Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel Exhibition

Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel Exhibition is the first in a series of touring art exhibitions coming to Charlotte and North Carolina this spring and summer. 

As we wait for Immersive Van Gogh, which opens June 18th, and might make plans to go to Asheville to see Legends of Art & Innovation at Biltmore (three multi-media art experiences over the course of the year, including Van Gogh Alive, Monet & Friends, and Da Vinci), we have Michelangelo to enjoy.

Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel Exhibition is at Savona, 401 South Gardner Avenue, Charlotte. 

It takes place Thursdays through Sundays from May 1st to July 31st, 2021, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. (Subject to change.)

Tickets are on sale now.

Ticket prices range from $19.40 to $23.70 for adults, depending on time. Kids’ tickets range from $13 to $15, although you can add on an additional child ticket for $10. Kids under age 4 are admitted for free. Depending on the day and time, adult tickets might be $23.70.

If you can get a group of at least 10 people together, you can get discounted tickets for just $15/person. They can accommodate groups from 10 to 100 people. Their group days are Thursdays and Fridays throughout the run of the exhibit, pending availability. For group tickets, email Sistine Group Sales: sistine.groupsales@seeglobalentertainment.com.

There are also VIP options, which allow you to skip the line and receive a poster. Audio guides are available for purchase.

In addition, you can get a Family Pass, for 2 adults and 2 kids, for $62.40.

Purchase tickets now.

The exhibition stretches Michelangelo’s masterpieces floor-to-ceiling, giving visitors a new, close-up perspective. You can get a close look at each panel, along with a brief description of the scene being depicted.

The exhibition is family friendly. 

Masks are required. You can take photos. The attraction is wheelchair accessible. Parking is free.

Some background on Michelangelo’s frescoes in the Sistine Chapel

Pope Julius II commissioned Michelangelo in 1508 to repaint the vault of the chapel. He completed the work between 1508 and 1512. He was then commissioned by Pope Paul III to paint the Last Judgment over the alter, and he completed that work between 1535 and 1541.

Originally, a scaffold was suspended by ropes from the ceiling, but Michelangelo was concerned that it would leave holes in the ceiling, so the Pope ordered him to build his own scaffold. He built a scaffold that was a flat wooden platform on brackets attached high on the wall. Contrary to legend, he did not paint lying down. He worked standing up.

In all, he painted over 5,000 square feet of frescoes.

The Last Judgment was controversial because it included nude figures. There was even a censorship campaign known as the “Fig Leaf Campaign.” After Michelangelo’s death, the artist Daniele da Volterra was hired to cover up some of the offending body parts with loin cloths.

 

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