Aurora Robson “Hesperus” 2011, part of “Stayin’ Alive” at the McColl Center.

Get ready to “party like its 1999” at the McColl Center for Visual Art this Saturday, May 3rd from 7-10 p.m. as the McColl Center throws its annual Studio Party. The McColl Center’s gala is unlike any other in town, featuring one of the region’s largest contemporary art sales that benefits the McColl Center, as well as local artists. General admission tickets are $150 per individual and $125 for members and alumni artists, while VIP tickets (which include early entry and VIP access to the art showcase and silent auction) are $500.

Importantly, Studio Party 14 provides the McColl Center with unrestricted operating support that allows them to continue supporting local artists and bringing international artists to Charlotte for their urban artist residency experience and community engagement projects. Studio Party 14 also serves as a venue for artists to meet potential new collectors and to discuss and sell their work. This year’s installation of works for the Studio Party builds on the success of past years by adding more McColl Center alumni artists, such as Linda Luise Brown, Jason Watson and Natalie Bork, while also looking ahead to upcoming Artists-In-Residence, such as Beverly McIver, Frank Selby, Anne Lemanski and Dignicraft. Studio Party 14 will showcase a range of price points as well.

As the McColl Center puts it, “The buzz on the night is electric. People are laughing and enjoying the creative environment of the Center and all the cutting edge work generated permeating from our walls. It is a night of joy and generosity of spirit and financial support that has ripple effects well into the future and far beyond the Center.”

Studio Party 14 guests will also get a sneak peek at ArtPlace America Environmental Artist-In-Residence Aurora Robson’s exhibition “Stayin’ Alive,” opening May 9th. This is the artist’s first major solo exhibition in the Southeast, which will feature suspended and wall-mounted works, and a site specific installation assembled from plastic debris. The exhibition’s title references a “wide-awake vigilance, whimsically asking us to consider what exactly staying alive on earth entails?”

The McColl Center for Visual Art: 721 N. Tryon St. Charlotte; Open Thursday and Friday, 3- 9 p.m.; Saturday 11 a.m. – 6 p.m. Call 704-332-5535 for more information.