Meet These Creatives in the Queen City
MEET 8 QUEEN CITY CREATIVES IN 5 MINUTES!
At Charlotte Is Creative, we pride ourselves on introducing our friends, community and collaborators to new creatives we have met, hired and followed out in the city. We hope that in reading about these artists, you might find one to engage with, to purchase work from and grow your perspective of our beautiful city.
In this edition of the Biscuit (and more editions to come), we are introducing you to eight creatives who we have had the pleasure of getting to know this month. And you should, too. Meet them below.
TRANASHEA JO-RE HYMAN
INTER-DISCIPLANARY ARTIST
EMAIL: tranasheahyman@gmail.com
IG: @necessaryforms
After a study abroad program through Duke University took her across the pond to London in 2013, interdisciplinary artist Tranashea Jo-Re Hyman spent the next decade finding love, nurturing her passion for the arts and earning a Master of Fine Arts from Central Saint Martins College of Art.
Originally from Charlotte, Hyman is reestablishing her roots, reconnecting with the city’s creative community and redefining what a sustainable art career can look like in the Queen City. And, she’s starting with a four-month mini-residency at McColl Center, sponsored by Charlotte Is Creative.
Exploring Connection Through Material
Now, inside her studio at the McColl Center, Hyman blends collage, light, sculpture and found objects into layered works of art that explore domesticity, motherhood and the intimacy between humans and the objects they surround themselves with.
She is currently crafting a rocking chair shaped like a mother’s hands, embodying the domestic sphere as both a site of refuge and quiet resistance—an idea inspired by bell hooks and her own experiences as a daughter and now a mother.
“I want to see if I can create a spot for audience members to sit, engage with others, and hold conversations,” she said. “I’m imagining the trusting relationship between objects that hold and humans who care and trust.”
A Season of Creative Discovery
Hyman’s mini-residency at McColl marks a period of creative discovery without the pressure of deadlines or performance.
Embedded within a community by peers from across the region and nation, she draws inspiration from shared studios, conversations, and workshops—spaces where generosity and the abundance of experience fuel her artistic growth.
For Hyman, this season is about making for the love of making—learning new techniques and exploring how everyday objects can hold meaning and foster trust between holder, object, and viewer.
“It has been a process of trial and error. Finding my process has been really exciting.” – Tranashea
At Charlotte Is Creative, we are so excited to see where Tranashea takes her research and process to showcase these upcoming works and pieces!
Confluence Conference, organized by Music Everywhere and powered by Sonorous Wave, returned to Charlotte on Oct. 8-10.
By day, the conference shared information about the music industry from local, regional and national experts with musicians of all types, genres and experience levels. By night, local talent was showcased at venues across the city spanning all genres.
As part of the conference, Charlotte Is Creative hired seven artists to customize and design two 45s (7-inch) vinyl records to be hidden around the conference and venues. Whoever found those vinyls was able to keep them. Meet the artists we hired below:
AMINAH COPPAGE
Henna Artist
Instagram: @acehenna
How would you describe the creative community in Charlotte?
“The creative community in Charlotte is full of revolutionaries. I’m able to find connections with similar creatives, but also find revelations and inspiration from artists of different mindsets and media preferences.”
AVERY WALLACE
Interdisciplinary Artist
Instagram: @_averywallace
What’s a dream project you’d like to tackle soon?
“I always find myself doing projects for others, so I really want to dedicate time to a personal project. I have seen paintings of buildings at night where you can see the silhouettes of the people in the windows. I would love to create my own version, specifically including people in my life and what they love to do.”
CHRISTINA MAJIC
Visual Artist
Website: www.majicmonsters.com
Instagram: @majicmonsters
What’s a dream project you’d like to tackle soon?
“[[P]rinting my first children’s book. I almost have the illustrations finished, and I plan to have it printed for a release party on 12/12.”
DERRA JOY MOISE
Visual Artist
Instagram: @derra.joy
What’s a dream project you’d like to tackle soon?
[Creating] a large-scale mural — either outdoors or in a retail or restaurant space — using my abstract style. I don’t see abstract art represented in those settings very often and I’d love to bring that unique, expressive energy into a public or commercial space.”
JENN GARRISON
Block Printing
Website: www.jenngarrisonart.com
Instagram: @jenngarrison_art
What is a current challenge you’re experiencing in building your creative career here?
“One of the challenges of building a creative career here is how isolated it can feel. This is one of the reasons I started ZiQueen City Zinefest— so artists could meet each other and connect with viewers and customers outside institutional, financial and geographical boundaries.”
JUSTIN HURTE
Visual Artist
Website: www.jhurtemedia.com
Instagram: @_jhurte
What’s a creative skill you’d like to build this year?
“[I’d like] to be more comfortable and consistent with my spray paint technique.”
KIANA MUI
Media Specialist and Storyteller
Website: kmuiii.myportfolio.com
Instagram: @kmuiii
What is a current challenge you’re experiencing in building your creative career here?
“[M]anaging a sustainable work-life balance.”
WHAT COULD WE HIRE YOU TO DO?
From murals to community engagement, small installations, street events and corporate meetings and meet-ups, we are constantly looking for emerging local creatives. Let’s fix that.
The button below takes you to a short survey where you can tell us how to hire you, submit a photo and tell us how we can help.
This isn’t a promise that the opportunity to hire you will absolutely come our way, but, if we don’t know you and your work, we can’t consider you when it does. We can’t wait to learn more about you.
