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
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
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
UPCOMING EXHIBITS
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
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, 2027
PIECES OF ME
FEBRUARY 2 – FEBRUARY 28
For Black History Month, Valerie Taylor presents Pieces of Me, a powerful installation featuring nine sculpted head busts that reflect her family history, personal experiences, and the many versions of herself that have emerged throughout her life’s journey.
Each bust is uniquely dressed and styled, drawing inspiration from personal memories, family roots, lived experiences, and moments of growth. Through this collection, Taylor shares a deeply personal story of identity, resilience, and self-discovery.
Pieces of Me invites viewers to reflect on the experiences that shape who we are and celebrate the beauty of embracing every chapter of the journey.
HOME GROWN &
HOME GROWN JR.
MARCH 16 – MAY 15
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 featured in Home Grown Jr., this exhibit invites everyone to share their voice and be part of a powerful community showcase.
PUBLIC RECEPTION:
APRIL 8th, 2027
OBJECTS OF ENCOUNTER
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH ARTFIELDS
MAY 25 – JULY 3
This annual partnership with ArtFields, a celebrated arts organization based in Lake City, SC, showcases the work of hand-selected ArtFields award recipients chosen by Cain Center for the Arts’ Visual Arts Team. We are proud to highlight the exceptional talent emerging from the Southeast’s premier art competition.
Featuring works that reflect technical excellence and compelling narratives, this exhibition offers viewers an opportunity to engage with creative voices shaping the region’s artistic landscape.
PUBLIC RECEPTION:
JUNE 17th, 2027
HOME: AN EXPLORATION OF PLACE, MEMORY, IDENTITY AND BELONGING
MAY 25 – JULY 3
The Cannon School Exhibition showcases the creativity, dedication, and artistic growth of upper school students from Cannon School, a college preparatory school located in Concord, NC. This exhibition features a variety of student work created throughout the school year under the guidance of Cannon’s talented visual arts faculty.
This exciting new partnership provides an opportunity to support the growth and development of young creatives in the Lake Norman region while celebrating the talent and creativity of the next generation of artists.
MANIFOLD: AN EXPLORATION OF MATERIAL
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH ART POP
JULY 13 – AUGUST 21
Manifold: An Exploration of Material celebrates the transformative potential of mixed-media art and the innovative ways artists engage with material, process, and form.
Presented in continued partnership with ArtPop, an organization dedicated to showcasing local artists and amplifying the region’s creative spirit, the exhibition offers audiences an immersive and thought-provoking experience that celebrates experimentation, innovation, and the boundless possibilities of artistic expression.
SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR PRESENTING SPONSOR
