Overview

Charlotte Magazine recently named the South End Gallery Crawl as the “Best Artsy Place to Take a Date” and the May Gallery Crawl will be unlike any we have ever hosted! Whether you are a local resident or in town for the Wells Fargo Championship, this Friday will be a tremendous celebration of not only the Charlotte art community but North and South Carolina artists as well. The Elder Gallery will be hosting their opening reception and announcing the winners in the $15,000 prized Carolina’s Got Art! exhibition. The Dilworth Artisan Station, home to over 25 artist and designer studios is hosting one of their 2 Annual Open Houses. Three levels of studios to wander and explore and you will not want to miss out. Special artist previews will be happening at Band & Olufsen as well as Vin Master. All of our wonderful galleries will be open with special exhibitions and the popular foodie event, Food Truck Friday, will be in the heart of it all! Specifics for each gallery can be found below but here are a few things to help you enjoy your First Friday Gallery Crawl Experience.

1. Parking – On popular nights with Gallery Crawl and Food Truck Friday, parking can fill up quickly so it is highly recommended that if you can take the light rail that you please do! Both the Tyvola and Scaleybark Light Rail Stations have huge parking lots and if you ride the light rail to the Bland Station you will be in the heart of all the activity. Once you are in South End, you can walk to just about everything so you won’t need your car. If you are driving, there is adequate on-street parking and several surface lots in and around the Camden Rd, Summit and South Blvd area.

2. Navigating the Crawl – We are NOT going to offer a Free Walking Tour this month but if you are looking for directions or details just look for the black and white branded South End Tent. It will be set up at the Food Truck Friday Lot at Camden Rd and Park Ave and we’ll be happy to give you directions to galleries and events. No reservations necessary for the Gallery Crawl so you can go at your own pace and explore as much or as little as you like.

3. Art is For Sale – Gallery Crawl is great for South End on a variety of levels. We introduce more folks to both the neighborhood and to local and regional art but more importantly we help support small businesses owners. Come have a great time but know that the wonderful art you are enjoying is also for sale .

4. Make a Night of It – Finally, there is so much in South End that you can make a whole night of Gallery Crawl. We have a variety of great restaurants with many of them located along South Blvd. Stop in for dinner or drinks before you start your Gallery Crawl. In addition to the Galleries there are great retail shops along the way and many stay open later on Gallery Crawl night. Finally, after you have enjoyed the galleries, feel free to grab a cocktail or catch some live music. South End has a lot to offer so hope you’ll take advantage!

May First Friday Gallery Crawl Details

Elder Gallery - Carolina’s Got Art! was founded to support Carolina artists and our mission remains unchanged.  We offer artists an opportunity to grow their brand and sell their work, and this drives us from year to year.  Beginning in 2009, we had such great submissions that we expanded the juried show to include a second show, called the Salon show, which in 2013, we expanded across two months due to the quality of the work submitted.

Carolina’s Got Art! Juried Show

The juried show that will be held in Elder Gallery.  Lance Esplund, art critic at Bloomberg, will serve as juror and be on hand throughout the opening night.  Awards will be presented during the opening night.  An additional exhibition will be available, “Through The Juror’s Eyes”, a theater setting to showcase any entry submitted (artist permission given), providing guests a raw view of the submissions and an opportunity to purchase any work.  Interested artists and patrons may participate in a Juror’s Discussion regarding the selection process, an annual component of our shows.

Dates: May 3-June 1Grand Opening: May 3 (6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.)
Juror’s Discussion: May 4 (11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.)

For questions please email Ted Boyd at tboyd@charlottecentercity.org