Inspired – Spring 2024

Objects of Affection

The melding of found materials into wearable works of art by artist Robert Ebendorf

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FROM THE PRESIDENT & CEO

As we turn the corner from winter to spring, I am excited for a season of new exhibitions and programs at the Mint. In April, we open two inspiring exhibitions at Mint Museum Randolph: Objects of Affection: Jewelry by Robert Ebendorf from the Porter • Price Collection and Shinichi Sawada: Agents of Clay. Both exhibitions spotlight two artists’ mastery of their craft.

Objects of Affection celebrates the longtime career of Robert Ebendorf, one of the most influential artists in the studio jewelry movement. Ebendorf stretched the boundaries of jewelry beginning in the 1960s by creating wearable works of art made from found, recycled, and natural materials. The exhibition includes more than 180 works by Ebendorf, as well as faculty and graduates of the metal design program at East Carolina University where Ebendorf was an instructor for many years.

Japanese artist Shinichi Sawada creates fantastical ceramic objects that are unique and mysterious. Sawada, who is on the autism spectrum, began making ceramics in 2000 as part of a government program to help neurodivergent individuals find employment and build independent lives. While Sawada’s works are uniquely his own, the exhibition also offers the opportunity to explore the millennia-old tradition of the Shigaraki kilns and the tradition of Japanese pottery in the mountains where Sawada works.

The opening of Objects of Affection anchors the annual Coveted Couture Gala, the Mint’s signature fundraising event, presentd by Regions and BlackArch, and co-chaired by Beth and Drew Quartapella. The gala returns to Mint Museum Randolph April 27. We encourage you to purchase tickets for the black-tie event. It is thanks to the generous support of donors that enables the Mint to grow and serve the public through education, beauty, and inspiration.

We also welcome back Party in the Park beginning in March. The fun, free, and family-friendly event includes live music, art activities, food trucks, and free admission to see all that is on view at Mint Museum Randolph.

And if you have not yet seen The Art of Seating: 200 Years of American Design, there’s still time as the exhibition has been extended through April 14 at Mint Museum Uptown. Look for more thoughtful experiences and programs throughout the spring and summer that link to these and more wonderful exhibitions and installations.

Sincerely,

Todd A. Herman, PhD, president and CEO

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

5 | GLOBAL JAUNT

Venture around the world with worldly finds at The Mint Museum Store.

10 | ON THE DAILY

Follow along 24 hours in the life of artist Jackie Milad.

12 | UPCOMING EVENTS

Mark your calendar for not-to-miss Mint events.

14 | NOTEWORTHY

Notable mentions, awards, and recognition of Mint people, projects, and programs.

15 | 15 REASONS TO LOVE THE MINT RIGHT NOW

From dynamic programming to artist conversations and exhibitions, there’s a lot to love about the Mint.

25 | STAFF SPOTLIGHT

Katherine Steiner named 2023 Registrar of the Year.

50 | AFFILIATES IN ACTION

A review of the Mint affiliate groups’ events and activities.

52 | EVENTS AT THE MINT

Snapshots from recent events, exhibition openings, and more.

54 | CROWN SOCIETY PATRONS

57 | CURATOR’S PICK

OUR TEAM

EDITOR

Michele Huggins

CREATIVE DIRECTION & GRAPHIC DESIGN

Stephanie Lepore

Shelby McVicker

CONTRIBUTORS

Hailey Black

Rubie R. Britt-Height

Jamila Brown

Mary Mack Brown

Hillary Cooper

Jen Sudul Edwards, PhD

Rebecca E. Elliot

Brian Gallagher

Chelsea Hidalgo

Molly Humphries

Maggie Kapitan

Page Leggett

Margaret Mauldin

Alex Gutierrez Mendez

Kurma Murrain

Alexandra Olivares

Ellen Show

Joel Smeltzer

Michael Solender

Jonathan Stuhlman, PhD

Valeria Vazquez

Meghann Zekan

ON THE COVER

Robert W. Ebendorf (American, 1938−), various artists. ECU Charm Necklace (detail), 2017, silver, copper, brass, enamel, mixed media, found objects, 19 × 12 1/2 × 1 3/4 in. Collection of The Mint Museum. Gift of Porter • Price Collection. 2022.49.7. ECU Charm Necklace was created for Ron Porter and Joe Price by ECU faculty, students, and graduates as a thank-you for their support and presented to them after they spoke at ECU’s Material Topics Symposium, organized by the jewelry and metals graduate and undergraduate students, in 2017.

FEATURES

26 | OBJECTS OF AFFECTION

A look at the career of maker and designer Robert Ebendorf and works from the Porter • Price collection.

31 | DELHOM SERVICE LEAGUE: 50 GOLDEN YEARS

Celebrating a half-century of generous support and impactful initiatives by the Delhom Service League.

35 | THE CLAY CHARACTERS OF SHINICHI SAWADA

A sampling of fantastical clay works by Japanese artist Shinichi Sawada .

39 | IMMERSE THE SENSES IN WHITFIELD LOVELL: PASSAGES

Chief Curator Jen Sudul Edwards, PhD, and Chief Exhibition Designer Meghann Zekan discuss the nuances of this poignant exhibition.

43 | ECHOES: ARTISTS RESPOND TO CAROLINA SHOUT

Eight Charlotte artists explore the meaning of Romare Bearden’s masterpiece Carolina Shout through works of their own.

45 | GRIER HEIGHTS YOUTH ARTS PROGRAM CELEBRATES 20 YEARS

47 | ‘TAKE MORE CHANCES, DANCE MORE DANCES’ Mint Board Member Charlotte Wickham is Dancing With the Stars of Charlotte to support The Mint Museum and Charlotte Ballet.

49 | COVETED COUTURE GALA RETURNS TO MINT MUSEUM RANDOLPH

Make plans to attend the most fashion-forward event of the year!

LEFT: Jackie Milad (United States, 1975–). La Cueva de la Sirena: Jaguar People (detail), 2019–23, acrylic, paper, canvas, chiffon, collage on hand dyed canvas. © 2023 JACKIE MILAD

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS

The Art of Seating: 200 Years of American Design is generously presented by PNC. Additional individual support is kindly provided by Mary and Walt Beaver, Sarah G. Cooper, Lucy and Hooper Hardison, and Kati and Chris Small.

Craft Across Continents — Contemporary Japanese and Western Objects: The Lassiter/Ferraro Collection is generously presented by the Mint Museum Auxiliary, with additional corporate support by Moore & Van Allen. Individual sponsorship is kindly provided by Rocky and Curtis Trenkelbach.

Southern/Modern: Rediscovering Southern Art From the First Half of the Twentieth Century is generously presented by Wells Fargo. Lead grant support for the exhibition is provided by the Henry Luce Foundation with additional funding from the Terra Foundation for American Art, the Andrew Wyeth Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Betsy and Alfred Brand Fund at The Mint Museum.

Objects of Affection: Jewelry by Robert Ebendorf from the Porter • Price Collection is generously presented by Bank of America. Individual sponsorship is kindly provided by Posey and Mark Mealy, Jeffrey and Staci Mills, Emily and Bill Oliver, Beth and Drew Quartapella, Ches and Chrys Riley, and Ann and Michael Tarwater.

Whitfield Lovell: Passages is generously presented by PNC.

The Mint Museum’s 2024 Coveted Couture Gala is generously presented by Regions and BlackArch.

The Mint Museum’s FREE Party in the Park is generously presented by Principal Foundation.

Support for Student Tours is provided by the Mint Museum Auxiliary.

Wednesday Night Live is generously presented by Bank of America.

Free Wednesday Evenings are generously sponsored by Publix Super Market Charities and the Mint Museum Auxiliary.

The Grier Heights Program is financially supported by the Mint Museum Auxiliary.

The Mint Museum is supported, in part, by the North Carolina Arts Council, a division of the Department of Cultural Resources, and the Infusion Fund.

Mint 2 Move is generously sponsored by the Arts and Science Council.

The Mint Museum is supported, in part, by the Infusion Fund and its generous donors:

Multimillion Dollar

Commitment

City of Charlotte

$1.5 million and above

Bank of America

C.D. Spangler Foundation / National Gypsum Company

John S. and James L. Knight Foundation

Trane Technologies

$600,000-$1 million

Albemarle Foundation

Atrium Health

Barings

Duke Energy

Honeywell

JELD-WEN, Inc.

LendingTree Foundation

Lowe’s Companies, Inc.

Novant Health

Red Ventures

Truist

$300,000-$600,000

Ally Financial

The Centene Charitable Foundation

Childress Klein Properties

Coca-Cola Consolidated

Deloitte

EY

The Gambrell Foundation

Moore & Van Allen

PwC

Robinson, Bradshaw & Hinson, P.A.

Rodgers Builders

Wells Fargo

This issue of Inspired magazine is generously supported by Harriet and Marshall Sealey.

Fifth Third Bank

Foundation For The Carolinas

Deidre and Clay Grubb

Leslie and Michael Marsicano

Jane and Hugh McColl

Nucor Corporation

PNC Bank

Premier, Inc.

Jane and Nelson Schwab

Global Jaunt

Venture around the world with artful finds from The Mint Museum Store. store.mintmuseum.org

Adam Eugene Photo | Product selection by Valeria Vazquez

Poppy Scarf in the Spirit of Georgia O’Keeffe $86. “Takashi Murakami” $45. “Japan: The Cookbook” $54.95. “Yoshitomo Nara” $59.95. “Dining with the Sultan” $85. Kumagai Kokushuu Tea Set $350. Pureland Japanese Folding Fan $132. Hiragana Furoshiki Wrapping Cloth $46. Furoshiki Handles $35.

African Print Ring Handled Tote $46. Cheetah Vase $72. Medium South African Ndebele Doll Sculpture (2) $18. Kitenge Cloth Ornament (Elephant) $12. “North African Cookbook” $54.95. Large Silver Face Vase $120. Animambo Bongo $40. “Afro-Atlantic Histories” $69.95. “Africana: An Encyclopedia of an Amazing Continent” $30.

Rodin’s Thinker $86. Wing Sculpture $285. “City of Cinema Paris 1850-1907” $55. “A Journey Through Art: A Global History” $22.95. “Let’s Eat France” $60. Treasure Boxes / Happy Party $38. Holiday Spectacular Jewel Tone Collar $600.

Yellow Butterfly Velvet Kimono $470. “Frida Kahlo and Her Animalitos” $18.95. Portable Universe: $65. “Latin American Artists” $69.95. Fan Su Small Purple Vase $110. Stained Paulownia Wood Bowl $42.

24 HOURS IN THE LIFE OF JACKIE MILAD

BY PAGE LEGGETT

Jackie Milad’s cultural identity informs her art. The Baltimore-based artist paints and collages large-scale, mixed-media abstracts that explore her EgyptianHonduran heritage.

Before becoming a full-time artist, she worked as a curator and ran an art gallery. Her ties to Charlotte — a city she says “charmed” her — are many. The Mint Museum and the Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Culture have exhibited her work, she had a 2021 residency at the McColl Center, and is represented in the Queen City by SOCO Gallery.

On her first visit to the Mint during her residency at the McColl Center, she was “blown away by the curatorial work,” she says. “Having worked in that world, I’m always interested in curatorial decisions. I was really impressed with Jennifer [Sudul] Edwards’ artistic selections and the writing on the text panels. I knew I wanted to meet her.”

As for Milad’s schedule, it varies daily. She might go to an artist’s talk, visit a museum or library, or make studio visits to learn about other artists’ processes.

What she does outside the studio changes, but her time in the studio is consistent.

“I adhere to a strict work schedule,” she says. “I didn’t always. When I had a full-time job, I’d work on art when I could find the time. Today, I work on art in my studio. And at home, I’m focused on my family.”

Inspiration often comes during a walk. The texture of tree bark that catches her eye may show up in her work, as will something she learned from the research she does in her studio. Like a French flâneur, Jackie walks to observe and be inspired.

“I try to be in the world with an open mind and open heart,” she says. “When I’m in that mode, a lot more is revealed to me. I’m a better observer. And being a keen observer is important to my success in the studio.”

LEARN MORE ABOUT JACKIE MILAD — AND SEE EXAMPLES OF HER WORK — AT JACKIEMILAD.COM

5:45 AM The dogs — a greyhound and a whippet — wake my husband, Tom Boran, and me before our alarm goes off. Tom walks them while I “sleep in” until 6 AM.

6 AM I go downstairs and make a cup of matcha. When Tom comes home from his walk, he makes his coffee. We sit in the dark together, drinking our caffeine and listening to music.

6:45 AM Things start to happen faster after a leisurely start to our day. Tiero, my 12-year-old son, comes downstairs for his breakfast. I make his lunch and Tom usually takes him to school.

7:30–9 AM I get my stuff done. I shower and make breakfast, which usually consists of a boiled egg with salt and pepper and sometimes hot sauce and a piece of toast or yogurt with homemade granola — I make it with peanut butter and chocolate chips — and lots of fruit. I keep it simple in the morning.

When I have time, I’ll take a 30 to 40-minute walk. In northeast Baltimore, we have lots of green space, old trees and a lake and park close by. Walking, whether in nature or on city streets, always resets my brain.

Once I’m home, I take care of replying to emails and other administrative things. I don’t have Wi-Fi at my studio, so I have to deal with it at home. I pack my lunch — usually leftovers from the night before. I’m lucky that my husband does all the cooking in our family.

9:30ish AM I leave for my studio, which is about a 20minute drive from home. It’s quite an improvement over my previous commute. It could take up to an hour each way.

It is 800 square feet and housed in a 100-year-old former factory. We have old hardwood floors and big windows in a building where a lot of other artists have their studios, which is nice. Adjacent to the building are lots of trees, which is pretty unusual in the city. I have a great view of them from my window. And there’s a big park right next to the studio where I often walk. If you walk just a few miles from my studio, you’ll end up at the Maryland Zoo.

I don’t jump in to making art immediately, unless I left the studio the day before in the middle of a process. I’ll write in my journal, research, read. I’m especially interested in archaeology and history, and my reading on those subjects often influences my art.

Music plays a big part in my life, and I’m always listening while working. My husband is a musician, as well as a digital media artist, and he’s exposed me to so many genres. My eclectic playlist has everything from Puerto Rican dance music to heavy metal from the 1980s to more contemplative music.

Before I can start painting, there’s prep work to do. I prepare surfaces, cut scrap material, pick scraps of paper or fabric to use in my collages. I like working on several pieces at the same time.

I’m very active while working. I don’t just sit at my desk or an easel. I’m moving around a lot.

4 OR 4:30 PM I pick up my son from school. He’s generally stayed late to play squash or tennis.

5:30 PM Now, it’s my turn to walk our dogs. Tom makes dinner, while I do home stuff, which often includes helping Tiero with homework. And we always eat dinner together as a family. All three of us love movies and TV, and we’ll usually watch something together after dinner.

8 PM Tiero heads upstairs to read in bed. He’s usually asleep by 9 PM. Tom and I talk, catch up on our days. Because we’re such early risers, we also go to bed early.

9:30 or 10 PM We both read in bed before we fall asleep, but I don’t do the kind of reading I do at my studio. Reading at home is all about escapism. I’ll read dumb fiction. Recently, it was a book called “Godslayer” — or something like that — pure escapist fantasy.

Page Leggett is a Charlotte-based freelance writer. Her stories have appeared in The Charlotte Observer, The Biscuit, Charlotte magazine and many other regional publications.

UPCOMING EVENTS

MARCH

3 SUNDAY

Artist Talk with Ceramicist Paul Briggs

Mint Museum Uptown

2–3 PM | Free with museum admission

Join artist Paul Briggs, whose work is featured in the exhibition Craft Across Continents, for a discussion about his practice and process.

Art of Reading: ‘Buttermilk Graffiti’

Mint Museum Randolph

2–3:30 PM | Free

Join Mint Docents for a discussion of the book “Buttermilk Graffiti,” followed by a presentation of works related to lifestyles of the times depicted in the book.

6 WEDNESDAY

Drop-in Art at Mint Randolph

Mint Museum Randolph 5–8 PM | Free

Drop by for self-directed, creative fun for ages 3 to adult. Explore drawing, painting, collage, and fiber art activities.

Art of Reading: ‘Buttermilk Graffiti’

Mint Museum Randolph

6–7:30 PM | Free

Join Mint Docents for a discussion of the book “Buttermilk Graffiti,” followed by a presentation of works related to lifestyles of the times depicted in the book.

13 WEDNESDAY

Drop-in Art at Mint Randolph

Mint Museum Randolph 5–8 PM | Free

Drop by for self-directed, creative fun for ages 3 to adult. Explore drawing, painting, collage, and fiber art activities.

Wednesday Night Live: Jessica Macks

Presented by Bank of America

Mint Museum Uptown 5–9 PM, 6:45 PM performance | Free

Jessica Macks and her band perform songs from around the world in response to the exhibition Craft Across Continents

15 FRIDAY

From This Disposition Opening Celebration and Artist Talk

Mint Museum Uptown

6–9 PM; 6:30 PM artist talk | Free

Join Constellation CLT artist Fred Smith and curator Jamila Brown in conversation for the opening celebration of Smith’s installation From This Disposition

Celebrating Women and the ‘I Am Queen Charlotte’ Women’s Legacy by Epoch Tribe

Mint Museum Randolph

6–9 PM | Free

Join in the second annual tribute to phenomenal Black women leaders as Queen Charlotte is remembered. Make your own crown and visit the galleries.

20 WEDNESDAY

Drop-in Art at Mint Randolph

Mint Museum Randolph

5–8 PM | Free

Drop by for self-directed, creative fun for ages 3 to adult. Explore drawing, painting, collage, and fiber art activities.

22 FRIDAY

Mint Música and Poesía Café

Mint Museum Randolph 6–7:30 PM | Free

Experience the voices of Brenda Nova, world-class Bossa nova, jazz, and Latin singer; poet Adeola Fearon with her unique improvisational poetry; and the dance group Killa Project with dances from Peru and Latin America.

24 SUNDAY

Party in the Park

Presented by Principal Foundation Mint Museum Randolph

1–5 PM | Free

Enjoy a festive afternoon with food trucks, live music, a cash bar on the front terrace, plus live artist demos responding to themes of identity and culture found in works featured in Buscando la sirena on view at Mint Museum Randolph.

27 WEDNESDAY

Drop-in Art at Mint Randolph

Mint Museum Randolph

5–8 PM | Free

Drop by for self-directed, creative fun for ages 3 to adult. Explore drawing, painting, collage, and fiber art activities.

28 THURSDAY

Carolina Shout Workshop with Artist Beverly Smith

Mint Museum Uptown

6:30–8:30 PM | Free

Join artist Beverly Smith, whose work is featured in the installation Echoes: Artists Respond to Carolina Shout, for a chat and fiber art workshop. Register online.

APRIL

3 WEDNESDAY

Wednesday Night Live: Artist Talk with Pinky Bass and Carolyn DeMerritt

Presented by Bank of America

Mint Museum Uptown

5–9 PM | Free

Artists Pinky Bass and Carolyn DeMerrit in conversation followed by a signing of their book “Entwined.”

10 WEDNESDAY

Art of Reading: ‘Pride and Prejudice’

Mint Museum Randolph 6–7:30 PM | Free

Join Mint Docents for a discussion of the book “Pride and Prejudice,” followed by a presentation of works related to lifestyles of the times depicted in the book.

The Art of Seating : Ekphrastic Writing with Charlotte Lit

Mint Museum Uptown

6:30–7:30 PM | Free

Join Charlotte Lit faculty and a Mint Educator for an evening of ekphrasis, or “writing about art.” Get inspired by the chairs in The Art of Seating exhibition to jumpstart your storytelling. No experience or materials required. Register online.

14 SUNDAY

Art of Reading: ‘The Warmth of Other Suns’

Mint Museum Randolph 2–3:30 PM | Free

Join Mint Docents for a discussion of the book “The Warmth of Other Suns,” followed by a presentation of works related to lifestyles of the times depicted in the book.

17 WEDNESDAY

Mindful Looking: Sketching in Craft

Across Continents

Mint Museum Uptown

7–7:45 PM | Free

Join museum educators for a guided slow-looking experience. Prompts and materials are provided, and participants can sketch a work of their choice and discuss works of art with the group.

19 FRIDAY

Mint 2 Move Cultural Dance Night

Sponsored by ASC

Mint Museum Uptown

7:30–11:30 PM | $11 members, $14 nonmembers

Enjoy free dance lessons with Rumbao Latin Dance Company and enjoy live music with the Mint Latino Percussionists Trio and DJ Carlos LeBron, C’Leb Entertainment. Plus, live artist demos and cultural vendors.

21 SUNDAY

Party in the Park

Presented by Principal Foundation Mint Museum Randolph

1–5 PM | Free

Enjoy a festive afternoon with food trucks, live music, free museum admission, and a cash bar on the front terrace and meet local artists who explore nature in their visual art practice.

27 SATURDAY

Coveted Couture Gala

Presented by Regions and BlackArch Mint Museum Randolph

6:30 PM–midnight | Tickets available for purchase

The Mint Museum’s 11th annual spring fundraising gala will be back on the glorious lawn of Mint Museum Randolph to celebrate the work of Robert Ebendorf, one of the most influential artists in the studio jewelry movement. For more information, call Lauren Hartnagel at 704.337.2112.

MAY

1 WEDNESDAY

Wednesday Night Live: AdornMINT

Opening Reception and Vendor Village

Presented by Bank of America

Mint Museum Uptown

5–9 PM | Free

In collaboration with the Young Affiliates of the Mint and curated by Davita Galloway, AdornMINT celebrates the myriad ways individuals and communities decorate and adorn themselves. See the work of more than 15 artists, as well as vendor’s village where guests can shop for adornments.

4 SATURDAY

Artist Rowland Ricketts Presents

‘Invisible Blue’

Mint Museum Uptown

2–3 PM | Free with museum admission

Artist Rowland Ricketts, whose work

Untitled, Noren is on view in Craft Across Continents, will discuss his work, including growing, processing, dyeing, and creating with indigo.

15 WEDNESDAY

Dances of India

Mint Museum Uptown

6:30–8 PM | Free

See the cultural artistry of the Indian community through traditional Indian dance performances and costumes.

18 SATURDAY

Panel Discussion with Artist Robert Ebendorf

Mint Museum Randolph

2–3:30 PM | Free with museum admission

Join artist Robert Ebendorf, collectors Ron Porter and Joe Price, and curator Rebecca Elliot for a discussion of Ebendorf’s jewelry, featured in the exhibition Objects of Affection, and the experience of building a collection.

19 SUNDAY

Party in the Park

Presented by Principal Foundation

Mint Museum Randolph

1–5 PM | Free

Enjoy a festive time afternoon with food trucks, live music, free museum admission, and a cash bar on the front terrace. Build a clay creature inspired by the expressive sculpture in the exhibition Shinichi Sawada: Agents of Clay.

Art of Reading: ‘The Warmth of Other Suns’

Mint Museum Randolph 2–3:30 PM | Free

Join Mint Docents for a discussion of the book “The Warmth of Other Suns,” followed by a presentation of works in the galleries that bring to life historic events, social customs, and lifestyles of the time period depicted in the book.

22 WEDNESDAY

Art of Reading: ‘The Lacuna’

Mint Museum Randolph

6–7:30 PM | Free

Join Mint Docents for a discussion of the book “The Lacuna,” followed by a presentation of works related to lifestyles of the times depicted in the book.

ONGOING

Yoga at the Mint

Mint Museum Uptown

Tuesdays, 5:15–6:15 PM

Yoga on the Lawn

Mint Museum Randolph

Saturdays, 10–11 AM

Free for members using code MINT21; $15 for nonmembers

Participate in a one-hour yoga class with Dancing Lotus Yoga + Arts. Registration is required. Find the full schedule online at mintmuseum.org/events

ArtBreak

Mint Museum Uptown

Thursdays, noon–12:30 PM | Free

Recharge midday visiting the museum galleries. Enjoy a guided tour on the third Thursday each month.

FREE ART KITS

Free Art Kits return this spring!

Visit Mint Museum Randolph the first Wednesday through Saturday, March–May, during museum hours to pick up a fun all-ages project to create at home (while supplies last).

March: Spinning Top

April: Freestyle Collage

May: Clay Creature

All events are subject to change. For our full calendar and most up-to-date information, visit mintmuseum.org/events or call 704.337.2000. mintmuseum.org

Noteworthy

AWARDS, ACCOLADES, AND NOTABLE MENTIONS

Guest Services Manager Romario Brown was named the Mint’s 2023 Employee of the Year. Brown leads the guest services team with poise and confidence. Forward thinking, their ingenuity to implement a cutting-edge ticketing system during a year when the Mint experienced unprecedented visitation boosted the Mint’s guest experience upon entry. Calm, cool, and collected, there’s no challenge Brown cannot scale and overcome.

For the first time ever, since its inception, Crown Society reached a milestone 305 members. Special shout out to Leadership Giving Manager Kitty Hall for her hard work in managing Crown Society memberships.

Marketing team members Shelby McVicker and Stephanie Lepore were recognized for their outstanding design work with several awards in the Southeastern Museums Conference publication awards. Inspired magazine took home the gold medal in the Magazines and Newsletters category. Gold medals also were awarded for Picasso Landscapes: Out of Bounds Special Events Brochure, Potters Market at the Mint Sponsorship Mailer, and The Mint Museum Coveted Couture Gala Invitation and Save the Date. In total, seven awards were garnered for print design products.

The SEMC Publication Design Competition recognizes and rewards excellence in graphic design in Southeastern museum publications.

Ebony House-Bradshaw, director of human resources and co-leader of DEIA at the Mint, was recognized as a finalist in Best in HR by “Charlotte Business Journal.” She was one of 14 finalists have been chosen across five categories, based on the size and type of employer. The Charlotte Business Journal’s Best in HR Awards program highlights the important work being done in this area.

Rubie R. Britt-Height, director of community relations and co-leader of DEIA, was selected as a Power 100 honoree by Charlotte Business Journal. Britt-Height was recognized as a “CBJ” power player in diversity, equity, and inclusion. Honorees were selected from across the region’s institutions of all sizes: top corporate and business executives, DEI program drivers, nonprofit, civic and political leaders — and individuals who are blazing new paths.

In September 2023, Kurma Murrain, community programs coordinator, was inducted into the Who’s Who in Black Charlotte. For more than three decades, Who’s Who In Black has remained prominent in recognizing and chronicling the journeys and achievements of influential black individuals across the nation.

LEFT TO RIGHT: Ebony House–Bradshaw, Rubie R. Britt–Height, and Kurma Murrain.

REASONS TO LOVE THE MINT RIGHT NOW

ART HAS THE POWER TO PUSH CHANGE

Carved by the sculptor Chris Carnabuci and painted by artist Láolú NYC, Breonna: Oya memorializes Breonna Taylor, the 26-year-old Black medical worker, who was shot and killed by police in her home in Louisville, Kentucky, as well as many other Black Americans killed by police over the last decades. The bust is decorated with symbolic markings rooted in Láolú NYC’s Nigerian heritage. The “Oya” spiral on Taylor’s face represents the continuation of life, but also, the cycle of violence that remains unbroken in the United States.

The honorific sculpture serves as a reminder that art can be a catalyst for conversation and change. No museum admission fee is required to see Breonna: Oya on view in the Carroll Gallery just outside the entrance to Mint Museum Uptown. —Michele Huggins, associate director of marketing and communications

Láolú NYC (Laolu Senbanjo) (Nigerian, lives and works in Brooklyn, NY, 1982–), Chris Carnabuci (American, 1964–). Breonna: Oya (ki èmí wa gún ki ikú wa kúrú ) (detail), 2021, acrylic on

THERE’S NOTHING LIKE A SUNDAY AFTERNOON PARTY IN THE PARK

The perennial Party in the Park kicks off again this March. The monthly series at Mint Museum Randolph features live music on the terrace, food trucks, activated spaces, and free museum admission. Each month brings different activities ranging from live artist painting demos to artist talks. The first Party in the Park of 2024 will take place 1–5 PM Sunday, March 24. Anticipate live artist demos responding to themes of identity and culture found in works featured in the installation Buscando la sirena on view at Mint Museum Randolph. Check the Mint’s online calendar for future Party in the Park dates, times, and scheduled activities. —Mary Mack Brown, advancement event coordinator

CNC cut plywood. On loan from a private collection.

LOCAL ARTISTS HAVE A PLACE IN OUR MUSEUM

In the upcoming installation of Constellation CLT, From This Disposition, artist Fred Smith’s uncanny paintings and moving sculptures prompt us to ask complex questions about our surroundings and our imagination. Smith has a similar mission in mind while creating the work, stating that he’s “simply asking questions that I don’t know how to ask with words.” By bending physicality and destabilizing reality, Smith delivers us to a site where “the world is a stage.” The improvisational quality imbued throughout his compositions nods at Surrealism — a movement developed in post-war Paris that explored the unconscious, hidden psychological tensions, and dream states. Smith swiftly and successfully cuts through what’s “known” and approaches the absurd as a place to survey the destabilization of certain structures and systems — an illuminated unreality. It is through this choose-your-own-adventure template that we can conceive of new worlds. From This Disposition will have its opening celebration and an artist talk 6–9 PM March 15 at Mint Museum Uptown. —Jamila Brown, curatorial assistant and curator of Constellation CLT

WE HAVE NEW SENSORY-FRIENDLY S.P.A.R.K. EXPLORER PACKS!

We are committed to making The Mint Museum comfortable and accessible for all visitors. With that in mind, both museum locations have new Sensory Processing Autism Resource Kits now available to check out on a first-come, first-served basis. Packs contain fidget keychains, wiggle seats, headphones, weighted lap pads, and more to enhance the visitor experience for an individual with autism and/or sensory needs. For more information on accessibility at the Mint, please visit mintmuseum.org/accessibility. — Chelsea Hidalgo, digital marketing coordinator

Fred Smith (American, 1987–). Swinging in the simulation (detail on page 2), 2022, oil on canvas. On loan from the artist.

READING AND ART GO HAND-IN-HAND

The Mint Museum has joined Charlotte Mecklenburg Library as a Community Read partner. Community Read connects the community through shared reading (or listening) of the same book along with events surrounding the book themes with a goal of encouraging dialogue and connection between individuals.

The 2024 Community Read theme is food as a cultural and community connector centered around the book “Buttermilk Graffiti” by Edward Lee. Mint Docents have been hard at work reading and creating an Art of Reading program that complements the library’s program. Community Read programming will take place throughout March, including the Mint’s Art of Reading programs scheduled for March 3 and 6. Led by a Mint Docent, the Art of Reading programs invite visitors to discuss the book as they look at works of art in the galleries that bring the text alive. Registration for these events is available through the Mint’s online calendar or the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library Community Partners list of events. Hard copy, digital, or audio copies of “Buttermilk Graffiti” are available to borrow through Charlotte Mecklenburg Library. —Molly Humphries, tour programs coordinator

THE MUSEUM IS GOING MOBILE WITH BLOOMBERG CONNECTS

Beginning later this spring, mobile phone users will be able to access The Mint Museum profile alongside the profiles of other staple institutions like The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Guggenheim Museum, Tate, and Museum of Fine Arts Boston. Launched by Bloomberg Philanthropies in 2019, Bloomberg Connects is a mobile application that provides visitors with access to various artistic collections and accompanying informational content. Bloomberg Connects partners with over 250 museums, galleries, gardens, and cultural spaces — with more joining every month. There are currently 2.3 million users, 271 partners in 20 countries. The Mint’s projected launch is late April.

Bloomberg Connects is a free digital guide to museums, galleries, gardens, and more, making it easy for users to access and engage with arts and culture from mobile devices. Features include insightful commentary, video highlights, pinch-and-zoom capability, and exhibition and way-finding maps. The app is design with a variety of built-in accessibility features including voiceovers, captions, audio transcripts, image zoom, and font size adjustments. Content is currently offered in 28 languages and counting. And no registration is required. Just download and go! We look forward to this new digital endeavor and are excited to see our visitors and other app users gain invaluable insight from perusing our profile. —Hailey Black, multimedia strategy manager

OUR RESOURCE ROOMS ENGAGE THE ARTIST AND INNOVATOR IN EACH OF US

The interactive and educational resources housed within The Art of Seating: 200 Years of American Design encourage visitors to explore the relationship between visual forms and their cultural functions, the heart of any decorative arts exhibition. The interactive elements of the exhibition engage visitors’ curiosity and understanding of what makes a chair a work of art.

At the show entrance, visitors can find a scavenger hunt that facilitates close-looking at the amazing details within the designs of the chairs. Within the resource room, visitors are invited to engage with four learning stations. The “What Do You Share With a Chair?” mirror allows visitors to compare how the general form of chairs “mirrors” the human body. The reading nook provides a plethora of literature containing information about the designers of the chairs within the galleries.

The large table in the resource room hosts the “Make a Seat” activity. The visitor becomes a chair designer who is tasked with designing a chair for a specific place or function. Using

cards that feature different legs, arms, backs, and of course, seats that are directly inspired by chairs in the exhibition, visitors can envision a chair design. Many visitors have created gorgeous and highly innovative seats using the tracing elements and their own personal touches.

Through engaging with the activities, visitors gain a better understanding of chair design and the artistry involved. Each chair in the exhibition, and every single chair one might encounter in their lives, was designed with a specific purpose in mind. Some have wheels on their feet, some have comfy upholstery, others move when sat upon. All chairs serve specific purposes and, when removed from their original context as all the chairs on display in The Art of Seating are, their design elements and forms tell the story of their functions in our lives and the lives of Americans before us. —Margaret Mauldin, assistant head of school and gallery programs

‘EDUTAINMENT’ COLLABORATIONS HELP ENRICH LIVES OF CHILDREN IN THE COMMUNITY

The Mint Museum has created Mint 2 Move for Kids by reimagining its Bilingual Stories and Music programming. Working with its “edutainment” bilingual community partner Criss Cross Mangosauce, Mint 2 Move for Kids is a free, 45-minute program offered at various schools throughout the Charlotte area. By taking the program into schools, more children are reached, and additional creative language opportunities are accessible to children in pre-K and early elementary classes.

Mint Community Relations educators and co-owners of Criss Cross Mangosauce, Irania Patterson and Ana Lucia Divins, pair movement, exercise, and music with bilingual programming to boost cultural literacy and awareness. The holistic wellness program also helps children hear and learn a second language.

The mission of Criss Cross Mangosauce is to bridge cultural differences through the performing arts and provide literacy strategies while increasing awareness of the Latino culture. This mission connects with The Mint Museum’s commitment to engage and inspire members of the global community and to bridge cultural differences through visual and performing arts that connect to its collection.

“We are excited to reach children in the community beyond our collaboration with the Mint. It’s so great for children to be exposed to intercultural experiences as they learn, and adding movement makes it even more purposeful,” Patterson says. —Rubie R. Britt-Height, director of community relations and co-leader of DEIA

WE EVALUATE TO MAKE A RICHER EXPERIENCE FOR OUR VISITORS

At the Mint, it is important to us to make the visitor museum experience the best it can be, and one way we do that is through evaluation. Evaluation works as a behind-the-scenes tool to figure out what works and what doesn’t. Using an exit visitor survey, we learn about who visited, why they came, and how they enjoyed their time at the museum. Having self-reported, high-quality data is incredibly valuable to Mint staff members, as it helps to build stronger connections, encourage return visits, and keep things interesting.

Evaluation can also include taking a deeper dive into gallery programs, such as the response station in the exhibition Craft in the Laboratory: The Science of Making Things. After revamping the Craft + Design galleries, we added a response station and wanted to see how it resonated with visitors. The project highlights the intentional and purposeful creation of gallery interactives generating useful information about visitor behavior. Throughout a year’s time, visitors took advantage of the dedicated spot to reflect on the works of art they saw in the galleries. Overall, more than 2,500 thoughtful responses were gathered. People were creative, thinking about diverse materials, personal stories, sentimental value, and rituals. Works in the museum are not just nice to look at but can inspire connections to people’s lives. The response station became a link between the visitor and the works of art, making the whole museum experience more exciting and educational. —Alexandra Olivares, audience research and evaluation specialist

OUR ARTS EDUCATORS ARE TOP NOTCH

Every May and June, thousands of local parents, grandparents, and caregivers weigh in on their favorite local places to take kids in the Kids Out and About website. The Mint was chosen as top Arts Educator and a choice for top 20 Best Places to Take Kids In and Around Charlotte. In the words of Director of Community Relations Rubie Britt-Height, “This reaches the core of why we exist: to educate and engage, reimagining and welcoming all, from toddlers to students to seniors, members to visitors, on or off site.” — MH

WE BELIEVE IN THE NEXT GENERATION OF ARTISTS

In partnership with Scholastic’s regional affiliate UNC Charlotte College of Arts + Architecture, the Mint will again host the Mid-Carolina Region of the Scholastic Art Awards, serving students and educators in grades 7-12 from central North Carolina and South Carolina.

The Scholastic Art and Writing Awards have grown to become the longest-running, most prestigious program for creative teens in the U.S. and the nation’s largest source of scholarships for young artists and writers. A noteworthy roster of past winners includes Andy Warhol, Richard Avedon, Joyce Carol Oates, and Stephen King.

Mint Museum Uptown’s MINT5pace will host regional gold- and silver-medal-winning works of art in a variety of media. Through these awards, students receive opportunities

for recognition, exhibition, publication, and scholarships. Nate Silver, a Charlotte-Mecklenburg School student, and past Gold Award recipient, remembered fondly this opportunity to be recognized:

“When I entered the Scholastic competition, I didn’t know what to expect; I didn’t know if anyone would appreciate my art. When I found out that two of my pieces won Gold Keys and would be displayed at The Mint Museum, I couldn’t believe it! When I took my first steps into the gallery it was like pure magic. Seeing what my peers had created was truly inspiring. Realizing I was a part of it was a moment I will never forget.” —Joel Smeltzer, head of school and gallery programs

OUR GALLERIES ARE INTERACTIVE

Mint Museum Uptown visitors who ventured to the resource room of the Level 4 gallery were enticed to take the quiz “Which Chair Are You?,” an interactive digital component included in exhibition The Art of Seating: 200 Years of American Design. By answering a few questions as part of a brief personality quiz displayed on a touchscreen, visitors are matched with a chair in the exhibition that fits their personality. Results are pulled from a selection of six characteristic chairs belonging to the collection. Quiz-takers have the possibility of being matched with one of the following six chairs based on their responses:

Greek Revival Settee matched with a Social Butterfly personality.

Grasshopper Chair was representative of a Cool, Calm, and Collected personality.

Lily Chair matches with the Trendy personality.

Ball Chair exemplifies an Outdoorsy personality.

Rocking Stool matches with an Active personality.

Centripetal Chair represents a Work Hard, Play Hard personality.

The most common quiz results amongst Mint visitors as of December 2023 was the Greek Revival Settee/Social Butterfly personality, closely followed by the Grasshopper Chair/the Cool, Calm, and Collected personality. So, which chair are you? Scan the QR code and take the quick six-question quiz to find out. —HB

OUR REACH IS INTERNATIONAL

Last October, the Mint welcomed six middle and high school students from Berlin, Germany to tour the museum. The group was part of the Experience America Program, an educational initiative supported by the Berlin Senate, Department for Education, Youth, and Families with the objective to provide insights into the American school system and foster intercultural experiences. The program includes workshops and excursions focused on American-specific topics, including American history, citizenship and democracy, and Native Americans.

The museum tour included a warm welcome in their native language from the Mint’s very own Michele Leopold, senior director of collections and exhibitions. The visit concluded with an insightful tour through the galleries led by Margaret Mauldin, assistant head of school and gallery programs and an alum of the South Academy of International Languages. We were privileged to be selected as one of their destinations for this enriching experience. —Kurma Murrain, community programs coordinator

OUR ARTIST ARCHIVES COLLECTION IS A TREASURE TROVE OF ART HISTORY RESOURCES

The Mint Museum Archives recently added the Robert W. Ebendorf Collection to its Artist Archives Collection. Originally part of the Porter • Price Collection, it includes photographs, original sketches of Ebendorf’s work with his notes, awards he has received during his career as an artist and educator, correspondence and much more.

To make the 14 boxes of materials accessible for research, an archives volunteer identified, organized, and inventoried the contents throughout 18 months to create a descriptive guide or finding aid. The finding aid allowed Assistant Curator of Craft, Design, and Fashion Rebecca Elliot to locate and access information that helped develop

the exhibition Objects of Affection: Jewelry by Robert Ebendorf from the Porter • Price Collection and write the accompanying catalogue.

The archives also provided archival objects from the Porter • Price Collection for display in the exhibition Objects of Affection, opening April 27 at Mint Museum Randolph. —Ellen Show, director of library and archives

MEMBERS MATTER

Last November, we celebrated Mint members during Member Appreciation Week. The week was filled with programming, prizes, gifts and raffles. Members were invited to bring up to four additional guests in addition to their existing membership benefit level. As the Charlotte community continues to grow, so does our membership base. We are continually exploring new opportunities to thank members for their contributions and provide artful experiences. Membership has its privileges throughout the year, including members-only exhibition tours and programming; 10% discount at Mariposa at the Mint, Coquette, and Fern restaurants; and a 10% discount The Mint Museum Store. Find details about membership levels at mintmuseum.org/join. —Alex Guitierrez Mendez, membership services manager

ABOVE (from left): Drawing for Colored Smoke Machine, 1974. Robert Ebendorf. Robert W. Ebendorf Collection. Courtesy of the Mint Museum Archives; National Metalsmiths Hall of Fame Award, 2004. Photograph by Ellen Show. Robert W. Ebendorf Collection. Courtesy of the Mint Museum Archives.

KATHERINE STEINER NAMED 2023 REGISTRAR OF THE YEAR

Chief Registrar Katherine Steiner was named Registrar of the Year in a national competition established by Atelier4 fine-art logistics. Registrars are the legal eagles and stewards of the museum collection who ship, track, and document works to ensure it is cared for, secure, and respected. Steiner was selected from more than 30 nominations for registrars from institutions of all sizes throughout the country.

The award recognizes the talents and dedication that Steiner has brought to the Mint for more than 20 years, as well as the professionalism, grace, and calm she continues to bring to her role every day.

Having volunteered since 1998 at The Mint Museum before accepting a full-time role in 2000, Steiner is well versed in the Mint’s collection. She shares a little about her current role and what she loves most about her job.

Registrars like Katherine are few and far between. Her continued dedication to the field, to the Mint, and to the staff set her apart from others.

—Michele Leopold, senior director of collections and exhibitions

What is your favorite part of working at the Mint?

Over my career at the Mint, I’ve met some of the finest people in the museum industry, both here at the Mint and at other institutions. I am lucky to work in a field where people are passionate about what they do. Plus, I work with art every day.

What is the most important aspect of your job?

Registrars have a variety of duties that all serve to take care of the art. We ship it, track it, document it, make sure it is insured, make sure it is in a stable environment, store

it, help display it, and make sure that we aren’t violating any laws like copyright or the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act while we do all of this.

What is life as a registrar like?

If I ever had a “typical” day it might include looking over an object closely to check its condition, sending out paperwork to a lender, checking with facilities to see why it feels a little humid in a gallery, arranging for shipping for an exhibition, and advising another department about copyright for an artist’s work.

Tell us about a challenge that became a success.

Challenges become successes here almost daily. A few years ago, we did a fashion exhibition with a very well-known guest curator. We got reports that the guest curator was demanding and sometimes a little tough. The team worked really hard to start off on a good foot, make the guest curator feel welcome, and help him understand that his vision was important to us. The exhibition was amazing, and the guest curator left feeling like we were a great team.

What is your favorite piece in the museum’s permanent collection?

Registrars don’t play favorites with the art — it is like choosing your favorite child. But, if I were going to tell someone not to miss something when they visited, it would be the way the light falls through Preston Singletary’s Wolf Crest Hat at Mint Museum Uptown.

Michele Huggins is associate director of marketing and communications.

ABOVE: Katherine Steiner photographed with Sabiha Mujtaba. Bharatanatyam Dancer (detail), 2004, cherry wood, paint, gold leaf, bells. Gift of the Friends of the American Craft Council. 2023.80

OBJECTS OF AFFECTION

JEWELRY BY ROBERT EBENDORF FROM THE PORTER • PRICE COLLECTION

BY REBECCA E. ELLIOT

You could say that the story of this exhibition starts with a necklace made from twigs. In 1996, Joe Price was working in San Francisco, where his partner (now husband) Ron Porter frequently visited him. They had become interested in contemporary craft during the 1980s through visits to New York and had begun exploring galleries and museums in the Bay Area.

At the Susan Cummins Gallery in Mill Valley, California, Porter and Price saw The Opera Show, for which Cummins invited artists to interpret an opera of their choosing through jewelry. But instead of evoking a specific opera, Ebendorf presented Twig Necklace — a ruff of radiating twigs accented by gold spirals and pearls — provocatively suggesting that this adornment be worn to an opera.

For Ebendorf, this combination of precious and nonprecious materials was typical, but for Porter and Price — and the world at large — it was quite unusual. Porter and Price were fascinated, later describing it as “one of the defining moments of our experience with jewelry.” Yet,

they did not purchase the necklace because they perceived it as needing to be worn by a woman to an event. It was only later that they would view jewelry as sculpture that could adorn a wall or simply be owned and admired.

Twig Necklace remained on their minds until two years later when Porter met Ebendorf at the Penland School of Craft Auction and asked about the necklace. He was delighted to learn that Ebendorf still had the necklace. Ebendorf was impressed by this collector who remembered his work from years ago. Not only did Porter and Price purchase the necklace soon after, but the conversation ignited a friendship that has lasted around 25 years and a collection of hundreds of pieces of jewelry.

REVERSE: Robert W. Ebendorf (American, 1938−), various artists. ECU Charm Necklace (detail), 2017, silver, copper, brass, enamel, mixed media, found objects, 19 x 12 1/2 x 1 3/4 in. Collection of The Mint Museum. Gift of Porter • Price Collection. 2022.49.7; ABOVE: Robert W. Ebendorf (American, 1938−). Twig Necklace, circa 1994, wood, pearl, 18k gold, steel, 14 1/8 x 13 1/4 x 1/2 in. Collection of The Mint Museum. Gift of Porter • Price Collection. 2019.93.38

Building a collection

Prior to buying Twig Necklace, Porter and Price purchased a ring by Ebendorf from the Susan Cummins Gallery. After buying the necklace, they purchased other works by Ebendorf, but in the spring of 2009, their collecting of jewelry became more ambitious.

At Ebendorf’s invitation, they visited the undergraduate and graduate jewelry and metal design programs at East Carolina University (ECU) in Greenville, North Carolina where Ebendorf taught from 1997 to 2016. After meeting Ebendorf’s faculty colleagues Linda Darty, Tim Lazure, and Mi-Sook Hur, and students (some of whom were setting up their thesis exhibitions), Porter and Price were impressed by the originality of the students’ work. After that visit, Porter and Price began collecting works by ECU faculty members and students, becoming an important source of friendship and support especially for the students and graduates at an early stage of their careers.

During that same trip in the spring of 2009, Porter and Price joined Ebendorf to view a retrospective of his work at the Imperial Arts Centre in Rocky Mount, North Carolina. This was the first time they had seen so many works from Ebendorf’s then 50-year career. They were blown away by his craftsmanship and range, which includes vessels, jewelry, drawings, and installations, extending from sleek, modernist silver objects of the 1950s and early 1960s to his innovative use of found 19th-century photographs on jewelry in the late 1960s, experiments with plastics and torn newspaper in the 1970s and 1980s, and provocative use of squirrel paws and crab claws in the 1990s.

Porter and Price decided to build a comprehensive collection of Ebendorf’s work to include not only jewelry, objects, and drawings, but also archival materials such as exhibition catalogues and correspondence. As they built this collection (in addition to collections of contemporary ceramics, art in various media, and jewelry by artists not connected to ECU), Porter and Price became more involved with museums, including The Mint Museum. Their goal of preserving Ebendorf’s and the other ECU artists’ work to benefit artists, scholars, and the public aligned with the Mint’s goal of acquiring jewelry by regional, national, and international artists.

In 2019 the museum acquired the Porter • Price Collection as part gift, part purchase (with subsequent gifts in 2022 and 2024) along with the gift of the Robert W. Ebendorf Archive. The Porter • Price Collection comprises around 200 works by Ebendorf and approximately 100 objects by ECU faculty and graduates, while the archive comprises 13 cubic feet (about half the volume of a large refrigerator) of documents, audio-visual materials, and the hundreds of letters and collaged postcards exchanged between the artist and collectors.

Ebendorf gifted and sold works to Porter and Price that he had held back, such as his Colored Smoke Machine brooch (above) from his 1974 series of that name. This was inspired by the work of German jeweler Claus Bury, who was combining colored acrylic with gold on his own work of the time, and who visited Ebendorf that year when Ebendorf was a professor at the State University of New York at New Paltz. The series title, and this brooch’s form,

ABOVE (from top): Robert W. Ebendorf (American, 1938−). Colored Smoke Machine, Brooch, 1974, stainless steel, Plexiglas, gold, steel, pearl, copper, sterling silver, 3 3/4 x 2 13/16 x 1/2 in. Collection of The Mint Museum. Gift of Porter • Price Collection. 2019.93.7; Joe Price, Ron Porter, and Baxter, 2014.

were inspired by Bury’s fanciful drawings of Ebendorf’s house with colored smoke coming from the chimney, which Bury explained changed color according to the occupant’s moods. The brooch thus speaks to Ebendorf’s experimentation with materials and his friendships with international artists and represents one of the many stories told through the objects in the exhibition.

Objects of Affection celebrates the oeuvre of Ebendorf, the work of his colleagues and former students at ECU and the friendships among the artists and collectors. It traces Ebendorf’s career since his first jewelry in the 1950s, concentrating on his work in the 21st century, and shows how he influenced his field by approaching materials and people the same way — connecting what was previously unrelated to create a new and compelling whole. This he did as a jeweler, metalsmith, collage artist, professor, teacher of workshops, and friend and mentor to many.

Objects of Affection is generously presented by Bank of America. Individual sponsorship is kindly provided by Posey and Mark Mealy, Jeffrey and Staci Mills, Emily and Bill Oliver, Beth and Drew Quartapella, Ches and Chrys Riley, and Ann and Michael Tarwater.

Rebecca E. Elliot is assistant curator of Craft, Design, and Fashion and curator of this exhibition.

ABOVE

Courtesy of the Mint Museum Archives; Robert W. Ebendorf (American, 1938−). They Were Sisters, 1969, sterling silver, Plexiglas, paper, 4 1/4 x 1 3/4 x 1/2 in. Gift of Porter • Price Collection. 2019.93.60

Objects of Affection is accompanied by a full-color, 112-page catalogue with an introduction by jewelry scholar Toni Greenbaum and other texts by Rebecca Elliot, including an essay about Ebendorf and several ECU faculty and graduates; interviews with Ebendorf and with Porter and Price; a description of the Ebendorf Archive; and a checklist of Ebendorf’s work in the Porter • Price Collection at The Mint Museum.

Mark your calendar for an artist talk with Ebendorf and panel discussion with the collectors May 18 at Mint Museum Randolph, as well as gallery talks by ECU faculty and graduates throughout the run of the exhibition.

(from left): Siddho Gebhardt, Robert W. Ebendorf in his studio, Santa Fe, New Mexico, 2022. Collection of the Mint Museum Archives, Robert W. Ebendorf Collection.

DELHOM SERVICE LEAGUE:

50 GOLDEN YEARS

BY BRIAN GALLAGHER

In 1965, The Mint Museum purchased the exceptional collection of British, European, and Asian ceramics from Chicago collector M. Mellanay Delhom. Two years later, once the museum finished building a new wing that included a large gallery to display her holdings, Miss Delhom — as she preferred to be called — began offering weekly classes, open to the public, to discuss the works on view.

Many of the class attendees started volunteering their time in the Delhom Gallery to answer questions from museum visitors and offer tours. As the popularity of the gallery steadily increased, those volunteers realized that they needed a more formal structure for handling the increased demand for their services. They initiated discussions with museum leadership, and in 1972 the Delhom Service League (DSL) was established as a Mint affiliate.

Throughout the next 50 years, the Delhom Service League supported the museum and its ceramics collections in a myriad of ways. It sponsored world-renowned speakers, hosted public symposia and study trips, financed Mint publications and books for the museum’s library, and funded acquisitions for the museum’s permanent collection. In 2005, the Delhom Service League founded an event that was to become an immensely important and widely cherished part of its legacy to the Mint: The Potters Market Invitational.

The league invited some 40 potters practicing their craft in North Carolina to sell their wares in a large tent on the front lawn of Mint Museum Randolph. The first Potters Market Invitational was so successful that the DSL continued to organize the event (now called Potters Market at the Mint) every year until 2021.

ABOVE (from top): Mellanay Delhom Teaching a Class in the Delhom Gallery circa late 1960s, photograph by unidentified photographer. Collection of The Mint Museum Archives. Delhom Service League Collection; Potters Market 2021, photograph by unidentified photographer. Collection of The Mint Museum Archives. Delhom Service League Collection.

In celebration of the league’s half-century of generous support and impactful initiatives, the Mint is proudly displaying highlights of the works of art funded or gifted by the Delhom Service League in The Delhom Service League: 50 Golden Years, on view in the Robicsek Gallery at Mint Museum Randolph through August 11. The exhibition is accompanied by an installation featuring artifacts from The Mint Museum Archives related to the DSL in the hallway adjacent to the Robicsek Gallery.

The DSL Legacy

On April 1, 1976, a letter co-signed by Joseph Claud, the Mint’s then president; and Sarah Shaw, president of the Delhom Service League, was mailed to all museum members. The letter began: “We are delighted to tell you that The Mint Museum is acquiring a rare piece of Richard Champion’s porcelain to be a permanent installation in the Delhom Gallery. This is the most important single purchase in the history of the Mint and a most important piece in the English Ceramic World.”

The object, Grief (or Dear Eliza), depicted a classically draped woman leaning against a funerary urn, and it was produced at Champion’s factory in Bristol, England, in 1779. The letter included a pledge card on which the recipient had the option to donate a dollar amount of their choice over a three-year period. The Delhom Service League successfully raised half the funds, its target, with this campaign; the Woman’s Auxiliary (now the Mint Museum Auxiliary) of The Mint Museum generously provided the other half.

The acquisition of this work of art was a remarkable achievement for DSL, because the league’s mission did not initially include fundraising, especially on such a large scale. Nevertheless, Dear Eliza marked the league’s entry into a new arena of philanthropic support toward the Mint.

The Delhom Service League continued to underwrite ceramic acquisitions over its five decades of operation. The museum’s permanent collection now includes nearly 200 works of art purchased with funds raised by DSL. For instance, the Mint’s renowned collection of 18th-century English porcelain was enhanced by a déjeuner set (breakfast service for one) produced in the late 1770s at the Worcester factory, while a lusterware vase created about 1899 by French ceramic artist Clément Massier (1845–1917) strengthened the museum’s holdings in late 19th-century ceramics.

RIGHT (from top): Richard Champion’s porcelain factory (Bristol, England, 1770–81). Grief (or Dear Eliza) (detail on cover), 1779, hard-paste porcelain with gilding. Gift of the Mint Museum Auxiliary and the Delhom Service League. 1976.DG.12; Worcester porcelain factory (Worcester, England, 1751–2009). Déjeuner Set, circa 1775–80, porcelain. Museum Purchase: Funds provided by the Delhom Service League. 2017.16.1.1-5

In recent years, many of the acquisitions funded by the Delhom Service League were purchased at the annual Potters Market. Works like Hidden Garden by Durham potter Gillian Parke enrich the Mint’s holdings through superb craftsmanship and help to ensure that the museum continues to have the most comprehensive and aesthetically diverse collection of North Carolina pottery in the country.

In 2022, the Delhom Service League made the difficult decision to dissolve as a Mint affiliate. The league nevertheless remains an indelible part of The Mint Museum’s history, and its many contributions rightfully deserve the museum’s never-ending recognition and gratitude.

Brian Gallagher is senior curator of Decorative Arts, and curator of this exhibition.

ABOVE: Gillian Parke (American, born in Northern Ireland, 1971–). Hidden Garden (detail ), 2017, porcelain, decals, mother-of-pearl. Gift of the Delhom Service League: 2017 Potters Market Invitational Purchase. 2017.36.2;

RIGHT: Clément Massier (French, 1845–1917). Seaweed Vase, circa 1899, earthenware, luster glaze. Museum Purchase: Delhom Service League Fund and exchange funds from the gift of Mrs. James G. Cannon. 2011.5

THE CLAY CHARACTERS OF SHINICHI SAWADA

BY JEN SUDUL EDWARDS, PHD

[Shinichi Sawada’s] practice challenges the art world’s insistence on having all the answers, encouraging a more intuitive and interpretative relationship to art in which we remain engaged in inquiry.

—Angelik Vizcarrondo-Laboy

REVERSE: Shinichi Sawada (Japanese, 1982−). Untitled (172 ) (detail on page 2), 2020, wood fired ceramic, 9 3/4 x 7 1/8 x 7 1/8 in. Private Collection, San Francisco

Photo by Matthew Herrmann. © Shinichi Sawada; RIGHT: Shinichi Sawada (Japanese, 1982−). Untitled (178 ), 2010, wood fired ceramic, 15 3/4 x 7 7/8 x 7 7/8 in. Private Collection. Photo by Matthew Herrmann. © Shinichi Sawada

Consider the figure to the left. Is it a tree sprite? An alien?

A totem, complete with a third eye? Is he sprouting new branches from a trunk or tendrils from an urchin’s body? Is it friend or foe? Monumental or pint-size?

Of course, when we see Shinichi Sawada’s figures in person, some things are revealed immediately — they are table-top scale ceramics, molded from clay, pulled and poked into creatures. Their unglazed, wood-fired bodies retain a color that implies the earth from which they came and the wood that burned to bring them to life. References can be detected, but they exist in an imaginative world unto themselves, one that Mint visitors will get to experience beginning April 27 when Shinichi Sawada: Agents of Clay, an exhibition co-organized with the Contemporary Art Museum, St. Louis, opens at Mint Museum Randolph.

In her essay for the catalogue, craft scholar Angelik Vizcarrondo-Laboy connects Sawada’s work with Japanese aesthetic traditions such as wabi-sabi and kawaii, which trigger connections that are philosophical as much as visual.

Wabi-sabi encourages us to love what is broken, to consider how flaws and imperfections are necessary to make anything unique. Kawaii accentuates child-like attributes that denote “cute,” such as large eyes, squat bodies, and expressive faces. Contemporary artists like Yoshitomo Nara and Takashi Murakami and animated characters like Powderpuff Girls or Hayao Miyazaki protagonists use kawaii to make us realize that we often underestimate those who appear innocent, young, or vulnerable.

Vizcarrondo-Laboy also associates Sawada’s standing figures with Japanese sculptural traditions like haniwa, funerary figures that blend with the landscapes in which they stand. Sawada’s squat and elongated figures could allude to dragons and sea serpents, imagery seen in architectural details but also popular manga and anime.

ABOVE: Shinichi Sawada (Japanese, 1982−). Untitled (160 ), 2018, wood fired ceramic, 8 1/4 x 9 7/8 x 7 1/2 in. The Blanchard Collection. Photo by Phoebe d’Heurle. © Shinichi Sawada

One can also trace their textures to the heavily decorated Jōmon tradition of Japanese Neolithic pottery, some of the oldest ceramic objects of human culture. It is lovely to consider Sawada’s figures as quotations of the ancient, incorporating contemporary pop culture, and harbingers of the future, with their otherworldly science-fiction feel.

While Sawada’s figures reflect these Japanese elements, those characteristics appear through absorption of cultural markers, not self-conscious genre exercises. As Vizcarrondo-Laboy points out, we can use Sawada’s work to discuss these traditions, but the figures themselves exist just as they are — creatures manipulated from clay by the artist.

Of course, we can never know an artist’s intent for certain. Explanations can always be misleading or obfuscating. With Sawada, however, the intention and references must be intuited as he is nonverbal. In Japan, where Sawada lives in Ōtsu in the Shiga Prefecture, programs exist to provide vocational training that will ensure an individual’s economic and mental vitality.

Sawada’s artistic training began in 2000 through the Nakayoshi Fukushikai Welfare Association. He works in their ceramic studio twice a week, weather permitting (located on a mountain, the region can be forbiddingly cold). Overseen by studio master Masaharu Iketani, Sawada is given space and clay to create as he wishes. Twice a year, Iketani bakes the studio’s production in

wood kilns, a process that takes three days and constant attention to make sure that the kilns stay a consistent temperature. The ceramics are unglazed; the color variation comes from the ash settling on the surfaces, fusing with the clay. The clay that appears black had kilns that reached 800 degrees; the reddish-brown figures had temperatures reaching 1,200 degrees. As Jennifer Gilbert, Sawada’s long standing gallery representative, notes, there is an “inherent alchemy” to this process. Fire and ash mix with earth and air to build these imagined creatures — agents of alchemy and agents of clay.

Sawada divides his time between the ceramic studio and the organization’s bakery. “The malleable materials are not so different from each other,” Vizcarrondo-Laboy observes, “and neither are the processes. He can cut, roll, coil, twist, indent, and attach dough or clay before it goes into an oven to become sturdy.” Sawada even uses chopsticks to perforate the little bodies. In both spaces, he creates nourishment — one for the body, and the other for the soul.

Jen Sudul Edwards, PhD, is chief curator and curator of Contemporary Art.

BELOW: Shinichi Sawada (Japanese, 1982−). Untitled (169), 2020, wood fired ceramic, 6 3/4 x 13 3/8 x 8 in. Image courtesy the artist, James Cohan, New York, and Jennifer Lauren Gallery, Manchester, UK. Photo by Izzy Leung. © Shinichi Sawada

IMMERSE THE SENSES IN WHITFIELD LOVELL: PASSAGES

BY MICHELE HUGGINS

Beginning in June, Mint visitors can immerse themselves in the meticulous drawings and uncovered histories embodied in works by Whitfield Lovell in the exhibition Whitfield Lovell: Passages. Lovell often creates a series of works so that a larger narrative unfolds with each image. This show includes three series — Kin, Card Series, and The Reds — as well as early work, assemblages, and two large-scale installations. For Lovell, the design of the exhibition is integral to the experience he wants to transmit to his audiences. While this is a traveling show, Lovell and his team work closely with each institution so each iteration best relays the intention of his work. Chief Curator and Curator of Contemporary Art Jen Sudul Edwards, PhD, and Chief Exhibition Designer Meghann Zekan chatted about how the exhibition’s design has developed and its relationship to Lovell’s work, which seeks to elicit a visceral response in viewers by tapping memories and emotions through sound, smell, and touch, as well as sight. Lightly edited for brevity and clarity

Jen Sudul Edwards, PhD: Cheryl Finley, who is an art historian, describes the experience as a mnemonic aesthetic The idea of mnemonic aesthetic is like a mnemonic device — things that we use like rhymes or acronyms we use to trigger our memories. She proposes that a number of artists are using this kind of memory triggering — sound, or smell, or touch, or experiential things — to create environments that can immediately trigger some sort of memory that leads to an emotional response on behalf of the visitor.

The mnemonic aesthetic is happening in two of the major installations of this exhibition — Deep River and The Richmond Project. And in both cases, Lovell is using smell. In Deep River, there is this large pile of dirt and mulch in the middle of the room. And even though this is very sanitized dirt that will be frozen for three days, it still has the smell of dirt. So, you have this rich smell as soon as you walk into the room, and then you have a video of the Chattanooga river playing that brings this rhythm. You’re very much immersed in this sort of natural environment. Then you have cicadas playing on a soundtrack, and you have birds whistling, and you have all the sound of being outside of nature.

Then you also have spirituals being sung, so there is a human presence that is also echoed in the visuals around you, but it is assailing you from all directions — your nose, your hearing, your sight. You feel physically kind of off balance because of the motion of the waves and this labyrinthian pattern that’s being set up by the drawn upon disks that Lovell has done for the installation.

That’s an example of how Deep River is just kind of assailing the visitor in all senses to not only remove you from whatever reality you were in before you enter the gallery and to become truly immersed and engaged in the space.

REVERSE: Whitfield Lovell (American, b. Bronx, NY). Kin I (Our Folks) (detail), 2008, Conté on paper, found paper flags, string, 30 x 22 1/2 in. Collection of Reginald and Aliya Browne. Courtesy of American Federation of Arts, the artist, and DC Moore Gallery, New York; ABOVE: Whitfield Lovell (American, b. Bronx, NY). Deep River, 2013, fifty-six wooden discs, found objects, soil, video projections, sound, dimensions variable. Photo: Sandra Sellars © Virginia Museum of Fine Arts; OPPOSITE: Whitfield Lovell (American, b. Bronx, NY). Visitation: The Richmond Project, 2001, Parlor, dining table, organ, various objects, wooden

223

walls,

1/4 x 161 3/4 in.

Photo: Sandra Sellars © Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.

Meghann Zekan: One of the largest challenges that we are always designing for is connection and accessibility, so I think this works well because everyone comes with their own history. Assuming that everyone starts off in the same place is a difficulty, so by incorporating all these different senses you are really able to connect with this so much more than something that doesn’t hit you with smell, sense of space, the projections, the sounds — everything! And because it is hitting you in so many different places, it’s much more accessible.

JSE: Lovell also is very specifically giving the institutions the wall color and treatment that he wants to go with the works. For example, in the series of drawings called Kin, the walls have this rich cedar reddish-brown color that evokes the skin color of many of the pictures that are in that room.

Even in temporary spaces Lovell may have never been in before, he is trying to make them echo and resonate as much as possible with his work and his project, even though they aren’t his spaces. And so that whole consideration of how the work is presented is central to this exhibition.

MZ: Yeah, it is interesting because that first room you walk in, there are repeated ocean waves, and it is a really endless open space. It is not quite disorienting, but it is tall and it is open, but fills up the entire room no matter how big it is. Throughout the entire exhibition, (Lovell) is thinking about where people can sit, where they can spend a bit more time,

right down to The Richmond Project at the end, where he’s actually enclosed it. It’s a small door. He’s lowered the ceiling. The whole space is considered.

JSE: Lowered the ceiling, right! It is a very specific height. The installations are large and the exhibition will take up two gallery spaces, but one of the reasons for that is the sound bleed. We want people to experience Deep River and visit and The Richmond Project unto themselves. We don’t want them to be in Deep River hearing or thinking about The Richmond Project. We want them to both be these very emotional and specific experiences that can happen one after the other.

And there are the Reds. It has the black flocking wallpaper so it feels like this very elegant turn-of-the-century parlor and all of the people who are represented in these drawings in that room all in their finery. They are dressed well, dressed very formally. It looks like they have gone to visit their relatives on a Saturday or maybe Sunday after church. But there is this very sort of like a proper middle to upper middle class feel to the people who fill that room. And then also in that space is a little seating area that has a phone on it. When you pick up — and you’re supposed to interact with it — what you hear is the Black national anthem being sung, “Lift Every Voice and Sing.” This idea of the liberty and the freedom that had to be defined and constructed by African Americans in this country because it wasn’t something that was immediately provided by things like

the Declaration of Independence or the War for Independence and things like that, but also defining those spaces and what it means to have that presentation of dignity and self-respect. These are things that echo throughout his work, even if it’s not people who give the impression of being wealthy. This is something he’s looking at in all these drawings.

He did these drawings, the Reds, which are Conté drawings on red paper, which is why they’re called the Reds. But then they’re presented ideally on this wallpaper. They aren’t always, but he wants them presented on this wallpaper. He feels like it sets the right tone and creates the right environment. And then having the phone in there where you sit and you look at these drawings and you listen to this ideal that’s being written by, sung by, sung to Black voices, experiences, and audiences. This is all something that he’s very intentionally constructing in this way … certainly to speak to Black audiences, its very personal and specific to who you are and your experiences of course, but the core project for Lovell is that we all find the humanity in each other, the shared humanity. And that’s why coming into these spaces and being dislocated from your normal life, like walking in and being destabilized and having all of your senses kind of overwhelmed, so you become part of the space, the idea is to make you feel vulnerable and open and receptive to this idea that we’re all sharing this experience together whether we’re first generation immigrants, Black, white, Asian, South American, it

doesn’t matter. We’re all having this experience and we can all identify with this feeling of need for safety, trying to find that, wanting family, being near family, seeing yourself in strangers, like all of these things are general humanity experiences that happen regardless of ethnicity, and that’s his central point.

MZ: It is interesting because so much of this is … you are walking into the space just slightly disoriented and there are the different rooms, and (Lovell) has very specific ideas on what you see when you first walk in, but there are also so many areas for discovery, where you walk up to the dirt mound, and from a distance can’t really see that much what’s going on, but there’s a lot of things that you could spend like half an hour just looking at it and finding different things that he has very, very strategically placed in it. As well as when you walk in a Deep River and you can see flight, and it’s a very large installation, but it is within a small room and you don’t see that half of it is hidden until walk right into it.

As well as the curtains. Curtains separate a number of the rooms where he’s hiding one room from the next. So everything really gives you that opportunity of kind of seeing these large-scale objects but then he will have just moments where there are like these little glass jars that you could spend time just looking and seeing what they are, as well as right down to the last room where it is just a plethora of hidden gems, down to the walls where there are drawings that you don’t really see until you are almost right on top of it.

It is the most involved design I’ve ever worked with, with an artist, but it just adds so much to the story that he’s telling.

JSE: He is so exacting and so, so committed to his project and all of these stories are so emotionally rich, but also incredibly sensitive and they star as deeply moving as they are beautiful.

I’m hoping that this does inspire many of our artists of all ages, and disciplines, and backgrounds to think about how to create work that is speaking universally about something, but also is still very much speaking from their truth or their place of knowledge.

Lovell is a masterful artist. His attention to craft and exceptional attention to detail is something that I think really comes across as valuable in this show.

MZ: And you know we talk a lot about pre-visit, visit, and post visit. This really engages all of that, where people are going to continue to think about this after they leave, possibly discuss it with others, which kind of hits all the things that we always want to do.

LEFT: Whitfield Lovell (American, b. Bronx, NY). The Red I, 2021, Conté on paper with attached found object, 45 3/4 x 34 x 5 7/8 in. Courtesy American Federation of Arts, the artist, and DC Moore Gallery, New York.

ECHOES: ARTISTS RESPOND TO CAROLINA SHOUT

EIGHT CHARLOTTE ARTISTS CREATE WORKS IN RESPONSE TO ROMARE BEARDEN’S MASTERPIECE CAROLINA SHOUT

BY JONATHAN STUHLMAN, PHD

In fall of 2023, Romare Bearden’s art and the work of local artists were brought together in the special exhibition Echoes: Artists Respond to Carolina Shout. Taking Bearden’s collage as its point of departure, the museum asked four local artists: Carla Aaron-Lopez, Susan Brenner, Malik J. Norman, and Beverly Smith to create a new work of art responding to some aspect of Bearden’s iconic collage Of the Blues: Carolina Shout. Each of those artists was invited to recommend a colleague to participate; thus, the original four artists were joined by Tom Delaney, Juan Logan, Dammit Wesley, and Liliya Zalevskaya.

Although the subject of the work is ostensibly a Southern baptism, the title Carolina Shout references a popular song from earlier in the century by James P. Johnson. Bearden’s friend and scholar Albert Murray has noted how part of the power of Carolina Shout is the way in which Bearden deftly weaves together different musical traditions through the gestures of the figures and the confluence of the title and the baptismal subject matter, connecting the sacred and profane, calling to mind “the

dance hall, the juke joint, the honkey tonk and the barrelhouse” while at the same time suggesting “an ecstatic high point in a downhome church service.”

ABOVE (from top): Beverly Smith (1957–). Giles: Take Me to the River 2023, mixed media quilt, vintage bow tie, crazy quilt, spray paint, graphite portrait, transfers. Courtesy of the artist. T0341.1; Susan Brenner (1950–). Barracuda, 2023, mixed media on paper. Courtesy of the artist. Liliya Zalevskaya (1979–). Common Ground, Stanley, NC, 2023, 4K video, running time 2:00 minutes. Courtesy of the artist

The local artists were free to respond in whatever way they felt was appropriate. Bearden’s themes of baptism, music, memory, the South, and community, along with his masterful use of collage all provided rich subject matter for the artists to consider. Their creations range from paintings and collages to a quilted work, a video, and a sculptural installation.

These works comprise Echoes and are currently on view alongside Carolina Shout through November 2024 in the Bearden gallery at Mint Museum Uptown.

Jonathan Stuhlman, PhD, is senior curator of American Art.

ABOVE (from left): Carla Aaron-Lopez (1983–). ...eternal life through Jesus Christ, 2023, interior latex paint, big ass drippy markers, pen and ink. Courtesy of the artist; Dammit Wesley (1986–). Blessed Assurance, 2023, acrylic and gold leaf on canvas. Courtesy of the artist. T0344.1; Malik J. Norman (1997–). Whole Note, Rest Note, Bless Yah & Black Gold, 2023, mixed media installation (laser engraved image on locally sourced handmade paper, consecrate pine staff holding a honeysuckle wreath with copper, Afro-textured hair, and carnelian). Courtesy of the artist; Juan Logan (1946–). Call and Response, 2023, acrylic on canvas. Courtesy of the artist; Tom Delaney (1968–). Nan’s Pool (Thank You, Rogers and Clemmons), 2023, mixed media and collage on birch panel. Courtesy of the artist.

GRIER HEIGHTS YOUTH ARTS PROGRAM CELEBRATES 20 YEARS!

This year celebrates two decades since The Grier Heights Youth Arts Program was established to support children in the Grier Heights community nearby Mint Museum Randolph. More than 575 youths have been impacted through the STEAM program that connects participants with science, technology, English, art, math, literature, storytelling, artists, art and design activities, and art history. Program participants range in grades 4-12 engaging weekly for 32-34 weeks with local artists, artisteducators, volunteers, and community partners to develop self-esteem, mutual respect, determination, resiliency through mindfulness, celebrating cultures, and enjoying the visual and performing arts in Charlotte and other North Carolina cities.

Former Community Relations Director Carolyn Mints started the program in 2004, and Rubie R. Britt-Height, current director of community relations, has led it for almost 16 years. The program has been based in the community at Grier Heights Presbyterian Church on Skyland Avenue since its inception.

ABOVE (clockwise from top left): African Print Fashion Now! book covers ; Jeanette Price (left), community liaison to the Grier Heights Community Center delivers supply-drive donations during the Covid-19 pandemic; Program participants recite the “I Am Pledge” written by Rubie R. Britt-Height (left); Students and designers Patience Grieves and Tygerian Burke (pictured) created accessories based on the exhibition African Print Fashion Now!

This year’s celebration activities will include visits to both Mint locations, field trips to area art venues and productions, traveling to Charleston’s International African American Museum (IAAM), and creating Mintrelated exhibition projects.

Participants will also practice oral and public speaking, acting, costume design, greeting, and wayfinding at the newly painted Grier Heights Park Amphitheater. Titled Mako, the mural design at the amphitheater is the work of artist Georgie Nakima. From the artist: “Mako means peppers. It is a symbol of inequality and uneven development. Mako is a shortened form of the Akan proverb ‘Mako nyinaa mpatu mmere’ — all peppers (from the same branch) do not ripen simultaneously.” The amphitheater is a community partnership facility with Mecklenburg County Parks and Recreation.

ABOVE: The newly-renovated Grier Heights Park Amphitheater with STEAM-related design by artist Georgie Nakima. RIGHT: Students at the North Carolina Museum of Art’s mural after viewing the exhibition Ruth E. Carter: Afrofuturism in Costume Design

‘TAKE MORE CHANCES, DANCE MORE DANCES’

MINT BOARD OF TRUSTEES MEMBER CHARLOTTE WICKHAM IS STEPPING OUT TO SUPPORT THE MINT MUSEUM

BY MICHAEL J. SOLENDER

After Charlotte Wickham relocated to Charlotte from New York City with her husband in 2008, she knew she wanted to get involved with supporting the arts and cultural community in Charlotte. While she couldn’t know it at the time, her enthusiasm for, and recognition of, how arts engagement impacts the development of children and young adults in her newly adopted community would lead her to dancing her heart out in support of The Mint Museum.

Wickham, a Mint Museum Board of Trustees member, is one of six local community leaders paired with a professional dancer from the Charlotte Ballet in their annual Dancing with the Stars of Charlotte Gala. The event will take place March 2 at the Knight Theater to raise funds that support the Charlotte Ballet and the local leader’s charity of choice. Wickham has selected The Mint Museum and earmarked funds raised to support museum admission for Charlotte-area K-12 school children and post-secondary school students.

A passion for arts education

Since 2020, Wickham’s role at the Mint is fueled by her passion for arts education and community engagement. She is a believer in exposure and access to the arts for all ages.

“I’ve always thought that arts and culture are an important part of learning for children,” Wickham says. “I grew up in Raleigh. My family often went to the ballet, the symphony, and to the museums. That was such a rich part of our life. Many studies show how art, dance, and music help develop children’s brains and help them to think in different and more critical and creative ways.”

Wickham has seized upon the metaphor of taking positive steps and enthusiastically allowed herself to be “hotboxed” by her husband and a good friend into performing with the 2024 group of dancers to support The Mint Museum and the Charlotte Ballet.

“I believe life is often done best by embracing the places our steps take us,” she says in an email to friends. “This journey is going to be a bit different, and it makes the thought of participating that much more exciting.”

Different means physical for Wickham whose pre-dance assignment exercise routine has been primarily weekly Pilates classes.

Wickham is paired with Charlotte Ballet’s Humberto Ramazzina. The São Paulo, Brazil native began his formal dance training at age 8 and is in his fifth season with Charlotte Ballet. The two share a love for salsa, contemporary and classical dance, though Wickham is keeping close to the vest the pair’s ultimate three-minute dance and music choice a surprise.

“I don’t want to give away too much and prefer to tap into what I know will be high energy from the audience at the gala performance.”

Choreographing support

Dance pairs receive support online at Charlotte Ballet’s Dancing with the Stars of Charlotte Gala site in the run up to the event with top vote-getter ($1 per vote) receiving the People’s Choice Award. Dancers who wow the judges with the “best moves” are awarded the Judge’s Choice recognition. Since 2013, Charlotte Ballet’s Dancing with the Stars of Charlotte Gala has raised more than $10 million including

nearly $4.5 million for local charities. Funds raised via ticket sales per dance pair are divided equally between the pair’s designated charity and the Charlotte Ballet.

“That our [community] star dancers have the opportunity to generate financial support for charities of their choice has such tremendous impact for our city,” says Alysha Brown, Charlotte Ballet’s special events and volunteer manager. Brown coordinates all things Dancing with the Stars of Charlotte Gala for Charlotte Ballet and is the liaison between company dancers and their community dance partners.

“Historically we’ve had a variety of charities chosen for support alongside the ballet from housing nonprofits to other arts institutions in Charlotte. Charlotte Ballet is honored to play a role in this level of community development. The event is unlike any other in the city and shares an incredible amount of pure joy for those involved.”

In addition to identifying funds to support student access to The Mint Museum, Wickham is hopeful to encourage arts outreach beyond the walls of the museum buildings, especially into area hospitals. Her passion and enthusiasm for community collaboration aligns well with the goals of the Mint.

“Charlotte is one of our most dedicated board members,” says Todd Herman, president and CEO of The Mint Museum. “She is also an avid collector and incredibly involved in so many things that we do. I’m thrilled she shares one of the goals that our museum has, which is to collaborate with other arts organizations here in Charlotte. Her being part of Dancing with The Stars of Charlotte Gala fits her enthusiasm and her love for the arts. This event underscores the Mint’s role as a cultural hub partnering with organizations throughout the city and encouraging everyone in our community to embrace the arts.”

For Wickham, expanding her reach to embrace and support arts impact in the community is meaningful and more than worth the extra effort. “Museums are places of culture and conversation where we can think deeply and be empathetic,” she says. “We need places where we can appreciate and learn from others.”

Michael J. Solender is a Charlotte-based features writer. Reach him at michaeljsolender@gmail.com or through his website, michaeljwrites.com.

$1=1 VOTE! Voting is open to anyone prior to the gala event March 2. Donations and support for Charlotte and Humberto will be split 50/50 to support The Mint Museum and Charlotte Ballet. Vote at gala.charlotteballet.org

REVERSE: Mint Board of Trustees member Charlotte Wickham practicing with Charlotte Ballet dancer Humberto Ramazzina. ABOVE: Charlotte Wickham and Humberto Ramazzina practice their routine for Dancing With the Stars of Charlotte Gala in the Morrison Atrium at Mint Museum Uptown.

11TH ANNUAL COVETED COUTURE GALA RETURNS TO MINT MUSEUM RANDOLPH

‘BRING ON THE BLING’ FOR THE MOST FASHION-FORWARD, FUN, AND ELEGANT EVENT OF THE YEAR!

The Mint Museum’s 11th annual spring fundraising gala will be back on the glorious lawn of Mint Museum Randolph to celebrate the work of Robert Ebendorf and the opening of the exhibition Objects of Affection: Jewelry by Robert Ebendorf from the Porter • Price Collection Ebendorf is one of the most influential artists in the studio jewelry movement, beginning in 1960 to today with works that are as stunning as they are unique.

This spring tradition is a black-tie dinner dance for 400 of Charlotte’s most prominent civic leaders, chic supporters, and museum patrons. Beth and Drew Quartapella are

The Coveted Couture Gala

Saturday, April 27, 2024 at Mint Museum Randolph

6:30 PM: Cocktails on the terrace

8 PM: Sit-down dinner under a gorgeous tent

9 PM: Brief live auction and paddle raise

9:30 PM: Dancing to live music by Party with the People and dessert

serving as the 2024 gala chairs. Beth Quartapella is The Mint Museum Board of Trustees Chair Elect and former Chair of the Craft, Design + Fashion Collections Board. The Quartapellas are also loyal Crown Society members. We are thrilled to have them at the helm and know they will plan a beautiful and festive experience for all our guests. The special evening will be presented by Regions and BlackArch.

The Coveted Couture Gala raises critical funds for The Mint Museum to support innovative programming, groundbreaking exhibitions, and arts education for children to further the field of visual arts.

“Jewels will rule” and fabulous fashion will be at the forefront of the night and will play out in fun, innovative, and unexpected ways. We look forward to celebrating with you on April 27. For more information, please contact Lauren Hartnagel at 704.337.2112.

Hillary Cooper is chief advancement officer.

AFFILIATES IN ACTION

Young Affiliates of the Mint

The Young Affiliates of the Mint welcomed Charlotte’s next generation of art enthusiasts for the ninth annual Fall Ball gala. This theme of art legends highlighted past, present, and future legends, including local Charlotte artists. Guests enjoyed dancing, signature cocktails, and an exciting silent auction. All proceeds raised fund the YAMs initiative to offset the cost of school field trips to The Mint Museum. Thank you to OMJ Clothing, Perry’s Jewelry, and Church and Union for sponsoring the 2023 Fall Ball.

Mark your calendars for Derby Days, May 4, at Mint Museum Randolph. The renowned celebration that has been hailed as the Best Party for Young Professionals by The Charlotte Observer and Society Charlotte. In celebration of the 150th Anniversary of the Kentucky Derby, this year’s Derby Days promises to be an extra special event you’re not going to want to miss. Information and tickets available at youngaffiliates.org

Charlotte Garden Club

In 2023, Charlotte Garden Club grew to include more than 420 members, maintaining its status as the largest garden club in North Carolina! The monthly speaker series featuring nationally known leaders of the horticultural industry, gardening authors, and workshops inspire and educate new and experienced gardeners alike. The club continues to fund their scholarship for Central Piedmont Community College horticulture students as well as maintain Mint Museum Randolph’s many exterior containers and pocket gardens.

Save the date for the annual Art in the Garden Tour happening May 4–5. Explore seven unique gardens, each offering something for everyone’s taste. Follow us on Instagram and Facebook @CLTGardenclub, and online at charlottegardenclub.com.

Mint Museum Auxiliary

In November, fashion designer Joseph Altuzarra spoke at the Auxiliary’s Fall EnrichMINT Forum. Altuzarra charmed us all with his gorgeous clothing, beautiful images of his interiors, and inspiring stories about his career path, family life, and upcoming collaborations. We have a lot to look forward to in the next few months.

The Auxiliary will welcome Carrier and Company’s husband-and-wife interior design duo Jessie Carrier and Mara Miller for our Spring Symposium April 10. The Carriers will be discussing their new book, “Defining Chic,” as well as their extensive interiors career. More information and tickets available at mintmuseumauxiliary.org.

Docents of the Mint

This spring docents will engage area students with new Experience Craft STEAM Tours in Craft in the Laboratory. One tour is designed for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools middle and high school students and meets E3 (Experience, Engage, Educate) guidelines. A second tour is for all other students. Both tours relate scientific methods, material properties, and processes for manipulating media to show how artists and designers use science to achieve their artistic vision.

Docents developed and implemented gallery programs celebrating several milestones this year. The Art of Reading marks its 100th book-related tour, and docents have engaged more than 1,300 attendees at our free 30-minute third Thursday ArtBreak tours. Gallery programs provide another way to learn and be inspired by permanent collection artworks and special exhibitions.

LEFT (from top): Young Affiliates of the Mint enjoyed the annual Fall Ball in September 2023; Watching the Kentucky Derby at Derby Days 2023.

EVENTS AT THE MINT

THE ART OF SEATING VIP OPENING CELEBRATION

Guests at the VIP Opening Celebration for The Art of Seating: 200 Years of American Design, presented by PNC, enjoyed hearing from Diane Jacobsen, PhD, chairperson of the Thomas H. and Diane DeMell Jacobsen, PhD, Foundation before touring the exhibition of more than 50 examples of seating by iconic American designers. The exhibition is on view through April 14.

Left to right: toni and Alfred Kendrick, Marty Andress, and Amy Tribble.

Left to right: Armando Chardiet, Charles Bowman, Monica Gali, and Weston Andress. Left to right: Diane DeMell Jacobsen, PhD; George Fisher; Jonathan Stuhlman, PhD; and Sandy Fisher.

Left to right: Larry and Heather Gwaltney.

Betsy Rosen and friends.

WALTER SCOTT LENOX AND AMERICAN BELLEEK OPENING CELEBRATION

Guests to the Diamond Circle Dinner and VIP Opening Celebration for Walter Scott Lenox and American Belleek , presented by Wells Fargo Private Bank, were the first to the see the beauty of the exhibition paired with a informative tour with curator Brian Gallagher.

Left to right: David and Charlotte Moritz.

Left to right: Barbara Cash, Michael Grace, Sally Cooper, and Harry Gerard.

Left to right: Chuck Underwood and Michael Butler.

Left to right: Drew and Beth Quartapella, and Chrys Riley.

Left to right: Keith Cradle, PhD, and Von Cradle.

Left to right: Ellen Hilt, Doreen Gallagher, and Brian Gallagher.

CRAFT ACROSS CONTINENTS VIP OPENING CELEBRATION

It was a night filled with enthusiasm at the VIP Opening Celebration for Craft Across Continents — Contemporary Japanese and Western Objects: The Lassiter/Ferraro Collection, presented by the Mint Museum Auxiliary. It was a night filled with fashion, music, and dancing, including a special performance by collectors Lorne Lassiter and Gary Ferraro. The exhibition is on view through May 5 at Mint Museum Uptown.

Left to right: Ryan Staton, Carol Cadena, Lorne Lassiter, Emily Prince, and Glen Shaver.

Left to right: Ruthanne Hasty, Kaitlyn McElwee, and Lucy Graham-Fleishman.

Left to right: Dr. Kim Nixon; Todd Herman, PhD; and Wesley Mancini.

The Lassiter/Ferraro family.

THANK YOU TO OUR CROWN SOCIETY PATRONS

SAPPHIRE CIRCLE

JULIE BOLDT AND DHRUV YADAV

LAURA AND MIKE GRACE

MOZELLE DEPASS GRIFFITH

STEPHANIE S. LYNCH

MILTON AND MARSHELETTE PRIME

MARY ANNE (M.A.) ROGERS

LEIGH-ANN AND MARTIN SPROCK

ANN AND MICHAEL TARWATER

CURTIS AND ROCKY TRENKELBACH

CHARLOTTE AND JOHN WICKHAM

DIAMOND CIRCLE

MR. AND MRS. WESTON M. ANDRESS

JENNIFER AND ALEX BAUER

MARY AND WALTER BEAVER

STEPHANIE AND HOWARD BISSELL

KELLE AND LEN BOTKIN

BETSY AND ALFRED BRAND

BILL AND ROBIN BRANSTROM

SARAH G. COOPER

HILLARY AND W. FAIRFAX COOPER

OLGA AND JAY FAISON

WILLIAM J. AND JENNIFER FOX

LYNN AND BRIAN GOOD

LISE AND TRAVIS HAIN

BEVERLY AND JIM HANCE

LUCY AND HOOPER HARDISON

LAUREN A. HARKEY

CHANDRA AND JIMMIE JOHNSON

MARY AND MIKE LAMACH

ASHLEY AND SCOTT MATTEI

MR. AND MRS. WILLIAM B. MCGUIRE, JR.

SUSAN AND LOY MCKEITHEN

POSEY AND MARK MEALY

STACI AND JEFFREY MILLS

AMY AND MATTHEW MOORE

DAVID AND CHARLOTTE MORITZ

CELENE AND MARC OKEN

EMILY AND BILL OLIVER

CHERYL A. PALMER

MARY AND DICK PAYNE

BETH AND DREW QUARTAPELLA

CHRYS AND CHES RILEY

PATRICIA A. RODGERS

BETSY ROSEN AND LIAM STOKES

TREY SHERIDAN

STAN SHERRILL AND KAT KING

POPE AND PEGGY SHUFORD

LIZ AND DAVE SHUFORD

KATI AND CHRIS SMALL

MAUREEN E. STOCKTON

CAROLYN AND BRYAN TAYLOR

PLATINUM PLUS CIRCLE

SARAH AND TIM BELK

SUSANNE AND RUDOLF BLESS

ANSLEY AND JOHN CALHOUN

MARY ANNE DICKSON

BETH AND BILL HOBBS

BEVERLY AND MARK LADLEY

MR. AND MRS. NEILL G. MCBRYDE

ELLEN AND GARRETT MOSELEY

JO ANN AND JODDY PEER

EDWIN RASBERRY

SALLIE SCARBOROUGH

SABINA AND WILIFRID SCHLUMBERGER

BOBBIE AND THAD SHARRETT

SHANNON G. SMITH AND DANIELA SEBOVA

EDITH AND LANDON WYATT

JOAN H. ZIMMERMAN

PLATINUM CIRCLE

HOWARD P. ADAMS AND CAROL B. MCPHEE

ANONYMOUS

MARY CELESTE BEALL

J. FRANK AND KATHY BRAGG

JOHN GREGORY CLEMONS

DERICK AND SALLIE CLOSE

MRS. JANE CONLAN

MR. AND MRS. JOHN JULIAN CULBERTSON

LAUREN AND GRANT GILBERT

ANNA AND SCOTT GLASS

DEIDRE GRUBB

SEAN AND JACQUELINE JONES

TONI AND ALFRED KENDRICK

KATHRYN AND LUKE KISSAM

KELLI AND PETER LASH

NOELLE AND MARK MAHONEY

FRANCIE AND JOHN MANGAN

LINDSAY AND STANTON MCCULLOUGH

DANY AND CHIP NISBET

AMY AND JOE PITT

DON RENALDO

GEORGE AND LINDA FOARD ROBERTS

MRS. S. EPES ROBINSON

MANUEL RODRIGUEZ

PARKER AND STEPHEN SHUFORD

EMILY AND ZACH SMITH

MELINDA AND DAVID SNYDER

LORIE M. SPRATLEY

RUARD VELTMAN

BETSY FLEMING AND ED WEISIGER, JR.

BETSY AND BRIAN WILDER

PAT AND BILL WILLIAMSON

ROSE AND DAVIS WITTIG

GOLD CIRCLE

NATALIE AND HUGH ALLEN

MR. AND MRS. JAMES G. BABB, JR.

REGINE AND ANDREAS BECHTLER

BILL AND GEORGIA BELK

KIM AND JOHN BELK

BARRIE AND MATT BENSON

MARGARET AND SMOKY BISSELL

ANGELA AND RALPH BREEDEN

DAVID AND TERESA CARROLL

E. COLBY AND LYNNE W. CATHEY

MONICA M. GALI AND ARMANDO L. CHARDIET

MRS. ROBIN COCHRAN

JOHN AND GINNY COLLETT

ANN COLLEY

LISA AND PERRIN DARGAN

AMY AND ALFRED DAWSON

LISA AND CARLOS EVANS

JAY EVERETTE AND BRIAN SPEAS

LINDA AND BILL FARTHING

AMY FRITSCHE AND FELIX VON UKLANSKI

PATTY AND ALEX FUNDERBURG

HEATHER AND LARRY GWALTNEY

KATHY AND JOHN HAIRSTON

KATHERINE G. HALL

TODD A. HERMAN, PHD AND HARRY GERARD

AMY AND JOHN HINES

JANE SCOTT AND PHILIP HODGES

CYNTHIA AND DAVID HOUSTON

DR. DIANE D. JACOBSEN

LESLIE AND JIM JOHNSON

VIRGINIA M. KEMP

COCO AND RAY KILLIAN

JESSIE J. KNIGHT, JR. AND JOYE D. BLOUNT

BARBARA L. LAUGHLIN

CHELSEA LAWSON

MERRILL BARRINGER LIGHT

NANCY AND JOHN MALONEY

KAIT AND THOM MARLEY

JULIANNE MARLEY

SUSAN AND ALEX MCALISTER

RICHARD MCHENRY AND CINDY CALDWELL

DYKE MESSINGER

ULRIKE AND ALEX MILES

SHANNON AND KARL NEWLIN

ANNE AND SCOTT PERPER

PAULA AND CHRIS PINK

CARRIE AND BILL POLK

LARRY AND DALE POLSKY

MR. AND MRS. WALKER L. POOLE

MR. AND MRS. SAMUEL B. RANKIN

PATSY M. REAMES

SARA GARCÉS ROSELLI AND DANIEL J. ROSELLI

RUTH AND TREVOR RUNBERG

ASIF SHAIKH

JANE AND CARL SHOWALTER

MATTYE AND MARC SILVERMAN

CAROL J. SMITH

TIFFANY AND SCOTT SMITH

GATES AND ROBERT SPILMAN

LUCY AND LOUIS STEPHENS

PAM AND HARDING STOWE

MARGARET AND JOHN SWITZER

MEREDITH AND JIM THOMPSON

JOHN A. THOMPSON AND LEE R. ROCAMORA

MR. AND MRS. WILLIAM B. TIMMERMAN

PATTI TRACEY AND CHRIS HUDSON

AMY AND HAL TRIBBLE

JENNIFER AND ALEXANDER WAUGH

FRANCES AND DUBOSE WILLIAMSON

SILVER CIRCLE

ANONYMOUS

MELISSA AND JOHN ANTON

HON. JOHN S. ARROWOOD

HARRIET BARNHARDT

WINSTON AND TREVOR BEASLEY

MRS. KATHERINE BELK-COOK

SARAH BISLAND BIGGERS AND ROBERT BIGGERS

DEBBIE AND GARY BLANKEMEYER

BETSY AND BILL BLUE

AMY AND PHILIP BLUMENTHAL

LEAH AND DAVID BRADY

DR. LARRY BRADY AND MR. ROMAN MATSO

KATHLEEN AND TERRY BRODERICK

CANTEY AND JEFF BROWN

COLE AND CRISTINA BUCKFELDER

HILARY BURT AND PETER BOVE

MEREDITH AND WILL CHAPMAN

CHRIS CHIPMAN

CATHERINE AND WILTON CONNOR

MELISSA CORNWELL AND BRAD CHRISTMANN

GWIN BARNWELL DALTON

MELISSA AND JOSEPH DEL BROCCOLO

CAROLINE AND BEN DELLINGER

NELIA AND WILL DOLAN

LEIGH DYER

ANDRES AND SIDNEY LOGAN ECHEVARRIA

DR. JEN SUDUL EDWARDS AND MR. GAVIN EDWARDS

ANNA AND DENNIS ELLIOTT

BLAKE EVANS AND KELLY PATTERSON

CHRISTA AND ROBERT FAUT

WHITNEY AND MITCHELL FELD

SARAH AND WILL FISHER

SANDY AND GEORGE FISHER

MOLLY AND HENRY FROELICH

AMY AND GREGORY GACH

TED GARNER

RENATA GASPARIAN AND CAIO LIMA

MYRA GASSMAN

VALERIE AND LARRY GOLDSMITH, JR.

FREDDIE AND LAWRENCE GRAY

SUSIE AND TED GROSS

CLAY GRUBB

COLLEEN KARNAS-HAINES AND ASHER HAINES

TRACY AND H. K. HALLETT

MR. AND MRS. WATTS HAMRICK III

MR. AND MRS. JOHN W. HARRIS III

TRICIA AND DONNY HARRISON

ANDREW AND JOANNA HAYNES

CLAUDIA AND ANDY HEATH

ANNE J. HENDERSON

LIZ HILLIARD AND LEE KENNELLY

LYNN AND CHARLEY HODGES

BARBARA HOLT

MANDY AND TODD HOUSER

DR. CHIP AND MRS. VICTORIA HOWELL

LANIER AND DOUG HOY

LEIGH AND WATTS HUMPHREY

MR. AND MRS. JAMES E. S. HYNES

AMY HYLAND JONES

PAIGE AND CURTIS JONES

DR. MARIE-CLAIRE MARROUM-KARDOUS AND MR. KAL KARDOUS

CATHERINE RUTH AND ALEX KELLY

JOAN KIRSCHNER

ADAM AND SHELLY LANDAU

LORNE E. LASSITER AND GARY P. FERRARO

LIZ AND HAYNES LEA

JANET M. LECLAIR

QUINCY AND CHRISTY LEE

DR. A. DAVIS LIGON, JR.

DRS. SIU CHALLONS-LIPTON AND JORDAN LIPTON

MEGAN BLANKEMEYER LIST AND KEVIN LIST

NAN AND BILL LOFTIN

BOB AND MARY LONG

VINCE LONG AND CAMERON FURR

ROGER AND DEBORAH LOVELETT

WESLEY A. MANCINI

KAREN AND J.P. MCBRYDE

JOSEPH M. MCCALL

IN REMEMBRANCE

ANNA AND JOHN MCCOY

DEE DEE MCKAY

MARY MARGARET AND PATRICK MEALY

SALLY MITCHENER

VICKY AND BILL MITCHENER

ARRINGTON H. MIXON

KIMBERLY AND GEOFFREY MIZE

CYNTHIA LEE MORENO

KATIE AND WALKER MORRIS

JANET PREYER NELSON

MR. AND MRS. ARTHUR R. NEWCOMBE IV

MARIAN M. NISBET

PATTY AND TOMMY NORMAN

MICA AND KEITH OBERKFELL

NICOLE PANTAS

LISA AND TOM PHILLIPS

RIDGELY AND JOHN PHILLIPS

JOSEPH AND AMANDA PILIGIAN

LIZ AND DAVID POLLET

REECE MEALY RAHILLY AND IAN RAHILLY

DEBORAH HALLIDAY AND GARY RAUTENSTRAUCH

RENEE AND DAVID REESE

MICHAEL A. RODRIGUEZ

PAULA AND DALT RUFFIN

WILLIAM L. AND JANE O. SALTER

JASON SCHOEN

DEE SCHWAB

HARRIET AND MARSHALL SEALEY

TOMMY AND JAN SHEALY

STEPHANIE AND JON SIMON

CHRISTINA AND CASEY M. SMITH

KELITHA SPENCE

ANN F. STEWMAN

ANN AND WELLFORD TABOR

LIZ AND JEFF TARUMIANZ

J. MCKINLEY B. TAYLOR, JR.

KRISTY AND BILL THOMPSON

KATHYLEE AND KEN THOMPSON

SANDI AND BEN THORMAN

MELISSA AND PAUL TOLMIE

JUDITH AND GARY TOMAN

IRINA TOSHKOVA

MARGARET AND CHRIS ULLRICH

CAROLYN AND MATT VANDERBERG

NELIA AND MICHAEL VERANO

PATRICIA COX VISER

CASSANDRA AND DAVID WAGNER

VERA WATSON

DOROTHEA F. WEST

RICHARD “STICK” AND TERESA WILLIAMS

DANA AND JOE WOODY

IT IS WITH SADNESS THAT WE RECOGNIZE THE PASSING OF TWO DEDICATED MINT SUPPORTERS. EACH LEAVES A LEGACY GIVEN THEIR PERSONAL CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE MINT.

Emma Lewis was a generous donor to the Mint since 1999. Although she and her husband, Jay, lived in New York City, they visited the Mint numerous times. More than 100 decorative arts objects from the Lewis Collection were generously donated to the Mint’s Decorative Arts Collection. Many of those objects were featured in the Walter Scott Lenox and American Belleek exhibition, including the vase that was featured on the front cover of the accompanying catalogue.

Cynthia H. Tyson, PhD, was a passionate supporter who left an indelible mark on our institution. In her role as President of the Robert Haywood Morrison Foundation, Tyson played a pivotal role in bringing some of the museum’s most cherished features to life. A generous gift from the foundation enabled the completion of Mint Museum Uptown. The Cynthia Haldenby Tyson Orientation Room at Mint Museum Uptown is among one of the first spaces encountered by visitors and educators at the museum.

CURATOR’S PICK

The newest piece to enter the Mint’s American Art Collection has a fascinating link to another work already owned by the museum. It is a woodblock carved and inked by the innovative modernist Blanche Lazzell that was used to create the print that is already in our collection. After training in New York and Paris, Lazzell split her time between West Virginia and Massachusetts. It was in the late 1910s in Provincetown, Massachusetts, where she and a group of colleagues revived a printmaking technique known as the “white line” process, in which one block is used for all of the colors of the print and the colors are separated by areas of white.

Lazzell’s white line prints are highly sought-after. The Mint was fortunate to receive one of the rare impressions made from this block in 2013. Now, a decade later, the museum was able to acquire the woodblock used to create the print with funds from the Claude Adams bequest and Diane DeMell Jacobsen, PhD, giving its visitors viewers a rare window into the artist’s creative process.

Jonathan Stuhlman, PhD, is senior curator of American Art.

ABOVE (from top): Blanche Lazzell (American, 1878–1956). Petunias, 1927, inked woodblock. Museum purchase with funds from the bequest of Claude Adams and funds provided by Diane DeMell Jacobsen, Ph.D. 2023.99; Blanche Lazzell (American, 1878–1956). Untitled, Japon paper. In memory of Lillian Posten Johnson and her friend Blanche Lazzell, gift of Jean and Carl Johnson. 2013.51.3

Mint Museum Uptown at Levine Center for the Arts 500 South Tryon Street Charlotte, NC 28202

Mint Museum Randolph 2730 Randolph Road Charlotte, NC 28207

mintmuseum.org @themintmuseum 704.337.2000