Charlotte NC Arts District Recipient of Gift of Niki Saint Phalle Sculpture

T.ORTEGA GAINES-ogaines@charlotteobserver.com

From the Charlotte Observer.com

"Andreas Bechtler and Laura Gabriela Duke walk through the arch of "Le Grand Oiseau de Feu sur L'Arche," a 17-foot sculpture Bechtler bought for the plaza of the Bechtler Museum of Modern Art. Duke is the daughter of the sculptor, Niki de Saint Phalle. "Firebird," Bechtler said, "makes you feel that life is good."

Lucky, lucky Charlotte NC to have benefactor Andreas Bechtler gift his extensive contemporary art collection to a museum in the city's nascent South Tryon Street Arts district and then purchase an iconic Niki St. Phalle mosaic to announce the the collection's presence to the passing world. The museum will open to the public in January. The Saint Phalle mosaic was unveiled yesterday.

According to the Bechtler Museum website:

"The Bechtler collection comprises more than 1,400 works by 20th-century modern artists such as Alberto Giacometti, Joan Miro, Jean Tinguely, Max Ernst, Barbara Hepworth and Sam Francis.

"Swiss-born Andreas Bechtler is an artist, musician, retired entrepreneur and art collector. After inheriting a portion of his parents’ mid-century modern art collection, he made plans for a museum that would not only honor the art but also the way in which it was collected. His desire to share the collection with his adopted Charlotte, North Carolina home was fueled by his family’s passion and commitment for collecting art and supporting artists. Through the works he has personally added, Andreas Bechtler has brought a great deal of joy and vitality to the collection.
The work of Niki de Saint Phalle brings a sensuous, welcoming quality of beauty. These artistic elements are expressions of Andreas' quiet dynamism. Like his parents, Andreas has illustrated a longstanding commitment to the freedom of independent perspective, experimentation and inquiry that often leads to artists' greatest achievements."

With the Mint Museum building its own facility right next door, it looks like Charlotte's South Tryon Arts District is off to a pretty exciting start.

To see the Charlotte Observer article with another 13 photographs of the "Firebird" click Charlotte Observer.com . Be sure to check out the comments after the article. Response from the public to "Firebird" have been decidedly mixed. What do you think?

To learn more about the Bechtler Museum, click Bechtler Museum of Modern Art

To learn more about Niki Saint Phalle, click http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niki_de_Saint_Phalle or http://nikidesaintphalle.org/

Enjoy -- Nancie