Mint Museum facts for kids
The Mint Museum, also known as The Mint Museums, is a cool place in Charlotte, North Carolina. It actually has two main locations: Mint Museum Randolph and Mint Museum Uptown. Together, these museums show off amazing art and design from all over the world.
In 2018, Dr. Todd A. Herman became the new president and CEO of The Mint Museum. Before him, Bruce LaRowe was the interim CEO starting in 2017.
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Mint Museum Randolph: The First Art Museum
| Established | 1936 |
|---|---|
| Location | 2730 Randolph Road Charlotte, North Carolina 28207 |
| Type | Art |
The Mint Museum Randolph is located in a special building. This building used to be the Charlotte Mint, where money was made! It opened as an art museum in 1936. This made it the very first art museum in North Carolina, USA.
The museum has many different collections. These include American Art, ancient art from the Americas, and art from Europe. You can also see ceramics, decorative art, and North Carolina Pottery. There are also historic clothes, African Art, Asian Art, old maps, and Contemporary art. Plus, you can find photography here.
Mint Randolph: What You Can See
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The Mint Museum is the biggest art place in Charlotte. It has the largest public collection of art by Romare Bearden. He was a famous artist born right here in Charlotte.
The American Art collection has about 900 pieces. These were made between the late 1700s and around 1945. You can see portraits from the early days of the USA. There are also landscapes from the 1800s. Paintings by a group called "The Eight" are also here. Famous artists like John Singleton Copley and Gilbert Stuart have works in this collection too.
The Art of the Ancient Americas collection is huge. It has about 2,000 objects from over 40 different cultures. These items are more than 4,500 years old! You can see jewelry, tools, pottery, sculptures, and metal art.
The Contemporary Art collection has about 2,230 objects. This includes the Romare Bearden collection. It also features modern sculptures and photographs. These works were made from about 1945 until today.
The Mint's Decorative Arts collection is one of the best in the country. It has over 12,000 objects from 2000 B.C. to 1950 A.D. You can find ancient Chinese ceramics and European pottery from the 1700s. The museum also has the biggest collection of North Carolina pottery. This collection has about 2,200 objects, some dating back to the 1700s.
The Delhom collection was given to the Mint in 1966. It has 2,000 pieces of old pottery and porcelain. Some of these pieces are over 4,500 years old.
The museum also has a collection of Historic Costume and Fashionable Dress. It includes almost 10,000 items. These are men's, women's, and children's clothes. They range from the early 1700s to modern high fashion. This collection shows fashion as an art form.
Mint Museum of Craft + Design: Art You Can Touch
| Established | 1999 |
|---|---|
| Location | 500 South Tryon Street Charlotte, North Carolina |
| Type | Craft and Design |
The Mint Museum of Craft + Design celebrates the rich history of craft in the Charlotte area. It collects artistic crafts made from glass, metal, fiber, wood, and clay. This includes jewelry and furniture.
With over 2,500 works, its collections show how craft has changed over time. You can see everyday objects from the 1800s. You can also see modern art made by artists today. The museum also helps artists create new works. It encourages discussions about art, craft, and technology.
The Mint Museum of Craft + Design is known as one of the best craft museums in the country. It opened in 1999. This happened after a large donation helped the Mint Museum buy a separate space for its craft collection. Its collection has been called "complex and eclectic." It features everything from fine jewelry to fiber art. You can also see unique ceramic sculptures and product designs.
This museum closed in February 2010. It moved from its old building to a new home. It reopened as part of the Mint Museum Uptown in October 2010. The move made the collection's display space much larger. It grew from 10,000 square feet to 18,000 square feet.
Mint Museum Uptown: The New Home
The Mint Museum's new location opened on October 1, 2010. It is a huge building, about 145,000 square feet. It was designed by Machado and Silvetti Associates. This building is now known as the Mint Museum Uptown.
The Uptown location has five floors. It holds collections of glass, ceramics, and wood. These came from the Mint Museum of Craft + Design. Some Contemporary Art, American Art, and European Art also moved here. This brought the museum's art and craft collections together.
The historic Randolph Road building is still open. It has been updated to show off its collections. These include ceramics, historic clothes, and ancient American art. You can also see Asian art, coins, decorative arts, and Spanish Colonial art.
Randolph Road Building: A Historic Place
The oldest part of the Randolph Road building has a cool history. It was once the first branch of the United States Mint. This is where gold coins were made! The building was designed by a famous architect named William Strickland. Construction started in 1836. It cost about $29,800.
The mint opened on July 27, 1837. It was at its original spot on West Trade Street. From 1836 until the Civil War, it made $5 million in gold coins.
In 1931, the building was in danger. The county wanted to expand the main post office next door. People wanted to save the building. In 1933, a group of citizens raised money. They paid $950 to take the building apart. Then they moved it to its current spot on Randolph Road. This land was donated.
The museum officially opened to the public on October 22, 1936. It became North Carolina's first art museum. The building was made much bigger in 1967 and 1985.
In 1976, the building was named a Historic Landmark. This means it's a very important old building.
In 2012, the museum announced a new plan. They would open a research center for North Carolina pottery. This center would be at the Randolph Road building. It would let students and experts study the huge pottery collection. The pottery archives already have 19,000 books and documents.
