Explore Mecklenburg Country Through Public Art
 “Nested HIve” by Norman Lee Nine new pieces of public art – all across the county – popped up over the last few months.
While we weren’t looking – while many of us were sticking close to home during the worst of the pandemic – the Arts & Science Council (ASC) left us pressies all over town. Like a cultural Santa Claus, the ASC installed nine public works of art that make Charlotte a little more vibrant. They were funded through Charlotte’s 1% for the Arts ordinance.
Here are a few teasers for you:
Click the button below to get know the artists (two of them are local) behind the works and see photos of each.
Page Leggett wrote this story with photography from Brooke Brown.
This is the third installment of a new exploration series sponsored by OrthoCarolina, that encourages everyone to go for walks to discover creative communities across the Charlotte region.
 2019 Installation by AboutFaceCLT – Photo Credit: Dana Endsley Project Protégé Pairing Mentors with Emerging Creatives
Finding your footing and establishing a track record is a challenge for creatives and artists at any age. But, it can be especially tough for young adults. A new initiative, Project Protégé, is working to address that.
Founded by a collective of Charlotte-based creatives and backed by the Reemprise Fund and AboutFace CLT, Project Protégé will match “the next generation of creative change-makers” (aged 18-23) with established, experienced creatives.
The protégés and mentors selected will engage in 10 weeks of workshops starting in January 2022. The experience will culminate in a joint community art exhibition in April 2022. There is no fee, and protégés selected for the program will get a $500 honorarium. Mentors will receive a stipend, as well.
How to Apply
Applications are open now. Mentor applications are due Aug. 30. Protégé applications are due Oct. 11. Click here for more information or to submit an application.
Charlotte’s own Anthony Hamilton performing at Charlotte SHOUT! in 2019
Charlotte SHOUT! Wants You!
Charlotte SHOUT!, a 17-day celebration of Queen City creativity taking over uptown Charlotte Sept. 17 – Oct. 3, is moving full-steam ahead. An announcement of local artists, nonprofits and cultural groups selected for participation is expected soon.
Charlotte Center City Partners and Blumenthal Performing Arts, the organizers of SHOUT!, are seeking volunteers for a wide array of activities throughout the event. Volunteer opportunities range from ushers to stage set-up and more. Those interested will be given appropriate training and access to various events for their time.
What To Do Next
To keep up to date on SHOUT! announcements, sign up for the newsletter and follow them on Instagram. To apply to be a volunteer, visit CLTShout.com
Charlotte SHOUT! is a sponsor of The Biscuit. Photo credit: Joshua Galloway
 Artists in residence Zaire McPhearson, Rosalia Torres-Weiner & Laura Sexton Charlotte Artists-In-Residence At Immersive Van Gogh Capitalize On Opportunity To Showcase Work
Vincent van Gogh is obviously the headliner at the Immersive Van Gogh exhibition at Camp North End. But it’s the involvement of local creatives organized by Blumenthal Performing Arts — from a robust artist-in-residence program to art installations to local work for sale in the onsite marketplace — that is setting Charlotte’s iteration of the traveling show apart from other cities.
Our friends at WFAE recently covered the artist-in-residence program. It’s a great read … and a perfect appetizer for our exploration of the art around Immersive Van Gogh we’ll be sharing in next week’s batch of The Biscuit.
Want more?
Read WFAE’s story here, make a date to read our special Starry Night batch of The Biscuit next Thursday and head up to Camp North End to experience it for yourself. The art and activities outside the immersive experience are free to the public.
LendingTree Foundation Powering Big HUGs
Charlotte Is Creative is Part of the New LendaHand Alliance Cohort
“Our goal is for the Foundation to serve as the ‘angel funders’ of the nonprofit community by empowering emerging, founder-led nonprofits, as well as a few larger organizations that pivoted their philanthropy model to accommodate evolving needs post-pandemic,” said April Whitlock, executive director of the LendingTree Foundation.
The LendingTree Foundation has announced the launch of a new philanthropy program — the LendaHand Alliance Cohort, a three-year program for Charlotte-based nonprofits designed to maximize community impact through trust-based philanthropy, collaboration and social capital.
Charlotte Is Creative, the publishers of The Biscuit, are part of the inaugural cohort along with nine other organizations. The inaugural 2021-23 LendaHand Alliance Cohort includes:
- ArtPop Street Gallery
- Charlotte Is Creative
- Charlotte Rescue Mission
- Common Wealth Charlotte
- Digi-Bridge
- Do Greater Charlotte
- Dottie Rose Foundation
- Freedom Communities
- The Relatives
- West Side Community Land Trust
Each of the organizations above will receive $125,000 per year through 2023 to support existing and new, community-facing programming.
While future programs will be developed, Charlotte Is Creative is mobilizing its LendaHand funds now to enhance the HUG (Helpful Unfettered Gift) Micro-Grant program by extending more $1,000 grants and entering into a new partnership with the Charlotte Communuty ToolBank.
Harvesting Humanity Launches Through Jaundiced Eyes Campaign
Saturday, July 24 at McColl Center for Art + Innovation
“When you say ‘leukemia,’ people get it, but when you say ‘sickle cell,’ people not only don’t get it, but they don’t understand how much it impacts your life and the lives of everyone around you.” – Eboné Lockett, founder of Harvesting Humanity
Earlier this year, Eboné Lockett was awarded four months’ free creative space in the new artist studios at the McColl Center for Art + Innovation, part of a collaboration for the HUG Micro-Grant program.
The product of Lockett’s first two months of mini-residency is Through Jaundiced Eyes, a campaign combining art, storytelling and action. The campaign seeks to convey the daily realities of those dealing with sickle cell disease, a painful vascular condition that claimed the life of Lockett’s son in 2011. Lockett’s daughter, Kai, has sickle cell herself.
Through Jaundiced Eyes launches this Saturday, July 24 on the front lawn of the McColl Center during their Open Studio Saturday event from noon to 4 p.m. The event is a mixture of free activities, ranging from hands-on art classes to public performances.
Last week’s batch of The Biscuit featured a detailed tour of Matthews, NC — public art, the farmer’s market, great places to grab a bite, unique retail destinations and more. Click here to take the tour!
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