The Light Factory

A hidden gem in Uptown, hidden inside Spirit Square. The Light Factory is a small, but incredibly fantastic museum and cultural hub for photography and film in Charlotte. They hold regular rotating exhibits, summer camps, and adult art classes. I usually browse the current show when I’m in the area or waiting on a performance at McGlohan or The Duke.
Another very fun thing you can catch is the summer film series, outdoor (weather permitting) screenings of films in Transamerica Square (the green between the buildings). This summer saw 80s cult films… all for free!
Cool spot, interesting exhibits, and definitely friendly on the wallet when you need something to do Uptown.

A photography gallery in Uptown, right next to the 7^th Street LYNX Station. When I arrived, the place was quite desolate. The security guard had me wait in the lobby while he went in to the gallery to turn the lights on. I got the impression that there wasn’t a whole lot going on here. It’s a good thing that it’s free, because 30 minutes of looking at pictures wouldn’t have been worth much. And even at 30 minutes, I was still moving pretty slow.
When I visited, the exhibit was «Streetwise», a collection of pictures of America’s troubled 60’s. Capturing images of not just our troubled times, including Boston’s «Combat Zone» and close-​ups of the Black Panthers, there were also shots of just regular people and places. All in black and white, which gave it a feel of being very like a documentary.
Pictures of the pictures are not permitted, but I took that as meaning not taking a picture of the individual pictures. Instead, my wide shot of the gallery doesn’t give away the detail but helps you see what you’re going to see there.
I might come back for the next exhibit, but I think this is a «See it once» kind of thing.

Photography as a fine art… long live photography and this place continues to deliver as it pertains to that art.
I love this place.

This is a cool place! I saw it for the first time Saturday during the Wells Fargo Event!
Two Galleries each had a Photographic exhibit: One was of «famous» people, some well known (Debbie Harry and Andreas Bechtler, though not in the same photo) and some less famous people in Charlotte, NC. The other exhibition was called «Street Wise» looked like photos from the 1950’s of people standing in the streets, showing some «street wise» attitude capture well on film!

The quality of the exhibits at The Light Factory are seriously unmatched in Charlotte. It is a hidden gem, and deserves so much more recognition than it receives.
Take the current exhibit — STREETWISE — which may be one of the most important art events to hit Charlotte in some time. I mean, works by Robert Frank and Diane Arbus? These are legends. And right next door, NIGHT TIME IS THE RIGHT TIME by Mitchell Kearney, features shots from around the Lower East Side of NYC in the 1970s and 1980s.
Go. Seriously, just attend and look around. It’s even free to drop by Spirit Square and just take a self-​guided tour. You’ll be glad you did.

This museum is a set of galleries scattered around the Spirit Square building, which also houses theaters and studios. Still, this does not detract from the quality of the exhibits within. «Suspicious Minds» was a surreal photography exhibit at different points beautiful and eerie. It was a demonstration of the skill and artistry when you manipulate the film, the media itself. «Unfiltered», on the other hand, used no tricks — the artistry was in the simple beauty of each shot. It really was a unique collection of «ordinary» people, although the fact that all of the photos were taken some time in the 70s detracts from the «ordinariness» of a viewer today. Small, !free! and spirited.

I just cannot fathom how a place like this remains completely unknown. I talk to people who live 2 blocks away, and they have never heard of it. The Group f/​64 exhibition was spectacular. How many time have you seen enormous Ansel Adams originals for free? I mean, seriously. This was probably the best art exhibit I’ve seen outside of New York/D.C., and it is free for the public. Between the two exhibits I saw only three people. Ansel Adams. Free. Three people.
My first thought was that the Group f/​64 exhibit, being on loan from Bank of America, might not be typical of the standard of art there, but I was wrong. The second exhibit was of two news photographers, and themes that they had encountered in their work, one on immigration and the other on cancer. These, too, were exceptional.
The other facilities there were very impressive — numerous gallery spaces, performance theaters, dance spaces — and it was almost deserted. If future exhibits are anything like these ones, The Light Factory will continue to be one of Charlotte’s undiscovered gems.

What’s not to like about a place that would front money for a week long Zombie film festival featuring George Romero himself?
Been a member of the light factory for a few years and I always enjoy their exhibits and film festivals. Its a good organization with a great sense of humor and purpose. I’m glad they are around.
I have taken two of their photography classes and really value what I learned. Met a bunch of geeky nerds like myself and had a great time. You may think the prices are a little steep at first, but worth it after you see how much better your pictures turn out.

The Light Factory is awesome. It puts on very cool photography exhibits and has a variety of educational programs for digital and film photography for teens and adults. One example: The Light Factory did an amazing photo and art exhibit on post-​Katrina New Orleans after taking a group of high school photography students on a trip there.