atrium assembling his work Wood Branches, Diversity n. 17 (prototype),
2010 (shown in photo). Carbonell will be assisted by Paloma Castaño
Sanchez, an emerging fashion and textile artist. They are scheduled to
complete the work by Monday July 30.
Carbonell's work is one of six to be featured in the Mint's "Vote for
Art" project, a one-of-a-kind election taking place within the walls
of Mint Museum Uptown.
"Vote for Art" is aimed at educating the public on both the electoral
process and the process of building a world-class collection for
Charlotte and the region. Six specially-chosen works of art will be on
view in the museum, and the public can cast votes on their three
favorites. The museum will acquire the three winners and add them to
its permanent collection. The other five works will be installed
within the museum in coming weeks.
Voting opens on September 1 to coincide with the beginning of the
Democratic National Convention – and to allow the DNC delegates the
first opportunities to cast votes, as they do during the nation's real-
life electoral process. Mint Museum Uptown, which is normally closed
to the public on Mondays, will be open FREE all day on September 3,
Labor Day, to coincide with CarolinaFest, a day-long party for the
Democratic National Convention visitors to be held along Tryon Street.
All visitors to the museum through September 7 will be offered ballots
and the opportunity to cast votes. Voting then closes after the DNC
and reopens October 1, running through November 9.
Election Day, November 6, will be a free admission day from 10 a.m.-9
p.m. so any interested voters can come to the museum to vote for art
after they travel to the polls to vote for their candidates (the
museum is always open for free from 5-9 p.m. each Tuesday). And unlike
the Board of Elections, the Mint does not require voters to be 18 –
children will be offered their own opportunities to cast ballots.
A committee consisting of curators and representatives of three of the
museum's affiliate groups nominated the six works of art. The
Founders' Circle, Mint Museum Auxiliary, and Young Affiliates of the
Mint will collaborate on the project's culminating event, the Ballot
Ball, on November 9. At that gala, to be held at Mint Museum Uptown,
the winners will be unveiled. Ticket registration for the Ballot Ball
will begin September 1.
The Mint is in the process of discussing sponsorship of the project
with local and national corporations. Each sponsor will contribute a
sum toward the purchase of the works, and will be recognized on a
large banner in front of Mint Museum Uptown, which will appear prior
to the DNC and remain on view through the Ballot Ball, allowing the
corporations to receive a lucrative marketing opportunity in addition
to contributing toward this philanthropic project. Sponsors will also
be permanently recognized within the museum as the donors of the works
of art. Those interested in becoming a sponsor can contact May Nixon
at May.Nixon@mintmuseum.org.
During the project, voters must be inside the museum to cast a vote;
no online voting will be allowed, although an overview of the project
is available on mintmuseum.org and visitors may use the website's
+INSPIRING button to show support for their favorites.
Only one ballot will be permitted per visit, but patrons can make
multiple visits throughout the run of the project if they wish to cast
multiple votes for their favorite candidates. For non-members of the
museum, admission must be paid for each visit unless it is during the
museum's scheduled free hours. (See a complete news release about
"Vote for Art" and descriptions of all six works of art here:http://www.mintmuseum.org/news/vote-for-art-your-view-your-vote)
Extreme experimentation with materials and ideas is central to the
work of Nacho Carbonell (known internationally as simply Nacho). The
distinct gravel-, thorn-, or branch-covered surfaces of the combined
desk forms in the Diversity series suggest a demographically diverse
neighborhood and made Nacho the star of the 2010 Salone di Mobile in
Milan. The chairs are handmade by a small team of assistants using
laborious processes in Nacho's studio in Eindhoven, The Netherlands;
he is assembling Diversity n.17 inside Mint Museum Uptown himself.
Nacho graduated from the Spanish University of Cardenal Herrera-CEU
and the prestigious Design Academy, Eindhoven. He was nominated
Designer of the Year in 2009 by the Design Museum, London, and
designated as Designer of the Future by the Design Miami / Basel
committee later that same year.
"With a reputation as an innovator in his use of various media,
techniques, and as a provocateur par excellence, Nacho is one of the
hottest young designers of the moment," said Annie Carlano, the Mint's
director of craft and design.
ABOUT THE MINT MUSEUM
As the oldest art museum in North Carolina, and the art museum with
one of the largest collections in the Southeast, The Mint Museum
offers its visitors inspiring and transformative experiences through
art from around the world via innovative collections, ground-breaking
exhibitions, riveting educational programs, and profound scholarship.
The Mint Museum is a non-profit, visual arts institution comprised of
two dynamic facilities: Mint Museum Uptown and Mint Museum Randolph.
Located in what was the original branch of the United States Mint,
Mint Museum Randolph opened in 1936 in Charlotte's Eastover
neighborhood as the state's first art museum. Today, in a beautiful
park setting, intimate galleries invite visitors to engage with the
art of the ancient Americas, ceramics and decorative arts, fashion,
European and African art, among other collections. Resources include a
reference library with over 18,000 volumes, a theater featuring
lectures and performances, and a museum shop offering merchandise that
complements both the permanent collection and special exhibitions.
Mint Museum Uptown houses the internationally renowned Craft + Design
collection, 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 cutting-edge exhibitions to
provide visitors with unparalleled educational and cultural
experiences. Located in the heart of Charlotte's burgeoning center
city, 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. Mint Museum
Uptown also features a wide 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, visit
the NEW mintmuseum.org.
