Creatives Kat Cornelius and Angela Kolmher (along with Matt Conroy) pose with their “Tree of Life” under construction.

Over the course of 17 days, the Charlotte International Arts Festival (CIAF) will feature over 200 events. Festival installations and activations will be housed across uptown and south Charlotte. 

Among the events and installations planned are original works featuring 13 local creatives. These pieces were originally planned for exhibition in 2021, but were postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The large-scale projects range from historical storytelling of Charlotte’s most prominent leaders and neighborhoods to multi-sensory, interactive installations. 

They will remain on view through Oct. 2 at locations ranging from Romare Bearden Park to Ballantyne’s Backyard. Many will be placed in close proximity to installations from international artists.

CONTINUATION OF AN IDEA 

The 13 featured creatives are each part of the Blumenthal Fellowship Program. This initiative The fellowship draws inspiration from the Immersive Van Gogh experience. During that event, 52 local artists were employed to show their work, paint picnic tables, sell merchandise and more. This spirit of this effort also infuses Blumenthal’s Artist’s-in-Theaters program that engages create works of art inspired by  Broadway shows and displayed at the Belk Theater.

“There is nothing better about my job than to show local working artists ways to interact with the ‘big dogs’ of the installation,” said Bree Stallings, director of artistic experiences for Blumenthal Performing Arts.

“I am so excited to see our crowds react with these pieces and to see where these artists end up next…”

EXPLORE 13 WORKS OF LOCAL PUBLIC ART

Projects from the Blumenthal Fellows are:

• Tree of Life: Angela Kollmer and Kat Cornelius
• Grid: Audrey Baran and Ryan Persaud
• QC Crown Towers:  Jason Payne and Bunny Gregory
• I Am: David Butler
• Heart and Sole CLT: Destiny Wilson
• Wishes and Whispers: Elizabeth Palmisano
• Brooklyn: The Collective Memory: Justin Hicks
• Queen Charlotte’s Secret Garden: Kimberly McGuire
• PopBridge Creative Arts: Meghan Nance
• Color Play: Moving Poets (MyLoan Dihn and Till Schmidt)
• Mazing Shadows: Oliver Hopkins
• H20: Rebecca Lipps and Thomas Whichard
• The People’s History of Charlotte: WonderWorld

ABOUT CIAF

The Charlotte International Arts Festival is an annual celebration of imaginative visual and performing arts from the most creative international and local minds.  With over 200 attractions, many for free, this festival has something for everyone. MORE INFO.