HUG LIFE: Four Creatives Get HUGged in May

A Timeless Classic with A Timely Perspective

World-class firm, meet world-class city

Rosalia Torres-Weiner Creates New Mural for Roof Above

Help Craft the Magic at FREESTYLE LOVE SUPREME

Summer/Fall 2022 Paid Art Projects

DEADLINE MAY 20: Apply for a McColl Center HUG Grant

Finance In the Shadows

BOOM Fringe Festival Claps Back in Real Life

Ukrainian Muralist Shares Her Story with Charlotte

Access Denied: The Barriers Associated with Having a Low Credit Score

CREATIVE RESOURCES: Apparo

WAITRESS Serves a Delicious Pie Charlotte Helped Bake

We are creative connectors … and re-connectors

CREATIVE RESOURCE: PROSPERA

Establishing Habits: Short Term Savings

Creating. Healing. Launching.

The Inequality of Inflation

Glass Artist Lauren Puckett’s Lifelong Love of Learning

CREATIVE RESOURCE: Charlotte Community ToolBank

A Super-Sized Season

SHOUT! Now. Share Soon. Celebrate Later.

HUG Life: Three Creatives Receive March HUG Micro-Grants

Counting Down to Charlotte SHOUT! 2022

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Videos
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Artists Speak About the Albemarle Road Corridor
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EQUAL TIME: Eraklis Petmezas’ Superhuman Sketching Speed
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Equal Time: Mike Daikubara Makes Merry in 5 Minutes
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Barry Greene's Talk at CreativeMornings/Charlotte
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Equal Time: What Can @Sree_Henna Do Make in 5 Minutes?
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I’m a Sandwich: El Molino Deli & Bakery at SAV/WAY
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The 5 and 2 Project Flyover: New Arts Hub on Raleigh Street by Flywheel Group
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Equal Time: What can @CLTChalkArt Make in 5 Minutes?
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Equal Time: A Five-Minute Nature Trip with Melissa Wineman
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I'm A Sandwich: Sub One Hoagie House
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Equal Time: Nothing But Blue Skies with Xavier Cheek
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Equal Time: 5 Mesmerizing Minutes of Mandala from Harvi Panchal
𝗙𝗢𝗨𝗥 𝗖𝗟𝗧 𝗖𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗩𝗘𝗦 𝗛𝗨𝗚𝗚𝗘𝗗 𝗜𝗡 𝗠𝗔𝗬
To help nudge new artist ideas and events forward, we give local creatives $250 and $1,000 HUG (Helpful Unfettered Gift) micro-grants. Financial support for the HUG program comes from the LendingTree Foundation, Google Fiber and NoDa Brewing.
This month, Blumenthal Performing Arts and WBTV’s Kristen Miranda contributed resources to the HUG program. Below are four creatives awarded with a HUG:
1️⃣ 𝗝𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗶 - 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗼
IG: @thelittlestudioclt
WEB: thelittlestudioclt.com
James Carlevatti was one of the earliest HUG grantees. He received $250 in 2018 to purchase more pottery wheels to create more products and teach more hands-on classes at The Little Studio.
Four years later, Carlevatti got a Bear HUG grant of $1,000 powered by The LendingTree Foundation to expand again – building a Raku kiln and offering Raku firing workshops, classes & other experiences.
2️⃣ 𝗗𝗮𝗿𝗿𝘆𝗹 𝗝𝗼𝗵𝗻𝘀𝗼𝗻
IG: @cltjuneteenth
WEB: juneteenthclt.info
Darryl Johnson is using his HUG grant to help fund a Juneteenth celebration he’s producing June 17-19 at 619 Anderson St. The three-day community arts & educational festival will feature music, youth activities, art and fashion.
3️⃣ 𝗥𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗲 𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲 - 𝗖𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗖𝗟𝗧
IG: @cakeable_charlotte
WEB: cakeableshop.org
Cakeable Charlotte “equips people who have intellectual and developmental disabilities with specific and transferable job skills to enhance their employability and empower their inclusion.” They'll use their HUG to rent space to host eight teaching sessions on candle making to sell product at a farmers market this summer.
4️⃣ 𝗗𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗮 𝗕𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 - 𝗣𝗵𝗼𝘁𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗽𝗵𝗲𝗿
IG: @dionna_bright
WEB: dionnabrightphotography.com
Photographer Dionna Bright is using her $250 HUG to produce a 2023 calendar. The funds will help her with styling costs for 20 models.
This project will enable her to learn more about planning and directing a large photoshoot in collaboration with make-up artists and other fashion creatives.
𝗡𝗘𝗪 𝗠𝗨𝗥𝗔𝗟 𝗔𝗟𝗘𝗥𝗧!
“We are SO grateful that Charlotte is Creative introduced us to Rosalia, a powerful force for beauty and storytelling in our community.” - Liz Clasen-Kelly, CEO of Roof Above
You never know how your work will affect other people. In late 2020, we shared a story about Liz Clasen-Kelly and the work she and Roof Above (@roofabove) were doing to convert an 88-room hotel on Clanton Road into fully-furnished apartments.
These apartments would serve as permanent supportive housing (as well as on-site support services) for people experiencing chronic homelessness in Charlotte.
𝗔𝗥𝗧 + 𝗔𝗖𝗧𝗜𝗩𝗜𝗦𝗠
Local artist and activist (she calls herself an “art-ivist”), Rosalia Torres-Weiner (@redcalacastudio), read the story and asked us to connect her to Roof Above. She wanted to paint a mural to add beauty and vibrance to the lives of those who would make their home at the new facility.
In response, Charlotte Is Creativeintroduced Torres-Weiner to Clasen-Kelly and helped seed the project with a $1,000 Bear HUG provided by The LendingTree Foundation and additional support from Lowe’s.
𝗛𝗨𝗠𝗠𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗕𝗜𝗥𝗗𝗦 𝗧𝗔𝗞𝗘 𝗙𝗟𝗜𝗚𝗛𝗧
Over a year later the former hotel, now called Rise, is preparing to open and an incredible, three-story mural from Torres-Weiner will be there to greet them.
“Rosalia’s mural speaks to the hope and dignity we believe SECU will provide to those who will become tenants,” said Clasen-Kelly.
The work took over two weeks to complete. Torres-Weiner was assisted by a team of helpers (her “hummingbirds”):
▶️ Felicia Sutton @ragtagqueen
▶️ Carol Sawyer - CMS Board of Education
▶️ Keudi Sanchez - @keudisanchz
▶️ Milagros Sanchez - A teacher at Olympic High School
▶️ Elle Walsh - @ellestudioarts
▶️ Ben Weiner - @modclassiccars
▶️ Elisa Lopez Trejo - @elisalopeztrejoart
"I want people to take their selfies in front of this path because this is what it is -- a new place, a new beginning," said Torres-Weiner.
Torres-Weiner wants people to note that the top of the mural was designed to blend into the sky above because, "I want people to know the sky is not the limit."
𝗖𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗩𝗘 𝗣𝗥𝗢𝗙𝗜𝗟𝗘: 𝗕𝗥𝗬𝗔𝗡 𝗟𝗜
Restauranteur & Founder of Group Hugs-n-Harmony Improv
▶️ 𝗜𝗚: @BryanIsWriting
▶️ 𝗪𝗘𝗕: openriceclt.com
Local creative Bryan Li moved here to attend the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. And, like so many others, he fell in love with the Queen City. After a successful career developing restaurants (Pisces and Open Rice), Bryan has embraced a new creative passion – improv comedy.
Most recently, he’s taken on a role as a community leader by accepting the position as the Board Chair of Charlotte Is Creative. Get to know him below.
1️⃣ 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸?
If you want a great meal, come eat with us @OpenRiceCLT. We specialize in Cantonese cuisine such as the Cantonese roasted duck, double pan-fried noodles and, of course, everyone's favorite, THE BUBBLE WAFFLE!
And, if you want to have the best time laughing, come to one of our comedy improv party @ImprovWithHugs. It's an unscripted, 90-minute audience interactive comedy performance!
2️⃣ 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗱𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝘀𝗲𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸?
Make what makes you happy. I want people to feel joy when they see my work. I want to inspire people, if you have an opportunity to put a smile on someone's face, don't pass it up.
3️⃣ 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗯𝗶𝗴𝗴𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲𝘀 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗻𝗼𝘄?
None. I love what I do. When customers leave our restaurant smiling … when audience members leave our show laughing … it's the best feeling in the world and that feeling is what keeps me going.
4️⃣ 𝗣𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗹𝗼𝘁𝘁𝗲'𝘀 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆.
I love everything that is happening. The Charlotte creative community has all the crucial ingredients to succeed as a whole – the positive energy, the support for each other, and the collaborations between artists. It's about togetherness and that mindset will take this community to wonderful places.
#CharlotteIsCreative #CreativeProfileCLT #CharlotteArt #CharlotteArtist #Charlotte #CharlotteNC
What kind of cool creative events or initiatives are you excited about in June? If you have information on something we should consider sharing on social media or our weekly newsletter, The Biscuit, please DM us a link to the deets! #CharlotteIsCreative