UNC Charlotte Center City

The North Carolina economy grew at a rate much stronger than expected during the second half of 2014 signaling significant potential growth in 2015, UNC Charlotte economist John Connaughton reported Tuesday, Dec. 9, in his quarterly forecast for the state.

UNC Charlotte representatives and other panelists will discuss “Heart and Soul: What the Health of the Black American Male Means to the Entire Community” at 6:30 p.m., Monday, Jan. 19, at UNC Charlotte Center City.

This discussion is the fourth event in the ongoing “Real Talk: A Community Conversation – The Black American Male and Why He Still Matters in the 21st Century,” being presented by the Gantt Center and the University’s Center for the Study of the New South in the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences.

The second annual Center City Literary Festival will be Friday and Saturday, Oct. 17-18, at UNC Charlotte Center City. This festival will showcase authors and performers associated with the University; it is sponsored by UNC Charlotte Center City and the Department of English in the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences.

First Ward Park is being designed as a community centerpiece – it will be bordered by UNC Charlotte Center City and ImaginOn. At a Sept. 18 ceremony to break ground officially for the park, Chancellor Philip L. Dubois said the park always has been part of Daniel Levine and the University’s vision for First Ward.

UNC Charlotte Chancellor Philip L. Dubois and Executive Director of UNC Charlotte Center City Jerry Coughter, along with city, county and local business leaders, will participate in groundbreaking ceremonies for the planned First Ward Park at 2 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 18, at the corner of Brevard and 9th streets.
The event is open to the University community and will include music and refreshments.

History, politics and social traditions can influence what people eat. Foodies, farmers, educators and advocates will explore “farm to table” and sustainability questions during the community discussion “Soul Food: A Contemporary and Historical Exploration of New South Food” on Thursday, Oct. 2, at UNC Charlotte Center City.

Works by three artists comprise “CHROMA: lyrical lines and compulsive color,” which opens Saturday, July 12, at the Projective Eye Gallery in UNC Charlotte Center City.
The display will feature color-soaked abstraction in oil paintings by Linda Luise Brown, acrylics and collage works by Marge Loudon Moody and the intricate surface design on ceramic objects and installations by Greg Scott. One of the highest-selling genres, abstract art is often one of the most misunderstood, too.

Is “urban agriculture” possible in a city like Charlotte? Can backyard chickens and rooftop gardens solve urban hunger?
The public will get a chance to consider those questions – and sip free martinis made from local ingredients – at the June 13 KEEPING WATCH Clean Martini Screens. This free, public event will be 6 to 9 p.m. at UNC Charlotte Center City.
The evening includes a showing of “Growing Cities,” a documentary that details urban farming successes across the nation. Short clips from agricultural eco-artist Jean Paul Ganem will be part of the event.

Johan Enslin, director of the Energy Production and Infrastructure Center (EPIC), will discuss energy independence at 6:30 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 19, in UNC Charlotte Center City, Room 204, as part of the 2014 Great Decisions lecture series. Prior to his talk, Enslin will be recognized at a reception as part of the UNC Charlotte observance of Engineers Week.
Recently named a 2014 Energy Leadership Award recipient by the Charlotte Business Journal, Enslin was recognized for his efforts to make the Carolinas a global force in the energy sector..

James Tabor, professor and chair of religious studies, will discuss the relationship between Israel and the United States at 6:30 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 12, at UNC Charlotte Center City, Room 204, as the fourth speaker in the 2014 Great Decisions lecture series.