CHAMPIONING CHARLOTTE’S CREATIVITY
SINCE 2015
Charlotte is Creative
Charlotte Is Creative develops programs and initiatives designed to break the Charlotte mold and re-make it with creativity – into a city that draws people in, excites them, and inspires them to invest their financial, social and creative capital.We connect and celebrate Charlotte's creative citizens through live events like Creative Mornings/Charlotte and Queen City Quiz Show. We empower and support them through our HUG (Helpful Unfettered Gift) micro-grant program and related trainings. We inform and entertain our city through our official media channel, The Biscuit.
And we're innovating even more platforms and programming to provide further resources for Queen City creatives to be successful. Everything we do is in service of fortifying creativity in Charlotte, championing the diverse people making it happen, and strengthening the mutually-enriching relationship between Charlotte’s creative and business communities.
Matt Olin & Tim Miner, Co-Founders of Charlotte is Creative
Programs
Charlotte Is Creative develops programs and initiatives designed to break the Charlotte mold and re-make it with creativity.
HUG Micro-Grants
HUGs (Helpful Unfettered Gifts) are $250 strings-free micro-grants – aka “Love Bombs of Cash” – awarded monthly to non-profit and for-profit creative initiatives in Charlotte to help propel the project forward or remove a small obstacle to its overall success. As of January 2020, we've awarded more than $40,000 in HUGsto 160+ local projects.
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Queen City Quiz Show
Our live game show about Charlotte’s past and present is designed to spur community discourse, convey information, and empower citizens to shape our city’s future. QCQS has become known as an engaging component of public forums and gatherings and is available to hire for companies, outings, and events.
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Employee Engagement
We help companies and organizations adjust to today's remote workplace culture with Employee Engagement Programs that inspire teams, strengthen leaders and encourage innovation. Through our customized programs, employees become more passionate and committed to their employer, their colleagues, and their city. And that’s how companies retain talent.
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CreativeMornings/CLT
Join with hundreds of Charlotteans the first Friday of the month at this free monthly breakfast series celebrating the creative spirit of the city with local speakers, live music, and more. The diverse audience is united by the belief that “Everyone is Creative” and "Everyone is Welcome," shared by over 200 CreativeMornings chapters around the world.
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Thank you for sharing your beautiful dream, Reverend King. It’s up to all of us to be worthy of it and make@it reality. #mlk
𝗖𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗩𝗘𝗦 𝗧𝗢 𝗪𝗔𝗧𝗖𝗛 𝗜𝗡 ‘𝟮𝟮: 𝗖𝗔𝗥𝗢 𝗗𝗜𝗔𝗭
𝗕𝗨𝗦𝗜𝗡𝗘𝗦𝗦: InkaPrint (& @carlotantalents)
𝗜𝗚: @inkaprintclt
𝗔𝗗𝗗𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗦: @gibsonmillnc
This is what pure joy looks like.
The jump for joy in this photo also represents the leaps of faith our friend, graphic designer Carolina (Caro) Diaz has taken along the way -- the faith she's had in herself and her own creative abilities - along the way to finally establishing a home for her screen printing business, @InkaPrint.
She's run her business out of her home for years. But, to start 2022, she took a leap of faith and signed a lease at Gibson Mill. She leapt into the New Year with both feet, knowing ... at any time ... she could fall. But, she leapt anyway.
𝗟𝗘𝗔𝗣𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗜𝗡𝗧𝗢 𝗣𝗔𝗦𝗦𝗜𝗢𝗡 & 𝗣𝗨𝗥𝗣𝗢𝗦𝗘
Caro has fallen a time or two, as anyone does. But, she's always gotten back up and leapt again. She's leapt again and again, learning every time and sharing what she's learned with the creatives around her and climbing ever higher as she goes.
𝗛𝗨𝗚𝗚𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗖𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗩𝗘𝗦 𝗕𝗔𝗖𝗞
It's kind of funny that we're naming Caro a "Creative to Watch in '22." That implies that we're just now meeting her. In fact, we met her years ago when we awarded her a $250 HUG Grant for @CLTenEspanol, a media channel about Latino creatives she helped found. Now, she even helps select HUG Grantees each month. We're proud to be on HER team.
We've been watching Caro for years. In her, we see someone who inspires us, pushes us and makes us want to take our own leaps – to fully embrace what Charlotte's creative community has to offer.
So watch Caro with us. 2022 is her year.
𝗪𝗛𝗔𝗧'𝗦 𝗡𝗘𝗫𝗧?
▶️ Follow Caro.
▶️ Visit Caro at Gibson Mill.
▶️ Hire Caro.
▶️ Take a leap with Caro.
And, keep your eye on our channel this month as we continue to highlight other exciting creatives we’re watching closely in 2022. It’s going to be an amazing year. Come with us on the journey.
#CharlotteIsCreative
#CreativesToWatchIn2022
Happy Ice Day, everyone. May the milk flow, the bread be fresh and the toilet paper be plentiful for all! Thanks to the power crews, medical workers and first responders working hard today. #StaySafe #StayWarm #becreative #charlotteiscreative
“Snow Day” doesn’t seem quite appropriate. So, what creative activities are you planning to do during “Ice Day” today, Charlotte?
𝗖𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗩𝗘 𝗢𝗣𝗣𝗢𝗥𝗧𝗨𝗡𝗜𝗧𝗬: The City of Charlotte's Urban Design Center (@clturbandesign) has opened applications to be considered for addition to UDC's creative pool, which welcomes creatives ranging from visual artists, performers and photographers to poets, fabricators and teams fo artists.
According to the UDC: "The Pool will be used to match local creatives on a rolling basis, with opportunities throughout Charlotte."
𝗡𝗢𝗧𝗘: Current members of the pool must complete a portion of the 2022 application to remain in the pool.
📸: @Owlymo at "Wildflowers on 11th" shot by @BrookeBrownPhotography_CLT
🗓: Applications are due by March 4, 2022.
We have included a link to the application in our bio.
𝗠𝗢𝗥𝗘 𝗔𝗕𝗢𝗨𝗧 𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗦 𝗢𝗣𝗣𝗢𝗥𝗧𝗨𝗡𝗜𝗧𝗬
𝗙𝗥𝗢𝗠 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗔𝗣𝗣𝗟𝗜𝗖𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡:
Below are highlights from the application. We encourage you to click the link in our bio and review the entire application for yourself.
"The City of Charlotte Placemaking Program targets neighborhoods and activity centers by funding projects that create active and inviting public spaces, through activating leftover and/or underutilized public spaces, implementing enhanced streetscapes as well as demonstrating how public spaces can help transform neighborhoods by creating vibrant gathering spaces."
"The City is accepting qualifications from local professional creatives (visual artists, performing artists, fabricators, photographers, poets, etc.), teams of creatives, and artist management businesses/organizations for potential inclusion in the Prequalified Creatives Pool (Pool). The Pool will be used to match local creatives on a rolling basis, with opportunities throughout Charlotte."
"Creatives selected from the Pool may be commissioned to produce original work(s) and/or contracted to collaborate with the City to provide design or management services for art elements at several specific placemaking projects. Projects will range in scale and scope, possibilities may involve: pavement surface enhancements, seating, bike racks, handrails, lighting, kinetics, wall murals, street murals, photography, live performances, etc."
We got tired of waiting for the snow, so we drove West to Boone to look for it. #snow #snowmageddon2022