Visiting an art gallery is a great opportunity to learn, find inspiration, build your community and entertain.
Please take note of the opening and closing dates for current and upcoming exhibits at the Cain Center for the Arts. Make plans to join us for the reception for each exhibit, where you will have the opportunity to meet the artists and enjoy light refreshments.
There is no fee for admission to our gallery or to attend any visual arts receptions.
Find more about the locations on the contact page.
In support of our featured local creatives, each artist will receive a 60% commission for pieces sold during an exhibit.
GALLERY HOURS
TUESDAY – FRIDAY: 10AM – 4PM
Please note the Cornelius Art Center Gallery is closed. Cornelius Art Center is now only utilized for classes and will only be open to the public at those times.
EXHIBIT PROPOSALS
If you are interested in exhibiting at Cain Center for the Arts, please click “Exhibit Proposals” below.
Please note exhibit proposals are reviewed as they come in and are considered for the next programming year. Thank you!
All exhibits offering a “Call to Artists” will include information about how to submit your work for consideration.
CURRENT EXHIBIT
OPPOSITES ATTRACT...
ATTRACTING OPPOSITES
September 9th - November 1st
This exhibit focuses on the polarity of black and white as color and tone, encouraging the audience to look beyond the color of art and focus on the concept the artist intended to convey. Artists are free to express themselves in a color-restricted format, providing a thoughtful understanding of balance.
Opposites Attract… Attracting Opposites simultaneously encourages audiences to see the depth in each piece, allowing them to appreciate what a typical color-derived work of art looks like and how it could make one feel.
PUBLIC RECEPTION: THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 25th 6:30pm - 8:30pm
UPCOMING EXHIBITS
HOT GLASS ALLEY:
OUR SECOND DATE
NOVEMBER 11 – JANUARY 10
Hot Glass Alley: Our Second Date marks the much-anticipated return of acclaimed glass artist Jacob Pfeifer to Cain Center for the Arts.
Pfeifer, whose work was the very first featured exhibit when the facility opened in 2023, has continued to gain recognition as one of the most talented and imaginative glassblowers on the scene.
This new exhibition, playfully titled Our Second Date, explores the romance, curiosity, and elegant forms one might encounter on a second date — captured entirely in glass. From flirtatious gestures to blooming emotions, Pfeifer’s pieces turn moments of connection into breathtaking, molten art.
PUBLIC RECEPTION: NOVEMBER 14 | 6:30pm - 8:30pm
DIRECTOR'S CHOICE EXHIBIT
JANUARY 20 – MARCH 7
Cain Center’s Visual Art & Education Director Simone El Bey curates a captivating new edition of the Director’s Choice Exhibit, spotlighting regional artists whose work leaves a lasting impression.
This thoughtfully selected collection celebrates bold vision, creative excellence, and the unique voices shaping the Carolinas’ vibrant arts landscape. Each piece reflects the power of art to inspire, challenge, and connect — making this a must-see exhibition for the season.
PUBLIC RECEPTION: FEBRUARY 26 | 6:30pm - 8:30pm
THE SWING OF THINGS:
CAMISHA MCDANIEL
FEBRUARY 2 – FEBRUARY 28
Coming February 2026 in honor of Black History Month, The Swing of Things features the vibrant and evocative work of artist Camisha McDaniel. Known for her striking use of bold color and layered storytelling, McDaniel creates dramatic visual narratives that offer a compelling window into Black history and culture. Her powerful pieces blend emotion, movement, and meaning—inviting viewers to reflect, connect, and celebrate the richness of the Black experience.
PUBLIC RECEPTION: TBA
HOMEGROWN & HOMEGROWN, JR.
MARCH 17 – MAY 9
Home Grown is Cain Center’s annual celebration of the vibrant creativity rooted right here in our community. This mixed media exhibit showcases an inspiring range of 2D and 3D work from local artists of all ages and experience levels — no jury, just pure creative expression. From seasoned professionals to emerging talents in Home Grown, Jr., this exhibit invites everyone to share their voice and be part of a powerful community showcase.
PUBLIC RECEPTION: TBA
MURAL INSPIRATION
MARCH 17 – MAY 9
Cain Center for the Arts is proud to present a deeply moving and intimate exhibit in the upstairs lobby, featuring artwork created by the participants of Hinds’ Feet Farm — a local nonprofit dedicated to enriching the lives of adults with severe brain injuries. In collaboration with students and professors from Davidson College, these artists have used creative expression as a powerful means of communication, healing, and connection. This exhibit not only honors their vision, but also serves as the inspiration for a special commissioned mural at the Hinds’ Feet Farm facility in Huntersville. The resulting mural will be a lasting tribute — blending the voices of the artists with the mission of Hinds’ Feet Farm to create a symbol of beauty, resilience, and community.
PUBLIC RECEPTION: TBA
Mural Open Call
Hinds Feet Farm is a partner and neighbor of Cain Center for the Arts. This year Cain Center for the Arts and Hinds Feet Farm will collaborate on a mural which will live on Hinds Feet Farms property. This mural will be a joined effort of both organizations to lighten, and inspire the facility, staff, and residents of Hinds Feet Farm every day.
The mural will be based off work that residents (Participants) of Hinds Feet Farm have created in class at Davidson College with Professor Tyler Starr. The mural is a “Barn Quilt” that will be displayed on the barn of Hinds Feet Farm property.
This is a paid opportunity, Participating Artist will undergo a submission approval process, with the winner being selected by a panel of judges.
The submission link goes live on October 23rd at noon.
VIEWS: CITY LIFE
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH ARTFIELDS
MARCH 17 – MAY 9
Cityscapes is a dynamic new exhibit presented in partnership with ArtFields, a celebrated arts organization based in Lake City, SC. Showcasing the work of two community-selected ArtFields winners, this exhibit brings regional talent into the spotlight at Cain Center for the Arts. Featured artist Nora Hathaub captures the energy of urban environments through layered textures and moody palettes that evoke movement, memory, and place. John V. Dempsey offers intricate, almost surreal city scenes, blending architectural precision with dreamlike detail to reflect the complexities of modern life. Together, their work offers two distinct but complementary perspectives on the ever-evolving cityscape — and provides these emerging artists with an expanded platform to share their vision.
PUBLIC RECEPTION: TBA
BETWIXT AND BETWEEN
JUNE 16 – AUGUST 8
Betwixt and Between is an invite-only exhibition at Cain Center for the Arts that explores the rich, often uncertain terrain of transition. Featuring regional artists working in both representation and abstraction, the exhibit delves into themes of liminality—those moments and spaces that exist between what was and what’s next. Through varied media and perspectives, the selected works reflect the phases, shifts, and quiet transformations that shape our lives, inviting viewers to pause in the in-between and find meaning in the movement.
PUBLIC RECEPTION: TBA
SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR PRESENTING SPONSOR
Visiting an art gallery is a great opportunity to learn, find inspiration, build your community and entertain.
Please take note of the opening and closing dates for current and upcoming exhibits at the Cain Center for the Arts. Make plans to join us for the reception for each exhibit, where you will have the opportunity to meet the artists and enjoy light refreshments.
There is no fee for admission to our gallery or to attend any visual arts receptions.
Find more about the locations on the contact page.
In support of our featured local creatives, each artist will receive a 60% commission for pieces sold during an exhibit.
GALLERY HOURS
TUESDAY – FRIDAY: 10AM – 4PM
Please note the Cornelius Art Center Gallery is closed. Cornelius Art Center is now only utilized for classes and will only be open to the public at those times.
EXHIBIT PROPOSALS
If you are interested in exhibiting at Cain Center for the Arts, please click “Exhibit Proposals” below.
Please note exhibit proposals are reviewed as they come in and are considered for the next programming year. Thank you!
All exhibits offering a “Call to Artists” will include information about how to submit your work for consideration.
CURRENT EXHIBIT
PERSPECTIVES:
A LENS IN HISTORY
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH ARTPOP STREET GALLERY
JULY 15 – AUGUST 30
Cain Center and ArtPop Street Gallery collaborate to offer another another unique, fascinating and diverse arrangement of artwork, created by some of the top artists in our region.
This show is presented with ArtPop Street Gallery, an organization that showcases local artists and equips them to achieve sustained success.
PUBLIC RECEPTION: FRIDAY, JULY 18th 6:30pm - 8:30pm
THANKS TO OUR FRIENDS AT:
SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR PRESENTING SPONSOR
