USNWC Is Turning the “Lights” Back On PHOTO CREDIT: Joshua Galloway “I always start by walking the trail and gaining inspiration from what’s here on site. I’m really excited about a new color palette … a warmer environment this year with the colors. And, all of that is based on things I collected on the trail and smudged into my sketchbook.” – Meredith Connelly
Lights, the ground-breaking immersive light installation that transformed the US National Whitewater Center’s walking trails in 2019, will be open after dark (weather permitting) from mid-November to mid-February 2021, along with seasonal ice skating. If you enjoyed Lights last year, you’ll experience flashes of the familiar, interwoven with new locations, colors and features. In 2019, Charlotte artist, Meredith Connelly, and her team created more than 250 original artistic elements. This year, they’re adding more than 250 more. A team of 7 artists is hard at work on them right now.
More Murals! Two New Murals Address COVID Safety This WeekendTwo window murals in one weekend! To help spread awareness of COVID-19 safety through the #COUNTONMECLT initiative, two Charlotte artists will be painting murals in the windows of two Charlotte businesses. The public is invited to mask up and show up to watch the artists work, take pictures and spread the word about the importance of wearing a mask, washing hands and social distancing: - TONIGHT, Friday, Oct. 16 at 5 PM: Artist and educator Ricky Singh will paint a #CountOnMeCLT window mural at West End Seafood on Beatties Ford Road
- Saturday, Oct. 17 at 11AM: Painter Girish Nair will create a mural on the front window of Tabla Indian Restaurant in South Charlotte 11AM. Free COVID-19 testing will be available on-site from 11AM to 2PM by appointment.
6 More Latinx Creatives You Need to Know NOWFor the past several weeks, we’ve celebrated National Hispanic Heritage Month by sharing glimpses of Charlotte’s Latinx creative community on our Instagram feed and here in The Biscuit. The month-long celebration officially ended Oct. 15, but we’ve met so many remarkable Latinx creatives, we’re going to keep on sharing. This week, we’re introducing you to: Lady Payasa (pictured above), Mariana Maradiaga-Irahet, Rosa Murillo, Javier Morales, Chris Rodarte and Nico Amórtegui. When you’re done reading about them, you’ll be smitten with 6 more creative friends.
Next on the Mic: CLT Podcast Festival is On The Air Through Oct. 30While the CLT Podcast Festival (running through Oct. 30) is only in its inaugural year, it’s already a hot ticket. In fact, more than 11,000 people from across the country have signed up to Zoom into their picks of 40 virtual sessions and panel discussions. The online festival, presented by WFAE, Blumenthal Performing Arts, Queen City Podcast Network and Eclecs Creative Agency, offers something for every podcaster, including newbies and the podcast-curious. On Monday, Oct. 19 from 6 – 7 p.m., Matt Olin and Tim Miner (co-hosts of The Biscuit CLT Podcast ) will discuss how they have highlighted diverse voices and perspectives on their platform, how they encourage long-term engagement and how they work to connect with their audience. That’s just one of 11 free sessions available in the coming week. Check out who’s on the mic and register here. WFAE is a sponsor of The Biscuit and Charlotte Is Creative.
 PHOTO CREDIT: Bobby Kerns Productions Lauren Ansley’s 3 Biggest ChallengesJumping out on your own and starting a business is never easy. While empowering and exhilarating, challenges you never would have imagined have a tendency to crop up — scenarios you didn’t plan for. But, that’s precisely what happened to Spartanburg native and Charlotte creative, Lauren Ansley. After learning the ropes of stand-up comedy over the past few years, she created a side company, Beerly Funny, to produce live comedy shows that “turn local venues – breweries, bottle shops, restaurants, bars, unique performance spaces and now virtual platforms – into comedy clubs one night at a time.” She loved her creation so much, she quit her job to pursue her passion … just in time for COVID-19 to hit. It hasn’t been easy. But, Lauren’s learned along the way. Today, she shares three challenges she’s facing right now with us. And, they’re no laughing matter.
Biscuit CLT Podcast: Aaron Dodge’s “Exit InterviewAfter helping establish Charlotte video production team The Littlefield Company, Aaron Dodge is headed into a new frontier — fulfilling his long-time goal of becoming a full-time entrepreneur. To look ahead at his new challenges and back at his previous work, Aaron sat down with us for a special episode of “Exit Interview.” He shares his thoughts about establishing and growing a new business in Charlotte, the content he’ll be creating with his own brand on TikTok, the business philosophy that drives him and why he believes Charlotte is a city that embraces the art of collaboration. 
Inviting the QC to Drink Coffee, Eat Vegan & Rent a Horror MovieLast week, Matt Olin and Tim Miner introduced Kristen Miranda and her team at WBTV’s QC Life to one of their favorite haunts (pun intended) on Charlotte’s East Side for a segment of “Where Are We in CLT?”After sharing clues about their location on social media throughout the day, Matt and Tim revealed their location to be East Side Local, a vegan coffee shop, restaurant and performance venue tucked in next to VisArt Video in Eastway Crossing Shopping Center. Watch the video and visit “ESL” for a vegan, vegetarian or raw treat. 
 PHOTO CREDIT: Brooke Brown If you haven’t been to West End Fresh Seafood Market, a mainstay on Beatties Ford Road, here’s your chance. Charlotte artist and educator, Ricky Singh, is painting a window mural on the front of the market in partnership with the #CountOnMeCLT public health initiative. This is just the latest artistic project he’s undertaken on the West Side. This summer, Ricky and others launched the #BeattiesFordStrong initiative, painting murals and organizing uplifting community events throughout historic West End. Most recently, Ricky collaborated with the Charlotte Symphony, musician Lute West, and an array of visual artists, dancers and musical artists to film a video addressing the need for access and representation of people of color in the arts. This video will be public soon. We’ll share details here in The Biscuit when they are available. Ricky’s is the first of three windows designed to remind us all to wear a mask, stay six feet apart and wash hands. Artist Girish Nair will create a mural at Tabla Indian Restaurant in South Charlotte tomorrow – Saturday, Oct. 17. Irisol Gonzalez will paint the third mural at Manolo’s Bakery on Oct. 25. Directions: 2206 Beatties Ford Rd, Charlotte, NC 28216
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: - Clayton Sealey of CLT Developing Imagining The Square of Trade and Tryon closed to traffic
- Information about the future of the Black Lives Matter block Uptown
- 5 more Latinx creatives you show know
- An interview about pizza … and pizza boxes … with Chef Peter Reinhart & Scott Wiener
Click here to dig in, y‘all.
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