Major juried exhibition with $16,000 in cash prizes to open on Oct. 10 at The Mint Museum

Charlotte, NC (October 1, 2019): The Mint Museum is pleased to announce its upcoming presentation of Coined in the South, a major juried exhibition with $16,000 in cash prizes that will showcase some of the most innovative and emerging artists in the Southeast. Organized in partnership with the Young Affiliates of the Mint, the show will be on view from October 10, 2019 through February 16, 2020 in Mint Museum Uptown’s Level 4 Brand Special Exhibition Galleries.

The purpose of the exhibition is simple: to bridge the gap between the museum, gallery and studio, and to present fresh and innovative works that have not yet been seen by a broader audience. Nearly 2,000 works of art were submitted for consideration; 65 were selected. The artists range in age from 23 years old to 82 years old, and hail from North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, and Virginia.

Unconfined to any aesthetic, the works of art are made from materials ranging from the traditional (oil on canvas and collage) to the decidedly untraditional. Consider one piece made from concrete, brass-plated chains, and human hair, or another made from steel saw dust, alpaca fur, and alligator skin. Some explore personal and familial histories, while others explore notions of place and identity. Some are gurative, others abstract. They evoke humor, tenderness, whimsy, and awe.

The 65 works were selected by jurors Adam Justice, Jonell Logan, and Marilyn Zapf—all well respected in uencers in the southeast’s art scene. On the night of the opening, Oct. 10, the jurors will announce the $10,000 Atrium Health Prize, and the Young Af liates of the Mint (better known as the YAMs), will award a $5,000 winner. Over the next few months, visitors will have the opportunity to vote in the gallery on the $1,000 “People’s Choice” award, which will be named at the end of the year.

“One of the roles of a museum is to reflect the pulse and energy of the artistic community where it resides,” says The Mint Museum’s President and CEO Todd A. Herman, PhD. “Coined in the South shines a spotlight on the quality, themes, and diversity of narratives that are being generated by artists in our own backyard.”

The name Coined in the South refers to both The Mint Museum’s origins as the first branch of the U.S. Mint, as well as to the act of inventing. Many of the artists have created works so unforgettable they’re in a class all their own.

This is the fourth juried exhibition put on by the YAMs, following on the successes of 80×80 (2016), Gendered (2017), and Mainframe (2018). These exhibitions revived a tradition of the museum—from the 1950s through the 1990s, the Mint hosted a number of juried shows, highlighting the work of talented local artists.

“When we sat down and cooked up the idea for 80×80, the Young Affiliates’ inaugural art show in 2016, we had no idea what would unfold,” says Lauren Harkey, former president of the YAMs and co-creator of the YAMs inaugural art show.

“We were instantly humbled by the response and energy our ‘little show that could’ created. And today, in its fourth iteration, it is a proud moment to see the YAMs partner with The Mint Museum and witness this show really grow up and into its own.”

Senior Curator of American Art Jonathan Stuhlman, PhD, served as the Mint’s curator of the show. Kaitlyn McElwee and Anna Hamer served as the YAMs art show co-chairs.

Coined in the South is generously sponsored by Atrium Health, with additional support from Cran ll Sumner & Hartzog LLP.