Blumenthal Arts becomes first Iron District tenant with NASA-themed exhibit

Taylor Young
·2 min read
Blumenthal Arts becomes first Iron District tenant with NASA-themed exhibit

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — A sought-after property in Uptown just blocks away from Bank of America Stadium officially has its first tenant.

After years of looking for the right space, Blumenthal Arts announced it will be opening a new exhibit in a historic Pipe and Foundry Company warehouse this coming fall.

“We were looking for a big open space, which sounds a lot simpler than it was,” president and CEO of Blumenthal Arts Tom Gabbard said.

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What looks like a vast warehouse in Charlotte’s Iron District off West Morehead Street, Gabbard saw as an opportunity to go beyond. Come September, the new exhibit inspired by NASA missions will take participants 250 miles above the Earth into the International Space Station.

“This is a kind of thing that we know is going to be inspiring to young people and that is also important to us. We expect to see many, many school groups through here and create that inspirational moment for young people to encourage them to go high,” he said.

The move will make Blumenthal Arts the first tenant of the Iron District.

The Charlotte Pipe and Foundry site is just blocks from Bank of America Stadium.
The Charlotte Pipe and Foundry site is just blocks from Bank of America Stadium.

Charlotte Pipe and Foundry has owned the property for more than a century. Last year the pipe supplier relocated its operations from Uptown to Stanly County, opening the door for endless possibilities for the prime piece of real estate.

At one point, the 55-acre site was even thought to be the potential home a new Carolina Panthers’ stadium.

“There has been a lot of iterations and thought with this property, but as we move forward and now that we have an anchor and a thought behind the themes that re coming, we think it is going to be really exciting,” Charlotte Pipe and Foundry CEO Hooper Hardison said.

Hardison called Blumenthal Arts the opening act of the Iron District, which is expected to eventually evolve over time.

“The space will be reconfigured differently for every show, which I think will be part of the adventure,” Gabbard said.  “Because every time is going to be a different experience and a magical one.”

The exhibit is set to open Sept. 20 and run through Nov. 10.

After that, Gabbard says Blumenthal Arts has other shows in the pipeline.

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