Charlotte Can Be the Perfect Home for Creative Business … If We Create the Conditions
Creatives Are Businesses and Businesses Need Structure
An Editorial by Caro DiazCreatives can make great business people if there is a structure in place. That’s not always a popular notion. Many creatives just want to “be creatives.” But, if you’re using your creativity to pay the bills, you don’t have that luxury. Being serious about your business comes from the same place as being driven by your creative skills. As creatives, we are passionate souls ready to go all-in into our work. Forget about the stereotype that creatives are not good business people because it is not valid. In fact, it’s destructive. It holds us back. Learning basic business principles lets your clients know that you are to be taken as seriously as you take them seriously. This is the second half of an editorial by Caro Diaz, founder and owner of Inkaprint, about “The Business of Creativity.” Read the first half here.
Remembering Park-N-Shop
As the original store gets a new lease on life, we look back at an era when supermarkets really were super“Supermarkets vied to attract suburbanites with big stores and bigger parking lots. You could find a Harris-Teeter at Park Road Shopping Center … and at Charlottetown Mall. The competing Park-N-Shop put parking right in its store name.” – Tom Hanchett, Ph.D.
A bit of Charlotte’s retail past will soon be converted into office space on Wilkinson Blvd. But, thanks to history-loving, forward-thinking development teams at Red Hill Ventures and the Roby Family of Companies, it will retain much of its original mid-century modern appeal. Let’s celebrate the history of the Park-N-Shop chain of supermarkets and the man, Charles Reid, who built his mini-empire from scratch. In a city that has torn down much of its visible history, the Park-N-Shop building on Wilkinson Blvd. is a recognizable and enduring sign of a bygone Charlotte. But, it’s also a testament to the creative spirit and ingenuity of our city and the families that drove us forward. Photo Credit (Above): LaBella Associates
Back to Business: A Silver Lining and A New PlaybookAndy Goh likes to say that he tore his Achilles tendon the same way Kobe Bryant and Kevin Durant tore theirs. The only difference is that he was playing basketball with friends and not in the NBA finals. In a move he’d made thousands of times before, he pushed off on his left leg—and felt a pop. He felt it, and he heard it. An injury like that would be challenging for anyone. But, for Goh, a digital communications specialist at The Bechtler Museum of Modern Art at the time, it was daunting. He was constantly on the move, walking the museum, taking photos and covering live events. He needed to get up and get going again as soon as possible. The “Back to Business” series is sponsored by OrthoCarolina. Photo Credit (Above): Jonathan Cooper
Our Thoughts on the Arts Funding DiscussionLast week, City Manager Marcus Jones broadcast a letter about how the city’s plans for arts funding are proceeding. Read it here. It’s clear that big shifts are underway for Charlotte’s creative community – including a notable $36 million commitment to arts and culture over the next three years. But, there are still many questions to be answered to make sure it’s equitably committed and that emerging creatives and gig creatives see the benefit. We want to be a community where every creative is recognized for the value they bring to the quality of life, the economy and the reputation of our city. We want to be a city that allows creatives to take chances – a place where creatives don’t have to have already “made it” to make it. Photo Credit (Above): Wiley Stewart
“Of Earth and Sky” Poetry Workshops and Art InstallationOf Earth and Sky is coming to Charlotte SHOUT!
You may be asking: “What’s that about?”
A large installation featuring poems and words
From local poets and creatives who feel the urge
To submit a piece for consideration
Check out the link below for more information.
Calling all poets! Of Earth and Sky — a collection of visual art installations based on poems submitted by Charlotte writers — will be part of Charlotte SHOUT! this fall. That’s right. Your words may be turned into a work of visual art, if your work is selected. While no training is required to submit a work for consideration, the public is invited to sharpen your poetry skills by attending a workshop at Middleton McMillan Gallery at Spirit Square hosted by: - Boris “Bluz” Rogers, Emmy award-winning poet
- Jay Ward, National Poetry Slam champion
- Jordan Bailey, National Poetry Slam champion
The workshops are held at noon each Saturday in April and May. These sessions will offer more information on Of Earth and Sky’s vision and prompts that may inspire your winning entry. Learn more about the project and register for a workshop here. BONUS! Musicians interested in applying for a paid performance or show at SHOUT! are invited to attend an online Q & A session with event organizers tomorrow – Thursday, April 22 – at 10 a.m. Register here.
ART OPPORTUNITY: International House Seeks Immigrant ArtistsAs part of its 40th anniversary, International House has issued a call to immigrant artists to submit work to be considered for The Journey: Art Competition and Exhibit. The work should symbolize their journey to the United States and viewers with insight into the artist’s story and challenges. Applications are open now through June 4. Charlotte Art League will play host to the live and virtual exhibition on June 14. Ten artists will be selected by a community committee to show their work at the Charlotte Art League. Once the art is installed, the public will have a chance to vote on their favorite piece by donating to International House. The winning artist gets a $4,000 stipend and will get to see their work displayed at International House.
Meet Daria Shishkina.As a child in Russia, Daria Shishkina wanted to submit an illustration of a “cute, little hedgehog” she’d drawn into a competition when she was nine. Her teacher refused. In fact, Shishkina’s teacher accused her of cheating. She said the drawing was too good to have been done by a 9-year-old. That experience prompted her to leave the art program she was in, but it didn’t damper her pursuit of art, and — earlier this year, after moving to the United States — Shishkina, now a senior at Hough High School, won an “Outstanding Winner” award in a Scholastic Gold Key competition judged by Charlotte Is Creative, the parent of The Biscuit. Shishkina’s passion inspires all of us at Charlotte Is Creative. That’s why we chose her portfolio, why we wish her well in the next stage of her journey … and why she’s our new best friend.
When you think of the word apothecary, you may think about a place that makes medicine for your body. (The English majors in us always think about Romeo & Juliet.) When Sherry Waters thinks of the word “apothecary,” it conjures up images of a place that makes medicine — or in this case, tea — for your soul. The Pauline Tea-Bar Apothecary located in West Charlotte’s historic Camp Greene community is doing just that. The tea bar was created as a place to heal your mind, relax your body and rejuvenate your spirits. Before opening The Pauline, Waters was a Fund Development Director for a local nonprofit. That’s when Waters realized she had a passion for creating moments of spiritual care. “Over the last several years, prior to opening The Pauline Tea-Bar Apothecary in 2019, I found that I was offering spiritual care to donors and volunteers that I was serving in the nonprofit arena that I was working,” said Waters. “A one-year chaplain residency at Atrium allowed me to discover my gift of creating sacred space for respite and restorative calm.” The discovery of her gift led to the opening of The Pauline. Directions: 2326 Arty Ave, Charlotte, NC 28208 Photo Credit (Above): Michael Maxwell
Don’t go ’round hungry. If you missed the last batch of The Biscuit, don’t worry. We’ve kept it warm for you. This batch featured: - An authentic conversation with Nathalie Santa Maria about her 3 Biggest Challenges
- A Unicorn Day Celebration with Arko and WBTV
- A look at the art-filled and creative occupied Dilworth Artisan Station
Click here to dig in, y‘all. | The Biscuit is proudly sponsored by: |  |
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