See works by Renoir, Picasso, Monet, Chagall and more, all in one place near Charlotte...and it's free!

What would you say if you heard that you could see original works by Monet, Picasso, Chagall, Renoir, Gauguin, and more, just a short drive from Charlotte? And for free?

It’s true. Waterworks Visual Art Center, 123 E Liberty Street, Salisbury, North Carolina, is hosting the exhibit Never Before Seen…Modern Masterpieces through August 30, 2025. Admission is free.

Never Before Seen is an exhibition of the artwork from the personal collection of the late New York philanthropists, Julian and Josie Robertson. Julian Robertson was born in Salisbury, and remained dedicated to the town throughout his life.

sidewalk outside Waterworks Visual Arts Center, Salisbury, NC — Photo: Mace Publishing, LLC

The exhibition includes more than 40 works and spans over 100 years of art history, including Impressionism, Cubism, Action Painting, Expressionism, Abstract Expressionism, Post-Impressionism and Fauvism.

The artists represented in this exhibition:

Paul Gauguin
Wassily Kandinsky
Claude Monet
Pablo Picasso
Camille Pissarro
Marc Chagall
Georges Rouault
Pierre Renoir
Pierre Bonnard
André Derain
Maurice de Vlaminck
Ludwig Meidner
Gerhard Richter
Fernand Léger
Odilon Redon
Paul Signac
Alexej von Jawlensky
Othon Friesz
Louis Valtat
George Rickey
Franz Kline
Marino Marini
Albert Marquet
Samuel John Peploe
Francis Picabia
Willem De Kooning
Henri Fantin-Latour
Armand Guillaumin

Consider taking the train from Charlotte to Salisbury!

Exterior of Waterworks Visual Arts Center in Salisbury — Photo: Mace Publishing, LLC

1937 Bostian Alley

While you’re at Waterworks, you can also view 1937 Bostian Alley, a collection of photographs by Alex and Margaret Smoot, taken at nearby Bostian Alley in 1937, as well as thirty paintings by Maria Bennett Hock based on the photographs.

Visiting Waterworks Visual Art Center

Waterworks Visual Art Center, at 123 E Liberty Street, Salisbury, North Carolina, is open Tuesday through Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Holidays might affect the center’s hours.

Learn about a visit to Salisbury — what to see, where to shop and what to eat. The train station is right in Downtown Salisbury, so that can be a convenient option.

Double-Check Before You Head Out!

We make every effort to make sure that everything on Charlotte on the Cheap is 100% accurate.

However, sometimes things change without notice, and we are not always notified. It’s also possible that we can make a mistake.

Please verify all deals and events with the venue or organizer before you go.

More art events

Check out our full calendar of Charlotte art museums, galleries and events or look at a few events here: