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