Charlotte is Home to Statement Jewelry, Suggestive Ceramics and Singing Sandwiches
Jewelry Made of Real Blooms Isn’t Meant to Last; It’s Meant to Dazzle
“It takes a lot of time – and a lot of tries – to make something wearable out of such a fragile material. Carnations are the easiest flower to turn into jewelry. The delicate, temperamental rose poses the biggest challenge.”
Mashal Fatima Valam takes statement jewelry to a whole new level. Hers is made out of a material that’s a challenge to work with – flowers. But blossoms and blooms make the most stunning adornments for head and body.
PHOTO CREDIT (Above): River Rose Photography
Kathie Collins – The Accidental Poet
Embracing the life-changing art of writing (and reading) poetry
“Poetry can change you. And, I mean that quite literally. Active engagement with poetry can rewire your brain, make you more empathic and creative.”
Kathie Collins, Ph.D., poet and co-founder of the Charlotte Center for Literary Arts, says poetry can make you a better person.
This is the third in a series of spotlights on three local poets.
Next Stage Purpose & Profit Survey
Rewiring Social Good
Over the last several years, Charlotte has become a top destination for Millennials and now Gen Z creatives and professionals. They’re moving here to start their careers and make their mark.
How are Millennial and Gen Z employees shaping business and community life in Charlotte? For that matter, how should businesses and nonprofits work together?
Next Stage, a nonprofit planning and consulting firm, has developed a survey to explore those questions, and they’re hoping for your help.
Equal Time: Melissa Wineman Reminds Us That Spring Is Coming
Five minutes. 300 seconds. It doesn’t seem like much time at all, but for a skilled creative that’s a world of time.
Our friends at OrthoCarolina have launched an online scheduling system to help patients make their next appointment in five minutes flat. And, that inspired us to ask creatives across the Queen City, “What can you make in the same amount of time?”
If you’re Charlotte artist Melissa Wineman, five minutes is all you need to be brilliant. Last year, she created a 175-foot nature mural on a busy road by herself in 17 days for the City of Charlotte’s Placemaking Program. After an experience like that, five minutes is a piece of cake.
Click the button below to take a five-minute creative flight with Melissa Wineman.
This creative sprint was powered by content sponsor OrthoCarolina. Use their new online appointment system here.
I’m A Sandwich: Sub One
As the pandemic plods on, we find ourselves in desperate need of a new lineup of sandwiches to get us through each workday. We asked you for the best sammies in Charlotte and were crushed with a bountiful buffet of recommendations.
So, we created the “I’m A Sandwich” series to let Crown Town’s best sandwiches speak for themselves … literally. That’s right, we made videos of singing sandwiches. Each will be accompanied by a review and photos from our friends Kriska Woods and Manny Carandang of @CLT.Remedy, one of our favorite food blogs and Instagram accounts in the Queen City.
And every single sandwich we cover will be voiced by the “one-and-OHnly” Ohavia Phillips (in the role of Megan Thee Stallion).
First up: the New Jersey Steak Sandwich at Sub One Hoagie House (516 N. Graham St., Charlotte, N.C. 28202). Click the button for the video and the review. Dig in, y’all!
Meet Stephen and Nathan Tucker.
To help us celebrate the spirit of Valentine’s Day 2021, we asked our Instagram followers to help us identify the inspirational creative couples at work in the Queen City. And, the suggestions – like Cupid’s arrow – came flying in.
Using those suggestions, we posted a story on seven of Charlotte’s coolest creative couples.
But, seven is too just too small a number. We had a few last-minute entries that commanded our attention. One of them was the team behind Powder Studio Porcelain, Stephen and Nathan Tucker. We immediately fell in love with their whimsy, their wit and their work.
Now, they’re our new best friends. After you read about them and see their artistry online, they’ll be yours, too.
How long have you lived in Charlotte?
- Stephen: 9 years
- Nathan: 17 years (on and off)
In what creative media do you work? What skills do you use?
- Stephen: Ceramics! I oversee the studio, order materials, maintain equipment, mix and test glazes/clays, cast, sand, fire in our kilns … all of it!
- Nathan: Porcelain! Design, design, design.
What’s the first project you remember working on together?
- Nathan: Oh gosh, a project from 10 years ago that really “sticks out” is a bracelet holder that was essentially a porcelain adult toy. You’re welcome, bracelet holder owners!
- Stephen: The most memorable part of our beginning was learning and building our knowledge/technique together blended with lots of terrible mistakes and tears. But, the struggle was worth it.
What’s one thing you love about Charlotte’s creative community?
It is incredibly talented, supportive and overwhelmingly good-looking.
Where can we find out more about your work?
WEBSITE: powder-studio.com
INSTAGRAM: @powderstudioporcelain
When you head uptown, you expect the skyscrapers to impress you. But, you don’t expect them to sing to you. Yet, that’s exactly what the 7th Street Station parking garage does.
When the deck opened in 1998, the team behind it wanted to add a little wonder to the building. 7th Street Station is accented by more than 400 colored panels and 30 plexiglass fins that soar to 30 feet and light up, as well as 30 sensor pads below. When you touch the pads, they emit sounds, light and, sometimes, laughter. (We’re not advocating touching the pads, mind you, unless you use your elbow. This was long before COVID-19.) Read more about it here.
BONUS!
 Postcard by Amber Thompson 7th Street Station is also the site of “Love, Charlotte,” a collection of 8-foot-wide postcards created by Charlotte-based artists: Garrison Gist, Tim Parati, Sana Nisar, Eulises Orellana, KiiK Create and Amber Thompson. The “Love, Charlotte” postcards are waiting for you (and your camera) outside 7th Street Public Market now. Swing by, see them up close and take photos now through March 15.
Both projects are sponsored by Charlotte Center City Partners.
Directions: 224 E 7th St, Charlotte, NC 28202
POSTCARD PHOTO CREDIT: Ernesto Moreno
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:
- A Valentine’s Day celebration with 7 of Charlotte’s Coolest Creative Couples
- A musical exploration into the making of JazzArts Charlotte’s We Insist!
Click here to dig in, y‘all.
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