Charlotte Vestal Wainwright Ph.D.

1942 - 2025

Charlotte Vestal Brown Wainwright, Ph.D.

June 3, 1942 - November 9, 2025

Raleigh, North Carolina - Charlotte Vestal Brown Wainwright, Ph.D., born Charlotte Ann Vestal on June 3, 1942, passed away peacefully on November 9, 2025. She was loved by friends and family for her intellect, wit, lively engagement and as a thought leader, and nationally recognized for her interdisciplinary leadership, research, teaching and writing on architecture, art and objects.

Born in Siler City, NC, to Margaret Forrest Shelton Vestal and William Edward Vestal, Charlotte earned a B.A. in Modern European History from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (at the time still the Woman's College), and a Ph.D. in Art History from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, with a dissertation focusing on existentialism in life and objects. Before her son was born, she and her first husband lived in London for a year while she researched 19th century English architecture at the Warburg Institute, a leading center for interdisciplinary research on the interaction of ideas, images and society. One of a cohort of thought leaders, she and friends were at the theater nearly every night.

Charlotte served as a curator at the North Carolina Museum of Art and taught at Duke University from 1971-1979, where she received recognition as a favorite undergraduate professor.

In 1979, her son Jonathan was born, on the same day the humanities textbook she co-wrote was published, the first of two volumes. The Humanities: Cultural Roots and Continuities, with Volume 1, now in its 7th edition, was considered groundbreaking and controversial for its scope and inclusion of women's influence, African culture and history of slavery, as well as its broad range of genres including architecture, ceramics and dance. While the text was a barrier to tenure when she taught at Duke University, it was also widely adopted in colleges nationally and the royalties in the early years paid for a house in Raleigh and travels around the world.

Wainwright served as North Carolina State University's curator of art and then Director of the Visual Arts Program from 1982-1992, and then served as the founding Director of the NCSU Visual Arts Center, then the Gallery of Art and Design. This space was renamed the Gregg Museum of Art and Design in 2007. She continued to direct the Gregg until her retirement in 2009, and after her retirement she was instrumental in the relocation of the collection in 2013, and the design of a new standalone museum to house exhibits and the permanent collection that opened in 2017. Charlotte convinced University leadership to invest in a capital campaign for the building, and then she raised the funds for operating expenses. The Gregg has become the custodian of a remarkable collection of 35,000 objects spanning cultures, disciplines and designs, and includes ceramics, textiles, sculpture, paintings, architectural drawings and artifacts, and modern furniture, much local to North Carolina. In founding the Gregg, she told the compelling story of the significant cultural value of all art forms, and the necessity for wide access for all to that story. The museum continues to be honored with national and local awards.

Over the course of her career, Charlotte wrote three more books on pottery and art, led a National Endowment for the Humanities-funded project on North Carolina architecture, and was recognized for her work in architectural studies with an award from the Vernacular Architecture Forum, the North American interdisciplinary organization advancing study of ordinary building and landscapes. She won many awards; INDY Week's Indy, for enhancing cultural life and "having the grace – and gall – to challenge us through art, to help us see the world through new eyes;" a North Carolina Medal of the Arts; and an honorary membership to the American Institute of Architects, among others. She tirelessly fostered international cooperation with various museums across the country and world, and crafted countless brilliant exhibitions spanning art in all its myriad forms.

In 2008, she married Dr. Stephen Wainwright, renowned biologist and philanthropist, and they spent 11 years full of fun and love together until his passing in December of 2019. They delighted in each other's company, hiking, reading and talking together, and being at home together as well as traveling extensively internationally and in North Carolina. They were brought immeasurable joy through their complementary temperaments, interest in each other's work, curiosity and engagement across different fields, and their ever-expanding circle of friends. Charlotte loved Steve's voice, his jokes, his love of nature, and the way he talked about those he cared about. She and Steve were generous philanthropists, creating endowments and contributing to many North Carolina educational institutions and nonprofits. They were also well-known to many restaurants around the triangle as delightful regular guests.

Her home was filled with paintings, pottery and textiles by North Carolina makers, many of whom became well-known in their fields. The plates, glasses and cups she used daily were all made by artist friends and had striking colors and texture, in keeping with "life as art." In later years she walked daily in nature, enjoyed meals with her son Jonathan, and outings to the symphony and other field trips with friends.

Charlotte is survived by son Jonathan Brown; stepchildren Peter Wainwright, Jenny Wainwright, and Ian Wainwright; cousins Stella Shelton (Donna Lee Gutterman), Bill Claude Shelton (Karen Stewart Shelton), Cindy Butchko Edwards, Christopher Shelton (Jennifer Bolden Shelton), and Kelley Lynn Shelton Goodson (Josh Goodson); and many wonderful friends.

Charlotte was preceded in death by husband Stephen Wainwright, first husband Gene Brown; stepson Archie Wainwright; parents Margaret Forrest Shelton Vestal and William Edward Vestal; and close cousin Tommy Edwards.

A celebration of life will be held at the Gregg Museum of Art and Design, 1903 Hillsborough Street in Raleigh, on 10 January at 2 p.m. Jonathan encourages attendees to not just honor the loss of Charlotte, but help celebrate her as an amazing human being, and wear colorful and fun clothing as she did. The Museum's parking lot is free. Other options (free after 5 p.m.) are on the Gregg Museum website: gregg.arts.ncsu.edu.

For more information or to send condolences, please visit the Renaissance Funeral Home website, rfhr.com. No flowers, please. Any memorial gifts may be made to the Gregg Museum which Charlotte so dearly loved, or to the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina.