Maya Goded (1967-, Mexico City). “Iquique, Chile,” 2022, digital print. Museum purchase with funds provided by Allen Blevins and Armando Aispuro, and Betsy Rosen and Liam Stokes.

For Immediate Release | IMAGES

Charlotte, North Carolina (November 5, 2024) — Throughout the the last three decades, internationally renowned photographers Graciela Iturbide and Maya Goded  have created revealing, poignant, and powerful images that examine the intersection of contemporary life and centuries-long practices throughout North and South America. Women of Land and Smoke: Photographs by Graciela Iturbide and Maya Goded (Las Mujeres de Tierra y Humo: Las Fotografías de Graciela Iturbide y Maya Goded) opening November 23 at Mint Museum Randolph, features over 50 photographs that present an overview of the artists’ careers, spanning decades and diverse series. This is the first exhibition to present the work of Iturbide and Goded in tandem.

Both artists, hailing from Mexico City, have dedicated their practice to spending extensive time with their subjects before photographing them. This creates an intimacy and a knowledge of the particular challenges and dynamics embedded in the communities they document. Through their lens, Iturbide and Goded consistently highlight the vital role of women in holding together fragmenting societies, whether in urban or isolated communities. For more than 35 years, Iturbide and Goded have leaned into each other as professional colleagues and friends to discuss the power of photography, ideas, politics, and the social and cultural life taking place around them.

The exhibition marks the first comprehensive presentation of works by Iturbide and Goded side-by-side and showcases the Mint’s efforts over the past three years to build a significant portfolio of these two prominent Mexico City-based photographers.

“I am so proud to present these important museum acquisitions and the work of Graciela Iturbide and Maya Goded together in one space. Iturbide and Goded’s work exemplify all that photography can give us — a connection to others who may seem distant and different, but with whom we share the most common factors of humanity,” says Jennifer Sudul Edwards, PhD, chief curator and curator of Contemporary Art at The Mint Museum. “Iturbide created a new way of connecting with subjects and sharing agency with them to make her work and Goded, mentored by Iturbide at the beginning of her career, has continued this practice with profound results. In an era where we increasingly glean information through images, it is essential that the makers of those images do so with consideration, respect, and thoughtfulness.

PROGRAMMING

To celebrate the opening of the exhibition, two special events are planned. Both programs will be in English and Spanish.

On November 20, the Mint will host a film screening of Maya Goded’s powerful documentary, “Plaza de la Soledad,” offering an intimate look into the lives of women in the sex trade in Mexico City and the harsh realities and emotional toll intertwined with their daily lives. Goded will introduce the film and answer questions following.

On November 21, artist Maya Goded will engage in a conversation with Chief Curator and Curator of Contemporary Art Jen Sudul Edwards, PhD, discussing her career and the themes resonating throughout the exhibition.

Additional events will occur In April and May 2025 around a program titled “Artful Healing: Exploring Wellness Through Creative Expression.” Maya Goded and Cherokee artist Laura Walkingstick will lead workshops for femme-identifying participants to explore how to use art-making to process trauma. Two workshops will take place, one in Cherokee and one in Charlotte. These workshops are supported by multiple Charlotte arts and cultural organizations, including the McColl Center that will provide a residency space to Goded and Walkingstick; The Light Factory that will provide cameras, photography instructors, printing, and exhibition space; and Circle de Luz that will partner with the Mint for the Charlotte workshop.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

Graciela Iturbide, born in 1942, initially pursued a career in film before turning to photography under the influence of Mexican modernist master Manuel Alvarez Bravo. Iturbide’s work focuses on documenting life in indigenous communities throughout Latin America, as well as significant projects in East Germany, India, Madagascar, Hungary, and France. She has been the subject of numerous retrospectives, including the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Boston Museum of Fine Art, and Fondation Cartier pour l’Art Contemporain, as well as exhibitions and publications throughout the world.

Iturbide has received many of the most significant awards in her field including the Mexican Fine Arts Gold Metal Award (2024); the William Klein Prize from the French Academy of Arts (2023); the Outstanding Contribution to Photography Award from the World Photography Organization; The National Museum of Women in the Arts Lifetime Achievement Award for Excellence in the Arts (2020); the W. Eugene Smith Award (1987); a Guggeheim Fellowship (1988). In 2022 she was inducted into the Photography Hall of Fame and Museum.

Maya Goded, born in Mexico City in 1967 to political activists, has long sought out the unseen or actively ignored individuals in society: prostitutes, the missing, laborers, and healers. Her photographs capture women whose essential roles sustain their communities but who are often overlooked in discussions of care and protection. In recent years, Goded has observed that the healing practices traditionally used by women have increasingly been redirected toward the land they inhabit. The portfolio of images collected by the Mint showcases the myriad ways in which women’s bodies navigate the world in their pursuit of healing.

Goded has been honored with numerous awards including 2020 National Geographic Storytelling Fellows (2020); Charles Claus Fund, 2001 W. Eugene Smith Award and Guggenheim Foundation (2001). Her 2016 acclaimed documentary film, “Plaza de la Soledad” was selected for major international festivals, including Sundance and Tribeca film festivals. Her first major publication will be available in early winter 2025.

Women of Land and Smoke: Photographs by Graciela Iturbide and Maya Goded is generously presented by Bank of America, with additional support from the Mint Museum Auxiliary and Campania Fine Moulding. Individual support is kindly provided by Allen Blevins and Armando Aispuro, and Betsy Rosen and Liam Stokes. The Mint Museum is supported, in part, by the City of Charlotte and the North Carolina Arts Council.

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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 at Levine Center for the Arts — the Mint boasts one of the largest collections in the Southeast and is committed to engaging and inspiring members of the global community.

CONTACT:

Clayton Sealey, senior director of marketing and communications
clayton.sealey@mintmuseum.org | 704.534.0186 (c)

Michele Huggins, associate director of marketing and communications
michele.huggins@mintmuseum.org | 704.564.0826 (c)

Documenting the lives of women lost in the shadows

By Jen Sudul Edwards, PhD

For the past three years, the Mint has been building a significant portfolio of works by Mexico City-based photographers Graciela Iturbide and Maya Goded. Over the decades, the two photographers have created revealing, poignant, and powerful images that examine the intersection of contemporary life and centuries-long practices throughout North and South America.

The artists, who are a generation apart in age, both grew up in Mexico City and have worked in various places throughout the world. Their primary focus, however, has been indigenous communities stretching from Los Angeles to Chile. Over decades of exploring communities, whether urban or isolated, Iturbide and Goded have found women as the consistent force holding these fragmenting societies together.

The exhibition Women of Land and Smoke: Photographs by Graciela Iturbide and Maya Goded (Las Mujeres de Tierra y Humo: Las Fotografías de Graciela Iturbide y Maya Goded), opening November 23 at Mint Museum Randolph, includes over 50 photographs that present an overview of Iturbide and Goded’s careers that span the Americas.

Graciela Iturbide (Mexican, 1942-). La Mujer Angel, 1979, gelatin silver print. Museum purchase made possible by Allen Blevins & Armando Aispuro and the Charles W. Beam Endowment. 2022.53.4

The exhibition is primarily drawn from The Mint’s collection, and celebrates a recent gift from Allen Blevins and Armando Aispuro, and Betsy Rosen and Liam Stokes that allowed the museum to purchase significant portfolios by both photographers.

Maya Goded

Born in Mexico City in 1967 to political activists (her mother immigrated from New York City), Maya Goded has long sought out the unseen or actively ignored people in our spaces: prostitutes, the missing, laborers, healers. Goded’s photographs feature women whose essential roles are supporting and sustaining communities but are considered dispensable when it comes to their care and protection. 

Maya Goded (Mexican, 1967–). From the series Healing: Body and Land (Sanaciíon: cuerpo
y tierra), Los Altos Chiapas, 2019, digital print. The Mint Museum, museum purchase made possible with funds from Allen Blevins and Armando Aispuro, and Betsy Rosen and Liam Stokes.

Over the last decade, Goded noticed that the healing practices women traditionally used on the sick in their communities were increasingly turned to the land on which they lived. Decades of strip mining, nuclear testing, and chemical dumping had poisoned the earth and water in many Central and South American countries Goded documented. As a result, the portfolio of images the Mint has collected includes many ways in which women’s bodies move through the world with the attempt to heal.

The photographs featured here are an overview of Goded’s work that will be included in Women of Land and Smoke.

Learn more about Graciela Iturbide and her portfolio in the next issue of Inspired.*

Jen Sudul Edwards, PhD, is chief curator and curator of Contemporary Art at The Mint Museum.

*This article originally appeared in the Fall 2024 issue of Inspired magazine, the Mint’s member magazine.

By Jonathan Stuhlman, PhD

One of the things that I enjoy most as a curator is discovering and learning about artists and works of art that are new to me, and then sharing what I’ve found with museum visitors. The exhibition Southern/Modern is the result of this curiosity. 

Nell Choate Jones (1879-1981). Georgia Red Clay, 1946, oil on canvas. Morris Museum of Art, Augusta, GA. 1989.01094

While the South’s contributions to American literature and music during the first half of the 20th century have long been recognized, the region’s visual arts have remained underappreciated. A curator at The Metropolitan Museum of Art famously scoffed in 1949, “little of artistic merit was made south of Baltimore.” To date there have been very few major exhibitions to survey the region’s art, and none that have focused on the modern period during which the South has traditionally been seen, as noted by The Met’s curator, as a kind of artistic backwater.

The inception of an exhibition

While the general public likely does not consider the time it takes to bring a special exhibition to life, the fact is that most are the product of years of behind-the-scenes work. This can involve visits to other museums and private collections, preparing grant applications, creating object checklists, drafting loan requests, working with authors and publishers, and more — and that’s all before the art even arrives in the building! A typical exhibition containing numerous loans like Southern/Modern likely takes a minimum of three to four years to develop. Southern/Modern, however, has been in the works for over a decade!

Elaine Kooning (1918-89). Black Mountain #6, 1948, enamel on paper mounted on canvas. The Heckscher Museum of Art, Huntington, NY. Museum purchase. 1991.20.

I began thinking about this exhibition in 2008 as I got to know the Mint’s collection in depth in preparation for its reinstallation at the soon-to-open Mint Museum Uptown. As I dug into the Mint’s holdings and began to meet other colleagues at museums in the region, I found myself constantly surprised to encounter outstanding works of art by artists from the South who I had not heard of and who were not part of the mainstream history of American art. I thought that the best way to share this knowledge would be to organize an exhibition that brought together the best of this work, which had been studied and exhibited within the region but not benefitted from being brought together and seen as a whole.

To ensure that we were creating an inclusive and comprehensive survey, co-curator Martha Severens and I crowdsourced colleagues across the Southeast asking for feedback on our initial checklist to see what was missing. We also decided that while the majority of the artists in the exhibition lived, worked, and taught in the South, it also would be important to include the work of others from outside the region who created meaningful bodies of work based on their experiences and time in the South, such as Thomas Hart Benton, Jacob Lawrence, and Eldzier Cortor. We also included artists like Romare Bearden, who left the South at an early age but whose work consistently referred to his memories and experiences in the South. With many conversations and a great deal of research, Southern/Modern came together. 

While some of the work in Southern/Modern shows artists engaging with modernism by pushing their works towards simplification of form, bold coloration, and ultimately abstraction, many of the artists focused on addressing topics relevant to the era. Their works were “modern” in the progressive sense of calling attention to contemporary issues and often advocating for social change. Race, gender, urban growth, industrial development, land use and the environment, religion, family, social change, class differences … all of these topics can be found throughout the exhibition.

A painting of a woman in a black dress in a field of white, flanked by trees with a yellow sky background, staring at a black panther in the distance.

Carroll Cloar (1913-93). “A Story Told by My Mother,” 1955, casein tempura on Masonite. Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, Memphis, TN. Bequest of Mrs. C.M. Gooch. 80.3.16. ©Estate of Carroll Cloar.

The exhibition not only depicts life in the South then, but makes apparent how relevant these same issues in the South are today. It features 100 paintings, prints, and drawings, gathered from over 50 public and private collections, which are significant for both their artistic merit and subject matter. We hope that after visiting Southern/Modern you will have a better appreciation for the powerful art created in the South during the first half of the 20th century and be inspired to think more about your own relationship to the South and what it means to be a “modern” Southerner in 2024.

Southern/Modern is generously presented in Charlotte by Wells Fargo and the Dowd Foundation. Major support for the tour and exhibition catalogue are provided by the Henry Luce Foundation, the Terra Foundation for American Art, the Wyeth Foundation for American Art, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Betsy and Alfred Brand Fund at The Mint Museum. Individual sponsorship is kindly provided by Julie Boldt and Dhruv Yadav, Lucy and Hooper Hardison, Posey and Mark Mealy, and Rocky and Curtis Trenkelbach.

Jonathan Stuhlman, PhD, is the senior curator of American Art at The Mint Museum.

This article originally appeared in the fall 2024 issue of Inspired magazine, the Mint’s member magazine.

By Michele Huggins

The passing of Katherine “Kat” Roddey Whitner McKay Belk Cook on August 30, 2024, marks the end of an era for those who were touched by her remarkable spirit. Her life was a tapestry woven with threads of grace, generosity, and steadfast commitment to the arts community.

Kat Belk

Katherine “Kat” Belk

“Kat loved the arts and loved Charlotte, which she made apparent in her long and generous support of The Mint Museum and its programs,” says Mint CEO and President Todd Herman, PhD. “Her laugh and smile were her trademarks.”

Kat’s contributions were both visionary and tangible. Her involvement with The Mint Museum began in 1988 as a member of the Board of Trustees, serving with distinction in various roles, including as an Executive Committee At Large Member from 1989 to 1991. Her dedication continued with her Advisory Board service from 2007 to 2009. Her participation in the Curator’s Circle for American Art further underscored her dedication to preserving and celebrating artistic heritage.

As a Lifetime Member of the Mint Museum Auxiliary since 1993, a Mint Masterpiece Circle, Silver Circle member from 2006 to 2009, and a museum volunteer, she demonstrated unwavering support for the museum’s mission. She also advocated for the museum’s expansion and creation of Mint Museum Uptown.

Through the Katherine and Thomas Belk Acquisition Fund, established in 2014, she provided crucial support for acquiring significant works of art by artists Alson Skinner Clark, Beauford Delaney, Stanton MacDonald-Wright, Kay Sage, and Kehinde Wiley. Her generosity also helped to enrich the Mint Museum’s Fashion Collection with 66 garments and accessories donated between 1991 and 2005.

Kat’s dedication was a testament to the power of philanthropy to support arts and culture at all levels. As we remember her, we celebrate the indelible mark she left on our community and The Mint Museum.

Where the Shrimp Pickers Live by artist Dusti Bongé will be on view as part of the exhibition Southern/Modern. Dusti Bongé (1903-93). Where the Shrimp Pickers Live, 1940, oil on canvas. Mississippi Museum of Art, Jackson, MS. Gift of Dusti Bongé Art Foundation, Inc. 1999.012 © Dusti Bongé Art Foundation.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The Mint Museum announces roster of new exhibitions for fall/winter 2024 that represent an evolution of the Americas through the 20th century

Charlotte, North Carolina (July 23, 2024) — The Mint Museum announces a slate of thought-provoking exhibitions and a notable acquisition that will go on view in fall/winter 2024. The exhibitions and acquisition represent an evolution of the Americas throughout the 20th century and include a diverse representation of artists. Each exhibition is paired with exciting community collaborations and programming components. 

Southern/Modern
On view October 26, 2024

Southern/Modern, created in collaboration with Georgia Museum of Art, is the first exhibition to provide a comprehensive survey of progressive art created throughout the first half of the 20th century. More than 100 paintings by artists that were living or working in the American South at that time, including women artists and artists of color, will be on view. Curated by the Mint’s Senior Curator of American Art Jonathan Stuhlman, PhD, and independent scholar Martha Severens, Southern/Modern traverses geographic regions to present an inclusive view of time, place, and social struggles during the first half of the 20th century in the American South. 

Women of Land and Smoke: Photographs by Graciela Iturbide and Maya Goded
(
Las Mujeres de Tierra y Humo: Las Fotografías de Graciele Iturbide y Maya Goded)
On view November 23, 2024

Over the decades, photographers Graciela Iturbide and Maya Goded have created revealing, poignant, and powerful images that examine the intersection of contemporary life and centuries-long practices throughout North and South America. Though a generation apart, both artists grew up in Mexico City and have worked internationally. Their primary focus, however, has been indigenous communities from Los Angeles to Chile. Over decades of exploring communities, whether urban or isolated, Iturbide and Goded have found women as the consistent force holding these fragmenting societies together.  Women of Land and Smoke: Photographs by Graciela Iturbide and Maya Goded includes over 50 photographs that present an overview of Iturbide and Goded’s careers that span the Americas throughout decades and various series.

Coined in the South 2024
On view December 14, 2024
 

In collaboration with Young Affiliates of the MintCoined in the South: 2024 features works by emerging artists, born, raised, living, or working in the South. The juried exhibition will include works by 50 artists from across the South. Coined in the South refers not only to The Mint Museum’s origins as the first branch of the United States Mint, but also to the act of inventing and devising  critical to the production of innovative new works of art. The exhibition transcends any singular aesthetic, theme, or medium, striving to mirror the rich diversity and creative spirit of the Southern arts community. 

NEW ACQUISITION

I’m Taking Time Away to Dream by Jeffrey Gibson 

For two decades, Jeffrey Gibson has created works that bridge his Choctaw-Cherokee heritage and mainstream popular culture. Gibson’s work evolves directly from his life: a gay, Indigenous man, born in Colorado Springs, Colorado, but a military kid who grew up on Army bases in Korea and Germany, as well as numerous states, including North Carolina. Because of this, his work straddles many forms of American culture  indigenous and colonial, domestic and international. The full rainbow spectrum consumes the surface, from canvas to the artist-painted frame. Vintage beaded patches — flowers reminiscent of a 1960s peacenik era and an American buffalo standing stoically beneath a rainbow — quote Indigenous decoration and the appropriation of those aesthetics into mainstream fashion. The work will be installed in the Contemporary Art galleries at Mint Museum Uptown in late fall. 

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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 at Levine Center for the Arts — the Mint boasts one of the largest collections in the Southeast and is committed to engaging and inspiring members of the global community. 

Contacts 
Clayton Sealey 
Senior Director of Marketing at The Mint Museum 
704.534.0186 
clayton.sealey@mintmuseum.org   

Michele Huggins 
Associate Director of Marketing at The Mint Museum 
704.564.0826 
michele.huggins@mintmuseum.org 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT:

Jenni Walker | Walker PR Group | 980-339-8041-office | 704-649-6571-cell

The Mint Museum hosts 18th Annual Potters Market at the Mint – Sept. 21

Annual pottery sale with more than 50 of North Carolina’s top ceramic artists

 Potters Market at the Mint logos and images are available here

 CHARLOTTE, N.C. – July 15, 2024 – North Carolina’s largest pottery sale with the state’s top ceramic artists returns to The Mint Museum 9:15 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 21 on the lawn of Mint Museum Randolph, located at 2730 Randolph Road in Charlotte.

Organized by The Mint Museum, the 18th Annual Potters Market at the Mint will feature more than 50 top potters working in North Carolina. The potters were selected through a competitive jury process and will be exhibiting and selling their best work. The event helps support the artists and introduces ceramic arts and collections of The Mint Museum to new audiences.

“We are excited to celebrate 18 years of Potters Market at the Mint and bring people from throughout the state together to experience this one-of-a-kind event,” says Todd Herman, PhD, president and CEO of The Mint Museum. “Potters Market is one of the most beloved events hosted at the museum and a wonderful way to celebrate North Carolina’s rich pottery traditions. This is a great opportunity to see high-quality ceramic work in one place, support the talented ceramic artists, and meet the makers to learn more about their work and creative processes.”

Tickets for Potters Market at the Mint start at $20 per person. The event will feature pottery demonstrations, live music, a beer garden, and food concessions. Proceeds support arts education and programming at The Mint Museum. To purchase tickets and learn more about participating potters, visit pottersmarketatthemint.com.

Potters Market was established in 2005 by the Delhom Service League, the ceramics affiliate of The Mint Museum from 1972 through the spring of 2022. The affiliate group was established following the arrival of Miss M. Mellanay Delhom and her outstanding collection of historical pottery and porcelain. The organization had a profound impact in supporting key projects of the museum’s decorative arts program. The Delhom Service League: 50 Years Golden Years is on view through Sunday, August 11 at Mint Museum Randolph.

The 2024 Potters Market at the Mint is generously presented by Principal Foundation.

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 at Levine Center for the Arts — the Mint boasts one of the largest collections in the Southeast and is committed to engaging and inspiring members of the global community. For more information, visit mintmuseum.org.

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CONTACT:

Jenni Walker | Walker PR Group | 980-339-8041-office | 704-649-6571-cell

Carroll Cloar (1913-93).A Story Told by My Mother, 1955, casein tempera onMasonite. Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, Memphis, TN. Bequest of Mrs.C.M. Gooch. 80.3.16© Estate of Carroll Cloar

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | IMAGES HERE

The Mint Museum announces Southern/Modern, the first exhibition to present a comprehensive survey of works by artists working in the American South in the first half of the 20th century

Charlotte, North Carolina (June 25, 2024) — The Mint Museum is proud to present the exhibition Southern/Modern, opening October 26 at Mint Museum Uptown. The exhibition is the first to provide a comprehensive survey of progressive art created in the American South during the first half of the 20th century.

Created in collaboration with Georgia Museum of Art, the exhibition includes more than 100 paintings and works on paper by artists working in states below the Mason-Dixon line and as far west as those bordering the Mississippi River, as well as some artists living outside of the region who made significant bodies of work during visits.

Curated by the Mint’s Senior Curator of American Art Jonathan Stuhlman, PhD, and independent scholar Martha Severens, Southern/Modern takes a broad view of the South and is structured around key themes that traverse geographic regions, including time and place, race, family ties, and social struggles. It also takes a broad, inclusive view of the art of the region, incorporating the creativity and talent of women artists and artists of color across its various thematic sections to provide a fuller, richer, and more accurate overview of the artistic activity in the American South at the time.

“The vision for Southern/Modern to include works by artists working in the South in the early 20th century, including works by women and artists of color, opens the door for honest conversation about Southern culture during this period of time,” says Todd Herman, president and CEO at The Mint Museum. “This exhibition is a continuation of the Mint’s commitment to give space to artists with diverse backgrounds, stories, and talent that have been overshadowed in the past.”

Artists in the exhibition include Romare Bearden, John Biggers, Dusti Bonge, Carroll Cloar, Marie Hull, Jacob Lawrence, Blanche Lazzell, John McCrady, Will Henry Stevens, Hale Woodruff, “among many others both well-known and awaiting further discovery,” Stuhlman says.

Southern/Modern began as an idea over a decade ago as I came to know our collection and other collections in the region and gained a deep appreciation for the art that I was discovering. It has truly been a pleasure and an enriching journey of discovery to bring this exhibition to life and I am both excited to share it with the public and deeply appreciative of all the private collectors and museums who generously lent their works to us,” Stuhlman says. “It was also a pleasure to work with the scholars who lent their time, talent, and insight to the informative and beautifully designed publication accompanying the show.”

Southern/Modern debuted at Georgia Museum of Art June 17-December 10, 2023 and traveled to the Frist Art Museum in Nashville, Tennessee in January 2024, then to Dixon Gallery and Gardens in Memphis, Tennessee in July 2024 before opening October 26 at The Mint Museum in Charlotte, North Carolina.

The exhibition is accompanied by a fully illustrated catalogue, published by the University of North Carolina Press, containing more than 175 rich illustrations and a dozen essays by contributing curators and leading art scholars.

Southern/Modern in Charlotte is generously presented by Wells Fargo, with additional support from the Dowd Foundation. Lead grant support for the exhibition is provided by the Henry Luce Foundation with additional funding from the Terra Foundation for American Art, the Andrew Wyeth Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Betsy and Alfred Brand Fund at The Mint Museum.

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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 at Levine Center for the Arts — the Mint boasts one of the largest collections in the Southeast and is committed to engaging and inspiring members of the global community.

 

Contacts:
Clayton Sealey, senior director of marketing and communications
clayton.sealey@mintmuseum.org | 704.534.0186 (c)

Michele Huggins, associate director of marketing and communications
michele.huggins@mintmuseum.org | 704.564.0826 (c)

 

 

Whitfield Lovell (American, b. Bronx, NY). Deep River, 2013, fifty-six wooden discs, found objects, soil, video projections, sound, dimensions variable. Courtesy of American Federation of Arts, the artist, and DC Moore Gallery, New York.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | IMAGES AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST

Consisting of two monumental installations and approximately 30 additional works, Passages is the most comprehensive exhibition of artist Whitfield Lovell’s work to date

Charlotte, North Carolina (May 30, 2024) — Through intricate drawings, three-dimensional storytelling, compelling assemblages, and multisensory installations, Whitfield Lovell: Passages, presents lesser-discussed aspects of African American history that raise universal questions about identity, memory, and America’s collective heritage. The exhibition, organized by the American Federation of Arts in collaboration with artist Whitfield Lovell, will fill galleries on Level 3 and Level 4 of Mint Museum Uptown June 29–September 22, 2024. Museum admission will be free June 29 and 30 to celebrate the opening of the exhibition.

A 2007 MacArthur Foundation fellowship recipient, Whitfield Lovell is internationally renowned for his installations that incorporate masterful Conté crayon portraits of anonymous African Americans from the period between the Emancipation Proclamation and the Civil Rights Movement. Using vintage photography as his source, Lovell often pairs his subjects with found objects, evoking personal memories, ancestral connections, and the collective American past.

Passages references a central theme of Lovell’s work that explores the struggle for equality, physical migration, social progress, and self-sufficiency that have been part of the African American experience. Lovell’s work seeks to elicit a visceral response in viewers by tapping memories and emotions through sound, smell, and touch, as well as sight, says Jen Sudul Edwards, PhD, chief curator and curator of contemporary art at The Mint Museum.

“For Lovell, the design of the exhibition is integral to the experience he wants to transmit to his audiences,” Edwards says. “While this is a traveling show, Lovell and his team work closely with each institution, so each iteration best relays the intention of his work.”

The exhibition brings together for the first time two of Lovell’s experiential, immersive installations: Deep River (2013) and The Richmond Project (2001). Through a combination of video projections, sounds of lapping water and bird calls, a mound of soil, music, drawings, and everyday objects, Deep River documents the perilous journey freedom-seekers took by crossing the Tennessee River during the American Civil War.

The Richmond Project is a profound homage to the first major African American entrepreneurial community in Jackson Ward, Richmond, Virginia. Through a series of intimate domestic interior settings, the emotionally stirring installation pays tribute to the lives, names, and faces of the people who lived in this historic neighborhood.

The exhibition also includes works from Lovell’s past series, Kin (2008-2011), and his newest, The Reds (2021-2022). The Reds are presented alongside two operational telephones that, when their receivers are lifted, emit the familiar and galvanizing refrain of “Lift Every Voice and Sing.” The late 19th-century song conveys faith and freedom, allying exodus from enslavement to the Biblical concept of the promised land.

Charlotte is one of six stops for the national exhibition tour of Whitfield Lovell: Passages. The exhibition in Charlotte is generously presented by PNC. Individual support is kindly provided by Kelle and Len Botkin and Marshelette and Milton Prime. Major support for the national tour and exhibition catalog is provided by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Terra Foundation for American Art.

“PNC’s support for Whitfield Lovell: Passages builds on our longstanding collaboration with The Mint Museum to deliver world-class art that both inspires and informs local audiences,” said Weston Andress, PNC regional president for Western Carolinas. “All of us at PNC look forward to helping The Mint Museum welcome visitors to this meaningful exhibit.”

UPCOMING PROGRAMMING

Artist Talk: Whitfield Lovell
June 27, 7:15 PM
Mint Museum Uptown

Artist Whitfield Lovell joins Chief Curator and Curator of Contemporary Art Jen Sudul Edwards, PhD, will discuss Whitfield Lovell: Passages and the process and motivations behind Lovell’s work. The event is free.

EXHIBITION CURATOR

Michèle Wije, PhD, is a former curator of exhibitions at the American Federation of Arts. She began her career at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and has organized several exhibitions, including Sparkling Amazons: Abstract Expressionist Women of the 9th St. Show (2019) and Bisa Butler: Portraits (2020) for the Katonah Museum of Art, Katonah, New York.

TICKET INFORMATION

The Mint Museum exhibition is free for members and youth ages 18 and younger; $15 for adults; $10 for seniors ages 65 and older and college students with ID. Admission is free 5-9 PM on Wednesdays. Purchase tickets at mintmuseum.org.

Museum admission will be free June 29 and 30 to celebrate the opening of the exhibition.

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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 at Levine Center for the Arts 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.

ABOUT THE AMERICAN FEDERATION OF ARTS

The American Federation of Arts is the leader in traveling exhibitions internationally. A nonprofit organization founded in 1909, the AFA is dedicated to enriching the public’s experience and understanding of the visual arts through organizing and touring art exhibitions for presentation in museums around the world, publishing exhibition catalogues featuring important scholarly research, and developing educational programs.

MEDIA CONTACTS:

Michele Huggins, associate director of marketing and communications michele.huggins@mintmuseum.org | 704-564-0826 (c)

Clayton Sealey, senior director of marketing and communications clayton.sealey@mintmuseum.org | 704.534.0186 (c)

Robert W. Ebendorf (American, 1938−), various artists. ECU Charm Necklace, 2017,
silver, copper, brass, enamel, mixed media, found objects, 19 × 12 1/2 × 1 3/4 in.
Collection of The Mint Museum. Gift of Porter • Price Collection. 2022.49.7

Objects of Affection: Jewelry by Robert Ebendorf from the Porter • Price Collection

The story of how a twig necklace led to decades of friendship and a comprehensive collection of works

By Rebecca E. Elliot

You could say that the story of this exhibition starts with a necklace made from twigs. In 1996, Joe Price was working in San Francisco, where his partner (now husband) Ron Porter frequently visited him. They had become interested in contemporary craft during the 1980s through visits to New York and had begun exploring galleries and museums in the Bay Area.

At the Susan Cummins Gallery in Mill Valley, California, Porter and Price saw The Opera Show, for which Cummins invited artists to interpret an opera of their choosing through jewelry. But instead of evoking a specific opera, Ebendorf presented Twig Necklace — a ruff of radiating twigs accented by gold spirals and pearls — provocatively suggesting that this adornment be worn to an opera.

For Ebendorf, this combination of precious and nonprecious materials was typical, but for Porter and Price — and the world at large — it was quite unusual. Porter and Price were fascinated, later describing it as “one of the defining moments of our experience with jewelry.” Yet, they did not purchase the necklace because they perceived it as needing to be worn by a woman to an event. It was only later that they would view jewelry as sculpture that could adorn a wall or simply be owned and admired.

Twig Necklace remained on their minds until two years later when Porter met Ebendorf at the Penland School of Craft Auction and asked about the necklace. He was delighted to learn that Ebendorf still had the necklace. Ebendorf was impressed by this collector who remembered his work from years ago. Not only did Porter and Price purchase the necklace soon after, but the conversation ignited a friendship that has lasted around 25 years and a collection of hundreds of pieces of jewelry. 

Building a collection

Prior to buying Twig Necklace, Porter and Price purchased a ring by Ebendorf from the Susan Cummins Gallery. After buying the necklace, they purchased other works by Ebendorf, but in the spring of 2009, their collecting of jewelry became more ambitious.

Twig Necklace by artist Robert Ebendorf

Robert Ebendorf (American, 1938- ), Twig Necklace, circa 1994, wood, pearl, 18k gold, steel, 14 1/8 X 13 1/4 x 1/2 in. Collection of The Mint Museum. Gift of Porter * Price Collection. 2019.93.28

At Ebendorf’s invitation, they visited the undergraduate and graduate jewelry and metal design programs at East Carolina University (ECU) in Greenville, North Carolina where Ebendorf taught from 1997 to 2016. After meeting Ebendorf’s faculty colleagues Linda Darty, Tim Lazure, and Mi-Sook Hur, and students (some of whom were setting up their thesis exhibitions), Porter and Price were impressed by the originality of the students’ work. After that visit, Porter and Price began collecting works by ECU faculty members and students, becoming an important source of friendship and support especially for the students and graduates at an early stage of their careers.

During that same trip in the spring of 2009, Porter and Price joined Ebendorf to view a retrospective of his work at the Imperial Arts Centre in Rocky Mount, North Carolina. This was the first time they had seen so many works from Ebendorf’s then 50-year career. They were blown away by his craftsmanship and range, which includes vessels, jewelry, drawings, and installations, extending from sleek, modernist silver objects of the 1950s and early 1960s to his innovative use of found 19th-century photographs on jewelry in the late 1960s, experiments with plastics and torn newspaper in the 1970s and 1980s, and provocative use of squirrel paws and crab claws in the 1990s. 

Porter and Price decided to build a comprehensive collection of Ebendorf’s work to include not only jewelry, objects, and drawings, but also archival materials such as exhibition catalogues and correspondence. As they built this collection (in addition to collections of contemporary ceramics, art in various media, and jewelry by artists not connected to ECU), Porter and Price became more involved with museums, including The Mint Museum. Their goal of preserving Ebendorf’s and the other ECU artists’ work to benefit artists, scholars, and the public aligned with the Mint’s goal of acquiring jewelry by regional, national, and international artists.

In 2019 the museum acquired the Porter • Price Collection as part gift, part purchase (with subsequent gifts in 2022 and 2024) along with the gift of the Robert W. Ebendorf Archive. The Porter • Price Collection comprises around 200 works by Ebendorf and approximately 100 objects by ECU faculty and graduates, while the archive comprises 13 cubic feet (about half the volume of a large refrigerator) of documents, audio-visual materials, and the hundreds of letters and collaged postcards exchanged between the artist and collectors.

Ebendorf gifted and sold works to Porter and Price that he had held back, such as his Colored Smoke Machine brooch (above) from his 1974 series of that name. This was inspired by the work of German jeweler Claus Bury, who was combining colored acrylic with gold on his own work of the time, and who visited Ebendorf that year when Ebendorf was a professor at the State University of New York at New Paltz. The series title, and this brooch’s form, were inspired by Bury’s fanciful drawings of Ebendorf’s house with colored smoke coming from the chimney, which Bury explained changed color according to the occupant’s moods. The brooch thus speaks to Ebendorf’s experimentation with materials and his friendships with international artists and represents one of the many stories told through the objects in the exhibition.

The exhibition Objects of Affection celebrates the oeuvre of Ebendorf, the work of his colleagues and former students at ECU and the friendships among the artists and collectors. It traces Ebendorf’s career since his first jewelry in the 1950s, concentrating on his work in the 21st century, and shows how he influenced his field by approaching materials and people the same way — connecting what was previously unrelated to create a new and compelling whole. This he did as a jeweler, metalsmith, collage artist, professor, teacher of workshops, and friend and mentor to many.

Objects of Affection is generously presented by Bank of America. Individual sponsorship is kindly provided by Posey and Mark Mealy, Jeffrey and Staci Mills, Emily and Bill Oliver, Beth and Drew Quartapella, Ches and Chrys Riley, and Ann and Michael Tarwater. 

Rebecca E. Elliot is assistant curator of Craft, Design, and Fashion and curator of this exhibition.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | IMAGES

Shinichi Sawada (Japanese, 1982−). Untitled (178), 2010, wood fired ceramic, 15 3/4 x 7 7/8 x 7 7/8 inches. Private Collection. Photo by Matthew Herrmann. © Shinichi Sawada

Charlotte, North Carolina (April 11, 2024) — The Mint Museum, in collaboration with the Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis, is proud to present the first solo exhibition in the United States for Japanese contemporary artist Shinichi Sawada (born 1982). Opening April 27 at The Mint Museum, Shinichi Sawada: Agents of Clay features a captivating collection of Sawada’s mesmerizing clay figures that blur the boundaries between reality and imagination.

The exhibition, co-curated by Jen Sudul Edwards, PhD, chief curator and curator of Contemporary Art at The Mint Museum, and Lisa Melandri, executive director at the Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis, features 30 of Sawada’s sculptures created over the past decade.

The ceramic works are a fusion of features from mammals, fish, birds, insects, and the artist’s own imaginative creations. The intricate works of art often boast multiple faces, an abundance of eyes, and intricate patterns of incised lines, bumps, horns, and scales.

“From their enchanting faces and mesmerizing surfaces to the alluring tactile nature, Shinichi Sawada’s sculptures inspire you to start drawing the things that live in your mind and make you ache to pound and twist some clay, which is such a cathartic medium for internal release,” says Sudul Edwards.

Drawing inspiration from the millennia-old tradition of wood-burning Shigaraki kilns and Japanese imagery, Sawada’s creations embody his environment — from the history of Japanese figuration to the mountainous region where he resides. Each sculpture is fired consistently for three days and three nights, and the oven takes a week to cool before the pieces are removed. Depending on where the pieces were placed in the kiln determines the gray, black, or red color of each piece, making each genuinely unique.

Shinichi Sawada: Agents of Clay is on view April 27–August 11, 2024 at The Mint Museum in Charlotte, North Carolina. Following the exhibition at the Mint, the exhibition will be on view at the Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis September 6, 2024-February 9, 2025.

About Shinichi Sawada

Shinichi Sawada’s artistic training began in 2000 through the Nakayoshi Fukushikai Welfare Association through a program aimed at assisting neurodivergent individuals in finding employment and fostering independence. Sawada, who is autistic, divides his time between the ceramic studio and the organization’s bakery, working in the ceramic studio twice a week.

Ticket Information  

The Mint Museum exhibition is free for members and children ages 4 and younger; $15 for adults; $10 for seniors ages 65 and older; $10 for college students with ID; and $6 for youth ages 5–17. Admission is free 5-9 PM on Wednesdays. 

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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 at Levine Center for the Arts 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.  

Media contacts:   

Michele Huggins, associate director of marketing and communications at The Mint Museum  
michele.huggins@mintmuseum.org | 704-564-0826 (c) 

Clayton Sealey, senior director of marketing and communications at The Mint Museum Clayton.sealey@mintmuseum.org | 704.534.0186 (c)  

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA (April 8, 2024) — The Mint Museum is thrilled to announce that starting May 1, children in grades K-12 will enjoy free admission to both locations of the museum for an entire year. In addition, college students enrolled in visual and performing arts programs will also have free access during this period.

This incredible opportunity for students is made possible through the generous support of Mint Board of Trustees Member Charlotte Wickham. Wickham was partnered with Charlotte Ballet Dancer Humberto Ramazzina. The duo raised over $425,000 during Charlotte Ballet’s 2024 Dancing with the Stars Gala held on March 2. Their outstanding efforts earned them the People’s Choice Award for top vote-getter. Approximately $180,000 of the funds raised will be allocated to support student access at The Mint Museum, with the remaining amount benefiting Charlotte Ballet.

Wickham’s dedication to the arts and her belief in the transformative power of artistic experiences for children motivated her to participate in Charlotte Ballet’s Dancing with Stars of Charlotte. She emphasizes the importance of museums as places of culture and conversation, where individuals can engage deeply and develop empathy.

As part of its ongoing commitment to accessibility, The Mint Museum aims to secure additional support to extend free student access beyond May 2025, with the ultimate goal of making the museum free for all. Currently, admission prices are as follows: free for ages 4 and younger, $6 for ages 5-17, $15 for adults, $10 for seniors ages 65 and older, and college students with ID. Children ages 13 and younger must be accompanied by a paying adult.

Visitors to The Mint Museum can look forward to a diverse range of exhibitions throughout the year, featuring renowned artists such as Shinichi SawadaRobert Ebendorf, and Whitfield Lovell. Notably, the upcoming exhibition Southern/Modern, opening on October 26 at Mint Museum Uptown, will present a comprehensive survey of paintings and works on paper created in the American South during the first half of the 20th century.

For more information on upcoming exhibitions and programs, please visit mintmuseum.org.

About The Mint Museum

Established in 1936, The Mint Museum is North Carolina’s first art museum and a leading institution dedicated to international art and design. With two locations, Mint Museum Randolph and Mint Museum Uptown, the Mint houses one of the largest collections in the Southeast and is committed to engaging and inspiring the global community.

Contacts

Clayton Sealey
Senior Director of Marketing and Communications
clayton.sealey@mintmuseum.org | 704-534-0186

Michele Huggins
Associate Director of Marketing and Communications
michele.huggins@mintmuseum.org | 704-337-2122

By Page Leggett

Jackie Milad’s cultural identity informs her art. The Baltimore-based artist paints and collages large-scale, mixed-media abstracts that explore her Egyptian-Honduran heritage.

Before becoming a full-time artist, she worked as a curator and ran an art gallery. Her ties to Charlotte — a city she says “charmed” her — are many. The Mint Museum and the Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Culture have exhibited her work, she had a 2021 residency at the McColl Center, and is represented in the Queen City by SOCO Gallery.

On her first visit to the Mint during her residency at the McColl Center, she was “blown away by the curatorial work,” she says. “Having worked in that world, I’m always interested in curatorial decisions. I was really impressed with Jennifer [Sudul] Edwards’ artistic selections and the writing on the text panels. I knew I wanted to meether.”

As for Milad’s schedule, it varies daily. She might go to an artist’s talk, visit a museum or library, or make studio visits to learn about other artists’ processes.

What she does outside the studio changes, but her time in the studio is consistent.

“I adhere to a strict work schedule,” she says. “I didn’t always. When I had a full-time job, I’d work on art when I could find the time. Today, I work on art in my studio. And at home, I’m focused on my family.”

Inspiration often comes during a walk. The texture of tree bark that catches her eye may show up in her work, as will something she learned from the research she does in her studio. Like a French flâneur, Jackie walks to observe and be inspired.

“I try to be in the world with an open mind and open heart,” she says. “When I’m in that mode, a lot more is revealed to me. I’m a better observer. And being a keen observer is important to my success in the studio.”

5:45 AM The dogs — a greyhound and a whippet — wake my husband, Tom Boran, and me before our alarm goes off. Tom walks them while I “sleep in” until 6 AM.

6 AM I go downstairs and make a cup of matcha. When Tom comes home from his walk, he makes his coffee.
We sit in the dark together, drinking our caffeine and listening to music.

6:45 AM Things start to happen faster after a leisurely start to our day. Tiero, my 12-year-old son, comes downstairs for his breakfast. I make his lunch and Tom usually takes him to school.

7:30–9 AM I get my stuff done. I shower and make breakfast, which usually consists of a boiled egg with salt and pepper and sometimes hot sauce and a piece of toast or yogurt with homemade granola — I make it with peanut butter and chocolate chips — and lots of fruit. I keep it simple in the morning.

When I have time, I’ll take a 30 to 40-minute walk. In northeast Baltimore, we have lots of green space, old trees and a lake and park close by. Walking, whether in nature or on city streets, always resets my brain.

Once I’m home, I take care of replying to emails and other administrative things. I don’t have Wi-Fi at my studio, so I have to deal with it at home. I pack my lunch — usually leftovers from the night before. I’m lucky that my husband does all the cooking in our family.

9:30ish AM I leave for my studio, which is about a 20- minute drive from home. It’s quite an improvement over my previous commute. It could take up to an hour each way.

It is 800 square feet and housed in a 100-year-old former factory. We have old hardwood floors and big windows in a building where a lot of other artists have their studios, which is nice. Adjacent to the building are lots of trees, which is pretty unusual in the city. I have a great view of them from my window. And there’s a big park right next to the studio where I often walk. If you walk just a few miles from my studio, you’ll end up at the Maryland Zoo.

I don’t jump in to making art immediately, unless I left the studio the day before in the middle of a process. I’ll write in my journal, research, read. I’m especially interested in archaeology and history, and my reading on those subjects often influences my art.

Music plays a big part in my life, and I’m always listening while working. My husband is a musician, as well as a digital media artist, and he’s exposed me to so many genres. My eclectic playlist has everything from Puerto Rican dance music to heavy metal from the 1980s to more contemplative music.

Before I can start painting, there’s prep work to do. I prepare surfaces, cut scrap material, pick scraps of paper or fabric to use in my collages. I like working on several pieces at the same time.

I’m very active while working. I don’t just sit at my desk or an easel. I’m moving around a lot.

4 OR 4:30 PM I pick up my son from school. He’s generally stayed late to play squash or tennis.

5:30 PM Now, it’s my turn to walk our dogs. Tom makes dinner, while I do home stuff, which often includes helping Tiero with homework. And we always eat dinner together as a family. All three of us love movies and TV, and we’ll usually watch something together after dinner.

9:30 or 10 PM We both read in bed before we fall asleep, but I don’t do the kind of reading I do at my studio. Reading at home is all about escapism. I’ll read dumb fiction. Recently, it was a book called “Godslayer” — or something like that — pure escapist fantasy.

8 PM Tiero heads upstairs to read in bed. He’s usually asleep by 9 PM. Tom and I talk, catch up on our days. Because we’re such early risers, we also go to bed early.

Page Leggett is a Charlotte-based freelance writer. Her stories have appeared in The Charlotte Observer, The Biscuit, Charlotte magazine and many other regional publications.

For Immediate Release | Images available upon request

Charlotte, North Carolina (March 12, 2024) — The Mint Museum Coveted Couture Gala returns April 27 to Mint Museum Randolph. The 11th annual event celebrates the opening of the exhibition Objects of Affection: Jewelry by Robert Ebendorf from the Porter • Price Collection.

The Coveted Couture Gala raises critical funds for The Mint Museum to support innovative programming, groundbreaking exhibitions, arts education for children, and community outreach around arts and culture in the Queen City.

The spring tradition is a black-tie dinner dance for 400 of Charlotte’s most prominent civic leaders, museum supporters, and patrons. The 2024 Coveted Couture Gala is presented by Regions and Black Arch. Gala chairs are Beth and Drew Quartapella. Beth Quartapella is The Mint Museum Board of Trustees Chair Elect and former chair of the Craft, Design + Fashion Collections Board.

Objects of Affection celebrates the oeuvre of artist Robert Ebendorf following the evolution of his designs — from the Scandinavian modernism of his early work to his first use of found objects, including tintype photographs, in the 1960s, newspaper and other textual elements in the 1980s, and his pivotal incorporation of animal parts in the 1990s, as well as the remixing of many of these approaches in the 21st century.  His playful and innovative use of everyday objects in jewelry has inspired countless artists across generations. As a teacher and mentor, Ebendorf’s influence extends far beyond his own creations, making him a beloved figure in the industry.

“Jewels will rule, and fabulous fashion will be the forefront of the night that will play out in fun, creative, and unexpected ways,” says Hillary Cooper, chief advancement officer for The Mint Museum.

The 2024 Coveted Couture Gala begins at 6:30 PM on April 27 at Mint Museum Randolph and includes cocktails on the terrace, a sit-down dinner, brief auction and paddle raise, followed by dancing to live music by the band Party with the People.

The gala after-party kicks off at 9:30 PM. Gala tickets are $850 per person. Tickets to the after party are $75 and include cocktails and dancing.

To purchase tickets to the Coveted Couture Gala, visit mintmuseum.org/coveted-couture-gala-2024 or email Lauren Hartnagel at lauren.hartnagel@mintmuseum.org.

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 at Levine Center for the Arts — the Mint boasts one of the largest collections in the Southeast and is committed to engaging and inspiring members of the global community.

Contacts
Clayton Sealey
Senior Director of Marketing at The Mint Museum
704.534.0186
clayton.sealey@mintmuseum.org

Michele Huggins
Associate Director of Marketing at The Mint Museum
704.564.0826
michele.huggins@mintmuseum.org

 

 

For Immediate Release | IMAGES

People gathered outside Mint Museum Randolph

Guests enjoy a spring day at the 2023 Party in the Park series.

WHAT: Party in the Park series kick-off 

WHEN: Sunday, March 24, 1–5 PM

WHERE: Mint Museum Randolph front lawn and terrace, 2730 Randolph Road, Charlotte.

COST: FREE, including museum admission

HIGHLIGHTS:

Come as you art to this casual, all-ages, family friendly event that combines art and nature with live music, outdoor activitations on the expansive greenspace, and free museum admission at Mint Museum Randolph. Parking is plentiful and free. Lawn chairs are welcome, as are strollers, wagons, bubbles, and picnic blankets for a afternoon of fun on the lawn.

Each FREE event includes food trucks, live music, and a cash bar on the front terrace (weather permitting). The first event in the 2024 series features local artist demonstrations in response to themes of identity and culture found in the Interventions installation Buscando la sirena by artist Jackie Milad, on view at Mint Museum Randolph. Live muisic will be provided by the Mike Strauss Band, and a variety of local food trucks will be on site, including Burger BoxCarolina Smash TruckNo Forks Given, and Wrap ‘n Roll.

NEW THIS YEAR:

Party in the Park will take place 1–5 PM six select Sundays spring, summer and fall, including:

  • March 24
  • April 17
  • May 19
  • June 30
  • September 29
  • October 20

Details about upcoming Party in the Park events can be found at mintmuseum.org/events.

Party in the Park is generously presented by Principal Foundation.

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 at Levine Center for the Arts — the Mint boasts one of the largest collections in the Southeast and is committed to engaging and inspiring members of the global community.

CONTACTS
Clayton Sealey | Senior Director of Marketing at The Mint Museum | 704.534.0186
clayton.sealey@mintmuseum.org  

Michele Huggins | Associate Director of Marketing at The Mint Museum | 704.564.0826
michele.huggins@mintmuseum.org 

 

CELEBRATING SOUTHERN ARTISTIC EXCELLENCE

Deadline: April 1, 2024

Overview: The Mint Museum, in collaboration with Young Affiliates of the Mint, invite artists living or working in the Southern United States to submit works for consideration in the upcoming exhibition Coined in the South: 2024.

The juried exhibition bridges the gap between museums, galleries, and studios by showcasing thought-provoking works by emerging artists at the heart of the Southern arts community. Artists who were born/raised in, work in, or currently reside in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, or Virginia are eligible to apply.

The deadline for submission is April 1, 11:59 PM. Entries can be submitted online at coinedinthesouthbiennal2024.artcall.org.

Coined in the South: 2024 will be on view December 14, 2024–April 27, 2025 at Mint Museum Uptown in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Eligibility: Submitted artwork should have been created within the past two years, be non-perishable, not generate excessive noise pollution, and cause no harm to living beings. Installation, video, and performance artists are encouraged to apply. Clear instructions for installation and space requirements are necessary, along with recordings or documentation of previous performances, if available.

Fees: $40 allows submission of up to three (3) works + Additional $10 for up to three (3) more submissions, totaling six (6) pieces per artist.

Delivery Period: Works must be delivered and ready for installation between August 1, 2024, and November 1, 2024. Artists are responsible for covering shipping expenses.

HONORARIUM AND AWARDS

Prize Awards:

  • One $10,000 Atrium Health Foundation juror-awarded grand prize
  • One $5,000 Young Affiliates of the Mint member-awarded prize
  • One $1,000 “People’s Choice” prize awarded by the public at the conclusion of the show. All selected artists will receive a $350 stipend to assist with shipping and travel expenses.

Distinguished Jurors:

  • Marshall N. Price, PhD, Chief Curator and Nancy A. Nasher and David J. Haemisegger Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art, Duke University
  • Victoria Ramirez, PhD, executive director at the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts
  • Stephanie J. Woods, assistant professor, Interdisciplinary Art, University of New Mexico

To apply, please visit coinedinthesouthbiennial2024.artcall.org.

Contact: Patwin Lawrence and Mariama Holman, Coined in the South 2024 Biennial Co-Chairs at info@coinedinthesouth.org for more information.

Organizers:

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 at Levine Center for the Arts — the Mint boasts one of the largest collections in the Southeast and is committed to engaging and inspiring members of the global community.

Young Affiliates of the Mint
The Young Affiliates of the Mint (YAM) is the Mint Museum’s young professional auxiliary group. The organization’s mission is to expand access to the arts for children by raising funds for subsidized classroom trips to the museum each year. YAM annual programming focuses on supporting the museum and fostering community through cultural and social events. Established in 1990, the Young Affiliates is the premier social organization for young art enthusiasts in Charlotte, North Carolina.

 

Robert W. Ebendorf (American, 1938–), various artists. ECU Charm Necklace (detail), 2017, silver, copper, brass, enamel, mixed media, found objects, 19 x 12 1/2 x 1 3/4 in. Collection of The Mint Museum. Gift of Porter • Price Collection. 2022.49.7

For Immediate Release | IMAGES

An exhibition of works by artist Robert Ebendorf, one of the most influential artists in the studio jewelry movement

Charlotte, North Carolina (March 1, 2024) — Objects of Affection: Jewelry by Robert Ebendorf from the Porter • Price Collection opens April 27 at Mint Museum Randolph. With over 180 stunning pieces on display, visitors will have the opportunity to explore the evolution of Robert Ebendorf’s designs and witness his decades of influence on the studio jewelry movement.

Ebendorf’s playful and innovative use of everyday objects to create one-of-kind wearable art has stamped his place as one of the most influential artists in the studio jewelry movement. His work is a juxtaposition to cultural preconceptions of fine jewelry. Intricate and striking, he creates dynamic works with found objects, including crab claws, sea glass, plastic, paper, as well as recycled industrial objects like keys, buttons, beer bottle caps, washers, and wire mesh.

The exhibition features works of jewelry, metalwork, drawings, and archival materials created by Ebendorf, as well as faculty and graduates of the metal design program at East Carolina University, and drawn the Porter • Price Collection. His playful and innovative use of everyday objects in jewelry has inspired countless artists across generations. As a teacher and mentor, Ebendorf’s influence extends far beyond his own creations, making him a beloved figure in the industry.

“Bob Ebendorf has inspired countless artists across several generations through his distinctively playful use of everyday objects on jewelry,” says Rebecca Elliot, assistant curator of Craft, Design, and Fashion at the Mint. “As a teacher, mentor, and friend, he is not only respected but beloved.”

Ebendorf had an extensive career as a professor beginning in 1964 and culminating at East Carolina University (1997–2016). The exhibition includes work by 31 graduates and faculty of the metal design program at ECU, many who were colleagues and students of Ebendorf’s.

While at ECU, Ebendorf became friends with Ron Porter and Joe Price, who built a wide-ranging collection of work by him and other ECU-affiliated artists and an equally extensive archive of their drawings, correspondence, and ephemera.

Objects of Affection: Jewelry by Robert Ebendorf from the Porter • Price Collection is generously presented by Bank of America. Individual sponsorship is kindly provided by Posey and Mark Mealy, Staci and Jeff Mills, Emily and Bill Oliver, Beth and Drew Quartapella, Chrys and Ches Riley, and Ann and Michael Tarwater.

OPENING WEEKEND: APRIL 27-28

Museum admission will be free 11 AM–4 PM Saturday, April 27 and 1–5 PM Sunday, April 28.

The Mint’s 11th annual Coveted Couture Gala celebrates the opening of the exhibition on the evening of April 27.

EXHIBITION PROGRAMMING

Artist Talk with Robert Ebendorf
May 18 | 2–3:30 PM
Mint Museum Randolph

Artist Robert “Bob” Ebendorf will be joined by collectors and friends Ron Porter and Joe Price for a discussion about his journey from a midcentury-modernist metalsmith to an artist who creates collages and jewelry using found objects. Porter and Price will share how they built a collection of hundreds of works by Ebendorf and other contemporary jewelry artists. The discussion is moderated by the exhibition curator, Rebecca Elliot.

Future gallery talks with ECU faculty and graduates will be announced throughout the run of the exhibition. Find all upcoming events at mintmuseum.org/events.

EXHIBITION CATALOGUE
Objects of Affection is accompanied by a full-color, 112-page catalogue with an introduction by jewelry scholar Toni Greenbaum and other texts by Rebecca Elliot, assistant curator of Craft, Design, and Fashion at The Mint Museum, including an essay about Ebendorf and several ECU faculty and graduates; interviews with Ebendorf and with Porter and Price; a description of the Ebendorf Archive; and a checklist of Ebendorf’s work in the Porter • Price Collection at The Mint Museum.

ABOUT ROBERT EBENDORF
Robert Ebendorf was born and raised in Kansas and earned Bachelor of Fine Arts (1961) and Master of Fine Arts (1963) degrees from the University of Kansas. He received further training in metalsmithing in Norway through a Fulbright Fellowship (1963–64) and a Tiffany Foundation Grant (1966–67). Ebendorf was a professor of metalsmithing at Stetson University (DeLand, Florida, 1964–67), the University of Georgia-Athens (1967–71), the State University of New York at New Paltz (1971–89), and finally East Carolina University (1997–2016). He has also taught hundreds of jewelry and found-object assemblage workshops across the United States and abroad. Ebendorf has received numerous awards, including induction into the National Metalsmiths Hall of Fame (2004), a Master of the Medium award from the James Renwick Alliance (2005), and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Society of North American Goldsmiths (2014).

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 at Levine Center for the Arts — the Mint boasts one of the largest collections in the Southeast and is committed to engaging and inspiring members of the global community.

Mint Board Member Charlotte Wickham and Charlotte Ballet dancer Humberto Ramazzina will dance together at the 2024 Dancing With the Stars of Charlotte to support The Mint Museum and Charlotte Ballet.

‘Take more chances, dance more dances’

Mint Board Member Charlotte Wickham is stepping out to support The Mint Museum

By Michael J. Solender

After Charlotte Wickham relocated to Charlotte from New York City with her husband in 2008, she knew she wanted to get involved with supporting the arts and cultural community in Charlotte. While she couldn’t know it at the time, her enthusiasm for, and recognition of, how arts engagement impacts the development of children and young adults in her newly adopted community would lead her to dancing her heart out in support of The Mint Museum. 

Wickham, a Mint Museum Board of Trustees member, is one of six local community leaders paired with a professional dancer from the Charlotte Ballet in its annual Dancing with the Stars of Charlotte Gala. The event will take place March 2 at the Knight Theater to raise funds that support the Charlotte Ballet and the local leader’s charity of choice. Wickham has selected The Mint Museum and earmarked funds raised to support museum admission for Charlotte-area K-12 school children and post-secondary school students.

Cast your vote for Charlotte!

A passion for arts education

“I’ve always thought that arts and culture are an important part of learning for children,” Wickham says. “I grew up in Raleigh. My family often went to the ballet, the symphony, and to the museums. That was such a rich part of our life. Many studies show how art, dance, and music help develop children’s brains and help them to think in different and more critical and creative ways.”

Since 2020, Wickham’s role at the Mint is fueled by her passion for arts education and community engagement. She is a believer in exposure and access to the arts for all ages.

Wickham has seized upon the metaphor of taking positive steps and enthusiastically allowed herself to be “hotboxed” by her husband and a good friend into performing with the 2024 group of dancers to support The Mint Museum and the Charlotte Ballet.

“I believe life is often done best by embracing the places our steps take us,” she says in an email to friends. “This journey is going to be a bit different, and it makes the thought of participating that much more exciting.”

Different means physical for Wickham whose pre-dance assignment exercise routine has been primarily weekly Pilates classes.

Wickham is paired with Charlotte Ballet’s Humberto Ramazzina. The São Paulo, Brazil native began his formal dance training at age 8 and is in his fifth season with  Charlotte Ballet. The two share a love for salsa, contemporary and classical dance, though Wickham is keeping close to the vest the pair’s ultimate three-minute dance and music choice a surprise.

“I don’t want to give away too much and prefer to tap into what I know will be high energy from the audience at the gala performance.”

Choreographing support

Dance pairs receive support online at Charlotte Ballet’s Dancing with the Stars of Charlotte Gala site in the run up to the event with top vote-getter ($1 per vote) receiving the People’s Choice Award. Dancers who wow the judges with the “best moves” are awarded the Judge’s Choice recognition. Since 2013, Charlotte Ballet’s Dancing with the Stars of Charlotte Gala has raised more than $10 million including nearly $4.5 million for local charities. Funds raised via ticket sales per dance pair are divided equally between the pair’s designated charity and the Charlotte Ballet.

“That our [community] star dancers have the opportunity to generate financial support for charities of their choice has such tremendous impact for our city,” says Alysha Brown, Charlotte Ballet’s special events and volunteer manager. Brown coordinates all things Dancing with the Stars of Charlotte Gala for Charlotte Ballet and is the liaison between company dancers and their community dance partners.

“Historically we’ve had a variety of charities chosen for support alongside the ballet from housing nonprofits to other arts institutions in Charlotte. Charlotte Ballet is honored to play a role in this level of community development. The event is unlike any other in the city and shares an incredible amount of pure joy for those involved.”

In addition to identifying funds to support student access to The Mint Museum, Wickham is hopeful to encourage arts outreach beyond the walls of the museum buildings, especially into area hospitals. Her passion and enthusiasm for community collaboration aligns well with the goals of the Mint.

“Charlotte is one of our most dedicated board members,” says Todd Herman, president and CEO of The Mint Museum. “She is also an avid collector and incredibly involved in so many things that we do. I’m thrilled she shares one of the goals that our museum has, which is to collaborate with other arts organizations here in Charlotte. Her being part of Dancing with The Stars of Charlotte Gala fits her enthusiasm and her love for the arts. This event underscores the Mint’s role as a cultural hub partnering with organizations throughout the city and encouraging everyone in our community to embrace the arts.” 

For Wickham, expanding her reach to embrace and support arts impact in the community is meaningful and more than worth the extra effort. “Museums are places of culture and conversation where we can think deeply and be empathetic,” she says. “We need places where we can appreciate and learn from others.” 

Cast your vote for Charlotte!

Michael J. Solender is a Charlotte-based features writer. Reach him at michaeljsolender@gmail.com or through his website, michaeljwrites.com.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The Art of Seating: 200 Years of American Design extended through April 14 at The Mint Museum

Isamu Noguchi (American, 1904-88), Knoll Associates, Inc. (United States, 1938-). Rocking Stool (Model 86T), designed 1953, executed circa 1955, walnut, chromium-plated steel wire. Collection of the Thomas H. and Diane DeMell Jacobsen PhD Foundation. 2022.48.35

Charlotte, North Carolina (January 16, 2024) — The Art of Seating: 200 Years of American Design at Mint Museum Uptown has been extended through April 14 at Mint Museum Uptown. Curated by the Mint’s Senior Curator of American Art Jonathan Stuhlman, PhD, the exhibition includes 52 remarkable examples of seating design.

Visitors can admire the works of esteemed makers and designers, including North Carolinian and master craftsman Thomas Day (1801-1861). Day was a Black man, master craftsman, and successful businessman who worked in Milton, North Carolina before the Civil War.

Other renowned American designers featured in the exhibition include Frank Lloyd Wright, Charles and Ray Eames, and Roy Lichtenstein.

The Art of Seating offers a unique opportunity to explore history and the evolution of design by some of the greatest American designers whose commitment to innovation and quality has shaped the landscape of American seating furniture,” Stuhlman says.

Though designed for function, each chair in the exhibition has a story to tell about the history and evolution of American design, including changing tastes in style and aesthetics, new innovations in technology and materials, and contributions by immigrants throughout two centuries.

The Art of Seating: 200 Years of American Design is made possible through the generous support of PNC. Additional individual support is provided by Mary and Walt Beaver, Sarah G. Cooper, Lucy and Hooper Hardison, and Kati and Chris Small. The exhibition is accompanied by a richly illustrated 248-page scholarly catalogue that is available in The Mint Museum Store.

For more information or interview requests, contact:

Clayton Sealey
Senior Director of Marketing at The Mint Museum
704.534.0186
clayton.sealey@mintmuseum.org

Michele Huggins
Associate Director of Marketing at The Mint Museum
704.564.0826
michele.huggins@mintmuseum.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Beverly Smith (1957–). “Giles: Take Me to the River”, 2023, mixed media quilt, vintage bow tie, crazy quilt, spray paint, graphite portrait, transfers. Courtesy of the artist. T0341.1

Charlotte, North Carolina (December 13, 2023) — The Mint Museum recently unveiled a special exhibition titled Echoes: Artists Respond to Carolina Shout. The exhibition showcases  individual interpretations by eight Charlotte artists who were invited to create new artworks in response to Bearden’s iconic collage Of the Blues: Carolina Shout.

Since acquiring Carolina Shout in 1975, The Mint Museum has built the largest public collection of Bearden’s works in the country. The museum has a dedicated permanent collection gallery at Mint Museum Uptown to explore different aspects of Bearden’s art, legacy, and impact. Bearden’s collage has become a signature piece in the museum’s collection and has been prominently featured in major exhibitions about the artist.

While Carolina Shout depicts a Southern baptism, the title itself references a popular song by James P. Johnson from an earlier era. Bearden skillfully weaves together different musical traditions and connects the sacred and profane in his artwork, evoking the atmosphere of dance halls, juke joints, honky tonks, and barrelhouses, as well as the ecstatic moments of a church service.

The participating artists were given the freedom to respond to Bearden’s themes of baptism, music, memory, the South, and community in their own unique ways. The resulting artworks include paintings, collages, a quilted piece, a video, and a sculptural installation. These diverse creations are now on display as part of the Echoes exhibition, alongside Carolina Shout, in the Bearden gallery at Mint Museum Uptown through November 2024.

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About The Mint Museum

The Mint Museum, established in 1936, is North Carolina’s first art museum and a leading cultural institution dedicated to international art and design. With two locations, Mint Museum Randolph and Mint Museum Uptown, the museum houses one of the Southeast’s largest art collections and aims to engage and inspire the global community.

For more information about the exhibition and The Mint Museum, please contact:

Michele Huggins
Associate Director of Marketing at The Mint Museum
704.564.0826
michele.huggins@mintmuseum.org.

Clayton Sealey
Senior Director of Marketing at The Mint Museum
704.534.0186
clayton.sealey@mintmuseum.org

Franklin Fifth Helena by Cynthia Talmadge

Franklin Fifth Helena is an architectural installation within the Contemporary Gallery at Mint Museum Uptown comprised of sand-painted wall panels that create a fantastical imaging of the real-life intertwined lives of the movie icon Marilyn Monroe and her psychoanalyst Dr. Ralph Greenson.

Franklin Fifth Helena

‘A FANTASTICAL IMAGING OF THE INTERTWINED LIVES OF MOVIE ICON MARILYN MONROE AND HER PSYCHOANALYST DR. RALPH GREENSON’

By Jen Sudul Edwards

On November 4, 2022, Mint Museum Uptown opened a new major acquisition to the collection: Franklin Fifth Helena by Brooklyn-based artist Cynthia Talmadge.

An 8-by-11-foot room built within the gallery, the installation is comprised of sand-painted wall panels and a ceiling that create a fantastical imaging of the intertwined lives of the movie icon Marilyn Monroe and her psychoanalyst Dr. Ralph Greenson. The result is mesmerizing and surprising in every way: the sand — intricately mixed by hand and meticulously applied to the surface with fine paintbrushes— mimics the precise color studies of 19th-century Impressionists and Pointillists while utilizing a simple commercial material (Talmadge often buys her sand in bulk from wedding supply companies).

The recognizable objects layer and interact to create an imagined narrative about the relationship between Monroe and Greenson, who treated Monroe at the end of her life. While very specific in her references, Talmadge also explores the complicated ramifications of the cult of personality, the patient-doctor relationship, and how all of these affect the limited power and agency granted to women in this country.

Talmadge’s gallery, 56 Henry, arranged for outside donors to support the acquisition of the work by The Mint Museum, but the on-site build was extensive and complicated. The Mint’s architect-of-record, Aubrey Springer, oversaw the construction and permit process, which required additional lights and sprinkler systems to be installed to meet code, as well as extensive coordination with the Mint’s building staff, the Collections and Exhibitions team, 56 Henry, and Talmadge — who came to Charlotte for a week in October to help with the installation.

Learn more Talmadge and her fascinating and complicated process in the video below, generously underwritten by Aaron and Marie Ligon who are helping the Mint further build a competitive and compelling contemporary art collection.

Jen Sudul Edwards, PhD, is chief curator and curator of contemporary art.

24 Hours in the Life of Mike Wirth

By Page Leggett

Mike Wirth, associate professor of graphic design at Queens University of Charlotte, is probably best known locally for his murals. He is a founding member of the Talking Walls Festival, Charlotte’s first annual, citywide mural and public art festival. He’s known way beyond the city limits, too. His art has been exhibited in New York, Miami, Croatia, Poland and Germany. Social justice is a frequent Wirth theme, as is his identity as a Southern, Jewish American. He participated — virtually — in Contemporary Art Week in Paris during the last week in October 2022 where he exhibited with a group called Jada Art (jadaart.org), or Jewish Dada. “They’re creating platforms and international art spaces for Jewish artists, which is amazing,” Wirth said. “I was part of their digital exhibition. It was great to be selected from among international applicants.”

He is one of 15 local artists participating in The Mint Museum’s Picasso mural project. It’s a local tie-in for the Mint’s blockbuster exhibition, Picasso Landscapes: Out of Bounds, organized by the American Federation of Arts Wirth’s mural is a landscape scene from Freedom Park. “I chose it because every Yom Kippur, hundreds from the Jewish community come out for a ritual called tashlich,” he says. “You toss bread into the water and speak your transgressions at the same time. That’s how you release sin.” When Wirth is in a creative or emotional low, he’ll wander. “I just go for a walk with no agenda. I don’t have any destination in mind. I’ll just throw myself to chance. And I find that it’s a tremendous way to reset when the need arises.” He’s a “girl dad” whose oldest daughter, a student at North-west School of the Arts, is already a budding artist and wants to be an illustrator. His youngest also loves to draw. Artistic talent runs in this family. Wirth’s days revolve around his daughters, his students, and his art.

5 OR 5:30 AM I wake up on my own — no need for an alarm. That’s when my internal body clock dictates that I get up. I say my morning prayers, and have a bagel and coffee.

5:30–6 AM I spend a little time every morning reading on my couch or my porch. I love Jewish folklore and the daily lessons I can take from it. I’ll get some wisdom from the Oracle, so to speak. All these stories are allegories, so they unpack a lot for me. If I can spend 30 minutes reading in the morning, it’s a miracle. But that’s what I aim for.

6 OR 6:30 AM I wake my daughters up — they’re 13 and 10 — and make them breakfast and get them ready for school. We have to be at the bus stop by 7 AM.

7:15 AM I drive to campus where I teach in the graphic design department — illustration, typography, ideation, animation, and web design. I’ve taught at Queens University for 14 years. When I’m not teaching, I have office hours. The seniors working on their capstone projects often need to consult with me then. During the day, I try to carve out a little time for my scholarship. As a professor, I have an obligation to stay current in my field and to accrue a certain amount of scholastic achievements. I’m either applying for shows or hunting for the next opportunities and conferences.

4:30 PM I meet the kids at the school bus, get them home and settled with a snack and help them get started on their homework.

5:30ish PM Dinnertime. I’m a one-pot-meal type of cook. My kids know my famous chickens, vegetables and rice dish — one of my go-to’s. Once the kids are fed, clean and educated, we all have our free time. AFTER DINNER I head to my studio, which is in our garage. Art projects have a way of expanding, and I can’t currently get my car in the garage. When the weather’s colder, I have to scale back the amount of space I have dedicated to art so I can use my garage for its intended purpose. I turn on some music; get a cold beverage. My cat, Garfield, will come hang out with me. I digitally paint, illustrate, and animate and make my interactive projects. I’ve been concocting a giant interactive installation that explores the “big bang” moment in the Jewish creation story as described in the Zohar — The Book of Radiance. The story describes the moment HaShem (God) poured their essence into a series of glass spheres that then shattered due to being overwhelmed with power. The broken shards of glass then spread across the universe. My vision is that viewers will enter a room filled with panoramic wall and floor video projections of shards of broken glass that, over many minutes, will spread outward from a center point in the room and then rewind back into a singular sphere. Viewers can interact with the shards while exploring the space.

I don’t have a home yet for that interactive installation. It requires funding because it needs projection, sensors and a larger space. I also get commissions from individuals or institutions. I’ve been creating a lot of custom hamsas. Those are hand forms that originated in the ancient Middle East. Once the client has commissioned me, we’ll talk through their wants and needs, the purpose of it — is it purely for aesthetics, or is there a spiritual purpose to it? Then, I’ll send them a mockup and we’ll proceed after they give me the OK. I design each one digitally and then paint the final version with acrylic, spray paint or paint markers. My girls and I aren’t big TV watchers, and we definitely try to avoid it on the Sabbath, but we will occasionally watch a show together. We also like playing image-based board games. Usually, free time lasts until it’s bedtime for everybody. 8:30 PM Bedtime for all of us. I’m not very exciting.

Page Leggett is a Charlotte-based freelance writer. Her stories have appeared in The Charlotte Observer, The Biscuit, Charlotte magazine and many other regional publications.

For Immediate Release | IMAGES

Charlotte, North Carolina (November 13, 2023) — Featuring 60 outstanding objects, including glass, ceramics, bamboo, and textile contemporary objects by artists from around the globe, The Mint Museum is proud to announce the exhibition Craft Across Continents: Contemporary Japanese and Western Objects — The Lassiter/Ferraro Collection opening December 9 at The Mint Museum in Charlotte, North Carolina. 

All objects in the exhibition are recent gifts from the private collection of Charlotte residents Lorne Lassiter and Gary Ferraro who are avid collectors with a deep knowledge of contemporary craft. The couple has traveled extensively visiting artists’ studios, art fairs, galleries, and museums throughout the United States and abroad.

They are also longtime friends of The Mint Museum and founding members of the Founders’ Circle, the former national affiliate group for the Mint’s Craft and Design Collection. Lassiter also served as executive director of the Founders’ Circle, as well as on the board of the American Craft Council. 

Curated by the Mint’s Senior Curator of Craft, Design, and Fashion Annie CarlanoCraft Across Continents features 21stcentury Japanese bamboo works by leading practitioners and innovative wood-fired ceramics, as well as masterworks in glass, including a sculpture by Zora Palova from Slovakia, a seminal installation by Danish maker Tobias Møhl, a mobile by Polish-trained artist Anna Skibska, and spectacular glazed ceramic vessels by British maker Gareth Mason. 

Craft Across Continents brings you into the home of the collectors to experience what it is like to live every day surrounded by art,” Carlano saysThe galleries evoke the colors and comfort of the Lassiter/Ferraro home, with objects from various countries and of varied materials sitting sidebyside in conversation, on pedestals and platforms, suggesting the coffee table, side tables, and shelving of their domestic interior.”  

The exhibition is accompanied by an inventive catalogue with entries on Japanese ceramics and bamboo sculptures by world-renowned expert Joe Earle, as well as entries on Western objects by Carlano; and Rebecca Elliot, assistant curator of Craft, Design and Fashion; plus, contributions by renowned artists Sharif Bey and Nancy Callan who also have works in the exhibition. 

Craft Across Continents is generously presented by the Mint Museum Auxiliary, with additional corporate support from Moore & Van Allen. Individual sponsorship is kindly provided by Lorne Lassiter and Gary Ferraro, and Rocky and Curtis Trenkelbach. The Mint Museum is supported, in part, by the Infusion Fund and its donors, as well as by the North Carolina Arts Council. Thanks to media partners WFAE and SouthPark magazine. 

Craft Across Continents Public Opening Celebration 

The public opening celebration for Craft Across Continents will take place 11 AM–6 PM December 9 at Mint Museum Uptown. Museum admission will be free both Saturday and Sunday of opening weekend.  

Special programming scheduled for December 9 includes: 

1 PM: Japanese art expert Joe Earle will present on how practice-based considerations of material and technique have interacted with local traditions and global movements to produce one of the world’s most dynamic craft ecosystems.  

2:15 PM and 3:30 PM: Two in-gallery conversations with collectors Lorne Lassiter and Gary Ferraro who will discuss objects in their collection and their collection journey. 

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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 at Levine Center for the Arts — the Mint boasts one of the largest collections in the Southeast and is committed to engaging and inspiring members of the global community. 

Contacts 
Clayton Sealey
Senior Director of Marketing at The Mint Museum
704.534.0186
clayton.sealey@mintmuseum.org 

Michele Huggins
Associate Director of Marketing at The Mint Museum
704.564.0826
michele.huggins@mintmuseum.org 

For Immediate Release

MEDIA ALERT

What: Local Street III Opening Celebration
When: Sunday, Nov. 12
Time: 1–5 PM
Where: Mint Museum Uptown
Cost: Free

Local Street III opens Sunday, Nov. 12 with a free party for all from 1–5 PM. Curated by Charlotte-based artist and teacher Carla Aaron-Lopez (@iamkingcarla), Local Street III is the final installation in the Local Street series created to showcase the talent, diversity, and depth of creatives living and working in Charlotte and the Carolinas.

Expect a live DJ, spoken word by de’angelo DIA (@1518dia) and a performance by Marcia Jones (@marciajonesart), plus works by 60 local artists! Local Street III will feature works by several local artists not previously featured in the series, including Merisa Ari, Komikka Patton, and Valentin Ramirez.

The installation is on view for one week and one week only, Nov. 12–19, 2023, at Mint Museum Uptown, 500 S. Tryon Street at Levine Center for the Arts.

“Local Street has brought together our arts community and changed how we collaborate with each other. I want people to walk away knowing that this community is alive and thriving and no matter where I go, I take my community with me. Let’s hope you get a chance to hop on this mothership with me because I ain’t coming back,” Aaron-Lopez says.

For information or interview requests, contact:

Clayton Sealey
Senior Director of Marketing at The Mint Museum
704.534.0186
clayton.sealey@mintmuseum.org

Michele Huggins
Associate Director of Marketing at The Mint Museum
704.564.0826
michele.huggins@mintmuseum.org

Isamu Noguchi (1904-1988) Knoll Associates, New York, NY (1946-present) Rocking Stool, 1958 Walnut and chrome plated steel wire.

For Immediate Release | IMAGES

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (September 5, 2023) — Despite their everyday use, few objects are taken for granted quite as much as the humble chair. The Art of Seating: 200 Years of American Design, on view September 16, 2023–February 25, 2024 at Mint Museum Uptown, takes these ubiquitous objects and presents them as fascinating sculptural objects that can tell us much about our own history.

The exhibition includes more than 50 remarkable examples, including chairs sat on by presidents, chairs that were thrown from skyscrapers and chairs designed by renowned makers and architects. All the chairs in the exhibition hail from the rich holdings of the Thomas H. and Diane DeMell Jacobsen Ph.D. Foundation. While many of these objects were included in an earlier version of the exhibition that toured to 28 museums across the country, The Mint Museum’s presentation includes a number of chairs that were acquired over the past decade and a dynamic new installation that completely reconceptualizes how the exhibition is presented.

The Art of Seating reveals chairs as works of art that tell stories of United States history spanning from the early 19th century to the early 21st century. These stories range from the contributions of immigrants to changing tastes in style and aesthetics to new innovations in technology and materials. Visitors can admire the works of esteemed makers and designers, including George Hunzinger, the Stickley Brothers, Frank Lloyd Wright, and Charles and Ray Eames, whose work has left an indelible mark on American design and continues to inspire contemporary artists and designers.

The Art of Seating offers a unique opportunity to explore history and the evolution of design by some of the greatest American designers whose commitment to innovation and quality has shaped the landscape of American seating furniture,” says Jonathan Stuhlman, Ph.D., senior curator of American art at The Mint Museum and organizer of the exhibition.

Public Opening Celebration

The public opening celebration will take place 11 AM–6 PM September 16 and 1-5 PM September 17. Museum admission will be free both Saturday and Sunday of the opening weekend.

Special programming scheduled September 16 includes:

  • The Mint’s Mega Musical Chairs Game: Join in one or both of two rounds of musical chairs. Games commence at noon and 2:30 PM. Prizes will be awarded! Registration is available at mintmuseum.org/events.
  • Curator-Collector Chat: Diane DeMell Jacobsen, Ph.D., chair of the Thomas H. and Diane DeMell Jacobsen Ph.D. Foundation, joins Senior Curator of American Art Jonathan Stuhlman, PhD, to discuss the collection of chairs featured in The Art of Seating.
  • Chair yoga led by Dancing Lotus Yoga + Arts.

George Hunzinger (1835-1898) New York, NY Side Chair with Curule Base, circa 1870 Ebonized cherry with gilding and a silk show cover.

The Art of Seating: 200 Years of American Design is made possible through the generous support of PNC. Additional individual support is provided by Mary and Walt Beaver, Sarah G. Cooper, Lucy and Hooper Hardison, and Kati and Chris Small. The exhibition is accompanied by a richly illustrated 248-page scholarly catalogue that is available in The Mint Museum Store.

“As a champion for the arts and longtime collaborator of The Mint Museum, PNC is committed to helping bring thoughtfully curated exhibitions and programming to enhance and excite our region’s appreciation for art,” said Weston Andress, PNC regional president for Western Carolinas. “We look forward to sharing with the community The Art of Seating, which showcases a body of work uniquely relevant to our state’s meaningful contributions in the furniture industry.”

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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 at Levine Center for the Arts — the Mint boasts one of the largest collections in the Southeast and is committed to engaging and inspiring members of the global community.

Contacts
Clayton Sealey
Senior Director of Marketing at The Mint Museum
704.534.0186
clayton.sealey@mintmuseum.org

Michele Huggins
Associate Director of Marketing at The Mint Museum
704.564.0826
michele.huggins@mintmuseum.org

Left to right: George J. Hunzinger (1835-98). Side Chair with Wire Seat, circa 1876, polychromed maple, cotton-covered metal wire. Collection of the Thomas H. and Diane DeMell Jacobsen Ph.D. Foundation. L2022.48.12; Willets Manufacturing Company (Trenton, NJ, 1879-1909), James Callowhill (English, 1838-1917). Vase, circa 1887-89, Belleek porcelain, ivory glaze,polychrome enamels, flat and raised gold decoration. Emma and Jay Lewis inhonor of Brian Gallagher; Tanaka Yū田中悠(Japan, 1989-).Tsutsumimono (Bundle), 2020, glazed stoneware. Promised Gift of Lorne Lassiter and Gary Ferraro. PG2022.57.18

The Mint Museum announces its upcoming schedule of exhibitions dubbed the “Year of the Collector”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | IMAGES

Charlotte, North Carolina (June 22, 2023) — The Mint Museum is proud to announce its upcoming schedule of special exhibitions, beginning July 1, that feature inspired works from a diverse pool of collectors. Following the success of Picasso Landscapes: Out of Bounds, these exhibitions continue the museum’s mission to present a variety of cultural perspectives and backgrounds and will feature an impressive array of carefully curated works of art.

“Not only do these upcoming exhibitions highlight a variety of artists, cultures, and styles, there is an emphasis on recognizing donors and collectors that are steadfast in their support and essential for the Mint’s continued growth,” says Todd Herman, PhD, president and CEO of The Mint Museum.

Each of the six exhibitions detailed below offer visitors opportunities to discover new art and artists, as well as programming and educational components that explore different viewpoints and styles.

The Vault
Opening July 1
Mint Museum Uptown

Organized by guest curator Jessica Gaynelle Moss, The Vault presents the private collections of four prominent Charlotte-based Black collectors: Judy and Patrick Diamond, Nina and James Jackson, Christy and Quincy Lee, and Cheryse and Christopher Terry. From works by some of the greatest Black artists of the 20th century — including Romare Bearden, Elizabeth Catlett, and Jacob Lawrence — to hundreds of magazines, records, and other culturally specific ephemera, the exhibition aims to foster a deeper understanding and appreciation for Black art, as well as the stories and experiences it represents. Visitors will have the chance to engage with thought-provoking pieces that explore themes of identity, history, social justice, and cultural heritage. The Vault is generously presented by Bank of America with additional corporate support from TIAA. Individual support is kindly provided by Marshelette and Milton Prime.

The Art of Seating: 200 Years of American Design
Opening September 16
Mint Museum Uptown

The Art of Seating: 200 Years of American Design will feature more than 50 examples of American seating furniture, created between the early 19th century and the early 21st century. Although this exhibition has been on tour around the country for more than a decade, the Mint’s presentation revamps the presentation to play upon the unique qualities and histories of the featured chairs and includes new additions that have entered the collection since it started touring. Noted makers and designers include George Hunzinger, the Stickley Brothers, Frank Lloyd Wright, Charles and Ray Eames, Eero Saarinen, Isamu Noguchi, Frank Gehry, and Vivian Beer. The exhibition also features contemporary and historic designs by some of the biggest manufacturers to commission these pieces, such as Knoll, Herman Miller, and Steelcase. The exhibition is organized by Jonathan Stuhlman, PhD, senior curator of American art at The Mint Museum. The Art of Seating: 200 Years of American Design is generously presented by PNC Bank. Additional individual support is kindly provided by Sarah G. Cooper, Lucy and Hooper Hardison, and Kati and Chris Small. The Mint Museum is supported, in part, by the Infusion Fund and its donors.

Walter Scott Lenox and American Belleek
Opening September 23
Mint Museum Randolph

Featuring 80 works from notable public and private collections, as well as the Mint’s permanent collection, Walter Scott Lenox and American Belleek focuses solely on the earliest decades of American Belleek production and the role Walter Scott Lenox played in developing the concept of the porcelain products as an art form. The exhibition is organized by Brian Gallagher, the Mint’s senior curator of decorative arts.

Craft Across Continents — Contemporary Japanese and Western Objects: The Lassiter/Ferraro Collection
Opening December 9
Mint Museum Uptown

Featuring more than 60 works from the private collection of Lorne Lassiter and Gary Ferraro, Craft Across Continents presents contemporary craft from makers and artists around the globe. Having collected works during their many travels, Lassiter and Ferraro say they collect for the fun of it, visiting artists’ studios, art fairs, galleries and museums here and abroad, but they are serious-minded collectors with a deep knowledge of contemporary international craft. The exhibition’s comfortable and intimate design will underscore the theme of enjoying life through living with art and provide visitors the opportunity to relax and enjoy the ceramics, glass, bamboo, and textile art. The exhibition is organized by Annie Carlano, senior curator of craft, design, and fashion at The Mint Museum.

Delhom Service League: 50 Golden Years
Opening February 10, 2024
Mint Museum Randolph

In recognition of a half-century of philanthropic support, the Delhom Service League: 50 Golden Years features more than 40 ceramic objects funded by Delhom Service League, a past affiliate of The Mint Museum. The Delhom Service League distinguished itself as a loyal supporter of The Mint Museum, particularly its Decorative Arts Collection, and has sponsored world-renowned speakers, hosted public symposia and study trips, funded art acquisitions, and organized the perennially popular Potters Market at the Mint. The exhibition is organized by Brian Gallagher, the Mint’s senior curator of decorative arts.

Objects of Affection: Jewelry by Robert Ebendorf from the Porter • Price Collection
Opening April 27, 2024
Mint Museum Randolph

Robert Ebendorf is one of the most influential artists in the studio jewelry movement. His work combines exceptional craftsmanship with the inventive use of found objects and other alternative materials. Ebendorf has impacted countless artists through his seven-decade career making jewelry alongside his career in academia. Objects of Affection is drawn from the extensive collection of Ron Porter and Joe Price of Columbia, South Carolina, who became close friends with Ebendorf while he was teaching at East Carolina University in Greenville, North Carolina. The exhibition is organized by Rebecca Elliot, assistant curator of craft, design, and fashion at The Mint Museum.

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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 at Levine Center for the Arts — the Mint boasts one of the largest collections in the Southeast and is committed to engaging and inspiring members of the global community.

Contacts
Clayton Sealey
Senior Director of Marketing at The Mint Museum
704.534.0186
clayton.sealey@mintmuseum.org

Michele Huggins
Associate Director of Marketing at The Mint Museum
704.564.0826
michele.huggins@mintmuseum.org

 

 

From left: Romare Bearden (American, 1911-88). The Open Door, 1979, lithograph. Collection of the Mint Museum, Charlotte, NC. Gift of Jerald Melberg. 2009.88.1 © 2022 Romare Bearden Foundation / Licensed by VAGA at Artists Rights Society (ARS), NY. Pablo Picasso (Spanish, 1881-1973). Nature Morte devant une Fenêtre Ouverte sur l’Eau, stencil after a work by Pablo Picasso 1923, gouache on silkscreen on paper. Musée Picasso, donation Pablo Picasso, 1979, MP3505 © RMN-Grand Palais (Musée national Picasso-Paris) / Adrien Didierjean © 2022 Estate of Pablo Picasso / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.

 

 

For Immediate Release | Images available here

Charlotte, North Carolina (January 25, 2023) — Bearden/Picasso: Rhythms and Reverberations, opening February 11 at Mint Museum Uptown, explores the shared interests of Romare Bearden and Pablo Picasso in one exhibition. The exhibiition is an exciting additional narrative to Picasso Landscapes: Out of Bounds, also on view February 11–May 21, 2023 at Mint Museum Uptown.

Curated by Jonathan Stuhlman, PhD, senior curator of American art at The Mint Museum, Bearden/Picasso: Rhythms and Reverberations includes three loaned works by Picasso and 17 by Bearden, many drawn from the Mint’s rich holding, as well as special loans from other museums and private collections. While Bearden’s later collages and prints comprise a majority of the exhibition, nearly half of the works are of his the artist’s rarely seen early paintings from the 1940s — a period when he was immersed in the New York art world and a time when Picasso was frequently exhibiting there.

The exhibition is divided into four thematic sections. The first theme considers the two artists’ shared interest in imagery of bulls and bullfighting. The second explores the importance of music and rhythm as both subject matter and a way of creating a dynamic composition. The third theme considers their shared interest in interior scenes and their use of doorways and windows as compositional devices, and the fourth looks at each artist’s use of black outlines defining simplified, brightly colored forms, called the “stained glass” aesthetic.

“On the surface, it might seem odd to organize an exhibition that brings together the work of American artist Romare Bearden and Spanish artist Pablo Picasso, as it might seem the two have little in common, however there has rightly been some notice of the relationship between the two artists’ works,” Stuhlman says. “Discussions have primarily centered upon the comparison of their shared subject matter of folk musicians and the impact of Cubism on Bearden’s approach to collage, a relationship that he himself acknowledged, and each artist’s use of African masks in their art. While these are important and valid connections, this exhibition seeks to add additional points of aesthetic and intellectual overlap and shared interest to the story.”

On March 18 from 2 to 4 PM, the Mint will host “An Afternoon Salon: Romare Bearden and Modernism” at Mint Museum Uptown featuring Richard Powell, PhD, Duke University professor and Romare Bearden Foundation advisor; Denise Murrell, PhD, curator-at-large at the Metropolitan Museum of Art; and moderator Diedra Harris-Kelley, co-director of the Romare Bearden Foundation, who will discuss the life and works of Romare Bearden. Admission is $10 for the salon and to see Bearden/Picasso and Picasso Landscapes; or $5 for the salon and general admission to the museum.

Bearden/Picasso: Rhythms and Reverberations is generously presented in Charlotte by Bank of America, the City of Charlotte, Duke Energy, Mecklenburg County, M.A. Rogers, Ann and Michael Tarwater, North Carolina Arts Council, and Moore & Van Allen. Additional generous support is provided by: Leigh-Ann and Martin Sprock; Robin and Bill Branstrom, Sally Cooper, Laura and Mike Grace, Marshelette and Milton Prime; Posey and Mark Mealy; Chandra and Jimmie Johnson; Marty and Weston Andress, Mary and Walt Beaver, Betsy and Alfred Brand; Tim and Sarah Belk, toni and Alfred Kendrick, Beth and Drew Quartapella, Rocky and Curtis Trenkelbach, Charlotte and John Wickham; Mary Lou and Jim Babb, and Jo Ann and Joddy Peer. The Mint Museum is supported, in part, by the Infusion Fund and its generous donors. Bearden/Picasso: Rhythms and Reverberations is organized by The Mint Museum. Special thanks to media partner Charlotte magazine.

“At Bank of America, we believe in the power of the arts to help economies thrive, enrich societies, and create greater cultural understanding,” says Milton Prime, CFO for Global Technology and Global Operations for Bank of America and Board of Trustees Chair for The Mint Museum. “We are very pleased to support The Mint Museum and to have the Charlotte region become the first-ever to host the Picasso Landscapes: Out of Bounds exhibition, as well as support their efforts to showcase another world-renowned artist, Romare Bearden, who is also one of Charlotte’s own in the Bearden/Picasso: Rhythms and Reverberations exhibition.”

Exhibition Ticket Information 

Price of admission is $25 for adults; $20 for seniors 65 and older; $10 members and college students with ID, and includes general museum admission and admission to Picasso Landscapes: Out of Bounds.

Children ages 17 and younger and art teachers are admitted free of charge. Tickets are available for advance purchase at mintmuseum.org/ticketing.

For exhibition hours, visit mintmuseum.org.

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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 at Levine Center for the Arts — the Mint boasts one of the largest collections in the Southeast and is committed to engaging and inspiring members of the global community.

Bank of America 

At Bank of America (NYSE: BAC), we’re guided by a common purpose to help make financial lives better, through the power of every connection. We’re delivering on this through responsible growth with a focus on our environmental, social and governance (ESG) leadership. ESG is embedded across our eight lines of business and reflects how we help fuel the global economy, build trust and credibility, and represent a company that people want to work for, invest in and do business with. It’s demonstrated in the inclusive and supportive workplace we create for our employees, the responsible products and services we offer our clients, and the impact we make around the world in helping local economies thrive. An important part of this work is forming strong partnerships with nonprofits and advocacy groups, such as community, consumer and environmental organizations, to bring together our collective networks and expertise to achieve greater impact. Connect with us on Twitter (@BofA_News).

For more Bank of America news, including dividend announcements and other important information, visit the Bank of America newsroom and register for news email alerts.

Duke Energy

Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), a Fortune 150 company headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., is one of America’s largest energy holding companies. Its electric utilities serve 8.2 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky, and collectively own 50,000 megawatts of energy capacity. Its natural gas unit serves 1.6 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Ohio and Kentucky. The company employs 28,000 people.

Duke Energy is executing an aggressive clean energy transition to achieve its goals of net-zero methane emissions from its natural gas business by 2030 and net-zero carbon emissions from electricity generation by 2050. The company has interim carbon emission targets of at least 50% reduction from electric generation by 2030, 50% for Scope 2 and certain Scope 3 upstream and downstream emissions by 2035, and 80% from electric generation by 2040. In addition, the company is investing in major electric grid enhancements and energy storage, and exploring zero-emission power generation technologies such as hydrogen and advanced nuclear.

Duke Energy was named to Fortune’s 2022 “World’s Most Admired Companies” list and Forbes’ “World’s Best Employers” list. More information is available at duke-energy.com. The Duke Energy News Center contains news releases, fact sheets, photos and videos. Duke Energy’s illumination features stories about people, innovations, community topics and environmental issues. Follow Duke Energy on TwitterLinkedInInstagram and Facebook.

Contact: 

Clayton Sealey, senior director of marketing and communications
clayton.sealey@mintmuseum.org | 704.534.0186 (c)

Michele Huggins, associate director of marketing and communications
michele.huggins@mintmuseum.org | 704.564.0826 (c)

Anamika Khanna (Indian, 1971- ). Coat, Pants, Necklace, Fall 2019, silk, cotton, metallic thread, beads.
Museum Purchase: Funds provided by Deidre Grubb. 2021.19a-c

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | IMAGES

Charlotte, North Carolina (November 10, 2022) — Fashion Reimagined: Themes and Variations 1760-NOW opens December 10 at The Mint Museum at Levine Center for the Arts in uptown Charlotte. Comprised of 50 exquisite examples of fashion ensembles from the museum’s collection, the exhibition presents an in-depth look at the persistence of historic and cultural attitudes towards silhouettes, surface design, body shape, and beauty.

Fashion Reimagined celebrates 50 years since the founding of the museum’s fashion collection by the Mint Museum Auxiliary in 1972. The collection has grown to include more than 10,000 objects.

The mood of Fashion Reimagined ranges from quiet and contemplative to upbeat and groovy through three pervasive themes: minimalism, pattern and decoration, and the body reimagined. Exhibition highlights include two rare 18th-century English men’s suits and 19th-century wedding gowns, as well as a rare 1928 wedding ensemble by Italian fashion artist Maria Monaci Gallenga.

Glamorous gowns by Madame Gres and Oscar de la Renta, and men and women’s fashions by 20th-century innovators Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel, Giorgio Armani, and Yohji Yamamoto round out the representation of fashion evolution throughout the centuries.

Several iconic examples of 1960s and ’70s mod and hippie chic style by designers like Zandra Rhodes also are included. Recent acquisitions include contemporary trenchant designs by Walé Oyéjidé for Ikiré Jones, Anamika Khanna, and Iris van Herpen.

“The presentation of the fashions in the galleries is quite dramatic and adds an emotional layer to the experience,” says Annie Carlano, senior curator of craft, design, and fashion at The Mint Museum. “More than any other type of functional design, fashion is so much more than aesthetics and craft. Without too many prompts from gallery texts, a dress or suit can cause a visceral reaction that leads you to think about who made the garment, who wore it, how did it made the person feel, and what message it sends.”

With installation design by DLR architects, interactive components include the “shape shifters” room that offers the public a look beneath the fashions, as well as an opportunity to reimagine themselves in fashions from the 18th and 19th centuries. In addition, the resource room features two videos demonstrating step-by-step directions of the dressing process for men and women in the 1770s.

The exhibition is generously presented by Wells Fargo Wealth and Investment, and the Mint Museum Auxiliary with additional support from Bank of OZK.

“Fashion, like art, is a form of cultural expression and the ultimate form of self-expression. Wells Fargo is pleased to underwrite this exhibition at the intersection of art, design, craft and history,” says Jay Everette, senior vice president, sustainability and social impact at Wells Fargo.

As an extension of the exhibition, The Mint Museum has partnered with local fashion boutiques throughout the city to launch TailoredCLT: a celebration of the chic and elegant style of Charlotte’s fashion boutiques. Participating retailers will create and display a look influenced by the exhibition themes from mid-November through December 31.

Fashion Reimagined is accompanied by an illustrated catalogue with contributions by Annie Carlano, senior curator of craft, design, and fashion at The Mint Museum and curator of the exhibition; Lauren D. Whitley, independent scholar and curator; Ellen C. Walker Show, director of library and archives at The Mint Museum; and fashion designer Anna Sui. It is published by D Giles Limited.

Fashion Reimagined: Themes and Variations 1760-NOW is on view December 10, 2022-July 2, 2023 at Mint Museum Uptown at Levine Center for the Arts, 500 S. Tryon Street, Charlotte.

Special thanks to our media partners Awedience Media, Peachy The Magazine, QC Exclusive, and PBS Charlotte.

Ticket Information  

The Mint Museum exhibition is free for members and children ages 4 and younger; $15 for adults; $10 for seniors ages 65 and older; $10 for college students with ID; and $6 for youth ages 5–17.

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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 at Levine Center for the Arts 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. 

About Wells Fargo

Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE: WFC) is a leading financial services company that has approximately $1.9 trillion in assets, proudly serves one in three U.S. households and more than 10% of small businesses in the U.S., and is a leading middle market banking provider in the U.S. We provide a diversified set of banking, investment and mortgage products and services, as well as consumer and commercial finance, through our four reportable operating segments: Consumer Banking and Lending, Commercial Banking, Corporate and Investment Banking, and Wealth & Investment Management. Wells Fargo ranked No. 41 on Fortune’s 2022 rankings of America’s largest corporations. In the communities we serve, the company focuses its social impact on building a sustainable, inclusive future for all by supporting housing affordability, small business growth, financial health, and a low‑carbon economy.

Contact:   

Clayton Sealey, senior director of marketing and communications at The Mint Museum Clayton.sealey@mintmuseum.org | 704.534.0186 (c) 

Michele Huggins, associate director of marketing and communications at The Mint Museum  
michele.huggins@mintmuseum.org | 704-564-0826 (c)

Franklin Fifth Helena by Cynthia Talmadge

Franklin Fifth Helena is an architectural installation within the Contemporary Gallery at Mint Museum Uptown comprised of sand-painted wall panels that create a fantastical imaging of the real-life intertwined lives of the movie icon Marilyn Monroe and her psychoanalyst Dr. Ralph Greenson.

Charlotte, North Carolina (November 2, 2022) — The Mint Museum is pleased to announce the recent acquisition of Franklin Fifth Helena, an immersive architectural installation of sand paintings by New York-based artist Cynthia Talmadge.

Through meticulous process, Talmadge turns sand into strikingly realistic images. She is known to explore the mysteries of tabloid culture and identity through a variety of media. Her works of art investigate what happens when private, personal trauma meets with institutions of celebrity, money, and wrongdoing.

For Franklin Fifth Helena, Talmadge borrows the format of the Studiolo from the Ducal Palace in Gubbio, a 15th-century room relocated to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in the 1930s, that was intended for contemplation and the display of objects representative of the owner’s worldliness and intellect. Instead of a sole owner, however, Franklin Fifth Helena is a fictional representation of two people — Hollywood legend Marilyn Monroe and Dr. Ralph Greeson, the psychoanalyst who treated her at the end of her life. The title — Franklin Fifth Helena — signals the mash-up as it references the pair’s respective addresses at the end of Monroe’s life: 12305 Fifth Helena Drive, Brentwood, Los Angeles for Monroe and Greeson’s at 902 Franklin Street in Santa Monica, a short mile down the hill.

Franklin Fifth Helena imagines a pool house where Monroe and Greeson’s belongings — some intimate, some impersonal — intermingle, reflecting Greeson’s ethically complicated treatment plan for Monroe, which required her to live with his family and recreate aspects of his home within her own. A follower of Freud who specialized in trauma and hysteria, Greenson advocated a practice he called “adoption therapy,” in which the patient attempted to remedy childhood trauma by replacing those memories with new experiences. Greenson took a particular interest in Monroe’s case, moving her into his home to live with his family. Greenson’s relationship with Monroe is unclear — they may have been lovers — but she died of a drug overdose while under his care.

“This is a major addition to the Mint’s collection, not only because of the technical intricacies of the work, but also, because the themes of celebrity, identity, biography, and history will speak broadly to our audiences,” says Jen Sudul Edwards, PhD, chief curator and curator of contemporary art at The Mint Museum. “The two aspects of subject and material can hold you rapt for hours. We are so appreciative to Talmadge’s gallery, 56 Henry, for making this donation possible, and to the donors Alexander Fenkell, William Leung, and Rahul Sabhnani who underwrote the purchase,” Sudul Edwards says.

Franklin Fifth Helena is on view in the Level 4 Contemporary Gallery at Mint Museum Uptown.

Ticket Information  
The Mint Museum exhibition is free for members and children ages 4 and younger; $15 for adults; $10 for seniors ages 65 and older; $10 for college students with ID; and $6 for youth ages 5–17. 

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About Cynthia Talmadge

Cynthia Talmadge is a New York-based artist whose work in painting, installation, drawing, and photography has been shown, collected, and reviewed internationally. Talmadge’s projects exhibit her fascination with heightened emotional states, mediated portrayals of those states, and particularly the places where both converge.

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 at Levine Center for the Arts 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. 

Contact:  

Clayton Sealey, senior director of marketing and communications at The Mint Museum

Clayton.sealey@mintmuseum.org | 704.534.0186 (c) 

Michele Huggins, associate director of marketing and communications at The Mint Museum  
michele.huggins@mintmuseum.org | 704-564-0826 (c)