Wednesday, November 5, 2008

Get out the vote -- for art




Hoping to ride the election fervor, the Mint Museum of Art is trying to get out the vote -- for art. Basically, starting today through Nov. 30, patrons can vote on which of two works should -- and will -- become part of the permanent collection of American Art.


"It seemed like a great thing to do this year," said Jon Stuhlman, curator of American art. By putting the decision in the hands of the people, "it really makes you think of the art in a new way."
Stuhlman said it's ironic that like the political elections, there's a progressive choice and conservative choice. He has no projections which will come out the winner.

The two works are above.
On the top is the so-called "conservative" choice -- a pastel on paper. Laura Coombs Hills did "Peonies and Velvet" sometime in the 1920s. The card next to the painting says: "Laura Coombs Hills was an important member of Boston's artistic community. She was highly independent, working as both a `fine' artist and a 'commercial' one over the course of a career that spanned more than five decades. She produced designs for products ranging from posters and greeting cards to needlepoint patterns. ... But Hills is most highly regarded for her portrait miniatures and for lush floral pastels."

On the bottom is what Stuhlman meant by progressive -- namely for thick, loose brushstrokes. "Bouquet on Canvas," by Blanche Lazzell, done in 1914. Oil on canvas. The placard next to it at the Mint says, "Along with Georgia O'Keeffe and Marguerite Zorach, Blanche Lazzell was one of the first American women (and one of only a handful of American artists, period) to embrace the radical new ideas about modern art that emerged during the first half of the Twentieth Century."

The winner will be acquired by the Mint Museum Auxiliary on behalf of the museum. The two pieces were done by women, underrepresented in the collection -- something the auxiliary has been trying to address with its donations, Stuhlman said.

Want to vote?
You have to go to the Mint in person. There are no absentee (a.k.a. online ballots). For more info on the Mint, including hours, click here.

27 comments:

Anonymous said...

I vote for www.gobacktoohio.com

Anonymous said...

What the hell is the previous comment about? How about you go back to your cave? I HATE rednecks!!!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

come on GOBACK TO OHIO member we know you are all KKK running all this propaganda. What cleaners do you take your SHEETS and do yu get them pressed and washed the night y'all go out an Burn a cross. Just as I said " Southerners cant ge over the how the civil war ended. Now after two hundred years y'ALL TRYING TO START THE WAR ALL OVER AGAIN. If you spend more money on your children instead of those TATTOOS on yous legs and arms your kids could go college.

Anonymous said...

Come on GOBACK TO OHIO people raise up your arm like HITLER did and you do at your meetings. Face it you brung the Black man here from another world to do your work and now you hate them for no reason at all.

Anonymous said...

I HATE rednecks!!!!!!!!

Racist.

Anonymous said...

I simply cannot, for the life of me, understand the level of animosity and bitterness so many of these posts contain.
I am a native North Carolinian.
I do agree that it is most annoying to hear people constantly harp on how awful things are here and how great things were back home. Possibly, many of these same people are here simply because of job transfers, etc., and they will be moving on to other not so great places soon enough. More importantly though, there are MANY MANY people who move here and bring some of the best of what they miss most with them.
Let’s start with bagels. No, bagels aren’t southern and they are certainly not comparable to big old cat head buttermilk biscuits when you have grandma’s sausage gravy to sop, and yet bagels are still something yummy and wonderful in their own way and without the large influx of non-North Carolinians, we would not have the great variety of places like “The Bagel Bin” in Huntersville or that NY Flagel place in Mooresville.
Then there’s pizza. Growing up here, Pizza Hut was all many of us had ever had. Then there came Dominos – Delivery! Wow! That was something! Now, we have the Oh So Many Choices debated regularly and sometimes heatedly in this very column. You may not like them all. You may not like any of them. I simply appreciate the fact that we have the choices.
Next, let’s talk about Mexican food. For years there was Taco Tico in some places and Taco Bell and that is where many of us first got a taste of what is called Mexican and yet now, thanks to non-North Carolinians, we have Azteca on Woodlawn, Zapatas at the University, others I haven’t mentioned, possibly not ‘Authentic Mexican’, but certainly more so than the bastardized fare available at the fast food chains.
Shopping! Where do I even start? We have Bass Pro Shop & Pottery Barn, Neiman Marcus & Wal Mart, Macy’s & Nordstrum, People, we have a Tiffany & Co. Is there any better place to dream?
These are just the well known names. There are so many restaurants and shops and boutiques.
Hopefully, many of the non-North Carolinians have also discovered the joys of Green’s Lunch uptown, Mr. K’s on South Boulevard, and our own North Carolina BBQ ( Oh So Many Choices, also debated regularly and quite heatedly).
There is room here for all of us and if all you can do is spout of hurtful, negative things, then you don’t remember one of the most basic rules drummed into my head by my momma and my grandmas and that is… “If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all.”
Now, bless your heart….. If you hate this column that much, don’t read it…….

Anonymous said...

Face it Charlotte Wachovia is gone and with it 20,000 dependable jobs; Now the entire region will suffer a tax base loss; Then Ken Lewis will leave and then BOFA leaves and not one JOB BASE will be present, then the support jobs like Wendys , grocery and many other repair jobs and car sale will leave ; Then Houses will start dropping by %50 percent and they wont sell then People will just toss the keys in garage with a not like HOUSTON back in the 70s.
Its a mess People scratch this off yu list and try Deland , FL or central parts of Fl. or ALABAMA where four car plants exsist.

Anonymous said...

Come on Amy Its a smoke and mirrors trick and even the Charlotte Observer is financially failing because People stopped buying anything; People wont spend money here unless you stick a crow bar in their wallet. Tight here and People are cheap they drive $50,ooo cars and get them repo by next week . They live in shanny shack APARTMENTs built by unqualified People and the HOUSEs were all built by Illegals who knew they were going back home to MEXICO after they got tax free rich. COME on CHARLOTTE wheres your car plant HAHAHAHHAAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH While Car plants were being issued all over the South Charlotte sat with its thumb up its ass Now Phillip Morris is pulling the rug out. MORONS

Anonymous said...

Most houses here are not inspected and out of Building code ; The NEW COURT HOUSE is a joke wit not enoug staff and to top it off the CASE load is growing in HOUSE fraud . ridiculous. NO wonder McCrory lost his own home town vote. they see how Charlotte is becoming a third world City with 8000 thousand Homeless living in the woods . Quick sugar coating everything .

Anonymous said...

AMY you need to make a need to make a new BLOG; We need something we can really rag about .

Anonymous said...

I thought the comments were supposed to be somewhat related to the topic...art or the mint museum but you folks are just plain mean.

Anonymous said...

Ill bet Amy would like string some People up by the Gottchas.

Anonymous said...

I thought the comments were supposed to be somewhat related to the topic...art or the mint museum but you folks are just plain mean.

What's your point?

Anonymous said...

I HATE rednecks!!!!!!!!

Racist.

Um, rednecks are not a race you idiot.

Anonymous said...

"Then Houses will start dropping by %50 percent and they wont sell then People will just toss the keys in garage with a not like HOUSTON back in the 70s."

And HOUSTON is doing fine right now and it has continued to be one of the fastest growing metro areas in the country! Everything goes in cycles! The whole country is slowing down right now! You are a doomsday fool. Charlotte is going to be just fine!

Anonymous said...

I HATE rednecks!!!!!!!!

Racist.

Um, rednecks are not a race you idiot.


"Redneck" is a racial slur used to describe rural, poor, white people.

Anonymous said...

Redneck is not a RACE and it isn't "racist" if the person saying it is white! I-d-i-o-t.

Anonymous said...

Rednecks are white by definition. You are a racist.

Anonymous said...

I am white and I am not a racist. Redneck is not a racist word. I am not going to bother explaining this to you. Your racist argument is absolutely stupid and so are you. You're just pissed because you are a redneck. That isn't my fault - blame your parents (and yourself). Now go back to your cave in the woods and do us all a favor and stay there.

Anonymous said...

There's nothing to explain. Redneck is a racial slur. End of story.

Anonymous said...

Redneck is not a race nor ethnicity and is not a racial slur.

Anonymous said...

Clearly anthropology, sociology, and language are not your strongsuits. Redneck is a racial slur.

Anonymous said...

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Anonymous said...

Using your lame "redneck is racist" argument means that you are also a racist, You clearly don't like people from Ohio/people who are not southern. So there... you are a RACIST!

Anonymous said...

There are Yankees of every race. Rednecks are white by definition. Once again you are wrong.

Anonymous said...

So that makes you even more racist since you hate "yankees" of all races. You are RACIST!

Anonymous said...

So that makes you even more racist since you hate "yankees" of all races. You are RACIST!

I'm an equal opportunity hater and you are a poor excuse for a poster. Please move along. You no longer amuse me.