9 Uptown museums and galleries will be free to the public this Thursday night

Museums and galleries along the Tryon Street corridor will open their doors for free from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. this Thursday, September 22.

It’s part of Uptown Crawl, an effort to give Charlotteans access to local, national and international art in a low pressure, relaxed atmosphere right in the heart of the city.

“We have everything as diverse as institutional museum quality work to local emerging artists,” said Sozo Gallery director Hannah Blanton. “This is another opportunity for Charlotte to be seen as a destination place for art.”

While some of the featured locations are always free, those that usually charge admission will be offering Uptown Crawl participants a total savings of $37.

Plus, each location will be serving refreshments and some are even offering deals like buy one, get one free wine at the Mint Museum and buy one, get one free beer and wine at the Levine Museum.

Here are the participating locations and their regular admission rates.

Harvey B. Gantt Center – free; regular adult admission is $9

Mint Museum Uptown – free; regular adult admission $12

Bechtler Museum of Modern Art – free; regular adult admission $8

New Gallery of Modern Art – always free

Sozo Gallery – always free

McColl Center for Modern Art + Innovation – always free

UNCC Center City – always free

Goodyear Arts – always free

Levine Museum of the New South – free; regular adult admission is $8

Similar crawls already occur regularly in South End and NoDa so an Uptown event is a fitting addition.

“It took several of us to rally together and pull in our entire uptown cultural community to one table and just go for it,” said Blanton, who helped spearhead the Uptown Crawl effort. “Charlotte Center City Partners and the Knight Foundation have both been huge supporting partners.”

Blanton says that having crawls in other neighborhoods is a great thing for Charlotte. “Joining alongside the other gallery crawls in the city, it makes us more attractive to visitors which in turn is financially a win-win for our city and our artists.”

And she encourages everyone to come check out the crawl, especially if you’re intimidated by the art scene. Blanton recommends seeking out the gallerist, curator, gallery manager or artist to ask questions. “We love explaining the technique and inspiration and also enjoy hearing what the novice ‘sees or feels’,” she said. “We learn from you.”

Uptown crawlers will have several transportation options to reach each stop on the tour.

A limited supply of complimentary B-Cycle bikes will be available or you can ride your own bike and valet it for free at each stop.

Free Gold Rush Red Line buses will also offer tours along with route with stops at each location.

And if you choose to walk, the full length of the gallery crawl is about 1 mile.