MoNA Gallery is a funky, eclectic place to experience local handmade art. MoNA — which is short for Museum of Neighborhood Art — is comfortable and inviting while still having a gallery feel.

MoNA’s mission is to promote the works of local and regional emerging and established artists through monthly exhibitions, special events, classes and workshops. The opening receptions are always a good time to see new works of art and meet local artists, but this upcoming show is especially noteworthy.

The “ReCOLLection” exhibit is about highlighting what local McColl Center for Visual Art alumni have been creating. The show will feature new work by Ashley Lathe, Ben Premeaux, Carmella Jarvi, Diane Hughes, Felicia van Bork, Laura McCarthy, Lori Larusso, Nancy G. Cook, Nathaniel Lancaster, Sharon Dowell, Terry Shipley and others.

It opens Friday, May 4, with a reception from 7 to 10 p.m. — with most artists in attendance. “ReCOLLection” will be MoNA’s largest exhibition to date, taking over more than 2,000 square feet of the gallery. Although the show will technically run through June 30, collectors may take home their purchases at the end of the opening reception.

This show is significant because McColl Center for Visual Art (a Knight arts grantee) is known nationally and internationally for its strong residency program. There are two main categories of residents: Artists-in-Residence and Affiliate Artists.

Artists-in-Residence are awarded a stipend along with the fabulous studio and access to all McColl Center for Visual Art amenities. Affiliates are local artists who pay a small fee for the same access. Both types of residencies are based on a jury process and open to emerging, mid-career and senior level. (The Knight Foundation also sponsors residencies for well-known visual artists and writers.)

The interesting thing about the Affiliate Artists’ roster is it represents some of the very best visual artwork being created in the city.  Whether they are emerging or established, these artists are ones to watch. “ReCOLLection” will be an excellent way to see how many of these local artists’ work has been evolving.

McColl Center for Visual Art is located in Uptown Charlotte and is on the very edge of the heart of the city. As an urban artist-in-residence program, McColl Center for Visual Art actively participates in and contributes to the energy and vibrancy of the city. Through interaction with artists in their studios, it provides a portal from which the non-artist can gain insight into the creative process.

When the artists were in residence, one could get an inside peek into their artistic process. The “ReCOLLection” exhibit, then, is an opportunity to experience the final products of some of Charlotte’s local talent.

ReCOLLection exhibit at MoNA Gallery May 4  – June 30 Opening reception Friday, May 4 from 7  to 10 p.m. Open: Tuesday through Friday, 10 to 7 p.m. and Saturday, 12 to 6 p.m. 1200 Central Ave. (at Hawthorne Lane), Charlotte