Greetings from the Young Affiliates of the Mint!

As we begin the 2010-11 year, it’s an exciting time to be a Young Affiliate and a member of The Mint Museum. We are thrilled to be a part of a special time in the Mint’s history as they open a new Uptown location at the Levine Center for the Arts, welcome a new Executive Director, develop new program offerings, seek new art acquisitions and grow their permanent collection.

As the Mint strengthens its ties to the Charlotte community, the Young Affiliates seek to further strengthen our bond with this dynamic museum. We do so by showcasing all that the Mint has to offer through our planned events in the coming year.

Increasing your InvolveMINT

As a Young Affiliate and a member of the Mint, this year more than ever, you will have access to the Mint’s special blend of fun, art-focused and philanthropic activities. This year, the Young Affiliates will be event sponsors of four First Friday events held at the Mint Uptown. Each First Friday will offer live entertainment, exclusive access to featured exhibitions, educational opportunities, artist demonstrations, craft activities and more.

Our Artitudes series exposes Young Affiliate members to the many ways they can embrace the arts and cultural community of Charlotte. As a Young Affiliate, you will have access to even more do-it-yourself classes and educational sessions than ever before, many led by the Mint’s own talented education department.

Every year, our members look forward to the Young Affiliates’ signature philanthropic event: the Black & White Gala. We’re pleased to announce that this year’s gala will be held at the new Mint Uptown on Friday, November 12, 2010. Mark your calendars for the chance to experience this fabulous event at the new Mint shortly after its grand opening!

Our 2010 Derby Days event in May broke attendance and fundraising records for the Young Affiliates. Let’s aim for another record-breaker as we gather to watch “the most exciting two minutes in sports” on May 7, 2011 at the Mint Randolph!

Supporting Community DevelopMINT

As a Young Affiliate, you’re probably eager to explore the many cultural and arts opportunities available to you in Charlotte. Through our extensive partnerships, we’re able to provide great opportunities for you to get to know many arts organizations through your affiliation with the Mint.

A special thanks to our current partners Club Blume (Blumenthal Performing Arts Center), Opus X (Charlotte Symphony) and Theatre Charlotte for allowing us the opportunity to engage our members through special concerts, plays, happy hours and classes! As the year continues, we are eager and committed to maintaining and growing our partnerships.

Enhancing your EnjoyMINT

Though we’re primarily increasing our exclusive member benefits to those who charitably support the Mint through its Young Affiliates program, we’re committed to providing a free platform that will allow Charlotte’s young professionals to network and socialize in a relaxed environment. Some of Charlotte’s hottest and newest venues have been home to our Young Affiliate Happy Hours, and that trend will only continue!

We also can’t forget the tremendous successes of our Aquavina Wine Festival event in Fall and Morton’s Philanthropy Week event in Spring. These phenomenal restaurants have provided awesome events in support of the Mint and we hope to continue these relationships and add others in the upcoming year.

Building the ExciteMINT

I’m particularly thrilled to announce that the Young Affiliates is embarking on a significant art acquisition for the Mint. Acclaimed Japanese artist, Kawana Tetsunori, has been commissioned to create a large bamboo sculpture for display at the Mint Uptown. We are certain this sculpture will be a show stopper and quickly become one of the more well-known and accessible art pieces at the Uptown location. More information on Tetsunori can be found here http://kawanaworld.com/profile.html.

Showing your CommitMINT

An art acquisition is a massive undertaking and we need your help. Please support our fundraising efforts by becoming a member or renewing your lapsed membership, inviting your friends to join, attending major events such as Black & White and Derby Days, volunteering on a committee or by making a sponsorship donation, silent auction donation, or individual gift. To discuss ways that you can significantly impact the Mint through your generosity, please contact Development Chair Katie Rozycki via email at Katie.rozycki@youngaffiliates.org.

Strengthening your EngageMINT

The Young Affiliates would not be considered the premier young professionals organization in Charlotte without the support of our volunteers, committees and board members. To get more involved, meet great people and build your leadership skills, please consider volunteering or serving as a member on a committee for one of our many initiatives—events, fundraising, membership and education, to name a few.

Be sure to discover what the Young Affiliates are up to Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. There, you’ll get up-to-date information on events and programming and be able to share your thoughts on how to further strengthen the Young Affiliates.

Thank You for Your InvolveMINT

Finally, I wish to personally thank all of you for your continued support of the Young Affiliates and the Mint. With all that is to come, it is truly an exciting time to be a Young Affiliate. I look forward to serving as your President and working with our wonderful group of board members. Together, I know our ambitious goals will be reached and we’ll continue to create a wonderful community of Mint supporters.

Sincerely,

Tiffany Lee

President