Share/Bookmark

1/02/2010

Bechtler Museum of Modern Art Opens in Charlotte

Bechtler Museum of Modern Art, Charlotte, North Carolina
The exterior of the Bechtler Museum of Modern Art in Charlotte, featuring Sol LeWitt's "Wall Drawing #995". The museum officially opened January 2, 2010. [Credit: Bechtler.org]


CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A large excited crowd gathered in front of Charlotte's newest modern art museum on Saturday as new Mayor Anthony Foxx performed his first ribbon cutting ceremony. The Bechtler Museum of Modern Art opened its doors for the first time, inviting visitors to view selections from its 1,400 piece collection. Only a handful of the artworks have ever been publicly exhibited in the United States.

The impressive modern art collection was amassed by the late Hans and Bessie Bechtler, a Swiss couple who made their fortune in air-filtration technology. Some of the works are accompanied by books, photographs and letters illustrating the artists' personal connections to the Bechtler family. Mid 20th-century artists including MirĂ³, Giacometti, Picasso, Calder, Hepworth, Nicholson, Warhol, Tinguely, Ernst, Le Corbusier, Chillida and many others are represented.

The Bechtler Museum is only the second structure in the United States to be designed by internationally renowned Swiss architect Mario Botta; he also designed the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.
___________

Share/Save/Bookmark

1 comment:

Queen City Tours and Travel said...

See and learn more about the Bechtler Museum and the "new" Cultural Campus in Uptown as well as over 75 sites on Charlotte's Longest-Running Daily City Tour presented by Queen City Tours and Travel!

Related Posts with Thumbnails