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Bechtler Museum of Modern
Art: Mid-20th Century Works
in Charlotte |
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he Bechtler Museum of Modern Art, the only museum dedicated to the exhibition of mid-20th Century modern art in the southeastern United States, celebrated its grand opening Jan. 2, 2010, in Charlotte, North Carolina.
The museum is named after the family of Andreas Bechtler, a Charlotte resident and native of Switzerland who inherited and assembled a collection of more than 1,400 artworks created by major figures of 20th Century modernism. He donated the collection to the public trust. The Bechtler collection reflects most of the important art movements and schools from the 20th Century with a deep holding of the School of Paris.
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he collection comprises artworks by seminal figures such as Alberto Giacometti, Joan Miro, Jean Tinguely, Max Ernst, Andy Warhol, Alexander Calder, Le Corbusier, Sol LeWitt, Edgar Degas, Nicolas de Stael, Barbara Hepworth and Picasso. In many instances, the holdings by a particular artist are across various media (painting, sculpture, drawing, prints and decorative arts). Some works in the collection are also accompanied by books, photographs and letters illustrating personal connections to the Bechtler family.
Many of the artists in the collection were close friends of Hans and Bessie Bechtler (the patrons, now deceased, who started the collection in the 1940s) and their son Andreas. Some of the most important and fascinating works were gifts to the family by the artists themselves. The Bechtlers were dedicated and inspired collectors who identified some of the most influential figures in modern art early in their careers and formed personal relationships with some of them.
Only a handful of the artworks in the Bechtler collection have been on public view in the United States. Until now, the collection was privately held by the Bechtler family of Switzerland and has since been committed to the city of Charlotte.
The museum building was designed by world-renowned architect Mario Botta. Botta’s design for the 35,600-square-foot Bechtler uses strong, formal contrasts to surprise and engage visitors.
The Bechtler Museum of Modern is part of a public-private partnership that is creating new and enhanced cultural facilities along Charlotte’s South Tryon Street corridor. Joining the Bechtler on the Wells Fargo Cultural Campus are the Mint Museum Uptown (opening fall 2010), the Knight Theater and the Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Culture.
The Bechtler Museum of Modern Art is located at 420 South Tryon Street in Charlotte, North Carolina. Regular operating hours are Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday 10 am - 5 pm; Sunday 12 pm - 5 pm; closed Tuesdays. Admission is $8 for adults; $6 for seniors, college students and educators; $4 for youth (11 to 14) and free for children (up to 10). For museum details visit
www.bechtler.org.
Learn more about Charlotte
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Katherine O. Pettit has worked as a writer, magazine editor, printer and
public relations consultant. The Columbia resident has published
more than 250 articles in magazines and newspapers. Her writing
explores a variety of subjects including travel, lifestyles, business
and management.
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