Year of the Woman the Mint Museum Annual Report 2016 – 2017
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YEAR OF THE WOMAN THE MINT MUSEUM ANNUAL REPORT 2016 – 2017 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS Photo by Old South Photography 2 MISSION Photo by Daniel Coston Photo by Daniel Coston THE MINT MUSEUM IS A LEADING, INNOVATIVE MUSEUM OF INTERNATIONAL ART AND DESIGN COMMITTED TO ENGAGING AND INSPIRING ALL MEMBERS OF OUR GLOBAL COMMUNITY. Photo by @MattSDHR Photo by Old South Studios Photo by Mint Staff Photo by Daniel Coston 3 INTRODUCTION THE GREAT LADY TURNS 80 No other art museum in North Carolina could say it has celebrated 80 years of history – because the Mint is the first. Thanks to the tireless efforts of founder Mary Myers Dwelle and her group of dedicated citizens, The Mint Museum opened its doors on October 22, 1936 – an event celebrated with the Mint’s members and community throughout this 2016-2017 year. Weston M. Andress In addition to being the driving force behind the founding of the museum, women provided Chair, The Mint Museum Board of Trustees exemplary leadership throughout the years as both staff and volunteer supporters. And the museum devoted its anniversary year to celebrating women artists – long a mainstay of its permanent collection – with two headlining exhibitions. Dr. Kathleen V. Jameson, President & CEO Hundreds of supporters gathered at Mint Museum Uptown for an 80th anniversary celebration on October 22, 2016, and the celebrations and programming continued throughout the year, drawing support from all corners of the global community. As one of the celebratory videos noted: “The Great Lady is turning 80 – and she’s just getting warmed up.” Weston M. Andress Chair, The Mint Museum Board of Trustees Dr. Kathleen V. Jameson, President & CEO 4 YEAR OF THE WOMAN The Mint Museum celebrated its 80th major exhibitions celebrating this theme: Fired movement between 1945 and 1960. anniversary and proclaimed it the “Year of the Up: Contemporary Glass by Women Artists In addition to these important projects, the Woman,” celebrating not only the fact that the from the Toledo Museum of Art (co-organized museum also opened two major exhibitions museum was founded by visionary women in by The Mint Museum and the Toledo Museum in the spring of 2017: The Wyeths: Three 1936 and has benefited from the leadership of of Art) and Women of Abstract Expressionism Generations from the Bank of America many women since (including board chairs, (organized by the Denver Art Museum). Both Collection (featuring work by N.C., Andrew, donors, and directors) but also the creativity of these projects were noteworthy for being Jamie, and Henriette Wyeth and Peter Hurd) of women artists from around the world. The the first major exhibitions on their subjects. at Mint Museum Randolph, and State of the anniversary was celebrated with a weekend of Fired Up included the work of more than Art: Discovering American Art Now at Mint special programs, including curator lectures 40 international leaders of the studio glass Museum Uptown (which included work by and gallery talks; family activities; and a movement; Women of Abstract Expressionism more than 40 contemporary artists from every community concert at historic Mint Museum provided an in-depth look at 12 of the region of the country). The museum also Randolph. Mint Museum Uptown hosted two pioneering female artists associated with this shared many other smaller-scale but equally- important exhibitions with its visitors. Leo Women of Abstract Expressionism artist Judith Godwin. Twiggs: Requiem for Mother Emanuel was Photo by Mint Staff a powerful tribute by this renowned South Carolina artist to the victims of the shootings at the Mother Emanuel church in Charleston, S.C. The exhibition inspired two “Church Day” memorial events, a Carolina Artists Respond program, and several art activities with the Grier Heights and NexGen programs. John Biggers: Wheels in Wheels was a small retrospective organized by the museum celebrating the life and work of Gastonia native John Biggers – the first time that the museum has had an exhibition of his work. Romare Bearden: The Odysseus Series featured 20 watercolors by this Charlotte native that reinterpret the epic tale of Odysseus. UNC-Charlotte professor Marek Ranis debuted his new Photo by Daniel Coston Photo by Daniel Coston 5 YEAR OF THE WOMAN film Like Shishmaref in the level 4 media opportunities served K-12 students and gallery. This film juxtaposed the vanishing teachers from public, private, independent, coastlines of Shishmaref, Alaska, and North and charter schools. School tours integrated Carolina’s Outer Banks. visual art with language arts, history, and STEM with special exhibitions. Joel Smeltzer, Students, children, teens, families, and adults Head of School & Gallery Programs, and enjoyed popular favorites as well as exciting Gena Stanley, School Programs Assistant, new learning and engagement programs. The incorporated hands-on components with family-friendly Sunday Fun Days program tours to present innovative and educational continued to offer monthly opportunities experiences for students. Smeltzer and Stanley for visitors to connect to the Mint’s special partnered with local teaching artist Eli Arenas, exhibitions and permanent collections. who led a curriculum based studio program Curriculum-based school tours and studio for local high school students based upon the programs, Student Artist (STAR) Gallery exhibition Fired Up. exhibitions, and professional development Many adult programs correlated with special Photo by Daniel Coston exhibitions. Spotlight tours were offered for all Hairston; a woodturning demonstration with the major exhibitions. In tandem with Fired Up, Charles Farrar; and a 3D printing demo with the Mint hosted the Missoula School of Hackerspace Charlotte. Popular hands-on Hot Glass’ mobile hot shop and a panel of experiences included hat-making, space- exhibition artists. Victoria Browning Wyeth, themed 3D construction, design-your- granddaughter of Andrew, spoke to a sell-out own temporary tattoos, still-life sketching, audience in March. Four featured artists from printmaking, and photography. Every event State of the Art conducted mini-residencies, incorporated family yoga related to the day’s delivering lecture and facilitating workshops theme, and a scavenger hunt or docent tour in for adults and NexGen teens. Sunday Fun Days the museum galleries. continued to draw large and diverse audiences each month, averaging 300 - 350 families per STAR Gallery exhibitions engaged students event at Mint Museum Uptown. Leslie Strauss, and schools this year and connected the Head of Family Programs, partnered with gallery experience with the classroom. Seven local artists for a full roster of programming, student exhibitions comprising work from 600 including a painting demonstration with John Victoria Wyeth. Photo by Daniel Coston Photo by Carianna Lynne Co. 6 YEAR OF THE WOMAN Maria Ferran; and State of the Art featured Hispanic culture. The annual Con A de Arte artists Delita Martin and Bob Trotman. All event showcased the work of local Latino programs were free of charge. artists through presentations modeled after the TED conferences that include visual art Rubie Britt-Height, Director of Community presentations and performances by musicians, Relations, conducted community outreach dancers, poets, and actors. The signature programs that reached nearly 12,000 Latin Music Concert Series comprised four participants. Six Mint to Move Cultural Dance events that featured live bands playing Nights, averaging 200 participants, featured Brazilian, Puerto Rican, Andean, Mexican, and Afro-Caribbean music, dance lessons, Latin jazz music. and live art demonstrations. Quarterly Community Conversations combined visual For a look at the Mint’s celebration of its and performing arts as a vehicle to explore 80 years of rich history and impact on the topics such as contemporary jazz music and community, please visit the special microsite the growing South Asian community. Finally, at mintmuseum.org/80th, and get ready to the popular Grier Heights Community Arts celebrate our next 80 years together. Program had another successful year, engaging Photo by Carianna Lynne Co. youth ages 11-17 from one of Charlotte’s most students rotated through STAR Galleries at both NexGen Mint continued for a third year fragile communities. Participants gained Mint locations. Smeltzer conducted a school offering teens, ages 14 to 18, a “place and healthy life skills, advanced academically, and outreach program for 80 eighth-grade Visual space” to gather, exchange ideas, interact, participated in community service through a Arts students at a local STEM magnet school. and learn within the museum setting. For variety of projects and activities connected to “Voyages” engaged students with select works the fiscal year, 17 programs were offered to the Mint’s collections and special exhibitions. of art from the Mint’s Craft + Design collection approximately 325 NexGen Mint members, galleries, and inspired original works of art including: three Hangouts, eight Design Labs, Through the Mint’s highly popular Latino created back in the classroom. Professional and one Roundtable. For the first time, NexGen Initiative, a broad menu of Latino-oriented development opportunities included a new students attended an off-site workshop at programming attracted 1,200 visitors this partnership with Cabarrus County Visual Art Shed Brand Studios. Artists included: Francis year. The family-friendly Bilingual Stories Photo by Old South Studios Teachers, which served 40 local and regional