It is with a profound sense of loss and great regret that the Board of Trustees and staff of the Bechtler Museum of Modern Art announce the death of the museum’s curator, colleague and good friend, Michael Godfrey.

Michael’s unerring curatorial eye, deep understanding of the Bechtler collection, trove of stories unique to the Bechtler family and the artists whose work the family collected will be virtually impossible to replace. But it was also Michael’s genuine warmth, exceptional wit and concern for others that will be missed most deeply.

Michael Godfrey worked closely with the Bechtler collection for more than a decade and oversaw its arrival in the United States and its subsequent organization and evaluation.This knowledge made him uniquely equipped to organize the inaugural exhibition and write most of the accompanying catalogue. At the time of his death, he was in the process of designing the museum’s forthcoming exhibition schedule as well as orchestrating the ongoing assessment of the collection’s conservation. Michael was to have played a central role in the planned digitization project of the museum’s collection and its related archival materials.

Michael was a Charlotte native who held positions with the Mint Museum, Central Piedmont Community College, Context Visual Arts Center, Curators’ Forum and the Little Italy Peninsula Arts Center. The early phase of his career included positions at the National Gallery of Art and the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. and the Towson Art Center in Maryland.

In particular, the Bechtler board and staff’s thoughts and prayers go out to Michael Godfrey’s family and friends but especially to Andreas Bechtler and his family, who benefited from a long, enjoyable and fruitful relationship with a smart, generous and extraordinarily committed colleague and friend.