “Minterest.” And more importantly, users can continually check to see what other users are finding inspiring, stumbling across things they might not have seen otherwise. A page on the site will visually rank items based on the number of Inspiring clicks they’ve gotten – resembling the way Twitter tallies its trending topics.

The Mint worked with nationally acclaimed agency BooneOakley on its new branding, featuring a refreshed and updated museum logo, new and inspiring communications platform, and style guide for museum publications, and with local web-design firm BigNoise to execute the site. Funding for this project was made possible with generous support from a John S. and James L. Knight Foundation grant.

“We’re excited to launch not only because the site itself is inspiring, but also because the people who visit are inspiring; that’s what makes it so special,” said James Martin, the Mint’s digital communications manager. “Too often, users visit sites, find what they’re looking for, and simply go on their way. Now that we’ve helped them realize their own inspirations, and even save them to their own MyMint page, their visit becomes an epiphany –­ a moment in which they suddenly learn something new about the art and themselves.”

Logan Watts, BigNoise creative director, said the firm aimed to create a clean and well-designed site focused on art, the Mint’s upcoming happenings – and more. “We are excited to see how this helps the Mint and look forward to growing the Inspiring application to new levels of social interaction,” he said.

Claire Oakley of BooneOakley said the agency’s challenge was to freshen the Mint’s image for the future without abandoning its admired past. “Our insight: the Mint is not only a place where art hanging on a wall can still hang with you long after you’ve left the museum, it’s also a place where inspired artists share their inspiration with visitors who, in turn, share their inspiration with others. From this insight, we developed a new platform that both respected the history of the Mint and delivered on the experience of visiting it: ‘Sharing Inspiration Beyond the Wall.’”

Added Hillary Cooper, director of communications and media relations for the Mint: “The Mint Museum is an inspiring and transformative place for everyone to engage and awaken their senses through the experience of art. Today’s launch of our innovative new website enables us to share inspiration beyond our walls and introduce the world to our museum in compelling and exciting ways.”

In a special promotion accompanying the site’s launch, the museum is giving away free memberships to users of the site. Anyone who uses the Inspiring button to create a MyMint page during June is entered into a drawing for a one-year Mint family membership. Users must have a Facebook account to be able to use the Inspiring button and MyMint feature. In honor of the Mint’s 75^th anniversary year, one winner will be chosen for every 75 MyMint pages created (with a minimum of 10 memberships to be given away).

The launch of the new branding and website coincides with a transition of leadership on the Mint’s Board of Trustees from outgoing chair Richard T. “Stick” Williams of Duke Energy to chair-elect Jay Everette of Wells Fargo. It also follows the board’s recent adoption of a five-year strategic plan to bring the Mint into its next phase of national and international recognition. “This website is another step bringing the Mint closer to the goal of innovating and engaging the global community,” said Everette. “And inspiration is another core goal of the museum’s mission statement – a goal we have quite literally realized in the features of this website.”

The election of new board officers is scheduled for the board’s annual meeting, open to all museum members, at 5:30 p.m. on May 31 at Mint Museum Randolph. The meeting is to be followed by a community-wide celebration, Party in the Park, beginning at 6:30 p.m. and featuring live music and an outdoor screening of the movie “Hugo.” The museum will also open two new exhibitions, And the Bead Goes On, featuring elaborate beaded garments from the museum’s Fashion Collection along with contemporary runway fashions; and Heritage Gallery, a celebration of the Mint’s 75-year history as the state’s first art museum. The new exhibitions will be open from 5:30-9 p.m. on May 31 in special extended hours; admission to the celebration is $10 or $5 for members. (Rain cancels outdoor events).

MEDIA NOTE: The Mint Museum’s transition to its new site will be continuing throughout the day on May 31, and should be complete for all website visitors by June 1. Some online visitors during the day on May 31 may continue to see the old site for limited periods of time. Media members are invited to see a demo of the new site with representatives of the Mint and BigNoise at a media preview scheduled for 10:30 a.m. May 31 at Mint Museum Randolph; tours of the two new exhibitions will also be offered. RSVP to Leigh Dyer at leigh.dyer@mintmuseum.org to attend.

ABOUT KNIGHT FOUNDATION

Knight Foundation supports transformational ideas that promote quality journalism, advance media innovation, engage communities and foster the arts. The foundation believes that democracy thrives when people and communities are informed and engaged. For more, visit KnightFoundation.org.

Board of Trustees Annual Meeting, Party in the Park are May 31; And the Bead Goes On and Heritage Gallery Exhibitions Will Open to Public

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (May 25, 2012) – The Mint Museum is preparing to unveil its two newest exhibitions, celebrating both its past and future, at the same time its Board of Trustees invites the community to join the museum in a 75^th anniversary celebration.

May 31 is a significant day at the museum, as The Mint Museum Board of Trustees holds its annual meeting, open to museum members only, at 5:30 p.m. at Mint Museum Randolph, followed by Party in the Park at 6:30 p.m., which is open to the public. A revival of the Mint’s former “Jazzy Ladies” tradition, the event will invite visitors to bring picnics, hear live music, and see a screening of the movie “Hugo” under the stars at 8:30 p.m. The event caps the celebration of the Mint’s 75^th anniversary year and raises money for the Mint Annual Fund – admission is $10 for non-members, $5 for members, and free for children under 18.

During the evening, the public is invited to the opening of two new exhibitions: And the Bead Goes On, celebrating the Mint’s renowned Fashion Collection by showcasing a variety of historic beaded garments along with cutting-edge contemporary runway fashions; and Heritage Gallery, which celebrates the Mint’s 75-year history as the state’s first art museum with a display of photos, artifacts, and art, plus a detailed historical timeline. (Rain cancels the outdoor portion of the events, but galleries will be open from 5:30-9 p.m. regardless).

“The Mint has much to celebrate on May 31, from its history as an innovator to its present as a center for inspiration to its future as a global leader among art museums,” said Richard T. “Stick” Williams, outgoing chair of The Mint Museum Board of Trustees. “We hope the community will join us to enjoy the latest cutting-edge exhibitions the Mint has on view, and will find many reasons to return.”

And the Bead Goes On

Alber Elbaz for Lanvin; Oscar de la Renta;  Halston; Bob Mackie; Giorgio Armani; Lisa Folawiyo. These designers, both classic and contemporary, have all earned acclaim for their use of inventive beadwork on their fashions. And they’re among those featured in And the Bead Goes On, on view through February 2013, which will display twentieth and twenty-first century women’s garments from the museum’s Fashion Collection, supplemented by additional contemporary looks hot off the runways.

“This exhibition includes some of the top talents in the fashion world – from America, France, India, Nigeria, and elsewhere,” said Charles Mo, the Mint’s director of fine arts. “These fashions present unique statements of creativity that speak to the human passion for beauty, adornment, and identity.”

This seemingly modern surface decoration, the variety of bead materials and shapes, and the basic sewing techniques used to embellish the fashions on view were developed in Paris workshops in the eighteenth century. Glass beads, metallic sequins, metal filigree beads, faux pearls, and faceted crystal rhinestones hand-sewn onto the cloth impart beauty, opulence, and artful originality.

Among the dresses in the exhibition is one by Alber Elbaz for Lanvin that can’t be seen anywhere else in the country except the Mint. The exhibition also marks the first time Nigerian designer Lisa Folawiyo has been featured in an American museum. “The Mint is dedicated to presenting the most innovative fashion in the world, and today a lot is happening outside the Paris/New York/Tokyo axis in places such as Lebanon, India, and South Africa,” said Annie Carlano, the Mint’s director of craft + design.

Also featured in the exhibition is a 17-year-old Charlotte designer, Kevin Carter (who uses the label kevinVain). In response to being bullied in school, he turned to fashion design as an escape, and began experimenting with dyes and shards of glass on clothing designs. That led him to be noticed by organizers of local fashion shows, which eventually led to his discovery by the Mint. The museum selected Carter, who produces hand-beaded garments, in part to pay tribute to Charlotte’s own emerging fashion scene, making the exhibition both local and international. “I strive to challenge the way Charlotteans view fashion. I want to change what is accepted in society as ‘beautiful’ or ‘cool,’” he said. “I’m still in shock that at age 17 my work is on exhibit alongside some of the gurus in fashion and pop culture.”

Heritage Gallery

The Mint Museum opened on October 22, 1936. Since its inception as the first art museum in North Carolina, it has held a central place in the history of Charlotte. The building was constructed in 1837 as the first branch of the U.S. Mint, and originally stood on West Trade Street in uptown Charlotte between Mint and Graham Streets. In 1932, this historic building was saved from demolition through the efforts of a small group of passionate, dedicated citizens, and moved to its current site on Randolph Road.

Unlike many art museums, which are established to house an existing collection, the Mint had neither an art collection nor the financial reserves to assemble one. Instead, it was founded upon the dream to create and preserve a unique cultural legacy for future generations. From these modest beginnings, the museum has grown into an internationally recognized institution with a collection of over 34,000 objects. Over the decades, the museum has expanded four times to accommodate the growing collection and increasingly global audience: in 1968, 1983, 1999, and 2010.

“The museum has a very unique and inspiring history that many people aren’t familiar with—it was built upon the dreams of group of hard-working, dedicated citizens who rallied the support of the entire community to establish a cultural center for the region,” said Amber Smith, curatorial assistant, special projects at the Mint. “It is a truly grassroots American story that will strike a chord with many. The exhibition will include key works of art and objects from the Mint’s collection, as well as never-before seen photographs and archival documents that give a rare glimpse into the Mint’s incredible journey, and the many people who have made this journey possible.”

The exhibition has been crafted to occupy the central space surrounding the Van Every Theatre on the first floor of Mint Museum Randolph, and will remain on view long-term.

Museum has become sought-after by producers of multiple film and television projects

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (May 24, 2012) – Charlottean Emily Maynard’s search for love on the hit ABC reality show “The Bachelorette” takes her to a few well-known Charlotte landmarks during the currently-airing season – including all over Mint Museum Uptown’s building at the heart of Levine Center for the Arts.

Maynard’s date with a lucky suitor will bring viewers unprecedented views of both the Mint and uptown Charlotte on the episode set to air May 28. Viewers will see an exciting stunt involving the exterior of the five-story building, and they will even get a peek at the roof – an area normally off-limits to the public – before Maynard and her suitor then visit the fifth-floor Trustees Terrace to give on-camera interviews about the date with amazing views of the beautiful uptown skyline behind them. The couple will then stroll down the building’s grand front steps on their way to the next stage of their date.

“As viewers can already tell from the opening episodes, ‘The Bachelorette’ has done an excellent job of showing off the beauty of Charlotte to a national television audience,” said Hillary Cooper, the Mint’s director of communications and media relations. “The Mint Museum is pleased to take this opportunity to elevate our own profile and to help portray uptown Charlotte in a positive light as a great place for a memorable date night.”

Filming the episode involved a lengthy cooperative process between the Mint, the city of Charlotte, Wells Fargo, and “The Bachelorette’s” producers. The museum has been a favorite target of location scouts in recent months, with other television series and independent films also shooting scenes at the Mint. “We offer film crews a welcoming environment, and we are grateful for the assistance we’ve received from the city and Wells Fargo,” said Cooper. “We hope to continue to do our part to boost the economic impact of the film and television industry in Charlotte.”

While viewers can’t replicate the one-of-a-kind experience Maynard has on the show, they can certainly visit the Mint for an exciting date of their own. The museum is open FREE every Tuesday from 5-9 p.m. and frequently schedules free films, lectures, and performances on those evenings. On other nights, the museum hosts a range of elegant galas, members-only events, internationally renowned guest speakers, and other great date-night opportunities. Visit mintmuseum.org to see more upcoming events.

The new season of “The Bachelorette” airs Mondays at 8/7 Central on ABC. For more information on “The Bachelorette,” visit http://abc.go.com/shows/the-bachelorette.

ABOUT THE BACHELORETTE
On ABC’s hit primetime romance reality series The Bachelorette, one lucky woman gets the opportunity to find the man of her dreams — and hopefully her groom-to-be. This single, very eligible bachelorette — a confident, successful and sensitive woman who is ready to find love — will embark on a romantic journey as she meets 25 handsome and intelligent men. As the Bachelorette gets to know each one, she’ll continue to narrow the field. They will travel to exotic locations and spend time getting to know each other; she will introduce them to her family and friends and meet some of theirs. At the end of her romantic voyage, if she has found Mr. Right, will there be a proposal, from whom – and will she say yes? Hosted by Chris Harrison, The Bachelorette is produced by Next Entertainment in association with Warner Horizon Television.

Museum doubled its popular camp offerings this year, and is accepting late reservations

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (May 23, 2012) – Just because the school year is nearing its end doesn’t mean the learning has to stop this summer. If parents are still scrambling to fill their kids’ summer schedules, The Mint Museum still has spots to offer in its summer camps.

“The Mint Museum offers unique summer experiences for area children and teens,” said Rita Shumaker, the Mint’s Master Teacher. “All the art activities are inspired by original works of art on view in the museum galleries.  Participants learn about the artist, the style, and the techniques. And then, using their imagination and observation, they create their own original works to take home.  Drawing, painting, ceramics, design, jewelry, book making, and sculpture provide a wide variety of media to be explored.  Classes are taught by area artists and master teachers.”

After many years when its summer camps quickly filled to capacity, the Mint decided to double its summer camp offerings this year, and offer a variety at both of its locations. In particular, the Mint is expanding experiences for middle-schoolers and teens, since those age groups tend to be targeted by fewer camps than the lower-school age group, Shumaker said. Space permitting, the Mint will continue to accept reservations until one week before each camp’s start date (camps for home-schoolers begin June 4; other camps begin June 18).

“As the working mother of a fourth grader, I can attest that The Mint Museum Summer Art Camps are a wonderful alternative to the more traditional sports camps,” said Dr. Kathleen V. Jameson, President & CEO of the Mint. “Your child’s imagination is the only equipment needed. Try something new this year and watch in wonder as this summer camp experience leads to a lifelong love of art, design, and learning.”

For a complete listing of camps and to register, visit: mintmuseum.org/happenings/learning/summer-camps, or call 704.337.2000. A list of the summer’s offerings:

MINT MUSEUM RANDOLPH

2730 Randolph Road

Mini-Master Art Workshops

Tuesday-Thursday

10 a.m.-11:30 a.m. OR 1:30-3 p.m. (choose one)

Tuition: $35 member / $55 non-member

Pre-registration required. Materials provided.

Choose between a morning or an afternoon camp. Ages 3 and 4.

Young artists and their adult companions investigate art in a museum gallery, explore fun new art techniques in the classroom, and take home a unique creation.

June 26-28 | Under the Sea

Create an underwater world with watercolor, drawing, and sculpture.

July 31-Aug 2 | Squish It, Sculpt It, Shape It

Make your own funky sculptures with a variety of materials and techniques.

Kindergarten

Monday-Thursday

10 a.m.-noon OR 2-4 p.m. (choose one)

Tuition: $65 member / $80 non-member

Pre-registration required. Materials provided.

Choose between a morning or an afternoon camp. Ages 5 and 6.

June 18-21 | Expedition Art

Make your own sculptures using a variety of materials.

July 30-Aug 2 | Art Magicians

Make your own magic paintings to take home.

Basic Art Camps

Monday-Friday

9 a.m.-noon

Tuition: $130 member / $150 non-member

Pre-registration required. Materials provided.

Use different techniques to explore sculpture, printmaking, drawing, painting and crafts.

June 18-22 OR July 9-13 OR July 16-20 | A Closer Look (ages 7-9) (choose one)

June 18-22 OR July 30-Aug 3 | Art Odyssey (ages 10-12) (choose one)

July 23-27 | Can Do (rising first graders)

Specialty Camps

9 a.m.-noon Monday-Friday

Tuition: $130 member / $150 non-member

Pre-registration required. Materials provided.

July 23-27 | Comic’s Canvas (ages 11-15)

Plan and create a mini-comic book as you express your ideas through sequential pictures that tell a story.

Homeschool Camps

Monday-Friday. New art camps designed for homeschool students. Students attend without adults. Pre-registration required. Materials provided.

June 4-8 OR June 11-15 | Art Discovery (ages 6-9) (choose one)

9 a.m.-12 p.m.

Tuition: $130 member / $150 non-member

Take a safari through the Museum collection to discover how artists use materials to convey their ideas, and then explore your own creativity in the classroom as you work with a wide variety of materials and processes to create your own unique art works.

June 4-8 OR June 11-15 | Mixed Media Masterpieces (ages 10-14) (choose one)

2-5 p.m.

Tuition: $130 member / $150 non-member

An experiential romp through a wide variety of styles and media promises many surprises for this camp group.

June 11-15 | Fabulous Fives (age 5)

10 a.m.-noon

Tuition: $65 member / $80 non-member

This very special camp session for homeschool kindergarten students will work with both 2D and 3D art processes. Students attend without adults.

MINT MUSEUM UPTOWN

500 South Tryon Street

at Levine Center for the Arts

Specialty Camps

Pre-registration required. Materials provided.

June 25 – 29 | Mud Work: Ceramics (ages 10-14)

9 a.m.-noon Monday-Friday

Tuition: $130 member / $150 non-member

Use coil pinch, slab, and wheel construction in this clay sculpture class.

July 10-12 | Assemblage: The Hard Truth (ages 15-18)

9 a.m.-noon Tuesday-Thursday

Tuition: $90 member / $110 non-member

Work with assemblage in this sculptural technique class.

July 16-20 | Special Edition Teen Camp (ages 15-18)

9 a.m.-1 p.m. Monday-Friday

Tuition: $130 member / $150 non-member

Designed to assist students in developing an understanding of portfolio requirements for AP and IB programs, this camp focuses on the development of a personal style and consistent direction of exploration.

July 10-12 | Drawing

9 a.m.-noon (ages 14-18) OR 2-5 p.m. (ages 10-14) Tuesday-Thursday (choose one)

Tuition: $60 member / $90 non-member

These camps are designed to increase skill at drawing from observation using a variety of materials and techniques.

Summer Art Camps are just part of the excitement going on this summer at the Mint, where new exhibition openings, educational programs, celebrations, and more continue while school is out. For more information on another exciting initiative, Blue Star Museums, which offers free admission to military families from Memorial Day through Labor Day, visit mintmuseum.org.

Special veteran-themed programming planned as part of Blue Star Museums Initiative.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (May 23, 2012) – The Mint Museum and two of its uptown neighbors are joining Blue Star Museums, a collaboration among the National Endowment for the Arts, Blue Star Families, the Department of Defense, and more than 1,600 museums across America to offer free admission to all active duty military personnel, including active Reserve and National Guard, and their families from Memorial Day through Labor Day 2012.

All Blue Star Museums, including the Mint, Bechtler Museum of Modern Art, and Levine Museum of the New South, are offering free admission to all military ID holders and up to five family members. In addition, the Mint is offering free admission to any veteran with a Veterans Identification Card and up to five of their family members for the summer. The initiative applies to both Mint locations.

“We are happy to be able to offer ourselves as a resource to support military families and veterans this summer,” said Hillary Cooper, director of communications and media relations at The Mint Museum. “We are an ideal family-friendly attraction and this initiative offers a chance to deepen and broaden our community connections.”

The Mint recently acquired the work “Defiant Gardens” by Texas artist Dario Robleto, and the seven-foot-tall, five-foot-wide wreath-shaped sculpture has proven thought-provoking for veterans and military families because of its powerful themes of wartime memories. “Defiant Gardens” incorporates paper pulp made from American soldier’s letters, Victorian hair flowers braided by war widows, dried flowers from various battlefields, and even tiny carrier-pigeon message capsules among its materials. The work was added to the museum’s permanent collection through the generosity of the Mint Museum Auxiliary. The museum is inviting military families and veterans to experience the work along with its other collections and exhibitions, and plans to offer special programming incorporating “Defiant Gardens” later in the summer (details will be announced at a later date).

The Blue Star Museums initiative is just one part of the excitement going on this summer at the Mint. Spots are still open at the Mint’s Summer Art Camps, and new exhibition openings, educational programs, celebrations, and more will continue while school is out. For more information, visit mintmuseum.org.

National Blue Star Museums announcement

The Mint’s announcement follows a national announcement of the Blue Star Museums initiative in New York City on Tuesday. “Through Blue Star Museums, the arts community is extending a special invitation to military families to enjoy over 1,600 museums this summer,” said NEA Chairman Rocco Landesman. “This is both an opportunity to thank military families for their service and sacrifice, as well as a chance to create connections between museums and these families that will continue throughout the year. Especially for families with limited time together, those on a limited budget, and ones that have to relocate frequently, Blue Star Museums offers an opportunity to enjoy one another and become more fully integrated into a community.”

This year, more than 1,600 (and counting) museums in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and American Samoa are taking part in the initiative. Leadership support has been provided by MetLife Foundation through Blue Star Families.

FOLLOW: Blue Star Museums is on Twitter at @NEAarts, hashtag #bluestarmuse. To learn more about the White House’s Joining Forces initiative visit JoiningForces.gov and follow on Twitter @JoiningForces and on Facebook. Follow Blue Star Families on Twitter, @BlueStarFamily, and on Facebook.

ABOUT BLUE STAR MUSEUMS

Blue Star Museums is a collaboration among the National Endowment for the Arts, Blue Star Families, the Department of Defense, and more than 1,600 museums across America. The program runs from Memorial Day, May 28, 2012 through Labor Day, September 3, 2012. The free admission program is available to active-duty military and their family members (military ID holder and up to five family members). Active duty military include Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, and active duty National Guard and active duty Reserve members. Some special or limited-time museum exhibits may not be included in this free admission program. To see which museums are participating, visit www.arts.gov/bluestarmuseums.

ABOUT BLUE STAR FAMILIES

Blue Star Families is a national, nonprofit network of military families from all ranks and services, including guard and reserve, with a mission to support, connect and empower military families. In addition to morale and empowerment programs, Blue Star Families raises awareness of the challenges and strengths of military family life and works to make military life more sustainable through programs and partnerships like Operation Honor Cards, MilKidz Club and Blue Star Museums. Membership includes military spouses, children and parents as well as service members, veterans and the civilians who strongly support them. To learn more about Blue Star Families, visit www.bluestarfam.org.

ABOUT THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS

The National Endowment for the Arts was established by Congress in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal government. To date, the NEA has awarded more than $4 billion to support artistic excellence, creativity, and innovation for the benefit of individuals and communities. The NEA extends its work through partnerships with state arts agencies, local leaders, other federal agencies, and the philanthropic sector. To join the discussion on how art works, visit the NEA at arts.gov.

This is the latest NEA program to bring quality arts programs to the military, veterans, and their families. Other NEA programs for the military have included Operation Homecoming: Writing the Wartime Experience; Great American Voices Military Base Tour; and Shakespeare in American Communities Military Base Tour.

Charlotte’s premier cultural destination, Levine Center for the Arts, is celebrating the Association of Art Museum Directors’ (AAMD) Art Museum Day by offering free admission to museum visitors on Friday, May 18.

Charlotte’s premier cultural destination, Levine Center for the Arts, is celebrating the Association of Art Museum Directors’ (AAMD) Art Museum Day by offering free admission to museum visitors on Friday, May 18.

Three of the cultural institutions at the South Tryon Street campus, the Bechtler Museum of Modern Art, Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Culture, and Mint Museum Uptown, are joining forces to offer visitors an unparalleled arts experience. The Mint Museum is also offering free admission at its other location, Mint Museum Randolph. (Normal admission is $8 each to the Bechtler and Gantt Center and $10 to the Mint. The Mint Museum offers a $3 discount to Gantt Center visitors and Bechtler Museum visitors showing their receipts to Mint Museum front desk staff within the same 48-hour period. The Bechtler Museum and the Gantt Center will offer a $2 discount to Mint Museum visitors showing their receipts to their respective front desk staff within the same 48-hour period).

Since 2010, the AAMD has encouraged art museums across the nation to participate in conjunction with the International Council of Museums’ (ICOM) International Museum Day, dedicated to promoting the value of museums in society. Over 100 AAMD member museums have participated each year. This year’s theme is “museums in a changing world.”

“Art Museum Day brings attention to the important role institutions such as the Bechtler, Mint, and Gantt Center play in maintaining Charlotte’s vibrant cultural life,” said Christopher Lawing, Vice President for Programming and Research at the Bechtler. “This special day of free admittance is a great way to introduce art museums to new audiences or welcome back those who we haven’t seen in a while.”

Visitors who are familiar with one or two of the institutions are encouraged to use the day to experience one they may not know as well.

“We are excited to join our partners on International Museum Day and will open our doors so visitors have the chance to celebrate the art, history, and culture of African-Americans and those of African descent,” said Harvey B. Gantt Center for African American Arts + Culture President & CEO David Taylor. “We believe this is an excellent opportunity to recognize the important role that museums and cultural centers play in contemporary society. International Museum Day is a global celebration of the incredible collections and programs at museums and cultural centers around the world, and their commitment to public service and audience engagement.”

The museums are pleased to have an opportunity to highlight Charlotte’s emergence as a national leader on the arts scene. “The Levine Center for the Arts is a jewel in Charlotte’s cultural crown, and each resident of this region has reason to celebrate its presence here,” said Dr. Kathleen V. Jameson, President & CEO of The Mint Museum. “The Mint also welcomes visitors to experience both of our locations, including our beloved historic facility on Randolph Road, which was the state’s first art museum and is currently celebrating its 75^th anniversary year.”

Support your local museum’s annual fund

The Bechtler, Gantt Center, and Mint all rely on a combination of public and private fundraising to offer their world-class exhibitions and programming to the public. Annual fund drives enable the museums to offer benefits such as occasional free admission to visitors. If visitors are inspired during their free-day visits to these institutions, their leaders hope they will make a donation to enable the museums to share that same inspiration with others.

More information about supporting each museum can be found at bechtler.org (click on “Support”); ganttcenter.org (click on “Join & Support), and mintmuseum.org (click here: https://mintmuseumold.wpengine.com/annual-fund.html).

ABOUT LEVINE CENTER FOR THE ARTS

Levine Center for the Arts is one of Charlotte’s key cultural destinations, comprised of Bechtler Museum of Modern Art, Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Culture, John S. and James L. Knight Theater, Mint Museum Uptown, and Duke Energy Center. The Levine Center was made possible through the Campaign for Cultural Facilities, the support of the City of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County, and the generosity of the Leon Levine Foundation, one of the country’s largest and most impactful philanthropic organizations.

ABOUT THE BECHTLER MUSEUM OF MODERN ART

The Bechtler Museum of Modern Art is dedicated to the exhibition of mid-20th-century modern art. It is named after the family of Andreas Bechtler, who assembled and inherited a collection created by seminal figures in modernism. The museum is located at Levine Center for the Arts, 420 South Tryon Street, Charlotte. Operating hours are Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.; Sunday 12 p.m. – 5 p.m.; closed Tuesdays. The museum is open until 9 p.m. the first and third Fridays of each month. Admission is $8 for adults; $6 for seniors, college students and educators; $4 for youth (11 to 14) and free for children (up to 10). For museum details visit www.bechtler.org.

ABOUT THE HARVEY B. GANTT CENTER FOR AFRICAN-AMERICAN ARTS + CULTURE

Founded in 1974, Charlotte’s Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Culture (formerly the Afro-American Cultural Center) exists to present, preserve and celebrate the art, history and culture of African-Americans and those of African descent through dance, music, visual and literary arts, film, educational programs, theatre productions, and community outreach. Named for Harvey B. Gantt, the prominent Charlotte architect and community leader and former Mayor of Charlotte, the Center is housed in an inspired and distinguished award-winning structure and is home to the nationally celebrated John and Vivian Hewitt Collection of African-American art.  Please visit www.ganttcenter.org.

Artist to visit museum with acclaimed author Robert Goolrick prior to premiere of Charlotte Symphony�s Bolero Comes Alive; museum adopts new policy of opening all lectures free to college students

 Fans of visual art, multimedia art, film, dance, and symphony will all find something to love when The Mint Museum unveils the spotlight exhibition Matthew Weinstein, featuring four paintings and a short film by Brooklyn, N.Y.-based multimedia artist Matthew Weinstein.

The exhibition opens Saturday, April 28 and remains on view through August 19. It runs concurrently with Colorbind: The Emily and Zach Smith Collection, another spotlight exhibition paying tribute to beloved local patrons of both the Mint and Charlotte Symphony, on view April 28 through August 12.

Weinstein has achieved notoriety in the art world as the first artist to focus exclusively on 3D animation.  Beginning with a self-written dialogue or lyrics, Weinstein uses musical scores and written text to develop characters which he then renders by means of the animation program MAYA. Weinstein then casts actors to vocalize the dialogue, and musicians to create an auditory backdrop for the already visually-developed environments. Using precision airbrush techniques and single-hair paintbrushes, Weinstein also creates paintings, essentially abstractions of his animated worlds. These paintings accompany the digital installations and enable the artist to explore the often-tenuous boundary between the real and the virtual in contemporary culture.

The Mint-organized exhibition includes Weinstein’s short film Chariots of the Gods, which features a mechanized female koi, voiced by Tony Award-winning actress Natasha Richardson, who dangles from a golden chain in an empty restaurant.  While she seems to carelessly meander through her environment with a smiling disposition, she offers discourse on such weighty subjects as the future, devolution, technology, aliens, and the impossibility of progress.

“Matthew Weinstein’s video invites the viewer to enter a mesmerizing environment, which is entirely manufactured through computer animation. His unique ability to combine his many talents as screenwriter, director, and digital animator results in a video that is visually stunning as the narrator lulls the viewer to follow her epic tale,” said Carla Hanzal, the Mint’s curator of contemporary art. “Weinstein’s paintings, often inspired by the digital environments he creates, are seamlessly rendered. Their refined surfaces and rich detail coax one to take a closer look at the worlds he brings to fruition.”

On Thursday, May 3, 2012, Weinstein will participate in a special dialogue with Robert Goolrick, acclaimed author of the novel A Reliable Wife, at Mint Museum Uptown at Levine Center for the Arts, 500 South Tryon Street. After a viewing of Weinstein’s short film The Childhood of Bertolt Brecht (recommended for ages 13 and up), the artist and the author will discuss the importance and the role of narrative in art. This event is a cultural partnership between The Mint Museum and the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra, which also celebrates the Symphony’s production of Bolero Comes Alive, featuring digital animation by Weinstein. After the lecture at 6:30 p.m., the museum will host a reception and opportunities to view both the Weinstein and Colorbind exhibitions (other galleries will be closed during the evening). The cost is $10 for Mint members and $20 for non-members. And in a recently-adopted policy, all college students with valid ID can be admitted free to this and all other lectures hosted by the Mint.

Any non-members who attend can receive a $10 discount off a new Mint membership. In addition, ticketholders to the Symphony’s May 4 Bolero Comes Alive performance can receive free admission and $10 off a new Mint Membership from May 3 through May 6, and Mint members can receive $10 off Bolero Comes Alive tickets by contacting the Charlotte Symphony Box Office at 704-972-2000. This cultural partnership is reminiscent of similar partnerships the Mint has joined in with Opera Carolina and North Carolina Dance Theatre. In January, the Mint unveiled a spotlight exhibition by artist Jun Kaneko, which remains on view through April 29, in conjunction with a Kaneko-designed production of the opera Madama Butterfly. And in March, the museum offered free admission to Sleeping Beauty ticketholders and Mint members received a ticket purchase discount to NCDT’s Sleeping Beauty performance in conjunction with the museum’s Fairytales, Fantasy, & Fear exhibition, which remains on view through July 8.

“Exploring innovative ways to maximize opportunities for Charlotte audiences through cultural partnerships continues to be a core value of the Mint, and we’re pleased to be able to further this goal through the work of an artist as talented as Matthew Weinstein,” said Dr. Kathleen V. Jameson, president & CEO of The Mint Museum. “As we have said before, thanks to this deepening spirit of collaboration, there’s never been a more exciting time to be a follower of the arts in Charlotte.”

Symphony premieres Bolero Comes Alive

At Bolero Comes Alive, a KnightSounds performance on May 4, the Charlotte Symphony will feature the world premiere of Weinstein’s latest digitally animated work of art. Weinstein’s commissioned piece is a 16-minute original animated video to be displayed on a screen suspended above the orchestra. The audience will experience the brilliant animation in sync with the hypnotic music of Ravel’s Bolero.

This is the first commissioned work under the leadership of Music Director Christopher Warren-Green. It will be performed during the Symphony’s new multi-sensory KnightSounds series, which is funded by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and is becoming part of a new national model for the modern concert-going experience.

Warren-Green will lead the Charlotte Symphony in this exciting venture that represents a marriage of classical music, digital art, and modern dance. In order to make his non-human characters live on screen and appeal to a human audience, Weinstein works with actors, dancers and choreographers to capture human movement which he then applies to his animations. For this piece, he worked closely with a choreographer to translate his ideas into a modern dance.

“The application of digital animation to the frequently performed and well known Bolero exposes aspects of the work in a way that an aural performance alone cannot,” said Charlotte Symphony President and Executive Director Jonathan Martin.

Commissioning a piece of multimedia artwork is representative of the forward-thinking vision of the orchestra. As the commissioning agency, the Charlotte Symphony aims to give the work a continued existence in the orchestra world beyond the premiere. The Charlotte Symphony will license the work to other orchestras to help offset the cost of the commission. A post-concert street festival will follow the May 4 performance, featuring local food vendors, artisans and continued entertainment from the high-octane PROJECT Trio.

Since its inception in 2010, the KnightSounds series has been met with full houses and critical success. A tenet of the KnightSounds mission, multimedia is used to enhance and intensify the musical experience. The concerts are one hour in length and include a beverage and hors d’oeuvres in the ticket price, along with engaging pre- and post-concert activities.

Event list:

Saturday, April 28: Spotlight exhibitions Matthew Weinstein and Colorbind: The Emily and Zach Smith Collection go on public view at Mint Museum Uptown at Levine Center for the Arts, 500 South Tryon Street.

Thursday, May 3:  6:30 p.m. Matthew Weinstein and author Robert Goolrick community discussion and reception at Mint Museum Uptown. Visit www.mintmuseum.org for more information and to RSVP (required; hit “calendar”). $10 Mint members and Bolero Comes Alive ticket holders; $20 non-members; free to college students.

Friday, May 4: 5 p.m. Free admission to Mint Museum Uptown begins for all concert ticket holders, continuing through Sunday, May 6.

6:30 p.m. Pre-concert reception with Dean & Deluca hors d’oeuvres at the Knight Theater at Levine Center for the Arts, 430 South Tryon Street.

7:30 p.m. Charlotte Symphony KnightSounds Bolero Comes Alive concert premieres Weinstein work. Tickets to the KnightSounds performance and premiere are $39, available at 704.972.2000 or www.charlottesymphony.org.

8:30 p.m. Post-concert street festival outside the Knight Theater featuring vendors, artists and musical entertainment.

New college student ticket policy

While The Mint Museum frequently has offered free or discounted admission to college students to lectures and other special events, museum officials recently decided to officially open all lectures to college students with a valid student ID. This includes the May 3 Weinstein/Goolrick event and the Mint’s Contemporary Architecture + Design (CAD) series, bringing a lecture from influential graphic designer Stefan Sagmeister at 7 p.m. on May 24 (cost is $5 to Mint members and $10 to non-members).

This admission policy reflects the museum’s recently adopted mission statement which includes “engaging and inspiring all members of our global community.”

“A major initiative of The Mint Museum is to create innovative and engaging public programs relevant to our various communities — and one of our large communities is college and university students,” said Laura Everett, adult programs coordinator for the Mint. “The Mint Museum’s programming consistently features nationally and internationally renowned experts — offering students perspectives on the world which will only enrich their education.”

For more information on these and other upcoming events, visit mintmuseum.org and click “Calendar.”

Charlotte Symphony

Founded in 1932, the Charlotte Symphony aspires to serve the whole community through classical music that educates, entertains and enriches. The orchestra’s recently launched New American Orchestra Campaign will provide the financial stability for the Symphony to build a renewed and sustainable funding model. A non-traditional venture, the New American Orchestra Campaign seeks to address the immediate nature of the need through community-wide operating support. Through education, innovation and relentless passion, the Charlotte Symphony has served the community for 80 years and is a vital organization that fervently believes in the artistic enrichment of the human spirit.

Christopher Warren-Green

Music Director of the Charlotte Symphony and London Chamber orchestras, Christopher Warren-Green has formed an international career that has included appearances with the London Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra and Principal Conductor of the Camerata Resident Orchestra of the Megaron Athens.Warren-Green has been personally invited to conduct on many occasions for the Royal Family in the last thirty years. In April 2011, Warren-Green conducted the London Chamber Orchestra during the marriage ceremony of HRH Prince William Duke of Cambridge and HRH Duchess of Cambridge at Westminster Abbey, which was televised to millions worldwide. Warren-Green is a regular on television and radio, and in summer 2008, he featured on the BBC’s high-profile television series ‘Maestro’. He has recorded extensively for Sony, Philips, Virgin EMI, Chandos and Deutsche Grammophon.

John S. and James L. Knight Foundation

Knight Foundation supports transformational ideas that promote quality journalism, advance media innovation, engage communities and foster the arts. The foundation believes that democracy thrives when people and communities are informed and engaged. For more, visit KnightFoundation.org.

Levine Center for the Arts and Knight Theatre

The Levine Center for the Arts is one of Charlotte’s key cultural destinations, comprised of Bechtler Museum of Modern Arts, Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts+Culture, John S. and James L. Knight Theater and Mint Museum Uptown. The center was made possible through the Campaign for Cultural Facilities, the support of the City of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County, and the generosity of the Leon Levine Foundation, one of the country’s largest and most impactful philanthropic organizations. Opened in 2010, the Knight Theater’s contemporary, flexible design of 1,150 seats provides for artistic grandeur in an intimate setting. The theater is the primary venue for the North Carolina Dance Theatre, and features performances by Opera Carolina and the Charlotte Symphony, as well as musical theater, popular music, touring productions, lectures and film.

Exhibition opens April 28, concurrent with Matthew Weinstein spotlight exhibition, and is one of four new shows adding to the Mint’s 2012 lineup

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (April 20, 2012) – The Mint Museum has added four new exhibitions to its lineup for 2012, beginning with one opening this month that pays tribute to two treasured patrons of the local arts community, Emily and Zach Smith.

Colorbind: The Emily and Zach Smith Collection will be on view at Mint Museum Uptown from April 28 through August 12, and runs concurrently with the previously-announced multimedia Matthew Weinstein spotlight exhibition on view April 28-August 19.  Colorbind consists of nearly two dozen paintings, lithographs, etchings, and drawings collected by the Smiths.

“Colorbind offers our visitors the opportunity to experience a selection of works by some of the most important modern and contemporary artists of the 20th and 21st centuries,” said Brad Thomas, the Mint’s curator of contemporary art. “More importantly, it offers an intimate glimpse into a private collection that informs and enlivens the everyday lives of Emily and Zach Smith, two of our region’s most important cultural supporters. We are extremely grateful to the Smiths for making this work available for display at the Mint for the benefit of our community.”

For over three decades, the Smiths have tirelessly dedicated themselves to improving the cultural infrastructure of this region. Through their patronage and extensive service on various boards including the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra,  The Mint Museum, Opera Carolina, and Penland School of Crafts, to name a few, their community investment has touched the lives of countless individuals.

This intimate display of works illuminates a decidedly more personal side of the couple’s relationship to art. One small landscape painting on view by North Carolina artist Claude Howell (1915 ­- 1997) was selected jointly even before their marriage. It was an auspicious beginning for lives that would be bound by a devotion to family, community, and the arts.

As for their own personal taste in visual art, the Smiths confess a shared love of color. Works by Pop artists Jasper Johns, Robert Rauschenberg, and Wayne Thiebaud play alongside geometric abstractions by Peter Halley, Sol Lewitt, and Sean Scully –– vibrant color binding each creative voice into the collectors’ unified vision. This exhibition is organized by The Mint Museum.

“Colorbind and the other three exhibitions we are announcing today further the Mint’s role of serving the increasingly global community of Charlotte and beyond,” said Dr. Kathleen V. Jameson, President & CEO of the Mint. “From celebrating treasured local art collectors in the Smiths to tapping the unparalleled scope of our Fashion Collection to showcasing the unique and diverse viewpoints of renowned artists Vik Muniz and Beverly McIver, the Mint offers depth and range that is unmatched.”

Both Colorbind and Matthew Weinstein will be celebrated at a special event at 6:30 p.m. May 3 at Mint Museum Uptown at Levine Center for the Arts, 500 South Tryon Street. Weinstein, a multimedia artist, will appear with Robert Goolrick, acclaimed author of A Reliable Wife. After a viewing of Weinstein’s short film “The Childhood of Bertolt Brecht,” the artist and the author will discuss the importance of the role of narrative in art. The event costs $10 for Mint members; $20 for non-members; free to students with valid ID; and includes a reception immediately following. Pre-registration is required; visit mintmuseum.org and click “Calendar.”

And the Bead Goes On

26 May 2012 – 17 February 2013

Mint Museum Randolph

May brings the opening of the next exciting exhibition from the Mint’s nationally-renowned collection of fashion. The Mint has recently renamed its Historic Costume & Fashionable Dress collection the Fashion Collection.

And the Bead Goes On pays tribute to a form of ornamentation that has been used to enliven fashion designs since ancient times. Originally restricted to the wardrobes of aristocrats and made of precious materials, beads indicated wealth and status in numerous cultures throughout the globe. Sometimes beadwork was employed on garments to convey rank, spiritual significance, or protection of the wearer. Colorful and sparkling beads appeared on articles of clothing, ceremonial dress, ritual masks, and everyday objects.

And the Bead Goes On features 20^th– and 21^st-century women’s fashions, which display inventive beadwork embroidery. This seemingly modern surface decoration, the variety of bead materials and shapes, and the basic sewing techniques used to embellish the works on view were developed in Paris workshops in the 18th century. Talented designers and skillful artisans collaborate to achieve dazzling fashions that are comfortable and durable. Glass beads, metallic sequins, metal filigree beads, faux pearls, and faceted crystal rhinestones hand-sewn onto the cloth impart beauty, opulence, and artful originality.

Fashion was democratized in the 1960s, and previously exclusive beaded style became available to all. The fashion industry today, while still centered in Paris, includes major designers from India, Lebanon, and Nigeria, and elsewhere. And the Bead Goes On presents evening gowns, cocktail dresses, and ensembles from the museum’s Fashion Collection, complemented with exciting new works on loan from contemporary designers. Designer names featured in the exhibition include Halston, Bob Mackie, Giorgio Armani, Oscar de la Renta, and Alber Elbaz for Lanvin.

This exhibition, organized by The Mint Museum, will open at Mint Museum Randolph concurrently with the previously-announced Heritage Gallery, a look through the Mint’s 75-year history as the oldest art museum in North Carolina.

VantagePoint X: Vik Muniz

25 August 2012 – 24 February 2013

Mint Museum Uptown

Although Vik Muniz was born into poverty in Sao Paulo in 1961, he has arguably become the most famous contemporary Brazilian artist. His conceptual photographs are exhibited internationally, and he is represented in significant museum collections throughout the world. Beginning his art career in the mid-1980s after relocating to the U.S., Muniz established a studio in Brooklyn, where he creates large photographs that mimic recognizable images borrowed from the media or historical paintings.

Muniz’s recreations of famous paintings are notable for their uncanny attention to detail and the non-traditional nature of the media he chooses. Muniz painstakingly gathers such discarded objects as tires, bolts, coils of wire, broken appliances, and soda cans, arranging them on a warehouse floor in piles and layers to create representations of iconic paintings by historical artists. After this labor-intensive process is complete, Muniz photographs the massive creation from a balcony above, thereby preserving the final appearance before the image is disassembled.

Collectively, Muniz’s photographs bring to mind ideas of ecology, impermanence, and mortality. Muniz’s photographs, which intentionally incorporate discarded materials, implicate the viewer in a consumerist, transitory culture. His photographs fuse two important strands of postmodern photography—staging and appropriation. Staging, which is the creation of an image through choreographing all visual components of the photograph; and appropriation, which is borrowing imagery from a source of reference, in this case historically significant paintings from the Western tradition. The resulting photographs are both fascinating and disarming, and probe the function and traditions of visual representation. This exhibition is organized by The Mint Museum.

Reflections: Portraits by Beverly McIver

20 October 2012 – 6 January 2013

Mint Museum Uptown

McIver, a native of North Carolina, is renowned for her expression-filled, emotive canvases that commemorate her life and the lives of those closest to her — in particular, her mother, Ethel, who passed away in 2004, and her sister, Renee, who is mentally disabled. The exhibition celebrates the last decade of her work and highlights these two subjects, focusing solely on her self-portraits and on portraits of Renee and other family members.

McIver is widely acknowledged as a significant presence in contemporary American art, examining racial, gender, and social identities through the lens of her own experiences as an African American female artist. The history of her family allows McIver to contemplate and illustrate the complicated emotions that arise from these situations, including depression, frustration, tender compassion, and innocent joy.

Accompanied by an exhibition catalogue, Reflections includes numerous loans from the artist, private collections, and select museums. Organized by the North Carolina Museum of Art, this exhibition is made possible, in part, by the North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources; the North Carolina Museum of Art Foundation, Inc.; and the William R. Kenan Jr. Endowment for Educational Exhibitions.

Support your local museum with gift shopping this Mother’s Day and Father’s Day

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (April 18, 2012) – Hunting for a memorable gift for Mother’s Day or Father’s Day this year is easy – just stop at one of the two convenient locations of the Mint Museum Shops for some gorgeous finds: at Mint Museum Uptown at Levine Center for the Arts, 500 South Tryon Street, or at Mint Museum Randolph, 2730 Randolph Road.

“The Charlotte area’s shoppers may sometimes forget how many one-of-a-kind gifts are available at the Mint Museum Shops, and how convenient the two shop locations are,” said Sandy Fisher, Museum Shops Manager. “Shoppers can have the double reward of purchasing gifts their loved ones will appreciate and supporting a treasured local cultural institution.”

Museum charts ambitious course for 2016

CHARLOTTE, NC (April 13, 2012) – The Mint Museum has defined what its success will look like in five years. In a sweeping five-year strategic plan recently approved by its Board of Trustees, the museum adopted a new mission statement that outlines its role as an increasingly vital player on the national and international level. The new statement reads: “The Mint Museum is a leading, innovative museum of international art and design committed to engaging and inspiring all members of our global community.”

“The Mint’s new, enhanced mission invites and welcomes all of our community to engage with the museum in ways most relevant to them,” said Jay Everette, Wells Fargo’s senior vice president, community affairs manager and chair-elect of the Mint’s board of trustees. “Whether connecting through in-person or online education, visiting a compelling exhibition or attending a community event at one of our locations, the Mint is a resource for learning more about, and bringing meaning to, the world around us.”

In the five-year plan, the museum has set ambitious goals including:

• Doubling annual attendance to 400,000 visitors, and increasing virtual visitors to 800,000 annually;
• Launching an aggressive plan to strengthen the museum’s collections through the acquisition of significant works of art;
• Increasing its digital reach, beginning with the launch of a new website in May;
• Organizing at least two traveling exhibitions per year with national and international impact, and securing at least three highly significant exhibitions from elsewhere annually;
• Tripling the number of museum members to 12,000 and increasing the number of individual investors by 50 percent;
• Completing a feasibility study of the renovation and re-envisioning of the museum’s Randolph Road location, to include such factors as a North Carolina Pottery Research Center, classroom space, studios, a children’s center, and increased public access to the museum’s library.

“This plan is a broad, inclusive call to action and a statement of The Mint Museum’s commitment to the fundamental relationship between artistic expression and community,” said Dr. Kathleen V. Jameson, President & CEO of the Mint. “All of the museum’s resources must be employed in service to the community, for The Mint Museum is a vital cultural resource for the region, and this plan charts our course.”

Over the course of the past year, museum staff, volunteers, and community leaders have worked together, in consultation with the Center for Intentional Leadership, to outline four strategic pillars to undergird the plan: amplifying the museum’s community relevance; strengthening the museum’s permanent collections and exhibitions; increasing learning and engagement opportunities throughout the region; and focusing on long-term sustainability. In addition, three overarching goals of improved technology, communication, and service are woven throughout the plan.

Employees, volunteers, and museum affiliate groups outlined dozens of specific tactics they will employ in support of the goals and strategies. Progress will be measured by such performance indicators as attendance, visitor surveys, increased participation in educational programs, and increased giving to the museum.

Many of the goals will be accomplished by refocusing existing resources, but others will require new forms of investment. The plan incorporates key planning and assessment strategies to determine the scope of critical priorities outlined by the museum.

“The museum must continue to build its collections, resources, support, and infrastructure to achieve national prominence as a center of excellence and inspiration,” said Jameson. “The arts increasingly play a critical role in the ‘creative economy’ and in cultural tourism, contributing to economic development and a high quality of life. The Mint Museum will play a leading role in this crucial aspect of our dynamic and changing environment with this pragmatic, thoughtful plan for sustainable growth.”

Added Richard T. “Stick” Williams, the Mint’s board of trustees chair and president, Duke Energy Foundation: “The Charlotte region has provided an extraordinary new uptown facility to The Mint Museum, and we must deliver excellence in return. This strategic plan is just the road map we need to accomplish that.”

Copies of the complete plan, and interviews with Dr. Jameson, are available upon request.

Robleto visits April 10 for a FREE talk; internationally-renowned book designer Boom speaks April 12 as part of CAD series.

Mint Museum Uptown will host two speakers of national and international importance next week: Texas-based artist Dario Robleto and Amsterdam-based graphic designer Irma Boom.

Robleto will visit Tuesday, April 10 for a free event from 7-9 p.m. His seven-foot-tall, five-foot-wide wreath-shaped sculpture Defiant Gardens is the most recent gift to The Mint Museum’s permanent collection made possible through the generosity of the Mint Museum Auxiliary. The Mint Museum was home to Robleto’s first solo museum exhibition in 1999.

Robleto’s poetic work of art incorporates paper pulp made from American soldier’s letters, Victorian hair flowers braided by war widows, dried flowers from various battlefields, and even tiny carrier-pigeon message capsules, recycled and re-contextualized to evoke the power of memory and history in wartime. The 39-year-old artist plans to discuss Defiant Gardens, his distinctive way of working, and the inspiration and body of work that led to its creation.

“Dario Robleto is one of the most sought-after young American artists working today,” said Brad Thomas, curator of contemporary art at the Mint. “His conceptually-based, labor-intensive works convey an intimacy and elegance that reveals much about his own personal history and that of popular culture.”

Boom will visit on Thursday April 12 at 7 p.m. as part of the museum’s Contemporary Architecture + Design (CAD) series. The event costs $10 for non-members and $5 for members and includes a light reception (visit mintmuseum.org and click on “Calendar” to register). Boom, who specializes in book-making and incorporates the sense of touch into all of her books, won the 2007 Gold Medal at the Leipzig Book Fair for “The Most Beautiful Book in the World” for “Sheila Hicks: Weaving as Metaphor,” published by Yale University Press.

Boom is currently collaborating with Annie Carlano, the Mint’s director of craft + design, on a book about Hicks’ work Mega Footprint Near the Hutch, a monumental work recently installed in the atrium of Mint Museum Uptown thanks to a gift from Target Corp. Boom plans to share her work methods and perspective on contemporary book design. “Amsterdam is considered the center of contemporary design, and Irma Boom is considered the hottest book designer on the planet,” said Carlano.

Both events are being held at Mint Museum Uptown at Levine Center for the Arts, 500 South Tryon Street.

“Sophisticated Surfaces: The Pottery of Herb Cohen” and “The American Art Tile, 1880-1940” will go on view

CHARLOTTE, NC (March 28, 2012) – Two exhibitions celebrating the depth and range of The  Mint Museum’s ceramics collections are set to go on view at Mint Museum Randolph from April 7 through January 6, 2013.
Sophisticated Surfaces: The Pottery of Herb Cohen pays tribute to a Charlotte-based artist who has earned a national reputation as a master of his craft ¬– and who happens to be an important figure in the Mint’s own history. “Herb Cohen has long deserved to have his work be the single focus of an exhibition. We are especially pleased to present an in-depth overview of his career this year, in which The Mint Museum celebrates its 75th anniversary, because in addition to being a gifted potter, Herb served on the Mint’s staff from 1959 to 1973,” said Brian Gallagher, the Mint’s curator of decorative arts.
The American Art Tile, 1880-1940 celebrates an art form that peaked during the decades surrounding the turn of the last century. It features approximately 40 tiles from the Mint’s permanent collection, including the permanently installed fireplace surround, Arkansas Traveller.
“With these two exhibitions, the Mint continues to celebrate its status as a leader and innovator in the fields of art, craft, and design,” said Dr. Kathleen V. Jameson, president & CEO of the Mint. “We are particularly gratified to be able to host a solo exhibition for a living Charlotte-based artist as deserving as Herb Cohen.”

Sophisticated Surfaces: The Pottery of Herb Cohen is presented in conjunction with A Thriving Tradition: 75 Years of Collecting North Carolina Pottery, which is also on view at Mint Museum Randolph through January 6. Cohen’s work comprises a cornerstone in the tradition of North Carolina pottery. He is highly regarded as an innovative and extremely influential ceramicist, and has exhibited widely throughout his seven-decade-long career as an award-winning potter and sculptor.

Born on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, Cohen first learned to throw on the potter’s wheel at the remarkably young age of 6. After earning his MFA from Alfred University, Cohen worked as a designer for Hyalyn Porcelain Company in Hickory. He eventually settled in Charlotte in the late 1950s, where he joined the staff of The Mint Museum and was instrumental in spearheading the regional craft and pottery movement. In the 1970s he moved to Blowing Rock to establish his own studio, but returned to Charlotte in 2010, where he remains active in the local arts community.

Throughout Cohen’s career his work has embodied a particular marriage of form and surface, as well as a balance between the formal and the expressive. Following the evolution of Cohen’s career, this exhibition illustrates through forms that range from the functional to the sculptural the inimitable skill and style for which Cohen has become known.

Cohen first learned to throw on the potter’s wheel at the Henry Street Settlement, an innovative community center on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. He continued to take classes there throughout his childhood and teenage years. He earned his BFA in 1952 and his MFA in 1956 from New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University, renowned for its innovative ceramics program, and at the time, the only school of its kind in the country. Cohen’s work there demonstrated technical mastery over industrial applications in ceramics — techniques of mass production utilized in the field of industrial pottery.

In 1973, Cohen left Charlotte to fully devote himself to his craft. With life partner and fellow artist José Fumero, he built a house and studio in Blowing Rock. They named it Studios 2, and over the course of the following 37 years, they successfully maintained their home, studios, and business. Around 2005, Cohen developed a tremor in his hand that would ultimately prevent him from continuing to throw on the wheel; after 70 years of performing the same motion over and over, his muscles simply refused to cooperate anymore. Rather than succumbing to his physical limitation as a disability, he viewed this as a chance to grow as an artist. Cohen turned his attention and creativity towards more sculptural, hand-built works and pushed himself in new directions.

“My first exposure to contemporary craft was the annual shows that Herb organized—this is what inspired me and gave me hope of being a maker. In the 1970s, Herb gave me a spotlight show at the Mint; it was the first great thing that happened to me as young artist,” said fellow celebrated North Carolina ceramicist Michael Sherrill. “Herb is … a person of influence. He was able to do something that was very unique; he has a modernist style of making pots that very few people have—he comes from that post-World War II era reinventing of contemporary craft.”

The American Art Tile, 1880-1940

The turn of the last century was the golden age of the American art tile. Whether glazed or unglazed, molded in relief or smooth-surfaced, decorative tiles were a popular medium among many affluent consumers wishing to furnish their homes and businesses in the latest fashions. The tiles were used as fireplace surrounds, wall hangings, and for a wide variety of other ornamental purposes, both interior and exterior.

This installation features approximately 40 tiles from The Mint Museum’s permanent collection, including the permanently installed fireplace surround, Arkansas Traveller, modeled and designed circa 1916 by Henry Chapman Mercer of Moravian Pottery & Tile Works, Doylestown, Pennsylvania. “This exhibition illustrates the tremendous variety of decorative tiles made by American ceramics manufacturers in the decades surrounding 1900,” said Gallagher.

These exhibitions are organized by The Mint Museum, which is supported, in part, with funding from the Arts & Science Council. For more information, visit mintmuseum.org.

Caption for the attached image: Herb Cohen. American, born 1931. Platter, circa 1996.
Stoneware, 3 ? x 16 ? inches. Private Collection. Photography by Mitchell Kearney.

Gandy Dancer will be visible to light-rail passengers from the atrium lobby of the CATS Light Rail Facility on South Boulevard.

A new public art installation is joining the Charlotte Area Transit System’s light rail line this week. Gandy Dancer, a glass, bronze, and wood sculpture by Steve Linn, an American artist living in France, is being installed in the atrium lobby of the CATS Light Rail Facility at 3200 South Boulevard and will be visible to passengers riding the LYNX Blue Line as light rail cars go by outside its windows.

“We are grateful to have the opportunity to showcase Gandy Dancer at our CATS Light Rail Facility,” said Rocky Paiano, CATS General Manager of Rail Operations.  “The location of this sculpture creates a blended crossroads of the vast history of rail in this country to the future of mass transit in Charlotte.”

“The Mint Museum is pleased to once again share inspiration with the larger community beyond our own walls,” said Dr. Kathleen V. Jameson, President & CEO of The Mint Museum. “Gandy Dancer is a spectacular work and we look forward to the reactions and engagement of the community as it goes on public view.”

The sculpture, a gift to the museum from Daniel Greenberg and Susan Steinhauser, is a community outreach loan by The Mint Museum, which has loaned many of its works for public view throughout the region.  The term of the loan, made at no cost to CATS, is two years. Its installation was facilitated in collaboration with the CATS Art-in-Transit Program. This is the first time that CATS has displayed an artwork loaned by The Mint Museum.

Gandy Dancer commemorates the workers who built America’s railroads; its name comes from a slang term for the workers whose origin is unknown (though a common explanation suggests the motion of the workers implied dancing and their tools were said to be made by a company named Gandy). The sculpture depicts, in glass and bronze, five figures in different stages of motion that represent a single worker driving a railroad spike. The depiction has been compared with the stop-motion photographs of photographer Eadweard Muybridge (1830 – 1904). A handcar and track are rendered in wood. The use of glass to depict the gandy dancer adds a ghostly quality to the sculpture, suggesting the impact of past workers on infrastructure such as railroads that contemporary viewers encounter in their daily lives.

When installed, Gandy Dancer will create a visual dialogue about the history of railroad transportation in the United States. The sculpture, called “a wonderful combination of fact and fantasy” by Richard Maschal, arts critic for The Charlotte Observer, was previously loaned to the Charlotte Convention Center on South College Street in 2004. Donors Greenberg and Steinhauser, who live in California, have a strong relationship with The Mint Museum and have given several works of art in various media over the last 15 years.

 Steve Linn was born in Chicago and graduated from the University of Illinois with a B.S. in agriculture in 1965. As a sculptor, he worked primarily in wood and bronze until the early 1980s, when he added glass to his repertoire. He told the Los Angeles Times in 1992: “I like the danger, the possibility of risk glass poses. It challenges you.” Since 1993, he has maintained a studio in Claret, France. His work has been exhibited around the United States since 1969 and internationally since 1994, and was featured in the 1992 film “A League of Their Own.” He has taught at Smith College in Massachusetts; University of California, Santa Cruz; Pratt Institute in New York; and Centre European Recherche & Formation Arts du Verre in France.

Image caption:
Steve Linn. American, 1943-
Gandy Dancer   1986
Sandblasted glass, bronze, wood
7 x 19 x 7 feet (h x w x d)
Gift of Daniel Greenberg and Susan Steinhauser

Jameson is one of five 2012 Legacy honorees.

Charlotte, N.C. (March 8, 2012)– Dr. Kathleen V. Jameson, President & CEO of The Mint Museum, is one of five honorees in Leadership Charlotte’s 2012 Legacy Awards, Leadership Charlotte has announced.

The organization will celebrate the 2012 Legacy Awards honorees at its annual event on Thursday, April 26 at 7:30 a.m. at Time Warner Cable Arena. The Legacy Awards honor Charlotte leaders who create lasting change and measurable difference in our community.

Newcomer of the Year Award: Dr. Kathleen Jameson

The recipient of this award has lived in Charlotte five years or less and has actively sought opportunities to improve the quality of life in our community. As the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Mint Museum, Dr. Jameson has worked to increase community involvement in the arts through collaborations and programming initiatives. Last fall, more than 10,000 fifth graders toured the Romare Bearden exhibition through a partnership with the Arts and Science Council and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools.

Community Service Award: YWCA of the Central Carolinas

The recipient of this award has enriched and improved the quality of life in our community through creativity and innovation in community service. YWCA of the Central Carolinas provides affordable housing for women, child care for working parents, and a membership-based health and fitness center. The organization also offers community events that provide a safe place to learn about and discuss the difficult topics of racism and women’s empowerment.

Lifetime Achievement Award: Bishop George Battle

The recipient of this award has demonstrated a commitment to serving the community and made significant contributions to the betterment of Charlotte. A former Chair of the Mecklenburg County Board of Education and staunch education advocate, Bishop Battle created the Greater Enrichment Program and founded the Charlotte Mecklenburg Alliance for Public Schools. He also co-founded Urban League of the Central Carolinas and has served on numerous corporate and non-profit boards.

Schley R. Lyons Circle of Excellence Award: Harry L. Jones, Sr.

The recipient of this award must be a graduate of Leadership Charlotte and demonstrate outstanding leadership qualities in keeping with the ideals of Leadership Charlotte. Jones began serving as the fourth County Manager of Mecklenburg County in October 2000. He is responsible for overseeing the County’s $1.3 billion budget, managing its 4,400 full-time employees, and serving more than 900,000 residents.

Unsung Hero Award: Lisa Quisenberry

The recipient of this award works quietly behind the scenes for the good of the community, demonstrating leadership through dedication and service to Charlotte. Quisenberry is co-founder of Hands On Charlotte, which celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2011. Under her leadership, Hands On Charlotte built collaborations with more than 150 partner agencies and schools; created volunteer opportunities for more than 7,000 individuals per year; established a premier program for corporate volunteer engagement; and presented signature programs including Hands On Charlotte Day, Martin Luther King Day Service Forum, and 9/11 Week of Service.

Media Contact: Elizabeth McKee 704.688.2888

About Leadership Charlotte

The mission of Leadership Charlotte is to develop and enhance volunteer community leadership by providing a diverse group of emerging and existing leaders with the opportunity to increase their community knowledge, civic network, and service to the community. For more information, visit leadershipcharlotte.org or call 704.688.2888.

Exhibition brings an up-close look at diplomat’s jewelry – and messages

CHARLOTTE, NC (February 9, 2012) – During her career in public service, Madeleine Albright famously used her jewelry to communicate diplomatic messages. From June 30 through September 23, 2012, The Mint Museum is scheduled to present the exhibition Read My Pins: The Madeleine Albright Collection, which reveals an intriguing story of American history and foreign policy as told through Secretary Albright’s jeweled pins.
“The Mint Museum is proud to bring this groundbreaking exhibition to Charlotte audiences at the same time the city is preparing to host one of the nation’s ultimate exercises of democracy, the Democratic National Convention,” said Dr. Kathleen V. Jameson, President & CEO of The Mint Museum. The convention runs September 3-6, 2012.
Secretary Albright visited The Mint Museum Thursday to tour the galleries and speak to reporters about the planned exhibition. “I am delighted this exhibit will be in Charlotte,” she told those in attendance, “and it’s especially neat that it will happen during the convention.” She is also scheduled to return to Charlotte July 13-14 for a series of events around the exhibition, including a private invitation-only event on July 13 and public events on July 14.
Organized by the Museum of Arts and Design in New York, the exhibition features more than 200 pieces of jewelry. The collection that Secretary Albright cultivated is distinctive and democratic — sometimes demure and understated, sometimes outlandish and outspoken — and spans more than a century of jewelry design and fascinating pieces from across the globe. The works on view are chosen for their symbolic value, and while some are fine antiques, many are costume jewelry. Together the pieces in this expressive collection explore the power of jewelry to communicate through a style and language of its own.
Jewelry became part of Albright’s diplomatic arsenal in 1994 when Saddam Hussein’s government-controlled press referred to Albright, who was at that time U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, as an “unparalleled serpent.” At her next meeting on the subject of Iraq, Albright wore a golden snake brooch, beginning a career-long practice of using jewelry to convey and reinforce diplomatic messages. Albright told reporters Thursday: “My pin collection….would not exist if it had not been for Saddam Hussein.”
“While President George H.W. Bush had been known for saying ‘Read my lips,’ I began urging colleagues and reporters to ‘Read my pins’,” Albright has said. Through this traveling exhibition and the accompanying book “Read My Pins: Stories from a Diplomat’s Jewel Box” (2009), which is on sale now in The Mint Museum Shops. Secretary Albright has given the world an opportunity to explore American history and foreign policy through the unique lens of jewelry.
Support
Read My Pins: The Madeleine Albright Collection was organized by the Museum of Arts and Design in New York. Generous support for the original exhibition was provided by Bren Simon and for the exhibition catalogue by St. John Knits. The Mint Museum is supported by the Arts & Science Council and North Carolina Arts Council.

Museum announces upcoming slate, including ‘Fairytales, Fantasy, & Fear’ and ‘Read My Pins: The Madeleine Albright Collection’

Exhibition examining primal impulses will complement prominent current pop-culture trends.

CHARLOTTE, NC (February 9, 2012) – Fairytales, fantasies, and horror stories are inescapable in our current culture – and now an exhibition exploring these primal themes will open at Mint Museum Uptown on March 3. Fairytales, Fantasy, & Fear will be on view through July 8.

The exhibition brings together the work of several internationally acclaimed artists, including Mattia Biagi, Mark Newport, Kako Ueda, Tom Price, and Kate Malone. Known for his work in tar, Italian artist Biagi reinterprets icons of lost innocence, such as Little Red Riding Hood and Cinderella’s carriage. Newport, an American fiber artist, creates hand-knit acrylic re-creations of heroes’ costumes, which combine their heroic, protective, and ultra-masculine yet vulnerable personas. Ueda, a Japanese paper artist, uses unsettling imagery, such as insects and skeletons, in her detailed cutouts to represent the fine line between beauty and decay. Price, a British furniture designer, is known for his use of polypropylene tubing to create spiky shapes that evoke forms from the natural world. And Malone, a British ceramic artist, is known for her sensual, Neo-Baroque forms and mastery of crystalline glazes. This thematic exhibition, generously supported by the Mint Museum Auxiliary, also includes selections from the Mint’s permanent collection and loans from private collections. The installation will feature high-tech use of theatrical pieces on flat-screen televisions and cellphone tour commentary provided by the artists.

“This exhibition is a look at contemporary art that explores the world of magical stories, imagination, and fear in works ranging from clay sculpture to cut paper,” said Annie Carlano, the Mint’s Director of Craft + Design. “The sources of inspiration for these artists also interested the Surrealists – the dream world, the occult, fairytales, oral traditions, esoteric religions, and the world of the unconscious. This exhibition is especially timely because of the resonance of fairytales, science fiction and fantasy, and horror stories in current popular culture.”

Dr. Kathleen V. Jameson, the President & CEO of the Mint, said the exhibition fits with the museum’s mission of always seeking ways to be relevant to the larger community. “We are pleased to bring yet another exhibition to the public that explores popular themes and also reveals inner truths about human nature,” she said.

As previously announced, the Mint has partnered with N.C. Dance Theatre, which is exploring its own fairytale theme with performances of “Sleeping Beauty” this March. Ticket buyers to “Sleeping Beauty,” which runs March 8-18, can receive free admission to both locations of The Mint Museum on Saturday March 10 and Saturday March 17, while Mint members can receive a 25 percent discount on the purchase of “Sleeping Beauty” tickets. For more information on “Sleeping Beauty,” visit ncdance.org.

Fairytales, Fantasy, & Fear is organized by The Mint Museum and made possible through support from the Mint Museum Auxiliary. The Mint Museum is supported by the Arts & Science Council and the North Carolina Arts Council. For more information on Fairytales, Fantasy, & Fear and other upcoming Mint exhibitions, visit mintmuseum.org.

Exhibition examining primal impulses will complement prominent current pop-culture trends.

CHARLOTTE, NC (February 9, 2012) – Fairytales, fantasies, and horror stories are inescapable in our current culture – and now an exhibition exploring these primal themes will open at Mint Museum Uptown on March 3. Fairytales, Fantasy, & Fear will be on view through July 8.

The exhibition brings together the work of several internationally acclaimed artists, including Mattia Biagi, Mark Newport, Kako Ueda, Tom Price, and Kate Malone. Known for his work in tar, Italian artist Biagi reinterprets icons of lost innocence, such as Little Red Riding Hood and Cinderella’s carriage. Newport, an American fiber artist, creates hand-knit acrylic re-creations of heroes’ costumes, which combine their heroic, protective, and ultra-masculine yet vulnerable personas. Ueda, a Japanese paper artist, uses unsettling imagery, such as insects and skeletons, in her detailed cutouts to represent the fine line between beauty and decay. Price, a British furniture designer, is known for his use of polypropylene tubing to create spiky shapes that evoke forms from the natural world. And Malone, a British ceramic artist, is known for her sensual, Neo-Baroque forms and mastery of crystalline glazes. This thematic exhibition, generously supported by the Mint Museum Auxiliary, also includes selections from the Mint’s permanent collection and loans from private collections. The installation will feature high-tech use of theatrical pieces on flat-screen televisions and cellphone tour commentary provided by the artists.

“This exhibition is a look at contemporary art that explores the world of magical stories, imagination, and fear in works ranging from clay sculpture to cut paper,” said Annie Carlano, the Mint’s Director of Craft + Design. “The sources of inspiration for these artists also interested the Surrealists – the dream world, the occult, fairytales, oral traditions, esoteric religions, and the world of the unconscious. This exhibition is especially timely because of the resonance of fairytales, science fiction and fantasy, and horror stories in current popular culture.”

Dr. Kathleen V. Jameson, the President & CEO of the Mint, said the exhibition fits with the museum’s mission of always seeking ways to be relevant to the larger community. “We are pleased to bring yet another exhibition to the public that explores popular themes and also reveals inner truths about human nature,” she said.

As previously announced, the Mint has partnered with N.C. Dance Theatre, which is exploring its own fairytale theme with performances of “Sleeping Beauty” this March. Ticket buyers to “Sleeping Beauty,” which runs March 8-18, can receive free admission to both locations of The Mint Museum on Saturday March 10 and Saturday March 17, while Mint members can receive a 25 percent discount on the purchase of “Sleeping Beauty” tickets. For more information on “Sleeping Beauty,” visit ncdance.org.

Fairytales, Fantasy, & Fear is organized by The Mint Museum and made possible through support from the Mint Museum Auxiliary. The Mint Museum is supported by the Arts & Science Council and the North Carolina Arts Council. For more information on Fairytales, Fantasy, & Fear and other upcoming Mint exhibitions, visit mintmuseum.org.

Mint Museum President & CEO Kathleen V. Jameson announces the newly-created post, effective February 13.

CHARLOTTE, NC (February 6, 2012) –Mint Museum President &
CEO Kathleen V. Jameson has announced the hiring of Toni L. Freeman to the
newly-created post of Chief Operating Officer of The Mint Museum. She
will join the staff effective February 13.

“This hire represents the latest step in an exciting
period of growth for the museum,” Jameson said in a statement to the
Mint’s staff and board of trustees. “Toni is an entrepreneurial and
strategic thinker who can help continue our journey toward being an innovative
leader among art museums nationwide.”

Freeman joins the Mint from Mecklenburg Citizens for Public
Education (MeckEd), a local education fund. “I’m thrilled to be joining the
Mint during such an exciting period of expansion, and I look forward to working
with its staff and President & CEO Kathleen Jameson to help bring it to the
next level,” Freeman said.

Freeman will report to the President & CEO and will be a
critical member of the museum’s senior management team who participates in
long-range planning and overall management of the museum. She will oversee key
departments including finance, facilities management, information technology,
special events, and the museum shop. She will also manage the museum’s
risk-management program and serve as liaison for legal matters.

Freeman has held many leadership positions in philanthropy
and finance over more than 20 years of executive management experience.
Previously she served as the Director of Donor and Business Relations at
MeckEd. As the former Director of Project Research and Evaluation at The Duke
Endowment (1999-2008), Freeman was responsible for analyzing grant trends and
results. She was also previously Senior Vice President of Finance,
Administration, and Membership at the Charlotte Convention and Visitors Bureau
and Corporate Associate Vice President at SunHealth (Premier).

She is the president-elect of the Association of Junior
Leagues International and is a founding board member and past chair of the
Charlotte Women’s Impact Fund. She served as chair of Women Executives for
Community Services, which manages a scholarship program for nontraditional
students. She serves as a Trustee for the YWCA of the Central Carolinas.
Freeman was a board director of Hospice of Charlotte Region and Lincoln County,
NPower Charlotte Region, Teen Health Connection, and Habitat for Humanity.

Museum announces partnership between N.C. Dance Theatre Sleeping Beauty and Fairytales, Fantasy, & Fear exhibition in March.

Continuing the deepening spirit of collaboration across Charlotte’s arts scene, The Mint Museum and North Carolina Dance Theatre are partnering to offer ticket buyers and Mint members special access to two fairytale-themed works.

Any ticket buyer to N.C. Dance Theatre’s run of “Sleeping Beauty” can present a stub or voucher to receive free admission to The Mint Museum on Saturday, March 10 or Saturday, March 17 (a $10 per person value), and see the Mint’s new exhibition Fairytales, Fantasy, & Fear, opening March 3. And any member of The Mint Museum qualifies for a 25 percent discount on tickets to “Sleeping Beauty.”

“As with our previous collaborations with groups including the Charlotte Symphony and Opera Carolina, this partnership offers a chance for Charlotte audiences to see artistic themes explored in many forms,” said Dr. Kathleen V. Jameson, President & CEO of The Mint Museum. “We are thrilled to offer another way to engage the community in the areas of dance and visual art.”

Fairytales, Fantasy, & Fear, which will be on display through July 8 at Mint Museum Uptown, explores the work of Mark Newport, Kako Ueda, and Mattia Biagia and other acclaimed artists and includes such iconic images as Little Red Riding Hood, Cinderella, superhero costumes, insects, and skeletons. “Sleeping Beauty” tells the tale of
a beautiful princess, a dashing prince, and the triumph of good over evil, set to an unforgettable score by Tchaikovsky.

New daily offers site chooses Mint as one of its first partners in Charlotte

You’ve heard of Groupon, LivingSocial and Dealsaver. Now, Google is launching its own daily deal platform, Google Offers (www.google.com/offers), and has chosen The Mint Museum as one of its first partners in the Charlotte area.

Google Offers, which launched in Charlotte in recent days and is now live in 38 cities across the U.S., sought out a partnership with The Mint Museum because of its strategic importance as one of the largest art museums in the Southeast. Starting today through February 3, the Mint is offering two admission tickets for the price of one – a $20 value for $10. Each person may purchase up to five of the offers, or 10 tickets total.

“Google Offers gives us the opportunity to use Google’s reach to increase the awareness of our museum and its offerings to residents and visitors in Charlotte. Also, we hope our Google Offer will draw audiences to the museum that we may not have previously reached through traditional media and marketing initiatives,” said Hillary Cooper, director of marketing and communications for the Mint.

Visit www.google.com/offers to sign up for Google Offers in Charlotte. The URL for the Mint offer is http://goo.gl/18G0F. Media who wish to request interviews with Google about Google Offers in Charlotte may email inquiries to press@google.com.

Partnership between Knight Foundation and Arts & Science Council

Mystery, murder and intrigue unfold at the Mint Museum Uptown at Levine Center for the Arts and throughout Center City Charlotte beginning Jan. 31 with a story by an anonymous writer. The Lady of Charlotte follows the investigation of a murder at the Mint Museum Uptown.

The story, supported by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and the Arts & Science Council (ASC), will be told page-by-page at kiosks throughout Center City. Participants will begin the story at a kiosk at the corner of N. Tryon St. and 7th St.  Each page will then direct participants to the next location in Uptown to continue the story.

The two week event will begin at the kick off of ASC’s 2012 Make Your Mark campaign at the Mint Museum Uptown, Tuesday, Jan. 31 at 5:30 p.m.

Readers will be invited to “vote” on the likely suspect at http://www.Facebook.com/ASCCharlotte before the final chapter is read at a public event on Tuesday, Feb. 14. During that event, the mystery’s author and the story’s villain will be revealed. Those who correctly guess the identity of the story’s villain will be entered into a drawing for a year-long pass to the Mint Museum and a $100 CarolinaTix gift card.

“We are excited to partner with Knight Foundation for this innovative project that will bring the written word to Charlotte in an unexpected way,” ASC President Scott Provancher said.

“Knight Foundation, through its arts funding, looks to bring the arts to the people and the people to the arts,” said Susan Patterson, Knight’s Charlotte Program Director. “A walking mystery tour seems like just the right idea.”

Charlotte Center City Partners provided the kiosk locations.

The Mint Museum has hired Brad Thomas as its new curator of contemporary art effective January 23, Mint President & CEO Dr. Kathleen V. Jameson has announced.

 The Mint Museum has hired Brad Thomas as its new curator of contemporary art effective January 23, Mint President & CEO Dr. Kathleen V. Jameson has announced.

Thomas has served as the director and curator of the Van Every/Smith Galleries at Davidson College since 1999. The newly-created Mint position is a reflection of the opportunities brought by the opening of the Mint Museum Uptown building in fall 2010. “This is a tremendous step in strengthening the museum’s commitment to modern and contemporary art, which will be a strategic priority over the next five years and beyond,” Jameson said. “Brad brings great strengths to the museum, adding depth and further expertise.”

For Thomas, the move is a natural step after more than 20 years in the local arts community. “As an undergraduate art student at UNC Charlotte in the early 90s, I was acutely aware of the sometimes polarizing nature of the arts in this community,” Thomas said. “I am excited to join The Mint Museum and its talented team of curators at this critical juncture when the arts are now a unifying source of cultural pride and identity.”

During Thomas’ tenure at Davidson, he organized dozens of exhibitions and collaborative projects, including the international artists-in-residency project Force of Nature, which centered on site-specific installations by ten Japanese artists at seven American institutions. Thomas has also led initiatives to integrate visual art into the learning experience, most notably through the establishment of Davidson’s Campus Sculpture Program, which features major outdoor installations by Magdalena Abakanowicz, Antony Gormley, Joel Shapiro, and William Tucker. He also produced publications on Magdalena Abakanowicz, Ewan Gibbs, Herb Jackson, Robert Lazzarini, Reverend McKendree Robbins Long, and Joel Shapiro. His partnership with the College Writing Program in 2012 led to the release of Davidson Collects: 100 Writers Respond to Art, the first interdisciplinary book on Davidson College’s permanent art collection, which features 100 essays on selected works by undergraduate students from a wide variety of majors.

Thomas will work closely with Carla Hanzal, curator of modern and contemporary art, and the rest of the Mint’s curatorial staff.

The Mint Museum will once again break new ground by bringing together three exhibitions comprising the largest and most significant examination of Surrealism and Surrealist-inspired art ever presented in the Southeast.

– The Mint Museum will once again break new ground by bringing together three exhibitions comprising the largest and most significant examination of Surrealism and Surrealist-inspired art ever presented in the Southeast. Surrealism and Beyond opens to the public at Mint Museum Uptown on February 11 and runs through May 13.

Organized by The Mint Museum and overseen by Jonathan Stuhlman, the Mint’s curator of American art, the project consists of three fascinating shows examining the work of four artists: Double Solitaire: The Surreal Worlds of Kay Sage and Yves Tanguy; Seeing the World Within: Charles Seliger in the 1940s; and Gordon Onslow Ford: Voyager and Visionary.

“I am certain that the public will enjoy this rare opportunity to see more than 100 works of art by these four important painters. There is a remarkable synergy between these exhibitions, each of which reveals a different aspect of Surrealism and its impact on 20th century art,” said Stuhlman.

The project illustrates the Mint’s commitment to being a leader in scholarship and education on all forms of art and design. “Surrealism and Beyond is an undertaking many years in the making for the Mint and for its curator, Jonathan Stuhlman,” said Dr. Kathleen V. Jameson, President & CEO of The Mint Museum. “It is an exciting opportunity to introduce our audience to these important Surrealist artists and their works, some of which have never been exhibited before.”

Details on each exhibition:

Double Solitaire: The Surreal Worlds of Kay Sage and Yves Tanguy

Double Solitaire explores the exchange of ideas that informed the work of the important Surrealist artists Kay Sage (American, 1898-1963) and Yves Tanguy (French/American, 1900-1955) during their 15-year relationship. It is the first exhibition to examine Sage and Tanguy’s work from this perspective, the first significant exhibition of Tanguy’s art organized by an American museum since 1955, and the first major gathering of Sage’s paintings since 1977.

By intermingling Sage and Tanguy’s paintings, this exhibition of approximately 50 works of art tells the fascinating story of the couple’s complex personal and artistic relationship and, more importantly, elucidates the commonalities and ties between each artists’ work, which historically has been kept separate. Visitors will see firsthand the impact each artist had upon the other as they explored and developed their own unique visual languages. While many of the paintings in the exhibition are drawn from prominent public collections, a number of privately-held works will also be included—some of which have never before been exhibited, and some of which the artists dedicated to each other.

Double Solitaire: The Surreal Worlds of Kay Sage and Yves Tanguy is organized by The Mint Museum and Katonah Museum of Art, and has also been shown at the Davis Museum and Cultural Center at Wellesley College, Wellesley, MA (where it is running through January 22 before traveling to the Mint). It is made possible through support from the Mint Museum Auxiliary and awards from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Pierre and Tana Matisse Foundation. It is accompanied by a fully illustrated catalogue.

Seeing the World Within: Charles Seliger in the 1940s

This captivating exhibition focuses on the remarkable paintings and drawings created by the American artist Charles Seliger during the first decade of his career. Born in 1926, Seliger quickly acquired a strong working knowledge of early 20^th century modernism. But it was the fantastic imagery, inventive processes, and creative freedom of Surrealism that truly captured his attention and inspired him to develop his own mature aesthetic between 1942 and 1950. Although his work was rooted in the same basic principles and ideas as that of the Abstract Expressionists, many of whom he exhibited alongside in the 1940s, Seliger found a distinctly personal voice and artistic vocabulary. Because of this, he was given his first solo exhibition at Peggy Guggenheim’s “Art of this Century” gallery in 1945, when he was just 19. By the end of the decade, Seliger had narrowed his focus and further honed his style, resulting in an approach that defined his work until his death in 2009.

Seeing the World Within is the first exhibition to focus on the groundbreaking paintings Seliger created during the first decade of his career, and the first museum-organized exhibition of Seliger’s work in 30 years. It brings together approximately 35 of his best works from the 1940s, drawn from public and private collections as well as his estate.

Following its debut at the Mint, Seeing the World Within will travel to the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, Venice, Italy (June 9-September 16, 2012), and the Munson-Williams Proctor Art Institute, Utica, New York (October 20-January 20, 2013). (Please note that this part of Surrealism and Beyond closes at the Mint two weeks prior to the other exhibitions, on April 29, to facilitate its travel to Italy). This exhibition is made possible through support from the Mint Museum Auxiliary and awards from the Terra Foundation for American Art and The Dedalus Foundation, Inc., and is accompanied by a fully illustrated catalogue.

Gordon Onslow Ford: Voyager and Visionary

This is the first retrospective of the British-American Surrealist painter’s work organized by an American museum in more than 30 years. Featuring approximately 30 paintings by the artist, it is drawn entirely from his family’s collection. Many of the objects in the exhibition were either created specifically for Onslow Ford’s sister, Elisabeth, or were given to her for such special occasions as her birthdays. Because of the closeness and longevity of their relationship, the exhibition will offer visitors a look at the full range of Onslow Ford’s career – from early, more traditional canvases from the 1920s and 1930s, to his first experiments with Surrealism in the late 1930s and 1940s, to his later work from the 1950s forward, which took a more cosmic, symbolic approach to abstraction.

It is a particularly apt companion for the Sage and Tanguy and Seliger exhibitions, as it reveals another dimension of Surrealism and its impact, and features an artist who knew and worked alongside Sage and Tanguy in the 1930s and 1940s and who wrote a book on Tanguy’s artistic process in 1980. Gordon Onslow Ford: Voyager and Visionary is accompanied by a selection of ephemera and works by family-member artists who were inspirational to Onslow Ford early in his career.

This exhibition is exclusive to The Mint Museum and is made possible through support from the Mint Museum Auxiliary.

ArtFusion series expanded as part of its innovative slate of winter and spring programming

The Mint Museum is launching its first-ever Contemporary Architecture + Design (CAD) series with an event on January 5 at 7 p.m. that brings the architect who designed the new Mint Museum Uptown building and the artist who created the monumental five-story work on display in its atrium together to discuss “The Marriage of Art + Architecture.” The series continues throughout 2012 as part of a slate of innovative programming that will broaden the museum’s audience and reach deeper into the community than ever before.

“We believe it is important to launch a new architecture and design series to serve the museum’s mission of sharing innovative perspectives and engaging audiences in new ways. It further illustrates our commitment to leadership in the fields of design and architecture through our collection, research, exhibitions, and programming,” said Dr. Kathleen V. Jameson, President & CEO of the Mint. “It will be an ideal complement to our strong slate of other diverse programs including ArtFusion, family-friendly Sunday Fun Days, studio art classes, lectures, films, and more.”

Monthly CAD events will continue throughout the year and bring notable names in the architecture and design fields to Charlotte, including  Rodolfo Machado, principal of Machado and Silvetti Associates, who designed Mint Museum Uptown; artist Sheila Hicks, subject of the museum’s current exhibition Sheila Hicks: Fifty Years; Craig Dykers, co-founder of Oslo- and New York-based architecture, landscape, and interior design firm Snøhetta; and Cortney and Robert Novogratz, who with their seven children are featured on Bravo’s show “9 By Design.” All of the events will be held at Mint Museum Uptown except Dykers’ visit on February 15, which will be held at UNC Charlotte’s Center City Building at 320 East Ninth Street. Events are $10 for non-members and $5 for members, and more information is available at mintmuseum.org.

Also joining the museum’s winter and spring slate is an expansion of the museum’s new ArtFusion series, a selection of FREE monthly events that include music, dance, fashion, interaction with local artists and more. The winter/spring events kick off January 31 from 6-9 p.m. at Mint Museum Randolph with a celebration of the museum’s 75-year tradition of collecting North Carolina pottery, a lecture, music, and more. “Whether it’s your first time to the Mint or your 50^th, ArtFusion offers something new for everyone,” says Laura Everett, Adult Programs Coordinator for the Mint. “This spring’s experiences include a surrealist fashion show, dream interpretation, and much more. I hope that people will use this opportunity to explore Mint Museum Uptown, rediscover Mint Museum Randolph, and see what we’re up to – these programs are slightly offbeat but always engaging.”

Museum staffers will design and install a custom creation in a deserving local family’s home

December 2012 update: At right is an image of the completed family photo timeline featuring graphic design work by The Mint Museum and designer Elyse Frederick, to be featured on the December 17, 2012 broadcast of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.

The Mint Museum is assisting in the local effort to give a deserving family an “extreme home makeover” as part of ABC’s Emmy award-winning television reality show “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.”

As the show’s producers prepared to select a winning family from the Charlotte area to receive a new home, they approached The Mint Museum in recent weeks to ask for assistance creating and installing a graphic design project involving family photos that will be a focal point of the family’s new living room. Mint Museum Graphic Designer Elyse Frederick and Design & Installation Director Kurt Warnke are leading this effort with support from additional team members. Charlotte company Kenny Color Lab (www.kennycolor.com) agreed to donate the necessary materials and services to produce the museum’s design. “Kenny Color Lab is thrilled to have an opportunity to help a deserving local family and collaborate with The Mint Museum on this project,” said Kenny Flippin, the company’s vice president.

The work will be installed during the build, which is taking place in Lincolnton December 11 through December 17 and is being spearheaded by local builder Bellamy Homes.

Museum staffers were touched by the winning local family’s story after learning they have taken in dozens of local foster children over the years, and recently adopted a group of five siblings. The museum’s contribution to the home will incorporate photos of the family to honor their love and generosity. The creation of the project will be documented and displayed at the museum’s website, mintmuseum.org, after it is completed. The build is scheduled to air in December 2012 with a two-hour special broadcast on ABC.

“The show’s design producer was impressed with our institution and felt confident that we would have the in-house talent needed to design and install this project,” said Hillary Cooper, Communications and Media Relations Director for the Mint. “This is another shining example of the museum giving back to the community in innovative and meaningful ways.”

Several finalists in the greater Charlotte area were considered for the build, and all were deemed worthy causes. The winning family, the Friday family of Lincolnton, received a knock on their door on Sunday, December 11, from team leader Ty Pennington and the show’s design team. The project has recruited more than 3,000 volunteers, and will be completed in one week. All products and labor are being donated by partnering trades and suppliers.

“Living billboard” performance to capture Bearden’s music-themed work

 An innovative ad campaign recently recognized in The New York Times continues this weekend with an appearance by three live musicians accompanying Charlotte-born artist Romare Bearden’s colorful music-themed work Back Porch Serenade.

The musicians will appear as a “living billboard” in front of an advertisement featuring Bearden’s work from 1-4 p.m. this Saturday, December 10, near the Enso Asian Bistro & Sushi Bar at the EpiCentre, the entertainment complex at the corner of College and Trade streets in uptown Charlotte. The performance is part of the “EpiCentre Spread the Cheer” holiday event, which begins at 11:30 a.m. and also features an appearance by Santa and a “private snowstorm.”

The “living billboard” follows other appearances by live musicians in front of Bearden’s artworks around Charlotte in October, a campaign conceived by Charlotte advertising agency BooneOakley. “Art can blend in, and sometimes goes unnoticed,” David Oakley, president and co-creative director of BooneOakley, told the Times. “But we’re trying to make it more part of the culture, and more three-dimensional and alive.” The Times highlighted the campaign as one of several around the nation that “bring art and artists to life.”

Saturday’s performance is aimed at promoting a special event, the Mint’s Community Homecoming Weekend coming up on January 7-8, which concludes the Romare Bearden: Southern Recollections exhibition. The FREE two-day event at Mint Museum Uptown includes live music, hands-on art activities and lots of memories. The museum will premiere excerpts from the groundbreaking Romare Bearden Memory Train, a documentary and video collage that celebrates the reflections of the community that inspired Bearden’s work. From now through that weekend, visitors to the exhibition can contribute to the video using kiosks, or the public can email video contributions anytime via smartphone by sending to the email address owuqk7s4zyar@m.youtube.com.

The Mint Museum Randolph is announcing that its Chanel: Designs for the Modern Woman exhibition has been extended another two months.

Due to its popularity and widespread public acclaim, The Mint Museum Randolph is announcing that its Chanel: Designs for the Modern Woman exhibition has been extended another two months, keeping it on view to museum patrons until February 26, 2012.

The exhibition presents the iconic haute couture designs of Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel and includes works on public view for the first time. Sponsored by U.S Trust, Bank of America Private Wealth Management, the exhibition opened May 21.

“The overwhelmingly positive public response to this exhibition has been gratifying,” said Charles L. Mo, Director of Fine Arts. “We are pleased to be able to give visitors more time to appreciate this landmark collection from a legendary designer.”

Among the major designers who shaped the landscape of women’s fashion in the 20th century, Coco Chanel (1883-1971) remains a pivotal figure. She pioneered a new look for women in the early 1900s, creating clothes that were primarily comfortable, yet lasting in both their construction and style. Replacing the restrictive corset with casual elegance, her fashion repertoire included simple suits and dresses, women’s trousers, costume jewelry, and perfume.

Chanel: Designs for the Modern Woman includes works dating from the 1920s to the present, augmented by a selection of accessories, sketches, and other fashion-related materials. The exhibition is drawn entirely from the Mint’s Historic Costume & Fashionable Dress collection.

Highlights include a sampling of early designs, from a suit that was produced circa 1925-1929 and is noted to be an ensemble constructed by Coco Chanel herself, to the seminal “little black dress,” which the designer popularized among women everywhere. Accessories such as handbags, eyeglasses, shoes, and perfume demonstrate the myriad of designs produced by the label within its first century of existence.

Born in France, Chanel endured a rocky childhood and first learned to sew in an orphanage during her teens. It was during a brief stint as a singer in cafés and concert halls that she adopted the name Coco. With the help of a wealthy male companion, Chanel launched her first business venture – a millinery shop – in Paris in 1910, followed by boutiques in Deauville and Biarritz. During the 1920s, she became the first designer to use knit jersey (an inexpensive material traditionally used for men’s underwear) to construct women’s clothing, creating relaxed, menswear-inspired garments that rejected the stiff, corseted look of the time. Her innovative, uncluttered designs led her to become one of the premier fashion designers in Paris.

In 1925, Chanel introduced her now legendary suit, featuring a collarless jacket and fitted skirt. She matched its success the following year with her little black dress, both of which continue to be staples in every Chanel collection. In 1926, American Vogue compared Chanel’s little black dress to the Ford automobile. The designer helped pioneer the floating evening scarf, as well as the practice of wearing faux and real jewels together. She used colorful, feminine, printed chiffons in her daywear designs, while evening ensembles incorporated tulle, lace, and decorative elements that softened the overall look of the garment.

Coco Chanel worked until her death in 1971 at the age of 88. Her fashions and accessories – including her iconic Chanel No. 5 perfume – earned her a place on Time Magazine’s 100 most influential people of the 20th century.

Chanel: Designs for the Modern Woman is made possible with generous support from U.S. Trust, Bank of America Private Wealth Management. Media sponsor: Our State Magazine.

Artworks from renowned artist Jun Kaneko will be showcased at The Mint Museum Uptown and will transform the plaza in front of the museum landmark building.

 Renowned artist Jun Kaneko’s sculptures and drawings will be showcased in a boutique exhibition at The Mint Museum Uptown when Jun Kaneko: In The Round opens December 10.

The exhibition, in collaboration with Jun Kaneko Studio in Omaha, Nebraska, will include a selection of Kaneko’s signature Dango sculptures and framed drawings of costume designs for Puccini’s Madama Butterfly. And in January, the Mint will co-host special events around Opera Carolina’s production of Madama Butterfly, which will also feature Kaneko’s costume and set designs. The exhibition runs through April 28, 2012.

“This project marks an historic collaboration between The Mint Museum and Opera Carolina,” said Carla Hanzal, Curator of Contemporary Art. “By viewing Kaneko’s sculptures and costume renderings together, one can experience the continuity of form, pattern, and design between these two modes of expression and creation for the artist.”

The internationally acclaimed artist will give a public lecture at the museum on January 22, discussing the evolution of his sculptural work and his recent designs of costume and sets for operas. Additional public programs will include a curator’s tour, guided docent-led tours, an Asian-themed family drop-in event as part of one of the Mint’s Sunday Fun Days series, an adult art class, and a lecture on contemporary Japanese design. An invitation-only reception for The Mint Museum’s Crown Society and Opera Carolina’s Verdi Society is scheduled for January 18.

Jun Kaneko was born in Nagoya, Japan in 1942, and moved to the United States in 1963 to study ceramics at the Chouinard Art Institute in Los Angeles (now California Institute of the Arts). He later moved to Northern California and studied under pioneering ceramic sculptors Peter Voulkos and Jerry Rothman. Voulkos describes Kaneko’s sculptures as “an amazing synthesis of painting and sculpture…intellectual and playful, technical and innovative.” Kaneko is known for creating large-scale public installations, as well as being represented in major museum collections including the Fine Arts Museum of San Francisco, the Oakland Museum, the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Smithsonian’s Renwick Gallery, and Japan’s Wakayama Museum of Modern Art.

Opera Carolina’s production of Madama Butterfly performs over two weekends: January 21, and January 26 and 29 at the Belk Theater in the Blumenthal Performing Arts Center.  For ticket information, call 704.372.1000 or visit www.operacarolina.org.

“The collaboration between Opera Carolina and The Mint Museum is an exceptional opportunity for art lovers and opera lovers to come together and celebrate the creativity of master artist Jun Kaneko,” said James Meena, general director and principal conductor of Opera Carolina.  “We are so very grateful to Dr. Kathleen Jameson and the team at the Mint for helping us explore Kaneko’s transformation of his artwork into his exciting designs for Madama Butterfly.”

“We are thrilled by the opportunity to collaborate with an institution as respected as Opera Carolina, and to increase appreciation for a renowned artist by showcasing a variety of mediums of his work,” added Dr. Kathleen V. Jameson, President and CEO of The Mint Museum.

Mint Founding Family Member and Internationally Celebrated Pianist Dorothy Lewis-Griffith to Perform.

 As part of its year-long celebration of its 75^th anniversary, The Mint Museum is inviting the public to a free event on December 4 that brings a member of one of the museum’s founding families to the museum for a piano concert and celebrates two other aspects of the Mint’s storied history.

Internationally known pianist Dorothy Lewis-Griffith plans a performance at the heart of the program at the Mint Museum’s Randolph Road location – which holds a special connection to her family. Her late father-in-law, E.C. Griffith (1889-1973), donated the three-acre tract of Eastover land on which the museum now sits in 1933, paving the way for The Mint Museum to open three years later.  Her father-in-law went on to serve on the Mint’s original board of directors.

Lewis-Griffith, a High Point native, made her orchestral debut with the North Carolina Symphony at age 14. She has since given recitals and performed as a soloist with orchestras in major cities throughout the United States, China, Brazil, and several European countries. She has released recordings of piano music on iTunes and CD. Among the pieces she plans to perform is one called “Electric Church” by Robert Starer (1924-2001), who was inspired by a photo of a church taken by Lewis-Griffith’s daughter, Dorothy Griffith, and composed the piece in 1989 for an exhibition at the Hickory Museum of Art. Rounding out the program are favorites by Clementi, Rachmaninoff, Scriabin, Chopin, Debussy and Gershwin.

Lewis-Griffith said she is looking forward to helping to celebrate the museum’s anniversary. “I became a member of the Griffith family in 1959, after the old Mint was moved to Randolph Road, and I gave several recitals on the newly purchased Baldwin piano.  I will be performing on that same instrument on December 4, and I will be thinking of my cherished memories of E.C. Griffith, who we called Poppy.”

“The Mint Museum invites the greater Charlotte community to join us in this celebration of our anniversary as we look forward to our next 75 years of inspiring and engaging the next generation,” said Dr. Kathleen V. Jameson, President and CEO of The Mint Museum.

Also featured during the December 4 event will be a discussion by local historian Mike Sullivan titled “It’s All About the Gold.” It will explore the history of gold mining and the role it played in the development of Charlotte – including its selection as the location for the first branch of the United States Mint.  And following Lewis-Griffith’s performance, Brian Gallagher, Mint Curator of Decorative Arts, will lead a tour of A Thriving Tradition: 75 Years of Collecting North Carolina Pottery, the Mint’s newest exhibition showcasing treasures from the Mint’s permanent collection dating from its earliest days, as well as loans from local collectors.

FREE continuous shuttle between the Mint Museum Randolph and Mint Museum Uptown

Just in time for the Black Friday rush of holiday shopping, The Mint Museum is offering a FREE continuous shuttle between the Mint Museum Randolph and Mint Museum Uptown locations this Friday and Saturday (November 25 and 26) from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. as a special “thank you” to its museum guests. Visitors can park for NO CHARGE at Mint Museum Randolph, 2730 Randolph Road, take a FREE shuttle to Mint Museum Uptown, and then return via FREE shuttle to Randolph.

The Mint Museum Gift Shops are the perfect spot for every holiday shopping need, with a huge array of gifts for the arts and culture lovers on shoppers’ lists. The Mint Museum Uptown Gift Shop will be opening on Mondays (in addition to its regular weekly hours) for the first three weeks in December, beginning Monday, December 5 through Monday, December 19.

The first video talkback project ever produced by The Mint Museum has now gone live as part of the celebrated Romare Bearden: Southern Recollections exhibition at The Mint Museum Uptown.

The first video talkback project ever produced by The Mint Museum has now gone live as part of the celebrated Romare Bearden: Southern Recollections exhibition at The Mint Museum Uptown.  Memory Train: Celebrating Community Through the Power of Remembrance now allows visitors to share reflections on how their life journeys have been inspired by images of Charlotte native Romare Bearden’s work.

Visitors can record their own stories at the exhibition, on display through January 8, or at home by using their smartphones. Stories are also being collected at a series of community reflection day events at venues around the city. The collected video responses will be combined and edited to create a film that will become part of the community record, and excerpts from the film will premiere at the museum at a special Community Homecoming Weekend on January 8-9.

“The Mint Museum is proud to engage the community in such a vibrant, historic, and relevant project, and to create an exceptional record of our community’s dynamic response to Bearden’s work,” said Dr. Kathleen V. Jameson, President and CEO of The Mint Museum.

“Bearden was a masterful storyteller through collage, and this project encourages people to share their stories about home, childhood, and family. Already we have collected personal reflections at university homecomings, in schools and churches, at festivals, at social and civic meetings, and at cultural programs and events at the museum,” added Cheryl Palmer, Director of Education at the Mint. “The momentum is really building toward the final weekend of Romare Bearden: Southern Recollections. Bearden would be so pleased to see and hear the collage created in honor of his centennial.”

The Memory Train project is tapping into community responses on the themes of migration, memory, home, family, and loss. Memory Train is being supported by a grant of more than $90,000 from the Museums of America, a part of the Institute of Museum and Library Services. Community partners working with The Mint include the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library, Johnson C. Smith University, and the Levine Museum of the New South.

Visitors to the exhibition are prompted with five questions:

• Bearden’s art depicts scenes from the past. Describe a memory from your past. What do you see, hear, smell? Are you inside or outside? What colors do you see? Who else is there?
• Many of Bearden’s works depict happy family memories. What is your favorite happy memory from your family?
• Think about the first place you remember living as a child. Where was it? What colors and textures do you recall? Think about the furniture, the walls, and the floors. Who lived there with you? Does the building still exist?
• Bearden’s family moved from the Charlotte to the North when he was a child. Describe a time in your life when you moved to a new place. Why did you move, and how old were you? What did you take with you? What did you have to leave behind?
• Bearden experienced a sense of loss when he returned to Charlotte as an adult and saw many changes to the city. Have you experienced this kind of feeling when you visited the place where you grew up?
• To contribute a video via smartphone, members of the public are asked to email a video clip to the address owuqk7s4zyar@m.youtube.com. More information about the project, including clips of video responses that have already been collected, is available at www.beardenmemorytrain.org.

Community reflection day events are scheduled on the following dates:

December 1: 6-7 p.m. at Spirit Square
December 3: 6-9 p.m. at Charlotte Museum of History
December 4: 2-5 p.m. at Mint Museum Randolph

More community reflection days are being scheduled, so check mintmuseum.org for updates. And the museum is preparing for a variety of special events during the Community Homecoming Weekend that coincides with the closing of the Bearden Southern Recollections exhibition.  On January 7 and 8, admission to Mint Museum Uptown will be free, and the museum will remain open until 9 p.m. on January 7. Visitors can enjoy special performances, visual arts demonstrations, and hands-on craft activities, including designing postcards that will travel with the exhibition to its next stops in Florida and New Jersey.  Confirmed performers include a gospel choir; Jazz Arts Initiative performing five of Bearden’s original songs; and the UNC Charlotte Faculty Jazz Ensemble.

The Mint Museum Launches Exclusive New Fashion & Design Book

Oscar buzz was in the air on Monday as more than 420 people attended a celebration in honor of the upcoming 40^th anniversary of The Mint Museum’s Historic Costume and Fashionable Dress Collection. The Fall EnrichMINT Forum: Passion for Fashion, hosted by The Mint Museum Auxiliary, served as a launch for a first-of-its kind book: Oscar de la Renta: Fashion & Design at The Mint Museum. The specially produced, commemorative publication documents the legendary designer’s 2011 visit to Charlotte to benefit The Mint Museum.

At the celebration, Jay Everette, Community Affairs Manager of Wells Fargo’s Social Responsibility Group and a member of the Mint’s board of trustees, announced that The Wells Fargo Foundation has awarded The Mint Museum a $15,000 Community Catalyst Grant to support the museum’s Historical Costume and Fashionable Dress Collection acquisition fund. The grant was made in honor of the members of The Mint Museum Auxiliary.  Funds from the grant will be used to acquire contemporary fashion from Oscar de la Renta’s collection.

The keynote speaker at the book launch event in The Robert Haywood Morrison Atrium of The Mint Museum Uptown was Jack Alexander, longtime producer of de la Renta’s runway shows, and he gave lots of behind-the-scenes insights into the production of the April 2011 fashion show at the Mint (it turns out the homegrown Charlotte models were a lot better than the imports from Atlanta!).

Oscar de la Renta: Fashion & Design at The Mint Museum is now on sale for $40 at museum gift shops at both the Uptown and Randolph Road locations. The hardcover book consists of 80 pages of color photos of the designer’s eye-catching fashions. All proceeds from book sales will benefit The Mint Museum.

The initiative is the latest twist in a wildly successful fundraising effort pairing Oscar de la Renta with The Mint Museum Auxiliary. De la Renta’s visit to Charlotte in April as part of the Auxiliary’s annual Room to Bloom celebration generated a record-shattering $400,000 in fundraising toward The Mint Museum and its programs.

The Mint Museum Launches Exclusive New Fashion & Design Book

Oscar buzz was in the air on Monday as more than 420 people attended a celebration in honor of the upcoming 40^th anniversary of The Mint Museum’s Historic Costume and Fashionable Dress Collection. The Fall EnrichMINT Forum: Passion for Fashion, hosted by The Mint Museum Auxiliary, served as a launch for a first-of-its kind book: Oscar de la Renta: Fashion & Design at The Mint Museum. The specially produced, commemorative publication documents the legendary designer’s 2011 visit to Charlotte to benefit The Mint Museum.

At the celebration, Jay Everette, Community Affairs Manager of Wells Fargo’s Social Responsibility Group and a member of the Mint’s board of trustees, announced that The Wells Fargo Foundation has awarded The Mint Museum a $15,000 Community Catalyst Grant to support the museum’s Historical Costume and Fashionable Dress Collection acquisition fund. The grant was made in honor of the members of The Mint Museum Auxiliary.  Funds from the grant will be used to acquire contemporary fashion from Oscar de la Renta’s collection.

The keynote speaker at the book launch event in The Robert Haywood Morrison Atrium of The Mint Museum Uptown was Jack Alexander, longtime producer of de la Renta’s runway shows, and he gave lots of behind-the-scenes insights into the production of the April 2011 fashion show at the Mint (it turns out the homegrown Charlotte models were a lot better than the imports from Atlanta!).

Oscar de la Renta: Fashion & Design at The Mint Museum is now on sale for $40 at museum gift shops at both the Uptown and Randolph Road locations. The hardcover book consists of 80 pages of color photos of the designer’s eye-catching fashions. All proceeds from book sales will benefit The Mint Museum.

The initiative is the latest twist in a wildly successful fundraising effort pairing Oscar de la Renta with The Mint Museum Auxiliary. De la Renta’s visit to Charlotte in April as part of the Auxiliary’s annual Room to Bloom celebration generated a record-shattering $400,000 in fundraising toward The Mint Museum and its programs.

Through generous gift by Target Corporation

The Mint Museum Uptown at Levine Center for the Arts has acquired Sheila  Hicks’ monumental bas relief, May I Have This Dance?, through a generous gift by Target Corporation. Originally  commissioned by Target for their lobby headquarters in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in 2003, May I Have This Dance? has  been recently reimagined, and reconfigured, for exhibitions in Paris and Philadelphia, each metamorphosis informed by
the particular architectural setting.

With a redesign of Target Corporation headquarters, a search for a new, permanent home for the work began in earnest in 2010. Target consulted Sheila Hicks regarding where May I Have This Dance? might permanently reside. Some of the largest and most important art museums in the country were considered for this major gift.

With the new progressive initiative of the Mint Museum of Craft + Design, a newly opened facility, new leadership, and a renewed focus on world-class acquisitions, exhibitions, and educational programs, The Mint Museum presented a unique
and compelling case. The Mint committed to install the work for an extended period of time in the Robert Haywood  Morrison Atrium, the largest public space and principal gathering area of the new museum uptown. In this prime location, Hicks’ powerful sculpture will command tremendous visual impact and set the tone for visitors’ experiences as they enter the museum. Similar to the original architectural setting for May I Have This Dance? at Target, The Mint’smMorrison Atrium provides a distinct opportunity to honor the integrity of the artist’s original intent and design.

“The Mint Museum is deeply grateful for this exceptional gift from Target Corporation,” said Dr, Kathleen V. Jameson, President and CEO. “Our permanent collection offers a strong complement to the themes and craftsmanship present in May I Have This Dance? The Mint Museum and Target Corporation also share the same core values of integrity in all we do, a commitment to excellence and making art and arts education accessible to diverse audiences throughout our
respective communities. We feel extremely proud and privileged to share this work with our city, region, and our national and international visitors.”

Annie Carlano, Director of Craft + Design, states, “While Sheila is a resident of Paris, she is a citizen of the world. The nomadic nature of May I Have This Dance? parallels the extensive global travels that have influenced and inspired Sheila’s work. Sheila finds innovation in tradition and contemporary expression in the hand-made. May I Have This
Dance? is the apotheosis of Hicks’ monumental bas relief creations. Transcendental in both concept and form, this ebullient installation was inspired by the natural light soaked space of the Mint’s atrium, the integration of the outside sky scape and the interior, the energetic vertical sweep to the high ceilings, and the modernity of the building materials and furniture. In fact, Sheila commented that standing in the atrium, reminded her of being inside Le Corbusier’s chapel
(Notre Dame du Haut) in Ronchamp, France.  It is not surprising to me that her initial ruminations about the reconfiguration, of May I Have This Dance?, for the west wall were about shapes and patterns from the natural world, for example streaking lightning bolts and a circling hurricane.”

The official unveiling of May I Have This Dance? will occur in unison with the preview of Sheila Hicks: 50 Years, an exhibition organized by The Addison Gallery of American Art, the art museum of Phillips Academy. This comprehensive exhibition, running 1 October 2011 through 29 January 2012, at The Mint Museum Uptown, marks the first retrospective devoted to this pioneering figure. Sheila Hicks is an artist who builds with color and thinks with line. From her earliest
work of the late 1950s to the present, she has crossed the boundaries of painting, sculpture, design, drawing, and woven form, and has been a critical force in redefining the domains of contemporary art-making.  While challenging the relationship of fine arts to commercial arts and studio practice to site-specific commissions, Hicks has, above all,
re-imagined the profound, vital connection of artist to artisan.

The Sheila Hicks: FiftyYears exhibition and the long-term installation of May I Have This Dance? will serve as important highlights of The Mint Museum’s 75^th anniversary celebration beginning this October

Sheila Hicks: 50 Years bridges distinctions between artist and artisan

The Mint Museum Uptown at Levine Center for the Arts proudly presents  Sheila Hicks: 50 Years, an exhibition organized by The Addison Gallery of American Art, the art museum of Phillips Academy.This comprehensive exhibition, running 1 October 2011 through 29 January 2012, marks the first museum
retrospective devoted to this pioneering figure. Sheila Hicks is an artist who builds with color and thinks with line. From her earliest work of the late 1950s to the present, she has crossed the boundaries of painting, sculpture, design, drawing, and woven form, and has been a critical force in redefining the domains of contemporary art-making. While challenging the relationship of fine arts to commercial arts and studio practice to site-specific commissions, Hicks has,above all, re-imagined the profound, vital connection of artist to artisan.

Sheila Hicks: 50 Years addresses the artist’s conceptual, procedural, and material concerns via five distinct, though intimately related, fields of inquiry: bas reliefs and sculptures; small weavings and drawings; site commissions for public spaces; production textiles; and process works made of recuperated textiles, clothing, and other found objects.

Dr. Kathleen V. Jameson, President and CEO of The Mint Museum, has stated, “The Mint is honored to be the third and final venue for this exhibition, which fulfills the museum’s mission of bringing the most important international contemporary art and design to Charlotte and the region. Astonishingly original, the art of Sheila Hicks deifies
categorization as it engages our intellect and our senses in its exploration of line, form, texture, and color. Choosing thread as her medium, she was a trailblazer, forging the then unknown path of ‘cross over artist,’ straddling the fields of design, craft, and contemporary art. What I find particularly relevant for the Mint, is the artist’s long standing interest in the art of the ancient Americas and other world cultures, locating in them the visual vocabulary for a tremendously
contemporary language.”

Born in Hastings, Nebraska, Hicks received her BFA and MFA degrees from Yale (’57; ’59), studying painting with master teacher and theorist Josef Albers and history of art with George Kubler, a pivotal figure in the rediscovery of Mesoamerican art. Hicks’s self-described practice of “linear thinking” and “composing texture” reflects the Bauhaus
tradition of finding the expressive voices of different materials and the dynamic interactions of color. Equally, her work reflects her studies with Kubler, in particular the juxtapositions she first saw in his class of small Pre-Incaic weavings with the colossal structures of Machu Picchu.

From her earliest experiments with woven forms, Hicks has explored processes that skew the traditional grid, incorporating traditional and new materials or integrating found objects, even deconstructing her own works and reusing the elements to create any number of others. She has explored the role of the artist’s hand and the use of technologies to produce works that range from the size of a page to that of a football field.  In addition to her studio works and commissions, Hicks is noted internationally as a teacher and mentor of several generations of artists and designers.

“Impressionistic Memories”, by David Yezzi

Born a century ago in North Carolina’s Mecklenburg County, the  American painter and collagist Romare Bearden (1911–1988) moved with his  family to New York when he was 3 years old. While many of his most  famous images—including the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s “The Block” (1971), depicting a teeming section of Lennox Avenue
in Harlem—focus on scenes of African-American urban life, Bearden never strayed far in his work from the countryside and people he glimpsed as a child in rural North Carolina.

For Bearden’s centennial, the Mint Museum here has mounted a retrospective that brings into sharp focus the artist’s Southern roots—the fields, farmhouses, rituals and trains, which Bearden worked into brightly colored Cubist landscapes and intimate domestic interiors. Subsequent stints in New York, Pittsburgh and St. Martin in the Caribbean all found their way into Bearden’s work. But beginning with his early figurative gouaches of the 1940s, Bearden made it clear in image
after image that, as he put it, he “never left Charlotte, except physically.”

Opens with Curator-Directed Tours

At 2 p.m. on Saturday, 17 September, the Mint Museum will open Aesthetic Ambitions: Edward Lycett and Brooklyn’s Faience Manufacturing Company with curator-guided tours. Aesthetic Ambitions presents  unique examples of American art pottery from the late 1800s.  It will  be on view at the Mint Museum Randolph until 26 February 2012.

In addition to the guided-tours, the Mint Museum Randolph will host a  lecture on the exhibition on Tuesday, September 20 at 10:30 a.m.   Barbara Veith, organizing curator of the exhibition, will detail  Lycett’s tremendous influence as the artistic director of the Faience  Manufacturing Company. The lecture will be held in Van Every Auditorium.

During the 1880s, the Faience Manufacturing Company (1881-1892), of  Greenpoint, Brooklyn, earned critical acclaim for producing ornamental  wares that introduced a new standard of excellence in American ceramics.  These bold and eclectic wares displayed a synthesis of Japanese,  Chinese, and Islamic influences characteristic of the Aesthetic Movement  style. The firm owed its artistic and commercial success to Edward  Lycett (1833-1910), an English china painter who became its artistic  director in 1884.

Edward Lycett immigrated to New York City in 1861. His early career  included a White House commission to paint additional pieces of the  Lincoln administration’s porcelain dinner service for President Andrew  Johnson.  He held teaching positions in St. Louis, Missouri, and  Cincinnati, Ohio. In 1884, Lycett began his employment with the Faience  Manufacturing Company, where he experimented with ceramic bodies and  glazes, and designed opulent wares. He supervised a team of talented  artists, including James Callowhill (1838-1917) of the English firm  Worcester Royal Porcelain, who decorated the vessels with exotic motifs  in vibrant hues and costly gold paste. Lycett and his team of decorators  produced pieces that were sold in the foremost jewelry and china shops  throughout the United States, such as Tiffany & Company in New York  and Bailey, Banks and Biddle in Philadelphia.

Nearly forty superb objects drawn from public and private collections  will be on display, including vases, ewers, plates, and other  decorative wares. The objects illustrate Lycett’s talent and  adaptability to stylistic changes over the course of his nearly  fifty-year career. Also on view in the exhibition are Lycett’s formula  books, family photographs, and ephemera that illuminate the life and  work of this prominent figure in American ceramic history.

The exhibition is organized and circulated by the University Of  Richmond Museums, Virginia. A fully illustrated catalogue with an essay  by the exhibition’s curator Barbara Veith, independent scholar of  American ceramics and glass, New York, is available for purchase in The  Mint Museum Shops.

National Tour of Romare Bearden: Southern Recollections

CHARLOTTE, NC (July 31, 2011) – This fall The Mint Museum will present Romare Bearden: Southern Recollections,  a major retrospective of one of America’s most preeminent African  American artists and foremost collagists. Opening on the centennial of  the artist’s birth in Charlotte, the city in which he was born, the  exhibition is the first of its kind to examine in depth how the South  served as a source of inspiration throughout Bearden’s career.  Encompassing approximately 100 works of art drawn from The Mint Museum’s  extensive holdings as well as from national public and private  collections, the exhibition will be on view at the Mint Museum Uptown at  Levine Center for the Arts from 2 September 2011 through 8 January 2012  and then travels to the Tampa Museum of Art (28 January through 6 May  2012) and Newark Museum (23 May through 19 August 2012).

“Romare Bearden: Southern Recollections is an incredibly compelling retrospective assembled by The Mint Museum  that showcases the immense contribution of America’s most renowned  African American artists and the significance of his Southern heritage  as a source of inspiration, “said Dr. Kathleen V. Jameson, President  & CEO of The Mint Museum. “It is an important and timely  examination of Bearden’s work.”

The exhibition highlights themes  unexplored in prior exhibitions or writings, and surveys fifty years of  the artist’s work including his early abstract paintings and the  influential collages that dominated his later body of work. Among the  large thematic groupings will be selections from the Prevalence of Ritual series,  which includes Bearden’s first revolutionary collages that demonstrate  his ability to transform life into art, revealing abiding rituals and  ceremonies of affirmation. Elements seen in this series are repeated  throughout Bearden’s oeuvre, serving as icons for his  statements about life in America. One such icon is the locomotive, which  not only symbolizes a means of moving from one place/mode of life to  another but also references the Underground Railroad, as well as the  migration of Southern blacks to northern cities in the early twentieth  century.

“Given the long association between Bearden and the  city of Charlotte, the Mint has a special interest in organizing such an  important retrospective,” said Carla Hanzal, exhibition organizer and  Mint Museum curator of contemporary art. “Romare Bearden broke new  ground with his innovative collages and left a powerful legacy to  generations of American artists. As Charlotte’s oldest visual arts  institution, we are proud to have a substantial history of collecting  and presenting works of art by Romare Bearden.”

ABOUT ROMARE BEARDEN: SOUTHERN RECOLLECTIONS
The  exhibition’s loose chronological structure traces such critical themes  in Bearden’s work as music, religion, social change, and family,  particularly informed by an African American experience. The earliest  group of works, from the 1940s, focuses on his memories of the rural  South, painted in tempera on brown paper and characterized by strong  colors, flattened perspective, and stylized, highly formal compositions.  Such works as The Visitation (1941) and Folk Musicians (1942) depict scenes of agrarian life yet also portray universal emotional bonds.

As Bearden developed his iconic collage technique in the mid-1960s, he  made use of a wide range of art practices, both Western and non-Western.  His use of collage, with its distortions, reversals, and surrealistic  blending of styles, enabled Bearden to convey the dreamlike quality of  memory, and was, therefore, a perfect vehicle for recording his memories  of the South. After helping to found an artist’s group in support of  civil rights in 1963, Bearden’s work became more overtly socially  conscious. One of his most famous series, Prevalence of Ritual,  concentrated primarily on his knowledge and experience of African  American life, and the myth, rituals, and socially maintained rites  within communities Collages like Prevalence of Ritual: Tidings (1964) examined the evolving nature of African Americans’ rights. Though  rooted in traditional renderings of the Biblical Annunciation with an  angel greeting a young woman and offering a flower, Bearden’s addition  of symbols, including the train in the background and birds flying  through the sky, perhaps implied a journey towards greater freedom and  equality made possible by the civil rights movement. In Carolina Reunion (1975), the subject matter is emblematic of the longing for a better  life and the comforting familiarity of home embodied in the northern  migration of African Americans from the South during the early part of  the twentieth century.

Bearden returned to Mecklenburg County  in the seventies as his career was beginning to gain momentum. This  Southern homecoming proved bittersweet. Charlotte was undergoing urban  renewal, and already traces of Bearden’s past had been erased. This  nostalgic experience imbued Bearden with a greater sense of urgency to  both celebrate and to eulogize a lost way of life, a theme that would  inform his artwork for the remainder of his career. Drawn to “journeying  things”—trains and birds—his inclusion of these recurring motifs  implied a movement from one way of life to another. Bearden increasingly  used richer colors and more decorative patterns to mediate ideas about  African American community.

A 144-page, fully illustrated  catalogue co-published and distributed by D Giles Limited, London, will  accompany the exhibition. Contributors to the book include:  Mary Lee  Corlett, Jae Emerling, Glenda Gilmore, Leslie King-Hammond, Carla  Hanzal, Myron Schwartzman, and Ruth Fine. Romare Bearden: Southern Recollections has been made possible with generous support from Duke Energy and Wells Fargo. This exhibition has been made possible by the National Endowment for the Arts as part of American Masterpieces: Three Centuries of Artistic Genius. In addition, a series of special events and programming are  scheduled to support the exhibit and to highlight Bearden’s centennial  birthday.

ABOUT ROMARE BEARDEN
Born in  Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, Bearden lived in Charlotte until the  age of four. Although his family settled in New York, the artist’s  brief childhood in the South and return visits to Charlotte made a  noteworthy impact on his art. During these visits, Bearden absorbed  stories and observations about the rituals of daily Southern life—the  relentless toil of crop cultivation, women tending gardens and mixing  herbal remedies, fish fries, and other community gatherings, and  religious activities. These experiences, as well as stories passed from  generation to generation left a lasting impression on him.

His life and art are marked by exceptional talent, encompassing a broad  range of intellectual and scholarly interests, including music,  performing arts, history, literature, and world art. Bearden was also a  celebrated humanist, as demonstrated by his longtime support of young,  emerging artists. Bearden began college at Lincoln University,  transferred to Boston University, and completed his studies at New York  University (NYU), graduating with a degree in education. While at NYU,  Bearden took extensive courses in art and was a lead cartoonist and  subsequent art editor for the monthly journal The Medley. He had also been art director of Beanpot,  the student humor magazine of Boston University. Bearden published many  journal covers during his university years and the first of numerous  texts he would write on social and artistic issues. He also attended the  Art Students League in New York and the Sorbonne in Paris. From 1935 –  1937, Bearden was a weekly editorial cartoonist for the Baltimore Afro-American.

After joining the Harlem Artists Guild in 1935, Bearden embarked on his  lifelong study of art, gathering inspiration from Western masters  ranging from Duccio, Giotto, and de Hooch to Cezanne, Picasso, and  Matisse, as well as from African art (particularly sculpture, masks, and  textiles), Byzantine mosaics, Japanese prints, and Chinese landscape  paintings.  From the mid-1930s through the 1960s, Bearden was a social  worker with the New York City Department of Social Services, working on  his art at night and on weekends. His success as an artist was  recognized with his first solo exhibition in Harlem in 1940 and his  first solo show in Washington, D.C., in 1944. Bearden was a prolific  artist whose works were exhibited during his lifetime throughout the  United States and Europe. His collages, watercolors, oils,  photomontages, and prints are imbued with visual metaphors from his past  in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, Pittsburgh, and Harlem, and from  a variety of historical, literary, and musical sources. Bearden died in  1988.

Exhibition brings together 100 works from every stage of artist’s career

This fall, The Mint Museum presents a major retrospective of the work of Romare Bearden (1911-1988), widely regarded as one of
America’s most pre-eminent African American artists and foremost collagists, as well as a noted writer and musician. The exhibition Romare Bearden: Southern Recollections surveys 50 years of the artist’s work, from his early abstract paintings to the influential collages that dominated his later body of work. Opening on the centennial of Bearden’s birth, the exhibition will be on view at the Mint Museum Uptown (at Levine Center for the Arts, 500 South Tryon
Street) from 2 September 2011 – 8 January 2012.

“Romare Bearden broke new ground with his innovative collages and left a powerful legacy to generations of American artists,” said Curator of Contemporary Art and exhibition curator Carla Hanzal. “Given the long association between Bearden and the city of Charlotte, the Mint has a special interest in bringing this important career overview to the public.”

Romare Bearden: Southern Recollections will include approximately 100 works of art drawn from The Mint Museum’s extensive holdings, as well as national public and private collections. This exhibition examines how the South served as a source of inspiration throughout his career, a theme which has not been explored previously. Among the large thematic groupings will be selections from the Prevalence of Ritual series, which includes
many works referring to Bearden’s childhood home in North Carolina.

Born in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, Bearden lived there until the age of four. Although his family settled in New York, the artist’s brief childhood in the South and return visits to Charlotte made a noteworthy impact on his art. During these visits, Bearden absorbed stories and observations about the rituals of daily Southern life—the relentless toil of crop cultivation, women tending gardens and mixing herbal remedies, fish fries and other community gatherings, and religious activities. These experiences, which stood in stark contrast to the urban rhythm of his parents’ New York City household, left a lasting impression on him.

The exhibition’s loosely chronological structure traces critical themes in Bearden’s work such as music, religion, social change, and family, particularly informed by an African- American experience. The earliest group of works, from the 1940s, focuses on his memories of the rural South, painted in tempera on brown paper and characterized by strong colors, flattened perspective, and stylized, highly formal compositions. Works such as The Visitation (1941) and
Folk Musicians (1942) depict scenes of agrarian life yet also portray universal emotional bonds.

As Bearden developed his iconic collage technique in the mid-1960s, he made use of a wide ranges of art practices, both Western and non-Western. His use of collage, with its distortions, reversals, and Surrealistic blending of styles, enabled Bearden to convey the dreamlike quality of memory, and was, therefore, a perfect vehicle for recording of his memories of the South. After helping to found an artist’s group in support of civil rights in 1963, Bearden’s work became more overtly socially conscious. One of his most famous series, Prevalence of Ritual, concentrated mostly on southern African American life. Works like Baptism (1964) examined the changing nature of African Americans’ rights. Illustrating the movement of water being poured onto the subject being baptized, Bearden conveyed the temporal flux of society during the civil rights movement. In Carolina Reunion (1975), the subject matter is emblematic of the longing for a better life and the comforting familiarity of home embodied in the northern
migration of African Americans from the South during the early part of the 20th century.

Bearden returned to Mecklenburg County in the 1970s just as his career was beginning to gain momentum. This Southern homecoming proved bittersweet. Charlotte was undergoing urban renewal, and already traces of Bearden’s past had been erased. This nostalgic experience imbued Bearden with a greater sense of urgency to both celebrate and eulogize a lost way of life, a theme that would inform his artwork for the remainder of his days.

During the 1970s, Bearden developed a complex iconography that spoke to these new developments. Drawn to “journeying things”—trains and birds—his inclusion of these
recurring motifs implied a movement from one way of life to another. He increasingly used richer colors and more decorative patterns to mediate ideas about African American community and culture, as in Of the Blues: Carolina Shout (1974), Back Porch Serenade (1977), and
Sunset Limited (Mecklenburg County) (1978).

A fully illustrated catalogue will accompany the exhibition with contributions by Mary Lee Corlett, Jae Emerling, Glenda Gilmore, and Leslie King-Hammond. The exhibition will tour nationally following its debut at the Mint.

Romare Bearden: Southern Recollections is made possible with generous support from Duke Energy and Wells Fargo. Additional funding is provided by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts.

24th annual awards ceremony recognizes Charlotte’s top arts supporters

Recipients of the 2010 Spirit Awards were honored at a ceremony on Monday, 31 January at the Mint Museum Uptown at Levine Center for the Arts. The
ceremony was presented by The Greater Charlotte Cultural Trust and The Mint Museum.

The Spirit Awards were created in 1986 to honor community members and organizations whose unwavering commitment, time, talent, or resources have significantly enhanced the relevance and vitality of the arts community in Charlotte-Mecklenburg and the surrounding area.

The 2010 recipients were:

• DAVIS STEEL & IRON, accepted by Rick and Dana Martin Davis, owners;
• Earl Leake, retired Senior Vice President, Human Resources at Snyder’s-Lance, Inc.;
• John Lassiter, President of Carolina Legal Staffing, LLC;
• Mark R. Bernstein, Retired Of Counsel at Parker Poe Adams & Bernstein, LLP; and
• Dorlisa K. Flur, Executive Vice President, Chief Merchandising Officer at Family Dollar.

In addition to their involvement with various local arts organizations, the 2010 winners enjoyed a shared accomplishment of directly participating in the planning, development, or building of the four cultural facilities (Bechtler Museum of Modern Art, Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Culture, John S. and James L. Knight Theater, and the Mint Museum Uptown) that collectively make up Levine Center for the Arts, a newly-completed cultural campus in uptown Charlotte.

Nominations for Spirit Awards candidates are accepted through September each year. Winners are announced in December by a committee made up of representatives from the arts community.  The 2010 ceremony was co-sponsored by Best Impressions Caterers and past Spirit Awards recipient
Donald Haack Diamonds & Fine Gems.

Event marks closing week of landmark ceramics exhibition

A public symposium organized by the Mint Museum of Craft +Design will be part of a closing celebration for the inaugural exhibition, Contemporary British Studio
Ceramics: The Grainer Collection during its final week on view. Featuring innovative discussions by leading international art scholars and artists on important trends and developments in contemporary British ceramics, the Symposium will be held Thursday, 10 March, 3:00-7:00 p.m. at the Mint Museum
Uptown (at Levine Center for the Arts, 500 South Tryon Street) and is free with museum admission.

Drawn from the collection of Diane and Marc Grainer of suburban Washington, D.C., the landmark exhibition Contemporary British Studio Ceramics is the first to focus exclusively on this subject in the United States and Great Britain. The Symposium will feature talks by art scholar and critic Tanya Harrod
(keynote speaker); artist and scholar Julian Stair; artist Neil Brownsword; and Mint Museum Director of Craft + Design Annie Carlano. Following the talks, there will be a panel discussion moderated by Carlano featuring Harrod, Stair, and Brownsword, as well as Mint Museum Curator of Decorative Arts Brian
Gallagher and ceramic artist Kate Malone.

The schedule of events is: 1:00 p.m. – Exhibition walk-through and discussion with Diane and Marc Grainer in the Mint

Museum of Craft + Design special exhibition galleries 2:00 p.m. – Book signing by the authors of the exhibition catalogue in the Robert Haywood

Morrison Atrium
3:00 p.m. – Symposium begins in the James B. Duke Auditorium
4:30 p.m. – Break and reception hosted by The Founders’ Circle in the Atrium
5:30 p.m. – Symposium resumes; panel discussion begins
7:00 p.m. – Symposium ends

Keynote speaker Tanya Harrod is the principal essayist of the exhibition catalogue, Contemporary British Studio Ceramics: The Grainer Collection (Yale University Press: 2010), and Visiting Professor at the Royal College of Art in London. She is co-editor of the Journal of Modern Craft and author of the award-winning study, The Crafts in Britain in the Twentieth Century, and the forthcoming biography, Michael Cardew: A Life (both published by Yale University Press). Harrod will offer a survey of British
studio ceramics over the past 20 years with a focus on the “Englishness” of ceramic production.

Ceramic artist and scholar Julian Stair is the recipient of the 2004 European Achievement Award from the World Crafts Council and a regular contributor to craft journals and other prestigious publications. He holds a Ph.D. in Critical Writing on English Studio Pottery from the Royal College of Art
in London. Stair will be speaking on the topic of funerary ware, from urns to sarcophagi, related to his most recent work, which includes both thrown and hand-built vessels.

Born and raised near Stoke-on-Trent, ceramic artist Neil Brownsword began working at the Josiah Wedgwood factory at age 16. He studied ceramics at the University of Wales Institute, Cardiff, and received his Ph.D. from Brunel University in London following the completion of his groundbreaking series, Collaging History. Brownsword will be speaking on the development of his contemporary ceramic
installation art in historically significant Stoke-on-Trent.

Annie Carlano is the Director of Craft + Design at The Mint Museum and the exhibition curator of Contemporary British Studio Ceramics: The Grainer Collection. She holds a bachelor’s degree in art history from Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey, and a master’s degree in art history from Università degli Studi in Florence, Italy. An internationally recognized scholar, Carlano has published and lectured on textiles, fashion, and decorative arts. Her recent books include Sleeping Around: The Bed
from Antiquity to Now (University of Washington Press: 2006) and Contemporary British Studio Ceramics: The Grainer Collection. She will speak on the topic of collecting ceramics.

Brian Gallagher is the Curator of Decorative Arts at The Mint Museum and a graduate of the Bard Graduate Center in New York. Prior to joining the Mint, he served as Assistant Curator in the Department of European Sculpture and Decorative Arts at the Detroit Institute of Arts. Gallagher is a member of the
Indemnity Panel for Domestic Exhibitions at the National Endowment for the Arts and serves as a board
member of the American Ceramic Circle.

Born in London, ceramicist Kate Malone studied at Bristol Polytechnic and the Royal College of Art. Known for her use of shapes inspired by natural forms and vivid crystalline glazes, this Barcelona-based artist is one of the most fearless innovators in the field of international studio ceramics. The Mint Museum of Craft + Design has commissioned Malone to create a ceramic work for the new Mint Museum Uptown as part of its Project Ten Ten Ten series. She will be the guest artist at the upcoming
10th Annual Mint Condition Gala sponsored by The Founders’ Circle.

Gift is first acquisition by the Romare Bearden Society

 The Mint Museum has received a striking collage by African-
American contemporary artist Romare Bearden from the Romare Bearden Society, an interest group
of the Museum. Back Porch Serenade (1977), which will go on view this fall at the Mint Museum
Uptown, marks the group’s first purchase for the Museum.

“We are grateful to the Romare Bearden Society for this generous gift,” said Curator of
Contemporary Art Carla Hanzal. “Back Porch Serenade is a notable addition to the Mint’s collection, as
there are few works within the Bearden collection from the mid-1970s, and the collage’s subject was an
important theme to the artist.”

Back Porch Serenade is an excellent example of Romare Bearden’s series of collages that provide
narrative and thematic explorations of his native South from late 1977 through 1978. Born in Charlotte,
Bearden lived there until the age of three. Although his family settled in New York, the artist’s brief
childhood in the South and return visits to Charlotte to see his great-grandparents (both emancipated
slaves) made a noteworthy impact on his art. After finishing the Odysseus Collages series in 1977, the
artist set out to create his own visual odyssey by way of the cities and neighborhoods where he had lived
or frequented: Charlotte, Pittsburgh, Paris, Harlem, and Canal Street. In Back Porch Serenade, Bearden
renders three musicians creating homespun music, a common ritual from his childhood memories of the
rural South. Portraying three musicians is a recurring theme in Bearden’s career. As early as 1942,
Bearden had painted Folk Musicians, which depicts a trio of men. Bearden had made the subject iconic in
his important Three Folk Musicians (1967), Soul Three (1968), and in later works such as Three Obeahs
(1984).

Housing one of the nation’s largest public collections of works by Romare Bearden, The Mint
Museum has had a gallery exclusively devoted to showcasing the artist’s works since 2003. The collage
will be included in the Museum’s upcoming exhibition Romare Bearden: Southern Recollections, which will
examine how the South served as a source of inspiration throughout the artist’s career, a theme which has
not been previously explored. The exhibition will open on 2 September 2011—the centennial of Bearden’s
birth—and will be on display at the Mint Museum Uptown through 7 January 2012. Following its
presentation at the Mint, the exhibition will travel nationally.

About the Romare Bearden Society
A special interest membership group of the Museum, the Romare Bearden Society supports and
grows The Mint Museum’s permanent collection of African-American contemporary art through educational,
outreach, and social programs, with a particular focus on the works of artist Romare Bearden. Through
fundraising events, the group plans to acquire additional works of art by African-American artists for the
Museum. For more information on the Romare Bearden Society, contact Director of Community Relations
Rubie Britt-Height at 704.337.2091 or rubie.brittheight@mintmuseum.org.

New amenities let children draw inspiration from creative play

New programs and amenities geared towards younger visitors are making The Mint Museum a welcoming destination for children and families this winter.

The Lewis Family Gallery at the Mint Museum Uptown provides a creative outlet for children to play, explore, and learn about the Museum’s collections. Featuring actual works of art, the Family Gallery offers five activity zones and a soft-play Tot Spot area for crawlers and new walkers. Visitors can pose for pictures behind a wall of ornate gold frames in the Hall of Portraits or step into a Romare Bearden-inspired collage in the interactive Memories of Mecklenburg play house. Two art-making stations, Draw the Line and Imagination Station, allow children to experiment with mark-making and create artwork to take home, while the Inspired By station offers puzzle challenges for young minds. Geared towards children up to age 12, the Lewis Family Gallery is open during regular museum hours and is free with admission.

Beginning in January, families will be able to borrow an Art Pack at the “Mint for Families” station just outside the Lewis Family Gallery for an in-depth investigation of artwork in the permanent collection galleries. Art Packs are backpacks stocked with sketching, writing, and touchable activities and games geared toward school-aged children. Also available at the family station are ARTventure scavenger hunt postcards, which encourage children and their parents to explore a new theme in the Mint Museum Uptown
each month. Both of these projects are supported, in part, by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts.

The Mint will also launch two new education series for families in 2011: Art Studio Saturdays and Sunday Fun Days. In Art Studio Saturdays, children and adults can create art projects as a family using materials and themes provided by the Museum. This drop-in series will be held monthly on second
Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Mint Museum Randolph and is free with museum admission. The Art Studio Saturdays winter/spring schedule is:

8 January – Painting Party!: Experiment with a variety of paints and materials to create a work of art, and see a masterpiece by Impressionist Mary Cassatt in the galleries.

12 February – Dragon Puppets: Use crayon resist, markers, and embellishments to construct a dramatic dragon puppet to celebrate Chinese New Year.

12 March – Native American Pottery: Explore ancient and contemporary pottery of the Americas and use hand-building techniques to construct a clay animal or vessel to take home.

9 April – Springtime Collage Cards: Celebrate the season by cutting, tearing, and layering handmade papers to create lovely collaged notecards, and visit the galleries to see how artists have depicted seasons throughout the ages.

14 May – Mexican Tin Art: Draw inspiration from the bold, contemporary Maya textiles on display, and design and emboss a colorful, metal folk art plate.

Debuting in January at the Mint Museum Uptown are Sunday Fun Days. This monthly, drop-in series features family-friendly activities, including performances, artist demonstrations, craft projects, family tours, and more. Sunday Fun Days will be held monthly on third Sundays from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. at the Mint Museum Uptown and are free with museum admission. The Sunday Fun Days winter/spring schedule is:

16 January – Glass Magic: Go on a family tour to view glass sculptures, make a sparkling sun catcher, and explore color and light at the Colorama Booth with Discovery Place ScienceReach specialists.

20 February – Art, Supersized: Add your touch to a supersized mural, search the galleries for large paintings, and play “giant games” with your family members.

20 March – Crafting Critters: Watch artist David Edgar morph recycled plastic into incredible sea creatures, take a guided “safari” in the galleries, and craft a critter to take home.

17 April – Earth Day Art: See a special “green” performance by the North Carolina Dance Theatre, watch a pottery demonstration by artist Greg Scott, craft a recycled creation, and go on an Earth Day family tour.

15 May – Wonders of Wood: Watch the wood shavings fly as artist Charles Farrar demonstrates the art of woodturning on a lathe, then go on a wood-themed scavenger hunt in the galleries and do a simple wood project.

All 2010-2011 education programs for children, youth, and teachers are supported in part by a generous grant from The Hearst Foundation, Inc.

Annual event relocates to the new Mint Museum Uptown

Emmy Award winner Farmer Jason will headline The Mint Museum’s Annual Children’s Holiday Party on Saturday, 11 December at 10:30 a.m. at the Mint Museum Uptown (500 South Tryon Street). This annual members-only event will feature entertainment by Farmer Jason and Art Vark (the Jr. Mints Kids Club mascot), refreshments, and family fun as a special holiday celebration for the Museum’s youngest supporters.

Internationally-acclaimed singer and songwriter Jason Ringenberg launched his musical career in the mid-1980s as the frontman of the award-winning punk rock/country band Jason and the Scorchers. In 2003, inspired by his young daughters, Ringenberg created his family music character Farmer Jason and released the album A Day at the Farm with Farmer Jason. With its themes of nature appreciation and ecology, the album earned rave reviews from national critics, as did his subsequent CD, Rockin’ in the Forest with Farmer Jason (2006). In 2009, Ringenberg partnered with Nashville Public Television to produce an educational video series called It’s a Farmer Jason!, which won an Emmy Award for Best Children’s Program Mid-South Region.

Private collectors place work on long-term loan to Museum

Visitors to the Mint Museum Randolph will soon have the unique opportunity to view an early masterpiece by American painter Mary Cassatt. The painting, Madame X Dressed for the Matinée (1878), comes from the collection of Charlotte and Philip Hanes of Winston-Salem, N.C., who have generously placed it on long-term loan at the Mint.

“We are delighted to share this masterpiece with both The Mint Museum and our fellow North Carolinians,” said Philip Hanes. “According to one Cassatt scholar, Madame X was among the artist’s favorite works and was likely painted while Cassatt was working closely with her mentor, Edgar Degas.”

Mary Cassatt (1844-1926) was an American painter and printmaker. She lived much of her adult life in France, where she became the only American artist (and one of only five women) to exhibit alongside the French Impressionists. Known for her sensitive depictions of mothers and their children, many of Cassatt’s works examined the social and private lives of women.

“Madame X is an outstanding example of Cassatt’s ambitious and celebrated treatment of women’s daily lives,” said Executive Director Kathleen V. Jameson. “Displaying a classic such as this helps people understand the multi-faceted nature of American art, one of the Mint’s major focus areas. It is tremendously gratifying to make this great painting available for the public to enjoy.”

Painted in the year that Cassatt became actively involved with the Impressionists, Madame X Dressed for the Matinée depicts a young woman elegantly attired for a social outing. The painting was among the first by Cassatt to reference the Parisian theater. The painting has been exhibited nationally and internationally at major venues, including the Schirn Kunsthalle, Frankfurt (2008); Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco (2008); Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (1999); National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C. (1999); Art Institute of Chicago (1998); and Isetan Art Gallery, Tokyo (1981).

In honor of this important loan, the Museum has organized a small spotlight exhibition on Cassatt. Mary Cassatt’s Madame X: A Masterpiece from the Charlotte and Philip Hanes Collection will be on view 20 November 2010 – 3 April 2011 in the Jones Gallery at the Mint Museum Randolph, located at 2730 Randolph Road in Charlotte. The exhibition will give visitors an intimate look at Madame X, examine the painting’s place in Cassatt’s oeuvre, discuss the sitter’s identity, and present period fashions and decorative objects from the artist’s era. After the exhibition closes, the painting will be integrated into the American art galleries at the new Mint Museum Uptown.