Countdown the Weekend – Five Creative Updates You’ll Love
 PHOTO CREDIT: Fashion & Compassion HUGs and Helping Hands
Charlotte Is Creative Announces Five Recipients of a $1,000 Bear HUG“LendingTree believes in the importance of acknowledging and treating our local artists like small businesses. We are thrilled to partner with Charlotte Is Creative to provide larger HUG grants for local creatives to have more cultural impact.” — April Whitlock, Head of Corporate Citizenship, LendingTree Foundation.
The mission of LendaHand, LendingTree’s philanthropic foundation, according to the website, is “to amplify economic opportunities for individuals, businesses and communities. The LendaHand Initiative … will focus on empowering people to overcome obstacles.” Since we believe overcoming obstacles starts with creative problem-solving, we’re on board with that mission. Last month, Charlotte Is Creative (publisher of The Biscuit) announced a three-year partnership with LendingTree’s LendaHand alliance program. One of the exciting endeavors we’ve embarked on with Lending Tree’s philanthropic branch is the continuation of our $1,000 Bear HUG (Helpful Unfettered Gift) grants for previous recipients of a $250 HUG micro-grant. In the last six weeks, we’ve HUGGED our first five grantees of the program. to help them expand on their programming.
Italian Statues Keep an Eye on UptownCiao, bella! The next time you’re walking on North Tryon Street, look up … and you’ll find four marble statues, representing the four seasons, looking back down at you from atop the Foundation For The Carolinas. Information on the statues ain’t easy to come by, but we did a little digging. Despite showing the marks of weather and time, the four statues have held their stations high above the streets since the late 1960s when 220 North Tryon Street was home to high-end retail store, Montaldo’s, which became the Mint Museum of Craft + Design in the late ‘90s and eventually the HQ of the Foundation. According to The Charlotte News in 1971, they were purchased by Lillian Montaldo. (Funnily enough, a story from The Charlotte News just a year quoted a store employee who had no idea where they came from.) A Montaldo’s ad placed in The Charlotte Observer in 1969 heralded the opening of a new addition to the store, on which the statues were placed. The ad states that the statues were hand-carved by an 80-year-old Italian sculptor working near Venice. (NOTE: It’s hard to find accurate history on these works of art. The ad from ‘69 says they were made to Montaldo’s specifications by an 80-year-old sculptor. The stories from ‘70 and ‘71 say the sculptures themselves are 80+ years old.)
3 Million Reasons to Love CPCCRecently, Davita Galloway of DUPP&SWAT, CrownKeepers and Hue House posted on Instagram asking for everyone’s attention. Over the years, we’ve learned to listen when ’Vita hushes the class. We’re glad we did. She shared that Central Piedmont Community College is offering $3 million in scholarships to students of color. Scholarships are available for those interested in a wide array of educational disciplines, including visual and performing arts, digital media and communications. This was stunning news, so we did a little digging. ‘Transformational support’“Scholarships help to remove the barriers that many Central Piedmont students face when seeking an education,” said Vanessa Stolen, executive director of development for the Central Piedmont Foundation. “Scholarship support can be transformational to a student, providing them with opportunities for an education, a meaningful career, and economic stability.” Click here for more information. One of ManyThe scholarship above is just one of any many available to students interested in attending or currently enrolled at CPCC. “Behind nearly every scholarship opportunity is a generous donor who wishes to invest in Central Piedmont students, student success and the future of our students and community,” said Stolen. Stolen followed the comment above with the perfect answer from a development officer: “Anyone wishing to create a scholarship fund or make a donation toward an existing fund, should contact the Central Piedmont Foundation at 704.330.6869 or at foundation@cpcc.edu.” Photo Credit (Above): Central Piedmont Community College
 Aguinaldo Junior We’re All Going to Be SHOUTing Soon!We are just five weeks out … from SHOUT! The 17-day celebration of art, ideas, food and music returns to the streets of Uptown Charlotte Sept. 17 to Oct. 3. There are literally hundreds of creatives — from thinkers to makers — who will be part of the event, plus lots of free interactive fun and whimsy. (Did you hear about the giant, spinning tops you can ride in, Los Trompos?) In two weeks, we’ll share a more detailed preview of SHOUT!, but this week, we thought we’d serve up an appetizer of two events we can’t wait to see — one returning and one newbie. And, we’re sharing regular updates on @CLTisCreative. Returning Event: CLT DJ Battle (Sept. 18)This event debuted at SHOUT! in 2019, pitting the best of the Charlotte region’s DJs against one another to see whose spins reigned supreme. (P.S. It was DOMii. More about it here.) This year’s SHOUT! plays host to the third such DJ Battle and keeps the format with a lineup of talent voted on by fans. Tickets are free here. Organizer Dae Lee (also of Hue House), says, “It’s dope that CLT DJ Battle will be a featured event at Charlotte SHOUT! this year as the city is eager to get back out and enjoy the excitement of top tier, party-rocking DJs going head-to-head in competition.” Newbie: Box Camera by Aguinaldo JuniorThis one must be experienced to really understand. Aguinaldo Junior is a Brazilian architect and photographer trained at CPCC. He’s assembled a team to create a giant box camera based on a daguerreotype, the world’s first commercial camera created in Paris in 1839. Visitors will enter the camera to experience projected photos and videos showing the history of cameras … and historical photos of Charlotte. Junior is building the camera right now. More about him here. Excited to be part of SHOUT! for the first time, Junior says, “To see my greatest passions — art, architecture and photography — materialize in one project, rounded by great artists in the Queen’s City … it’s a dream fulfilled.” Stay hungry for the SHOUT! Special in The Biscuit later this month. PHOTO CREDIT (above): Aguinaldo Junior
Charlotte SHOUT! is a content sponsor of The Biscuit.
ICYMI: City Seeking Applications for Arts & Culture BoardDo you have strong feelings and opinions about the future of the creative arts in Charlotte? Here’s an opportunity to put them to work. The City of Charlotte is seeking applications for an Arts and Culture Advisory Board. As described on the City’s website: “The Arts and Culture Advisory Board will work with the Arts and Culture Officer and the community to: - Determine the allocation of the remaining arts and culture funding in FY 2022
- Determine the allocation of arts and culture funding FY 2023 and FY 2024
- Develop a comprehensive Cultural Plan”
The City has opened the board up for applications to fill nine of the 18 spots on the board. These will be appointed by the city council, staff and the mayor. The other nine will be appointed by the private sector.
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