October 2026

As some of you may have heard, Charlotte Studio Artists (CSA) is at a point of transition.

Our current lease expires at the end of October, and negotiations are underway regarding future development of the property. We have been given a month-to-month lease beginning in November, which gives us some valuable time to plan our next chapter.

And believe us—we are planning!

We have been diligently searching for a new space that can accommodate approximately 35 very talented artists. Charlotte certainly has no shortage of available space. The challenge is that artists are not exactly known for having unlimited funds to pay for it.

Insert starving-artist music here. 🎻

Since CSA’s inception, we have made a commitment to our artists: they receive 100% of the proceeds from the sale of their artwork. We believe art is important. We believe artists are important. And for the past two years, we have seen that importance every single day.

We have watched people walk through our doors, discover an artist they didn’t know, find a piece that made them smile, take a class, start a conversation, make a connection, or simply spend a little time surrounded by creativity.

That is what CSA is about.

Our goal is to transition into a new space where we can continue that mission, bring art, smiles, inspiration, and joy to our collectors, workshop attendees, neighbors, and everyone who walks through our doors.

And this is where you can help.

We also want to take a moment to thank the YMCA of Greater Charlotte for the incredibly generous use of our current space and for giving CSA the opportunity to grow and establish itself over the past two years.

Most importantly, thank you.

Thank you for believing in CSA.

Thank you for visiting us.

Thank you for buying art.

Thank you for taking our classes.

Thank you for talking to our artists.

Thank you for telling your friends about us.

Your support is what makes this all worthwhile.

We don’t know exactly what the next chapter will look like yet—but we do know this:

CSA has something special.

We see great things in our future, and we hope you’ll come along for the ride.

The best is yet to come.

This Month at CSA

Featured Artist Each month, we're shining a spotlight on one of the talented artists who calls CSA home. Through a few questions and stories, you'll get a glimpse into their creative process, current projects, and the experiences that shape their work. This month, we're getting to know ​Amy Dokken

Amy Dokken is a Charlotte-based visual artist whose work is fueled by curiosity, color, and a love of storytelling.After more than 25 years as a creative director and product designer in Minneapolis, Amy moved to Charlotte and found her way back to making art for herself. She works across painting, collage, encaustic, and mixed media, drawing inspiration from people, places, travel, and the things she notices along the way. She brings the same sense of curiosity to each new piece, allowing the idea to guide the materials, process, and direction the work takes.

What are you currently working on in the studio?​
Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about storytelling and how I can push my work beyond simply capturing something I find beautiful. I’m experimenting more with collage, encaustic, layers, found imagery and mixed media, and thinking about how those layers can hold a story. I still love painting places, people and everyday moments, but I’m increasingly interested in what’s happening underneath the surface.

What is inspiring you right now?​
Travel always fills my head with ideas. I recently returned from Portugal and the Azores, and I’m still processing all of that color, texture, architecture, landscape and history. I sketch constantly when I travel, and those little observations often find their way into my work much later. I’m also really interested right now in memory, identity and the things we accumulate—physically and emotionally—over a lifetime.

What is one thing collectors or fellow artists might be surprised to learn about you?
​Before my career in design—and long before I found my way back to visual art—I studied musical theatre at AMDA in New York and performed Off-Broadway. Theatre was actually a huge part of my early creative life. I eventually took a very different professional path, but I think that background in performance and storytelling has stayed with me in ways I’m only now beginning to recognize in my visual work.

Is there a medium, technique, or subject you are eager to explore?​
So many! Curiosity is probably the through-line in everything I do, so I’m rarely content working in just one medium. I’ve been returning to encaustic and experimenting more with collage and dimensional work. I’m especially interested in pushing some of my ideas off the canvas and exploring more sculptural, immersive work. I don’t know exactly where it’s going yet, which is part of what makes it exciting.

How has Charlotte, your community, or CSA played a role in your work?​
Moving to Charlotte has had a huge impact on my art practice. I’ve found an incredibly generous creative community here—from CSA and the Guild of Charlotte Artists to my weekly plein air group and so many individual artists who have become friends. Being surrounded by people who are making things, trying things and sharing ideas has made me braver about experimenting with my own work. CSA in particular has given me not just a place to show my art, but a community I genuinely care about.

Is there a recent piece that feels especially meaningful to you? Why?​
​Instructions for a Life (Fiction) feels particularly meaningful right now. It began with pages from a 1950s Better Homes & Gardens book and grew into something about all the instructions we inherit about what a life—particularly a woman’s life—is supposed to look like. It became a piece about expectations, dreams, noise, possibility and the reality of trying to hold all of those things at once. It feels like it opened a door to something I want to explore much further.

What surprised you lately—either artistically or personally?​
How much I enjoy not knowing exactly what I’m doing! In my previous career, there was always a brief, a deadline and a problem to solve. My art practice has given me permission to be curious without needing to know where something is going. I’m learning that some of my most interesting work happens when I stop trying to control the outcome.

Just for Fun

☕ Coffee, tea or something stronger? I have never liked coffee, but have been collecting tea for quite a few years now, I keep trying to become a tea person.

🎨 Favorite art supply? Caran d’Ache crayons.

🎵 Music, podcast, or silence while you work? I like to crank up the music and listen to something that literally "moves" me.

What is one place you'd love to paint? Japan. I'd love to go there and spend months sketching, painting and deep diving into the art and culture.

CSA In The Community

Exhibit: CSA + Heist: Art In The Mix

We’re thrilled to partner with Heist Brewery to help keep art—and artists—an active part of NoDa’s creative community. As CSA looks toward its next chapter, collaborations like this give our artists new places to share their work while continuing the neighborhood’s long tradition as one of Charlotte’s creative hubs.

CSA + Heist brings together the artists of Charlotte Studio Artists and the Heist community in a celebration of creativity, connection, and collaboration. Featuring original work by local CSA artists, the exhibition creates a shared space where art, conversation, and community come together.

OPENING RECEPTION

Tuesday, October 20 | 6:00–8:00 p.m.

Join us at Heist Brewery to view and purchase the artwork, meet patrons, and gather with friends and family. Food and drinks will be available for purchase.

This event will take place at Heist Brewery: 2909 N Davidson St Ste 200, Charlotte, NC 28205

Come experience it for yourself! Stop by Heist, grab a drink or a bite, explore the artwork throughout the space, and discover a new favorite local artist. Bringing friends, enjoying the art, and supporting the businesses and artists who call NoDa home is one of the best ways to help keep our neighborhood’s creative spirit thriving.

CONGRATULATIONS, TANYA MURPHY!

We’re excited to celebrate CSA artist Tanya Murphy, who has been awarded a HUG (Helpful Unfettered Gift) grant from Charlotte Is Creative! Tanya will use the grant to professionally frame the 22 photographs in her Homegrown Myths and Legends series, a collection of portraits printed on upcycled tableware that explores family, history, and the stories held by familiar objects. The funding will free Tanya from building each frame herself and give her more time to focus on expanding the project creatively. Congratulations, Tanya! We can’t wait to see where the project goes next.

Have you SEEN the winner?

CAST YOUR VOTE: BEST OF SEEN 2026!

The competition is on! Fourteen previous SEEN winners are going head-to-head for the title of Best SEEN Photo of 2026. The finalists are on display at CSA, and voting is already underway—and competitive!

Come see all 14 photographs and cast your vote in person during our Saturday Open Houses or Third Thursday at CSA. Voting continues through October 15, when the ultimate 2026 winner will be announced. Come help us choose the best of SEEN!

Now on View

Reimagining the Masters

There’s still time to experience Black, White and Everything In Between, on view at CSA through November 7. This striking exhibition explores the full spectrum of visual expression through black, white, and every nuance in between, challenging artists to find depth, tension, and meaning within contrast and subtle gradation.

Stop in and see the exhibition during our Saturday Open Houses or Third Thursday during NoDa’s Culture Crawl. We’d love to see you!

Mark Your Calendars

Monthly Meetups

HALLOWEEN AT CSA 🎃

Saturday, October 31st, 2026
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM

We’re celebrating Halloween CSA-style! Our artists are putting their creativity to work decorating papier-mâché masks, which will be on display in the lobby for a little extra Halloween fun.

Join us Saturday, October 31 for a festive day of art, trick-or-treating, creative masks, and community. It may also be our last Saturday in our current home, which makes it an especially meaningful day to stop by, wander the studios, see some art, and spend a little time with us.

Come celebrate Halloween—and this special space—with us. We’d love to see you!

Guild of Charlotte Artists Featured at CSA Gallery

This month we welcome:

SHARON SASSER Self-taught artist Sharon Sasser creates vibrant, expressive work in acrylic paint and alcohol ink, embracing bold color, movement, and the unexpected ways her materials flow and interact. Growing up in a family of artists—including a father who was a metal sculptor—gave Sharon an early appreciation for form, texture, color, and the emotional power of handmade work. The collection Sharon is sharing at CSA is especially personal. Created during her three-year journey of sobriety, the work reflects healing, courage, uncertainty, and renewal. Through layers of color and movement, Sharon found a way to turn vulnerability into expression—and allow the creative process itself to become part of that journey.

SHEFALEE PATEL Artist, dancer, cultural educator, and community connector Shefalee Patel brings together color, movement, culture, and storytelling in her vibrant creative practice. Her work ranges from large-scale murals and immersive acrylic abstracts to intricate hand-painted motifs, drawing inspiration from Indian textiles, folk traditions, and the many ways culture and identity intersect. Shefalee’s creativity extends well beyond the canvas. A longtime advocate for Charlotte’s arts community and Past President of the Guild of Charlotte Artists, she has helped shape local cultural initiatives, led public art projects and traditional dance workshops, and created opportunities for artists and communities to connect. At the heart of her work is a belief in art as a way to build connection, understanding, and shared joy.

Help Us Find Our New Home

Our search for a new home continues—and we’re excited to share that we have a few promising leads! Nothing is finalized yet, so we’re continuing to explore possibilities for a space where our studios, gallery, retail, workshops, and growing creative community can thrive.

We’re looking for an accessible, light-filled, community-oriented space with room to grow and good parking. Your connections could make all the difference. If you know of a space, property owner, developer, organization, or potential partner we should talk to, we’d love to hear from you.

Please reach out to charlottestudioartists@gmail.com with ideas, connections, or other ways you may be able to help. We can’t wait to see where CSA goes next!

Do you want to volunteer in a creative space?

CSA has a need for volunteers! Whether you like to be in the middle of the action or quieter spot, there is a place for you. We especially need volunteers who would like to be docents—or meet and greet at our front desk. We welcome visitors from our neighborhood, across the country, and around the globe. If you’re available for occasional Saturday 4-hour shifts, or third Thursday evenings, please e-mail charlottestudioartists@gmail.com. We have special projects at other times, too. Come enjoy the creative vibe while you contribute to CSA’s volunteer effort. We’d be grateful.

OPEN HOURS

Come see what’s happening at CSA! Visit us during open gallery hours Saturdays from 10 AM–6 PM and every 3rd Thursday from 5–8:30 PM during NoDa’s Culture Crawl.

Wander the studios, meet our artists, explore the latest exhibitions, and maybe find a piece of art you can’t leave without. There’s always something new to see!