Thursday, February 9, 2012

Foundation For The Carolinas is holding an Open House this Saturday, February 11, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., welcoming the community to tour its new home. FFTC moved into the Luski-Gorelick Center for Philanthropy, located at 220 North Tryon St., last fall. It's the new name for the building that formerly housed the Mint Museum of Craft + Design. The Mint, as you probably know, moved into a new building at the Levine Center for the Arts in 2010. Bank of America, which owned the former building, donated it to FFTC, and the building then underwent an $8.7 million renovation. I happened to attend a meeting Wednesday evening at the Luski-Gorelick Center and I was amazed by how stunning it is--one of the most beautiful spaces in Uptown, and that says a lot considering all of the fancy buildings and cultural arts facilities there are.


What immediately grabs your attention is the Sonia & Isaac Luski Gallery in the first floor lobby of the four-story building. The gallery is filled with an expensive art collection the Luskis built over decades. The gallery is actually open to the public to tour for free, weekdays 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. But during this Saturday's Open House, you'll get to see the entire building. There are magnificent spaces such as Legacy Hall, which features bronze medallions honoring major philanthropists from the Charlotte area (think last names like Belk, Blumenthal, and Levine), a pavilion, two rooftop terraces, and a vertical garden on the fourth floor that's made up of nearly 1,500 plants. Perhaps what's most impressive, however, is that there are 17 board and conference rooms throughout the building in which nonprofit organizations are eligible to hold meetings free of charge.

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