UNC Charlotte College of Arts + Architecture

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UNC Charlotte College of Arts + Architecture

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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, professionally-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.

10/12/2026

Four exhibitions, three galleries and a whole lot of people who showed up for them. Thank you to everyone who came out to support the artists of our first exhibitions of the semester! 🌌

💫 "Holding a Bright Untroubled Sky" brought 14 international artists and collectives to Rowe Galleries and asked us to dream a little bigger. Curated by writer and folklorist Amy Hale.

🖼️ "Recent Acquisitions" filled the Projective Eye Gallery with 38 works from across the University's collections, curated by Jim Frakes, professor of art history, with students from the spring 2026 curatorial seminar.

🌙 "The Distance of the Moon" opened in the Lambla Gallery with Soo Kim's hand-cut photographs of Jantar Mantar, the 18th-century observatory in northern India, where absences in the masonry give way to glowing celestial spheres.

📖 And "Litmosphere" closed out the receptions with photography by Amy Hart paired with poems and stories from Charlotte Lit's sixth issue. Still on view though Oct. 16!

Stay tuned for what's coming next to our galleries!

📸 Photos by Keet Murphy, SOAH, CLT galleries and Amy Hart.

10/10/2026

"I have always been very fond of the arts... Across all my interests, I loved taking art classes, learning about different art movements and artists from around the world, and doing studio work. In art history, beyond knowing the titles of works and their artists, I loved learning the context around them, the barriers they broke, the movements they changed, the scandals they caused, and their significance over time."

Karla Montalban-Lucas, B.A. in Art History with a minor in Legal Studies, is this week's spotlight!

💚 What is your favorite thing about UNC Charlotte?
I love how collaborative our art history department is. I like that we always have class discussions, and everyone shares their ideas and opinions; it helps you learn beyond the text and lectures.

🎨 What kind of career do you hope to have?
If there is one thing I have learned in my art history classes, it is that the legal side of things can be messy and complicated. I am not yet sure which route I want to take, but I would love to work in intellectual property, art crimes or cultural heritage.

👩‍⚖️ Do you participate in any community activities?
I am a part of the Society of Art Historians, and I sit as its social media manager. Aside from art organizations I am also a member of other organizations within my legal studies minor. I am a member of the Charlotte Mock Trial Team and a writer on the Undergraduate Law Review. I also hold a fellowship outside of school with Carolina Migrant Network.

10/09/2026

Second-year architecture students filled Storrs salon with their first big projects last week. Titled “Pylon,” the assignment asked students to explore recursion as both a formal and constructional design method.

Working in groups, students developed pavilion-like structures in a multi-step process. Starting with simple geometry, they defined rules for how it should repeat or transform and then applied those rules again and again. They then used large language models to help turn their rules into scripts that could run in Rhino design software and generate different geometric variations.

Production progressed through three phases: computational studies and 3D-printed models, basswood models and drawings, and finally full-scale constructions using cinder blocks and wood furring strips.

The students dressed their best last Tuesday and presented their “Pylon” projects to reviewers, including current and emeritus faculty.

10/08/2026

We loved hosting The Gemini Duo on Sept. 22! The acclaimed classical accordion duo, twin sisters Wanxu Zhao and Wanchen Zhao, came to Rowe Recital Hall to perform and speak with music majors 🎶

Originally from China, the twins moved to Copenhagen in 2019, where they studied classical accordion at the Royal Danish Academy of Music.

They have won chamber music competitions in New York City and throughout Europe and have performed in such prestigious places as Carnegie Hall, the Berliner Philharmonien in Berlin, and the Musikverein in Vienna.

Their lively presentation at UNC Charlotte included orchestral transcriptions of Stravinsky’s “Petrushka” and Holst’s “The Planets.”

The duo also performed “Shadow Selves,” a new work composed specifically for the twin musicians by our visiting composition professor, Stephen Morris.

10/07/2026

We're excited to welcome Actors From the London Stage to Charlotte next week! 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🎭

Co-founded by acclaimed actor Patrick Stewart, AFTLS is a touring company of extraordinary British actors presented by Shakespeare at Notre Dame.

Five actors take the stage, with minimal props and costumes, and direct themselves in a performance of a complete Shakespeare play, with each actor portraying multiple roles.

As part of their residency, the troupe will be teaching workshops to our theatre students during the day and will bring their unique presentation of Shakespeare's "Much Ado About Nothing" to Robinson Hall at night.

The brilliance of their tight-knit ensemble is a perfect match for "Much Ado," one of Shakespeare's wittiest romantic comedies.

Performances take place Oct. 15-17 at 7:30 p.m. in the Black Box Theater. The performances are free but registration is required. See our website calendar for details!

10/06/2026

What an incredible Niner Nation Week and Homecoming ⛏️💚

Our COAA community was involved in SO many different NNW events. Here's some of what we were up to!

📱 Dance major and Tiktoker Emma Miller helped kick off the week with her dance moves, including a routine with the Panther's Sir Purr and Norm the Niner.

👑 Musical Theatre Certificate student Ezra DeVane and Architecture student Monisha “Mo” Pirela were part of the NINER NINE! Replacing the historic Homecoming court, this tradition celebrates students who bring campus to life with their energy, leadership and Niner pride.

🥁 The Pride of Niner Nation Marching Band not only performed at the Homecoming Game, but at various events, including Festival in the Park!

🎶 The Department of Music held a week of concerts with celebratory NNW treats after performances.

☀️ Professor Emeritus of Architectural History Dr. Lee Gray was the featured speaker at Creative Mornings, held here on campus. The morning also featured faculty Roxanne Wellington, Ashley L. Tate and Kalin Devone.

🌟 Art alumna and UNC Charlotte Career Center Program Manager Suzanne Voigt
was named the 2026 Alumni Campus Employee (ACE) Milestone Award for her years of dedication to her role.

💃 Dance faculty Wendy and Rodrigo Jimenez taught the annual Bachata Brunch in partnership with the Latin A/O Alumni Network.

🎨 The Art Cart showed up at many events to encourage creativity and stress relief.

🏛️ The architecture class of 1986 gathered for a reunion!

What a week!

10/05/2026

It’s not every day that a load of slime arrives at the David R. Ravin School of Architecture...

But for Professor Jefferson Ellinger, nationally recognized for his work in the computational design and manufacturing of complex geometric forms, it was just research as usual.

Ellinger had been tapped to create furniture for Sloomoo Institute, an amusement center where kids (and the young at heart) can play with slime. Launched in NYC in 2019, Sloomoo can now be found in 9 cities across the country. The Charlotte branch opened in July.

Ellinger was hired in 2022 by Sloomoo architect Demetrios Comodromos of Method Design, who had been one of Ellinger’s students years ago at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and is now a good friend.

It may sound silly, but when Sloomoo sent Ellinger a crate of slime, it provided him and his graduate research assistant, Sharaa Norouzi, the chance to engage in sophisticated computational design and manufacturing research.

“The desire was to reflect slime – its materiality – in the pieces,” Ellinger said. “We put it into different shapes and then 3D scanned it. Then we refined the geometry in the computer...”

The results include a giant “selfie” chair and a slime slingshot, both cast fiberglass, which can be found in Sloomoo locations from Chicago to Charlotte.

Sloomoo Institute cofounder Sara Schiller praised Ellinger for “participating in recreational architecture.”

“His tools and approach are way beyond my skillset, but if you look at what he’s created, he’s actually invoking the quality of slime. I know the adults feel the sophistication that he was able to give us. He really understood the seriousness of play.”

10/04/2026

"My favorite thing about the SoA is the strong sense of community it creates. I’ve found my favorite people here in an environment where everyone is welcoming and genuinely willing to support one another. Being in a major with long nights and a heavy workload can feel overwhelming at times, but having professors and classmates there to support you along the way makes the hard work feel more manageable and meaningful."

Mariam Zaghari, B.A. in Architecture, is this week's spotlight!

🏠 How did you first get interested in architecture?
I have always been interested in spaces and the way they can shape a person’s mood. I enjoy people-watching and observing how individuals interact with their surroundings, but what draws me most to architecture is its ability to truly help people.

Before beginning architecture school, I was originally pursuing nursing. With a background in the medical field and experience working as a CNA, I have always felt a strong desire to care for and support others. As my interests evolved, I discovered architecture and realized that helping people does not only happen through medicine. It can also happen through the design of thoughtful, meaningful spaces that improve everyday life.

🏛️ What kind of career do you hope to have?
I want to design with the intention of helping others. In my first year of architecture school, I took an elective course called Humanitarian Design with Betsy West, where we spent the semester studying projects created in response to humanitarian issues around the world. For our final project, we were to choose any location and any humanitarian need to design for. I chose to design a pharmacy and mental health clinic in Rafah, Gaza. As someone who is Palestinian, this project felt especially personal and opened my eyes to the kind of work I hope to pursue. The career I aspire to have is one where design is always rooted in compassion and dedicated to supporting communities in need.

💚 Do you participate in any community activities?
I am a member of NOMAS, the UNC Charlotte chapter of the National Organization of Minority Architecture Students, where we bridge the community through culture and create events that bring together students and professionals to connect, learn from each other, and share their backgrounds. I am also a member of the student Palestinian Cultural Organization, where we host events to raise money for charity in support of Palestinian communities.

10/02/2026

We are SO proud to announce that Professor David Thaddeus received the 2026 UNC Charlotte Award for Teaching Excellence for tenured faculty!

Chancellor Gaber and Provost Troyer presented the award at the 59th annual teaching awards ceremony on Thursday.

David came to UNC Charlotte in 1999. He is known for his creative and hands-on approach to teaching and his genuine care for his students.

“Over the years I have continually explored new ways to incorporate hands-on and visual learning into my courses,” David said. “While numbers may prove that a structural system will work, building and testing structural models to failure is critical for the student’s qualitative understanding of structural principles.”

Congratulations, David, for this well-deserved award!

📸: Emmanuel Perkins for the Niner Times

09/30/2026

Behind the scenes of our promo photoshoot for the Department of Theatre's production of "John Proctor is the Villain" 🕯️

Five young women, fueled by pop music and teenage fury, begin to unravel the truths about the men in their world. Rumors and hysteria in their own small Georgia town begin to boil over, just as their English class digs into Arthur Miller’s classic, "The Crucible." The parallels between that play and their lives are brought into sharp and dangerous focus. After all, high school can be treacherous.

"John Proctor is the Villain" premiered on Broadway in 2025 and received seven Tony Award nominations, including Best Play. It is a funny and bracing new play about girlhood, the destruction of innocence, and how we question the narratives we’ve been taught.

Written by Kimberly Belflower, "John Proctor is the Villain" will be the #1 most produced play this season, as reported by American Theatre. Our production is directed by Associate Professor of Voice, Speech and Acting Roxanne Wellington.

Our COAA graphic design and photography interns, Alex Schauble and Toby Schuetze, are the creative team behind the performance's marketing materials. Here's a look at the BTS of their poster photoshoot, and keep an eye out for the final design!

Join us Nov. 12-16 at the Anne R. Belk Theatre. Then, we're taking the show UPTOWN to the Booth Playhouse at Blumenthal Performing Arts Center, Nov. 20-22!!

Address

9201 University City Boulevard
Charlotte, NC
28223

Telephone

+17046870100

Website

https://coaa.charlotte.edu/

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