Harvey B. Gantt Center 🇺🇸

Welcome to the Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Culture, a vibrant four-story cultural landmark located at South Tryon Street and East Brooklyn Village Avenue in Charlotte, North Carolina. Named in honor of Harvey Gantt—the city’s first African-American mayor—this 46,490-square-foot institution offers you a rich celebration of African-American history, art, and heritage. When you visit, you will experience an architectural masterpiece designed by Freelon Group Architects.

The modernist glass-and-metal structure features an interior lobby reachable by stairs and escalators framing a central glass atrium inspired by Jacob’s Ladder. Outside, you can admire quilt-inspired architectural details, including David Wilson’s wall piece Divergent Threads, Lucent Memories and Juan Logan’s plaza installation Intersections, which uses Congolese Kuba patterns. Inside, you should not miss the center’s crown jewel: the John and Vivian Hewitt Collection of African-American Art. This 58-piece assemblage includes remarkable 20th-century works by celebrated artists such as Romare Bearden, Elizabeth Catlett, Henry Ossawa Tanner, Ann Tanksley, and John Biggers.

Rooted in a movement started in 1974 by Dr. Mary T. Harper and Dr. Bertha Maxwell-Roddey, the center gives you an inspiring, intimate look at essential artistic contributions.

What to see at Harvey B. Gantt Center

• The John and Vivian Hewitt Collection featuring 58 works by prominent 20th-century African-American artists
• Distinctive Jacob's Ladder atrium stairs and glass-and-metal architectural design
• David Wilson's quilt-inspired exterior artwork, Divergent Threads, Lucent Memories
• Juan Logan's plaza work, Intersections, featuring traditional Kuba patterns

Visiting tips

Take time to admire the exterior rain screen, designed with perforated metal panels and fluorescent lights that evoke quilt stitching.

How long: 1-2 hours · Best time: Morning

How to get there & what’s nearby

Harvey B. Gantt Center is easy to reach on Charlotte’s public transport, and pairs naturally with Bechtler Museum of Modern Art. For where to stay, the weather and full itineraries, see our Charlotte travel guide.