UNC Charlotte Magazine - Spring 2021

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The main entrance to the hotel lobby features two grand works by UNC Charlotte faculty. The 30-foot fabric installation, “Of the Trees and Creeks,” is inspired by the tall trees and streams of Charlotte, said Associate Professor of Painting Maja Godlewska, “shadowy and mysterious stream gullies… filled with a tangle of trees, vines and various blooming herbs.” Rachel Dickey’s “49er Light” is “informed by the 49er spirit of persistence and resilience,” she said.

Art Abounds

UNC Charlotte Marriott Hotel & Conference Center showcases 49er artists BY M EG W HA LEN

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he shimmer of “49er Light” is sure to catch the eye of visitors to the UNC Charlotte Marriott Hotel & Conference Center. Installed directly across from the entrance to the hotel’s lobby, the 8-x-18-foot artwork by Assistant Professor of Architecture Rachel Dickey glistens, as intersecting silvery curves capture and reflect the beams from above. Among the distinguishing features of the new Marriott is a 490-piece art collection that showcases original work by faculty, staff, students and alumni of the UNC Charlotte College of Arts + Architecture (CoA+A). Curated by Denise Joseph of NINE dot ARTS, the collection spans across the hotel’s main lobby levels, guest rooms and hospitality and presidential suites and throughout the conference center. NINE dot ARTS is a nationally recognized, award-winning art consulting and curating firm with client art experiences installed in 35 states and four countries. Having created partnerships with universities for other hotel projects, Joseph worked with Department of Art & Art History Chair Lydia Thompson to connect with artists from the CoA+A, then studied their portfolios. While in some cases she chose preexisting pieces, she also commissioned new works especially

Lecturer Keith Bryant’s large wooden wall sculpture, “Goldpan,” is one of several commissioned works inspired by Charlotte’s gold mining history and UNC Charlotte’s mascot, Norm the Niner.

16 UNC CHARLOTTE magazine

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Spring 2021


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