Please Stay at Least 1 Keanu (KNU) or Cumberbatch (CMB) Apart at All Times
On today’s installment of The Biscuit News Crumbs, your favorite virtual anchors Matt Olin and Tim Miner discuss all the hard-hitting stories you want to know more about. Including: - The new suggested unit of distance for social distancing… 1 Keanu… Whoa! Or, for those on the metric system — 1 Cumberbatch.
- A new initiative, @CLTgivePPE, that is collecting Personal Protective Equipment to give to local medical facilities that are in desperate need.
- Changes to Charlotte is Creative’s HUG Micro-Grant program with special guests Woody and Buzz Lightyear from Pixar’s Toy Story.
Until next time, stay healthy, stay creative and stay the @#$% inside! 
While we’re apart physically, we’re taking this time to introduce you to the Queen City creatives doing innovative and inspiring work. Every day, we’ll post a new 5-minute “Biscuit Blitz” interview video with one of them. You can find them on our social media feeds, our Web site and our YouTube Channel. Subscribe here. Pure Intentions Brews Up New Business Avenues
It’s a tale of two Matts. Matt Olin, co-publisher of The Biscuit, enjoys a jolt of conversation java with Matt Yarmey, founder of Pure Intentions Coffee, about what he and his company are doing to keep business buzzing during the COVID-19 outbreak.
Monique Stubbs-Hall Keeps the Conversation Going
What happens when you open an amazing new venue weeks before COVID-19 hits? You take the hit, keep creating and plan for the future. At least, that’s what Monique Stubbs-Hall of Studio 229 on Brevard and founder of Clear Communication Consulting did. Tim Miner, co-publisher of The Biscuit, enjoys a heart-felt and lively conversation with Monique about what she’s doing to stay sharp and effective for herself and her clients during stay-at-home orders.
Faces of the Charlotte Art League: Greg Russell
One of the ways we’re introducing you to creatives across the city is teaming up with the Charlotte Art League for artist profiles. Today, they’re highlighting Charlottean Greg Russell. Here are Greg’s thoughts on his work: “I create whatever my muse inspires. I try to do things that no one has ever done before, and I try to make my audience think … my art is surreal because I like to leave gaps in my story so the viewer has to fill in the blanks. Also, a lot of my art is inspired by the comic book art and horror movies that I enjoyed as a child. Besides being an illustrator, cartoonist and caricature artist, I am a graphic designer with decades of experience in designing and publishing newspapers, ’zines, books and comic books. I welcome commission jobs, so please contact me with your request!”
The Future of Queen City Creativity Looks Bright
Like you, we’re looking for daily inspiration to keep our spirits up. One way we do that is by following the robust Instagram Feed of UNC Charlotte’s College of Arts + Architecture. On a regular basis, they spotlight outstanding students in their program. This week, they unveiled a video that’s like a shot of creative adrenelin (above). Follow them. You won’t regret it.
Charlotte Artists are Still BOOMing!
If all had gone to plan this weekend, the BOOM Charlotte festival would have taken over Plaza Midwood for a multi-day explosion of creative and artistic energy. COVID-19 and stay-at-home had other ideas … but their innovative spirit remains undaunted, launching BOOM in the Living Room, a collection of online events taking place tomorrow — Saturday, April 18. You can tune in and out of an array of performance, visual arts, music and more.
Every month, Charlotte Is Creatives awards Queen City creatives with HUG micro-grants to help them move their passions and projects along. HUG stands for Helpful Unfettered Gift. To spread HUG funds as far as possible and spark as many creative fires as we can across the city, the HUG micro-grant amount has been temporarily changed to $100 for projects that can be completed and shared by June 1. Fourteen HUGs were awarded this month thanks to the generosity of HUG sponsors — T. Reid & Company, the Plain Language Group, Savvy & Company and Google Fiber — and individual donors. Visual Art - Taylor Lee
- Hannah Fairweather – Brand the Moth
Retail - Kristin Pridgen – Earth-Kissed Beauty
- Courtney Faires – Fairest Flickers
- Jessica Trimmer – Share-A-Mask
Music and Performance - Will Keible – WDAV Small Batch Concert Series
- Todd Johnson – Todd Johnson & the Revolvers
Creative Community Engagement - Jessica Moss – The Roll-Up
- Matthew Spivey
- Scott Pacitti
- Ann Marie Worman – Parkinson Association
- Demi Clark – She Built This City
- Ohavia Phillips
Media and Podcasts - Natasha McMichael – The Honeycomb Podcast
- Julie McElmurry – Charlotte Unconventional Film School
We encourage you to apply for a HUG … or to donate anything you can at www.HUGGrant.com
The local media community is working incredibly hard to provide accurate, uplifting and actionable information to assist with the new realities we face. Here are some stories from this week we think are worth your time: WBTV reported on the Charlotte area chefs who are feeding first responders with their aptly named Essential Kitchen. Charlotte Ledger gave an inside look to the ways the “active adults” of Sun City Carolina Lakes are adjusting to life during COVID-19. QCityMetro shared information on two loan programs available to small businesses in Mecklenburg County. SHARE Charlotte provided insight into how COVID-19 impacts volunteerism. WFAE’s Michael Falero discusses how the coronavirus pandemic has affected NC residents’ ability to pay their biggest expense — rent.
Recently, we teamed up with the Charlotte chapters of AAF, AIGA and AMA to encourage the Queen City creative community to “Keep Calm & Create On.” Winthrop University design student, Ivy Crumpton, took that to heart and created her own version our new mantra. Below is a video of her complete design process. Amazing! 
South 21 Drive-In was ahead of their time when they made this sign advertising their classic to-go box a few decades ago — “Take home or eat here.” Our current health officials might recommend a slight revision — “Please take it home. We’re begging you.” If you’re looking to pick up something tasty for lunch while supporting an #OGCLT restaurant, make your way to this drive-in that has graced East Independence Boulevard since 1955. Go grab a Super Boy hamburger, some onion rings, and a milkshake and enjoy a peaceful moment of pure deliciousness. In a totally unrelated note, should we grow a quarantine mustache? This Queen City exploration is powered by OrthoCarolina. Directions: 3101 E Independence Blvd, Charlotte, NC 28205 Explore other “Where Are We in CLT?” destinations here.
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