Obsessed with the SHOUT! art scene? Your next Uptown art adventure starts here.
SHOUT! is over and the interactive art has gone home, but if you loved the Uptown art vibe from those magical 3 weeks in April, then try some of these exiting art-filled itineraries. You can spend a whole day or just an afternoon. Parking for both itineraries is at The Green or The Levine Center for the Arts Parking garages. All three of the museums featured in this post are open late (5-9 pm) with free admission every Wednesday as part of the Wednesday Night Live program sponsored by Bank of America.
Art Itinerary #1:
A Modern Look through The Gantt and The Bechtler
đź“ŤStart your day with a coffee (and maybe a pastry) at the Starbucks on Levine Avenue of the Arts.
đź“ŤOnce you are fueled up head over to the Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Culture, where you can enjoy pieces from their permanent collection and all summer explore Beyond Boundaries, curated by Dr. Anita N. Bateman. This exhibition features almost 40 artists and explores the power of Black abstraction through works from the Elliot and Kimberly Perry Art Collection. Spanning generations of artists, the exhibit uses color, texture, and layered materials to showcase abstraction as a powerful form of storytelling, cultural expression, and artistic innovation.
đź“ŤAt lunchtime, choose a stunning, art-forward dining experience from one of these Uptown restaurants: Mariposa (located in the Mint Museum), La Belle Helene (modeled after a French brasserie), and Fin & Fino (with eclectic art and a lively vibe). Depending on the day of the week, reservations are recommended, especially for larger groups.
đź“Ť After lunch navigate to the hard-to-miss Firebird sculpture (by French-American artist Niki de Saint Phalle) and the Bechtler Museum of Modern Art. Here you will find three compelling exhibitions invite visitors into a wide-ranging exploration of form, material, and meaning.
Current Exhibitions at the Bechtler:
🎨 David McGee: The Griot and the Nightingale spans three decades of painting and drawing in the artist’s first major museum survey, offering a sweeping look at his evolving visual language.
🎨 Chakaia Booker: Weighted Balance transforms reclaimed industrial materials—especially rubber tires—into powerful sculptural works that reflect resilience, movement, and renewal.
🎨 And closing soon, Hansjürg Brunner: The Trial brings Franz Kafka’s unsettling narrative to life through stark, expressive linocut prints that capture themes of authority, alienation, and the search for meaning.
Art Itinerary #2
Dive Deep at The Mint Museum - Uptown
📍When you start your day at The Mint Museum - Uptown you can focus on their extensive collection of art and craft works, or get straight to Caravaggio | Revolution, a major new exhibition on view now through August. This revolutionary exhibition explores how the artist’s radical use of light, shadow, and realism transformed Baroque painting—and continues to shape visual culture today. Centered on one of Caravaggio’s rare masterpieces and surrounded by works from artists he influenced, the show also connects his dramatic style to modern film, photography, and music video imagery. You'll need a timed ticket to get into this special collection. Find them here.
đź“ŤIf you want to do both you can take a break for lunch and return to the museum - Mariposa (upscale located in the Mint Museum), Dos Caminos (casual Mexican), Reid's Fine Foods (gourmet specialty market and restaurant) or JINYA Ramen Bar (ramen with vegan options).
Need more art options Uptown? Follow this link for the full menu!
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1 Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Culture 551 S Tryon St Charlotte, NC 28202 The Harvey B. Gantt Center for African- American Arts + Culture (formerly the Afro- American Cultural Center) celebrates the contributions of Africans and African- Americans to American culture and serves as a community epicenter for music, dance, theater, visual art, film, arts education programs, literature and community outreach. |
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2 Bechtler Museum of Modern Art 420 S Tryon St Charlotte, NC 28202 Based in Zurich, Switzerland, Bessie and Hans Bechtler began collecting modern art in the 1950s. Over the next several decades, the couple supported and befriended many of the most influential figures in 20th-century art. They built a collection that includes work by such pioneering artists as Alexander Calder, Carlos Cruz-Diez, Alberto Giacometti, Barbara Hepworth, Julio Le Parc, Pablo Picasso, Bridget Riley, Jean Tinguely, and Andy Warhol, among many others. Much of the couple's collection now resides in the Uptown Charlotte museum that carries their name. |
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3 The Mint Museum Uptown 500 S Tryon St Charlotte, NC 28202 Established in 1936, The Mint Museum is a leading, innovative cultural institution and museum of international art and design. With two locations — Mint Museum Randolph in the heart of Eastover and Mint Museum Uptown at Levine Center for the Arts —the Mint boasts one of the largest collections in the Southeast and is committed to engaging and inspiring members of the global community. |
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4 Mariposa, in the Mint Museum 500 S Tryon St Charlotte, NC 28202 Charlotte-based restaurant group - The Mother Earth Group presents Mariposa. Located at the Mint Museum in Uptown Charlotte, Mariposa, or Spanish for butterfly, is a multicultural culinaria, representing an evolution for both the restaurant space and creator Jill Marcus. |
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5 Fin and Fino 135 Levine Avenue of the Arts, #100 Charlotte, NC 28202 At Fin and Fino, they don’t like to complicate things, but they do tend to the details. They want to know your name, and they will learn it. Plus, their fish and shellfish are delivered daily, and are all sustainably caught or raised. The menu makes use of seasonal ingredients from nearby farms because they like things fresh. The wine list has charm and intrigue, and each wine is individually selected for quality. Fin & Fino is the best restaurant in Charlotte for oysters. Twelve types of oysters can be found on the raw bar menu at all times. |
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6 Dos Caminos 601 N Tryon St Charlotte, NC 28202 Dos Caminos Charlotte brings bold, modern Mexican flavors to the heart of Uptown Charlotte, located on South Tryon Street near the city’s business district, nightlife, and major attractions. Known for its crowd‑pleasing menu, Dos Caminos serves fresh made‑to‑order guacamole, sizzling fajitas, tacos, and modern Mexican specialties, all crafted with bold flavors and high‑quality ingredients. A lively destination for locals and visitors alike, Dos Caminos delivers a high‑energy dining experience inspired by the vibrant spirit of New York City—now with a Queen City feel. |
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7 Reid's Fine Foods - Uptown 121 W Trade St, Suite 150 Charlotte, NC 28202 The Uptown location of Reid's Fine Foods, the oldest grocery store in Charlotte has limited groceries, but serves a delicious lunch/dinner takeaway service. A wide variety of seasonal and year round options ensure there is something for everyone. You can eat in or take your lunch to one of the picnic tables on Levine Avenue of the Arts. |
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8 La Belle Helene 300 S Tryon St Charlotte, NC 28202 La Belle Helene is a refined brasserie serving French classics with a modern sensibility. Menu by Top Chef Alum Jamie Lynch. A 5th Street Group concept. |
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9 JINYA Ramen Bar 601 S Tryon St Charlotte, NC 28202 JINYA is known for its slow-cooked approach to ramen, made from broths simmered for 20 hours in-house. From its customizable menu to sleek interiors, JINYA Ramen Bar presents a contemporary Japanese dining ideal for lively social gatherings for all ages |
🔍 Pro Tip for enjoying Public Art in Uptown:
Uptown Charlotte is home to eight unique self-guided tours from ArtWalks CLT, each offering a different way to experience the city’s vibrant public art scene. From murals tucked into alleyways and large-scale installations along Tryon Street to sculptures, poetry walls, and interactive works, the walks highlight the creativity woven throughout Uptown’s neighborhoods. Explore popular routes like “Mad About Murals,” “City Stories from ImaginOn,” and the “Talking Walls Uptown Trail,” all designed to be easy, walkable experiences you can enjoy at your own pace. With curated maps, artist insights, and hundreds of public artworks to discover, ArtWalks turns Uptown into an open-air gallery full of color, culture, and unexpected finds.
You'll find them all here at the Art Walks CLT website.
For a guide to Luminous Lane, follow this link.