Teachers are Our Heroes on National Superhero Day
Help Us Thank The Teachers
Every day teachers across Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools are making the best of a bad situation. They’re trying to keep life as normal as possible for their students, especially now that virtual schooling is extended through the remainder of the academic year.
For this week’s challenge, we want you to create a graphic thanking the teachers who are putting in the extra time, love, and effort to ensure our kids are still receiving a quality education even in the current situation. We’re looking for a graphic that is striking, fun, and easily shareable of social media.
Entries must be received by 6pm this Sunday, May 3. One winner will be selected to receive a $50 prize. For more information about how to submit your idea, click here.
This QC Creative Challenge is supported by Charlotte Center City Partners and Charlotte SHOUT.
All good things,
Tim Miner, Matt Olin & Porter Metzler (Social Media Scoundrel)
Charlotte Is Creative
Artist. Mommy. Educator. Residential Bad Ass.
Hellraiser. Queen of Dragons. Villain.
Our friend “King” Carla Aaron-Lopez uses ALL of these are words above to describe herself … and, it’s a good thing, because she defies definition. We reached out to ask Carla, part of the creative team at BLKMRKT at Camp North End, about what she’s doing in COVID-19-ville. And, she does not disappoint.
 Photo Credit: Queen City Podcast Network The Queen City Podcast Network Gives Us Something to SHOUT About
Brian Baltosiewich is a busy man. Between running the Queen City Podcast Network and serving as Director at the Carolina School of Broadcasting, Brian is devoted to creating and helping others create on a daily basis.
When he launched QCPN in 2018, it was the first hyperlocal podcast network in the nation. Now, two years later, the network has grown from 5 podcasts to 27. With the rapid growth of the network, some might see it as an overnight success. But, for Brian, this has been an almost 20-year journey of content creation… and things are starting to pay off.
Read about Brian’s journey and the Queen City Podcast Network here.
This article is the first of a nine-part series highlighting different Charlotte creatives. The “Something to SHOUT About” series is sponsored by Charlotte Center City Partners and Charlotte SHOUT.
Four Charlotteans Struck by Bolts of Inspiration
“Do what you can with what you have until you can do more.” – Adrienne Threatt, Founder of Hope Vibes
Every month at CreativeMornings/Charlotte, Charlotte is Creative honors innovative Charlotteans who are putting their talents to work for their neighbors with Bolts of Inspiration. The moss art Bolts are sponsored by OrthoCarolina and designed and made by The Savage Way.
At the April gathering of CreativeMornings/Charlotte, four creative Charlotteans were presented with Bolts for collaborative projects to respond to COVID-19 outbreak in swift and innovative ways:
- Jeremy Moffett of HopeVibes & Sam Guzzie of Brand the Moth
- Corri Smith of Black Wednesday & Garrett Tichy of Hygge
OrthoCarolina is a sponsor of The Biscuit.
3 Things to Smile About: Moss Art, McColl Center … and Mark O’Connor
Speaking of Moss Art …
Each week, Matt Olin and Tim Miner pop into WBTV’s QC Life broadcast to share three projects, organizations or individuals from the Queen City creative community keeping their spirits up. Most recently, they introduced host Kristen Miranda to The Savage Way’s collaboration with artist Jen Hill to make moss art portraits of The Notorious BIG, the work of Franco Fasoli, an Argentian artist in town working with McColl Center for Art + Innovation and LACA Projects and music legend and Charlotte resident, Mark O’Connor. Watch the short segment here.
Local Arts Organizations Get a Lift from the COVID-19 Response Fund
To date, The COVID-19 Response Fund (administered through a partnership between Foundation For The Carolinas and United Way of Central Carolinas, in close coordination with the City of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County) has granted more than $6 million to a range of nonprofits – from large institutions to small grassroots organizations, including local arts groups.
The latest grants announced include:
- $25,000 to Arts+ to support the shift to virtual programming for children.
- $185,000 to the Charlotte Ballet to support its artistic, academy, education and production staff.
- $150,000 to Children’s Theatre of Charlotte to support the artistic and creative staff and ensure online programming for children.
- $24,232 to JazzArts Charlotte to support musicians and efforts to shift to online performances and educational programs.
Grant applications for the next cycle of funding – which is open to all Mecklenburg County 501(c)3 nonprofits that meet eligibility – are now being accepted and must be submitted by May 1 at noon. For eligibility requirements and to apply, visit uwcentralcarolinas.org/grants/COVID.
Photographers, We Want to Hear from You.
Each week, we tell the stories of Charlotte creatives here in The Biscuit. And, people are listening. Let’s give them your side of the story.
We know how COVID-19 is affecting big businesses, but how about professional and freelance photographers? What are you doing to keep going? How are you keeping your skills sharp? How are you getting ready for what comes next? What do you wish more people knew about your work – in general or during the corona outbreak?
Please take 5 minutes and leave us a message on our Google Voice mailbox – 704.835.0193. We may use your response on our podcast or in written form on our website and in The Biscuit.
 PHOTO CREDIT: Community Culinary School of Charlotte $10,000 – 13 Jobs – 1,000 Meals
Chef Ron Alhert of the Community Culinary School of Charlotte (CCSC) and Tom Sasser of Burke Hospitality Group aren’t known for sitting around. As active members of the Charlotte hospitality community, they had front-row seats to see how the last five weeks have devastated both hungry families and restaurant employees who have lost their jobs. Sadly, there is often overlap between those two groups.
To address it, they launched a Charlotte faction of the Power of 10 Initiative, initially launched in Washington, DC. Partnering with Burke restaurants and Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority, Power of 10 has taken an initial investment of $20,000 and employed 13 restaurant workers to make free meals for furloughed CCSC students, alumni and staff, as well as to employees from the restaurant and hospitality industry who are out of work because of COVID-19 restrictions.
They have served more than 200 meals a day, Monday-Friday, from CCSC’s training facility and cafe on Monroe Road.
In his own style, Chef Ron says of the effort: “We’re working to feed those truly impacted by the current situation in the hospitality industry. It’s all about stirring the pot of uncertainty in a positive way … putting more beef in the stew.”
Initial funds are almost exhausted. Those interested in assisting with Power of 10 can learn more or donate here.
OrthoCarolina’s New Series Keeps You Healthy at Home
If we aren’t careful, the only movement we’ll do in a day is during our 25-foot walk commute from our bed to our desk. We’ve all been sitting more than usual during the stay-at-home and whether we know it or not, our body is craving for some movement.
Our partners at OrthoCarolina put together a new video with “5 Tips to Sneak Movement Into Your Days” as a part of their Health at Home series. These tips will help your body feel happy, healthy and energized. Watch the video here.
We also spoke with Elena Kacan, Field Marketer for OrthoCarolina, about how her team responded quickly to the COVID-19 outbreak by launching telemedicine services and what they’re doing to stay creative and positive. Watch Elena with Tim Miner on “The Biscuit Blitz.”
Cheers! It’s Tuesday. Sounds like the perfect time to unveil the first episode of our new series “Twist and SHOUT!” Each installment will feature an instructional video from some of Charlotte’s most creative mixologists. Today, CLT mixologist Rachael Green shares her recipe for Thai Tea made with spiced rum.
Ingredients you’ll need:
- 3 oz. of Thai tea
- 2 oz. of Muddy River spiced rum
- 1 oz. of coconut cream
Making coconut cream recipe:
- 1 can coconut milk (full-fat)
- 1 cup of sugar
- 1 cup of water
- NOTE: If you use reduced-fat coconut milk, don’t add water.
Now, watch Rachel combine these simple ingredients to make a mighty refreshing cocktail. If you’re looking for an excuse to try it, how about when you tune in to watch the first broadcast of CLT After Dark online this Thursday, April 30 at 7pm?
The “Twist & SHOUT!” series is sponsored by Charlotte Center City Partners and Charlotte SHOUT! We encourage you to drink responsibly.
Just a few miles down the road from the Queen City sits the city of Rock Hill, SC, or as we like to call it South of South-South Charlotte. The city commissioned Charlotte artist Osiris Rain (@osirisrain) to create a piece to kick off their Mural Mile initiative which is led by the Old Town Association, Knowledge Park and Rock Hill city leaders.
Rain’s is the first in the series which will showcase 8-10 artists’ creative works. The mural, according to Osiris, is to be a “bold, welcoming beacon for the town.” The flower in the middle of the composition is the rare spider lily that grows on the Catawba River. If you step back, you can even see “Rock Hill” spelled out in the abstract shapes of the background.
Osiris is also tweaking his 4th annual Can Jam CLT festival. Instead of holding the 3-day NoDa street art experience like usual, he is using that platform to create a space available to artists throughout the year. As COVID-19 spreads, he wants to provide a safe working environment for artists to complete their projects. Learn more about the changes to Can Jam CLT here.
This Queen City exploration is powered by OrthoCarolina.
Directions: 130 West White Street, Rock Hill, SC, 29730
Explore other “Where Are We in CLT?” destinations here.
Don’t go around hungry. If you missed the last batch of The Biscuit, don’t worry. We’ve kept it warm for you … and full of satisfying Southern sassiness. Click here to dig in, y’all.
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