Charlotte art museum makes a rare move. It bought a painting for the second time
The Bechtler Museum of Modern Art did something unusual Friday morning. For just the second time in its 16-year history, the uptown Charlotte institution announced that it bought a painting.
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The painting in question is “Drum Call” (2025), a watercolor on paper by Houston artist David McGee. The work was meant to mark the 160th anniversary of Juneteenth. “Drum Call” depicts a Black Civil War soldier standing next to a tall drum, which the museum described as “a powerful symbol of warning, communication and agency.”
For over 30 years, McGee has examined identity, history and the politics of representation in his work, the museum said. “Drum Call” typifies that with its image reflecting on the legacy of emancipation and pursuit of freedom.
“David McGee’s work bridges history, literature and lived experiences in ways that invite viewers into meaningful conversations,” museum Executive Director Todd Smith said in a statement. He said the purchase “underscores the museum’s commitment to showcasing and celebrating contemporary art.”
Here’s what else to know about McGee and the acquisition:
McGee already has a presence in Charlotte. “David McGee: The Griot and the Nightingale” opened at the Bechtler in mid-March and is the first major museum survey of McGee’s career. The show runs through Sunday, Aug. 23, and features over 100 drawings and paintings.
The Bechtler called it one of the museum’s most-visited exhibitions. “Adding ‘Drum Call’ to the Bechtler’s permanent collection ensures audiences will continue to engage with the defining artistic voice featured in this important exhibition,” Smith said.
First, there’s one thing we don’t know — the price. The museum is not disclosing it.
But this year, the Bechtler launched what it called its “Patron’s Circle.” People who donate $10,000 or more will have $2,500 of each donation go into a restricted fund for purchasing new works. Acquisitions like “Drum Call” are what the fund was created for. Many individual donors helped pay for the paining, according to the museum.
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Last year, the Bechtler bought its first painting for its permanent collection: “Untitled” (2019), an abstract painting by Clare Rojas that was acquired with funds from local donors.
McGee was born in Louisiana in 1962 and grew up in Detroit, before moving to Texas in the 1980s. His work is featured in a number of permanent collections, including the Dallas Museum of Art, the Rhode Island School of Design Museum and the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston.
In addition to the Bechtler exhibit, McGee also is an artist-in-residence at the McColl Center in Charlotte for most of August, through Monday, Aug. 24.
The Bechtler is well-known locally for its iconic mirrored “Firebird” statue in front of the museum, which locals also refer to as the “Disco Chicken.”
The main part of the museum’s holdings are works by European and American artists collected by the Bechtler family of Zürich and gifted to the museum by Andreas Bechtler and his family, who have long called Charlotte home. The work includes some of the giants of 20th-century modernism, including Max Ernst, Alberto Giacometti, Barbara Hepworth, Pablo Picasso, Bridget Riley and Andy Warhol.
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This story was originally published August 21, 2026 at 9:55 AM.
