CHAMPIONING CHARLOTTE’S CREATIVITY
SINCE 2015
Programs
Charlotte Is Creative develops programs and initiatives designed to break the Charlotte mold and re-make it with creativity.HUG Micro-Grants
HUGs (Helpful Unfettered Gifts) are $250 strings-free micro-grants – aka “Love Bombs of Cash” – awarded monthly to non-profit and for-profit creative initiatives in Charlotte to help propel the project forward or remove a small obstacle to its overall success. As of January 2020, we've awarded more than $40,000 in HUGsto 160+ local projects.
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Queen City Quiz Show
Our live game show about Charlotte’s past and present is designed to spur community discourse, convey information, and empower citizens to shape our city’s future. QCQS has become known as an engaging component of public forums and gatherings and is available to hire for companies, outings, and events.
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Employee Engagement
We help companies and organizations adjust to today's remote workplace culture with Employee Engagement Programs that inspire teams, strengthen leaders and encourage innovation. Through our customized programs, employees become more passionate and committed to their employer, their colleagues, and their city. And that’s how companies retain talent.
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CreativeMornings/CLT
Join with hundreds of Charlotteans the first Friday of the month at this free monthly breakfast series celebrating the creative spirit of the city with local speakers, live music, and more. The diverse audience is united by the belief that “Everyone is Creative” and "Everyone is Welcome," shared by over 200 CreativeMornings chapters around the world.
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Charlotte is Creative
Charlotte Is Creative develops programs and initiatives designed to break the Charlotte mold and re-make it with creativity – into a city that draws people in, excites them, and inspires them to invest their financial, social and creative capital.We connect and celebrate Charlotte's creative citizens through live events like Creative Mornings/Charlotte and Queen City Quiz Show. We empower and support them through our HUG (Helpful Unfettered Gift) micro-grant program and related trainings. We inform and entertain our city through our official media channel, The Biscuit.
And we're innovating even more platforms and programming to provide further resources for Queen City creatives to be successful. Everything we do is in service of fortifying creativity in Charlotte, championing the diverse people making it happen, and strengthening the mutually-enriching relationship between Charlotte’s creative and business communities.
Matt Olin & Tim Miner, Co-Founders of Charlotte is Creative
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
Where leaders fail to act, poets lead the way.
"After one year, the exhibition is beginning to take shape as a citywide representation of Charlotte's artists and creatives. I'm excited to be housed in the Mint Museum again and I can't wait for the reactions to this year's newbies to Local Street." - Carla Aaron-Lopez
Last year, more than 1,000 people visited LOCAL/STREET in 2.5 days. This year, we're moving Uptown ... and the sky is the limit.
LOCAL/STREET 2022 will feature 60+ local street artists hand-picked by @IAmKingCarla at the @themintmuseum Uptown June 16-24. Charlotte Is Creative is proud to sponsor the installation with @BLKMRKTCLT, @ASCCharlotte and @ncartscouncil
Do not miss this. LOCAL/STREET broke the mold last year. This year, the mold will be obliterated. Be there.
𝗖𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗩𝗘 𝗣𝗥𝗢𝗙𝗜𝗟𝗘: 𝗠𝗜𝗠𝗜 𝗡𝗚𝗨𝗬𝗘𝗡
▶️ Nail Artist
▶️ 𝗜𝗚: @CLT_NailGuru
▶️ 𝗪𝗘𝗕: cltnailguru.com
Charlotte creative, Mimi Nguyen, was born right here in the Queen City. Through her career as a nail artist, Mimi strives to capture her clients' personalities and represent them through her art. Always up to something new, Mimi is currently working to elevate nail art here because "Charlotte tends to be late to the nail game!"
1️⃣ 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗯𝗶𝗴𝗴𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲𝘀 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗻𝗼𝘄?
[L]ike any other businesses right now, it's finding employees. I’m always hiring for my salon, but it’s difficult to find passionate people that want to grow in the business.
2️⃣ 𝗣𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗹𝗼𝘁𝘁𝗲'𝘀 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆.
Charlotte is finally breaking its mold and I’m loving it! I’m so happy to see all these creative minds coming to Charlotte! I grew up traveling often and I always admired how bigger cities had such a melting pot and I’m starting to see it here. I’m very excited to see what the future hold!
#CharlotteIsCreative #CLTArt #CLTArtist #CharlotteNC
Happy Brothers Day! Enjoy a photo of our co-founder, Matt, and his twin brother, Mike. Check this: They’re writing a children’s book together.