The Bechtler Museum or Modern Art

The opening of The Bechtler Museum of Modern Art in Uptown has established Charlotte as a city that cares about high culture and the arts. The museum is part of the larger Wells Fargo Cultural Campus, which features the Knight Theater, the Mint Museum, the Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Art & Culture, the Wells Fargo Auditorium and the 48-story Duke Energy Center — all on S. Tryon Street in between W. Stonewall Street and E. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.

All of the features of the Wells Fargo Cultural Campus opened, or will open, in 2010. The Bechtler Museum of Modern Art opened in January 2010 and is a 36,500 square-foot spaced filled with art owned by the Bechtler family amassed over 70 years. The collection features art from some of the most influential painters, sculptors and designers of the mid-20th century including Miró, Giacometti, Picasso and Warhol. Until the museum opened the Bechtler family privately held these works, mostly in Switzerland.

Andreas — the son of Hans the patriarch, and Bessie the matriarch — moved to Charlotte in the 1970s due to the family’s business with a lot of the regional textile mills. Andreas recently decided to make these works public with the creation of the museum.

Not only does the museum feature masterpieces inside the building, but the structure itself is a piece of art. The building was designed by Swiss master architect Mario Botta, and is completely covered in terra cotta tiles. Botta has designed dozens of museums, churches, libraries and other buildings throughout the world, but the Bechtler Museum of Modern Art is only the second commission he has accepted in the United States.

The museum will bring in special exhibitions from the Bechtler’s deep holdings, and will periodically be loaned pieces from other institutions. Admission for the museum is $8 for adults; $6 for seniors, educators and students; and $4 for youth aged 11 to 18. Children under 11 years old are free.

The museum also offers individual memberships for $50 per year and family memberships for $90. The membership includes free admission to the museum, a 10 percent discount in the museum store and café, and updates about special programs and announcements before the public is notified.

HelloCharlotte Tip: The museum offers audio tours for free, and is highly recommended — especially for modern art novices. Not every piece has an audio track to go with it, but the majority do. Time spent in the museum can range from under 30-minutes to several hours, depending on how much time is spent in front of each individual piece.

- by Mike D'Avria, Charlotte Reporter for HelloMetro  (Click to leave a message)

He worked for the daily newspaper, The Athens Banner-Herald in Athens, Ga. before turning to freelance writing and video production.

Mike is the Executive Editor of CampLeadership.org, and has lived in Charlotte for four years.