Charlotte, North Carolina, has a vibrant art culture. You can find visual art in museums, galleries, grass-roots exhibitions, and in murals all over the city. Visual artists often collaborate with musicians and dancers to create multi-media performances.
Read on for a calendar of upcoming art events. By no means is this an exhaustive list, but we’re adding to it all the time. If you know of an art event coming up that should be on the list, please send us an email at info@charlotteonthecheap.com, and we’ll try to add it. Caveat: we don’t have time to add everything. Also, we focus on the lower-priced end of the art spectrum.
Also, follow the links below for Charlotte art museums and galleries, to see their full calendar of events.
Before we get to the calendar, we’ll include a quick list of some of the art museums and galleries in Charlotte. Again, it’s not a complete list, and we’re happy to add more galleries to the list. Just let us know. You can also jump right to the events.
You might also be interested in this list of large-scale public sculptures in Charlotte.
Charlotte Art Museums
Check out this list of art museums in Charlotte, or jump to the calendar of art events.
You might also be interested in this list of free days at Charlotte museums.
The Mint Museum Uptown
500 South Tryon Street
Charlotte, NC 28202
Houses outstanding collections of American, contemporary and European art, as well as the Craft + Design collection.
The Mint Museum Randolph
2730 Randolph Road
Charlotte, NC 28207
Beautiful park setting. Art of the ancient Americas, ceramics and decorative arts, European and African art, and more.
Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Culture
551 S Tryon Street
Charlotte, NC 28202
The Gantt Center presents, preserves and celebrates the art, history and culture of African-Americans and people of African descent. Besides the galleries, the Center’s music, dance, theater, film and literature area hub for African-American culture in Charlotte.
Bechtler Museum of Modern Art
420 S Tryon Street
Charlotte, NC 28202
The collection of The Bechtler includes works by some of the most important and influential artists of the mid 20th century. The collection was originally held privately by the Bechtler family of Switzerland.
Museum of Illusions Charlotte
601 S Tryon Street
Charlotte, NC 28202
Holograms, optical illusions and more mind-bending sights.
Charlotte Art Galleries
Explore this list of art galleries in Charlotte, or jump to the calendar of art events.
Brooklyn Collective
229 S Brevard Street
Charlotte, NC 28202
The Brooklyn Collective operates out of three historic buildings that are among the few to survive the “urban renewal” of the 1960s that displaced the residents of Charlotte’s Brooklyn neighborhood. The art gallery is part of the Collective’s mission to accelerate inclusivity and economic mobility in Charlotte.
Carolina Fine Art
300 S Sharon Amity Road
Charlotte, NC 28211
Carolina Fine Art exhibits original paintings, pottery and more. It regularly hosts opening receptions, especially on the first Friday of the month.
Charlotte Art League
4237 Raleigh Street
Charlotte NC 28213
A 501 (c)3 non-profit visual arts organization offering open working studios, classes, community outreach programs and a public gallery.
Dilworth Artisan Station
118 E Kingston Avenue
Charlotte, NC 28203
The Dilworth Artisan Station is a community of 25+ Charlotte artists. The building is open during most First Friday Gallery Crawls.
Elder Gallery of Contemporary Art
1520 South Tryon Street
Charlotte, NC 28203
Represents a robust variety of contemporary artists, with a strong emphasis on fine glass art and paintings.
Flux Galleries
512 E 15th Street
Charlotte, NC 28205
Offers a home for innovative, multimedia art installations and performances.
Goodyear Arts
301 Camp Road
Charlotte, NC 28206
Artist-led nonprofit organization that provides artist residencies, studios, performance and gallery space.
Hidell Brooks Gallery
1910 South Blvd
Charlotte, NC 28203
Hidell Brooks Gallery specializes in the work of well-established and solidly-emerging artists working in a contemporary narrative and figurative vein. The gallery rotates solo and group exhibitions every six to eight weeks.
Hodges Taylor
1414 S Tryon Street
Charlotte, NC 28203
Charlotte’s longest-running gallery and consulting firm. Hodges Taylor is a contemporary gallery, with a focus on promoting Southeastern artists in a range of mediums.
Hot Glass Alley
438 Atando Avenue
Charlotte, NC 28206
Hot glass blowing studio and gallery. Offers glass blowing classes at all levels, as well as monthly open demos, where you can see the artists at work.
Jerald Melberg Gallery
625 South Sharon Amity Road
Charlotte, NC 28211
The gallery represents artists from all geographic regions, and shows arts of all types and styles.
The Light Factory
700 N Tryon Street
Charlotte, NC 28202
Now located in the VAPA Center, The Light Factory has long served the Charlotte area through the creation, exploration and sharing of photography. Beside the gallery, The Light Factory offers classes, photo walks, workshops, a dark room and more.
McDowell Arts Center
123 E McDowell Street
Matthews, NC 28105
2-room gallery space, along with classroom and studio space. Home of Matthews Artist Guild.
Petra’s
1919 Commonwealth Avenue
Charlotte, NC 28205
The back room of Petra’s serves an art gallery, featuring work from local artists. Visit during an exhibition opening, art show, or whenever you’re at Petra’s for a drink or music.
McColl Center
721 N Tryon Street
Charlotte, NC 28202
Nationally acclaimed artist residency and contemporary art hub in Uptown Charlotte.
Shain Gallery
2823 Selwyn Avenue
Charlotte, NC 28209
Contemporary art gallery in Myers Park.
SOCO Gallery
421 Providence Road
Charlotte, NC 28207
Southern Comfort Gallery is a contemporary art space and bookshop.
VAPA Center
700 N Tryon Street
Charlotte, NC 28202
Large space on the edge of Uptown Charlotte that provides studio and performances space, as well as gallery space. VAPA is a non-profit organization that was created in 2021 by ten anchor arts organizations.
The Gallery at Warehouse 242
2307 Wilkinson Blvd
Charlotte, NC 28208
The gallery is in the Warehouse 242 church, and is an extension of the worship. A portion of proceeds from the shows help to support Warehouse 242’s missional partners.
The Galleries at Cabarrus Arts Council
65 Union Street South
Concord, NC 28026
The Cabarrus Arts Council curates four gallery exhibitions on the first floor of the historic Cabarrus courthouse each year. The Galleries display works by regional and national artists working in a variety of media.
Cain Center for the Arts
19725 Oak Street
Cornelius, NC
Cain Center for the Arts offers gallery exhibits, as well as concerts, classes, workshops and more.
Clearwater Arts Center & Studios
223 Crowell Drive NW
Concord, NC 28025
Gallery exhibitions, public discussions, arts events, and working artist studios.
Upcoming Art Events in Charlotte
In this list you’ll find a wide variety of art events, including exhibition openings, multi-media performances, art classes, children’s art events, art/artisan markets, and more. Our focus is on inexpensive things to do, but we occasionally include events that are $20 or more.
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