CHARLOTTE (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — The Sugar Shack has been featured on television, and an album cover, but there is nothing like getting an up close look.
If you ask someone where Sugar Shack is, they may tell you about a restaurant or food truck in Queen City.
But if you asked where Ernie Barnes’ Sugar Shack is, the only answer is The Mint Museum. You can see the iconic painting before you even step foot in the room.
The painting made news after an auction where it sold for millions and the new owner has been a friend of the Mint museum for the past seven years.
“Called us up and said ‘Hey would you be interested in borrowing Sugar Shack’ out of the blue this fall and we said ‘of course’,” added Jonathan Stuhlman, senior curator of American Art at the Mint Museum. “How could you pass that up?”
The artist Ernie Barnes is from Durham. He attended North Carolina Central University, and then played football for three teams in the NFL, and one team in Canada. The painting is his depiction of a dance hall at the Durham Armory in 1952. The story goes Barnes snuck into the lively event as a pre-teen.
“Once the word got out, the front desk has told us that they have never seen so many people, groups of people who are coming and specifically asking to see a painting at the museum,” said Stuhlman. “It’s been amazing.”
The spark of interest in the Sugar Shack painting may seem new but it dates back decades. In 1976 it was the cover of the album, I Want You, by musical legend Marvin Gaye. There are two versions of the painting, and when you compare the Sugar Shack painting and the cover, you’ll notice a subtle difference in the right-hand corner where the banners are hanging, but the vibe remains.
“It’s such an active, fun painting, added Stuhlman. It’s based on his recollection of sneaking into a dance hall performance when he was 13 or 14 years old in Durham.”
Others may know the painting from the highly popular 70’s sitcom ‘Good Times’. The painting appeared at the beginning and end of the show, and Barnes was listed in the credits.
“Celebrating such an iconic here at the museum is special for us,” added Stuhlman.
The Mint staff knows how important it is to have the Sugar Shack here in Charlotte, but like all good shows, this one will come to an end as well.
“It’s a rare chance, the owner said at some point he wants to live with it too,” said Stuhlman. “So it will go back and be in his house. We’ve got it for a couple more months, until June 30th.”
The painting that appeared on the Marvin Gaye album cover is currently owned by actor, Eddie Murphy. He purchased the painting from the estate of Marvin Gaye after the singer passed away in 1984.
