Enjoy the Mint Museum of Art Randolph’s permanent collections spanning more than 4,500 years of human creativity from all over the world and special exhibitions during your visit. Charlotte’s Mint Museum also houses the Mint Museum Shop featuring collection and exhibition related merchandise.
The Mint Museum of Art Randolph Collections
Art of the Ancient Americas Collection
The Art of the Ancient Americas Collection is made up of a wide-ranging collection that showcases over 2,500 artworks, spanning 4,300 years of artistic creativity and presenting more than 40 of the major societies from the ancient Mesoamerica. Wander through two art galleries representing the arts of the ancient Americas at the Mint Museum. In the first gallery objects are viewed as windows into the society that created them. Such artworks shine light on the daily routines, social practices, politics, intellectual accomplishments and spiritual beliefs of the people of the ancient Americas. In a second gallery, earthenware, jadeite and other stones, gold and silver, shell, and fiber showcase the aesthetics and creative techniques developed by the ancient artists of the Americas.
Decorative Arts Collection
The Mint Museum of Art Randolph’s Decorative Arts Collection numbers more than 12,500 objects and includes furniture, silver and glass. Highlights from the Decorative Arts Collection include wares from England and continental Europe as well as American art pottery and Asian porcelain. Additionally, the Mint Museum holds the largest public collection of North Carolina ceramics in the United States.
Fashion Collection
Established in 1972, the Fashion Collection is one of the primary artistic focus areas of the Mint, numbering over 10,000 items and spanning over three centuries of fashion history. Highlights within the Fashion Collection include an evening dinner suit made by the House of Chanel for the fall and winter of 2003 and 2004, an evening dress made by French fashion designer Jacques Doucet during the 1800s, a reception gown dating between 1895 and 1900 made by the House of Worth and a gentlemen’s court suit created in 1770 that was worn to the wedding of Maria Antoinette.
Native American Art Collection
Donated by Gretchen and Nelson Grice, the Mint’s Native American Art Collection captures the artistic expressiveness and creative craftsmanship of works in clay, wood and fiber. Art forms featured in the Grice Collection include: Native American and Canadian basketry, including many early examples of the finest quality such as those from California; performance masks, mostly from Mexico, that illustrate the variety of dance pageants and their many characters that are essential to contemporary community life; Maya textiles including the myriad traditional clothing styles that distinguish the different peoples and towns in southern Mexico and Guatemala; and contemporary ceramics from New Mexico and Arizona.
Shopping in the Mint Museum Shop
Be sure to stop by the Mint Museum Shop. From one-of-a-kind ceramics made by local potters to handcrafted items from around the world, collection and exhibition related merchandise can be purchased at the Mint Museum Shop.
- Several restaurants are located within walking distance of the Mint Museum of Art Randolph including Laurel Market, Fenwick’s, Napa on Providence and Panera.
- Wheelchairs are available for use at the Mint Museum of Art.