17 Reasons to Love

17 Reasons to Love the Mint Right Now

BY HILLARY COOPER, JEN COUSAR, HEATHER GWALTNEY, MICHELE HUGGINS, CAROLINE PORTILLO, ELLEN SHOW, AND JOYCE WEAVER.

1

WE HAVE CHAGALL ON OUR WALL

Thanks to the generosity of an anonymous supporter, you don’t have to leave town to see a painting by one of the great painters of the 20th century. The Mint Museum is proud to present Marc Chagall’s Le Violoniste, 1937, on view at Mint Museum Randolph throughout 2020. The beautiful, colorful and whimsical work on paper is sure to delight visitors of all ages, but especially children. The watercolor depicts a violin-playing, fantastical man-goat, while a tiny woman—thought to represent Chagall’s wife—is perched on his left shoulder.

Chagall was a Russian-French artist of Belarusian Jewish origin, and art critic Robert Hughes once referred to him as “the quintessential Jewish artist of the twentieth century.” An early modernist, he was associated with several major artistic styles and created works in a wide range of artistic formats, including paintings, drawings, book illustrations, stained glass, ceramic tapestries and fine art prints. “If I create from the heart, nearly everything works,” Chagall once said. “If from the head, almost nothing.”

We are thrilled to have the opportunity to share Chagall’s heart and art. This special loan is from a private collection via art advisor Vicky Love Salnikoff with Love Fine Art in New York. —Hillary Cooper

WE KNOW ART BOOKS ARE THE KEY TO A GREAT HOME LIBRARY

The Mint Museum Library Book Sale is back! From 1–5 p.m. Saturday, March 21 at Mint Museum Randolph, take your pick of a stunning array of art books, perfect for coffee tables or those built-in bookshelves you’re trying to fill—and all at great prices. Mint members get in an hour early—at noon— and all proceeds benefit library conservation efforts. —Caroline Portillo

THE MINT MUSEUM’S HISTORY IS WOMEN’S HISTORY 3

When the Mint Museum opened its doors on Oct. 22, 1936, it was thanks to the efforts of a passionate sisterhood devoted to bringing art to the Charlotte community. At the helm was the Mint’s fairy godmother Mary Myers Dwelle. Hailing from a family who made it their mission to advance culture in Charlotte, it was fitting that she was the driving force behind the creation of the first art museum in North Carolina. As Charlotte Woman’s Club art department chair, Dwelle organized art exhibitions and lectures that were eagerly attended. Recognizing the need to give the arts a permanent Charlotte home, sights were set on the historic-butcondemned U.S. Mint building on Tryon Street. The task of transforming the Mint into an art museum was daunting until a passionate speech for saving the U.S. Mint building was presented in February 1933 at a luncheon hosted by Dwelle. The speech inspired a spontaneous donation, and a significant sum was given toward the purchase of the building—that was already in demolition—

for rebuilding on another site. The generosity was contagious. Within two days, the required funds were raised and paid to the demolition contractor. A developer donated the Eastover neighborhood land on which Mint Museum Randolph sits today. Dwelle continued with her determination to establish the art museum. She tirelessly wrote letters to government aid agencies from Raleigh to Washington, D.C. lobbying for reconstruction funds. In her Mint Museum Association leadership roles, she coordinated the rebuilding process, built relationships with other arts organizations and garnered public support. She also courted art acquisitions, including the now iconic portrait of Queen Charlotte donated by Jane Hall Liddell Battle. The Mint Museum opened its doors three years later with an inaugural gala. Dwelle’s determined efforts made what seemed impossible, possible, and her devotion to the arts is the perfect way to celebrate Women’s History Month this March. —Ellen Show

4

CHARLOTTE BALLET AND THE MINT MAKE FOR A DYNAMIC DUO

Inspired by the Mint’s exhibition Immersed in Light: Studio Drift at the Mint, Charlotte Ballet created three new commissioned works for its winter series Innovative Works: Beyond the Mint. The outstanding choreographers are N.C.-based Duane Cyrus, resident choreographer of The Nashville Ballet Christopher Stuart, and Charlotte Ballet company dancer Chelsea Dumas. The ballet gave a sneak-peek performance at the first Live at the Mint of the season on Jan. 15. Want to see Innovative Works in full? Mint members get $5 off select tickets with the code MINT5. Tickets start at $27, and the series runs through Feb. 15. —Michele Huggins

The view from the five-star hotel Crown Society members stayed in during the fall 2019 trip to Venice, Italy.

ART-INFUSED TRAVEL IS A JEWEL IN THE MINT’S CROWN (SOCIETY)

The Crown Society Travel Program offers our most generous and loyal Crown members exceptional experiences that can enrich and inspire the most worldly traveler. The trips are all about seeing fabulous art in cool places while forging friendships and having a memorable vacation. Mint trips feature special access to private collections, behind-thescenes tours, and studio visits that only the Mint can organize with help from artists and other supporters. Participants stay in lovely accommodations, and enjoy fine wine and creative cuisine. Extraordinary destinations in the works for 2020 include the New York Armory Show, Saint Louis, Penland School of Craft, Asheville and Linville, the South of France, and Art Basel Miami. Want to join the fun? Contact Leadership Giving Manager Kitty Hall at 704.337.2034 or kitty.hall@mintmuseum.org —Heather Gwaltney

6

ONE OF OUR TRUSTEES IS ALSO A DOCENT

She’s a valued Mint Museum Board of Trustee. She’s an active and engaged docent and former docent president. She’s a loyal Crown Society member and advocate for the visual arts. Just call her Superwoman or better yet the Mint’s own toni Kendrick. We love Kendrick because she represents someone who champions and supports the museum at every level. She shares her passion, positive energy, time, talent, and treasure in a myriad of ways that always elevates the Mint’s brand and drives our mission forward. She’s the friendly face and fountain of knowledge greeting school tours in the Carroll Gallery at Mint Museum Uptown. She’s the creative mind generating good ideas and raising relevant questions in the board room. She, and her husband, Alfred, add fun, festivity, and style to every Mint event. She is an extraordinary member of the Mint family. Art is part of her heart and the museum fits her to a “t.” —Hillary Cooper

7

MINT ALUMNA MEREDITH CONNELLY TURNED ON THE ‘LIGHTS’

In 2019, artist Meredith Connelly, a member of the Mint’s Advancement & Communications team, left the Mint to pursue what she calls her “pinch me” project: creating a half-mile-long outdoor art installation at the U.S. National Whitewater Center. Known as Lights, the immersive installation was unveiled this winter in conjunction with a 17,000-square-foot ice-skating rink and beer garden. But Lights deserves fanfare all its own. Over the course of just three months, Connelly created 200 illuminated forms, ranging from giant mushrooms made from cast fiberglass to a phosphorescent riverbed flowing with 17,000 pounds of photo-reactive gravel, and “honeycombs” created with PVC thermoplastic tubing and repurposed rope lighting. A Cornelius-based artist, Connelly is known for using light and technology to create illuminated forms in galleries. She took inspiration from the Whitewater Center’s natural environment to create these outdoor works of art. As of press time, more than 80,000 people have experienced Connelly’s Lights. —Caroline Portillo

WE KNOW FOOD IS BEST SERVED WITH A SIDE OF ART In the fall of 2019, the Mint partnered with Camp North End on the Next Plate event series to take works that were once inside the walls of the museum and bring them out into the world. Held at the historic, creative hub Camp North End, Next Plate pairs chefs with visual and performing arts organizations to create immersive dining experiences. At the October Next Plate event, sponsored by The Mint Museum, Chef Ryan Allen of Reid’s Fine Foods joined culinary forces with Chef Quientina Stewart of Johnson & Wales University to create a fivecourse meal inspired by Constellation CLT artist Crista Cammaroto and her recent work: ephemeral installations Terra Forma. Cammaroto spoke about her process and inspirations for each piece, while walking diners through the connections between her work and the meal. —Heather Gwaltney 8

9

CLASSIC BLACK & LIGHT NEVER GOES OUT OF STYLE

This year’s annual Coveted Couture Gala is a special Evening of Black & Light. The annual spring fundraising gala celebrates the exhibition Classic Black: The Basalt Sculpture of Wedgwood & His Contemporaries, as well as the closing of the blockbuster exhibition Immersed in Light: Studio Drift at the Mint. The annual spring tradition is a black-tie dinner and dance for 400 of Charlotte’s most prominent civic leaders, stylish supporters and museum patrons. This special evening is presented by the Wells Fargo Private Bank, a loyal and generous corporate supporter of the museum. Stalwart Mint Museum and fashion supporters Ann and Michael Tarwater are graciously serving as the 2020 gala chairs.—Heather Gwaltney

10

WE WERE THE TALK OF CHARLOTTE TALKS

Over the last six months, the Mint made many an appearance on WFAE’s popular morning show Charlotte Talks with everyone from award-winning author and illustrator Tony DiTerlizzi promoting Never Abandon Imagination to Studio Drift artist Lonneke Gordijn teasing Immersed in Light. And in October, South Carolina artist Leo Twiggs, 85, and the Mint’s Community Relations Director Rubie Britt-Height gave the small studio audience goosebumps, as they discussed the power of art to start critical—albeit difficult—conversations about race. Each interview served as proof that powerful storytelling is the perfect complement to a gallery experience. —Caroline Portillo

11

MEMENTOS ARE FASHIONABLE

Get an insider’s look at the world of fashion while discovering the extraordinariness of the everyday in the Mint Museum Library’s installation Documenting Fashion: Ephemera from the Special Collections. The Ephemera installation gives a snapshot of lifestyles and fashion in a specific era by showcasing discarded catalogs, magazines, sales flyers, and promotional postcards. Some pieces tell a story like a 1902 brochure from a long-gone retail store that shows early womens clothing as is transitioned from homemade to ready-to-wear. Some items make you wonder, such as a Depression-era style magazine emphasizing a sporty lady of leisure. And others, like a fashion comic book, are just plain fun. See Documenting Fashion: Ephemera from the Special Collections at Mint Museum Randolph through April 2020. —Joyce Weaver

12

WE LOVE FREE YOGA

Seasoned yogis and enthusiastic firsttimers alike come every Monday at 6 p.m. for a one-hour yoga class at Mint Museum Uptown (free for Mint members, $10 for non-members). The weekly classes are through a partnership with NC Yoga Bar and are taught by a rotating group of seasoned instructors. Namaste! —Jen Cousar

INCANTATIONS BY ELIZABETH PALMISANO

EIN SOF BY MIKE WIRTH

BEHOLD BY BRETT TOUKATLY

MUSINGS ON LUXURY AND LACK BY ELIZABETH PALMISANO

13

WE LET LOCAL ARTISTS DRAW ON OUR WALLS

Constellation CLT kicked off its second season with a bang, featuring the work of not one, but three artists, each of whom explored different aspects of mural-based work: Elizabeth Palmisano, Brett Toukatly, and Mike Wirth.

Mike Wirth’s installation in the atrium combined a dynamic, swirling tree upon which hung four paintings of women from Jewish history. Wirth is a founding member of the Southern Tiger Collective, a group dedicated to promoting murals in the Charlotte area, and is also involved with Talking Walls, a citywide public art festival.

On the Mezzanine, artist and educator Elizabeth Palmisano combined her innovative papermaking techniques and fiber-based practice to create a meditative three-dimensional environment featuring floating cloudlike forms. She often uses recycled materials, breathing new life into objects not typically considered for use in the creation of art.

Level 4 featured a new piece by Brett Toukatly, the winner of the inaugural Battle Walls competition, a summer collaboration between The Mint Museum and the Southern Tiger Collective in which local street artists competed head to head over four rounds, culminating in a grand finale on the lawn of Mint Museum Randolph in August. Behold! featured one of Toukatly’s signature monstrous characters (with a face made up of skulls and eyes on its hands), rising up from an undulating sea. —Jonathan Stuhlman, PhD

Opposite, Photo by Jon Strayhorn . Above from left , Photo by Alex Cason. Photo by Jon Strayhorn THE CHARLOTTE YOUTH ORCHESTRA CHARLOTTE ARTIST NELLIE ASHFORD & ARTIST LEO TWIGGS

WE COME TO YOU LIVE EVERY WEDNESDAY NIGHT

The Mint Museum launched its free event series called Live at the Mint in the fall of 2019 at Mint Museum Uptown. Live at the Mint, presented by Fifth Third Bank, shines a spotlight on Charlotte’s dynamic arts community with a feature lineup that includes everything from performance art to provocative films, and conversation with artists and arts partners throughout the city. In 2019, guests watched MercuryCarter belt out his raw, powerful vocals on stage. Other featured performers included swing dancing with Gottaswing Charlotte, Elton John impersonator Carl Rosen, Charlotte Storytellers, Charlotte Youth Orchestra and many others that are helping to shape the Queen City’s arts and culture landscape. The 2020 Live at the Mint Lineup features a string quintet performance by Charlotte Symphony, Charlotte storytellers, and a rocking showcase by local Indie band Junior Astronomers. “Fifth Third is proud to be the presenting partner for this exciting new series,” says Lee Fite, Fifth Third Bank regional president of the Mid Atlantic. “Live at the Mint represents the same values we do—collaboration, inclusivity, and community.” Live at the Mint happens 6-9 p.m.—with a cash bar that opens at 5:30 p.m.—Wednesdays at Mint Museum Uptown. A perfect way to wind down after a long day. See the full Live at the Mint lineup of performances at mintmuseum.org/lineup. —Michele Huggins

16

OUR ART IS GOING PLACES

WE WERE THE SITE OF THE CITY’S BIGGEST SPORTS ANNOUNCEMENT IN DECADES

On Tuesday, Dec. 17, billionaire Carolina Panthers owner David Tepper stood in Mint Museum Uptown’s atrium and announced that Charlotte will be home to the newest Major League Soccer expansion team. The museum underwent a transformation for the official press conference announcing the latest addition to Charlotte’s pro-sports lineup. The yet-to-be-named club will kick off in 2021 at Bank of America stadium. —Michele Huggins

A new mobile tour program aptly named “Art on the Go” is engaging members of the Mint audience who may not be able to visit the museums in person. Led by dedicated docents toni Kendrick and Deborah Langsam, the program showcases the Mint’s ever-growing art collection to residents at assisted living or retirement facilities through docent-led slide presentations. The inaugural tour took place Oct. 8, 2019 with more to come during the first half of 2020. —Jen Cousar

OUR STAFF IS AWARD WINNING

Rubie Britt-Height, the Mint’s Director of Community Relations, was given the “50 Most Influential Women of 2019” award by the Mecklenburg Times. The award honored Britt-Height for something we’ve always known: the work she does connecting diverse audiences with art—and using art as a catalyst for tough conversations—plays a key role in the greater Charlotte region’s economy and society.

Joyce Weaver, our Director of Library & Archives, was given the “2019 Meritorious Achievement Award” from the Carolinas Chapter of the Special Library Association. The award honored Weaver’s “outstanding contributions in the chapter and the library profession.” If you’ve never chatted with Weaver yourself, head to Mint Museum Randolph and visit the museum’s incredible library—and its fearless leader.

Anyone who’s ever worked with graphic designer extraordinaire Jen Cousar on the Mint’s Marketing & Communications team knows she’s immensely talented (she designed this magazine!). And last year, she took the gold in the Southeastern Museums Conference Publications Competition for the program she designed for the 2019 Coveted Couture Gala. The 14-page booklet was a stunning piece of art in itself. —Caroline Portillo