McColl Center Centennial Celebration + Patron Party
Saturday, November 14, 2026
Contemporaries Insider Brunch | 2-3 PM
Centennial Open House + Patron Party | 2 - 6 PM
For 100 years, the building that we call home has held space for stories, ideas, and generations of people who have shaped its history. For over 25 years, McColl Center has carried that story forward, transforming these historic walls into a place where artists create, experiment, and connect with the Charlotte community. This November, we’re kicking off a year-long celebration of this building’s past, present, and future.
The Centennial Celebration begins with a special Centennial Open House + Patron Party, bringing our community together to celebrate the building at the heart of McColl Center. Explore McColl Center from top to bottom with open artist studios, art in progress, hands-on experiences, music, food, and moments that connect the building’s history with the artists shaping what happens here today.
The celebration continues throughout the year, with the Benefit Art Auction on February 20, 2027, and our Spring Patron Party on May 22, 2027.
Together, we’ll honor the history held within these walls, experience what’s happening here now, and imagine what’s possible in the next 100 years.
Come for an hour. Stay for the afternoon. Join us throughout the year as we celebrate a century of this remarkable building, and the people, like you, who continue to bring it to life.
Edwin Gil: The Heart Series
Charlotte-based artist Edwin Gilreturns to his artistic roots with The Heart Series - a deeply personal body of work shaped by healing, transformation, and the restorative power of art.
This body of work looks inward while extending an invitation outward: to consider the heart not only as something we carry, but as a vessel for memory, resilience, emotion, and renewal.
Live Portraits
Charlotte-based artists Madelyn Hernandez + Simon Lane will create live portraits throughout the afternoon, inviting visitors to become both audience and subject as the act of art-making unfolds in real time.
These special live portraits offer a glimpse into the creative process while leaving you with a record of your own presence in this historic building.
Come take a seat, meet the artists, and become part of what’s being made.
Live Demo in Fibers Studio
Saturday, November 14 | 3–5 PM
As we celebrate 100 years of our historic home, we’re also looking toward what comes next—including the newest addition to McColl Center’s studios.
Step inside our new Fiber Studio for a live demonstration with Charlotte-based artist and 2025–2026 Exhibition Fellow Will White. Watch process unfold in real time as Will works with fiber, material, and technique, offering a closer look at both his practice and the possibilities of this new space.