Mint Museum
When visiting Charlotte, North Carolina, among the many things you don’t want to miss are the Mint Museum of Art and the Mint Museum of Craft and Design. Both museums together create a true southern art experience that is only North Carolina.
The Mint Museum of Art was originally the first branch of the United States Mint in the region. It coined 5 million dollars in gold from 1836 until the outbreak of the Civil War. A grass roots community effort saved the federal style building, which was designed by William Strickland, and moved to it’s present location on Randolph Rd. It was opened as the Mint Museum of Art on Oct 22,1936 and became North Carolina’s first art museum.
There are several permanent collections at the Mint Museum of Art including collections of American art, Pre Columbian art, European and American decorative arts, historic costumes, African art, historic maps, contemporary art and photography. The museum plays host to several major national and international exhibits. These traveling exhibits now includes an exhibit showing until December 30,2007 called “Contemporary, Cool and Collected”, a broad and insightful look into art of our time. Beginning January 26, 2008 - April 20,2008 the museum will have an exhibit called “Made In China”. This is a 150 piece collection of Chinese porcelain ranging from teapots to magnificent vases. It holds many exquisite pieces of artwork that will create a beautiful afternoon of color and shape and mood.
For a true southern experience of craftwork, the Mint Museum of Craft and Design at 220 N. Tryon St. should not be missed. In the “uptown” area of Charlotte this beautifully renovated 4 story former Montaldo’s Department Store has been transformed into a celebration of handicraft heritage. This site was designed by Charlotte architect Louis Asbury in 1953 and once housed J.M. Harry Funeral home as well as Wadsworth Livery Stable. This is one of the best permanent collections of craftwork including studio glassworks by Harvey Littleton, ceramics by Michael Sherrill, furniture designs by Randy Shull, a beautiful glass chandelier by Dale Chihuly, a glass wall by Tom Patti, and the last American commission by Czechoslovakian glass artists, Stanislav Libensky and Jaroslava Brychtova. This museum also hosts international and national exhibits like the one showing now through Feb.24,2008 called Fiber Art, which displays a fairly new and unexplored art form. This exhibit will display 80 nationally and internationally known finalists from Fiberart International 2007. Starting December 15,2007 and running until May 25, 2008 there will be an exhibit called “White Light, Glass Compositions by Daniel Clayman”, a studio glass artist who creates minimalist forms that explore “form and movement and light and shadow”. This museum is a festival of crafts which would bring bliss to any afternoon.
Both the Mint Museum of Art and the Mint Museum of Craft and Design offer guided and self guided tours. Guided tours have groups of 10 which are led by art docents through the museums on a tour that lasts about an hour. There is no cost for the tour, but if your group is large you may need to arrange it with the museum ahead of time. In addition to the tours there are several classes and programs offered by the museums, ranging from lectures about exhibits to painting and drawing classes. These may be an unusual and fun way for you to explore these museums.
Museum hours are a bit different for each museum but both are open everyday except major holidays and Mondays. If you go to their website at www.themintmuseums.org you can get all the information you’ll need including hours, cost, and directions.
Please, don’t miss a trip the museums gift shops. The craft shop in the Mint Museum of Craft and Design has “Crafts of the Carolinas”, collections of wood, fiber, glass, pottery and jewelry for purchase. The Mint Museum of Art offers prints and books that you’ll treasure forever. Proceeds from both go toward the educational projects offered by the museums.
This is a perfect way to spend a couple of days in Charlotte, North Carolina. Stay at a one of the beautiful hotel options and dine at some of the special restaurants in this beautiful southern city and don’t miss these museums.
Robin Gardner, Editor At Large
North Carolina Tourist Guide - Charlotte, NC
The Mint Museum of Art was originally the first branch of the United States Mint in the region. It coined 5 million dollars in gold from 1836 until the outbreak of the Civil War. A grass roots community effort saved the federal style building, which was designed by William Strickland, and moved to it’s present location on Randolph Rd. It was opened as the Mint Museum of Art on Oct 22,1936 and became North Carolina’s first art museum.
There are several permanent collections at the Mint Museum of Art including collections of American art, Pre Columbian art, European and American decorative arts, historic costumes, African art, historic maps, contemporary art and photography. The museum plays host to several major national and international exhibits. These traveling exhibits now includes an exhibit showing until December 30,2007 called “Contemporary, Cool and Collected”, a broad and insightful look into art of our time. Beginning January 26, 2008 - April 20,2008 the museum will have an exhibit called “Made In China”. This is a 150 piece collection of Chinese porcelain ranging from teapots to magnificent vases. It holds many exquisite pieces of artwork that will create a beautiful afternoon of color and shape and mood.
For a true southern experience of craftwork, the Mint Museum of Craft and Design at 220 N. Tryon St. should not be missed. In the “uptown” area of Charlotte this beautifully renovated 4 story former Montaldo’s Department Store has been transformed into a celebration of handicraft heritage. This site was designed by Charlotte architect Louis Asbury in 1953 and once housed J.M. Harry Funeral home as well as Wadsworth Livery Stable. This is one of the best permanent collections of craftwork including studio glassworks by Harvey Littleton, ceramics by Michael Sherrill, furniture designs by Randy Shull, a beautiful glass chandelier by Dale Chihuly, a glass wall by Tom Patti, and the last American commission by Czechoslovakian glass artists, Stanislav Libensky and Jaroslava Brychtova. This museum also hosts international and national exhibits like the one showing now through Feb.24,2008 called Fiber Art, which displays a fairly new and unexplored art form. This exhibit will display 80 nationally and internationally known finalists from Fiberart International 2007. Starting December 15,2007 and running until May 25, 2008 there will be an exhibit called “White Light, Glass Compositions by Daniel Clayman”, a studio glass artist who creates minimalist forms that explore “form and movement and light and shadow”. This museum is a festival of crafts which would bring bliss to any afternoon.
Both the Mint Museum of Art and the Mint Museum of Craft and Design offer guided and self guided tours. Guided tours have groups of 10 which are led by art docents through the museums on a tour that lasts about an hour. There is no cost for the tour, but if your group is large you may need to arrange it with the museum ahead of time. In addition to the tours there are several classes and programs offered by the museums, ranging from lectures about exhibits to painting and drawing classes. These may be an unusual and fun way for you to explore these museums.
Museum hours are a bit different for each museum but both are open everyday except major holidays and Mondays. If you go to their website at www.themintmuseums.org you can get all the information you’ll need including hours, cost, and directions.
Please, don’t miss a trip the museums gift shops. The craft shop in the Mint Museum of Craft and Design has “Crafts of the Carolinas”, collections of wood, fiber, glass, pottery and jewelry for purchase. The Mint Museum of Art offers prints and books that you’ll treasure forever. Proceeds from both go toward the educational projects offered by the museums.
This is a perfect way to spend a couple of days in Charlotte, North Carolina. Stay at a one of the beautiful hotel options and dine at some of the special restaurants in this beautiful southern city and don’t miss these museums.
Robin Gardner, Editor At Large
North Carolina Tourist Guide - Charlotte, NC
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