Public art at the Bechtler Museum of Modern Art in Charlotte, NC

The Fire Bird, a 17-foot-tall statue by French-American artist Niki de Saint Phalle, stands outside the new Bechtler Museum of Modern Art in Charlotte, NC. The 36,500 square-foot museum opened in early 2010 and is said to house of the most important 20th Century European Art Collections found in the Southern United States. The museum was designed by Swiss architect Mario Botta. Photo by Charlotte photographer Patrick Schneider.