STAR Gallery exhibition opportunities illustrate the Mint’s efforts to engage the community and cultivate school partnerships.
Metrolina Regional Scholars Academy exhibiting student artists, their families, faculty, and administration enjoyed a reception in new the Uptown STAR Gallery October 11, 2012. The reception celebrated the opening of a K-8 student art exhibition at the STAR (Student Artist) Gallery at Mint Museum Uptown.
This exhibition opportunity illustrates the Mint’s efforts to engage with the community and cultivate school partnerships. A parent, Nilma Amin, noted: “To have an opportunity to…go beyond the confines of the school community and in the presence of the City’s top art museum is a remarkable accomplishment and a memorable experience for the children!”
The Metrolina Regional Scholars Academy is a publicly funded charter school that serves K-8 students in a multi-county area around Charlotte. Their Uptown STAR exhibition will be on display until November 4, 2012.
K-12 student works from Union County Public School’s Weddington Elementary, Middle, and High School are on display in the STAR Gallery at Mint Museum Randolph (generously supported by Harris Teeter). This exhibition features several works inspired by the recent Mint exhibition, Hard Truths: The Art of Thornton Dial, and illustrates how the Mint connects its special exhibitions and collections to schools and the community. This exhibition will be on display until November 4, 2012.
The Mint remains one of the only museums in the region with a public gallery dedicated to young artists.
The STAR Gallery, at Mint Museum Randolph, opened in 1985 to showcase local K-12 student works of art and has been integral to the Mint’s vision to become one of the most relevant and revered art museums in the country, with an unparalleled commitment to excellence, engagement, innovation, and inclusiveness. The Mint remains one of the only museums in the region with a public gallery dedicated to young artists. Annually, there are eight to ten student exhibitions on view which run for six weeks, respectively, comprising works of art from approximately 700 students from both local public and private schools. Approximately 13,500 students have been touched by this program and have had works of art displayed since the gallery’s inception.
The STAR Gallery offers a way to promote and connect visitors to other exhibitions or collections in the museum. For instance, there is often either a technical or conceptual connection between the students’ work and the Mint’s permanent collection and special exhibitions, thereby offering additional value to the average museum visitor. The connection exhibited in the students’ work is often tied into their visit to the museum or participation in specialized educational programming by Mint staff. This early engagement with the arts helps encourage lifelong learning and love of art and design.
With the success of the STAR Gallery at Mint Museum Randolph, an additional STAR Gallery opened at Mint Museum Uptown in January 2012. The Uptown STAR Gallery has allowed the Mint to double its capacity to serve school-age children and expand upon current programming.
The Mint Museum is grateful to Harris Teeter for their generous support of Mint Museum Randolph’s STAR Gallery.
Please mark your calendars for the STAR Gallery exhibitions this fall!
Mint Museum Uptown STAR Gallery: Metrolina Regional Scholar’s AcademyOctober 2 – November 4, 2012
Mint Museum Randolph STAR Gallery: Weddington Middle School October 16-November 4, 2012
Local and regional partnerships this year will include:
Metrolina Regional Scholars Academy, Char-Meck Charter School
Weddington Middle School, Union County
Cannon School, Concord
McAlpine Elementary, CMS
Cox Mill Elementary, Cabarrus County
Mid-Carolina Region Scholastic Silver Key students
Gaston County Elementary and Secondary School students
Lend a Helping Hand. Re-link Your VIC Card
It’s easy to support local schools through Harris Teeter Together in Education, and please do not forget to re-link your VIC card to your child’s school this month. Simply give the cashier your VIC card and your school’s Together in Education school code during checkout or visit harristeeter.com to link your VIC card. Once you link your card, it will be linked to the school of your choice until May 31, 2013. You can link your VIC card to up to five schools, and Harris Teeter will evenly distribute the funds to which your card is linked. Harris Teeter Brand products qualify, including pharmacy prescriptions! For a list of participating school codes or more information, visit harristeeter.com.