Once Upon a Time, a poet met two triathletes … PHOTO CREDIT: Carter Wingfield Partnership Pairing: Para Guide & the Poet “Being on a team is about mutual trust, constant communication.
It’s a cadence.
It’s music.
It’s the way you move.
Crossing the finish line is a synchronized dance set to the melody of footfalls against a trail,
Bicycle spokes whirring like locusts down a long road,
Your hands mastering the rhythm of splash.
Together, you make a song.” – Charlotte poet Jay Ward, about Para Guide What do triathlon coaches and a slam poetry champion have in common? On first blush, we’ll agree that it sounds like precious little. But, when you take into account creative gifts and a collective passion to help people, it turns out they can make magic together. And, that’s exactly what happened when Charlotte poet Jay Ward met the team at Para Guide, a local organization that supports adaptive athletes, primarily blind/visually impaired individuals, in the pursuit of accessibility, inclusion and equity in running/walking, cycling, and swimming — the three disciplines of a triathlon. To celebrate Para Guide’s mission and inspire their athletes, Ward wrote and recorded a powerful, original poem he calls Together. The Partnership Pairing series is powered by OrthoCarolina.
 PHOTO CREDIT: Matt Henesy Charlotte Rescue Mission Practices the Art of TransformationHow do you make the invisible … visible? That’s a question artists have grappled with for centuries. It’s also a challenge faced by the Charlotte Rescue Mission (CRM) as they kick off a campaign to raise $25 million to fund a new facility for Rebound, a faith-based, free, 120-day residential recovery program for men dealing with homelessness and substance abuse. Currently, Rebound is based in a building that’s nearly100 years old on Cedar St. To help them continue the momentum of their campaign, CRM engaged four prominent members of Charlotte’s creative community — Ricky Singh, Makayla Binter, Matthew Clayburn and lead artist DeNeer Davis — to establish a collection of pop-up installations called The Art of Transformation. The effort features eight original works of art based on quotes from Rebound graduates. Last week, boards bearing the quotes alone were installed in seven locations around Charlotte. This past Monday, the boards were transformed by original work painted around the quotes, symbolizing the impact Rebound has on the men in their program. Charlotte Is Creative helped envision and manage The Art of Transformation.
Not for Women Only – Pam Singh’s Womanhood“I am always drawn to beautiful things around me and am inspired by women from different walks of life, their feelings, emotions and feminine energies.” – Artist Pam Singh
We first met local artist Pam Singh back in May during South End Blooms. She was part of a cohort of creatives that spent time over six weekends bringing pops of color and creativity to South End. Since then we’ve gotten to know Singh as an imaginative, talented and busy addition to the Queen City’s creative community Her first solo show, Womanhood, features 25 original works on display at The Artisan’s Palate now through the end of October.
3 Questions with a Charlotte Creative: Tanya Cauren, Mad HatterWe’re late. We’re late … for a very important date. Two days ago — Oct. 6 — was Mad Hatter Day. So, in Alice in Wonderland terms, today is “Un-Mad Hatters Day.” And, we can think of no better way to celebrate than to introduce you to Charlotte creative, Tanya Cauren. While she learned to crochet as a child from her grandmother, Cauren didn’t begin honing her fiber art skills in earnest until about 18 months ago (not that dissimilar from our fiber art friend, Kelly Zimmerman). Now, she’s a whiz, creating colorful, whimsical one-of-a-kind hats (or “head gear swag” as she calls them) she describes as “fun, funky, non-traditional.” She’s also making patterns you can use you create your own “head gear swag.”
Okay … okay … we’re being a little coy. Since we spotted this at a private residence, we’re not going to tell you exactly where it is. But, when you’re driving around some of the older neighborhoods in SouthPark looking for cool Halloween decorations, you just might see it. We hope you’ll appreciate it and its message, as we do. | The Biscuit is proudly sponsored by: |
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