Cheap (But Not Skimpy) Date Spots
Whether you’re looking for an easy, low pressure date spot for meeting someone for the first time or you just want to go on a date that won’t break the bank after you pay the babysitter and get yourself a drink, Charlotte has a wide variety of free to low-cost cultural offerings. Don’t miss the last one on this list—it’s a bonus for Saturday nights with the kids to get you through the aftermath of a fun night out.
The Charlotte Folk Society
926 Elizabeth Ave
Charlotte, NC 28204
Celebrating almost thirty years of folk music, this organization has more than just string-bands. They offer monthly events on the second Friday of every month. The events include food trucks, bluegrass, and acoustic music and the main event – a concert in the sanctuary – at 7:30 p.m.
Free but a $10 per person donation is suggested.
McColl Center for Art & Innovation
721 N Tryon St
Charlotte, NC 28202
(Located at W 10th St and N Church St)
Located in a historic, neo-Gothic church in Uptown Charlotte, the Center houses nine artist studios and over 5,000 square feet of gallery space. Admission is always free, but donations are accepted. Even Parking is free!
Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Friday & Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The Light Factory
1817 Central Ave
Charlotte, NC 28205
If photography is what interests you, let Charlotte’s only space dedicated to the photographic arts into your life. The art on these walls is always changing, cycling through signature events like their Annual, and curated exhibitions guaranteeing there is never a dull visit.
There no admission for the gallery.
Wednesday through Saturdays from 12 noon to 6 p.m.
Charlotte Lit
1817 Central Ave
Charlotte, NC 28205
The Charlotte Center for the Literary Arts is in the SAME building as The Light Factory, but caters to the written word rather than photography.
There is a fee for the wide variety of workshops, but the quarterly poetry and art poster series is free and the community conversations are just one of the many engaging formats this organization offers. Check it out!
South End Gallery Crawl
South End is home to the largest concentration of art galleries in Charlotte and this twist on a Pub crawl offers you the chance to tour the following:
118 E Kingston Ave
Suite 16
Charlotte, NC 28203
Elder Gallery of Contemporary Art
1520 S Tryon St
Charlotte, NC 28203
1910 South Blvd
Suite 130
Charlotte, NC 28203
The first Friday of each month
Admission is free.
Mint Museum
500 S Tryon St
Charlotte, NC 28202
The innovative program, “ArtBreak,” at Levine Center for the Arts is a guided 30-minute tour of either The Mint Museum Uptown, the Bechtler Museum of Modern Art, or the Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Art + Culture, designed to give you a break during your lunch hour. It’s held at noon on the third Thursday of each month.
Admission is free to both the Uptown and Randolph Rd locations.
ImaginOn / The Joe & Joan Martin Center
300 E 7th St
Charlotte, NC 28202
This collaborative effort between the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library and Children’s Theatre of Charlotte is a 102,000-square-foot space that is a dedicated library space for kids 11 years old and under, four multi-use classrooms, a teen-only library, a multi-media production studio, and an interactive exhibit space.
Hours:
Monday to Thursday 9:00am – 8:00pm
Friday to Saturday 9:00am – 5:00pm
Sunday 1:00pm – 5:00pm
Photo by Cody Hughes @clhughes21
Tour Charlotte’s Street Murals
Do it for the gram.
Or for the culture.
If you haven’t seen them yet, check out The Talking Walls festival — 17 mural artists painting 16 new murals around Center City Charlotte—debuted this past fall in Charlotte.
Southern Tiger Collective’s Alex DeLarge and IMEK Studio’s Kevin Taylor, with the help of committee members Rob Reilly and Queens University professor Mike Wirth, put together the initiative that allowed for ten local artists and seven national/international artists to come together in the name of Charlotte’s public art.
One of the sponsors was the Hyatt House, who came into Charlotte’s art scene in a heartbreaking way. After glass windows were broken during protests in the wake of the police shooting of Keith Lamont Scott, Hyatt House invited artists to paint on the plywood temporarily boarding up the space. Those plywood pieces have become works of art.
Each artist was given $1,000 + supplies (including paint and lifts) + food. They also received creative control — all of the art was the artist’s choice.
The Talking Walls murals can only be experienced, not seen, so drive around and see for yourself:
7th Sin Tattoo
927 Central Ave
Charlotte, NC 28205
Artist: JEKS
Based in: Greensboro
Abari Game Bar
1721 N Davidson St
Charlotte, NC 28205
Artist: Gus Cutty
Based in: Asheville
Chasers
3217 The Plaza
Charlotte, NC 28205
Artist: Ramiro Davaro-Comas
Based in: Brooklyn, New York
Hal Marshall Building
700 N Tryon St
Charlotte, NC 28202
Artist: Sebastian Coolidge
Based in: St. Petersburg, Florida
Hal Marshall Annex
618 N College St
Charlotte, NC 28202
Artist: Nick Napoletano
Based in: Charlotte
Ink Floyd
1101 E. 36th St
Charlotte, NC 28205
Artist: Trasher
Based in: Mexico City, Mexico
InnerVision
408 E Trade St
Charlotte, NC 28202
Artist: Hoxxoh
Based in: Miami
Mecklenburg Valve
2407 Central Ave
Charlotte, NC 28205
Artist: Denton Burrows
Based in: New York City
Moo & Brew
1300 Central Ave
Charlotte, NC 28205
Artist: MDMN
Based in: Phoenix
Pizza Peel
1600 Central Ave
Charlotte, NC 28205
Artist: Darion Fleming
Based in: Charlotte
Pure Intentions
2215 N Tryon St
Charlotte, NC 28204
Artist: Arko and Owl
Based in: Charlotte
Salon 1226
1226 Central Ave
Charlotte, NC 28205
Artist: Garden of Journey
Based in: Charlotte
Spirit Square
345 N College St
Charlotte, NC 28202
Artist: Dammit Wesley
Based in: Charlotte
Spoke Easy
1530 Elizabeth Ave
Charlotte, NC 28204
Artist: OBSO
Based in: Charlotte
Tip Top Market
2902 The Plaza
Charlotte, NC 28205
Artist: Scott Nurkin
Based in: Chapel Hill
Tire Maxx
2609 The Plaza
Charlotte, NC 28205
Artist: Pucho
Based in: Miami
Tryon Street Alley
200 South Tryon St
Charlotte, NC 28202
Artist: McMonster
Based in: Portland
The Novice Guide to Cheap (Real) Art
Your significant other is right. It’s time to let the Scarface poster go. Or even the Starry Night, if you’re fancy like that. You are an adult. With a mortgage, more than one checking account, and your own health insurance. You know the difference between a 401K and a Roth IRA. You need art. Real art. Yes, Michelle Pfeiffer in that dress was art, but that’s not what I mean. Because you’re an adult, you know real art is expensive.
Here are a few places to look for real art that won’t set you back on your savings plans.
C3 Lab
2525 Distribution St
Charlotte, NC 28203
Instagram: @c3lab
C3 Lab is a multi-functional art-centered space. Operating as a gallery and as a co-working space, they host exhibits featuring local, regional, national, and international artists in styles ranging from traditional, contemporary, to hybrid art forms. The gallery’s annual art exhibit is the perfect time to browse and buy.
This year’s theme centers on “Intersection: Personal styles, careers, and life don’t always function together in harmony, but when you intersect the common thread of the love of art throughout a creative space, with the true spirit of collaboration – an interesting collage emerges to tell a meaningful story.”
Check it out Friday, December 7, 2018, from 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
CPCC Holiday Art Market
1201 Elizabeth Ave
Charlotte, NC 28204
CPCC Art Galleries host an Annual Holiday Art Market in Ross Gallery on CPCC’s Central Campus. Students, faculty, and other local artists will offer a wide variety of ceramics, jewelry, paintings, and photography. There’s even an under $50 section!
November 5th-December 5th, 2018
Thursday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
ArtPop
Currently located at:
555 S McDowell St
North Tower
Charlotte, NC 28204
Instagram: @artpopstreetgallery
ArtPop is a street gallery. They feature local artists on billboards, buses, news racks, at airports — and turn the everyday “into opportunities for artistic appreciation and discovery.” Four times a year, the art of the current selection of ArtPoppers are shown, gallery-style, at Le Meridien Hotel Charlotte. Can’t wait for the next showing? Visit the ArtPop website artists’ page. From there, you can find individual artists’ websites for pricing info.
Lark & Key
128 E. Park Ave
Suite B
Charlotte, NC 28203
This lovely South End spot featuring art and craft is a great place for a novice collector to begin. Check out the website’s “Art for $500 and Under” page.
And don’t forget that art encompasses more than 2-D works. A collection of handmade pottery mugs, vases, or bowls can be an inexpensive way to begin an art collection.
Ruby’s Gift
3204 N Davidson St
Charlotte, NC 28205
Instagram: @rubysgiftnoda
This NoDa boutique showcases a variety of textiles, pottery, paintings, photography, and jewelry by local artists.
Slate Furniture + Art Collective
1401 Central Ave
Chartlotte, NC 28205
Instagram: @slateinteriors
Perfect if you need to branch away from Scarface and Ikea. The Plaza Midwood furniture and art collective showcases rotating exhibitions of local talent and famous artists.
Hours:
Tuesdays – Saturdays 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Photo by Cody Hughes @clhughes21
