McColl Center for Visual Art

History

The building housing McColl Center was originally a Presbyterian Church built in 1926. The historic, brick and stone neo-Gothic structure was an active church until 1950 when the church's membership was dissolved. The building stood empty for many years until November 14, 1984, when an accidental fire gutted the interior, leaving only an empty shell. In 1995, Bank of America bought the property intending to establish an artist residency. The bank, with the help of Charlotte's Arts & Science Council, redesigned and rebuilt the interior as a place for artists to live and work. The renovated structure was designed by FMK Architects and was built by Rodgers Builders. It opened on September 16, 1999, as the Tryon Center for Visual Art. Hugh McColl, Jr., former CEO of Bank of America, was the primary patron and in 2001, to honor him, the name was changed to McColl Center for Visual Art. A third name change occurred in 2014 when it became McColl Center for Art + Innovation. In 2021, the organization announced a renewed direction to put artists first and a new visual identity under the name McColl Center.