little charlotte's a big girl now

Charlotte, my hometown from middle school on and a city that wishes it was Atlanta, recently had a coup. The Bechtler family donated their extensive art collection to the city, creating the new Bechtler Museum. The family's collection of modern art is amazing, collected by the extended family. Currently around 10% of the collection is on display, the museum will rotate the collection every six months. I look forward to return visits to see the rest. Luckily, I won't miss the current collection when it's gone- for my birthday, my parents gave me the catalog of the collection!

In addition to the art, the architecture is also amazing. The slim four-story building, attached to others in the Wells-Fargo Cultural Center, was designed by Mario Botta. His use of terra cotta contrasts with the stark interior and some of my favorite pictures are how the outside/inside/art intertwine. In addition, the space is connected to the performance space next door and interacts with other parts of the cultural campus.

[Vive Moi (Long Live Me); Niki De Saint Phalle]

[Untitled (Water Buffalo); Jean Tinguely]

[Garden Sculpture (Model for Meridian); Barbara Hepworth]

[view from second story balcony, in]

I didn't get to take pictures of my favorite floor- the fourth floor is full of beautiful paintings, but a few of my very favorites are on the website. If you find yourself in Charlotte, this is the must see museum in town (other than the Nascar museum, of course!)