Call NOW to book your private tour and workshop between December 2016 and February 2017!
Join us for a unique art experience at The Mint Museum! Discover the compelling life stories of the women artists featured in Women of Abstract Expressionism and Fired Up: Contemporary Glass by Women Artists from the Toledo Museum of Art .
This two-hour program features catered refreshments and a private, expert-led tour of the Mint’s two premier exhibitions, followed by thoughtful discussion led by Sharon Lachow-Blumberg. Sharon is an accomplished psychological coach, facilitator of change, coloring book artist, and author. Her consulting firm, I’m Not Done Yet, helps individuals and organizations thrive through change and transition, with a focus on outcomes and engagement.
Challenge yourself and others to think creatively to overcome obstacles and live a relevant, resilient, and remarkable life. Please round up your network of women friends and colleagues and book your program today.
Mint Museum Uptown
Reservations available Wednesdays – Fridays in December 2016 and January and February 2017
Noon – 2 p.m. or 4 – 6 p.m.
Maximum Group Size:12
$40 per person
Please call Julie Olson Anna at 704.337.2043 or Julie.olsonanna@mintmuseum.org to secure your Women2Women Museum Experience now!
Click here for more information about Group Tours .
It’s all part of the Mint’s Year of the Woman! Visit mintmuseum.org/80th to learn more.
“Women of Abstract Expressionism” and “Fired Up: Women in Glass” to open October 22
Women were the driving force behind the founding of The Mint Museum as North Carolina’s first art museum. Women, including current President & CEO Dr. Kathleen V. Jameson, have provided exemplary leadership to the Mint. And now, the museum is preparing to celebrate women artists with two exhibitions opening on the museum’s 80th anniversary this October 22.
Members of the media and special guests are invited to preview Women of Abstract Expressionism and Fired Up: Contemporary Glass by Women Artists from the Toledo Museum of Art on Friday, October 21 at 9:30 a.m. at Mint Museum Uptown at Levine Center for the Arts, 500 South Tryon Street in Charlotte. Light breakfast will be served and curators will be available for interviews. RSVP to leigh.dyer@mintmuseum.org.
Weston M. Andress, PNC Regional President for Western Carolinas and chair of The Mint Museum Board of Trustees, has issued a proclamation declaring the fiscal year running July 2016 through June 2017 to be the “Year of the Woman,” and the museum has launched a new website portal, video, and slate of community events to invite the global community to celebrate alongside the museum. See full details, and an interactive timeline recounting the museum’s history, at mintmuseum.org/80th/ .
“The Mint has planned a great year of exhibitions and events that showcase women’s contributions to the museum since its founding,” Andress said. “We hope the community will join us to help celebrate our 80th anniversary year.”
Added Dr. Jameson: “As the first woman to serve as President & CEO of The Mint Museum, and following in the steps of the many women who played instrumental roles over the years, I am pleased to be able to observe this historically significant event, and to help bring these two world-class exhibitions to the community.”
The Mint Museum’s building was originally the first branch of the U.S. Mint outside Philadelphia when it was constructed in 1836. It fell into disuse and was threatened with demolition by the 1930s, but a group of Charlotte residents led by Mary Myers Dwelle fought to preserve it and move it to its current location in Eastover, where it is now known as Mint Museum Randolph. It opened to the public on October 22, 1936. Mint Museum Uptown opened in 2010 as part of Levine Center for the Arts, the same year that Dr. Jameson became President & CEO.
Women of Abstract Expressionism on view Oct. 22, 2016-Jan. 22, 2017
This fall The Mint Museum is the only East Coast venue for this groundbreaking exhibition, the first major museum exhibition to focus on the innovative women artists affiliated with the Abstract Expressionist movement during its seminal years between 1945 and 1960.
The exhibition, which was on view at the Denver Art Museum through September 25, has garnered significant attention from press and critics across the country, with Time Magazine calling it an “indispensable show.” Along with shining a spotlight on the women who were key participants in the movement, the exhibition also emphasizes the role that artists working on the West Coast played in its development. It also reveals the broad range of styles and techniques that these artists employed, from pouring and staining to slashing and swirling brushwork.
Visitors to Mint Museum Uptown will be delighted and inspired by approximately 50 energetic, colorful, large-scale paintings created by 12 of these artists. While some of the women are well-known, such as Helen Frankenthaler, Lee Krasner, Elaine de Kooning, Joan Mitchell, and Grace Hartigan, the work of others, ranging from Judith Godwin, Perle Fine, and Deborah Remington to Jay DeFeo and Sonia Getchoff, will be a revelation.
Women of Abstract Expressionism will be accompanied by a variety of engaging lectures and events as well as a fully-illustrated catalogue published by Yale University Press featuring contributions by its curator, Dr. Gwen Chanzit, and scholars Robert Hobbs, Ellen Landau, Susan Landauer, Joan Marter, and Irving Sandler. Following its run at the Mint, the exhibition will travel to Palm Springs Art Museum in February 2017.
This exhibition is presented to the community by Wells Fargo Private Bank. Additional generous support provided by Duke Energy, Electrolux, the Mint Museum Auxiliary, and Davidson College.
Fired Up: Contemporary Glass by Women Artists from the Toledo Museum of Art exclusively on view at the Mint Oct. 22, 2016-Feb. 26, 2017
Color and form create instinctual appeal in glass – the most versatile and seductive of materials. Fired Up, co-organized by the Mint and the Toledo Museum of Art and exclusively on view at Mint Museum Uptown, is the first American art museum exhibition about contemporary women artists who work with glass.
At the beginning of the studio glass movement that originated at the Toledo Museum of Art in the 1960s, women were overshadowed by their male counterparts, rarely encouraged to explore glass techniques by their teachers, and discouraged from entering the field due to the financial commitment required to operate a glass studio, from equipment to the team of assistants necessary to the collaborative process of studio glass. Today, in the “post studio” era, the situation has changed; here and abroad, women are among the most innovative glass artists and their contributions to both the technical and content aspects of their art are exceptional.
Fired Up presents outstanding glass sculptures from Toledo’s renowned Glass Pavilion as well as recent acquisitions to their collection, on view for the first time in this exhibition, selected by co-curators Jutta-Annette Page, Senior Curator of Glass and Decorative Arts at Toledo, and Annie Carlano, Senior Curator of Craft, Design, & Fashion at the Mint. The Mint’s exceptional collection of contemporary glass is internationally praised, with works such as Danny Lane’s Threshold and Bertil Vallien’s King’s Voyage, but it contains few works by women (although the masterwork Relations, by Stanislav Libenský and Jaroslava Brychtová, is a husband-and-wife collaboration). Only a handful of glass works created by female artists are in the permanent collection. Presenting Fired Up will fill a gap in glass education and hopefully inspire the collecting of works by women.
International in scope, over forty sculptures are included in the exhibition, including works by Emily Brock, Lee Bul, Lisa Lou, Karen Lamonte, Silvia Levenson, Maya Lin, Laura de Santillana, Sibylle Peretti, Sylvie Vandenhoucke, and April Surgent. Ranging in scale from the tiny to the monumental, the sculptures are organized into five thematic groups: abstraction, vessels, the human form, nature, and the built environment.
Both the Toledo Museum of Art and The Mint Museum have a strong commitment to developing new interpretative strategies for glass, and this exhibition provides an opportunity for additional collaboration in experimental approaches to visual literacy. The exhibition is presented with generous support from Novant Health and UTC Aerospace Systems.
Media partners for both exhibitions are The Charlotte Observer and Adams Outdoor Advertising, which has also organized the pop-up fashion exhibition Outdoor Is In , on view FREE at Mint Museum Uptown October 19-30.
Anniversary weekend festivities, October 21-23
The two new exhibitions open to the public amid the Mint’s celebration of its 80th anniversary. The museum will toast the exhibition openings with a by-invitation VIP celebration on Friday, October 21 at Mint Museum Uptown – watch for the Duke Energy tower to be lit in the Mint’s signature teal color on that evening. And the community is invited to a FREE day-long celebration at both museum locations on Saturday, October 22 – at Mint Museum Uptown, visitors will enjoy free access to both exhibitions along with lectures from curators of both exhibitions; and at Mint Museum Randolph, look for lots of family-friendly activities in celebration of the historic property and its surroundings. And on Sunday, October 23, the public is invited to another day of free admission at both locations, plus a free concert by accomplished pianist Dorothy “Dot” Lewis-Griffith, daughter-in-law of E.C. Griffith (1889-1973), who donated the three-acre tract of Eastover land on which the museum now sits. Her concert will feature music composed in the 1930s around the time of the Mint’s opening.
Further events throughout the “Year of the Woman” will invite the public to interact with the museum and its exhibitions. Find details at mintmuseum.org/happenings. The Mint is grateful for support from five of its previous female board chairs for its 80th anniversary activities: Mary Lou Babb, Beverly S. Hance, Patty Norman, Jo Ann Peer, and Pat Rodgers. As the museum’s video announcing the year-long celebration has noted: “The Great Lady is turning 80 – and she’s just getting warmed up.”
MEDIA NOTE:
High-resolution images from both exhibitions are available upon request. Email leigh.dyer@mintmuseum.org .
Museums offer half-price adult admission, free admission for kids under 18, and Mint waives special exhibition fees
On Sunday, May 18, visitors can experience half-price adult admission and free admission for kids under 18 at two of Charlotte’s premier cultural destinations. The Bechtler Museum of Modern Art and The Mint Museum are celebrating the Association of Art Museum Directors’ (AAMD) Art Museum Day 2014 with admission deals and other special events.
To promote appreciation for art museums and invite increased public participation, the Bechtler and the Mint, neighbors on South Tryon Street at Levine Center for the Arts, are teaming up for their pricing special: Half-price adult admission (normally $10 at the Mint reduced to $5; normally $8 at the Bechtler reduced to $4), and everyone under age 18 is admitted free. In addition, the Mint is waiving all exhibition fees to see Women of Vision: National Geographic Photographers on Assignment (which is normally $10 in addition to regular admission for adult non-members). Both museums remain free to their members. This will be the first day since Women of Vision, a showcase of work by 11 globe-trotting female National Geographic photographers, opened on March 29 that special exhibition fees have been waived for non-members of the museum.
Since 2010, the AAMD has encouraged art museums across the nation to participate in conjunction with the International Council of Museums’ (ICOM) International Museum Day, dedicated to promoting the value of museums in society. Nearly 170 AAMD member museums participated last year.
This year’s event coincides with a Sunday Fun Day at Mint Museum Uptown, which fills the atrium with hands-on activities and interactive experiences one Sunday each month from 1-4 p.m. This Sunday’s activities include visiting artists from The Light Factory who will help participants explore photography hands-on; gallery tours of Women of Vision; a tin-type photography demonstration; opportunities to play with Polaroids and learn about digital pin-hole cameras; and family-friendly Let’s Move and Groove Fitness Fun. More information is available at mintmuseum.org/happenings.
The special admission rates will also be offered at the Mint’s original Randolph Road location, 2730 Randolph Road on Sunday – general admission is always valid for both Mint Museum locations.
ABOUT THE BECHTLER MUSEUM OF MODERN ART
The Bechtler Museum of Modern Art is dedicated to the exhibition of mid-20th-century modern art. It is named after the family of Andreas Bechtler, who assembled and inherited a collection created by seminal figures in modernism. The museum is located at Levine Center for the Arts, 420 South Tryon Street, Charlotte. Operating hours are Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.; Sunday 12 p.m. – 5 p.m.; closed Tuesdays. Admission is $8 for adults; $6 for seniors, college students and educators; $4 for youth (11 to 14) and free for children (up to 10). For museum details visit www.bechtler.org.
ABOUT LEVINE CENTER FOR THE ARTS
Levine Center for the Arts is one of Charlotte’s key cultural destinations, comprised of Bechtler Museum of Modern Art, Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Culture, John S. and James L. Knight Theater, Mint Museum Uptown, and Duke Energy Center. The Levine Center was made possible through the Campaign for Cultural Facilities, the support of the City of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County, and the generosity of the Leon Levine Foundation, one of the country’s largest and most impactful philanthropic organizations.
Charlotte is the first stop on the national tour presented by PNC Financial Services
The influential work of 11 award-winning National Geographic photojournalists will debut with the March 29 opening of Women of Vision: National Geographic Photographers on Assignment. Mint Museum Uptown is the first stop on the national tour of the exhibition following its run at the National Geographic Museum in Washington, D.C.
The traveling exhibition, presented nationally by The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE: PNC), will be on view in Charlotte through July 20 before traveling to four other cities.
“This show is a true celebration of creativity, and it continues the museum’s ongoing dedication to the important medium of photography,” said Dr. Kathleen V. Jameson, President & CEO of the Mint. “It has been a real pleasure to work with National Geographic, PNC, and the exhibition’s other sponsors including Dickens Mitchener Residential Real Estate, the Mint Museum Auxiliary, UTC Aerospace Systems, and Moore & Van Allen to bring this show to the Charlotte region.”
Women of Vision features nearly 100 photographs, including moving depictions of far-flung cultures, compelling illustrations of conceptual topics such as memory and teenage brain chemistry, and arresting images of social issues like child marriage and 21st-century slavery.
“I am so pleased to be able to share these remarkable images with our visitors,” said Jonathan Stuhlman, the Mint’s Senior Curator of American, Modern, & Contemporary Art. “The photographs in this exhibition are absolutely stunning. The subjects are moving, thought-provoking, and inspiring and the women who recorded them are both courageous and masters of their craft.”
In addition to the photographs, visitors will have an opportunity to learn how National Geographic magazine picture editors work closely with the photographers to select images and tell a story. Video vignettes will present first-person accounts that reveal the photographers’ individual styles, passions, and approaches to their craft.
“These talented photojournalists tell powerful and impactful stories, and capture our shared human experience,” said Weston M. Andress, Western Carolina regional president of PNC Bank and a member of the Mint’s Board of Trustees. “PNC is committed to bringing such quality exhibitions to our communities.”
Visiting the exhibition will be free for all Mint Museum members and non-member adults will pay a $10 special exhibition fee after general museum admission ($10 for adults, free on Wednesdays 5-9 p.m.), except where noted. Members of the media are invited to a preview at 10 a.m. on Thursday March 27 (RSVP to leigh.dyer@mintmuseum.org).
Several special events will accompany the exhibition’s run in Charlotte. Mint Museum members can visit during a members-only hour at 10 a.m. on March 29 before the museum opens to the public at 11 a.m. The Mint is hosting a special curator-led tour of Women of Vision on Thursday, April 17 as part of its recurring “Taste of the Mint” series, which also includes small plate and beverage pairings at Halcyon, Flavors from the Earth restaurant and e2 emeril’s eatery (tickets $35 Mint members, $50 non-members). Photographer Amy Toensing will visit Sunday, May 4 for a 3 p.m. lecture which is open to the public and is free after general museum admission. There will be no special exhibition admission fees on Sunday, May 18, in honor of national Art Museum Day and the Mint’s monthly Sunday Fun Day, when the museum’s general admission is free for kids under 18 and $5 for non-member adults. And the exhibition will be open free to the public during an evening in June (specific date to be announced soon). Information on the exhibition and all associated events is available at mintmuseum.org/happenings.
The exhibition is presented concurrently with another extraordinary photography exhibition organized by The Mint Museum. Bearing Witness: The New York Photo League and Sonia Handelman Meyer remains on view through June 29, 2014 at Mint Museum Randolph. It includes approximately 90 photographs by Photo League members, many from the Mint’s permanent collection, and contains a particular focus on the work of Meyer, 94, currently a Charlotte resident. The Mint has published a new catalogue for the exhibition which is now for sale in the Mint Museum Shops for $15.95. The exhibition is made possible through generous support from MetLife Foundation, with additional support from the Young Affiliates of the Mint.
Women of Vision is organized and traveled by the National Geographic Society. PNC Financial Services is the Presenting National Tour Sponsor. Additional generous sponsorship support in Charlotte is provided by Dickens Mitchener Residential Real Estate, the Mint Museum Auxiliary, UTC Aerospace Systems, and Moore & Van Allen. Exhibition media partners are The Charlotte Observer and WFAE 90.7fm, with additional promotional support from WTVI.
NBC Correspondent and acclaimed journalist Ann Curry wrote the foreword to a companion book, “Women of Vision: National Geographic Photographers on Assignment,” along with National Geographic magazine Editor in Chief Chris Johns. The hardcover book, featuring 150 powerful photographs, officially publishes on Tuesday, March 4, and is on sale in the Mint Museum Shops for $30.
Women of Vision was curated by National Geographic Senior Photo Editor Elizabeth Krist and includes the photos of Maggie Steber, Lynsey Addario, Kitra Cahana, Jodi Cobb, Diane Cook, Carolyn Drake, Lynn Johnson, Beverly Joubert, Erika Larsen, and Stephanie Sinclair, along with Toensing. More information on each photographer and her images is available at wovexhibition.org.
RSVP requested: Members of the media who wish to attend the media-only preview at 10 a.m. on March 27 must RSVP to leigh.dyer@mintmuseum.org or 704.337.2009. Interviews with curators and Steber will be available and photography is permitted.
Above image:
KITRA CAHANA
After working himself into a trance, a man leaps through a flaming pyre.
ABOUT NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC
Founded in 1888, the National Geographic Society is one of the world’s largest nonprofit scientific and educational organizations. With a mission to inspire people to care about the planet, the member-supported Society offers a community for members to get closer to explorers, connect with other members, and help make a difference. The Society reaches more than 450 million people worldwide each month through National Geographic and other magazines; National Geographic Channel; television documentaries; music; radio; films; books; DVDs; maps; exhibitions; live events; school publishing programs; interactive media; and merchandise. National Geographic has funded more than 10,000 scientific research, conservation, and exploration projects and supports an education program promoting geographic literacy. For more information, visit www.nationalgeographic.com.
ABOUT PNC
This exhibition is supported by PNC and The PNC Foundation, which receives its principal funding from The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. (www.pnc.com). PNC 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.