15 facts about the Bechtler in Charlotte that don’t involve the Firebird statue
Recognized by its unmistakable Firebird statue, distinctive terracotta exterior and longstanding popular Friday night jazz series, the Bechtler Museum of Modern Art turns 15 in early January.
The Bechtler Museum opened in early January, 2010, on South Tryon Street in uptown Charlotte. Its origins lie with its namesake, Andreas Bechtler, a Charlotte resident and son of Zurich-based Bessie and Hans Bechtler, who gave his portion of the family’s extensive modern art collection to start the museum.
On Jan. 8, the community can celebrate 15 years with the Bechtler at its free birthday bash, a Wednesday Night Live event that will feature cocktails, music by Charlotte artist and DJ Dammit Wesley, a design-your-own card station and free admission to the galleries.
And sure, the popular Firebird statue and its glittering array of mirrors makes for one of the most photographed sites in Charlotte. But here are 15 things you may not know about the museum, none of which involve the ubiquitous “disco chicken” outside the museum.
15 things to know about the Bechtler
1. The Bechtler family formed lifelong friendships with many of the artists whose works they collected. That included the pop-art icon Andy Warhol. In 1973, he created portraits of the family which now hang as part of the museum’s collection, along with similar portraits of Marilyn Monroe and Elvis.
2. Elsewhere in its permanent collection, the Bechtler features more than 1,400 works by European and American artists. This includes some of the most influential figures in modernism, from Max Ernst and Alberto Giacometti to Barbara Hepworth and Pablo Picasso.
3. The museum building is a work of art itself. Designed by award-winning Swiss architect Mario Botta, it’s one of only two Botta-designed projects in the United States. The other is the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.
4. The terracotta used in the structure was sourced from Boston Valley Terra Cotta, a leading architectural terracotta manufacturer just south of Buffalo, New York.
5. The four-story structure spans 36,500 square feet and features a glass atrium that extends through the building’s core, an intentional design element that uses a system of vaulted skylights to diffuse natural light. The fourth floor extends out over the plaza and is supported by a single column.
6. The first work installed in the museum was “Wall Drawing #995,” by artist Sol LeWitt, who died in 2007 and was a leading figure of minimalism and conceptual art. It took a team of eight people 11 days to install the colorful, geometric drawing, which greets visitors high overhead in the museum’s atrium. The work rises roughly 23 feet tall by 27 feet wide.
7. The museum presents ever-changing modernism exhibitions from its collection — often serving as the only U.S. or Southeastern venue for major traveling exhibitions — as well as those of important living artists from around the world. That includes British installation artist and filmmaker Isaac Julien and Iceland native Hildur Jonsson.
8. The Bechtler’s current show, “Clare Rojas: Past the Present,” features nearly 100 works from the last five years by contemporary artist Clare Rojas, including large and intimate paintings, bronze sculptures, works on paper and a wallpaper installation designed in collaboration with F. Schumacher & Co. and Peg Norriss. The exhibition closes Jan. 19.
9. The museum’s upcoming spring show, “Virginia Jaramillo: Principle of Equivalence,” is the first comprehensive retrospective of pioneering Latina artist Virginia Jaramillo’s expansive 60-year career. With an interest in physics, the cosmos and mythology, the Texas-born artist’s work examines the relationship between the earthly and metaphysical, and, through form, color and material, explores alternate ways of understanding the world. The show runs from Feb. 8 to June 8.
10. Led by local jazz saxophonist Ziad Rabie, the Ziad Jazz Quartet is the featured act for the museum’s popular Jazz at the Bechtler series. Started in the spring of 2010, the shows have become a monthly staple in the city’s cultural scene. Special guests ranging from piano to harmonica players, and members of the Charlotte Symphony, also perform. The event features two shows, at 6 and 8:15 p.m., and costs $25 for Bechtler members and $30 for the general public. The concerts are part of the museum’s Jazz Affinity Group subscription.
11. The Bechtler family’s reach in the Charlotte art scene goes beyond its museum walls. Swiss artist Jean Tinguely’s 40-foot-tall work, “Cascade,” has been in the Carillon building in uptown since 1991. The whimsical work was commissioned by the Bechtler family.
12. The museum’s gallery attendants are all trained in art history and can answer questions about the art on display. Bring your toughest questions and see if you can stump them.
13. The Bechtler is open every day except Tuesdays. Admission is free on Wednesday evenings from 5 to 9 p.m. thanks to a sponsorship by Bank of America.
14. Since opening in 2010, free education programs for students have been central to the museum’s mission. Free guided school tours take place Wednesday through Friday, from 10:30 to 11:45 a.m. The Bechtler plans to expand its educational offerings at the museum and throughout the community in 2025.
15. The museum’s “Music and Museum” is another concert series, featuring art and live performances by the Bechtler Ensemble led by cellist and Andreas’s daughter, Tanja Bechtler. On Feb. 23, the ensemble will offer a tribute to Hans and Bessie Bechtler through the works of Mozart and Dvorak.
For more information on the Bechtler at 15, visit bechtler.org.
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This story was originally published December 31, 2024 at 5:50 AM with the headline "15 facts about the Bechtler in Charlotte that don’t involve the Firebird statue."