Charlotte has a diverse array of art venues, museums, public exhibitions and galleries.
These institutions strive to celebrate local and international artists and provide an ideal backdrop for events.
In the Uptown neighborhood, the Levine Center for the Arts is a cultural campus home to the:
- Bechtler Museum of Modern Art.
- Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts & Culture.
- Mint Museum Uptown.
- Knight Theater.
“There is a critical need to identify the real meaning and value of museums to the community and the individual,” said Hillary Cooper, director of advancement and communications at The Mint Museum. “By combining forces, Levine Center for the Arts does a great job at creating these vital and rich cultural experiences that can’t be missed."
"It’s a collection of Charlotte’s art and a symbol of pride," she added.
Following are four standout museums that double as off-site event venues.
Bechtler Museum of Modern Art
The Bechtler Museum of Modern Art houses works dedicated to mid-20th-century European and American modern art. The museum provides an in-depth arts experience tied in to the history of the Bechtler family, who donated the collection.
The building’s architecture is a work of art itself. The four-story museum features a glass atrium in the center, allowing for natural light and a view of the different levels and spaces throughout. The Firebird, a 17-foot sculpture covered in mirrored and colored glass, stands out front in Bechtler Plaza.
The Firebird Installation at the Bechtler Museum of Modern Art
The Bechtler Museum is located at the Levine Center for the Arts and within walking distance of the Charlotte Convention Center. Groups can utilize several spaces on-property for meetings, receptions, banquets and more.
The lobby can accommodate up to 120 guests seated and 180 for a reception.
The lobby’s glass walls and doors provide a view onto the street and the 23-foot-tall wall drawing by artist Sol LeWitt that hangs inside the lobby.
The plaza, with The Firebird sculpture as a focal point, can be used in combination with the lobby space for gatherings of up 375 guests.
Additional venues include the fourth-floor gallery and the second-floor sculpture terrace that looks out on the Levine Center for the Arts and The Green park.
The Bechtler classroom can be rented for functions of up to 30 people.
Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts & Culture
The Harvey B. Gantt Center for African- American Arts and Culture honors and celebrates the contributions of Africans and African-Americans. The center is also a gathering place for music, dance, theater, visual art, film, arts education programs, literature and community outreach.
The 46,500-square-foot Harvey B. Gantt Center (formerly the Afro-American Cultural Center) has won awards for its architectural design. The building is just 45 feet wide and the exterior was inspired by patterns of quilt designs from the Underground Railroad era and woven textile patterns from West Africa. The area was once the historic Brooklyn neighborhood.
Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts & Culture
Brooklyn was a thriving center of the black community until it was razed in the 1960s.
The center boasts three levels of event space. The Grand Lobby has floor-to-ceiling windows and can host 250 people for evening events. The Mezzanine overlooks the lobby space and can be used on its own or together with the Grand Lobby.
The rooftop is an indoor space with floor-to-ceiling windows for up to 150 guests. The adjacent outdoor terrace, which has views of the Carolina Panthers Bank of America Stadium and the entire Levine Center for the Arts, can accommodate an additional 150 people.
The center also features the performance Suite, which can be used for performances, screenings, lectures or meetings; the Learning Center classroom; and a boardroom.
The entire Gantt Center can be rented for a buyout of up to 1,000 people. Access to exhibitions is available during private events.
Mint Museum
The Mint Museum is dedicated to showcasing, collecting and protecting works of art and design from around the world. The institution has two locations: Mint Museum Randolph and Mint Museum Uptown.
Mint Museum Randolph is located in what was the original branch of the United States Mint surrounded by a park setting. The galleries are filled with art of the ancient Americas, ceramics and decorative arts and fashion as well as European and African art.
Mint Museum, Charlotte, N.C.
The museum atrium space, with natural vegetation and floor-to-ceiling views of the terrace, gardens and park, can host private events of up to 200 people in the evenings. There are additional galleries, an auditorium and rooms available for indoor functions.
Outdoor venues include the Front Lawn, surrounded by foliage and gardens, and the terrace, with views of the Mint’s original 1836 facade.
Mint Museum Uptown is home to Mint Museum of Craft and Design as well as collections of American, contemporary and European art. The five-story, 145,000-square-foot facility has galleries with permanent and rotating exhibitions. Permanent pieces include Dale Chihuly’s Royal Blue Mint chandelier and Carolina Shout by Charlotte native Romare Bearden.
The Mattye & Marc Silverman Grand Room and adjoining Trustees Terrace are located on the fifth level with views of uptown Charlotte.
The 4,000-square-foot Grand Room can seat 225 people or 400 for a reception. Adjoining is the 4,000-square-foot, semi-covered terrace. On the fifth floor is a 7,500-square-foot, industrial-style event space that can be used with the Grand Room and Trustees Terrace.
The multistory atrium can be used for evening functions. The 4,000-square-foot space boasts a 60-foot-by-60-foot glass wall and showcases a four-story textile work and a large canvas piece.
The museum also has a 240-seat auditorium, a conference room and a boardroom, and the exhibit space can be used as private event space after-hours.
McColl Center for Art & Innovation
Charlotte’s McColl Center for Art and Innovation is an urban artist-in-residence program hosting both U.S. and international artists.
The center offers free admission during gallery hours and has open studios, community engagement initiatives and workshops across more than 5,000 square feet of exhibition space.
McColl Center for Art & Innovation
The center is housed in the former Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church in the city’s Uptown neighborhood. The historic neo-Gothic revival building is available to rent for receptions, dinners, corporate events and private workshops.
The Dickson Gallery, located on the first level, is a blend of old and new with exposed brick and steel beams. The gallery can accommodate 275 guests and can be used on its own or in conjunction with the other spaces.
The Levine Creative Hub also showcases historical brick walls and has concrete floors, an open ceiling and a private entrance.
For smaller groups, there is the first-floor studio located off the Main Gallery.
The McColl Center can host outdoor events on its lawn or patio.
Charlotte CVB Contact Information
Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority
704.334.2282
