3591 - Charlotte Culture Tour

Please note: OLLI is offering for the first time a rare opportunity for an immersive tour of Charlotte’s great art and architecture in an exciting two-day trip on May 11-12, 2023. This excursion will include private tours of four major Charlotte art institutions: the Mint Museum, the Bechtler Museum, the Gandt Center, and the McColl Center. Additionally there will be a guided walking tour of outstanding public art and contemporary architecture. Our guides will be three art experts, including two well known to OLLI members, Suzanne Fetscher and Ruth Caccavale. 1) The Mint Museum is the oldest art museum in North Carolina and home to one of the largest collections in the Southeast of art from around the world. At the time of this tour, this museum will be one of only two U.S. museums to host the international exhibit “Picasso Landscapes: Out of Bounds,” which will also include works by Romare Bearden, who was influenced by Picasso. 2) The Bechtler Museum of Modern Art, one of only two buildings in the U.S. designed by Mario Botta, is a unique architectural jewel of a museum that is intimate in scale and includes works by some of the most influential artists of the mid-20th century, including Miro, Giacometti, Picasso, Calder, Warhol and Le Corbusier. Only a handful of these artworks have been on public view elsewhere in the United States. 3) The Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Culture offers a vibrant assemblage of the work of North Carolina African-American artists in a building designed by Durham’s own Phil Freelon. 4) McColl Center is a nationally acclaimed artists' residency program that has championed contemporary art and was led for many years by Suzanne Fetscher. Many of you know Suzanne from her Inside the Artist's Studio course and other OLLI courses. She is also one of our guides for this trip. Participants will enjoy a guided walking tour (weather permitting) to take in Charlotte’s outstanding collection of public art and striking contemporary architecture by “star-chitects” I.M. Pei, Cesar Pelli, Mario Botta and others. This portion of the tour will be led by Carla Hanzal, the former Charlotte public art commission vice president. This tour is a great opportunity to experience the best art and architecture of Charlotte, with none of the stress associated with driving. You will particularly enjoy touring with expert guides and a very congenial group of your peers. This trip is not to be missed! Space is limited to only 20, so don’t delay in reserving your spot! The cost of the trip is $225 per person ($300 with round-trip bus fare to Charlotte), which includes private tours at each institution, tours of public art and architecture, and taxes. Overnight accommodations and meals are not included in your registration fee. Tour members must make their own reservations for one night at the four-star Charlotte Marriott City Center hotel, where a block of rooms has been reserved at a negotiated discount. Participants will be emailed instructions for making hotel reservations. Meals will be arranged at excellent local restaurants and are the responsibility of participants. Round-trip transportation to and from Charlotte in a comfortable coach will be offered for an additional cost. No refunds will be available for bus transportation. The coach will depart from the parking lot of Westminster Presbyterian Church, 3639 Old Chapel Hill Rd., in Durham. This will be a two-day cultural experience. Participants will need to be ambulatory and capable of walking up to a mile and crossing busy streets. There will be urban walking with some stops made along the way to view public art and architecture. To register, […..] There will be no refunds for this course after April 14. Masks will be encouraged on the bus.

Please note: OLLI is offering for the first time a rare opportunity for an immersive tour of Charlotte’s great art and architecture in an exciting two-day trip on May 11-12, 2023. This excursion will include private tours of four major Charlotte art institutions: the Mint Museum, the Bechtler Museum, the Gandt Center, and the McColl Center. Additionally there will be a guided walking tour of outstanding public art and contemporary architecture. Our guides will be three art experts, including two well known to OLLI members, Suzanne Fetscher and Ruth Caccavale. 1) The Mint Museum is the oldest art museum in North Carolina and home to one of the largest collections in the Southeast of art from around the world. At the time of this tour, this museum will be one of only two U.S. museums to host the international exhibit “Picasso Landscapes: Out of Bounds,” which will also include works by Romare Bearden, who was influenced by Picasso. 2) The Bechtler Museum of Modern Art, one of only two buildings in the U.S. designed by Mario Botta, is a unique architectural jewel of a museum that is intimate in scale and includes works by some of the most influential artists of the mid-20th century, including Miro, Giacometti, Picasso, Calder, Warhol and Le Corbusier. Only a handful of these artworks have been on public view elsewhere in the United States. 3) The Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Culture offers a vibrant assemblage of the work of North Carolina African-American artists in a building designed by Durham’s own Phil Freelon. 4) McColl Center is a nationally acclaimed artists' residency program that has championed contemporary art and was led for many years by Suzanne Fetscher. Many of you know Suzanne from her Inside the Artist's Studio course and other OLLI courses. She is also one of our guides for this trip. Participants will enjoy a guided walking tour (weather permitting) to take in Charlotte’s outstanding collection of public art and striking contemporary architecture by “star-chitects” I.M. Pei, Cesar Pelli, Mario Botta and others. This portion of the tour will be led by Carla Hanzal, the former Charlotte public art commission vice president. This tour is a great opportunity to experience the best art and architecture of Charlotte, with none of the stress associated with driving. You will particularly enjoy touring with expert guides and a very congenial group of your peers. This trip is not to be missed! Space is limited to only 20, so don’t delay in reserving your spot! The cost of the trip is $225 per person ($300 with round-trip bus fare to Charlotte), which includes private tours at each institution, tours of public art and architecture, and taxes. Overnight accommodations and meals are not included in your registration fee. Tour members must make their own reservations for one night at the four-star Charlotte Marriott City Center hotel, where a block of rooms has been reserved at a negotiated discount. Participants will be emailed instructions for making hotel reservations. Meals will be arranged at excellent local restaurants and are the responsibility of participants. Round-trip transportation to and from Charlotte in a comfortable coach will be offered for an additional cost. No refunds will be available for bus transportation. The coach will depart from the parking lot of Westminster Presbyterian Church, 3639 Old Chapel Hill Rd., in Durham. This will be a two-day cultural experience. Participants will need to be ambulatory and capable of walking up to a mile and crossing busy streets. There will be urban walking with some stops made along the way to view public art and architecture. To register, […..] There will be no refunds for this course after April 14. Masks will be encouraged on the bus.