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Wednesday, January 6, 2010
The Bechtler has opened; the people have spoken
Posted By Barbara Schreiber on Wed, Jan 6, 2010 at 9:05 AM
When I strolled over to the Bechtler Museum of Modern Art for the grand opening on Jan. 2, I figured it would be an opportunity to spend a few dreamy hours glimpsing a family’s intimate collection of mid-20th century art and perhaps run into some friends after the long holiday. But the line snaking out the front door was the first sign that something else was going on at the terracotta building on South Tryon Street.
Since this outstanding collection and building have already been subject to massive coverage — some of it hyperventilating — I won’t repeat too many details here. Check out Richard Maschal’s Charlotte Magazine story on how the museum came to be, cherry-pick some of the better reporting in the Charlotte Observer or find other coverage here, here and here.
Instead, here are a few random thoughts and observations offered from my humble perspective as a workaday artist:
• The grand opening of the Bechtler may be a signal of changing attitudes in the Queen City. Even the staff was caught off guard by the turnout. They anticipated 2,000 visitors, but instead 8,000 showed up. Perhaps a lot of these people were just looking for something to do on a chilly Saturday or needed somewhere to take those last holiday houseguests, but I’d like to think they were hungry for a different aesthetic experience (with appetites whetted, of course, by the lure of opening day’s free admission).
• Many visitors either were so delighted they couldn’t control themselves or had never before set foot in a museum, because they had to be constantly reminded to keep their mitts off the art. I’ve never seen anything like this. The Bechtler staff, only six in number, relied on a cadre of volunteers to help them maintain order; I hope these people were treated to strong beverages when the doors closed at 5 p.m.
• I was happy to learn that the book selection in the gift shop will expand. (A sentiment clearly not shared by a woman behind me who sniffed, “Ugh, this has too many books. I’m not interested in books.”) Only about 40 percent of the stock has been put out. More titles are on the way; although most will relate to artists in the collection there will be other offerings as well, including books addressing contemporary art.
• Could we please put a moratorium on comparing anything in Charlotte to anything in New York? The Bechtler is an important collection that speaks of a family’s love of art and artists. It’s a much-needed and welcome addition to our cultural landscape. It is housed in only the second Mario Botta structure in the United States. It will bring attention to Charlotte and be a tourist draw. And it is uniquely Charlotte because Andreas Bechtler is deeply committed to the city and wanted the collection to have its home here. Why do we have to proclaim that the Bechtler now makes Charlotte seem more like New York when it, in fact, makes Charlotte a better Charlotte? Charlotte’s collective habit of endlessly comparing itself to New York makes us look silly.
• The opening day crowd at the Bechtler was overwhelmingly white. At the public opening of the Harvey B. Gantt Center, which is right across the street, it was overwhelmingly African-American — I saw perhaps only four or five other white people the whole time I was there. This is obviously not a situation created by these institutions. But I’ll be curious to know what efforts the various Wells Fargo Cultural Campus venues will make to encourage people of all races to step across Tryon and see what’s happening on the other side of the street. (And to all my buddies who bemoan the paucity of contemporary art here and haven’t even been to the Gantt, you have until Friday to catch the Radcliffe Bailey exhibition and a few more months to see Juan Logan.)
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