by Andy Smith
Charlotte, NC - As the year comes to a close, it’s once again time to take a look back at how our cultural sector evolved this year. It’s been a year of transition for Charlotte’s museums. Leaders are coming and going, as new initiatives are launched. Our arts accountability series began with a look at one institution, in particular, and continues to track these shifts. Elsewhere, local music was bolstered by a new program from Center City Partners, as Charlotte’s biggest theater program marked its anniversary. Read more about all of the arts’ biggest moments, in no particular order, below:
1. "In Focus/Enfoque” Unites Museums and Galleries
The “In Focus/Enfoque” project was an idea envisioned by Allen Blevins, director of global art and heritage programs for Bank of America. The anchor exhibition of the citywide effort is Mint Museum Uptown's Develar y Detonar (Reveal and Detonate), a survey of contemporary Mexican photography. “In Focus/Enfoque” extends across and beyond uptown, with Bechtler Museum of Modern Art, New Gallery, SOCO Gallery, the McColl Center for Art + Innovation, The Light Factory, and Laca Projects also participating and exploring Mexican photography in each’s own sensibility. Hopefully, this groundbreaking collaboration sets the stage for the future ones in Charlotte. (Look for a deeper dive into this project in an upcoming issue of the magazine.)