Nick Fury. Coach Carter. Mace Windu. Frozone. Jules Winnfield. One Baaaaad MF.
Gavin Edwards Knows Some Bad MoFos“Cool is a mask you wear, but if you wear it often enough, it starts to fit your face.” — Charlotte author Gavin Edwards on Samuel L. Jackson, the subject of his new book
Do you know two of the coolest cats in Hollywood? Charlotte author Gavin Edwards does. And, he’s spilling his guts about it. Two years ago, Edwards gave us a unique look into the mind of mercurial comic and man-about-town, Bill Murray in his book, The Tao of Bill. Edwards’ latest book — written during COVID — is about everyone’s favorite bada** motherf***, Samuel L. Jackson. That’s not gratuitous foul language. When writing about Samuel L. Jackson, that kind of talk is imperative. In fact, the title of the book is BAD MOTHERF***: The Life and Movies of Samuel L. Jackson, the Coolest Man in Hollywood. Read on to learn more about “Mr. L. Jackson.” 
New Tool for Creatives: Helping Hand HUGFour years ago, Charlotte Is Creative introduced the HUG (“Helpful Unfettered Gift”) Micro-Grant — $250 strings-free grants to remove an obstacle to a creative idea or project moving forward. This program is fueled by companies including NoDa Brewing, Google Fiber, Wells Fargo and individual donations of time and services. Bigger HUGsEarlier this year, the LendingTree Foundation donated funds to power “Bear HUGs” — $1,000 grants available to those creatives who put their initial $250 grant to good use. In addition, the McColl Center partnered with the HUG program to make one of their new studio spaces available at no cost for four-month, project-driven mini-residencies. The next open call for this opportunity will be in January. A Very Helpful HUGTo cap off an incredible year of growth for the HUG program, LendingTree has also underwritten the “Helping Hand HUG” — a $300 credit to the Charlotte Community ToolBank. This 12-month credit translates into $10,000 real-world value in tool and equipment rentals. Tools available range from shovels, hammers and drills to tables, tents, chairs and more. See a complete list of ToolBank offerings here. A free ToolBank membership is required for those awarded this HUG. The Helpful Hand HUG is available to charitable organizations in Mecklenburg County and individuals working with a charitable organization. Applications are always open.
 PHOTO CREDIT: Kalin Renée Devone Apply for Up To Six Months of Free Studio SpaceThe east Charlotte apartment complex, The Village at Commonwealth, has launched an art residency program. Its goal is to connect residents with Charlotte’s creative community. They have issued an open call for applications through Dec. 19.
The spring/summer residency program will provide the chosen artist 24-hour access to the Village’s on-site studio for a five — to six-month period — space for the artist to work, play, teach and create free of charge. The Village’s current resident artist is Kalin Renée Devone. See Kalin and her work in the studio here.
 PHOTO CREDIT: Jessica Baryla SouthEnd ARTS Offers “Open/No Theme” Art Juried ExhibitionSouthEnd ARTS is seeking entries from 2-D artists regardless of experiences or education for an exhibition curated by Zaire McPhearson on display at a local campus (it’s a surprise!) from February to August 2022. McPhearson is a Charlotte artist currently serving as an art instructor at Duke University. Submissions may include painting, graphic design, mixed media and photography. The entry fee is $35 for three images and $10 for each additional submitted for consideration. Entries are open through December 20 at noon.
CLT Magician On a Mission to Fool Penn & TellerHayden Childress has been practicing sleight-of-hand tricks since he was in fourth grade. “I saw magic on TV as a kid and went to the library and checked out every book on magic,” he said. “I began performing by walking up to strangers in my local mall … and just asking, ‘Hey, can I show you a magic trick?’ (I saw David Blaine do that so I thought I’d do it, too!)” After 14 years of honing his skills, Childress is finally getting his shot. This Friday, Nov. 19 at 8 p.m. on The CW (WCCB in Charlotte), he’ll perform a trick he hopes will confound famous magical duo Penn and Teller on their primetime show “Fool Us.”
100 Black Men Present QC Live Art ExperienceOne of our favorite things is watching an artist at work. Watching the thought process, the brushes in motion, the cans spraying, the last-minute details added and the final piece coming together is an experience like no other. And you can have that same wonder-filled experience this Sunday, Nov. 21 from 1 to 5 p.m. at Studio 229 on Brevard. QC Live Art Experience 2, presented by 100 Black Men of Greater Charlotte, will bring together 13 local artists to create art live! The artists will have a three-hour window to make an original, one-of-a-kind piece of art while attendees walk around the venue to see the creative process in full. After the three hours are up, each piece will be put on display and auctioned to the highest bidders. The proceeds from the fundraiser will be split between the artists and 100 Black Men of Charlotte benefiting their Movement of Youth program.
 PHOTO CREDIT: Alex Carson ArtPop and Upcycle Arts Give Work a Second LifeLast week, we invited you to attend the Upcycled Fashion Show at the Innovation Barn last Saturday. ArtPop Street Gallery and Upcycle Arts worked with local fashion designers to create outfits from used vinyl material — vinyl material from past ArtPop billboards you may have seen about town. The results were incredible and, thanks to photographer Alex Cason, you can see them here.
 PHOTO CREDIT: Ryan Allen (@friedchickensandwich) Meet Miles Morales … ummm … JJ WiseAs Miles Morales’ (a.k.a. Spider-Man) once said: “Anyone can wear the mask. You can wear the mask. If you didn’t know that before, I hope you do now. ‘Cuz I’m Spider-Man. And I’m not the only one. Not by a long shot.” JJ Wise (a.k.a. @nitecrawler82) has taken that to heart and has donned the mask, too. We caught up with JJ about his love of cosplay in Charlotte: What do you love about cosplay?I love cosplay so much because it’s a great expression of creativity and, really, you get to be your favorite characters. It’s allowed me to collaborate with so many creative people in Charlotte. I think my favorite thing is the reaction from people, especially kids when I dress up as Spider-Man. It brings so much joy to me to see them get excited. I think I got like 20 kid hugs one time at Romare Bearden during a photoshoot. So awesome!
So … SuperCam is back? Legendary North Carolina author Thomas Wolfe is credited with the expression, “You can’t go home again.” But, in just two plays, Cam Newton, back in a Panthers uniform after a year with the Patriots, kinda spiked that time-honored aphorism and did a touchdown dance on it. Two, actually. Seeing Cam standing in for QB Sam Darnold felt a little like seeing Bobby Ewing in the shower after an “it was all a bad dream” season of Dallas. (More here for all y’all not watching TV in the ‘80s.) So, we asked a bunch of completely made-up people how they feel about the “New” Cam Newton. 
104 Years of Cheer!When celebrating National Carbonated Beverage Day in the Charlotte area, it’s a natural inclination to sing the praises of Coca-Cola Bottling Company Consolidated. But, we want to take a trip up I-85 to Salisbury, the birthplace of another Southern, carbonated delight. Necessity, as the saying goes, is the mother of invention, and a World War I sugar shortage led to the invention of a “uniquely Southern” favorite — Cheerwine! Due to the scarcity, Salisbury bottler L.D. Peeler (whose family still runs the company he founded five generations ago) experimented with different flavor combinations that didn’t rely heavily on sugar. His tinkering paid off when he created a “deliciously different” beverage by mixing his existing cola with cherry syrup. Cheerwine built its following mainly by word of mouth with some print advertising and the occasional TV spot. But in 1981, in an effort to take on giants like Coke and Pepsi, the company ran a 16-week radio ad blitz on 85 stations across the Carolinas.
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