Docents of the

v o l u m e 34 n u m b e r 3 SPRING 2010 m i

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KEN APTEKAR. American, 1950- Charlotte’s Charlotte (detail) 2009 oil on canvas on panel with glass, 6 panels, (36 x 36 in. ea.) Museum Purchase. (accession number to be determined)

“we learn by teaching” 1 A New Twist on Queen Charlotte

Artist Ken Aptekar is commissioned for Contemporary Interpretation of Coronation Portrait

ueen Charlotte’s image has long been a symbol of the city of Charlotte, but what would she look like today through the eyes of a contemporary artist? This is the fascinating new Q interpretive challenge put to artist Ken Aptekar. To honor the opening of the new Mint Museum Uptown and the 250th anniversary of Queen Charlotte’s corona- tion, Aptekar was commissioned to create a contemporary piece that reflects both the artist and the community’s reaction to the KEN APTEKAR. American, 1950- subject. How exciting! Charlotte’s Charlotte (detail) 2009 As part the creative process, Aptekar oil on canvas on panel with glass, 6 panels, (36 x 36 in. ea.) Museum Purchase. (accession number to be determined) spent time with Charlotte residents in focus groups prior to “putting brush to canvas.” He As docents, we know and frequently independently researched Queen Charlotte share the history of Queen Charlotte. We and her cultural background. Community know she was formerly the German princess comments were incorporated into the artist’s Charlotte Sophia, who became Queen of concept and final product. Critical to his England at age 17. She adored dogs, flowers process was information about Queen Char- and children. Her enhancements to the Royal lotte’s descent from the black Portuguese Kew Gardens are noteworthy. Perhaps even family of Margarita de Castro y Sousa and more fascinating to our Mint Museum visi- the Portuguese Royal House. This cultural tors may be that she and King George had and racial heritage are key aspects in both 15 children and a happy marriage, with the Allan Ramsay’s royal portrait and the yet- happy royal union likely being the more to-be revealed Aptekar portrait. Eighteenth unique of these two facts. Young Charlotte century history, current historical events, was bold enough at 17 to write a letter to the and contemporary concepts have all King of Prussia protesting his actions with influenced Aptekar’s interpretation and her strong anti-war words. final artistic product. 2 “To His Majesty the King of Prussia, community concept, to seek out the impor- May it please your Majesty: tance of why Queen Charlotte’s painting is so meaningful to Charlotteans. He sought I am at a loss whether to congratu- to present different voices yet integrate past late or to condole with you in your victory; and present in his artistic endeavor. Our since the same success that has covered remarkable moment in time with the elec- you with laurels has overspread the tion of the first African American president country of Mecklenburg with desolation. and the powerful historical figure of Queen I know, Sire, that it seems unbecoming Charlotte were not lost on the artist. Aptekar of my sex, in this age of vicious refine- also desired to express his view of the ment, to feel for one’s country, to lament striking paradox: our city’s namesake who the horrors of war, or to wish for peace. I became in such a short time the symbol of know you may think it more properly my “the enemy” in the American Revolutionary province to study the art of pleasing, or War. Her forward thinking views as a woman to turn my thoughts to a domestic nature: in the 18th century, the boldness of her anti- but, however unbecoming it may be in me, war stance, her courage to travel to foreign I can’t resist the desire of interceding for lands and marry essentially a stranger, were this unhappy people…” all challenges Aptekar wished to convey in Her passions did not move the Prussian King. this contemporary interpretation of our most beloved Ramsay portrait. Upon her coronation, Charlotte was I eagerly await the unveiling of Ken described as being “not tall, nor a beauty, Aptekar’s new portrait. As docents, we will pale and very thin, but looks sensible and all be challenged to assist those with whom genteel. Her hair is darkish and fine… her we have the privilege of sharing the Mint nostrils spreading too wide. Her mouth has Museum Uptown in seeing these complex the same fault, but her teeth are good.” The aspects which Aptekar captures in his most London Sunday Times references American exciting contemporary portrait of Queen genealogist Mario Valdes as having estab- Charlotte. lished Charlotte’s direct lineage from the illegitimate son of the African mistress in the ~Alex Ketchpaw, Docent Portuguese royal house of King Afonso III. Of course, Ramsay’s strong abolitionist views were also said to have accentuated the Queen’s black features in his portrait. Aptekar states that he was strongly moved by history and these racial origins. He says he also felt compelled to integrate the passionate ties of the community to this special monarch. Aptekar met with focus groups in the Queen City to glean a broader 3 Danny Lane’s Threshold

One of the Projects in Ten Ten Ten

anny Lane is one of the 10 artists who have been commis- sioned to provide work for our new Museum. He is designing a glass wall entitled Threshold. As of this writing, the artist is still Dfinalizing this commission. Being a lover of glass and its proper- ties and a novice glass artist (very novice), I was fascinated by Lane’s work. “His London studio is equipped to create works of consid- erable scale, in glass and in steel. Glass Danny Lane with art similar to the future commission for furnaces will enable Lane to create works of Mint Museum Uptown fluidity and brilliant colour.”1 Danny Lane was born in Urbana, Illi- He is driven by the need to test the limits of nois in 1955. At age 20 he moved to London the possible in glass, steel, wood and light. to study stained glass with Patrick Reyn- “Like glass itself, Lane’s work is sometimes tiens. Next he studied painting at the Byam modernist in its simplicity, and, in a different Shaw School of Art and the Central School mood, baroque in its pleasure in ornament.”4 of Art. Cecil Collins, a well known visionary It would behoove anyone with a little painter, poet and philosopher, was one of curiosity to check out the websites listed as his most influential instructors. He remains references and others. Danny Lane’s glass Lane’s most important inspiration. pieces and other works are commissioned “Danny Lane’s sculptures seek not to worldwide and there are lots of examples represent the individual ego, rather following from which you can form your own opinions. Collins, he aims at a spiritual dimension I know I was impressed. through an immersion in the material.”2 His work is described as a combination ~Kathy Willox, Docent of monumental, “at times brutal, physi- 1 www.dannylane.co.uk/main.php#. cality; stacked and fractured glass, twisted 2 www.dannylane.co.uk/main.php#. or rusted steel, his medium.”3 He demon- 3www.sculpture.org.uk/biography/DannyLane/ 4www.dannylane.co.uk/main.php#. strates his strong belief in the metaphysical Other sources: and transcendental in his work. Lane’s work Project Ten Ten Ten artists bios. ranges in size from small to massive. One of the world’s largest glass sculptures, Borealis, 4 is at the GM Renaissance Center in Detroit. S TA F F P R O F I L E : Kristen Watts and Katherine Steiner

(Docents are also encouraged to follow it) The first of each month, Kristen sends out an email with a ‘days ticking by’ count- down with the number of days left until: April 1: The Mint Museum receives the keys to the new building. April 1 to July 1: The chemicals from construction settle, and everything is in- stalled except the art. July 1 to October 1: Transfer the permanent collections, including what will be exhibited and what will go into

Kristen Watts storage as well as the artwork for a special inaugural exhibition. s docents we are aware of The collections at the Mint Museum the changes in the galleries Uptown will include Craft + Design, at Randolph Road and the American Art, Contemporary Art and some closing of MMCD on February European Art from the 18th and 19th 6, but the planning behind centuries (Barbizon and beyond). the move to uptown is crucial The Public Relations and Marketing toA understanding the project. Kristen Watts, Department will be promoting the grand Director of Exhibitions and Special Projects, opening nationally. They also are doing a and Katherine Steiner, Associate Registrar, are soft roll-out of the new brand with font and two of the key people in the planning process. color changes that you may have noticed on Kristen is managing the move internally. the eNews and this newsletter. She coordinates the schedules of all of the Katherine Steiner’s job as a registrar departments, from education to curatorial, is to keep track of objects, complete the and all of the equipment from office furniture paperwork, and make sure the legal require- to A/V equipment. She began the process ments are met. The labels with the acces- by meeting with the individual departments sion numbers that are posted next to every to get their dream scenario. Then she input piece of artwork are the results of that work. a schedule into Microsoft Project software to Katherine ensures that all objects track and manage. The schedule is sent out move from point A & B (MMCD & MMR) to monthly to all departments and as priorities point C (MMU). This amounts to approxi- change the schedule is constantly updated. mately 7,000 objects. In addition to the col- In addition, the monthly tasks are posted on a timetable opposite the staff lunch room for a visual reminder of progress. 5 lections mentioned above, all prints, photo- graphs and frames will be moved. Bonsai fine art movers have been packing art since August. A team of four comes for one week per month and is ac- companied by Katherine or another registrar. They started at MMCD for the first three months and packed everything not on exhib- it, which created a challenge for storing the packed artwork. Since December, Bonsai has been working at MMR. Everything is wrapped. Smaller pieces are placed in cartons. Larger pieces such as Kehinde Wiley’s Philip the Fair have their own cartons. Oddly shaped sculptures are measured and special L-shaped wooden Katherine Steiner cradles are constructed off-site for special Phase 1 of the Mint expansion is the handling. Fragile pieces may have Tyvek new Mint Museum Uptown. Phase 2 is the wrapping to protect the surface. building renovation and phased reinstallation Everything is tagged for conserva- of the collections at Randolph Road. These tion, photography, special crating, storage include historic costume, ceramics and or gallery. Each piece has a location color decorative arts, the art of ancient America, code. Each computer generated color coded Spanish Colonial art, and the African, Native paper tag has a photo and description of the American and Asian collections. artwork. This tag goes on the outside of the The Mint Museum’s goal has been carton or box with its own box number. The to have a seamless transition. Unlike other piece is then tracked via a change of loca- museums that have closed for as long as a tion form with one form on the box, one in a year, the Mint’s staff members continue to notebook and one electronic form through work at their daily jobs as they install the the museum database. Two interns have new building and plan for the re-installation helped with the tagging. One, Catherine at Randolph Road. Kristen Watts and Hendricks, has served as Katherine’s second Katherine Steiner are superb examples of set of eyes in the tagging process. the dedication to this goal. Part of the move has involved reorganizing the storage space not just for ~Rosemary Glatzel, Docent the items packed and waiting to be moved, but also for the items that will remain at Randolph Road. 6 Mint Museum Uptown

he members of the Docent Task Force had an opportu- nity to take a hard-hat preview tour of the new Museum led by Phil Kline. The new space has a WOW factor beyond anything weT expected. One docent described it as “jaw-dropping,” and after seeing it, I have to agree. There are 5 stories of galleries, Mint Museum Uptown, February 2010 special event spaces, storage, a 240-seat Center literally just steps away. The October auditorium, a Family Gallery, education 1 opening can’t come too soon! classrooms, studios, offices, the museum The 5th floor will offer a special events shop and even a café. It is obvious that there area with a terrace that has wonderful views has been a lot of thought and planning to of the southern end of uptown Charlotte. provide space that will be exciting and func- It also has a catering kitchen and 20,000 tional for years to come. square feet of additional expansion space The galleries flow from one to that will be held as an option for the museum another over white oak floors and smoke to take over when they need it. gray carpeting. Fourteen feet overhead, The 4th floor will house the American the unfinished ceiling’s ductwork and elec- and Contemporary permanent collections trical conduits appear to be works of art in and special exhibition spaces and class- themselves. Every floor has storage space, rooms, and even boasts a special gallery education areas and a reading room. Eleva- devoted to video art. The windows on the tors and escalators that add a sculptural north side overlook a giant LCD screen element will carry visitors from floor to floor. on the side of the Knight Theater that will There is also a huge 12 x12 x18 foot elevator display artworks that have been scanned that will be used to move the artwork in and promotions for cultural events. The (although Phil joked that Curator of Contem- opening exhibition in the 6,000-square-foot porary Art Carla Hanzal will surely find a temporary gallery will draw from the Bank of piece that is still too large to fit inside!). America collection. The spaces are breathtaking and I The Craft + Design galleries will be find it hard to describe them all. I know you located on the 3rd floor. At the west entrance will be as excited by our new space as I am. will be a 10 x 25 foot glass installation by The Mint Museum Uptown (MMU) should be artist Danny Lane. Relations, the glass wall a draw by itself, but being situated on the Wells Fargo Cultural Campus will provide visitors with even more reasons to come, 7 with the Bechtler, Knight Theater and Gantt by Stanislav Libenský and Jaroslava sloping ceiling made of stained cypress. The Brychtová that stood in the entrance of atrium will also provide a wonderful gath- MMCD will separate the glass and wood ering place for special events. This floor galleries. The opening exhibition in the new has a staging area and orientation room for Gorelick Special Exhibition gallery will be school groups to gather before beginning a display of 250 pieces of contemporary their tours and an interactive Family Gallery. British studio ceramics. Other attractions are painting and clay The mezzanine has a large confer- studios. The latter space has its own electric ence room that overlooks Tryon Street and kiln standing by, ready to be installed. The will double as space for cocktail parties new museum shop is much larger than the and smaller-scale special events. A smaller old space and will be located right up front conference room on the opposite side over- where people walking down Tryon Street will looks the new café. The auditorium has an be tempted by the displays. The front steps upper lobby here and the Tom Patti glass extend into the store providing additional wall from MMCD complements the 240 seats display space. The museum café has been in varying shades of fuchsia, purple and designed so that it can remain open after blue. This second floor contains staff offices museum hours, drawing even more attention and a conservation lab. to our new site. The Robert Haywood Morrison Atrium It is a thrilling time to be a part of the is so named thanks to a $5 million grant that Mint family and the Charlotte art community! allowed the Museum to fulfill its construc- tion wish list. Sweeping over the atrium is a ~Cindy Morris, Docent

Docent tour of construction site Uptown

8 MMA ARTIST TIDBITS: Francis Wheatley (1747-1801)

A Hillside in the Lake District and A View in the Lake District, both located in the Alexander Gallery

• Trained at William Shipley’s Academy in London.

• Won many prizes for drawing from the Society of Artists at a young age.

• In 1769 enrolled in the newly established Royal Academy Schools.

• Eloped to Ireland with another artist’s

wife and established himself in Dublin FRANCIS WHEATLEY. English, 1747-1801 A Hillside in the Lake District circa 1775-1780 as a portrait painter. oil on canvas The Harry and Mary Dalton Collection. 2000.36.28 • Tried his hand as an etcher and a mezzotint-engraver.

• His wife was known as a painter of flowers and portraits.

• The Lake District is located in rural NW England and is a popular holiday destination famous for its lakes and mountains.

• The Lake District is often associated with the early 19th century poetry and writings of William Wordsworth and the Lake Poets. FRANCIS WHEATLEY. English, 1747-1801 A View in the Lake District circa 1775-1780 Source: Wikipedia oil on canvas The Harry and Mary Dalton Collection. 2000.36.29

9 FAN MAIL TRAINING SCHEDULE

Our DIGS tour on September 17, 2009… was Veteran Docents of The Mint Museum WONDERFUL! Thank you so much for all the organization, creativity and work that have Monday, March 15 - MMR made this such a great educational experi-  8:30AM Coffee; 9:00AM Training ence for the students, parents and teachers. PLEASE NOTE THE UNUSUAL TIME The treasure trunk added so much to the • Mythology and Art with Dr. Jim Frakes, experience. I can’t say enough “good Professor of Art History at UNCC stuff” about the whole adventure. Great tour! Great “hands-on” materials. Many Monday, April 12 - MMR thanks. This program is FANTASTIC! The 9:30AM Coffee; 10:00AM Training trunk was a great introduction. I really felt like • Docents Teaching Docents: Research the class was prepared for what the museum Committee Presentations was going to teach them. Thank you so Docent Board Nominations Announced much for allowing us to come!

~Providence Christian School, Monday, May 3 - MMR September 2009 9:30AM Coffee; 10:00AM Training • Permanent Collections Review: Deco- Thank you so much allowing the 7th grade rative Arts with Brian Gallagher, Curator students from Thomas Jefferson Classical of Decorative Arts Academy to participate in the DIGS Tour! Annual Business Meeting: New Board, It was so well organized and structured in Tour Totals and Evaluations a way that made it accessible to a young Joint Incoming/Outgoing Docent Board audience. The students were thrilled to see Meeting To Follow Training artifacts from civilizations they have studied both in Social Studies and in Spanish class. The docents were patient with their ques- tions and had so much knowledge to share. Please thank them on our behalf. We Save The Date! especially appreciated the interactive nature Annual Docent Recognition Party of the presentation. Thursday, May 13 ~Thomas Jefferson Classical Academy, 7:00 PM September 2009 Mint Museum Randolph

10 TOUR TIPS: Attention Grabbers

These are several strategies for getting and holding your visitors’ attention. Make sure you always have a few of these tricks up your sleeve to pull out at the right moment.

1. Stopping Negative Behavior 4. Acknowledging Strategies show that Strategies range from strong authorita- you understand the visitors’ perspective. tive tactics, like making threats (i.e., call Asking questions like, “How many of you security or send student to the lobby) and didn’t really want to come here today?” giving orders, to subtle suggestions, like establishes two important points: first, increasing physical proximity. Next time that you accept their feelings; second, someone misbehaves, move closer to that you won’t be undone by who they them and see if their behavior changes. are and how they feel. You can always ask someone to stop a negative behavior, but when you do, it’s 5. Winning Strategies are based on best to be as direct as possible. Send generous doses of humor, praise, encour- “I” messages, like: “I feel ______when agement and enthusiasm. Everyone you ______because ______.” By owning wins when you use these techniques, your feelings, you take visitors off the because it feels as good to give strokes defensive and make it easier for them to as it does to get them. Even tough groups respond positively. will usually succumb as long as you are sincere in what you say. 2. Alerting Strategies serve as starters or prompts. They remind someone to attend Source: Fran Prolman in New Frontiers in Touring Tech- niques, compiled by Daryl K. Fischer, Director of Education to an object, to you, or to each other. You at The Indianapolis Museum of Art, 1991. can bring someone back to the group by simply asking, “Right, Ellen?” or help them focus on someone else’s contribu- ART QUOTE tion by asking, “What do you think about Pat’s comment, Chris?” One of the wonderful things about a museum is how you’re jolted 3. Enlisting Strategies allow students to act as leaders, to model appropriate behavior, into confronting art from strange and and to participate in role playing. Most wonderful civilizations and you look and students are just as happy to get positive learn and expand your horizons. attention as negative, so try reinforcing them in your instructional examples: “Jim, ~Sister Wendy Beckett can you show how we’d…?”

11 PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

t is hard to believe that we are 2 Editors Cheryl Palmer 704.337.2031 months into 2010, halfway through our [email protected]

touring year, the docent trainees are Rosemary Martin 704.337.2013 already on the job, and completion [email protected] of the new Mint Museum Uptown is Editorial Submissions Rosemary Glatzel quickly approaching. Alex Ketchpaw Cindy Morris I Jackie Stevenson This is a most exciting time to be part of the Allison Taylor Kathy Willox Mint. Here’s what we know! We know that Mirror Staff docent programming there remains in the Rosemary Glatzel 704.531.9449; [email protected] planning stages and that is why we ask you Alex Ketchpaw 980.233.9033; [email protected] Kathy Willox 704.806.8803; [email protected] to continue to contact Docent Task Force Layout members and Allison, Chris or Cheryl with Priscilla MacClamrock, your questions, comments and concerns. Graphic Design Intern In an effort to better understand how the Assembly Karen Vidamo galleries and education spaces will be laid Mint Museum RANDOLPH out, the Task Force was invited to take a 2730 Randolph Road, Charlotte, NC 28207 Hard Hat Tour of the new museum. Need- Phone: 704.337.2000 less to say, they were thrilled to get a sneak Fax: 704.337.2101 peek of the building, overwhelmed by the scale of the project, and energized by every- mintmuseum.org

thing they saw. As a result the group is even The Mint Museum is funded, in part, with operating support by the Arts more enthusiastic about teaming with our & Science Council, Charlotte-Mecklenburg, Inc.; the North Carolina Arts Council, an agency funded by the State of North Carolina and the education staff to work towards a smooth National Endowment for the Arts; the City of Charlotte; and its members. transition into the newest “Jewel in the Queen City’s Crown.”

I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate and welcome the new docents and personally thank all of you for your patience, hard work and dedication.

Think spring!!!!

~Jackie Stevenson, Docent President

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