McColl Center for Art + Innovation

FREE! super cool way to spend free time. You can even walk into some artists studios and see their workspace and that was so amazing. The front desk employee was very welcoming and friendly as well.Highly recommend for art geeks!

I remember when this old church caught fire years ago. I think I was in middle school... The story I heard was that several homeless people lit a fire in the then empty church to stay warm. They lost control of the fire and the church almost burnt to the ground. The empty, hollowed out skeleton of the church sat abandoned for years. Eventually, the McColl Center came along to bring this gorgeous building back to life! Now, it hosts art exhibits created by visiting artists from all over the world. Most recently, I visited Leah Rosenberg's Color for the People exhibit. It is fun, interactive, vibrant, and of course, full of color! I also enjoyed Nelson Morales' photography. The Fall 2017 residency ends this week and while I'm sad to see the latest class go, I'm excited to meet the next batch of artists to bring their gifts to Charlotte! The next time you're uptown and looking for something to do, I encourage you to visit McColl! Admission is free (with a suggested donation of $5) and they're open Tuesday through Saturday. If you're lucky enough to catch an artist working with their door open, you're encouraged to go into their office/studio and say hello. It's a great chance to meet the artist and learn more about their work!

In the 20 years I've been in Charlotte I'd never had the pleasure to visit the McColl Center for Art + Innovation. I've visited nearly every other museum and gallery in the metro area, but, for reasons unknown to me, never had been here. Boy, do I regret not having gone sooner.Went out to the Open House they held in January (yes, I forgot to post it) and was delightfully pleased that I did so. I primarily went in the hopes to see Esperanza Cortés' work, but unfortunately, there were only a couple of pieces and the rest were photographs. Thankfully, I was able to discover and admire the work of Tom Stanley (thanks to this visit, and becoming familiar with his name/work, I later went to see his gallery En Route at the Hodge Taylor Art Consultancy), which I loved.The museum's layout is a little odd and doesn't flow organically as you'd think. This is to be understood as it's a repurposed building that itself is a work of art. I found it fascinated to see the original structure and the damage it endured during a fire. Burn scars on the walls that aided in the aesthetic and overall ambiance of the place.Overall, this was a great experience and I will be returning frequently. Needless to say, I bought a membership on my first visit.

Ok, love the place but they need to get more local astist to display their stuff. They place was all but empty. Host a contest for or juried show for locals. I love the space, love the idea, have a daughter who is an artist but did not really see the art. This place could be amazing

An old Gothic Church turned Artist Residency with incredible design/craftsmanship for in-house talent make this easily one of my favorite spots in Uptown. I hadn't been back for a few years and I'm rather happy I did. What you need to know about the McColl Center is that the artists here are ever rotating. They come from all over, create/compose/devise an installation or multiple, and have it on display. There is always a mix of mediums under this gorgeous roof and its many parapets. Be on the lookout and check their site to be privy on opening nights. For the growing artist out there: The staff here is fantastic and the facility is incredible, clean, inspiring, unique, and overtly beautiful. I had the privilege of taking a tour of the entire facility. Floor after floor of impeccably adequate space (all studios are complete with giant double doors for moving large pieces in and out) on the rather large service elevator. There just so happens to be a full wood shop, print lab -- complete with letterpress, lithograph, and others, metal working station, and plenty of other elements useful for construction.Just a beautiful facility. Next time you're in the area and want to take a minute to explore someone's artistic exploration, stop in. Doesn't cost you anything to get in either. AKA Admission is FREE.Looking forward to stopping in for a few openings later this year. Cheers.

Turns out the old, burned down looking church at the end of Tryon and 11th is actually a great museum for Visual Art - who knew! Yes, this gem of a museum in our city is pretty frickin' cool if you ask me. From the ultra sleek modern interior, to the industrial and raw materials that you'll see showcased throughout the exhibits, the McColl Center boasts some pretty cool urban exhibits along with a really enthusiastic volunteer staff! Jason is my favorite guide and they're always excited to talk with you about the current exhibits, history of the church and what's coming next - a rareity if you've been to the sleepy new Mint Uptown (I find their staff a bit bored which is a shame with all the awesome stuff they have in that place!).Do yourself a favor and stop in this place - it's a gem here in Charlotte!

My husband and I decided to check this out after doing a Google search on cheap/ free things to do in the city. We walked down to this gallery and were greeted by two very nice kids/ receptionists. They gave us the rundown that this is an operating studio and that there is also a featured exhibit on the first floor. The artists that are working have their studio doors open and patrons are encouraged to enter and talk with them about their art. Overall, we really enjoyed our experience.The art/ artists were very diverse in their methods, product and messages. I was a little disappointed to see only a small number of artists in and available.

If you are rolling down Highway 277 and you see this giant building, you may easily mistake it for a church. The beautiful stone walls of this artistic chapel drew me in automatically. I came here for the show called True Grit: Frames, Fixations and Flirtations, which is a blend of woodwork and other types of craft with art. The exhibit was very interesting and I would recommend checking it before Nov. 1st. The center itself is pretty breathtaking with wood planks holding up the building and a great view of the city through it's long windows. I have several friends who do woodwork, so I enjoyed this exhibit very much.

McColl Center for Art hosted our daughter's wedding celebration! It is a beautiful venue for a wedding ceremony and reception. The brick walls and steel beams are perfect backdrops for a wedding. It was simply beautiful! We had cocktails upstairs while the downstairs space was switched from ceremony to full buffet dinner for 65. James, the Events Manager, was extremely helpful with all the logistics and set up. He took so much of the worry out of our planning. Highly recommend for Weddings and Receptions.