Charlotte, N.C. (June 25, 2019): The Mint Museum will be reopening its doors on Tuesdays as part of its ongoing commitment to be more available and accessible to all members of the community.   

The Mint’s decision, which takes upeffect on July 1 at the start of its new fiscal year, will allow members of the community to view the museum’s new crop of innovative exhibitions during daytime hours. The reopening marks the first time in over six years that the museum has been open on Tuesdays.  

The reopening serves as one of many strategic initiatives spearheaded by The Mint’s President and CEO Todd A. Herman, Ph.D, less than a year after he assumed the role. The overarching goal: to broaden the museum’s accessibility.  

 In fall 2018, the museum added Friday date-night hours at Mint Museum Uptown, extending regular hours until 9 PM. The Friday evening hours cater to those who may not be able to visit the museum during the week, and offer a variety of creative ways for people to experience the Mint.  

 “Through these changes, we’re building a better Mint,” says Herman. “We want to give the community more opportunities to take advantage of all the Mint has to offer, and we’re excited for more people to join our family.”  

 The decision to add Tuesday hours comes at the same time as a bevvy of breathtaking and inspiring exhibitions and events are making their way to Mint Museum Uptown and Mint Museum Randolph.  

 One exhibition, Never Abandon Imagination: The Fantastical Art of Tony DiTerlizzi, opened Saturday, June 22 at Mint Museum Randolph and presents paintings and sketches from the career of author and illustrator Tony DiTerlizzi, whose bestselling works include The Spider and the Fly, The Spiderwick Chronicles (co-written by Holly Black), and Kenny & the Dragon. 

 On view until November 3, the exhibition highlights 150 original works across DiTerlizzi’s career, from his school-age sketches to his early days of illustrating for Dungeons & Dragons and Magic: The Gathering, his children’s book illustrations to his fantastical middle-grade works. The galleries also are interactive, giving kids the opportunity to make their own works of art. 

 The Mint is also organizing and hosting the first solo museum exhibition outside Europe by Studio Drift, an artist collective based in the Netherlands that creates breathtaking sculptures that explore the relationship between humanity, nature and technology. 

 The exhibition, Immersed in Light: Studio Drift at the Mint, will run from September 21, 2019 to April 26, 2020 at Mint Museum Uptown, and will feature five works created over the last decade, including one installation premiering at the Mint.  

Lauded in art circles worldwide for its innovative approach to art through technology, Studio Drift entered the general public’s eye in the U.S. in 2017, when its Drifter — a gravity-defying monolithic block of concrete — wowed at the Armory Show. The Dutch artist collective again made headlines a few months later when its Tree of Ténéré — a towering lifelike tree illuminated by 175,000 LED lights — debuted at the Burning Man festival. The group’s critical reception across the globe has continued to grow, and most recently, the group was included in the 2019 Venice Bienniale. 

About The Mint Museum  

Established in 1936 as North Carolina’s first art museum, The Mint Museum is a leading, innovative cultural institution and museum of international art and design. With two locations—Mint Museum Randolph in the heart of Eastover and Mint Museum Uptown on South Tryon Street—the Mint boasts one of the largest collections in the Southeast and is committed to engaging and inspiring members of the global community. 

THE STORIES BEHIND SOME OF THE GARMENTS IN “CHARLOTTE COLLECTS: CONTEMPORARY COUTURE & FABULOUS FASHION”

THE STORIES BEHIND SOME OF THE GARMENTS IN “CHARLOTTE COLLECTS: CONTEMPORARY COUTURE & FABULOUS FASHION”

BY HEATHER GWALTNEY

What do birthdays, a pregnancy, furtive feathers, love at first sight, a good investment and luggage left behind all have in common? Sometimes a dress is more than just a dress. Based on interviews with the featured collectors, this is a “behind the seams” look at some of the striking gowns featured in Charlotte Collects: Contemporary Couture & Fabulous Fashion, on view at Mint Museum Randolph through February 4, 2018.

Bride-to-be Amanda Weisiger Cornelson envisioned a long-sleeved dress with color for her summer 2016 wedding. Upon seeing her gown on the runway at the Giambattista Valli Haute Couture Fall 2015 show at the Grand Palais in Paris, it was love at first sight. She visited the designer’s atelier after the show and tried on a few of the other beautiful pieces from the collection, but in the end she only had eyes for the originally-selected gown.

Like her daughter Amanda Cornelson, Lisa Dargan’s Giambattista Valli blue ostrich feather skirt was wedding attire. She wore the dress only once in her home, for a fitting that had to take place downstairs in her entry hall because no other rooms were large enough to accommodate the generous train (the wedding was in Savannah). But she was periodically reminded of the magic of her wedding day as feathers continued to appear, for a more than a year, in unusual places such as in her nightstand and in a suitcase that did not accompany her on her wedding travels.

When Myra Gassman wears her historic Commes des Garcons dress, it always elicits a reaction. So much so that, more than once, people have offered to buy it off of her while she was wearing it. She purchased it from a store in Carmel, California and more than five years after she purchased it, the store owner called and offered to buy it back at double the price she paid. (It’s one of the most important pieces in the exhibition due to its rarity and excellent condition.)

Deidre Grubb and her family arrived at the airport one hour before their flight to visit friends in St Barths and were told that they were too late to have their bags put on the plane. In order to make their scheduled flight, the Grubbs elected to leave their luggage behind in the trunk of their car and travel with nothing but the clothes on their backs. Upon landing in St. Barths, their hosts offered to lend them some clothes to wear but also took them shopping. Knowing the caliber of St. Barths’ shopping, instead of buying the same sorts of things she already had at home, Deidre opted to take the opportunity to buy something really special, a gown by Italian designer Roberto Cavalli which she wore twice to dinner during the vacation. Since coming to Charlotte, the dress made its black-tie debut worn by her friend Leslie Culbertson, at the Mint’s Coveted Couture Gala.

Alex Holleman’s Delpozo coat is the actual, hand-stitched coat that was shown on the runway. However, as shown, the coat didn’t make it into the collection and was destined for storage. Alex loved it so much that she convinced the designer to sell it to her and, despite its significant weight, she wears it as often as possible.

For Chandra Johnson, her gowns in the exhibition represent celebrations, as they were all worn to the NASCAR Awards in Las Vegas when she accompanied her husband, seven-time NASCAR Cup Champion Jimmie Johnson. However, when Chandra thinks about the white silk Isaac Mizrahi gown, she also remembers feeling very, very ill. In fact, though she was approximately three months pregnant at the time, the Johnsons hadn’t yet divulged the secret. However, protocol required her to sit on the stage, facing the audience at the banquet. So, despite the fact that they had yet to share the news with their closest friends, she had to warn the woman organizing the awards show that she was pregnant in case sickness caused her to make a quick exit from stage.

Ashley Anderson Mattei’s pink and yellow two-piece Giambattista Valli ensemble elicits happy memories of a milestone birthday that took place during the year she and her family lived in Paris. In celebration of her 40th birthday, her husband, Scott, teamed up with Laura Vinroot Poole to take Ashley to her very first fashion show: a couture Giambattista Valli fashion show in Paris. Part of the gift was that, in addition to attending the show, she could choose a gown. Though shown with a slightly different profile on the runway, due to the nature of couture, she was able to request some changes to customize the shape of the gown’s skirt to make it feel more “her” when she wears it with the beautiful pink beaded top.

Laura Vinroot Poole first saw her silk taffeta cocktail dress when she hosted Giambattista Valli’s first-ever couture collection show in the United States at the Duke Mansion. Though the pajama-influenced dress was shown in crisp, white taffeta, she had it made in in one of her favorite color combinations, pale pink with cherry red piping. Couture can be customized, up to a point, as the designer has to sign off on the changes to the piece since his or her name will be on it and Vinroot Poole surmises that Giambattista must have agreed that the color combination was as dreamy as she thought it would be.

Dr. Kimberly Blanding Putney had no particular event in mind when she saw her Missoni gown at Nordstrom but she felt it was a must-purchase. Initially worn for a music and art collaboration event, the fun, colorful pattern makes her smile. For her, wearing it is effortless due to the feel of the fabric, its slightly transparent nature, and the beauty of its craftsmanship.

When asked by her husband to name something she would want for her birthday if she could have anything, Ann Rosemund Tarwater replied, “a Carolina Herrera dress.” Though it gave him a moment’s pause, he made her wish come true and on their next trip to New York City, they spent the afternoon trying on her beautiful pieces. With this gown she feels she has been gifted the look of elegance, femininity, and classic beauty.

NFL Quarterback Cam Newton shared his fashion philosophy with the Mint at the time his foundation loaned his Versace suit ensemble to round out the exhibition with a menswear sample: “I like to incorporate my individual style into everything I do, especially my fashion sense. From a young age I was encouraged to always be myself, and I make it a point to empower others to do the same. Expressing myself through fashion is something I take seriously…but not so seriously that I can’t have fun with it. Having fun is the name of the game for me. I like classic looks with a twist of something different, like some colorful loafers or a bold tie. Don’t be afraid to stand out! Check out this outfit, for example. The pin stripe Versace suit is classic. It’s dressy, but not too formal. The jacket could even be worn with jeans and a V-neck. I chose the full suit paired with a white dress shirt, a handmade feather bow tie from Charleston’s Brackish Bow Ties, and some colorful Giuseppe Zanotti loafers to complete the look.”

In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, survivors are offered free admission

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).

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.

Museum to host three extraordinary exhibitions, launch new fashion initiative in the coming fiscal year

The Mint Museum, long renowned for holding one of the largest and most significant Fashion Collections in the Southeastern United States, will celebrate the art form with its upcoming “Year of Fashion,” the museum announced today to attendees of its annual gala.

Weston M. Andress, chairman of the Mint’s Board of Trustees, issued a proclamation declaring the “Year of Fashion” to 400 attendees at the sold-out Coveted Couture gala, an annual fundraising event permanently devoted to celebrating the Mint’s collection, conservation, study, and exhibition of fashions both historic and contemporary. The “Year of Fashion” will span the museum’s next fiscal year beginning July 1, 2017 and continuing through June 30, 2018.

“Today we celebrate the Mint for delivering relevant and compelling exhibitions and programming that engages all members of our diverse global community, and we are thrilled that we will be able to introduce new concepts of art to our community through this year-long focus on fashion,” Andress said.

“Fashion design is like kinetic sculpture, and leading couturiers are like master architects who build with fabric and applied elements using the body as armature,” said Annie Carlano, Senior Curator of Craft, Design, & Fashion at the Mint. “Our relationship with fashion is both universal and personal; fashion reflects the times we live in and who we are.”

The “Year of Fashion” will center around three exhibitions to be on view throughout the year, and is also accompanied by a major financial gift provided by loyal Mint supporters Ann and Michael Tarwater. In honor of his wife Ann, Michael Tarwater has given a lead gift to launch a Fashion Initiative at Mint Museum Randolph to enhance the storage, study, exhibition, and development of innovative immersive programs around fashion in years to come. “The Tarwaters believe the Mint should be the fashion leader in our region – and beyond.  They see fashion design as one of the most engaging and meaningful art forms, with rich aesthetic and cultural associations, and a gateway to understanding style through the ages. They are dedicated to making Charlotte a great city for all, and that includes robust support for the arts. With this lead gift for a dynamic fashion presence at the Mint, Ann and Michael are giving back to the city that has been their home for more than 30 years, and we cannot thank them enough,” said Carlano. Further details of the Fashion Initiative will be made public during the coming months.

The three exhibitions to be hosted at the Mint are:

• William Ivey Long: Costume Designs 2007-2016 . On view at Mint Museum Uptown from September 23, 2017 through June 3, 2018. North Carolina native William Ivey Long is one of the most renowned theatrical costume designers working today. Since the beginning of his career in the 1970s, he has designed over 70 Broadway shows, has won six Tony awards and received 15 nominations, and has earned many other honors and accolades. The exhibition will explore William Ivey Long’s most recent work, from 2007 to today. It will focus on his process, featuring sketches, swatches, mood boards, and other preparatory materials in addition to the costumes themselves. The exhibition, co-curated by Carlano, and Rebecca Elliot, Assistant Curator for Craft, Design, & Fashion, will provide visitors with exposure to this form of art and allow for comparison of the different goals of theatrical costume and fashion.

• Charlotte Collects: Contemporary Couture and Fabulous Fashion. On view at Mint Museum Randolph from October 14, 2017 through early 2018. This is the first of a series of Craft, Design, & Fashion exhibitions featuring significant collections and collectors in Charlotte. Curated by Carlano, Charlotte Collects is an exhibition that takes an intimate look at important fashion designs in the collections of several fashion leaders in our community. From exquisite bespoke creations by couturier Giambattista Valli, to the innovative designs by Issey Miyake and elegant minimalism of Jason Wu, the exhibition strives to present a wide range of 21^st century fashion through the personal stories of each of these collectors, with the goal of both celebrating these women, and building excitement for the future of fashion at Mint Museum Randolph.  Informative and dynamic, the installation will include runway videos.
• An exhibition of fashion designs by Oscar de la Renta, scheduled to be on view in spring 2018 at Mint Museum Randolph. Organized in close collaboration with the House of Oscar de la Renta and the designer’s family, the exhibition is curated by André Leon Talley, former American editor-at-large for Vogue and a lifelong friend of de la Renta. It is scheduled to debut at the Mint next spring following its recently announced run at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston this fall. It is anticipated to contain fashions made during the span of his career in Spain, Paris, and New York. The Mint hosted the late designer for a fashion show fundraiser organized by the Mint Museum Auxiliary in 2011.

Wells Fargo Private Bank has signed on as presenting sponsor of both the William Ivey Long and Oscar de la Renta exhibitions, as well as serving as lead sponsor of this year’s Coveted Couture gala. “Wells Fargo Private Bank is pleased to help the Mint present these signature exhibitions to the community,” said Jay Everette, Community Affairs Manager, Wells Fargo Foundation, and co-chair of this year’s Coveted Couture gala. “The intersection of art, fashion, costume, and design offers incredibly rich content and concepts to explore through both exhibition presentation and community programming.”

“The Mint thanks Wells Fargo, the Tarwater family, the Auxiliary, and all of the hundreds of other individual, corporate, and foundation sponsors who make possible our ability to continue to present these groundbreaking exhibitions to our community,” said Carlano.

The Mint also announced Saturday that the next Coveted Couture gala will be timed to coincide with the opening of the Oscar de la Renta exhibition, and will be co-chaired by Charlotte fashion industry leaders Laura Vinroot Poole and Perry Poole. More information on the plans will be available later in 2017 at mintmuseum.org/gala .

Above image: Lisa Dargan in couture by Giambattista Valli, 2014. Photograph by Gately Williams. From the upcoming exhibition Charlotte Collects: Contemporary Couture and Fabulous Fashion.

The Wyeths: Three Generations, Works from the Bank of America Collection to go on view March 11-August 13, 2017

For more than a century, the members of the Wyeth family have created works of art that have stirred the imagination and fascinated art lovers worldwide. The Mint Museum is now preparing to host an exhibition of Bank of America’s largest collection of unique works by one family, providing a window into the Wyeth family’s artists through more than 60 remarkable paintings, drawings, and photographs.

The Wyeths: Three Generations, Works from the Bank of America Collection will open March 11 and remain on view through August 13 at Mint Museum Randolph, 2730 Randolph Road in Charlotte. Members of the media and special guests are invited to preview the exhibition at 10 a.m. on Thursday March 9. Interviews with curators, Mint staff, and Bank of America representatives will be available, and media photography is permitted. RSVP to leigh.dyer@mintmuseum.org to attend.

“Through our Art in our Communities program, Bank of America has made our corporate art collection available for museums and nonprofit galleries around the world,” said Bank of America’s North Carolina and Charlotte Market President Charles Bowman, who also sits on the Mint’s board of trustees. “This is the first time this unique Wyeth exhibition will be on display in the South and the first time it’s been seen in the U.S. in seven years. We’re very excited to bring these generational works to the Mint Museum for the Charlotte community to enjoy.” In addition to lending the works to the Mint, the exhibition is sponsored by Bank of America.

“This is the most comprehensive exhibition of work by the members of the Wyeth family that the museum has ever hosted,” said Dr. Jonathan Stuhlman, the Mint’s Senior Curator of American, Modern, and Contemporary Art. “We extend our gratitude to Bank of America for sharing these treasures of American art with our visitors, who will delight in the opportunity to see so many of these beautifully-executed images of stories, people, and scenery created over the course of the entire 20th century.”

Patriarch N.C. Wyeth was one of the country’s foremost illustrators at the turn of the 20th century. Included in the exhibition are his illustrations for books by Robert Louis Stevenson and Washington Irving. N.C.’s son, Andrew, is known for his haunting, highly detailed realist paintings and is represented by works from the 1940s through the 1990s. Although not as well-known as her brother, Andrew, Henriette Wyeth was an accomplished artist who painted striking portraits, landscapes, and still lifes. She is represented in the exhibition, as is her husband, Peter Hurd, who chronicled the landscape of the American west. Andrew Wyeth’s son, Jamie, represents the third generation of the family in the show. Jamie continues the family’s tradition of realism using oil paint rather than his father’s preferred mediums of tempera and watercolor. His paintings often feature the people, animals, and landscapes of Maine and Pennsylvania, and are imbued with a unique sense of magic and mystery.

Charlotteans may remember the success of the Mint’s presentation of Andrew Wyeth’s “Helga” paintings in 2004-2005. This presentation is part of the ongoing celebration of the Mint’s 80^th anniversary year as North Carolina’s first art museum, and reflects its ongoing commitment to American art. This exhibition is accompanied by an illustrated brochure and a variety of educational programming, with details available at mintmuseum.org/happenings. Among the special guests during the exhibition’s run will be Victoria Wyeth, granddaughter of Andrew Wyeth, who will appear for a FREE “ Evening with Victoria Wyeth ” talk at 6 p.m. on Wednesday March 29.

IMAGE: Jamie Wyeth (1946- ), The Tempest, A Triptych, 1999, watercolor, gouache, and varnish highlights on gray archival cardboard. Bank of America Collection.

Statement in response to HB2 adopted at April 11 meeting

On Monday April 11, The Mint Museum Board of Trustees adopted the following statement:

As The Mint Museum’s mission statement declares, “We are committed to engaging and inspiring ALL members of our global community.” In light of the recent passage of HB2, the Public Facilities Privacy and Security Act, we affirm our longstanding commitment to diversity and inclusiveness in all aspects of our work. In short, The Mint Museum promotes and embraces diversity, inclusion, and equality for ALL.

For further inquiries, please contact Hillary Cooper, Director of Advancement & Communications, at hillary.cooper@mintmuseum.org, or Leigh Dyer, Director of Public Relations & Publications, at leigh.dyer@mintmuseum.org.

Amid Charlotte’s vibrant diversity, the growing population of newcomers from all corners of Latin America has led the Mint in recent years to undertake some of its most exciting multicultural projects.

Improvements continue to revitalize the state’s first art museum

Mint Museum Randolph’s revitalization continues!

As the museum builds up to its 80th anniversary in 2016 (did you know the Mint was  North Carolina’s first art museum , and it still holds one of the the largest permanent collections in the Southeast?), improvements are continuing to bring a “refreshed” experience to our visitors! Among the recent changes:

• Installation of new energy-efficient LED lighting was completed in the spring with the support of the City of Charlotte.
• Planters on the terrace were refurbished with the help of the Charlotte Garden Club,  a Mint Museum affiliate .
• There’s a new floor in the Ivey Forum, home of the STAR (Student Art) Gallery and one of the spaces available for public special events rentals ;
• The Ivey also has improved hard-wired data ports and conference phone lines.
• Landscaping improvements are helping drivers have a better line of sight at the Randolph Road entrance.

This is just the beginning – check back here for more updates on improvements to YOUR community art museum!

From February 16, 2015:

From now through mid-April, visitors to Mint Museum Randolph will experience changes aimed at giving the museum a brighter future.

The Mint Museum is working with the City of Charlotte, which owns the property at Randolph, along with Duke Energy to replace aging light fixtures with new LED fixtures. The new fixtures are more energy-efficient, yet have a more historically appropriate design than the previous 30-year-old lighting in the parking lot and on the terrace in front of the museum. They will reduce the light usage from 360 watts to 165 watts per pole – saving approximately 18,000 kilowatt hours per year, or roughly the same amount of energy consumed by 45 full-sized refrigerators.

The lighting project will be visible to visitors due to the removal of approximately 16-18 trees, in consultation with the City Arborist. The tree removal will benefit the health of the remaining trees, as well as maximizing the efficiency of the new lighting. Temporary lighting will be used in front of the museum while new poles are installed.

The target completion date for the project is April 19 – in time for the museum to celebrate its “Rock & Royal Spring Gala” on April 25. For more information, see mintmuseum.org/gala.

12th annual Mint Museum Potters Market Invitational set for Saturday, September 10

Collectors and pottery lovers will have access to the latest works by leaders in the rich tradition of North Carolina pottery when potters from across North Carolina and surrounding areas return to Mint Museum Randolph for the 12th annual Mint Museum Potters Market Invitational on Saturday, September 10, 2016.

Fifty outstanding North Carolina potters and two South Carolina potters have been invited to participate in this year’s event presented by the Delhom Service League, the ceramics affiliate of The Mint Museum, promoting ceramic arts and education. They’ll come from Seagrove, Western N.C., the Catawba Valley, and the Piedmont, and set up their booths in a tent on the lawn of the museum with remarkable works in clay – useful wares including mugs, teapots and jars, as well as over sized pots, contemporary art pottery, and sculptures. It’s like a shopping tour of the state’s best potteries all under one tent in one day. Attendees have the opportunity to get to know the potters as well as their work.

The addition of Winton and Rosa Eugene, from Cowpens, S.C., to the lineup of potters broadens the regional focus while keeping the spotlight squarely on North Carolina pottery traditions. Other well-known participating potters include Akira Satake, Ben Owen III, Cristina Cordova, Eric Knoche, and Julie Wiggins. Every year, hundreds of pottery enthusiasts line up in advance of the opening to gain access to the day’s best treasures.

The Delhom Service League dedicates the 2016 Potters Market Invitational to Daisy Wade Bridges (1932-2015), and is proud to honor her by establishing the Daisy Wade Bridges Purchase Prize from the Potters Market Invitational. Daisy Wade Bridges collected avidly and widely, and it is a certainty that without her dedicated support and enthusiasm there would not be a ceramics collection at The Mint Museum. One of Bridges’ favorite projects was the Potters Market Invitational, and each year she generously donated to the museum several pieces of pottery from this event, making certain that the museum’s North Carolina pottery collection would be broadened and inclusive. Bridges was a major force in ensuring the prominent place The Mint Museum holds in the world of ceramics.

The Delhom Service League is celebrating its 40th Birthday this year. Established in 1976, this unique organization has grown from a few students of ceramics to over one hundred men and women who not only study the history of ceramics but also work to present educational programming, support the ceramics collection, add volumes to the Delhom-Gambrell Library, and provide funds for the purchase of objects to enhance the collection. Their most recent projects include funding the publication British Ceramics 1675-1825, a catalogue of the collection edited by Brian Gallagher, Curator of Decorative Arts, as well as support for the new installation of the European ceramics collection throughout Mint Museum Randolph.

The $10 admission fee includes access to the potters’ tent from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. as well as free admission to the museum and docent led gallery tours. “Many of the potters that will be selling under the tent also have objects in the museum collection,” says Joe Skwara, who chairs the project this year for Delhom Service League and also serves as a docent. “Potters Market Invitational is such a great opportunity to connect with artists as real, live people, and then see their art inside the museum.”

Additionally, there are folk musicians, pottery-making demonstrations, and food. Children 12 and under are admitted free of charge when accompanied by an adult. Newly on view in the galleries will be the re-installation of the museum’s North Carolina pottery collection , which was guest curated by North Carolina potter David Stuempfle to reflect work by artists whose work is included in Potters Market Invitational. A free shuttle connects Mint Museum Randolph to Mint Museum Uptown from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. so visitors may experience both locations.

Individual sponsorships of $100 include Early Admission at 9:15 a.m. in advance of the general public. Special parking and continental breakfast are also included. Individual sponsorships of $150 also include attendance at the Meet the Potters Party being held Friday, September 9 from 6:30-9 p.m. Sponsors will enjoy dinner, music, and an opportunity to mingle with the potters and other pottery enthusiasts. Funds raised by Potters Market Invitational provide acquisitions of pottery and library materials for the Mint.

Potters Market Invitational admission tickets and sponsorships are available at the door and in advance at mintmuseum.org/happenings/1026. For questions, please email delhomserviceleague@gmail.com or call 704.337.2000. See our rack card and list of potters. Find Potters Market Invitational on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter.

NexGen Mint invites students to engage with art and design both online and in galleries

Calling the next generation of museum-goers: Teens are invited to engage with art and design at The Mint Museum in a wide range of new ways with the help of a recently launched initiative, NexGen Mint.

Teens’ lives are centered around home and school – and now, the NexGen Mint’s vision is to offer them a nurturing, creative “third place.” It’s a creative community to exchange ideas, have fun, interact, and learn from artist role models and peers.

Thanks to major grants from the Jimmie Johnson Foundation and Wells Fargo and additional support from IBM and the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Arts & Science Council, the Mint is rolling out a series of new offerings for students ages 14-18, including:

–A free membership offering teens the opportunity to make unlimited visits to the museum with a guest;

–Exclusive opportunities for teens to interact and foster their creativity with internationally known artists and designers who visit the museum;

–New forms of online interaction via a new website with curated, teen-focused content and dialogue scheduled to launch this spring; and

–Scholarships for 30 teens to attend a free week-long summer art camp.

Following a series of teen focus groups during 2014, public events kicked off with a teen round table with contemporary artist Mel Chin at Mint Museum Uptown in February. Chin, a former Artist-in-Residence at McColl Center for Art + Innovation, introduced the participating teens to his installation SEA to SEE, which he created to analyze human environmental impact on the world’s oceans in conjunction with a recent Mint exhibition examining the centennial of the Panama Canal. And on March 21-22, teens met at Mint Museum Randolph with contemporary Pueblo artist Rose “Bean” Simpson of Santa Fe, New Mexico, for a hands-on roundtable and workshop. Future NexGen events include:

–An April design lab and talks with fashion designers threeASFOUR, whose body-altering creations are a major feature in the Mint’s upcoming Body Embellishment exhibition, which will be on view from April 11 through September 6 at Mint Museum Uptown.

–A May design lab and talks with Dzine (aka Carlos Rolon), an installation artist and painter and author of a photographic history of nail art. His visit is also in conjunction with the Body Embellishment exhibition.

–A June design lab and talks with modern jewelry designer Nora Fok, also featured in Body Embellishment.

Participants can register NOW to receive the free NexGen Mint museum membership and begin receiving invitations to upcoming events. More information is available at mintmuseum.org/visit/nexgenmint.

Art History Symposium is March 22 at Mint Museum Randolph

A longstanding Mint Museum event is celebrating twenty-five years of scholarship. The Mint Museum’s 25^th Annual Regional Collegiate Art History Symposium happens Sunday, March 22, from 1-4 p.m. at Mint Museum RANDOLPH, 2730 Randolph Road. Admission is free, and a light reception follows the event.

The mission of the symposium has been to showcase undergraduate research in art history while providing students a unique opportunity to present their research in a professional environment and gain valuable academic experience. “UNC Greensboro Mint Museum presenters have published their findings in Explorations, the Journal of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities for the State of North Carolina and many of our representatives have gone on to pursue Masters Degrees and Ph.D.s in Art History,” says Dr. Elizabeth Perrill, a professor at UNC Greensboro.

In addition to providing a valuable platform for students studying art history, the symposium increases research and knowledge of the Mint’s permanent collections. The students’ research papers are archived in the J.A. Jones Reference Library at Mint Museum Randolph.

“Since 1990, the Mint Museum’s Regional Art History Symposium has provided a dynamic forum for young art historians to share their passion for art and their art history scholarship.  We salute the 100 college scholars who have presented their research to the community. We also would like to acknowledge the museum’s ongoing partnership with local art history departments and their faculty for their efforts to make the symposium a continued success,” said Cynthia Moreno, the Mint’s assistant director of lifelong learning.

This year, the museum celebrates the 25^th year of this innovative and integral part of the museum’s educational mission, we are thrilled and look forward to many more years of this enriching program.

Over the years the symposium has featured over ten different higher education institutions from the regional area and well over one-hundred students; this year’s presenters include:

Kristine Guhne | University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Junior

Grete Marks: Transcending Circumstances through Clay

Cathryn Smith | Winthrop University, Senior

Ritual Significance of the Human Body in Pre- and Post-Colonial Central American Art

Mills Brown | Wofford College, Senior

Elemental South: a TJC exhibition

Lauren Glazer | Queens University of Charlotte, Senior

Vik Muniz and the Found Object: The Path to Visual Literacy 

2nd annual Fall Ball, Inaugural flag football game, and Oyster Roast at Mint Museum Randolph

Public is invited to register for free event, “The Arts in Global Africa”

Mint and partner PNC prepare to welcome the public for free activities

The Mint Museum has joined with PNC for its second community day, coming up Saturday, September 28 with a roster of free activities and free general admission to both Mint Museum Randolph and Mint Museum Uptown. (Non-members still must pay admission fees if they wish to visit Inventing the Modern World at Mint Museum Uptown).

Family-friendly hands-on activities will occur from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. at Mint Museum Randolph, 2730 Randolph Road. They include zumba, a bilingual musical performance and storytime, West African music and movement, and art activities. Click here for a full schedule of activities.

“The Mint is grateful to PNC and our other corporate sponsors and partners for their leadership and their recognition of the important role that cultural institutions such as the Mint play in this community,” said Dr. Kathleen V. Jameson, President & CEO of the Mint. “These events further the Mint’s ongoing commitment to being an accessible and relevant resource.”

PNC’s sponsorship is part of the financial company’s “Grow Up Great” initiative. Founded by The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc., PNC Grow Up Great, and PNC Crezca con Éxito form a bilingual, $350 million, multi-year initiative that began in 2004 to help prepare children – particularly underserved children – from birth to age five for success in school and life.

“PNC has a long history of supporting organizations that strengthen and enrich the lives of our communities,” said Weston Andress, PNC Regional President, Western Carolina. “We understand that a rich arts community and a focus on healthy living is an important part of making the region attractive for businesses, residents and visitors.”

The day coincides with a national free museum admission day established by Smithsonian Magazine, called Museum Day Live! Each year on Museum Day Live!, visitors to participating museums may receive two free adult admissions if they print out a voucher from the Smithsonian website. However, thanks to the support of PNC, the Mint will not require visitors to present vouchers and will automatically grant free admission at both locations.

The Mint’s first community day, sponsored by Novant Health with additional support from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina, was held in June.

ABOUT PNC

The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. (www.pnc.com) is one of the nation’s largest diversified financial services organizations providing retail and business banking; residential mortgage banking; specialized services for corporations and government entities, including corporate banking, real estate finance and asset-based lending; wealth management and asset management. Follow @PNCNews on Twitter for breaking news, updates and announcements from PNC.

Ninth Annual Potters Market Invitational to Take Place September 7

Established and emerging potters from across the state will be setting up their displays on the grounds of Mint Museum Randolph for the 9^thAnnual Potters Market Invitational on Saturday, September 7. More than 50 outstanding North Carolina potters are participating in this year’s event, presented by the Delhom Service League, the ceramics affiliate of The Mint Museum.

The event attracts close to 1,300 collectors and enthusiasts, many of whom line up hours in advance of the opening to purchase their favorite pieces. Works range from traditional functional wares to contemporary sculptural works. The day also includes pottery-making demonstrations, live music, food, and more.

“We are very excited about the mix of North Carolina potters that will be at this year’s event,” said Lee Rocamora, co-chair of this year’s Potters Market Invitational. “Through their work, we will be able to showcase the breadth and depth of traditional as well as contemporary ceramics, and to stimulate a passion for ceramics, including the Mint’s excellent and growing collection, among those attending.”

The honorary chair of this year’s market is Jane Peiser, a well-known and widely collected Penland potter, and one of the participants in the first-ever Potters Market. One of Peiser’s works from her personal collection is to be auctioned at the Potter’s Party the night before the event. The Friday night auction is a brand new feature of Potters Market Invitational.

A $10 admission fee includes access to the event, running from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., as well as admission to both locations of The Mint Museum. Admission is free for children 12 and under when they accompany a paying adult. Individual sponsorships are also available. For $100, individuals are invited to the sponsors’ coffee that morning at 8:15 a.m. and receive early admission at 9:15 a.m. for a greater selection of works, as well as preferred parking. For $150, individuals are also invited to a special Potters Party being held Friday, September 6 from 7-9 p.m. at Mint Museum Randolph, where they will have the opportunity to mingle with the potters during an evening of food, music, and fun.

Since 2004, PMI has raised more than $200,000. These funds have been used to add many works to the Mint’s well-known ceramics collections, and to the Delhom-Gambrell Research Library. The reputation of PMI continues to grow each year, attracting local, regional, and national collectors. Next year, 2014, will be its tenth anniversary.

PMI tickets are on sale now at mintmuseum.org/delhom-service-league.html, or are available at the door. For more information, visit The Mint Museum’s website or call 704.337.2010. A video with further information is available at facebook.com/pottersmarketinvitational.

Currently on view at Mint Museum Randolph is North Carolina Pottery: Then and Now. The exhibition includes selections from the Mint’s recent exhibition A Thriving Tradition: 75 Years of Collecting North Carolina Pottery, and additional highlights from the museum’s permanent collection, which features the widest array of North Carolina pottery of any collection in the world. On September 22, Inventing the Modern World: Decorative Arts at the World’s Fairs 1851-1939 will open at Mint Museum Uptown. This groundbreaking international exhibition will present exceptional examples of ceramics 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, as well as examples of glass, furniture, jewelry, precious metalwork, and textiles. Many of these objects have never before left their respective institutions or countries.

Corporate sponsors for this year’s Potters Market Invitational include Our State Magazine, Subaru South Boulevard, Delectables by Holly, Ballantyne Hotel & Lodge, Leland Little Auction & Estate Sales, Ltd., Peppermint Forest Christmas Shop, and Rodgers Builders, Inc.

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

Museum to be closed Tuesdays, move free hours to Wednesdays beginning July 16, 2013

Following careful study of attendance patterns, The Mint Museum will now open to the public at 11 a.m. Wednesday through Saturday and 1 p.m. on Sundays, effective July 16, 2013, in order to maximize its highest-attended times and carefully steward its resources. Both locations of the museum will now be closed on Tuesdays in addition to Mondays. The museum will continue to offer free hours of community access each week, moving free evenings to Wednesdays from 5 to 9 p.m. instead of Tuesdays. Sunday hours remain unchanged. The new hours of operation are:

Closed Monday, Tuesday, and major holidays
Wednesday 11 a.m.-9 p.m. (FREE admission 5-9 p.m.)
Thursday-Saturday 11 a.m.-6 p.m.
Sunday 1-5 p.m.

“We researched our attendance patterns in an effort to optimize our public operating schedule and operate more efficiently, which allows us to more effectively respond to the community’s increased demand for meaningful and accessible arts and educational programming,” said Dr. Kathleen V. Jameson, President & CEO of the Mint. “We are very proud of our commitment to free community access, and we expect Wednesdays will be even more popular with the public than Tuesdays have been.”

Members of the media are asked to update all event calendars with the Mint’s new hours of operation. Please contact leigh.dyer@mintmuseum.org with any follow-up questions.

“New Eyes on America: The Genius of Richard Caton Woodville” to remain on view through November 3

An exhibition with richly-painted depictions of daily life created during the transformative years prior to the American Civil War will open at Mint Museum Randolph June 29, accompanied by special community events.

The exhibition, New Eyes on America: The Genius of Richard Caton Woodville, will premiere locally at a First Look Friday at 6:30 p.m. on June 28, which is free to Mint members and $15 for non-members and features gallery tours, complimentary hors d’oeuvres, cash bar, and more. On Saturday June 29, the community is invited to a FREE Community Wellness Day, sponsored by Novant Health with additional support from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina. Wellness-themed activities including dancing, lawn games, children’s hand-washing demonstrations, and healthy picnicking will take place from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. on the lawn in front of Mint Museum Randolph, 2730 Randolph Road, and museum admission is free to both Mint locations for the day.

During a tragically short career, the Baltimore-born and European-trained Richard Caton Woodville (1825–55) engaged with issues that dominated American society, including war, intergenerational communication, and new technologies such as the telegraph and penny press. Woodville was born of a prominent Baltimore family and trained in Düsseldorf, Germany. He conducted much of his professional career in Germany, France, and Great Britain. This is the first monographic Woodville exhibition since 1967. It premiered at The Walters Art Museum, which organized the exhibition, earlier this year.

The exhibition includes 15 of Woodville’s 16 known paintings, several of which have never been on view, as well as prints, illustrated books, and other related works of art to place his career in historical context. Woodville left behind no written archives; however, his work was highly acclaimed and widely disseminated through premium prints sent to thousands of subscribers to the American Art-Union, a national art membership organization. His beautifully painted, highly detailed canvases examining popular subjects played an important role in the extraordinary increase in visual imagery available to a broad American audience during his lifetime.

“This is the first special exhibition of paintings at Mint Museum Randolph since 2010,” said Jonathan Stuhlman, the museum’s Curator of American Art. “It is an honor to be able to share these iconic paintings with our visitors and for the Mint to have been chosen as the only venue in the country for this engaging show after the organizing institution.”

The scenes Woodville depicts are subtle yet revealing of human foibles, rendered on a small scale but addressing the larger events unfolding outside the scenes of daily life, including the politics of manifest destiny, the power shift from the Revolutionary to the Jacksonian generation, and the issues of slavery, war, and class difference. Although prevalent at this time, Woodville avoids the stereotyping and caricature of African American figures who are often observers to the central narratives. The installation also features a unique interactive “parlor” area, in which visitors can participate in activities popular during Woodville’s era, including making shadow puppets, playing with puzzle cubes and other handheld games, and looking at stereoscopic views.

The exhibition was organized by The Walters Art Museum, Baltimore, with generous grant support from the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services.

A 144-page publication, comprising five essays, a catalogue of the paintings, and an illustrated checklist of works on paper as well as engravings and lithographs after paintings by Woodville, accompanies the exhibition. Published by the Walters Art Museum and distributed by Yale University Press, the soft-cover book retails for $24.95.

Mint is one of more than 1,800 Blue Star Museums nationwide

The Mint Museum and several of its uptown neighbors are once again joining Blue Star Museums, a collaboration among the National Endowment for the Arts, Blue Star Families, the Department of Defense, and more than 1,800 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 2013. Leadership support has been provided by MetLife
Foundation through Blue Star Families. The complete list of participating museums is available at
www.arts.gov/bluestarmuseums.

All Blue Star Museums, including the Mint, Bechtler Museum of Modern Art, Discovery Place, Johnson C. Smith University (which is hosting the exhibition COURAGE: The Carolina Story that Changed America in its James B. Duke Memorial Library) 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, Mint Museum Uptown at Levine Center for the Arts, 500 South Tryon Street, and Mint Museum Randolph at 2730 Randolph Road.

“We are thrilled to offer our support to military families and veterans this summer,” said Hillary Cooper, director of communications and media relations at The Mint Museum. “This initiative enables us to deepen our community connections and serve as a family-friendly center for learning and inspiration.”

“Blue Star Museums is something that service members and their families look forward to every year and we are thrilled with the continued growth of the program,” said Blue Star Families CEO Kathy Roth-Douquet. “Through this distinctive collaboration between Blue Star Families, the National Endowment for the Arts and more than 1,800 museums across the United States, service members and their families can connect with our national treasures with this unparalleled opportunity to visit some of the country’s finest museums for free.”

This year, more than 1,800 (and counting) museums in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and American Samoa are taking part in the initiative, including more than 450 new museums this year. Museums are welcome to join Blue Star Museums throughout the summer. The effort to recruit museums has involved partnerships with the American Association of Museums, the Association of Art Museum Directors, the Association of Children’s Museums, the American Association of State and Local History, and the Association of Science-Technology Centers. This year’s Blue Star Museums represent not just fine arts museums, but also science museums, history museums, nature centers, and 75 children’s museums. Among this year’s new participants are the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles, California, Grand Traverse Lighthouse Museum in Northport, Michigan, the Totem Heritage Center in Ketchikan, Alaska, and the World Museum of Mining in Butte, Montana.

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 1,800 museums across America. The program runs from Memorial Day, May 27, 2013 through Labor Day, September 2, 2013.

Some special or limited-time museum exhibits may not be included in this free admission program. For questions on particular exhibits or museums, please contact the museum directly. To find out which museums are participating, visit www.arts.gov/bluestarmuseums. The site includes a list of participating museums and a map to help with visit planning.

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 the NEA/Walter Reed Healing Arts Partnership; Great American Voices Military Base Tour; and Shakespeare in American Communities Military Base Tour.

ABOUT BLUE STAR FAMILIES

Blue Star Families is a national, nonprofit network of military families from all ranks and services, including guard and reserve, dedicated to supporting, connecting and empowering military families. With our partners, Blue Star Families hosts a robust array of morale and empowerment programs, including Books on Bases, Blue Star Museums, Operation Honor Corp, Blue Star Careers and Operation Appreciation. Blue Star Families also works directly with the Department of Defense and senior members of local, State and Federal government to bring the most important military family issues to light.

Working in concert with fellow nonprofits, community advocates, and public officials, Blue Star Families raises awareness of the challenges and strengths of military family life and works to make military life more sustainable. Our worldwide membership includes military spouses, children, parents, and friends, as well as service members, veterans and civilians. To learn more about Blue Star Families, visit http://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.

Special days in June and September offer free museum admission and free healthy living activities

The Mint Museum is joining with leading members of the business community to present a new concept to the public: Mint Museum Community Wellness Days. These special events will combine free health-focused activities and free museum admission in recognition of the significant role that arts and culture play in healthy living and a community’s well-being.

Novant Health and PNC have each signed on as lead sponsors for an upcoming event, both of which will be based at Mint Museum Randolph, 2730 Randolph Road. The Novant Health Community Wellness Day, with additional support from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina, is June 29, and the PNC Community Wellness Day is scheduled for September 28. Both events will offer activities from 11 a.m.-3 p.m.

“The Mint is grateful to Novant Health, PNC, and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina for their leadership in supporting community wellness, and for their recognition of the important role that cultural institutions such as the Mint can play in fostering it,” said Dr. Kathleen V. Jameson, President & CEO of the Mint. “These events further the Mint’s ongoing commitment to being a resource for health and wellness and to being an accessible and relevant resource for the community.”

Recent research demonstrates the significant power of many art forms as a healing therapy for many conditions and diseases. Engagement with creative activities has been shown to contribute to reducing stress, combating depression, and serving as a vehicle for alleviating chronic diseases, according to “The Connection Between Art, Healing and Public Health: A Review of Current Literature,” published in The American Journal of Public Health in 2010. The Mint has recognized this connection for many years, and previous efforts have included joining the First Lady’s Let’s Move! museum initiative in 2011 and offering numerous previous free-admission community days, each of which have drawn thousands of people. But this year is the first time that sponsors have enabled the museum to present a full array of wellness-themed activities along with free museum admission.

Activities to be offered at both wellness days include croquet, kickball, yoga, and Frisbee in the sprawling park at Mint Museum Randolph; docent-led tours about the Mint’s permanent collections and traveling exhibitions; opportunities for quiet reflection in the Mint’s stunning gardens; artist demonstrations; picnics with healthy snacks and representatives from local farms; and do-it-yourself art activities. The Mint will also offer free admission to visitors at Mint Museum Uptown. (Normal adult general admission, which is valid for both museum locations, is $10).

“Community partnerships are vital to the mission, vision, and values of Novant Health,” said Karen Bentley, Director of Community Relations for Novant Health. “While much of the remarkable care we provide takes place within our facilities, our mission to improve the health of our communities extends far beyond our hospitals and physician practices.”

Novant Health plans to bring the Novant Health Breast Center mobile unit and the Novant Health Pediatric Critical Care Transport to its Wellness Day on June 29, along with hand washing demonstrations for children.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina is a supporting sponsor of the June 29 Wellness Day and will provide their Wellness Unit and offer additional health-related information at the event.

“Studies show that physically active people can save $500 per year on their health care costs. That’s certainly a goal worth pursuing,” said Ellison Clary, director of Charlotte community relations for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina. “By collaborating with organizations like The Mint Museum to support wellness and physical fitness, we’re giving North Carolinians the opportunity to be active and stay healthy, which can make a real difference in their health care spending.”

The Novant Health Community Wellness Day will serve as a launch of the newest traveling exhibition to open at Mint Museum Randolph:  New Eyes on America: The Genius of Richard Caton Woodville. The first exhibition of the artist’s work in 45 years, New Eyes on America will feature approximately four dozen paintings and other works by the American artist. It is the first exhibition of American paintings at Mint Museum Randolph in nearly five years. Woodville’s career produced a small number of pieces which depicted the major issues in American society leading up to the Civil War, including politics and emerging technology.  These detailed and life-like canvases offer snapshots of America’s past that will appeal to art and history buffs alike.

PNC’s commitment broadened

In addition to sponsoring the fall Community Wellness Day, PNC has signed on as the lead sponsor for the Mint’s groundbreaking exhibition F.O.O.D. (Food, Objects, Objectives, Design). Visitors to the exhibition, which is on view at Mint Museum Uptown through July 7, are submitting family recipes to the museum, and a selection of them  will be published in the Mint’s first-ever community cookbook with the help of PNC. And the financial service company has also become lead sponsor through February 2014 of the Mint’s Sunday Fun Days, held every third Sunday at Mint Museum Uptown. Each Sunday Fun Day is a drop-in family program offering hands-on art activities, healthy movement activities, and connections to the Mint’s exhibitions and permanent collection. Admission to Sunday Fun Days is free for children under 18 and half-price for adults.

The sponsorship is part of PNC’s “Grow Up Great” initiative. Founded by The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc., PNC Grow Up Great, and PNC Crezca con Éxito form a bilingual, $350 million, multi-year initiative that began in 2004 to help prepare children – particularly underserved children – from birth to age five for success in school and life.

“PNC has a long history of supporting organizations that strengthen and enrich the lives of our communities,” said Weston Andress, PNC Regional President, Western Carolina. “We understand that a rich arts community and a focus on healthy living is an important part of making the region attractive for businesses, residents and visitors.”

The fall Community Wellness Day on September 28 coincides with a national free museum admission day established by Smithsonian Magazine, called Museum Day Live! Each year on Museum Day Live!, visitors to participating museums may receive two free adult admissions if they print out a voucher from the Smithsonian website. However, thanks to the support of PNC, the Mint will not require visitors to present vouchers and will automatically grant free admission at both locations.

ABOUT PNC

The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. (www.pnc.com) is one of the nation’s largest diversified financial services organizations providing retail and business banking; residential mortgage banking; specialized services for corporations and government entities, including corporate banking, real estate finance and asset-based lending; wealth management and asset management. Follow @PNCNews on Twitter for breaking news, updates and announcements from PNC.

ABOUT NOVANT HEALTH

Novant Health is a four-state integrated network of physician practices, outpatient centers and hospitals that deliver a seamless and convenient healthcare experience to our communities. The Novant Health network consists of more than 1,100 physicians and 24,000 employees who make healthcare remarkable at more than 450 locations. Headquartered in Winston-Salem, N.C., Novant Health is committed to making healthcare remarkable for our patients and our communities serving over four million patients annually. In 2012, Novant Health provided more than $500 million in community benefit including charity care and services. Novant Health is one of the top 25 integrated health systems in the United States. For more information, please visit our website at NovantHealth.org. You can also follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

ABOUT BLUE CROSS AND BLUE SHIELD OF NORTH CAROLINA

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina is a leader in delivering innovative health care products, services, and information to more than 3.74 million members, including approximately 1 million served on behalf of other Blue Plans. For generations, the company has served its customers by offering health insurance at a competitive price and has served the people of North Carolina through support of community organizations, programs, and events that promote good health. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina was recognized as one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies by Ethisphere Institute in 2012 and 2013. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. Visit BCBSNC online at bcbsnc.com.

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.)

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.

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!

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

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.

“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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

“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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

6th Annual Potters Market Invitational Returns with Fresh New Line-Up and Live Music

“When you buy something from the potter, you buy part of that person.”
Cynthia Bringle, potter

What says North Carolina better than handmade pottery and bluegrass music? The Delhom Service League of The Mint Museum is gearing up for the sixth year of its Potters Market Invitational. Pottery enthusiasts come from miles around to view and purchase the best and latest in ceramic art. Ceramics for sale range from traditional utilitarian pots to studio ceramics, including jewelry. Don’t know much about ceramics? The Potters Market is the best place to learn while talking to the individual potters about the scope and vision of their creations.

The sale takes place Saturday, September 11, 2010, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the lawn of the Mint Museum Randolph, located at 2730 Randolph Road in Charlotte. It will feature bluegrass music from fiddler Rose Spinks and banjo player Harry Taylor of the Glazed Over String Band. Tickets are $10 for adults ($8 after 2 p.m.); $5 for children 5-17; and free for children under 5. Ticket sales begin the day of the event at 9:30 a.m. The entry fee includes admission to the Mint Museum Randolph. Proceeds support The Mint Museum’s decorative arts collection. Box lunches are available for purchase from Delectables by Holly.

Many potters have called North Carolina home over the last few centuries. Natural clay deposits attracted potters of European descent starting in the late 18th century. Since then, North Carolina has become one of the country’s richest ceramic meccas, full of unique styles and forms. Each year, the Potters Market Invitational features 40 superb potters representing the state’s most important pottery-producing areas: Seagrove, the Piedmont, Catawba Valley and the mountains, including Penland and Asheville. Potters participate by selection on a rotating basis, giving shoppers access to a wide variety of artists from one year to the next.

Potters returning this year include: Ben Owen III, Donna Craven and Crystal King. Added to the 2010 line-up are a select group of up-and-coming potters known for their distinctive work which is gaining national attention. New potters participating this year include: Jeff Dean and Stephanie Martin, John and Scottie Post, Rob Pulleyn and Hiroshi Sueyoshi.

With North Carolina’s central role in American pottery and growing international reputation, the Mint Museum Randolph devotes special efforts to documenting the history of North Carolina ceramics through its historic ceramics collection. The 6th Annual Potters Market Invitational is presented by the Delhom Service League, an affiliate group of The Mint Museum. For more information, visit www.mintmuseum.org or call the front desk at 704.337.2000.

Renowned interior designer Bunny Williams will headline Symposium

The Mint Museum Auxiliary is pleased to announce its 57th Annual Room to Bloom Celebration, which will take place April 14-May 22, 2010. This fundraiser supports The Mint Museum and the opening of the new Mint Museum Uptown on October 1. Auxiliary members Cathy Austin and Margaret Switzer are serving as co-chairs of the 2010 celebration.

Room to Bloom kicks off April 14 with a Symposium held at the Charlotte Country Club (2465 Mecklenburg Avenue) from 9:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m. featuring nationally acclaimed designer and author Bunny Williams. Her highly developed sense of style has established Williams as one of the world’s most renowned interior designers. She was inducted into the Interior Design Hall of Fame in 1996 and was awarded the “Design and Business Award” by the Edith Wharton Restoration in 2000. Today her design work is regularly featured in magazines such as Veranda, House Beautiful and Elle Décor. She is the author of On Garden Style, An Affair With A House and Point of View.

This year, Room to Bloom will also include a CommenceMINT Opening Night Celebration and a series of eight parties held in private homes around Charlotte. Special hosts will offer a limited number of reservations for guests to enjoy food, drinks and conversation in spectacular home and garden settings. From enjoying brunch in one of the city’s most beloved gardens to mingling over cocktails and dinner in a sophisticated modern home featuring museum-quality art, guests can experience fine dining while supporting one of the region’s oldest and most prestigious art institutions.

For those who are unable to attend or want to further support The Mint Museum, the celebration also includes a Room to Bloom dinner service, which will allow the public to savor a delicious meal at home provided by one of Charlotte’s top caterers. Each dinner will be delivered to your doorstep for as many people as you would like.

A complete list of dinner party location, hosts and sponsors is available on the Mint Museum Auxiliary Web site. Reservations are $50-$250 per person, depending upon location. All parties are by paid reservation, taken by mail only on a first-come, first-served basis. The response deadline for all events is March 10. To check party availability and download a reservation form, visit the Mint Museum Auxiliary Web site. For all other inquiries, please contact Ryann Fairweather by e-mail or phone at 704/337-2022.

Founded in 1956, the purpose of the Mint Museum Auxiliary is to provide financial support to and broaden public support for The Mint Museum. Over the past 50 years, the Auxiliary has grown from a small group of founding women to over 600 members, donating millions of dollars to The Mint Museum in the process. The Room to Bloom Celebration, formerly known as the Home and Garden Tour, is the Auxiliary’s largest annual fundraising effort, with 2010 marking the 57th annual event.

In addition, the Auxiliary sponsors an annual Fall Mint to be Yours Tag Sale (since 2007). Prior fundraising activities include opening and operating the Mint Museum Shop (1957 – 1998) and an annual Antique Show (1967 – 2004). An Endowment for Mint Museum Acquisitions (EMMA) was established by the Auxiliary in 1985.
Collectively, the Auxiliary’s annual fundraising efforts support The Mint Museum through acquisitions for and restoration of the permanent collection, exhibitions, and educational outreach programs for schoolchildren. Auxiliary members contribute to the success of these fundraisers and provide additional Mint support through other program and special event offerings.

The Mint Museum is currently undergoing an expansion project which includes the construction of a five-story facility in uptown Charlotte and the reinstallation of the Mint Museum Randolph. When the expansion is complete, The Mint Museum’s total combined square footage will grow by more than 60 percent, allowing more opportunities to showcase works from the permanent collection and accommodate significant traveling exhibitions. The new Mint Museum Uptown will house the collections from the Mint Museum of Craft + Design as well as significant collections of American Art, Contemporary Art and a selection of European Art from the Mint Museum Randolph.

Public program spotlights undergraduate research by local students

Six area undergraduate art history students will present their research papers at The Mint Museum’s 20th Annual Regional Collegiate Art History Symposium on Saturday, March 27 at 1:00 p.m. at the Mint Museum Randolph (2730 Randolph Road). From the works of a Renaissance engraver to music’s influence on the visual arts, the students’ papers explore works of art from the Mint’s diverse global collections, or artists represented within the collections.

Since 1990, the Symposium has had the distinction of being one of the country’s few forums that spotlight undergraduate art history research. After the students present their findings at the program, their research papers will become permanent, bound additions to The Mint Museum’s library. Both the program and the reception following are open to the public and free with museum admission.
The 2010 Symposium participants are:

• Olutomi Balogun, Senior at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro
Hometown: Concord, NC
Topic: Harlem Scene and Baggy Jeans: Reflections of Jazz and Hip-Hop on the Visual Arts

• Dottie Bryan, Senior at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte
Hometown: Raleigh, NC
Topic: Pieter van der Heyden’s Autumn (1570) and Corresponding Works from the Four Winds Series

• Catherine Carlisle, Senior at Queens University
Hometown: Columbia, SC
Topic: Portraits of a Foreign Queen

• Jordan C. Cole, Senior at Davidson College
Hometown: Charlotte, NC
Topic: The Feminine Grotesque: Near and Far

• McKensie Hall, Graduate of the University of South Carolina Upstate
Hometown: Campobello, SC
Topic: Romare Bearden: Seaming Art, History and Narrative

• Amber Rhye, Senior at Winthrop University
Hometown: Charleston, SC
Topic: Angelica Kauffman: Exploring the Female Artist Through History Paintings

Exhibition of students works will be displayed in the STAR Gallery at the Mint Museum Randolph

Seventh grade students at Whitewater Middle School will have their artwork displayed in the Student Artist (STAR) Gallery at the Mint Museum Randolph as part of a grant-funded artists’ residency project that took place this winter. The exhibition of the students’ work will open with a public reception honoring the teaching artists and participating students on Saturday, March 20 from 1:00-3:00 p.m. at the Museum.

“The Mint has enjoyed a successful partnership with Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools for more than 30 years,” said School Programs Coordinator Joel Smeltzer. “Each year the talent and creativity exhibited by our local students is nothing short of remarkable. We are grateful to the Arts & Science Council and the Cobb Foundation for supporting innovative teaching programs like this one to help promote appreciation and awareness of visual arts education.”

In January, The Mint Museum partnered with Whitewater Middle School, a new public school in west Charlotte, to implement an integrated art and social studies program in conjunction with the special exhibition Loïs Mailou Jones: A Life in Vibrant Color (November 14, 2009-February 27, 2010). This exhibition featured paintings that synthesized African, Caribbean, American and African-American iconography and motifs. Working with two native African artists—Braima Moiwai of Durham and Dimeji Onafuwa of Charlotte—nearly 200 seventh grade social studies and visual arts students explored West African cultural beliefs, design motifs and the significance of color and symbolism. They subsequently created paintings and traditional tie-dyed batik cloths incorporating West African symbols. Through this integrated program, the students increased their knowledge and understanding of West African cultural beliefs and values and how they are communicated through the visual arts, and learned to use the elements and principles of design to communicate original cultural ideas.

The exhibition will be displayed in the STAR Gallery at 2730 Randolph Road through April 10, 2010. This project was funded by a Curriculum Connections Grant from the Arts & Science Council, as well as by the Rhoda and Davin Juckett Education Endowment, which is made possible by the Cobb Foundation. The STAR Gallery is supported by Harris Teeter.

March and April programs focus on sustainability practices

The Mint Museum’s Artists’ Forum series will take an environmentally-friendly approach this spring by focusing on green practices and sustainability. Artists’ Forums are an educational series featuring local artists discussing their work, as well as current issues and activities in their artistic fields. The programs are held the first Tuesday of the month from 7:00-8:30 p.m. at the Mint Museum Randolph (2730 Randolph Road). Admission is free.

On March 2, D.I. von Briesen and Richard Deming from gDwell, Inc. and Bryan and Jennifer Shields from the UNC-Charlotte School of Architecture will discuss their EcoBox project, which converts shipping containers into affordable, comfortable housing. gDwell, Inc. is a not-for-profit organization whose mission is the culmination of many years of work building areas, systems and structures with an eye toward creating something different by reusing the materials found readily all around us. The panel will also discuss its Sister Cities Strategy, which links radically sustainable container projects in the Galapagos Islands with a blighted neighborhood in Charlotte.

On April 6, a panel group will discuss general philosophies, innovations and the global view on sustainable design and architecture, followed by a Q&A session. The panelists include Annie Carlano, Director of the Mint Museum of Craft + Design; Anne Jackson, Associate at Perkins and Will Architects; and Carrie Gault, Principal at Happy Box Architecture.

Exhibition celebrates acclaimed metalsmith’s contributions to the craft community

The provocative humor and pioneering style of metalsmith Gary Lee Noffke will be exhibited in a major retrospective of the artist’s work at the Mint Museum Uptown
this spring. Featuring significant examples of Noffke’s hollowware, flatware, and jewelry, the exhibition Attitude and Alchemy: The Metalwork of Gary Lee Noffke (2 April – 11 September 2011) not only captures the artist’s rebellious nature, but also examines his methodology, evolution of style, and impact on the field of metal.

Described as the “ultimate maverick,” Noffke has dedicated himself to metalsmithing for nearly 50 years, passionately exploring surface, form, and function, while simultaneously embracing and challenging tradition. A self-proclaimed “reprobate” who imbues his work with a dark sense of humor, Noffke has reacted against the medium’s tightly constrained working methods and formal decoration by creating functional objects characterized by wildly manipulated surfaces, subtle changes to utility, and spontaneity. His well-known exploits, such as a tendency to purposely misdate work to trick art historians, serve to communicate the artist’s personality and offer an esthetic statement on the social relevance of contemporary metalsmithing.

Noffke was born in 1943 to working-class parents in Sullivan, Illinois. Because money was scarce during his childhood, Noffke regularly built toys from found materials, and in the process, learned to use tools and work with his hands. His mother encouraged her son’s interest in art, even supplying him with a steady supply of gold to utilize during school. After receiving a Master of Fine Arts in metalwork from Southern Illinois University, Noffke taught at Stetson University and California State College. In 1971, he accepted a position at the University of Georgia at Athens and taught jewelry and metalwork there until 2001. He has received numerous awards and honors for his contributions to metalsmithing, including a National Endowment for Arts fellowship and membership in the American Craft Council’s College of Fellows, and has exhibited his work nationally and internationally.

On view in the changing galleries of the Mint Museum of Craft + Design, Attitude and Alchemy spans Noffke’s career from the 1960s to present day and presents approximately 130 examples of his silver and gold jewelry, hollowware, and flatware, along with a selection of objects forged in steel. Accompanying the objects is a video of Noffke laboring in his studio, which will offer visitors a glimpse into his working environment and provide them with a deeper understanding of his process, technique,
and personality.

The exhibition begins with early examples of Noffke’s jewelry and metalwork, which embody his relentless ornamentation and reflect his initial interest in painting and intaglio printing. One of the finest examples of this early work is his 18k Gold Goblet (1970). Often referred to as the holy grail of metalsmithing, the goblet reveals Noffke’s expressive mark-making, as well as a major design influence, ancient Peruvian metalwork. The show then explores objects from the mid-1970s to the
early 1908s, a period during which Noffke closely examined the relationship between form and function to reveal the total working process. Works like Ladle (circa 1975) lack the ornate decoration of Noffke’s early works, demonstrating a shift towards optimum utility.

In the 1990s, Noffke had an artistic breakthrough. Frustrated with cold forging sterling silver, Noffke began making his own alloys and pouring his own billets in the 1990s. Noffke’s research led to the development of his 969 alloy (96.9% silver and 3.1% copper). This new silver alloy allowed him to
increase the scale of his form, and provided greater expediency as well as spontaneity. Noffke went on to research hot forging gold, creating numerous, highly-acclaimed large gold bowls.

The exhibition concludes with Noffke’s elegant forms that integrate surface and form equally. His 21st century works include heavy and expressive hammer marks, adding depth and another layer of information to the surface. This shift led to the use of a range of tools in unorthodox ways to generate textures, lines, and patterns, an approach that continues to impact metalsmithing today. Noffke will give a public lecture about his work on Thursday, 31 March 2011 at 7:00 p.m. at the Mint Museum Uptown. A  scholarly catalogue featuring an essay by independent curator Jeannine Falino will accompany the exhibition. Attitude and Alchemy: The Metalwork of Gary Lee Noffke is
organized by The Mint Museum.

Exhibition on view at the Mint Museum Randolph February 6- December 31, 2010

Opening February 6 at the Mint Museum Randolph is North Carolina Pottery: Diversity and Traditions, an exhibition that showcases the rich history of pottery-making in the state. Featuring more than 50 works dating from the late 1700s to the present, the installation represents North Carolina’s most important pottery areas, including the Catawba Valley, the mountains, Seagrove and the Moravian settlements.

Moravian potters Gottfried Aust and Rudolf Christ are the earliest potters represented in the exhibition. They emigrated from Germany to the Moravian community of Bethabara in Forsyth County in the mid-1700s. Among the 19th century potters featured are Daniel Seagle from Catawba Valley, and Chester Webster and Himer Jacob Fox from the Piedmont. Craftsmen from the 20th century include Oscar Bachelder, Charlie Teague and Burlon Craig, while contemporary artists and studios include Ben Owen III, Jane Peiser, Bulldog Pottery and Paradox Pottery.

North Carolina is known for its significant local dynasties of potters, and a number of these families are represented in the exhibition, including the Coles of Randolph and Moore counties and the Hiltons of Catawba County. The fact that the pottery tradition in the state has thrived so well for over two centuries is due, at least in part, to talented potting families such as these, who have passed down essential skills and techniques from one generation to the next. All of the objects on view are from the Mint’s permanent collection, which is notable for being the largest public collection of North Carolina pottery in the country.

The exhibition Jaguar: Power in the Ancient Americasfeatures the remarkable diversity of jaguar representations in earthenware, stone, wood and the fiber arts throughout the ancient Americas and among modern indigenous peoples. From intricate masks to delicate ceramics, visitors will experience the extraordinary artistic variations unique to each culture and explore the layers of meaning behind these representations.

mpressive works of wearable art will be on display in the special exhibition The Art of Affluence: Haute Couture and Luxury Fashions 1947-2007.