Exploring Charlotte
Maybe you’re new to Charlotte. Or maybe you’ve been here for a while, but are still eager to get plugged in. We’re your guide to the surging creative energy of our city – the diverse neighborhoods, the colorful details, the must-see projects, the must-attend events, and all the ways to get involved. (After all, you become a true Charlottean the moment you get your uniform dirty.)
In addition to covering the newest Queen City creators, offerings and trends, we’re equally passionate about making sure you know the trailblazing people, businesses and organizations that have been keeping the creative pilot light burning in Charlotte for decades. (After all, they laid the foundation for the rest of us.) And in our ongoing series #WhereAreWeInCLT, you can always count on us to capture the vibrant details and delights hiding in plain sight, around every corner of the city.
Our team always has our eyes peeled, searching for the next surprise to share. Our goal is to inspire you to explore Charlotte and discover fascinating areas of Crown Town that just might become your new favorite spot.
Say Cheese! Orrman’s Cheese Shop is Our New Best Friend
Exploring Charlotte, Our New Best Friend | January 20, 2021Orrman’s Cheese Shop opened in 2012 and has been a go-to source for cheese lovers ever since. Orrman’s specializes in local and regional cheeses as well as the incredible artisanal additions you want on your charcuterie boards. We asked owner Rachel… read more »
Where Are We In CLT? Ballantyne Bulls
Exploring Charlotte, Where Are We in CLT? | January 20, 2021It’s been said that Ballantyne is boring. Okay, okay. We’ve said it. But, that was harsh and a load of bulls … well, wait. We’re getting ahead of ourselves. Ballantyne is home to some of Charlotte’s most playful examples of public art — the three Ba… read more »
Where Are We In CLT? Ovens Auditorium
Exploring Charlotte, Where Are We in CLT? | January 6, 2021“Charlotte will grow with these buildings, and grow into them.” Charlottean David Ovens led the committee that built the original Charlotte Coliseum and the auditorium that still bears his name on Independence Blvd. He shared the words above with t… read more »
New Mural on W. Trade Street is a Tribute to NC Music Legends
Creative News, Exploring Charlotte, Murals | December 30, 2020Queen City visual artist Abel Jackson is at it again, painting a third historic mural along West Trade Street, just a few blocks from Johnson C. Smith University and in full view of the Gold Line. (And, we have lovely photos from photographer and CLT… read more »
Dear Frontline Gives Artistic Props to Essential Workers
Exploring Charlotte | December 22, 2020Last week, the Oakland, California artist Kate Deciccio and her team painted a new, temporary mural on the back of the Mecklenburg Investment Company Building 229 S. Brevard Street. This new mural was funded by Dear Frontline, a community art initiat… read more »
PODCAST: A Quick Chat with Jody Mace of Charlotte on the Cheap
CLT Creatives, Exploring Charlotte, Happenings, Podcasts | December 22, 2020Since the onset of COVID-19, we’ve been able to count of a few things every morning: The sun would still rise. We’d be able to work in PJ pants … again. And, a brand new email from Charlotte on the Cheap was waiting in our inbox. For more than a deca… read more »
Our New Best Friend: @_CharlotteEAST
Exploring Charlotte, Our New Best Friend | December 17, 2020We’re not going to lie. The post below got us a little misty about holiday shopping in old Eastland Mall. That’s why we love our new best Instagram friend, @_CharlotteEAST. As the official account for the East Charlotte Advocacy Board (managed by Bo… read more »
An Exhibition of Creative Prowess … and Creative Friendship
CLT Creatives, Creative News, Exploring Charlotte, Happenings | December 17, 2020“Something fundamental for me is the great joy that comes from having true friends who encourage and promote the artistic work that one does, knowing how complicated this profession can be sometimes.” – Leandro Manzo More than 100 paintings and print… read more »
Five Ways to Combat Cabin Fever
CLT Creatives, Exploring Charlotte | December 17, 2020With school out and cabin fever having set in somewhere around late April, you know what we’re going to recommend — a #PhotoSafari across the city. It’s time for your pod to mask up and venture into the outdoor wilds of the Queen City for a little… read more »
Where Are We in CLT: Anderson’s
Exploring Charlotte, O.G. CLT, Where Are We in CLT? | December 16, 2020The restaurant may have closed in 2006, but the sign is still up. More importantly, the pies are still being baked. The three Anderson brothers opened Anderson’s (originally called Mercury Sandwich Shop) in 1946 across from Presbyterian Hospital at… read more »
PHOTO SAFARI: #CountOnMeCLT Window Murals Across Charlotte
CLT Creatives, Creative News, Exploring Charlotte | December 10, 2020There are many ways to fight a pandemic. One way is with a paintbrush. Over the past few months, we have shared information about Charlotte artists using their skills to artfully encourage the public to wash their hands, wait six feet apart and wear… read more »
Laura Wolff Sees the Soul of the Skyline
CLT Creatives, Exploring Charlotte, Viewfinder | December 10, 2020If Charlotte’s skyline has a soul, Laura Wolff, gameday photographer for the Charlotte Knights, is in the right place to find it. “I love the Charlotte Skyline because it is always changing,” she said. “Yes, they are always adding buildings to it, bu… read more »
Herrin Bros. Coal & Ice
Exploring Charlotte, For Newcomers, Where Are We in CLT? | December 10, 2020You’ve been to NoDa. You know the murals, the artist trash cans, the Neighborhood Theatre, the Evening Muse, Salud and so much more. But, have you taken a left on 36th Street to see one of the coolest old signs in Charlotte? On the right, just beyon… read more »
Our New Best Friend, @Happy_Mutants, Surprises Us
CLT Creatives, Exploring Charlotte, Our New Best Friend | December 3, 2020We love surprises. And, surprise is exactly what our new best friend, @Happy_Mutants, is all about. In just over a year, this anonymous artist has left more than 100 “mutants” he’s designed and created with a 3-D printer across the city. He looks for… read more »
Charlotte’s Best Bites on National Cookie Day
Creative News, Exploring Charlotte, For Newcomers | December 3, 2020A WORD OF CAUTION BEFORE YOU READ THIS: The information you’re about to read is going to make you hungry. In fact, you’ll likely be ravenous. Please don’t bite or lick your screen. Don’t scratch it either. We tried that … it doesn’t work. This year,… read more »
Georgie Nakima’s New Mural at East Town Market
CLT Creatives, Exploring Charlotte, Where Are We in CLT? | November 19, 2020It may seem like murals pop-up overnight, but they require a great deal of time, planning and patience. They also contain a great deal of secret wonder. Much of the base work artists use to establish the mural is covered up by the final product. If y… read more »
Art Heist on Tryon Street
Exploring Charlotte, Happenings | November 12, 2020Priceless art is missing. (Not in Charlotte, but in Boston. But that’s old news.) You’re needed to help solve the crime. (Not really — unless you happen to know anything about the stolen art from Boston’s Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, which inclu… read more »
Where Are We in CLT? Santé
Exploring Charlotte, Where Are We in CLT? | November 12, 2020If you feel like someone’s watching you the next time you head uptown via Providence Road, there’s a good reason. Someone is. Not “someone,” exactly. More like “something.” This summer, Charlotte artist Matthew Steele installed “Santé,” a large wall… read more »
Elder Gallery Hits “HOME” with New Exhibition
Exploring Charlotte, Happenings | November 5, 2020Sure, we’ve all spent an extraordinary amount of time at home this year. But how much time have we spent considering what “home” really means for creatives? More specifically, what does Charlotte need to do to make its artists truly feel at home in t… read more »
Photo Safari: Wildflowers on 12th
CLT Creatives, Exploring Charlotte, Photo Safari | November 5, 2020Driving to Northwest School of the Arts with her mother as a child, Charlotte artist, Melissa Wineman (AKA @owlymo) used to see hateful messages painted on a retaining wall along 12th Street (under I-277) and think, “One day, I’m going to paint that…. read more »
