find something to love when The Mint Museum unveils the spotlight
exhibition Matthew Weinstein, featuring four paintings and a short
film by Brooklyn, N.Y.-based multimedia artist Matthew Weinstein.
The exhibition opens Saturday, April 28 and remains on view through
August 19. It runs concurrently with Colorbind: The Emily and Zach
Smith Collection, another spotlight exhibition paying tribute to
beloved local patrons of both the Mint and Charlotte Symphony, on view
April 28 through August 12.
Weinstein has achieved notoriety in the art world as the first artist
to focus exclusively on 3D animation. Beginning with a self-written
dialogue or lyrics, Weinstein uses musical scores and written text to
develop characters which he then renders by means of the animation
program MAYA. Weinstein then casts actors to vocalize the dialogue,
and musicians to create an auditory backdrop for the already visually-
developed environments. Using precision airbrush techniques and single-
hair paintbrushes, Weinstein also creates paintings, essentially
abstractions of his animated worlds. These paintings accompany the
digital installations and enable the artist to explore the often-
tenuous boundary between the real and the virtual in contemporary
culture.
The Mint-organized exhibition includes Weinstein's short film Chariots
of the Gods, which features a mechanized female koi, voiced by Tony
Award-winning actress Natasha Richardson, who dangles from a golden
chain in an empty restaurant. While she seems to carelessly meander
through her environment with a smiling disposition, she offers
discourse on such weighty subjects as the future, devolution,
technology, aliens, and the impossibility of progress.
"Matthew Weinstein's video invites the viewer to enter a mesmerizing
environment, which is entirely manufactured through computer
animation. His unique ability to combine his many talents as
screenwriter, director, and digital animator results in a video that
is visually stunning as the narrator lulls the viewer to follow her
epic tale," said Carla Hanzal, the Mint's curator of contemporary art.
"Weinstein's paintings, often inspired by the digital environments he
creates, are seamlessly rendered. Their refined surfaces and rich
detail coax one to take a closer look at the worlds he brings to
fruition."
On Thursday, May 3, 2012, Weinstein will participate in a special
dialogue with Robert Goolrick, acclaimed author of the novel A
Reliable Wife, at Mint Museum Uptown at Levine Center for the Arts,
500 South Tryon Street. After a viewing of Weinstein's short film The
Childhood of Bertolt Brecht (recommended for ages 13 and up), the
artist and the author will discuss the importance and the role of
narrative in art. This event is a cultural partnership between The
Mint Museum and the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra, which also
celebrates the Symphony's production of Bolero Comes Alive, featuring
digital animation by Weinstein. After the lecture at 6:30 p.m., the
museum will host a reception and opportunities to view both the
Weinstein and Colorbind exhibitions (other galleries will be closed
during the evening). The cost is $10 for Mint members and $20 for non-
members. And in a recently-adopted policy, all college students with
valid ID can be admitted free to this and all other lectures hosted by
the Mint.
Any non-members who attend can receive a $10 discount off a new Mint
membership. In addition, ticketholders to the Symphony's May 4 Bolero
Comes Alive performance can receive free admission and $10 off a new
Mint Membership from May 3 through May 6, and Mint members can receive
$10 off Bolero Comes Alive tickets by contacting the Charlotte
Symphony Box Office at 704-972-2000. This cultural partnership is
reminiscent of similar partnerships the Mint has joined in with Opera
Carolina and North Carolina Dance Theatre. In January, the Mint
unveiled a spotlight exhibition by artist Jun Kaneko, which remains on
view through April 29, in conjunction with a Kaneko-designed
production of the opera Madama Butterfly. And in March, the museum
offered free admission toSleeping Beauty ticketholders and Mint
members received a ticket purchase discount to NCDT's Sleeping Beauty
performance in conjunction with the museum's Fairytales, Fantasy, &
Fear exhibition, which remains on view through July 8.
"Exploring innovative ways to maximize opportunities for
Charlotte audiences through cultural partnerships continues to be a
core value of the Mint, and we're pleased to be able to further this
goal through the work of an artist as talented as Matthew Weinstein,"
said Dr. Kathleen V. Jameson, president & CEO of The Mint Museum. "As
we have said before, thanks to this deepening spirit of collaboration,
there's never been a more exciting time to be a follower of the arts
in Charlotte."
Symphony premieres Bolero Comes Alive
At Bolero Comes Alive, a KnightSounds performance on May 4, the
Charlotte Symphony will feature the world premiere of Weinstein's
latest digitally animated work of art. Weinstein's commissioned piece
is a 16-minute original animated video to be displayed on a screen
suspended above the orchestra. The audience will experience the
brilliant animation in sync with the hypnotic music of Ravel's Bolero.
This is the first commissioned work under the leadership of Music
Director Christopher Warren-Green. It will be performed during the
Symphony's new multi-sensory KnightSounds series, which is funded by
the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and is becoming part of a
new national model for the modern concert-going experience.
Warren-Green will lead the Charlotte Symphony in this exciting venture
that represents a marriage of classical music, digital art, and modern
dance. In order to make his non-human characters live on screen and
appeal to a human audience, Weinstein works with actors, dancers and
choreographers to capture human movement which he then applies to his
animations. For this piece, he worked closely with a choreographer to
translate his ideas into a modern dance.
"The application of digital animation to the frequently performed and
well known Bolero exposes aspects of the work in a way that an aural
performance alone cannot," said Charlotte Symphony President and
Executive Director Jonathan Martin.
Commissioning a piece of multimedia artwork is representative of the
forward-thinking vision of the orchestra. As the commissioning agency,
the Charlotte Symphony aims to give the work a continued existence in
the orchestra world beyond the premiere. The Charlotte Symphony will
license the work to other orchestras to help offset the cost of the
commission. A post-concert street festival will follow the May 4
performance, featuring local food vendors, artisans and continued
entertainment from the high-octane PROJECT Trio.
Since its inception in 2010, the KnightSounds series has been met with
full houses and critical success. A tenet of the KnightSounds mission,
multimedia is used to enhance and intensify the musical experience.
The concerts are one hour in length and include a beverage and hors
d'oeuvres in the ticket price, along with engaging pre- and post-
concert activities.
Event list:
Saturday, April 28: Spotlight exhibitions Matthew Weinstein and
Colorbind: The Emily and Zach Smith Collection go on public view at
Mint Museum Uptown at Levine Center for the Arts, 500 South Tryon
Street.
Thursday, May 3: 6:30 p.m. Matthew Weinstein and author Robert
Goolrick community discussion and reception at Mint Museum Uptown.
Visitwww.mintmuseum.org for more information and to RSVP (required;
hit "calendar"). $10 Mint members and Bolero Comes Alive ticket
holders; $20 non-members; free to college students.
Friday, May 4: 5 p.m. Free admission to Mint Museum Uptown begins for
all concert ticket holders, continuing through Sunday, May 6.
6:30 p.m. Pre-concert reception with Dean &
Deluca hors d'oeuvres at the Knight Theater at Levine Center for the
Arts, 430 South Tryon Street.
7:30 p.m. Charlotte Symphony KnightSounds
concert premieres Weinstein work. Tickets to the KnightSounds
performance and premiere are $39, available at 704.972.2000 or www.charlottesymphony.org
.
8:30 p.m. Post-concert street festival
outside the Knight Theater featuring vendors, artists and musical
entertainment.
New college student ticket policy
While The Mint Museum frequently has offered free or discounted
admission to college students to lectures and other special events,
museum officials recently decided to officially open all lectures to
college students with a valid student ID. This includes the May 3
Weinstein/Goolrick event and the Mint's Contemporary Architecture +
Design (CAD) series, bringing a lecture from influential graphic
designer Stefan Sagmeister at 7 p.m. on May 24 (cost is $5 to Mint
members and $10 to non-members).
This admission policy reflects the museum's recently adopted
mission statement which includes "engaging and inspiring all members
of our global community."
"A major initiative of The Mint Museum is to create innovative
and engaging public programs relevant to our various communities — and
one of our large communities is college and university students," said
Laura Everett, adult programs coordinator for the Mint. "The Mint
Museum's programming consistently features nationally and
internationally renowned experts — offering students perspectives on
the world which will only enrich their education."
For more information on these and other upcoming events, visit
mintmuseum.org and click "Calendar."
Charlotte Symphony
Founded in 1932, the Charlotte Symphony aspires to serve the whole
community through classical music that educates, entertains and
enriches. The orchestra's recently launched New American Orchestra
Campaign will provide the financial stability for the Symphony to
build a renewed and sustainable funding model. A non-traditional
venture, the New American Orchestra Campaign seeks to address the
immediate nature of the need through community-wide operating support.
Through education, innovation and relentless passion, the Charlotte
Symphony has served the community for 80 years and is a vital
organization that fervently believes in the artistic enrichment of the
human spirit.
Christopher Warren-Green
Music Director of the Charlotte Symphony and London Chamber
orchestras, Christopher Warren-Green has formed an international
career that has included appearances with the London Philharmonic,
Philadelphia Orchestra and Principal Conductor of the Camerata
Resident Orchestra of the Megaron Athens.Warren-Green has been
personally invited to conduct on many occasions for the Royal Family
in the last thirty years. In April 2011, Warren-Green conducted the
London Chamber Orchestra during the marriage ceremony of HRH Prince
William Duke of Cambridge and HRH Duchess of Cambridge at Westminster
Abbey, which was televised to millions worldwide. Warren-Green is a
regular on television and radio, and in summer 2008, he featured on
the BBC's high-profile television series 'Maestro'. He has recorded
extensively for Sony, Philips, Virgin EMI, Chandos and Deutsche
Grammophon.
John S. and James L. Knight Foundation
Knight Foundation supports transformational ideas that promote quality
journalism, advance media innovation, engage communities and foster
the arts. The foundation believes that democracy thrives when people
and communities are informed and engaged. For more, visit
KnightFoundation.org.
Levine Center for the Arts and Knight Theatre
The Levine Center for the Arts is one of Charlotte's key cultural
destinations, comprised of Bechtler Museum of Modern Arts, Harvey B.
Gantt Center for African-American Arts+Culture, John S. and James L.
Knight Theater and Mint Museum Uptown. The center was made possible
through the Campaign for Cultural Facilities, the support of the City
of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County, and the generosity of the Leon
Levine Foundation, one of the country's largest and most impactful
philanthropic organizations. Opened in 2010, the Knight Theater's
contemporary, flexible design of 1,150 seats provides for artistic
grandeur in an intimate setting. The theater is the primary venue for
the North Carolina Dance Theatre, and features performances by Opera
Carolina and the Charlotte Symphony, as well as musical theater,
popular music, touring productions, lectures and film.
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, check
out mintmuseum.org.
