VISUAL ARTS

Cain Center for the Arts Gallery
Open Tuesday-Friday | 10am-4pm
Highlighting Artists from the Carolinas
Our visual arts program showcases the best and most innovative talent from right here in our region.
Focusing on visual arts in its many forms
Our carefully curated exhibits showcase artists from multiple mediums - offering patrons a diverse look at the arts.
Creative Approach to Curation
Not limited to gallery walls, we often display art throughout our facility for the public to enjoy.

GALLERY HOURS

TUESDAY – FRIDAY: 10AM – 4PM

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.

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

Exhibit Content 3

KNOCK FIRST: AN INSTALLATION BY MONTY MONTAGUE

AUGUST 8 – OCTOBER 17

Knock First is a wonderful, imaginative space where Monty Montague brings together his talents in design, creativity, and architecture, inviting patrons to step up to doors of art.

A designer by trade, Monty has reimagined and reconstructed doors into unique works of art, transforming familiar objects in unexpected ways. Located in the upstairs lobby, this installation showcases a series of doors reconfigured into artistic statements that spark curiosity and imagination. We invite patrons to explore this creative installation and discover how an ordinary doorway can become something extraordinary.

PUBLIC RECEPTION:
August 31st, 2026
6:30pm-8:30pm

UPCOMING EXHIBITS

House Made Mud

HOUSE MADE MUD

SEPTEMBER 1 – OCTOBER 17

As we celebrate the opening of our new ceramic’s studio, we are excited to launch an annual ceramics exhibition dedicated to showcasing the creativity, craftsmanship, and innovation of ceramic artists throughout the North Mecklenburg region. This exhibition is open to artists of all levels of experience, from emerging makers and students to established professionals. We invite ceramic artists, educators, arts organizations, and creative community members to participate in this inaugural exhibition and help us build a vibrant tradition that honors the art of clay.

PUBLIC RECEPTION:
September 10th, 2026
6:30pm-8:30pm

Exhibit Content 9

WONDERS OF WINTER

OCTOBER 27 – JANUARY 2

Wonders of Winter explores the season beyond snow-covered landscapes. Showcasing the range of emotions that emerge during wintertime, this exhibition captures warm memories, cherished traditions, gatherings, and moments of celebration.

The coldest season often inspires some of our deepest connections—to family, community, nature, and ourselves. Wonders of Winter invites viewers to slow down, reflect, and reconnect with what matters most.

PUBLIC RECEPTION:
October 29th, 2026

Exhibit Content 10

DIRECTOR'S CHOICE EXHIBITION

ECOSYSTEMS OF COMMUNITY

JANUARY 19 – MARCH 6

The Ecosystem of Community resides in our ability to support one another. This annual exhibition, featuring artists selected by the Visual Arts Team, brings together works that explore the meaning of community and how we receive, build, and sustain it through one another.

The exhibition reminds us that art can bring different intersections together to coexist. We live within a community ecosystem where every individual, story, and experience contributes to the larger whole. Through their work, these artists invite us to reflect on belonging, connection, and the relationships that shape our collective lives.

Community is not built through sameness, but through our willingness to exist together. In that space, art becomes a meeting place—one where differences are honored, perspectives are shared, and new understandings emerge.

PUBLIC RECEPTION:
JANUARY 21st, 2026

SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR PRESENTING SPONSOR

IrvinLawGroup Block PMS
I love all of the art exhibits because they each encompass at least one component of our core values. There is truly something for everyone here.
Joy 689051691450893
Susan Irvin
Irvin Law Group