Mint Museum Partners with More than 40 Local Artists of Color

The LOCAL/STREET Pop-Up Installation at Mint Museum Randolph March 26-28

Charlotte’s creative arts scene is experiencing an incredible period of growth. But, the recognition of the Queen City’s artists of color is lagging behind. Working with The Mint Museum, artist Carla Aaron-Lopez, a CMS teacher and co-founder of BLKMRKTCLT, wants to change that with LOCAL/STREET, a three-day pop-up exhibition at Mint Museum Randolph featuring the work of more than 40 local artists of color and street artists. The main goal of the event is to bring attention to as many local artists of color as possible, strengthening the relationship between them and the greater Charlotte community.

Aaron-Lopez and the Mint also want to address the reality that museums and artistic institutions are often seen as uninviting as well as unwelcoming to Black & indigenous people of color (BIPOC). This installation extends the Mint’s commitment to integrating Charlotte artists and Charlotte artists of color into their galleries, as the museum has done with its Constellation CLT and Interventions series. 

“Everyone deserves a fair chance to get a slice of our economic pie.”

“Artists living and thriving in Charlotte bring so much color and imagination to our city’s identity. We must support local artists now before they seek opportunities in other cities across the United States,” said Aaron-Lopez. “If we want to retain the creatives we have, it is imperative that we seek to see them as more than artists, but as local small businesses, as well. The business of art goes well beyond beautiful images. Everyone deserves a fair chance to get a slice of our economic pie.” 

The exhibition will feature artists ranging from those who created Charlotte’s “Black Lives Matter” mural to the Latinx communities and artists in the local street art scene. The work represented will be broad and expansive — from digital illustrations of Afrofuturism to photographs from trips across the Atlantic. 

WHAT: LOCAL/STREET is a pop-up exhibition highlighting local artists of color who are defining Charlotte’s 21st-century visual identity. Guests must wear masks while inside the Mint. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, only 50 guests may be in LOCAL/STREET at the same time.

TICKETS FOR FRIDAY: Tickets for the opening on Friday are sold out. But, the exhibition is open on Saturday and Sunday. Get museum admission tickets here.

WHO: This installation is a collaboration between Carla Aaron-Lopez and The Mint Museum, with help from the Arts & Science Council and Charlotte Is Creative. See a list of participating artists.

WHERE: Mint Museum Randolph at 2730 Randolph Rd, Charlotte, NC 28207

WHEN: March 26: 6-9 p.m. | March 27: 11am –  6 p.m. | March 28: 1 – 5 p.m.
Friday night is free admission. Standard museum admission fees apply Saturday and Sunday.

INTERVIEWS: Interviews will be available with organizers and artists upon request throughout the installation. Contact event organizer Carla Aaron-Lopez at 347.772.8269. Promotional Images available for download here.