The Van Gogh Immersive Art Experience in Charlotte, NC opened this week. We sent Kidding Around’s Melanie to Charlotte’s Camp North End to check out this immersive art experience that runs until January, 2nd 2022.
Learn all the things you need to know before purchasing tickets to the Immersive Van Gogh Exhibit or preparing for the show if you’ve already purchased them.
This is an amazing experience for art lovers and children being introduced to art for the first time. Read on to make sure you get the most out of the experience and the trip to Charlotte, North Carolina.
To see more of our coverage from The Van Gogh Immersive Art Experience, head to our Instagram account and the Van Gogh Exhibit Highlight.
This Popular Exhibit Gets A Second Run Extention
The record-breaking exhibition has been extended a second time!
- More than 265,000 tickets have been sold in Charlotte, with a reported 44% of ticket buyers coming from outside the Charlotte Area and an astonishing 77% of tickets purchased by new customers who have never attended an event at Blumenthal Performing Arts.
- Immersive Van Gogh has also seen more than 4,400 repeat ticket buyers.
- The local economic impact of Van Gogh can be estimated at more than $36 million. If you haven’t been yet, now’s your chance! You have through January 2nd, 2022 to experience this amazing art exhibit.
The Van Gogh Immersive Art Experience in Charlotte, NC
There are several different traveling Van Gogh-themed immersive art experiences, this one created by digital art master and pioneer, Massimiliano Siccardi, and perfectly paired to a soundtrack composed by Luca Longobardi. Creators of the blockbuster show in Paris, the original Immersive Van Gogh Exhibit submerges audiences in 500,000 cubic feet of monumental projections that illuminate and animate the mind of Vincent Van Gogh.
WSPA’s Jamarcus Gaston interviewed the talent behind this amazing exhibit, and you can watch his interview online.
In the first season of Netflix’s “Emily in Paris” – Lily Collins’ character “Emily” and her friends visit an immersive Van Gogh exhibit. This has made the Immersive Van Gogh Art Tours all the more popular!
The exhibit features Van Gogh’s most famed masterpieces like Starry Night, Sunflower, The Potato Eaters, Almond Blossoms, The Bedroom, and so many more. But don’t worry if you don’t know a Monet from a Van Gogh. This exhibit is amazing, no matter your knowledge of the great masters of the art world.
Experiencing Van Gogh In A New Way
Breathtaking.
This was the first thing I thought when I walked into the gallery.
It’s almost overwhelming when you walk in, and the visuals and music wash over you. The images are projected on the walls, the floor, and the support beams in the gallery are mirrored, so the imagery is everywhere. After you take it all in for a second, you’ll want to find a circle on the floor and move to it for the remainder of the show. Some circles have benches; if they don’t, you are welcome to stand or sit on the floor upon a provided piece of butcher paper. The show cycles through a full set in 35 minutes, with credits at the end to indicate the completion of a show. Take note of what art is showing when you enter the gallery, so you know when you’ve seen everything if you wish to leave after a complete cycle. I suggest moving to different parts of the gallery to view the show. The art looks different from different spots in the gallery since the projection covers such a large area.
On your way in (or out) of the gallery, there are plenty of opportunities to grab photos to mark the occasion. This includes a Ford Model-T that you can sit in for photos. You are probably wondering, why a Ford Model-T? In 1924 the warehouse that is now hosting this immersive art experience and its guests was built as a Ford Model-T and Model-A factory. In the nearly 100 years since it was built, the building has seen missile production and the production of other wartime supplies. The “camp” part of Camp North End stood for “Charlotte Area Missile Production”. The Ford Motors’ history of the venue has been tied into the photo opportunities available for guests in numerous spots. See how many you can spot!
Speaking of spotting things – when you first enter the venue, make sure to grab a “Gogh & Know” I Spy For Adults pamphlet from the guest services desk. This has facts about the pieces of Van Gogh’s work included in the show.
If you need refreshments while you are in the exhibit, there is a café that offers beer, wine, liquor, and soda beverages and offerings from some of the vendors (listed below) of Camp Northend. There is also a large gift shop area with any Van Gogh art-themed item you can think of. It’s a great place to start that Holiday shopping!
Enjoying The Van Gogh Immersive Exhibit With Sensory Sensitivities
If you have a loved one with sensory processing issues like I do, this show might be a lot to handle. I have to say though, I’ve never seen an exhibit go to the lengths that this one has to accommodate people like my son who has Autism and a sensory processing issue.
For regular shows, everyone is offered disposable ear plugs as their ticket is scanned. Both of my children wound up using them.
For two special “Relaxed Performances” on July 13th and August 3rd at 10 am Blumenthal Performing Arts, the hosts of this event will provide guests with the following special accommodations
- The accompanying music during the show to be at a lower volume
- Escape spaces outside of the gallery, free from lights and sound
- Provided areas with sensory bins, tactile objects, and books for calming
- Professional teaching staff on hand to assist with wandering, quiet or defensive friends
- A free-range opportunity to enjoy the art. Guests will be free to talk, lay down, touch the walls and enjoy the art exhibit however they choose.
- These relaxed experiences last 60 minutes (instead of 35) and typically run from 10 am – 11 pm on the selected days (July 13th and August 3rd)
I feel like the tickets for these two shows will be in high demand. If you think that this show is the right fit for your family’s needs, I would purchase the tickets as soon as possible. If the “Relaxed Performace” shows are sold out, I would call and talk to the venue. If enough people show interest, they may expand the slots for those performances.
The Camp North End Venue & Parking
Parking and the availability of it has already been our number one question from readers when we posted about the exhibit to social media. You’ll be glad to know that the parking for Camp North End and the Exhibit is FREE and plentiful. Parking should not be an issue.
Visitors to Camp North End will get to see some work from *local artist Frankie Zombie while at Camp North End as well as the chance to eat from a great selection of locally-owned restaurants.
- *Plant Joy – plant-based menu items
- *Bleu Barn – kids menu items, and burger style sandwiches
- *Babe & Butcher – a brand new DIY charcuterie board provisions shop
- *Wentworth & Fenn Bakery – baked goods and coffee
*Vendors also available in the exhibit cafe - La Caseta – the Lil sibling from the people who own Sabor Latin Street Grill
- PopBar – Handcrafted Gelato popsicles
- Saru by Bow Ramen – Ramen noodle bowls
- Hex Coffee – Specialty coffee shop
- Leah & Louise – Elevated southern cuisine
*Unfortunately on opening day the spot where the “Charlotte” Mural that includes Frankie Zombie’s work was obscured by construction barriers. It’s adjacent to the “Beach North Beach” area and worth checking to see if it’s visible.
Know Before You Go:
The Van Gogh Immersive Art Experience
Tickets:
Purchase online in advance
Children ages 5 and under – FREE
Children ages 6-15 – $29.99
Adults (16+) – $49.99 – $99.99 Price varies with add-on options
Health & Saftey Precautions:
Face coverings are required for all staff and guests unless fully vaccinated.
Social distancing circles are projected throughout the entire exhibition gallery space to assist guests with distancing from one another.
Directions:
Camp North End is located just a few minutes from I-85 on the northside of Downtown Charlotte.
The address for the venue is – 300 Camp Road, Charlotte NC
Find more information: Immersive Van Gogh Exhibit in Charlotte, NC
*Immersive Van Gogh Charlotte generously gave us tickets for the purpose of this review, all words and opinions are genuine and that of our writer.