A few things to touch upon, Charlotte-style

• I know most people reading my blog (I said most), who are my age anyhow, listen to KISS 95.1 or 96.1, The Beat more than they do WDAV 89.9. Yes, I listen to those too now and again. But I mostly listen to the only classical radio station listed for miles around. It's based at Davidson College and they're having their beg-a-thon (whoops! That's Annual Spring Fund Drive to you) right now. Apparently, as I heard this morning, they're going to do some collaboration this coming fall with Opera Carolina. They said they couldn't give too many details, but I have a feeling it's going to be a radio broadcast of a live opera. Should be interesting.

I have two things to complain about:

1. Everyone who pays attention to uptown Charlotte development knows that we are awaiting the imminent arrival of the NASCAR Hall of Fame. This will no doubt be crammed neatly into the 1 inch space that is left over betwixt Founders Hall and the conveniently-accessible-to-urban-dwellers-but-traffic-jamming Bobcats Arena. Have any one of you gone anywhere near College or Brevard streets on game/theater nights? It doesn't work. Parking is a joke. 6pm : BofA drones driving their "hard earned" BMW's and Lexus' out of the parking decks at the end of the day, while the arts crowd and the basketball crowd merge in together at the same time, trying to snag a spot before the show/game. There has been speculation that this issue has caused diminishing attendance for uptown events and I wouldn't blame them. Me? Sorry, not even traffic annoyances can keep me from uptown. I live for those nights.
2. Will someone please pump more money into the Mint Museum of Art so their exhibitions can be more exciting? I have no desire to look at non-descript color concoctions for 6 months straight. And I'm not putting blame on the MMofA themselves, certainly not. It's called funding, kids! Fine arts and culture is not a concept reserved only for +50 senior citizens with wealth to spare. You, too, can enjoy nice things! But you have to show interest and there seems to have been little interest in the past 2 years. I use to work at the Mint and I've been a member for some time, now. I remember exhibitions of European art, exquisite furniture and rare Asian artifacts. I remember promotional "Family Days" for a collection of 19th century British paintings, complete with a catered English High Tea and chamber music. I remember the Russian exhibit of 2000 that was so elaborate and careful in its presentation that you needed a ticket just to get into the main gallery to see Catherine The Great's hand gloves (and once you got in, you couldn't leave again). I remember swarms of people coming to see Renaissance-era masterpieces that belonged in the Lourve or 1940's era photographs by Margaret Bourke-White or Ansel Adams. /sigh...I wish those days were back again, but I also know that slumps come and go. So go to the museum (or the equally impressive Craft and Design uptown) and show your patronage! :)