Jazz at the Bechtler Performed at the Knight Theater

Just received this from Pam Davis at the Bechtler. What a wonderful event! Some of our favorite local musicians are playing so we know the jazz will be great.

"Special Concert on January 2, 2015 Commemorates the 5th Anniversary of the Bechtler.
The Bechtler Museum of Modern Art will celebrate its 5th anniversary on January 2, 2015 with a special performance of Jazz at the Bechtler in the Knight Theater. For this concert, Blumenthal Performing Arts has generously donated use of the Knight Theater, which is located next door to the Bechtler Museum of Modern Art.
Jazz at the Bechtler brings together mid-century art with mid-century music on the first Friday of each month. It has become the museum’s most popular program, with concerts selling out regularly. Concerts are performed by the Ziad Jazz Quartet featuring Ziad Rabie (artistic director and saxophone), Noel Freidline (keyboards), Ron Brendle (bass) and Rick Dior (drums).

To honor the 5th anniversary of the Bechtler Museum of Modern Art, which opened its doors to the public for the first time on January 2, 2010, the museum is offering an elevated performance of Jazz at the Bechtler. For the first time in the program’s history, it will be performed outside the museum’s walls and on a stage. Offering the concert in the Knight Theater will allow hundreds more music enthusiasts to attend Jazz at the Bechtler and provides the opportunity for the Ziad Jazz Quartet to feature numerous guest musicians throughout the concert.

Joining the Ziad Jazz Quartet on January 2 for this special concert will be vocalist/actress Maria Howell. Best known for her role as the choir soloist in the 1985 Oscar-nominated movie The Color Purple, Gastonia native Howell has appeared in myriad TV shows and most recently was seen in The Hunger Games: Catching Fire. She has shared the stage with Ray Charles, George Benson, Nancy Wilson, Marvin Hamlisch and other greats.

Additional Jazz at the Bechtler guest performers are: Al Sergel (drums), Jim Brock (percussion), Jon Thornton (trumpet), Rick Simerly (trombone) and Toni Tupponce (vocals).
Performance
The January 2 Jazz at the Bechtler concert will be performed at the Knight Theater from 7 to 9 p.m. Entrance to the concert is through the Bechtler (420 South Tryon Street, Charlotte 28202), not the Knight Theater. General audience seating will apply. The Bechtler's doors will open at 5:30 p.m. for a cash bar in the museum's lobby.
Bechtler Museum of Modern Art
Tickets
Tickets for this special performance are $25 for the public and $22 for museum members.
Tickets may be purchased online at bechtler.org, by phone at 704.353.9200, at the admissions desk or at the door the night of the concert.

Parking
Concertgoers receive discounted parking in the Levine Center for the Arts garage at 550 South Tryon Street. Show parking ticket at the Bechtler admission desk to receive discount coupon. 

Sponsor
The presenting sponsor of Jazz at the Bechtler is PNC. 

About the Bechtler Museum of Modern Art
The Bechtler Museum of Modern Art is dedicated to the exhibition of mid-20th art. It is named after the family of Andreas Bechtler who assembled and inherited a collection created by seminal figures in modernism. The museum is located at Levine Center for the Arts, 420 South Tryon Street, Charlotte. Operating hours are Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.; Sunday 12 p.m. - 5 p.m.; closed Tuesdays. For museum details visit bechtler.org."

British Invasion at the Bechtler

Roy Lichtenstein

Through Feb. 18, 2015, the Bechtler Museum of Modern Art showcases its holdings of artwork created by artists from Great Britain collected by the Bechtler family.

Lynn Chadwick beast vii bronze

David Hockney

This collection reinforces the notion that the Bechtlers collected the art they liked and were not impressed by what was considered mainstream and acceptable. In our opinion, this is what sets the museum apart and enhances the excitement one feels when visiting the exhibits.

 

This exhibition comprises 56 works of prints, sculptures, drawings and paintings. The 11 artists represented in this exhibit are Bridget Riley, Lynn Chadwick, Barbara Hepworth, David Hockney, Alan Davis, Rodney Gladwell, Bernard Meadows, Victor Passmore and William Scott.

One of Barbara Hepworth's most iconic works is part of the exhibit.

Also on the 4th floor gallery is The Firebird Celebrating Five Years in Charlotte. This special exhibition highlights the influence of the Firebird both before and after its installation in front plaza of the museum in 2009.

Firebird in the mountains

 The 17-foot Firebird has been a delight for all of Charlotte to view and is covered from head to toe in pieces of mirrored and colored glass.

Famous Firebird at its Charlotte home

The Bechtler Museum of Modern Art is located in uptown Charlotte, NC at 420 South Tryon Street. 704 353 9200 / bechtler.org

Statue in the permanent collection on a Bechtler balcony

Mario Botta exhibit at the Bechtler

Mario Botta at the Bechtler

We had the distinct privilege of being invited to the Bechtler Museum of Modern Art in Charlotte for the media coverage of its new exhibit Mario Botta: Architecture and Memory. Swiss architect Mario Botta designed the Bechtler Museum as well as the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art—the only commissions he has accepted in the United States.

This view from one level of the museum to the next is a feature of Botta's open design

It was our first invitation to the Bechtler so we were very excited to see and hear about this extraordinary man who is responsible for one of the most prestigious, and certainly the most unique, museum buildings in Charlotte

Mario Botta is considered one of the world’s foremost architects of churches and museums. It was with much passion Mr. Botta expressed his desire to evoke a space for us to contemplate, meditate and experience our spiritual selves.

A wooden model of a Botta design

The wood models to scale of some of his creations are truly amazing with detail and aliveness.

The Bechtler Museum of Modern Art is presenting the only Mario Botta exhibit in the United States, honoring Charlotte as a true patron of the arts in the western world. 

One of many photos included in the exhibit

Wells Fargo, the exhibit’s presenting sponsor, states “We are proud to demonstrate our continued support of Charlotte’s cultural community by sponsoring a show highlighting one of the world’s masters of architecture.”

Mr. Botta and his interpreter

And on a lighter note Mario was adorable. He exuded the fun and lightness of light that shows in his work and his personality. We so enjoyed his presence and although he speaks no English he was easily understood through his obvious warmth and caring of mankind.

Mario and me

Mario Botta: Architecture and Memory is on our list of must see events. It runs through July 25, 2014 at the Bechtler Museum of Modern Art.