Allure of Flowers: Botanical Motifs in Craft, Design, & Fashion
Mint Museum Uptown will celebrate spring’s arrival by transforming galleries into virtual gardens of flowers drawn from the museum’s renowned permanent collection with the new exhibition Allure of Flowers: Botanical Motifs in Craft, Design, & Fashion, opening March 1 and remaining on view through August 10, 2014.
The forms, colors, and textures of the botanical world have long inspired artists from across the globe in glass, ceramic, textile, and jewelry design. Allure of Flowers presents a survey of outstanding works from the mid-nineteenth century to today that illustrate the evolution of floral ornament in modern and contemporary applied art. “Allure of Flowers is a great opportunity for the Mint to showcase many exceptional glassworks, ceramics, and fashions from the permanent collection. Looking across time and across media, the collections themselves revealed the theme, with sinuous plants, sensual floral blossoms, and exuberant bouquets serving as the primary decorative elements in so much of our holdings,” said Annie Carlano, Senior Curator of Craft, Design, & Fashion for the Mint. More information about the exhibition is visible at mintmuseum.org/art.
A public preview celebration for the exhibition, “Flower Power Happy Hour,” will be from 6-8 p.m. on Friday February 28 and feature cocktails and light bites. Tickets are $15 for Mint members and $30 for non-members and are available at mintmuseum.org/happenings. The event is sponsored by the Charlotte Garden Club. Other special public events continue throughout the exhibition’s run.
The public is invited to free “spotlight tours” on a series of Wednesday evenings when the museum is open free to the public: March 5, April 16, and May 7 at 7 p.m. They feature discussions with Mint curators and educators focusing on sections of the exhibition devoted to poppies, lilies, and asters. The Mint’s Sunday Fun Day on March 9 will feature “Bodacious Botanicals” with hands-on art activities and offers free admission for kids under 18 and half-price general adult admission ($5). The Mint’s recurring “Taste of the Mint” program will feature small plate and drink pairings at Halcyon and E2 restaurants combined with a behind-the-scenes tour of Allure of Flowers beginning at 4 p.m. on March 17, for $50 per person or $35 for Mint members. On Sunday, April 4 at 3 p.m., South Carolina artist Alice Ballard, whose ceramic work focuses on natural forms, will give an artist’s talk which is free after museum admission. Ballard will also offer a two-day sculpture class on March 26-27 which is $160, or $140 tuition for Mint members. The Mint’s FREE ArtFusion event on April 9 at 6 p.m. will celebrate the exhibition with another dose of “Flower Power.” The public can try their hands at “Sketching in the Galleries” with a Mint art educator on May 7 at 6 p.m. All events are at Mint Museum Uptown at Levine Center for the Arts, 500 South Tryon Street in Charlotte. For more information on these and other events or to register, visit mintmuseum.org/happenings or call 704.337.2107. Media may RSVP to special events by contacting leigh.dyer@mintmuseum.org.
Organized by The Mint Museum, the exhibition is generously funded through the 2013 Banking on Our Community event, with additional support from The Founders’ Circle, Ltd.
Members of the media are invited to preview the exhibition on Friday, February 28, at 10 a.m. RSVP to leigh.dyer@mintmuseum.org if you plan to attend. The preview will feature light breakfast, a gallery tour, and curator interviews. Media photography is permitted, and high-resolution images are available for download upon request.
Above image: Maija Isola. Finnish, 1927–2001| Marimekko. Helsinki, Finland, 1951– | Unikko (detail) designed 1964, printed 1966–67| Cotton| Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Matthew Benson. 2013.69. Collection of The Mint Museum.