# Protecting the Catawba River with Paddles & Spray Paint > Source: https://www.charlotteiscreative.com/custom-email/the-biscuit-sept-17-2021/ > Updated: 2021-09-17T12:55:10+00:00 > Type: Email Newsletter “Both art and nature stir emotion. We see people who are otherwise calm, cool and collected get very angry when they hear about folks polluting our --- [![](https://www.charlotteiscreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/John-Searby-and-DeNeer-Davis.jpg)](https://www.charlotteiscreative.com/partnership-pairing-a-natural-connection-to-the-arts/) **John Searby & DeNeer Davis** ## ****Partnership Pairing: A Natural Connection to the Arts**** > “Both art and nature stir emotion. We see people who are otherwise calm, cool and collected get very angry when they hear about folks polluting our water, and I think similarly, people are sometimes moved by art in ways they don’t expect.” **— John Searby, Catawba Riverkeeper** Have you ever celebrated National Water Monitoring Day? Well, Saturday (Sept. 18) is your chance to embrace a new tradition. But, you won’t be alone. For **Catawba Riverkeeper**, a local nonprofit, every day is water monitoring day. Executive Director **John Searby** knows that many people find it hard to see the role they can play in caring for the environment. He wants them to know that their health is tied to the health of our waterways. To help Searby’s mission of making the Catawba-Wateree come alive, we paired him with dynamic visual artist **DeNeer Davis**. And, they took to each other like a duck to … well, you know … #### [Read about how a nature conservationist and an artist who wields spray paint like a ninja made creative magic together.](https://www.charlotteiscreative.com/partnership-pairing-a-natural-connection-to-the-arts/) *The Partnership Pairings series is powered by **[OrthoCarolina](https://www.orthocarolina.com/)**.* --- ## ![](https://www.charlotteiscreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/CreativeNews.jpg) [![](https://www.charlotteiscreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/SOCO-1000-CREDIT-Christina-Hussey.jpg)](https://www.charlotteiscreative.com/soco-sozo-a-tale-of-two-art-galleries/) **Photo Credit: Christina Hussey** ## A Tale of Two Art Galleries ### *Their names are just one letter apart, but they’re not the same gallery.* SOCO is short for Southern Comfort … In Greek, sozo means “to be healed by God, to make well;” in Japanese, the same word means “to create, to imagine.” One’s in Eastover. The other is around the corner in Plaza Midwood. Both are well-regarded galleries of fine art with strong women founders and leaders. But their names — **SOCO** and **SOZO** — can create confusion. Or worse — the misconception that they are the same gallery. Both are worth a closer look. #### [Herein, we clear the whole thing up.](https://www.charlotteiscreative.com/soco-sozo-a-tale-of-two-art-galleries/) --- ## [![](https://www.charlotteiscreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Out-of-Place-600.jpg)](https://www.instagram.com/goodyeararts/) ## Make Time for Last-Minute Awesome Tonight is your final chance to see *Out of Place*, an exhibition at **Goodyear Arts** curated by **Naji Alali**. It features ten artists who consider themselves “outliers,” many of whom you’ve read about in *The Biscuit*, like **Kat Sanchez**, **Cheeks**, **ARKO** and **Taylor Lee Nicholson**. As you can see from this photo (and others on their **[Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/goodyeararts/)**) this installation features non-traditional works of art that burst off the walls and envelop you. For their work on *Out of Place*, Naji and Cheeks received a “Bolt of Inspiration” from **The Savage Way** and **OrthoCarolina**. **Where: [Goodyear Arts at Camp North End](https://www.google.com/maps/place/Goodyear+Arts/@35.2455905,-80.8341047,15z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x0:0x16694914a2430dd1!8m2!3d35.2455905!4d-80.8341047)** **When:** Tonight, Friday, Sept. 17 from 6 to 9 p.m. --- ![](https://www.charlotteiscreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/HUG-Life-2-1-1-1-2-2-2-1-1-2.jpg) [![](https://www.charlotteiscreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Hanna-Shook-600.jpg)](https://www.charlotteiscreative.com/hug-micro-grants/) **Photo Credit: Hanna Shook** With the help of **NoDa Brewing**, **Google Fiber** and **Wells Fargo**, **Charlotte Is Creative**, publisher of *The Biscuit*, awarded $250 HUG Micro-Grants to four local creatives. These grants are not intended to fund all aspects of a project. They provide a helpful nudge to remove an obstacle or two, helping to bring a community-based creative notion to life.⁣ This month’s HUG grantees are: **[Hanna Shook](https://www.instagram.com/dottiedoodlesclt/?hl=en)** Hanna will use the HUG grant to rent space to host an art camp.⁣ Hanna is pictured in the photo above. **[Cyanca](https://www.instagram.com/cyanca.is/?hl=en)** Cyanca used her HUG for a listening party for the new album, “Fast Times.” The HUG will help cover the costs of renting space.⁣ **[Donald Peters](https://www.instagram.com/mrdiggerpottery/?hl=en)** Donald will use his HUG grant to purchase a Canon laser printer which can be used to transfer to pottery.⁣ **[Hanna Witner](https://www.instagram.com/hannahwitner/?hl=en)** Hannah will use her HUG for the purchase of art supplies to finish up an art project by early fall.⁣ To apply for a $250 HUG grant or to donate in any amount, visit **[HUGGrant.com](https://www.charlotteiscreative.com/hug-micro-grants/)**. To read about previous HUG grantees in *The Biscuit*, **[click here](https://www.charlotteiscreative.com/?s=HUG)**.