The Bechtler Museum of Modern Art will host a BMW Art Car May 10 through May 21. The first Art Car in BMW’s special collection, painted by Alexander Calder in 1975, will be on display inside the museum’s lobby to coincide with the opening of the NASCAR Hall of Fame on May 11. The Hall of Fame is just two blocks away from the Bechtler in center city Charlotte and opening day ticket holders will be offered a $2 discount off regular museum admission prices.

The BMW Art Car will be displayed for a limited time before heading to France where it will join in the debut of the recently announced 17^th BMW Art Car. The newest Art Car addition will be designed by prominent contemporary artist Jeff Koons and will race in the world famous 24 hours of Le Mans. Accompanying the exhibit at the Bechtler will be rare, behind-the-scenes video footage of Calder signing his Art Car.

It’s fitting that the Bechtler Museum of Modern Art will be the temporary home to the Calder BMW Art Car. The Bechtler collection contains works by Calder, an American artist best known for his colorful mobile sculptures. Currently on display in the museum’s fourth floor gallery is a Calder watercolor, tapestry and artist book. 

Visitors to the Bechtler can view the Calder BMW Art Car during normal museum hours with the purchase of an admission ticket. The museum will open specially on a Tuesday (the day it is normally closed) to celebrate the May 11 Hall of Fame kickoff.

ABOUT THE BMW ART CAR COLLECTION:     

A 35-year tradition of turning cars into canvases was initiated by one man’s intertwined love of racing and art. In 1975, French race car driver Hervé Poulain commissioned American artist Alexander Calder (1898-1976) to paint the BMW 3.0 CSL Poulain was to drive in the Le Mans 24-hour endurance race. Inspired by the car’s impact on race fans, BMW championed the continuation of the project. The collection now includes 16 works from other renowned artists including Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein and Robert Rauschenberg. Each car bears the art of a notable artist from its respective decade. BMW recently announced that Jeff Koons will create the 17th Art Car in the collection. www.bmwusanews.com/artsandculture  

 ABOUT ALEXANDER CALDER:

American artist Alexander Calder (1898-1976) is one of the 20^th century’s most celebrated artists. He is best known for his colorful mobiles and sculptures. Calder was the first in a line of renowned artists to help marry the world of art with the world of motorsports through the BMW Art Car collection. Race car driver Hervé Poulain commissioned Calder to paint the 1975 BMW 3.0 CSL that Poulain drove in the 1975 24-hour Le Mans endurance race. The BMW creation was one of Calder’s last works before he died. The Bechtler Museum of Modern Art has three works by Calder currently on view.

 NASCAR HALL OF FAME OPENING:

Opening May 11, 2010 in Charlotte, North Carolina, the 150,000-square-foot NASCAR Hall of Fame is an interactive, entertainment attraction honoring the history and heritage of NASCAR. The high-tech venue, designed to educate and entertain race fans and non-fans alike, includes artifacts, interactive exhibits, a 275-person state-of-the-art theater, Hall of Honor, Buffalo Wild Wings restaurant, NASCAR Hall of Fame gear shop and the NASCAR Media Group-operated broadcast studio. www.NASCARHall.com