We Love Exploring Charlotte

Creative experiences exist across the city, and as we head toward Valentine’s Day, we want to share some of our favorite places for creative activations, events, and shows.

We can’t fit every spot here (we’d end up listing the whole creative community if we did), but we thought highlighting a few might give you ideas to explore this month.

Here are some locations to check out and share the love. Get out there and explore! Better still, work with these locations on your own creative project.

The Market at 7th St.
224 E. 7th St. | WEBSITE

Known as the first nonprofit food hall, The Market at 7th St. is the perfect place to eat, drink, gather, shop and experience unique small businesses in Uptown.

We do love the ambiance, but we’re more swayed by their mission. The Market at 7th St. is devoted to helping emerging entrepreneurs build their business through experience, support and its Hub for Inclusivity, Innovation and Entrepreneurship (HIIVE) program. The Market highlights local businesses by developing entrepreneurial skills, focusing on small businesses owned by people of color, women and veterans.

Join us this month for:

• The Makers & Creators Mixer, hosted by Charlotte Is Creative
  Friday, Feb. 21, 6-9 p.m.
  Live DJ set, networking, creative headshots and community-building
  RSVP HERE.

Substrate
512 E. 15th St. | WEBSITE

Located  in the creative hub of Area 15 on North Davidson St, Substrate is a unique and quirky location where creatives of all mediums and genres hang. When you visit, you can browse a curated vinyl collection, attend a wine tasting with guest sommeliers and enjoy live music in this wine, vermouth and amaro tasting and bottle shop.

Upcoming events:

• Wednesdays: Free tasting, 5-7 p.m.
• Thursdays: Bring your own vinyl
• Fridays: Live funk, starting at 7 p.m.

OneBand performing at Divine Barrell in front of a mural by Abel Jackson and Isaiah Kidd

Divine Barrel Brewing
3701 N. Davidson St. | WEBSITE

So much more than a brewery … From hosting visual arts exhibitions and live music performances to organizing block parties and gaming events, Divine Barrel Brewing is the essence of a creative collaborator and host. You can sip on a fantastic beverages, browse vinyl records, purchase work from a local artist or stumble into a trivia night, gamer meet-up or Mario Kart tournament. Oh yeah, and the beer is amazing, too.

Upcoming event:

• Shameless Improv Comedy
  Wednesday, Feb. 19, 7:30 p.m.
  Unscripted improv show curated by Shameless Society
  RSVP HERE.

PHOTO CREDIT: B Sinima Studios

B Sinima Studios
516 E. 15th St. | WEBSITE

Owned by Creative Entrepreneurs Initiative graduate Brenton Bent, B Sinima Studios hosts a range of events highlighting local creatives in film, photography, live music and spoken word. You can request to use the space for a shoot, gallery showcase or even performance space (sometimes all three). Take a tour of the full space—things are not always as they seem.

Upcoming event:

• Sinima Fridays
  Every Friday, 7 p.m.
  Local filmmakers submit work for screening
  LEARN MORE HERE.

PHOTO CREDIT: @InSearchOfDiveBars

Snug Harbor
1228 Gordon St. | WEBSITE

Nestled in Plaza Midwood, Snug Harbor is a “go-to venue” for live music, karaoke, DJ sets, and festivals. Whether you’re into hip-hop, alternative, rock, soul, pop or metal, you’ll find something to enjoy.

Upcoming event:

• All My Friends Are Fly
  Every Monday, 8 p.m.
  Curated DJ set by DJ See Bird Go
  WEBSITE

Free Range Brewing
2320 N. Davidson St. | WEBSITE

The team at Free Range Brewing supports interdisciplinary arts—whether through Free Soup Day with local chefs, gallery openings, live music, or game nights with Phoenix Down RPG. It’s also a great place to hang out and get work done.

• Upcoming event:
  WDAV’s Small Batch Concert Series with Opera Carolina
  Thursday, Feb. 13, 6:45 p.m.
  “Voices of Love” — a night of vocal music by Opera Carolina
  RSVP HERE. 

Visulite Theatre
1615 Elizabeth Ave. | WEBSITE

Visulite Theatre is a staple in Elizabeth, hosting musical artists across genres for live performances, group shows and festivals. Whether you prefer sitting, standing or getting up close to the stage, this venue brings Charlotte-based and touring musicians to its stage. Check out upcoming performances on their website.

Charlotte Studio Artists
3045 N. Davidson St. | WEBSITE

Seeking a collaborative space, 19 artists have built a new home in the heart of NoDa. Opening this January after a year of preparation work, Charlotte Studio Artists opened a vibrant hub at the Johnston YMCA, where painters, photographers, sculptors, ceramicists and collage artists now work. It’s more than a gallery—it’s a launchpad for artistic careers.

Explore the space for:

• Studio tours and exhibition
• Art courses for kids (in partnership with the YMCA)
• Rotating gallery and exhibition space for rent

Starlight on 22nd
422 E. 22nd St. | WEBSITE

Without artists Ruth Ava Lyons and Paul Sires, NoDa wouldn’t exist. In the late 1980s, where others saw empty storefronts, they saw potential. Their work helped shape Charlotte’s arts district—until rising costs pushed out many of the creatives who built it.

To continue fostering accessible creative spaces, Lyons and Sires founded Starlight on 22nd in 2021. Just a half-block from North Davidson Street, it blends retro charm with an artistic edge.

Starlight offers creative experiences every day:

• Live music, comedy, burlesque, drag, spoken word, and visual arts
• Indoor and outdoor stages
• A spacious patio and backyard
• Event space for rent
• A full bar with beer, wine, and nonalcoholic drinks

PHOTO CREDIT: Arts+

Arts+ on The Plaza
2304 The Plaza | WEBSITE

Formerly Community School of the Arts, Arts+ has long provided accessible, high-quality arts education for all ages for decades. Last year, they stopped up to the plate and took a big swing. They secured a bid to purchase the former Plaza Presbyterian Church, transforming it into a hub for students and artists of all ages. Check out their available classes here.

While a capital campaign funds renovations, the space is already active:

• Classrooms converted into studios
• A former sanctuary (with outstanding acoustics) available for rent
• A growing creative community in an adjacent building, now known as…

PHOTO CREDIT: Activation Studios

Activation Studios
2304 The Plaza | WEBSITE

Give local creative Matt Alvis (aka Stencil Spray) an inch, and he’ll turn it into an arts hub. He’s done it in NoDa. He’s done it Uptown. Now, he’s done it in Plaza Midwood.

When Arts+ took over the former Presbyterian church on The Plaza, Alvis and others transformed an unused building into Activation Studios. Now home to a diverse group of creatives, it offers:

• Affordable studio rentals
• Band practice and recording spaces
• A multi-purpose gallery for workshops and meetings

In just months, Activation Studios has become more than a workspace—it’s a gathering place for artists, musicians and makers. If you haven’t been yet, here are two upcoming events you should check out:

• Jam and Doodle at Moss Haven Studios on 2/20 at 7:30 p.m.
• Final Fridays Open Studios on Feb. 28 from 5 to 11 p.m

AND, WE’RE NOT CLOSE TO DONE, YET …

We’ve just scratched the surface of amazing, creative places we love in Charlotte and beyond. We’ll be sharing more in the coming months, including venues for artists, creatives and makers just outside the Queen City.

If you know of a creative venue we should consider covering in a future newsletter, reach out to us at hello@charlotteiscreative.com.