Every so often one of those can’t-miss events comes up on Charlotte’s arts and cultural calendar that just screams at you to drop everything so you can be there. Charlotte Art League is HOT! — a silent auction on Sunday to benefit CAL’s mission of community support of visual art — promises to be that event this spring.

Online ticket sales are now closed. You many still purchase tickets at the door.

As a mainstay of the South End art scene since 1996, the non-profit Art League has grown to become one of the city’s prime arts destinations, offering studio space, art classes, workshops, seminars and much more to go along with its monthly gallery shows of some of the regions top emerging talent. The May 2 auction will help CAL raise some of the funds necessary to complete a series of upgrades to the organization’s Camden Road facility that will make it more accessible to working artists and also enhance the quality of the exhibition space. (Hint: Air conditioning is on the list of upgrades. Anyone who has been to CAL during a July Gallery Crawl knows what “CAL is HOT! really means!)

The food, wine, and refreshments being donated by some of Charlotte’s best-known restaurants is probably reason enough to pony up the $15.00 ticket fee. Not to mention the company, which will likely be a who’s who of the Charlotte arts scene. But of course, the main reason is to have a shot at some of the goodies on the auction block, with proceeds going to support the Art League. New items are being donated daily, so the list below is by no means complete.

Auction Listing

• Over 30 original works of art
• Tickets to Carolina Actors’ Studio Theatre
• Two tickets to the Charlotte Symphony
• Facial, shampoo, and blow dry at Escape Salon
• 30 x 40 canvas with a floater frame from Campagna
• Weekend at Laurel River Retreat
• Dinner for four with two bottles of wine with Chef David Larousse
• Wine Tasting with Christine Ruotolo of Gallo Wines
• Dinner for two at Bonterra
• $50 gift certificate from Binders Art Supplies and Frames
• Printing services from Powerhouse Color Printers
• Private and group sessions at Alternative Fitness Pilates
• Gold hoop earrings at Sumpter’s Fine Jewelry & Watches
• Tickets to Charlotte Motor Speedway NASCAR events

Tickets are available at the door or online. See you there!