Art galleries and museums in Charlotte

Music and art school · Arts

Arts+ Uptown Studios

Nonprofit arts education organization offering group music and art classes, private music lessons and summer camps for all ages; its main studios are in the Ascend Nonprofit Solutions building.

601 E. 5th St. Ste. 230 · Uptown

Art museum · Arts

Bechtler Museum of Modern Art

Modern art museum at Levine Center for the Arts with exhibitions, concerts and public programs, including Jazz at the Bechtler on the first Friday of each month.

420 S Tryon St · Uptown

Historic house museum · Arts

Belmont Historical Society House Museum

Historic house museum run by the Belmont Historical Society, open on weekend afternoons. Custom tours can be scheduled by phone.

Sat-Sun 1:30-4 PM (call to confirm)

40 Catawba Street · Belmont

Performing arts center · Arts

Cain Center for the Arts

Nonprofit arts center with a performance series of concerts, tribute shows and comedy, plus visual art exhibitions and classes. It also runs the Puckett Pottery House ceramics studio on Catawba Avenue.

21348 Catawba Ave · Cornelius

Literary arts center · Arts

Charlotte Lit

Nonprofit literary arts center offering writing classes and workshops in person and online, along with free literary events.

601 E. 5th Street, Suite 160 · Uptown

Sip-and-paint studio · Arts

City Art Room

Painting studio established in 2015 that offers public sip-and-paint sessions, private paint parties and team-building events. The studio is appointment only.

By appointment

9009-9 JM Keynes Drive · The Boardwalk at University City

Nonprofit ceramics studio · Arts

Clayworks

Nonprofit ceramics studio offering multi-week wheel, handbuilding, sculpture and raku classes, weekend workshops and two-hour private lessons. Kids' and youth clay classes run during the school year.

4506 Monroe Road · Monroe Road

Art studios, galleries and ceramics center · Arts

ClearWater Arts Center & Studios

City of Concord arts center with resident artist studios, galleries, a ceramics center, classes and event space, open to the public for drop-in visits.

Galleries: Wed–Fri 12–5 PM; Sat 10 AM–2 PM

223 Crowell Dr NW · Concord

Artist studios · Arts

Dilworth Artisan Station

Three-story former factory building beside the light rail that houses artist studios. It holds an art crawl on the first Friday of each month from 5:30 to 8:30 PM.

Mon–Fri 10 AM–5 PM (individual studios vary)

118 E Kingston Ave · South End

History museum · Arts

Fort Mill History Museum

Local history museum covering Springs Mills, the Catawba people and the historic buildings of Main Street. Free admission; donations welcome.

Wed–Sat 10am–4pm

107 Clebourne St · Fort Mill

Artist-run art space · Arts

Goodyear Arts

Artist-run space at Camp North End that hosts art residencies and events.

301 Camp Rd #200 · Camp North End

College art gallery · Arts

Gorelick Gallery at Central Piedmont (Central Campus)

Central Piedmont Community College art gallery on the first floor of the North Classroom building, one of the college's Bill and Patty Gorelick galleries.

Open during regular college hours

1320 Sam Ryburn Walk · Elizabeth

College art gallery · Arts

Gorelick Gallery at Central Piedmont (Levine Campus)

Central Piedmont Community College art gallery on the ground level of the Levine 2 building.

Open during regular college hours

2800 Campus Ridge Rd · Matthews

College art gallery · Arts

Gorelick Gallery at Central Piedmont (Merancas Campus)

Central Piedmont Community College art gallery on the ground level of the Merancas 4 building.

Open during regular college hours

12010 Verhoeff Dr · Huntersville

College performing arts theater · Arts

Halton Theater at Central Piedmont

Theater on Central Piedmont's Central Campus that hosts opera, concerts, dance and holiday shows, including Charlotte Youth Ballet's Nutcracker. Parking is free for Central Piedmont events.

1201 Elizabeth Avenue · Central Piedmont Central Campus

Arts and culture center · Arts

Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Culture

Arts and culture center at Levine Center for the Arts presenting the art, history and culture of African-Americans and people of African descent through exhibitions and education programs.

Tue, Thu, Fri, Sun 12–6 PM · Wed 12–9 PM · Sat 10 AM–6 PM · Closed Mon

551 S Tryon St · Uptown

Racing team museum · Arts

Hendrick Motorsports Museum and Team Store

Team museum and store on the Hendrick Motorsports campus with artifacts and race cars from the team's history. Building lobbies with race trophies and cars are also open to the public on weekdays; campus tours are not offered.

Museum and team store Mon-Fri 8am-5pm

4400 Papa Joe Hendrick Blvd. · Concord

Art gallery · Arts

Hidell Brooks Gallery

Gallery showing established and emerging painters and sculptors working in a contemporary narrative and figurative style, with solo and group exhibitions that rotate monthly.

1910 South Blvd, Suite 130 · South End

Glassblowing studio and gallery · Arts

Hot Glass Alley

Glassblowing studio and gallery that offers make-your-own glass classes, fusing classes, free tours and public events. The shop sells handmade glass drinkware, jewelry and decor.

438 Atando Ave · Atando Ave (North End)

Nonprofit arthouse cinema · Arts

Independent Picture House

Community arthouse cinema run by the nonprofit Charlotte Film Society, showing independent, foreign and arthouse films. The Film Society also runs the Charlotte Film Festival.

4237 Raleigh St. · NoDa / Sugar Creek

Art gallery · Arts

Jerald Melberg Gallery

Gallery founded in 1983 that exhibits and sells mid- to late-20th-century American paintings, drawings, sculpture and editioned prints.

Mon-Fri 10am-5pm; Sat 11am-4pm

625 South Sharon Amity Road · Cotswold

History museum · Arts

Matthews Heritage Museum

Local history museum run by the Matthews Historical Foundation in the 1879 Massey-Clark House downtown, with exhibits, docent-led tours and school programs.

Thu–Sat 10am–4:30pm

232 N Trade St · Matthews

Contemporary art center · Arts

McColl Center

Artist residency and contemporary art space in a 30,000-square-foot Gothic Revival building that was once a church. Admission is free, with a $10 suggested donation.

Fri 12–6 PM · Sat 10 AM–6 PM · Sun–Thu by appointment

721 N Tryon St · Uptown

Town arts center and gallery · Arts

McDowell Arts Center

Town arts center with a two-room upstairs gallery and a downstairs classroom studio that hosts art classes and free artist groups. The town asks visitors to call 704-321-7275 before coming, as hours are limited.

123 E. McDowell St. · Downtown Matthews

Art museum · Arts

Mint Museum Randolph

Art museum in the building of the first U.S. branch mint, which opened in Eastover as North Carolina's first art museum. Admission is free on Wednesdays from 5 to 9 PM.

Tue, Thu–Sat 11 AM–6 PM · Wed 11 AM–9 PM · Sun 1–5 PM · Closed Mon

2730 Randolph Rd · Eastover

Art museum · Arts

Mint Museum Uptown

Art museum at Levine Center for the Arts that holds The Mint Museum's craft and design collection. Admission is free for everyone on Wednesdays from 5 to 9 PM.

Tue, Thu, Sat 11 AM–6 PM · Wed, Fri 11 AM–9 PM · Sun 1–5 PM · Closed Mon

500 S Tryon St · Uptown

Art gallery · Arts

Mooresville Arts at the Depot

Nonprofit arts group's gallery in the downtown train depot, rebuilt in brick after a 1925 fire; its former warehouse section is now the Center Gallery.

Tue–Thu 12–4pm; Fri 2–8pm; Sat 10am–4pm; closed Sun–Mon

103 W Center Ave · Mooresville

Pottery studio, gallery and coffee shop · Arts

Olive's Mud Puddle

Ceramics studio, gallery and gift shop founded in 2012 by artist Debbie Whitsett, with a coffee shop added in 2016. It shows local art and runs pottery workshops, most around $95.

Mon-Thu 8 AM-5 PM; Fri-Sat 8 AM-6 PM; Sun 8 AM-5 PM

229 Main Street · Downtown Fort Mill

Performing arts auditorium · Arts

Ovens Auditorium

Auditorium operating since 1955 that hosts Broadway shows, comedy and concerts.

Box office Wed and Fri 10am-5pm, and two hours before events

2700 East Independence Blvd · East Independence

Pottery studio with classes · Arts

Pottery Central

Independently owned pottery studio, open since 1999, offering beginner-friendly potter's wheel workshops with clay, tools and instruction provided, plus private workshops by appointment.

4843 Monroe Road · Monroe Road

University art gallery · Arts

Projective Eye Gallery at UNC Charlotte Center City

UNC Charlotte College of Arts + Architecture gallery in The Dubois Center that presents exhibitions and installations by national and international artists.

320 E 9th St · Uptown

Art gallery and frame shop · Arts

Providence Gallery

Fine art gallery and custom framing shop on the Myers Park Mile since 1978, showing paintings in oil, acrylic, mixed media and collage.

601-A Providence Road · Myers Park

Art gallery and classes · Arts

Queen City Art

Visual arts organization in the NoDa arts district, operating since 1965 as the Charlotte Art League, with a shared gallery of rotating exhibits, resident artist wall spaces, and free and paid classes.

4237 Raleigh Street, Suite 5 · NoDa

University performing arts hall · Arts

Robinson Hall for the Performing Arts (UNC Charlotte)

Performance hall of UNC Charlotte's College of Arts + Architecture, which hosts public theatre, dance and music performances on the main campus. Free assisted-listening headsets are available at the box office.

9201 University City Blvd · UNC Charlotte main campus

University art gallery · Arts

Rowe Galleries at UNC Charlotte

Three exhibition spaces in the Rowe Arts building on the UNC Charlotte campus showing regional, national and international visiting artists along with students, alumni and faculty.

9201 University City Blvd · University City

University arts center · Arts

Sarah Belk Gambrell Center

Arts and civic engagement center at Queens University of Charlotte that presents a season of performances and art exhibits. Its Spotlight Series brings visiting performers each year.

Box office Tue-Fri 11 AM-4 PM

2319 Wellesley Ave · Queens University

Art gallery · Arts

SE CLT Gallery

South End art gallery presenting current and upcoming exhibitions by its roster of artists; visits are scheduled by appointment.

By appointment

2137 South Blvd., Suite 350 · South End

Art gallery · Arts

Shain Gallery

Contemporary art gallery founded in 1998 that represents more than forty regional and national artists and holds an annual exhibition schedule.

Mon-Sat 10am-5pm; Sun by appointment

2823 Selwyn Avenue, Suite K · Myers Park

Art gallery and bookshop · Arts

SOCO Gallery

Contemporary art space and bookshop that produces exhibitions and represents artists working locally, nationally and internationally.

421 Providence Road · Myers Park

Aviation museum · Arts

Sullenberger Aviation Museum

Aviation museum on the CLT Airport campus with more than 40 aircraft and exhibits on aviation in the Carolinas, including the Miracle on the Hudson Experience.

4108 Minuteman Way · CLT Airport

History museum · Arts

The Charlotte Museum of History

History museum on an eight-acre campus with four indoor galleries on the region's history. The grounds include Revolutionary-era buildings on the 1774 Homesite.

Tue-Sat 11am-5pm; closed Sun-Mon

3500 Shamrock Drive · East Charlotte

Art gallery · Arts

The Galleries at the Cabarrus Arts Council

Free art galleries run by the Cabarrus Arts Council inside the 1876 Historic Cabarrus County Courthouse in downtown Concord.

Tue–Fri 10 AM–5 PM · Sat 11 AM–4 PM · Closed Sun–Mon

65 Union St S · Concord

Photography center and gallery · Arts

The Light Factory Photo Arts Center

Photography center at the VAPA Center with a gallery, darkroom, lighting studio and print lab, offering courses, workshops and photo walks.

700 N Tryon St · Uptown (VAPA Center)

Ceramics studio with classes · Arts

The Little Studio

Neighborhood ceramics studio near NoDa and Plaza Midwood offering public pottery events, intro mini sessions, 8-week wheel classes and youth programs.

Mon-Fri 9am-5pm; Sat 10am-2pm; closed Sun

3432 The Plaza · The Plaza

Arts center · Arts

The VAPA Center

Nonprofit visual and performing arts center founded in 2021 by a group of Charlotte arts organizations, with artist studios, galleries, performance spaces, and classes and workshops.

Mon-Thu 9am-10pm; Fri-Sat 9am-11pm; Sun 12pm-9pm

731 N. College Street · Uptown

Art gallery · Arts

Van Every/Smith Galleries at Davidson College

Davidson College's art galleries in the Katherine and Tom Belk Visual Arts Center, at the corner of Griffith and Main streets. The college says its galleries are free and open to the community.

Mon–Tue and Thu–Fri 10 AM–5 PM · Wed 10 AM–7 PM · Sat–Sun 12–4 PM

315 N Main St · Davidson