UNC Charlotte College of Arts + Architecture

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UNC Charlotte College of Arts + Architecture

The UNC Charlotte College of Arts + Architecture is comprised of five units: The School of Architectu

The College of Arts + Architecture is comprised of five academic units and the university’s performing arts center:

School of Architecture
Department of Art & Art History
Department of Dance
Department of Music
Department of Theatre
Robinson Hall for the Performing Arts

Through these academic units we offer both undergraduate and graduate degree programs in the fine and performing arts, professi

onally-accredited degrees in architecture, arts education degrees in concert with the College of Education, and joint/dual degree options with many units across our campus. It is the dynamic of “crossing boundaries” that distinguishes both the work of the arts and the culture of the College of Arts + Architecture. Representatives of a North Carolina state agency communicate via this Web site. Consequently no person communicating via this site (whether a state employee or the general public) should have an expectation that any communication on this site is private. All communication on this site may be subject to disclosure under the North Carolina Public Records Act.

09/04/2026

The Department of Dance presents a one-night-only Faculty Dance Concert on Saturday, Sept. 12 in the Anne R. Belk Theater! 🌟

The festival-style program features seven diverse pieces, with choreography and performances by dance faculty and special guest artists.

The program includes:

"Not Foreign to the Moon," choreographed and performed by E.E. Balcos, Kim Jones and Tamara Williams with Claudio Olivera on piano.

"Janus (excerpt)," choreographed by Eric Mullis with Joy Davis and Madeline Badgett, performed by Madeline Badgett.

"Narcissus and Echo," choreographed by Maya Kulkarni
and performed by Kaustavi Sarkar and alumna Cecilia Whalen '21.

"Z.O.I.D.S.," choreographed and performed by Joshua Carr and Ashley L. Tate.

"silent scream," choreographed and performed by alumna Anna Edwards '18.

"Terra Nova," choreographed and performed by Tadej Brdnik and Kim Jones.

"Sisters of the Sword," choreographed by Maria Caruso, staged by Lauren Skrabalak, and performed by Sydney Gondringer and Marie-Amelle Thenoz.

09/03/2026

In early 2026, artist and educator Soo Kim traveled to northern India to visit Jantar Mantar, a collection of 18th-century geometric monuments which functioned as unique astronomical instruments 🌙💫

This observatory was constructed by Maharajah Sawaii Jai Singh II of Jaipur to predict the time and movements of the sun, moon and planets. Aiming for a clearer picture of the entire sky, the large-scale structures each possessed a specialized architectural function whose measurements could be seen by the naked eye.

Throughout her practice, Kim has photographed locations imbued with layers of histories, colonial pasts, utopic ideals and political conflicts. She systematically deploys intricate acts of removal and layering which render her pictures as wholly new compositions which are sculptural, nuanced and anomalous.

In "The Distance of the Moon," Kim has hand-cut absences and created disruptions in the masonry of the instruments which give way to glowing, celestial spheres that evoke the very systems being measured.

"The Distance of the Moon" is on view now in Lambla Gallery through Oct. 7 with a reception on Sept. 15 from 6-8 p.m.

Born in South Korea, Soo Kim is based in Los Angeles. After earning a B.A. degree from the University of California, Riverside, she combined studies in Critical Writing, Art, and Film at the California Institute of the Arts in Valencia for her MFA. She is currently the Professor and Program Director of Photography, and heads the Critic-in-Residence program at Otis College of Art and Design in Los Angeles.

📸 Photos by Toby Schuetze

09/02/2026

Theatre students and faculty celebrating the start of the school year in Robinson Hall!

09/01/2026

// Architecture major Agnes Rodts was a summer intern with ZAPATA Group, Inc. here in Charlotte!

Through scholarships that she has received from the Society of American Military Engineers, Agnes was connected to ZAPATA Group, a Charlotte-based architecture and engineering firm that specializes in military and utility industry projects. That association led to an eight-week internship this summer in which she worked on a wide range of projects.

“Some of my responsibilities and projects included working with SIDs, CDs, RCPs, room finish schedules, floor plans, elevations, ceiling plans and as-builts,” she said.

“I also gained experience with redlining, keynoting, ordering material samples, creating Bluebeam toolsets and profiles, and planning semimonthly volunteer work and community-building events.”

In addition to her work in the office, Agnes participated in multiple construction site visits, where she could see abstract plans come to life.

“One of the most important things I learned this summer was how a project moves from drawings to construction. Before this internship, I understood architectural drawings primarily from a classroom perspective. Being able to work with actual project documents and then visit project sites helped me understand how those drawings are used throughout the construction process.”

Follow our series all year for more internship spotlights!

08/31/2026

Last Friday, we celebrated the 12th annual COAA Distinguished Alumni Awards by honoring five inspiring alumni and their achievements 💚

Thank you to Antonio Nevada Martinez ’11 (Architecture), Hank Foreman ’86 (Art & Art History), Davian “DJ” Robinson ’20 (Dance), Raven Pfeiffer ’20 (Music) and KoKo M. Thornton ’97 (Theatre) for joining us on campus and sharing their stories.

The 2026 COAA Distinguished Alumni Awards took place at 1 p.m. Friday, Aug. 28 at in the Anne R. Belk Theater. Music student Brooke Smith opened the ceremony with a beautiful performance of "An Chloë," K. 524 by Mozart, accompanied by Claudio Olivera.

Thank you for showing our students what's possible. Congratulations to our 2026 honorees!

📸 Photos by Toby Schuetze

UNC Charlotte Alumni

08/30/2026

Last week, welcomed guest artists Dannielle Tegeder and Sharmistha Ray, co-founders of artist collective Hilma's Ghost 🌌

The two talked to students in the gallery about their collective and artmaking before leading a collaborative art exercise. Led by a series of prompts, students interpreted the directions before passing their drawings to the left to build on the art of the person before them.

Tegeder and Ray currently have work on display in our Rowe Galleries in the "Holding a Bright Untroubled Sky: Visioning a Better World Through Magic" exhibition. The exhibition features 14 international artists and collectives and is designed to inspire us to cultivate our own imaginative capacity.

Founded in 2020, the collective is inspired by the pioneering early Swedish abstractionist Hilma af Klint. Their work incorporates contemporary art with magical spiritualities, divination and ritual fused with experimental pedagogies.

Hilma's Ghost has presented exhibitions, activations and public programs at institutions including the Guggenheim Museum, New York; the Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum, Ridgefield, CT; Museu de Arte de São Paulo (MASP); and Galería RGR, Mexico City.

The collective has completed more than 30 collaborative projects and participated in nearly 100 public programs worldwide. Their Abstract Futures Tarot is now in its third edition.

Be sure to check out their work in Rowe Galleries, along with other amazing artists, now through Sept. 18!

08/29/2026

"I chose UNC Charlotte because it allows me to continue investing in the city that has shaped me. As someone who grew up in Charlotte and now works in commercial real estate, I’ve developed a passion for the way architecture, development and community intersect. Staying in Charlotte means I can continue building on my professional experience while learning from a program that is closely connected to the city’s growth."

Paris Hackett, Master of Architecture, is this week's spotlight! Prior to pursuing her graduate degree in architecture at Charlotte, Paris graduated from UNC Chapel Hill with an undergraduate degree in Media and Journalism.

🏠 What kind of career do you hope to have?
I hope to build a career as an architect focused on creating places that strengthen communities and improve the quality of life. My background in commercial real estate marketing has given me an understanding of how development, design and community all work together, and I want to use architecture to make a more direct impact on the built environment.

I’m especially interested in mixed-use developments, adaptive reuse and projects that can revitalize neighborhoods while remaining accessible to the people who live there.

💚 Can you talk about your experience as a scholarship student?
The Herschel and Cornelia Everett Foundation Master’s Graduate Fellowship is a competitive, nomination-based award that provides a $14,500 stipend and in-state tuition during my first year of graduate school, with continued tuition support in my second year through a graduate assistantship or fellowship. The fellowship recognizes students with strong academic achievement and success in graduate study.

Receiving this fellowship is both an honor and an investment in my future. It significantly reduces the financial burden of pursuing my Master of Architecture, allowing me to focus on my education, professional growth, and community involvement. Knowing that my graduate program nominated me for this award makes it especially meaningful, as it reflects their confidence in my potential and future.

08/28/2026

Our 2026 COAA Distinguished Alumni have spent the past few days on campus visiting classes, talking to students and sharing their career journeys 🌟

Today we celebrate them! The 12th annual COAA Distinguished Alumni ceremony is today at 1 p.m. in the Anne R. Belk Theater in Robinson Hall. Following the ceremony will be a reception with cake and cookies. Both are open to the public.

Meet our 2026 distinguished alumni:

Antonio Nevada Martinez ’11 (Architecture) left fighter jets behind and has built 108 health centers across the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Raven Pfeiffer ’20 (Music) opened for Sabrina Carpenter at Hyde Park in London and played the main stage at Lollapalooza on the same tour.

Hank Foreman ’86 (Art & Art History) was a first-generation student who founded a museum and put Warhol in its permanent collection.

KoKo M. Thornton ’97 (Theatre) directed more than 34 productions in 24 years of teaching and holds the Order of the Long Leaf Pine.

Davian “DJ” Robinson ’20 (Dance) is a visually impaired dance artist rewriting what a performance can ask of an audience.

And that barely scratches the surface! Get to know more about our alumni and be inspired by their journeys at today's ceremony. We hope you will join us!

08/27/2026

A wonderful tribute from our UNC Charlotte "Pride of Niner Nation" Marching Band to Dolly Parton 💚

08/26/2026

// “The most meaningful part of the internship was getting to connect with the [dance] students. For a lot of them, it was their first time in the city, so we got to take them to some of the fun tourist spots and see a lot of Broadway shows. It was so fun to connect with them and make it a positive experience."

This summer, Aliyah March (who is earning a B.A. in Dance with a concentration in Performance, Choreography and Theory and B.S. in Business Administration with a concentration in Human Resources Management), completed an internship as Resident Community Advisor Lead with Joffrey Ballet School in New York City!

Aliyah learned about the Joffrey Ballet School internship from fellow dance majors Amaree Ratliff and Christian Bryant, who had worked with the Joffrey in the past.

Founded in 1953, the school offers renowned summer intensive programs in the United States and abroad.

After a rigorous application process that included three interviews, Aliyah was offered the lead resident community advisor position in New York City. Over 12 weeks, she oversaw daily residence hall operations, led staff meetings, coordinated student programming and worked tirelessly to foster a positive living experience for students at the summer ballet school.

"It was amazing to meet all of the other interns who go to school all over the world and talk to them about what their pathway has been leading up to the internship," she shared. "I made some lifelong connections.”

Follow our series all year for more internship spotlights!

Address

9201 University City Boulevard
Charlotte, NC
28223

Telephone

+17046870100

Website

https://coaa.charlotte.edu/

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