9 Ways to Experience Charlotte’s Vibrant Art Scene
The Queen City is packed with whimsical, one-of-a-kind works.
Incredible, colorful murals have transformed this once-dark alleyway in Uptown Charlotte. | Photo courtesy Charlotte Center City Partners
Art lovers, don’t sleep on Charlotte. While the Queen City may be best known for its big banks, fast cars, and blooming magnolias, the boom town is also a hotbed of artistic creativity. Vibrant murals have forever transformed otherwise ordinary spaces, high-tech interactive sculptures and installations spark wonder throughout the city, festivals fill the streets multiple times a year, and curated walks take you on guided tours of some of the city’s top artistic corridors. Simply put, Charlotte is full of incredible art experiences—you just have to know where to look. Get started with these 9 stops.
AURAL ART
Musical Parking Garage
Just outside the east-facing doors of the buzzy Market at 7th Street, pedestrians get an eye-and-earful of color and sound as they stroll the Uptown streets. Created in 1998 by artist and jazz musician Christopher Janney, the Musical Parking Garagewas designed to encourage passersby to be more spontaneous with the architecture around them. The work consists of roughly 400 colorful panels, including 30-foot tall “light fins” that illuminate and play melodies when touched. Witnesses say the panels occasionally perform unperturbed, leading some to attest to a ghost within. The artful installation also offers a riddle. Find the clue on a plaque on the light-rail side of the building. Solve it, and the deck lights up in a special song.
Read the full story at Atlas Obscura.