It may be the second Friday of the month, but with so many people taking a break for the New Year’s holiday last week, we saved our First Friday Arts segment for this week — it’s our monthly look ahead at what’s happening in Charlotte’s arts and culture scene.
Joining this month's conversation are Lawrence Toppman, arts contributor for The Charlotte Ledger; Rubie Britt-Height, WFAE’s director of community engagement; and Pat Moran, reporter for Queen City Nerve. Each brought a few events they’re especially excited about as the new year gets underway.
Lawrence’s picks
Assembly Lines: Modernism and Machines @ Bechtler Museum of Modern Art (through Feb. 2)
This timely exhibition explores the relationship between artists and technology. The show traces how machines have inspired — and unsettled — artists, from early modernism to today’s rapidly evolving artificial intelligence tools. Larry says the exhibit raises provocative questions about creativity in an age when machines can learn and replicate human gestures. “Perhaps a bit disturbing,” he notes, “because it suggests that in the end, making art may be something that doesn't really require artists."
Jazz Greats: Classic Photographs from the Bank of America Collection @ Harvey B. Gantt Center (through April 26)
This exhibit features striking photographs of jazz musicians, dancers and audiences taken over the past century. The exhibit has strong ties to the Carolinas, including images of Dizzy Gillespie, a Cheraw native; John Coltrane, who was born in Hamlet, North Carolina; and Mary Lou Williams, a pianist who taught at Duke University. A jazz soundtrack plays throughout the gallery, making it hard to leave once you’re immersed, Larry says.
Renaissance, Romanticism and Rebellion: European Art from the Smith-Naifeh Collection @ Mint Museum Uptown (through Feb. 22)
This expansive exhibition brings together 70 paintings, sculptures and works on paper spanning the Renaissance, 19th-century Romanticism and the modernist avant-garde. Larry describes the show as a chance to see how artistic “rebellion” evolved across centuries — and why it can still feel radical today.
Rubie’s picks
MLK Day screening of “Selma” @ Carolina Theatre (Jan. 15)
The Levine Museum of the New South is marking Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday with a special screening of the award-winning film "Selma," followed by a community discussion. Rubie says the event is designed to create space for reflection and connection around the 1965 Selma-to-Montgomery marches and their ongoing relevance.
Mario Moore: In Pursuit of Home @ Harvey B. Gantt Center (Jan. 16 - April 26)
Rubie also pointed to this exhibition by Detroit-based artist Mario Moore, which examines the growing challenges of homeownership — from student debt to stagnant wages. Moore’s paintings, drawings and sculptures explore housing insecurity through a personal and historical lens.
Pat’s picks
Mario Moore: In Pursuit of Home @ Harvey B. Gantt Center (Jan. 16 - April 26)
Pat seconded this exhibit at the Gantt Center. He interviewed Moore for a recent Queen City Nerve cover story and described one standout work, Mortgage Burning, which depicts three Black women burning a paid-off mortgage — a once-common celebratory ritual in Black communities that now feels almost mythical today. He said the exhibit underscores how homeownership has become increasingly out of reach, and the painting themselves are "astonishing."
The Changebaker @ Carolina Theatre (Jan. 17)
This documentary centers on Manolo Betancur, a Charlotte baker and immigrant activist who became a rallying figure during recent protests over immigration enforcement by the U.S. Border Patrol in Charlotte. The event includes live music and a post-film discussion with Betancur and the film’s director.
Live music at the Milestone @ Milestone Club (Jan. 18)
For those looking for something a little louder and later, Moran highlighted a stacked local lineup at The Milestone Club on Sunday, Jan. 18, featuring I Hate Dave — named "Best Rock Band" of 2025 by the Queen City Nerve — and other local bands such as Once Below Joy, The Groove Skeletons and Greensboro’s General Purpose. “If you don’t like one band,” he joked, “stick around for the next, because it's all over the place stylistically."
