CLT Creatives
This is the most exciting time ever to be creative in the Charlotte region. Our city’s creative energy is surging and we’re growing as a creative destination. A report we worked on back in 2017 revealed that there are more than 58,000 creative jobs spanning 72 for-profit and not-for-profit industries throughout our 16-county region. That’s some impressive creative output (with a big impact on our region’s economy), and The Biscuit’s mission is to tell their stories and shine a bright light on their work.
From Gamer to Developer to … the Sky’s the Limit
CLT Creatives | May 5, 2021“Hey there, teenagers! Wanna learn about technology?” Say that to a group of teens – probably looking down at their phones – and you’re likely to be met with a shrug, at best. Disdain is more likely. They won’t even look up to say, “Nah. We’re good.”… read more »
The Business of “Do What You Love”
CLT Creatives, Editorials | May 5, 2021[EDITOR’S NOTE: This week’s guest editorial in “The Business of Creativity” is from Bryan Li, part-owner of the Charlotte restaurant, Open Rice.] “If you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life.” That’s an inspiring quote we’ve all hea… read more »
‘Behind The Ink’ – Every Tattoo Tells A Story
CLT Creatives, CLT Nonprofits | April 27, 2021Joseph Johnson came to nonprofit Creating Exposure Through the Arts (CEA) as a 15-year-old. At 27, he’s still involved. And he was the impetus for Behind The Ink, one of the nonprofit’s most enduring programs. Johnson’s mother died when he was just t… read more »
Our New Best Friend: Naji Al-Ali
CLT Creatives, Our New Best Friend | April 27, 2021If you type “Naji Al-Ali” into the Google search bar, a black-and-white photo of a famed Palestinian cartoonist is the top result. He was born in 1937 and was murdered over 30 years ago on the streets of London. By contrast, Naji Al-Ali (@najiarts),… read more »
Equal Time: Eraklis Petmezas’ Superhuman Sketching Speed
CLT Creatives, Equal Time | April 27, 2021Great Scott! It’s Superhero Day! And, in honor of The Flash, Quicksilver and A-Train (to take care of fans of DC, Marvel and The Boys) we thought we’d see just how fast Charlotte comics artist Eraklis Petmezas could sketch a hero. And, he attacked it… read more »
Creatives Are Businesses and Businesses Need Structure
CLT Creatives, Editorials | April 20, 2021[EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the second half of an editorial by Caro Diaz, founder and owner of Inkaprint, about “The Business of Creativity.” Read the first half here.] Creatives can make great business people if there is a structure in place. That’s not… read more »
Our New Best Friend: Daria Shishkina
CLT Creatives, Our New Best Friend | April 20, 2021When Hough High senior Daria Shishkina was 9, she wanted to submit an illustration of a “cute, little hedgehog” she’d drawn into a competition. Her teacher refused. In fact, Shishkina’s teacher accused her of cheating. She said the drawing was too go… read more »
Where Are We in CLT? Dilworth Artisan Station
CLT Creatives, Where Are We in CLT? | April 13, 2021With so much public art in South End, it’s easy to overlook the work of more than 25 local creatives waiting for you inside Dilworth Artisan Station (DAS) at 118 E Kingston Ave. Much like Camp North End, the building that houses DAS has had a rich li… read more »
Pursue Your Passion; Protect Your Time and Reputation
CLT Creatives, Editorials | April 13, 2021When I told my family I wanted to be an artist, they said, “You are going to starve. Be a lawyer, a doctor, get a real job and then practice art as a hobby.” I didn’t listen to that advice. I pursued my passion for graphic design. Since 2015, I have… read more »
Equal Time: Spend Five Minutes Sketching with Mike Daikubara
CLT Creatives, Equal Time, Videos | April 6, 2021What can creatives make in just five minutes? We’ve been asking that question — and sharing amazing examples of what’s possible — since the start of the year. We were inspired by our partners, OrthoCarolina, and their new online platform that makes… read more »
Where Are We in CLT? Rainbow Animal Wall
CLT Creatives, Where Are We in CLT? | April 6, 2021New construction at Camp North End (CNE) is nothing … well … new. But, what is new is how art is incorporated into it. The work being done along Keswick Avenue across from Free Range Brewing and Goodyear Arts requires a long construction fence that w… read more »
The Sustainable Artist – From My Perspective
CLT Creatives, Editorials | April 6, 2021The world changed for us all in March 2020. COVID-19, and all that came with it, altered daily life almost overnight. For many, even the roles we play(ed) in the workplace and our communities were given a reevaluation, as our contributions and compen… read more »
Barry Greene Says Charlotte’s Creatives of Color Need Space to Grow
CLT Creatives, CreativeMornings/CLT | April 6, 2021As the Charlotte community debates the future of arts funding and the future of zoning and development through 2040, local entrepreneur and founder of Shades of Moss and Mint City Connect, Barry Greene, is challenging all of us to act now. The Virgin… read more »
Equal Time: @Sree_Henna Makes 5-Minute Mehndi
CLT Creatives, Equal Time | March 24, 2021What can you create in five minutes? To help save their patients time, OrthoCarolina has launched an online system to make appointments in five minutes flat, and they asked us to challenge creatives across the Queen City to make something amazing in… read more »
Carla Aaron-Lopez Brings LOCAL/STREET, an Underground Art Exhibition, to the Mainstream
CLT Creatives, Creative News, Happenings | March 23, 2021Carla Aaron-Lopez is an artist, a middle school teacher and a parent. She’s exceedingly busy on a regular day. Yet she chose to organize what she calls “the largest project I’ve taken on in my career” to celebrate what feels like the beginning of the… read more »
Our New Best Friend: OG Weirdo
CLT Creatives | March 23, 2021There’s a story behind why the artist formerly known as Scott Summers goes by OG Weirdo. It starts out sad, but keep reading. It’s ultimately empowering. A work-related accident in 2011 left him permanently light-sensitive. “Any type of bright lights… read more »
A Creative Key to Brain Health: Making Junk Mail Collages
CLT Creatives, CLT Nonprofits | March 23, 2021“You should see the participants let their guard down while they play with their food. This from a generation of people who demanded that their children ‘stop playing with their food!’”– Kelly Adams, Life Enrichment Coordinator at The Ivey Tucked awa… read more »
Sharon Dowell on “Transit” & Her Creative Process
CLT Creatives, Exploring Charlotte, Where Are We in CLT? | March 23, 2021Charlotte artist Sharon Dowell is at it again. Over the past 16 years, she’s created her distinctive murals, which often feature a complex design of bright colors and intersecting lines, across the Queen City — from Camp North End to South End to Ea… read more »
PODCAST: Who Built Ricky Singh?
CLT Creatives, Podcasts | March 23, 2021Ricky Singh is an educator, artist and father of four in Charlotte. He knows what it takes to help build individuals and neighborhoods by engaging their creative spirits. He binds people together through community projects that combine art and activi… read more »
Creatively Seasoned Recipes Infused with Bojangles Seasoning
CLT Creatives | March 18, 2021What happens when five of Charlotte’s most creative chefs use Bo’ Famous Seasoning to make a brand new recipe? A new twist on a Bojangles’ classic, that’s what! Scroll down to find amazing recipes you can make at home from Chef Sam Hart, Chef Joya Co… read more »
