The McColl Center is marking 100 years of its Uptown Charlotte building Saturday with an afternoon of art and open studios. The celebration will include “The Heart Series,” an exhibit by Colombian artist Edwin Gil.
Gil says the series began in 2023 as a personal effort to understand patterns in his thoughts and behavior. He first explored those ideas through writing, then turned to mixed media and sculpture. He describes the heart as a map for five themes: roots, voice, identity, healing and belonging.
“I think the heart is a territory that we don’t spend that much time,” Gil said. “There are things in our culture that kind of dictate the way that we behave in some aspects.”
The McColl Center is housed in a stone Neo-Gothic building originally built as a Presbyterian church. It opened as an arts center in 1999.
The centennial celebration runs from 2 to 6 p.m. Saturday. Artists will create live portraits and lead demonstrations, and visitors can explore the building and studios.
