2024 Bolt of Inspiration Winners

By Tim Miner

2024 Bolts of Inspiration 

At monthly meetings of Charlotte’s chapter of CreativeMornings, Charlotte Is Creative honors a creative individual (or three) whose example electrifies us and the creative community. Last year, with support from The Savage Way and UNC Charlotte, each of the amazing Charlotteans below was presented with a Bolt of Inspiration, a green lightning bolt designed by The Savage Way and covered in moss art, a process the company designed here in Charlotte.

To help you get to know them better, The Biscuit staff asked each of them what they’re excited about in the year ahead … and here’s what they said.


José Alvarez
Vice President, Prospera USA
WEB: LinkedIn
IG: @ProsperaUSA

What are some of your goals in 2025?
Stay consistent, committed, and relevant to my community.

What challenge would you give the Queen City creative community for 2025?
Get involved and keep it consistent. You matter, and your community needs YOU to keep it colorful and beautiful.

Erin Chantry
Assistant Director of Design + Preservation, City of Charlotte
WEB: City of Charlotte
IG: @ErinChantry

What are some of your goals in 2025?
In 2025, I hope to use my position to continue advocating for creativity and innovation in decision-making at the City of Charlotte. I aim for our team’s programs and projects to provide career-building opportunities for local creatives, celebrating their talents and contributions to the community.

What challenge would you give the Queen City creative community for 2025?
Work with partners, officials, and leaders to integrate art into infrastructure, public projects, and economic development to preserve Charlotte’s unique character.

Pam Fernandez
Graphic Designer & CM/CLT Volunteer
WEB: Pamela.MyPortfolio.com

What are some of your goals in 2025?

  • Explore and study a different topic every three months (design and non-design).
  • Create an art project every two months.
  • Learn a new language and continue Italian with writing exercises.

What challenge would you give the Queen City creative community for 2025?
Combine talents and strategic thinking to create positive change for people, animals, and the environment. Collective action turns possibilities into reality.

Irisol Gonzalez-Vega
Visual Artist
WEB: IrisolGonzalez.com
IG: @IrisolGonzalezArt

What are some of your goals in 2025?

  • Participate in a few artist residencies across the USA
  • Publish a piece of writing
  • Create a game
  • Maybe rest?

What challenge would you give the Queen City creative community for 2025?
Make work that challenges you, the creator. Get out of your comfort zone and explore something entirely new. Pursue ideas and projects that scare you. Find out just how far you can take it—and yourself.

Robert Krumbine
Chief Creative Officer, Charlotte Center City Partners
WEB: CharlotteShout.com
IG: @evntwiz

What are some of your goals in 2025?

  • Start writing my book
  • Schedule speaking engagements and speak at a Creative Morning
  • Open the doors to Robert Krumbine Events

What challenge would you give the Queen City creative community for 2025?
Find a way to give others a chance to shine. Too often, the same creatives take the spotlight.

Devlin McNeil
President & Executive Director, Arts+
WEB: www.ArtsPlus.org
IG: @ArtsPlus.clt

What are some of your goals in 2025?
Arts+ is currently in a capital campaign to upfit the Plaza Presbyterian Campus into the Arts+ Community Campus. An immediate goal is a successful campaign while utilizing the campus to experiment with programming and offer it as a resource to the broader community.

What challenge would you give the Queen City creative community for 2025?
Develop, support, and maintain a strong, diverse cultural community. Cultivating opportunities locally would ensure vibrancy in Charlotte and prevent creatives from leaving.

Tony Mecia
Editor, The Charlotte Ledger
WEB: CharlotteLedger.Substack.com
IG: @TheCharlotteLedger

What are some of your goals in 2025?
We’re going to keep experimenting in 2025 with finding new ways to share trustworthy local information.

What challenge would you give the Queen City creative community for 2025?
Keep dreaming big and make it happen. And take care of yourself.


PHOTO CREDIT:

Dammit Wesley
Visual Artist & Founder, BLKMRKTCLT
WEB: Thinkcolor.BigcCartel.com
IG: @Dammit_Wesley

What are some of your goals in 2025?

  • Host a Charlotte Creatives Family Reunion this summer.
  • Increase the size and scope of the Hunnid Dollar Art Fair.
  • Create a few public murals and sculptures.

What challenge would you give the Queen City creative community for 2025?
I challenge y’all to actually build community. [C]reate a true community that supports the needs of its people. We will need each other more than ever in 2025.


Kelsey Van Dove
Director of Educational Innovation & Technology, Do Greater
WEB: DoGreater.org
IG: @CreativeLabCLT

What are some of your goals in 2025?
Develop more opportunities and stronger connections between Do Greater students and Charlotte’s creative community. Foster collaboration and growth through mentorship and opportunities.

What challenge would you give the Queen City creative community for 2025?
Give back—connect with a youth organization to create opportunities that grow Charlotte’s next generation of creatives and changemakers.

Sherry Waters
Owner, The Pauline Tea-Bar Apothecary
WEB:ThePaulineTeaBar.com
IG: @ThePaulineTeaBar

What are some of your goals in 2025?

  • Extend the tea bar’s gracious hospitality model to other venues in the region.
  • Expand the interior magic of the tea lounge to an outdoor healing garden area.
  • Offer more holistic wellness classes.
  • Showcase more local talent—multidisciplinary artists and creatives—through the venue.

In 20 words or less, how would you describe Charlotte’s creative community to someone outside the community?
Charlotte’s creative community represents the Queen City’s core—radically hospitable, uniquely engaging and compassionate healers of love, justice, and fellowship.

What challenge would you give the Queen City creative community for 2025?
Continue to access and move fearlessly through your creative offerings. Broaden your social capital to collaborate with social entrepreneurs.

OTHER BOLT OF AWARDEES

Unfortunately, we were not able to get answers from the folks below in time for this Biscuit, but – when we get them – we’ll share them on @CLTisCreative

  • Ruth Ava Lyons and Paul Sires, Starlight on 22nd
  • Marcel Solomon & Randy Alexander, Lowe’s

SUGGEST A FUTURE BOLTEE!
If you know a creative changemaker we should take into consideration for a 2025 Bolt, please let us know who they are at hello@charlotteiscreative.com