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.

09/10/2026

Dance alumnus Hunter Foster '17 was an assistant choreographer for the recent hit Marvel film, "Spider-Man: Brand New Day" 🕸️

If you've seen it, you know the moment. A mysterious force moves through New York City by "energy-jumping" from one person to the next, taking control over their body and behaviors.

The presence turns out to be Jean Grey, played by Sadie Sink, whose power is to travel mind to mind, causing a ripple effect as she takes over each person just long enough to reach the next. Spider-Man, played by Tom Holland, spends much of the film chasing something he can only see in the way other people move.

And none of that movement was created by special effects. Director Destin Daniel Cretton wanted the jumps performed rather than rendered. As choreographer Nathan Kim told TODAY.com, the sequences are the work of more than 125 dancers and movement artists in Los Angeles and London, built through careful planning and focusing on timing and unique shapes.

Foster was an assistant choreographer for the LA team. "Words can't even begin to describe my love for this incredible opportunity! Nathan Kim is a one of a kind leader. To have his trust and to work on this project alongside him was such an incredible honor! " He was also grateful for the level of talent and commitment in the LA Skeleton Crew, saying "Every day I left feeling so inspired."

Since Kim started posting rehearsal footage, the clips have gone viral with audiences who assumed the whole thing was made in post production.

“We’re sort of becoming oversaturated at times by AI content and computer content and I think this, to me, feels like a little bit of a pushback,” Kim tells TODAY.com. “Humans are still amazing and our abilities are amazing and let’s celebrate that.”

We are so proud of you, Hunter!! 🌟

UNC Charlotte Alumni

09/09/2026

A look back at a great start to the season 🎶 Jessica Lindsey, professor of clarinet, kicked off this year's Faculty & Friends Concert Series on Aug. 25 in Rowe Recital Hall.

The series continues next week on Sept. 15 with our brass area faculty! Faculty Eric Millard, trumpet; Byron Johns, horn; Kevin Dugat, trombone; and Joe Skillen, tuba, team up with pianist Claudio Olivera, plus alumnus Andrew Beiter ’22 is returning to campus to join faculty for a brass quintet!

🎺 Faculty & Friends: Brass Area Faculty
📅 Tuesday, Sept. 15 at 7:30 p.m.
📍 Rowe Recital Hall

📸 Photos by Keet Murphy

09/08/2026

Christian Bryant, who graduated in May, spent three consecutive summers in paid internships at the Joffrey Ballet School, serving as a resident advisor for the company’s summer training programs.

When his Summer 2026 contract ended a few weeks ago, he was offered a job for the full academic year, to serve as both a resident advisor in the school’s dorm and also an administrative assistant at the company’s studios in Manhattan and Long Island!

The students who come to The Joffrey Ballet School to train full-time range in age from 13 to 25 and are from across the U.S. and abroad.

“It’s nice to work with young dancers who are growing and have that thirst,” said Christian. “I can share my knowledge.”

Bryant earned a B.A. in Dance with a concentration in Performance, Choreography and Theory. Working at Joffrey allows him to take classes there for free. And he’s developing his administrative skills, “gaining knowledge about how a ballet company works – the little parts that a dancer doesn’t always see.”

The dorm where he lives is in midtown Manhattan, so Christian, who was born and raised in Charlotte, is getting a full taste of the Big Apple.

🏙️ What he loves: “Running by the Hudson River. It’s so pretty! How you can get anywhere on the subway. How New York really appreciates the arts. Seeing different people and their creativity and how they express themselves walking down the street.”

🩰 What he’s experiencing: “Over the summer I was able to see a lot of Broadway shows and American Ballet Theatre. It was amazing.”

🚕 What he’s getting used to: “The noise – the sirens and traffic and music on the streets.”

❄️ What he’s anticipating: “The winter. In New York it’s no joke!”

Congrats, Christian!

UNC Charlotte Alumni

09/07/2026

Before the show opens, the gallery fills or the building takes shape, there are the hours of hard work that nobody sees 🏛️🎨🩰🎺🎭

Creativity looks effortless from the audience, but we know how much dedication it takes. This Labor Day, we're celebrating YOU and your creative work. Enjoy your day off, COAA!

📸: Amy Hart, spring 2026 graphic design students, Toby Schuetze

09/06/2026

Last Thursday, alumna Sara Veale '09 visited our dance history class to speak about her book, "Wild Grace: The Untamed Women of Modern Dance" ⭐️

Published in 2025 by Faber & Faber, "Wild Grace" traces the extraordinary women who drove the modern dance movement and challenged cultural narratives about s*x and power along the way. Among the nine pioneering dancers Veale highlights are Isadora Duncan, Loie Fuller, Katherine Dunham and Pearl Primus.

Students read passages from the book in advance to prepare for a discussion on how these women helped shape dance history.

Veale is a London-based writer and editor focusing on dance, feminism and design. She studied literature and dance as an undergraduate at UNC Charlotte and holds an M.A. in English with a concentration in Issues in Modern Culture from University College London.

Veale has worked as a freelance dance critic since 2013, reviewing major international dance companies, covering arts festivals across the UK and Europe and interviewing industry giants. She has written regularly for the Observer, the Spectator, Fjord Review and DanceTabs.

We were grateful to Veale for joining us on campus and for sharing her knowledge with our students! She was accompanied by her mentor Sybil Huskey, professor emerita of dance.

09/05/2026

"I became interested in art after years of doing coloring competitions during Christmas with my family. I eventually started creating my own coloring sheets because I felt discouraged by my messy coloring and wanted to express line on my own terms. Over time, I discovered a love for illustration and linework, and what began as a hobby became an emotional outlet through the ebbs and flows of life, as I wrestled with verbal expression.

After taking figure drawing and mixed media at Charlotte, I realized art is a language that allows me to be loud about what I hold inside. I learned to let go of control and decided painting was something I wanted to pursue full time. I didn’t like being put in a box and wanted to connect with people through my art, while still giving myself room to learn new skills.

My willingness to try, fail and learn opened the door to new hobbies like music, dance and photography. Now I’m able to explore those mediums more deeply and connect them with my artistic practice."
Leilani Jones, B.F.A. in Art with a concentration in Painting, is this week's spotlight!

🛹 What kind of career do you hope to have?
I hope to work closely with skateboarders, musicians and fashion designers to create and sell custom art pieces that can interact with daily life outside of a traditional gallery. I want to travel and connect with different people, whether it’s through murals, custom skate decks, backdrop designs, etc.

💚 What is your favorite thing about UNC Charlotte?
The community. In every class I’m in, I love seeing new faces and getting to understand different personalities and people. I love to laugh, learn and enjoy the presence of others. My professors are not only caring and wise, but they push me outside of myself and make anything feel possible. I’ve built a lot of confidence and perseverance, not only in my work, but in my character outside the classroom, and I’m truly grateful for that.

🖼️ Do you work in the Charlotte arts/design community?I helped design the T‑shirts for FOMO (Fear of Missing Out), a museum block party that helps artists connect with one another. The shirts were sold at the Harvey B. Gantt Center, where I also connected with high school students and showed them what different artistic processes and practices can look like. I’ve also created art pieces for a fashion show, contributed work to the group exhibition To Be Consumed at Goodyear Arts, and shown work in the 58th Annual Juried Student Exhibition.

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!

Address

9201 University City Boulevard
Charlotte, NC
28223

Telephone

+17046870100

Website

https://coaa.charlotte.edu/

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