The Mint Museum is launching its first-ever Contemporary Architecture
+ Design (CAD) series with an event on January 5 at 7 p.m. that brings
the architect who designed the new Mint Museum Uptown building and the
artist who created the monumental five-story work on display in its
atrium together to discuss "The Marriage of Art + Architecture." The
series continues throughout 2012 as part of a slate of innovative
programming that will broaden the museum's audience and reach deeper
into the community than ever before.
"We believe it is important to launch a new architecture and design
series to serve the museum's mission of sharing innovative
perspectives and engaging audiences in new ways. It further
illustrates our commitment to leadership in the fields of design and
architecture through our collection, research, exhibitions and
programming," said Dr. Kathleen V. Jameson, President & CEO of the
Mint. "It will be an ideal complement to our strong slate of other
diverse programs including ArtFusion, family-friendly Sunday Fun Days,
studio art classes, lectures, films and more."
Monthly CAD events will continue throughout the year and bring notable
names in the architecture and design fields to Charlotte, including
Rodolfo Machado, principal of Machado and Silvetti Associates, who
designed Mint Museum Uptown; artist Sheila Hicks, subject of the
museum's current exhibition Sheila Hicks: Fifty Years; Craig Dykers,
co-founder of Oslo- and New York-based architecture, landscape, and
interior design firm Snøhetta; and Cortney and Robert Novogratz, who
with their seven children are featured on Bravo's show "9 By Design."
All of the events will be held at Mint Museum Uptown except Dykers'
visit on February 15, which will be held at UNC Charlotte's Center
City Building at 320 East Ninth Street. Events are $10 for non-members
and $5 for members, and more information is available at mintmuseum.org.
Also joining the museum's winter and spring slate is an expansion of
the museum's new ArtFusion series, a selection of FREE monthly events
that include music, dance, fashion, interaction with local artists and
more. The winter/spring events kick off January 31 from 6-9 p.m. at
Mint Museum Randolph with a celebration of the museum's 75-year
tradition of collecting North Carolina pottery, a lecture, music, and
more. "Whether it's your first time to the Mint or your 50th,ArtFusion
offers something new for everyone," says Laura Everett, Adult Programs
Coordinator for the Mint. "This spring's experiences include a
surrealist fashion show, dream interpretation, and much more. I hope
that people will use this opportunity to explore Mint Museum Uptown,
rediscover Mint Museum Randolph, and see what we're up to – these
programs are slightly offbeat but always engaging."
The museum has also announced family-friendly spring programming
including Sunday Fun Days; Toddler Time at the Mint; Saturday Art
Sessions; and studio art classes for children, teens, homeschoolers,
adults and masters. Other programs include curator tours,
demonstrations, performances, lectures and films tied to the museum's
slate of exhibitions (think Surrealism, fairytales and much more!).
Some programs require pre-registration, which is available at
mintmuseum.org. Information about all upcoming programs is in an
attachment with this news release, and most programs are listed in an
online brochure at www.mintmuseum.org/education-programs-winter-spring-2012
. Please contact Leigh Dyer, the museum's public relations and
publications manager, at 704-337-2009 or leigh.dyer@mintmuseum.org for
more information.
ABOUT THE MINT MUSEUM
The Mint Museum is a non-profit, visual arts institution comprised of
two dynamic facilities: the newly opened Mint Museum Uptown and the
historic Mint Museum Randolph. As the oldest art museum in North
Carolina, The Mint Museum offers its visitors a remarkable opportunity
to experience art through two facilities that feature a global
collection spanning over 4,500 years of human creativity.
Located in what was the original branch of the United States Mint, the
Mint Museum Randolph opened in 1936 in Charlotte's Eastover
neighborhood as the first art museum in North Carolina. Today,
intimate galleries invite visitors to engage with the art of the
ancient Americas, ceramics and decorative arts, historic costume and
fashionable dress, European, African, and Asian art, among other
collections. Resources include a reference library with over 15,000
volumes, a theater featuring lectures and performances, and a Museum
Shop offering merchandise that complements both the permanent
collection and special exhibitions.
The Mint Museum Uptown houses the internationally renowned Mint Museum
of Craft + Design, as well as outstanding collections of American,
contemporary, and European art. Designed by Machado and Silvetti
Associates of Boston, the five-story, 145,000-square-foot facility
combines inspiring architecture with groundbreaking exhibitions to
provide visitors with unparalleled educational and cultural
experiences. Located in the heart of Charlotte's burgeoning center
city, the Mint Museum Uptown is an integral part of the Levine Center
for the Arts, a cultural campus that includes the Bechtler Museum of
Modern Art, the Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts and
Culture, the Knight Theater, and the Duke Energy Center. The Mint
Museum Uptown also features a range of visitor amenities, including
the 240-seat James B. Duke Auditorium, the Lewis Family Gallery, art
studios, a restaurant, and a museum shop. For more information, check
outmintmuseum.org.
