Piedmont Craftsmen Gallery, founded in 1963, features fine contemporary craft work of more than 340 Southeastern artisans. The gallery is located in the former Pleasant's Hardware store in the Downtown Arts District at the corner of Sixth and Trade Streets.

North Carolina School of the Arts (NCSA), an arts conservatory of international renown, was the first state-supported facility of its kind in the nation. NCSA's historic Stevens Center, ACE Exhibition Complex, Agnes de Mille Theatre, Crawford Hall, Performance Place and Watson Hall regularly showcase work by students, faculty and distinguished guest artists, including opera, orchestral and chamber music, jazz, ballet and contemporary dance, plays and films.

The Sawtooth School for Visual Art , located in a renovated textile mill and named for its distinctive roofline, has three art galleries and offers art classes.