LEARN NC

K–12 teaching and learning · from the UNC School of Education

The Mint Museum

Access to digitized images from special exhibitions and the permanent collections of the Mint Museum in Charlotte, NC, along with activities for kids.

Preview your trip on the web: The Mint Museum

a woven Native American bag

Photo courtesy of the Mint Museum.

Learn more

  • Artcyclopedia An online database of over 125,000 works of art. Includes images, glossaries, and short definitions of various art movements.
  • Crafting North Carolina: A Hands on Exploration of North Carolina's Hand-made Heritage North Carolina's geography, history, and resources brought to life through the crafts of the state.
  • Inside Art During an art museum tour, you're sucked into a vortex and find yourself inside a mystery painting. Your only hope of escape is to answer the questions "who, what, when and how". Includes an online quiz and study worksheet.
  • Lesson plan: Observing connections: North Carolina pottery and face jugs This is the third lesson in a series of three in which students are creating art based on their observations: Lesson 1 Observing connections—art, poetry and the environment; Lesson 2 Observing connections—changing landscapes; Lesson 3 Observing connections—North Carolina pottery and face jugs.
  • Lesson plan: Rhythm, Patterns, Color, and Texture in Art and Poetry In this lesson, students will discover the meaning of "rhythm," "patterns," "color," and "texture" through the performance and modeled analysis of a class "symphony." Students will also evaluate the impact of each element on the whole work and note personal reactions and connections to this art form. Students will then work in small groups to apply the same elements and personal evaluation and connections to a historical work of visual art. At the end of the lesson, students will reflect on ways these two experiences are similar.
  • Lesson plan: Inquiry lesson about color This lesson is designed to prepare students for a museum visit and the practice of looking at art critically with special attention to color choices.

Related pages

  • Asheville Art Museum: Through works of art in permanent and special exhibition, students will learn about the rich history of visual arts in North Carolina.
  • Ackland Art Museum: Features online versions of art museum's exhibits and permanent collection, field trip guidelines and activities, lesson plans, and in-depth institutional background.
  • John C. Campbell Folk School: The Folk School offers visitors a chance to experience a special blend of history, art, and natural beauty in the mountains of Western North Carolina.

Related topics

Legal

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The Mint Museum of Art and the Mint Museum of Craft + Design comprise a single, dynamic institution with two unique locations. The Mint Museum holds strikingly distinct collections that define each facility and offer the opportunity for an enriched and full understanding of art, craft and design.

The Mint Museum honors the legacy of the region’s rich craft heritage and serves as an invaluable educational asset to the community. The exhibitions and collections at both locations are complemented by extensive educational opportunities, including artists’ demonstrations, art classes, gallery talks, student artist galleries, reference libraries and numerous family activities.

Mint Museum of Art

Housed in what was the first branch of the United States Mint, the Mint Museum of Art opened in 1936 as the first art museum in the state of North Carolina. The Museum contains a permanent collection that ranges from the Precolumbian era through Colonial America to the present day.

With works as diverse as the 18th century coronation portraits of Britain’s King George III and Queen Charlotte and the distinctive 20th century collages of Charlotte-born artist Romare Bearden, the holdings of the Mint Museum of Art reflect the importance of both past and present artistic traditions. The ceramics collection is regarded as one of the best in the country, featuring works such as ancient Chinese ceramics, 18th century European and English wares, and North Carolina pottery. Social history can be examined through the distinctive lens offered by the extensive historic costume collection, which emphasizes ever-changing tastes and functions in clothing and accessories over the centuries.

Mint Museum of Craft + Design

Heralded as one of the foremost craft and design museums in the nation, The Mint Museum of Craft + Design opened in 1999 in the center of uptown Charlotte’s growing cultural district. Architectural commissions such as a Dale Chihuly chandelier and glass wall sculptures by Tom Patti and Czechoslovakian glass masters Stanislav Libensky and Jaroslava Brychtová greet visitors entering the galleries. Permanent collections of ceramics, glass, fiber, wood, metal and mixed media present the creative evolution of studio craft from the utilitarian objects of the 19th century to the art of today. In addition to organizing their own changing exhibitions, the Mint Museum of Art and the Mint Museum of Craft + Design present major traveling exhibitions organized elsewhere, thereby enhancing the opportunity to see significant works of art, craft and design.

Museum Expansion

The Mint Museum is presently involved in a major expansion project, building on a great tradition of artistic endeavor begun more than seven decades ago. In 2010, the Museum will expand to an innovative, state-of-the-art facility in Charlotte’s burgeoning Center City. The expansion will provide larger and more flexible exhibition space, unique galleries to showcase the collections, and a Family Gallery to reinforce the Museum’s dual priorities of art and education. When the expansion is complete, The Mint Museum’s exhibition space will grow by more than 70 percent.

The original Mint Museum of Art will maintain its current location on Randolph Road in Eastover, one of Charlotte’s most historic suburban neighborhoods. With the opening of the Center City location, the Mint Museum of Art on Randolph Road will dedicate its galleries to showcasing the wealth of its Ceramics, Art of the Ancient Americas, and Historic Costume collections along with presenting European Art, Spanish Colonial Art, Asian Art, and Coins and Currency.

The Mint Museum’s new Center City facility will combine inspiring architecture with groundbreaking exhibitions to provide unparalleled art experiences for its visitors. Galleries dedicated to the Mint Museum of Craft + Design and the Mint Museum of Art will spread across two full floors. The Mint Museum of Craft + Design will relocate from 10,000 square feet of gallery space in its current North Tryon Street facility to 18,000 square feet of gallery space in the new Center City facility. The Mint Museum of Art will relocate its notable collections of American Art and Contemporary Art, as well as a small portion of its European Art collection, to enhanced gallery space in the new facility as well.


The Mint Museum of Art is located at 2730 Randolph Road in Charlotte and The Mint museum of Craft + Design is located at 220 North Tryon Street in Charlotte. For more information, please call (704) 337-2000.
Both locations are closed on Mondays and major holidays.

Admission

Members Free
College Students - $5
Adults - $6
Seniors (62+) - $5
Students (6-17) - $3
5 and younger Free


A paid ticket is good for the same-day admission to both locations. Group tours are available. For information on booking your group, please call the Tour Coordinator at (704) 337-2043.


Museum Shops:
Merchandise includes national and regional crafts, jewelry, adult and children’s books, posters and more. A visit to the shops does not require museum admission.

Can’t make a trip to the museum? They have free traveling trunks with books, videos, CDs, visual aids, activities and lesson plans. Choose from the following collections.

  • Clay
  • Fiber
  • Glass
  • Metal
  • Wood
  • 5th Grade D.I.G.S.
  • Romare Bearden Legacy

Call the museum at 704-337-2098 for more information.


Teachers and students will enjoy these interactive Web pages