Entrance to Packard Place. Photo by Chris Austin Photography

There is an audible buzz coming from 222 South Church Street as the Gallery at Packard Place prepares for its first community celebration. This Saturday, June 30 at 5:30 p.m., the Gallery will showcase local art, local food and local beer in a fundraising effort to support its important goal of blending and connecting business and art.

Packard Place only recently opened by Dan Roselli and Sara Garcés is still under renovation, but it’s quickly becoming Charlotte’s new hub for entrepreneurship and innovation. As a space for start-up and innovative businesses, Packard Place will encourage Charlotte entrepreneurs by providing opportunities for collaboration, mentoring and education. It leases office space and provides a venue for meet-ups and events. The Gallery at Packard Place is one component of Packard Place’s core mission of innovation, entrepreneursip and community. It is a nonprofit a sponsored by the Arts & Science Council and mailVU.

Diana Arvanites’ “Free Wheelin’ Achimedean Spirals,” installed at the Gallery.

The Gallery is not a singular space; instead it is a diffused display of art installed throughout the Packard Place building, although it is currently concentrated in “the Garage” and main lobby. Carmella Jarvi, the Gallery curator (and Knight Arts’ former Charlotte blogger), has great plans to continue the diffusion of art throughout the building once renovations are complete. “I want art to lead people through the building,” she said. Artwork installed at Packard Place is for sale and includes pieces by David Edgar, Diana Arvanites, Allison Luce, Sharon Dowell and Heather Freeman.

Sharon Dowell’s “A Sobering Afternoon,” installed at the Gallery.

At Saturday’s event, “Eat & Drink Your Art Out,” many of the artists with work in the Gallery will be in attendance and over 20 other local artists will set up booths to display and sale their art.  Overall, the event will feel like a big art bazaar with food, drink and music complementing the art. This will be a great opportunity to meet artists and learn about their work. There will be a variety of art and craft represented at a variety of price points plus three food trucks (the Tin Kitchen, the Southern Cake Queen and the Herban Legend) and local beer from the Olde Mecklenburg Brewery and the NoDa Brewing Company.

Tickets can be purchased online at Brown Paper Tickets for $20 a person or at the event for $25. Each ticket covers admission, two beers and two food samples from the food trucks as well as free wings from Picasso’s Sports Cafe. Additional food will be available for purchase in case the food samples only get you hankering for more.

Don’t miss this chance to “Eat and Drink Your Art Out” while supporting a great addition to Charlotte’s art and business scene!

Packard Place: 222 South Church St., Charlotte; (704)248-5660. Admission for children under 12 is free if accompanied by an adult ticket-holder (food for children must be purchased separately). Free parking is available with ticket purchase from 5-9 p.m. in the Preferred Parking Yellow Garage on the corner of 4th and Church Streets.