Acquisitions

Oscar de la Renta Gown, Historic Costume and Fashionable Dress Collection, 2011

Given by Oscar de la Renta, in honor of the Mint Museum Auxiliary, a stunning celedon silk faille gown with pink carnation embroidery and pink silk bolero from the Oscar de la Renta Spring 2011 Collection was presented at The Art of Style event during the Room to Bloom Celebration in April 2011. It is now a permanent piece in the Historic Costume and Fashionable Dress Collection at the Mint Museum Randolph.

Mint Museum 10-10-10 Project
Ted Noten Sculpture Funded by the Auxiliary

Ted Noten
Dutch, 1956-
SLOW Eleven Women and 400 Daisies 2010
3-D printed and gold plated nylon, magnet

Ted Noten is best known for conceptual jewelry that reflects his humor, rebellious nature and his interest in contemporary philosophical, social and stylistic issues. He has constantly evolved, redefining himself as an artist throughout his career. His work straddles the line between jewelry and design. This crossover is clear in projects where Noten produces democratized lower-priced versions of an initial one-of-a-kind design.

For Project Ten Ten Ten, Noten was inspired by the Mint Museum Auxiliary, who generously supported his commission. During a February 2010 visit to Charlotte, Noten spent time with Auxiliary members. This professional, passionate, intelligent group of mostly women led him to think about the typical American woman. She could be a mother, a humanitarian, an athlete, a politician, or someone who in her own quiet way has made a difference. Noten’s observations compelled him to develop the work SLOW Eleven Women and 400 Daisies as an homage to the Auxiliary and to all American women. Underneath this veil of flowers is a gold plated bust. Features from eleven well-known and influential American women have been combined to create a new woman. The eleven are: Lucille Ball, Ava Gardner, Mia Hamm, Grace Kelly, Annie Leibovitz, Michelle Obama, Jackie Kennedy Onassis, Oprah, Rosa Parks, Condoleezza Rice and Rosie the Riveter. (Click here for a detailed illustration.) Every year a handful of flowers will be removed revealing a little more of the composite figure. These removed flowers, which are actually brooches with a magnetic attachment, will be awarded to members of the Auxiliary for their service.

Noten explored careers such as bricklaying and nursing at a psychiatric hospital before applying to art school. He enrolled in the Academy for Applied Arts in Maastricht, The Netherlands and obtained a degree from Amsterdam’s Gerrit Rietveld Academie. In 2008, Noten received the Françoise van den Bosch Award which recognizes an international jeweler whose work embodies exceptional quality and innovation.

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