Challenge Day 5- Mint Museum of Art

For today, the fifth day of my challenge, I did something that I have been talking about doing ever since I moved to Charlotte. Some friends and I went to the Mint Museum of Art. I have found that this is something that a lot of people have been meaning to do. Well, do I have news for you all! Not only is the Mint Museum of Art open for extended hours on Tuesdays (10am-10pm), but admission is free after 5pm.

Here are a few fun facts about the Mint Museum of Art. It is housed in what was the first branch of the United States Mint. The name makes sense now, huh? Also, it opened in 1936 and was the first art museum in the state of North Carolina.

The permanent collection was amazing, but I really enjoyed the temporary exhibit of the graphic work of Clare Leighton. They were all wood engravings and to see the engravings and see what detail had to go into it to be able to make the print was amazing to me.

If you are going through the museum with children or are just feeling playful yourself, there are different activities for each room. Most of the rooms have a scavenger hunt page to look for things like certain parts of a painting or a drawing of a farmer. There are also activities like mask coloring. These items make the museum a fantastic, interactive experience for all ages.

Definitely pick up the calendar of events at the front desk before you leave. There are many programs that are free or very little cost going on at various times. This is also a great resource to know what exhibits are coming up. Stay tuned for when I check out the Mint Museum of Craft and Design later in the month, free the third Thursday of each month with free jazz.