Here’s everything we know so far about the big Picasso exhibition coming to Charlotte

More details are starting to emerge about the electric news that a Picasso exhibition is coming to Charlotte in 2023.

Local leaders and others expect it will be a boon not only to the city’s arts scene but its economy as well. Charlotte will be the first of just three cities in the U.S. to host the exhibition of landscape works by Pablo Picasso, one of the most influential and important artists of the 20th century.

The exhibition is headed to Mint Museum Uptown from Feb. 25 to May 21 in 2023.

The exhibition is an expensive one, and will require assistance from local officials to ensure its accessibility to many Charlotte residents, Mint Museum President and CEO Todd Herman told the Observer Tuesday.

“We had a really good response from our local community in raising money to the point that we feel confident that we’ll be able to move forward and bring this exhibition to Charlotte,” he said.

Such a cultural event could help put Charlotte on the playing field with other major cities, Herman added.

“It demonstrates... that Charlotte is a world-class city and can attract on a regular basis these kinds of international exhibitions that draw people to our city,” he said. “That’s important for Charlotte’s position in the larger sort of cultural sphere.”

Here’s what else you need to know about the exhibition:

What’s in the Picasso exhibition?

The exhibition, “Picasso Landscapes: Out of Bounds,” features 80 paintings by Picasso, Herman said. The works will come from a number of museums and private collections from around the world.

The show itself is produced by the nonprofit American Federation of Arts, which called the exhibition the first “to explore the artist’s deep engagement with landscape subjects and his expansive approach to this traditional genre.”

According to the federation’s website, the exhibition is curated by Laurence Madeline, who has worked at the Musée Picasso and the Musée D’Orsay, both in Paris.

A federation official could not be reached for comment.

How did Charlotte land the Picasso show?

Herman said he was approached by the federation last February, and asked if the Mint Museum would be interested in hosting the exhibition.

It’s a big deal for a Charlotte-based museum to host a body of work by such a well-known artist, Herman said.

“Picasso is a name that almost everybody recognizes,” he said. It will be one of the most high-profile exhibits to come to the Mint in years, he added. The museum has never had an exhibition dedicated to Picasso, and it’s been 70 years since it showed a single painting of his.

After Charlotte, the exhibition is set to go to the Cincinnati Art Museum then the Denver Art Museum.

What will be the impact on Charlotte?

The Mint Museum hopes to collaborate with local artists and organizations in connection with the exhibition’s run in the city.

“What we wanted to do from the very beginning was make this not about a Picasso show at the Mint, but about the celebration of arts within the entire community,” Herman said.

Charlotte’s landing an international exhibition of this magnitude is a strong indicator of how the region’s arts reputation has grown, said Randy Cohen, vice president of research for Americans for the Arts, an arts advocacy group in Washington DC.

But it’s not just the arts community that could benefit.

“These are exhibitions that people travel to, making Charlotte a visitor destination,” he said in an email interview. He predicted there will be other benefits to the local economy.

Citing a national study by his agency, Cohen said that attendees at local arts events spend $30 per person, not including admission, on meals, parking, and transportation, with out-of-town visitors adding hotel expenses to those totals.

“This should be a boon for local businesses,” he said.

How much will it cost?

The Mint Museum is targeting a ticket price of $25 that would cover admission to the museum and the special exhibition, Herman said. The museum’s current admission is $15.

“Our goal is to be as accessible as we possibly can,” he said.

Tickets likely won’t be available until 2022, Herman said, as the museum works to finalize plans for the exhibition.

Why is taxpayer assistance needed?

The museum has already raised much of the funds necessary to bring the exhibition to Charlotte from corporate and private support, Herman said.

Additional funding from the city and county will help ensure the accessibility of the exhibition, Herman said. For example, the Mint hopes to offer free admission to children and to Charlotte art teachers.

City and county officials are considering a combined $500,000 contribution to help bring the event to Charlotte, City Manager Marcus Jones announced Monday.

There are inherently more costs associated with an exhibition like the Picasso show than many others, Herman said. The Mint Museum will have to spend money on heightened security to protect the paintings as well as on a newly designed space to display the works.

Charlotte will likely pay more than Mecklenburg, said County Commissioner Laura Meier, who has been involved with negotiations for several months. The investment will spur tourism and economic opportunity in uptown Charlotte, which has suffered heavily amid the coronavirus pandemic, Meier said.

“It’s something that I think is a great opportunity for Charlotte and the county,” Meier told the Observer. “We’re going to have kids from all over the county able to see Picasso for the first time. Kids that would never be able to have this opportunity... It’s an investment for our people.”

It’s not clear yet when votes on the government funding decisions will take place.

What other concerns do elected officials have?

Before a funding vote, Council member Tariq Bokhari said he wants to understand Charlotte’s return on investment for the exhibition, including the economic boost for local hotels, restaurants and other businesses as visitors come to the region.

Bokhari also wants to see its impact for creating jobs around Charlotte.

“We have to be very responsible with our dollars, so we’ve got to do the math,” Bokhari, a member of the Council’s Arts and culture Ad Hoc Committee, said. “Can this almost be some sort of force for the recovery of our hospitality and tourism industry? Can it draw folks in the way that Van Gogh did?”

Bokari was referring to the Immersive Van Gogh exhibit at Camp North End, which displays multiple expansive images of Van Gogh’s work set to music.

Council member Malcolm Graham said the Picasso exhibition is a great concept, although he too needs more information on the deal.

“I tend to be very supportive of things of things that help with economic impact,” said Graham, another arts committee member. “(Picasso) goes to demonstrate that we have the ability to attract arts and artists from around the world. Charlotte is a major stop now for arts and entertainment.”

Mayor Pro Tem Julie Eiselt, who chairs the Council’s arts committee, said public arts funding is key for Charlotte’s economy and quality of life. It’s common for major cities to underwrite arts exhibits, Eiselt said.

“It’s important to give students access to major cultural events like this,” Eiselt said. “We’re hoping this will provide opportunities for people to get there affordably or for free.”

Arts editor Adam Bell contributed to this report

This story was originally published September 15, 2021 at 6:35 AM.