TheBiscuitSetp162024
CEI Spring 2024 Cohort | CREDIT: Dionna Bright
Business Training. Funding. Community.
“Participating in the CEI Cohort with Charlotte Is Creative has been a standout experience in 2024 and a pivotal moment in my creative career. Over just 10 weeks, I found a network of passionate and dedicated creatives in Charlotte, forming a family of support.” – Mia Love Live, CEI Spring 2024 Cohort Member
Charlotte’s community of makers, creators and artists is vital to our quality of life and reputation. It’s also essential to artists’ well-being and the city’s economy.
The Business of Creativity
Creatives are small businesses. They deserve our gratitude for enriching our community with their talents. They also deserve support and respect as entrepreneurs.
This isn’t just our opinion. The City of Charlotte’s recent Arts & Culture Plan, developed with input from thousands of residents, noted (in Priority 8, Strategy 5) that for the local creative community to thrive, we must establish “pathways for people to become professional artists, entrepreneurs and business owners within the creative sectors.”
Charlotte Is Creative (CIC), publishers of The Biscuit, could not agree more. That’s why we established the Creative Entrepreneurs Initiative (CEI) in 2021 with the support of Wells Fargo. CEI combines funding with capacity-building classes, one-on-one assistance and relationship-building for cohorts of up to 15 creatives.
Now, it’s time to select creatives for the sixth and seventh cohorts.
Apply for the 2025 CEI Cohorts
Business Training. Funding. Community.
Applications for the 2025 CEI spring and fall cohorts are open. Creative entrepreneurs in Mecklenburg County looking to establish or improve business practices should apply. The program welcomes creatives from various disciplines, with 15 seats available in each cohort. Two virtual Q & A sessions are available — Noon Sept. 17 and Oct. 2.
What You’ll Get from CEI
Business Training
Cohort members receive stipends to attend 10 business classes taught by subject-matter experts. Topics range from goal setting and legal contracts to taxes, marketing and presentation, all tailored to artists, makers and creators.
Funding and Resources
Upon completing the program, CEI graduates receive $1,500 to invest in their businesses. They also get one-on-one business consultations, professional headshots and opportunities to work with the CIC team.
Community
Cohort members build lasting connections with peers and a network of community leaders they meet that often prove essential to their success.
Applications Due Oct. 11
Applications are open now. The deadline is Friday, Oct. 11, 2024, at 5 p.m. You may apply for the spring 2025 cohort, the fall 2025 cohort or both. This is the only opportunity to apply.
MEET THE FALL 2024 CEI COHORT
As the application period opens for the 2025 CEI cohorts, the fall 2024 cohort’s journey has just begun. And you can go along with them.
Six of the remaining CEI training sessions are open to the public. These include sessions to discuss the ins and outs of contracts with legal experts on Sept. 23 and a two-hour session on taxes with artist and expert Hannah Cole on Sept. 30. All sessions are free. SIGN UP TO ATTEND HERE.
CEI Fall 2024 Cohort
The CEI Fall 2024 Cohort Members
This group of 15 local creatives represents the most diverse range of creative practices yet, including visual arts, music, digital arts, fiber arts and culinary arts.
Travis Barnes
Experience Curator & Communications Specialist
Brenton Bent
Narrative Film Producer/Director
Victoria Call
Interdisciplinary Artist & Designer
Sophia Ege
Sewing & Fiber Art
Malachai Elliott
Multidisciplinary Visual Artist
Marquia Humphries
Mixed Media & Visual Note-Taking
Pam Imhof
Public and Fiber Artist & Educator
Toni Lovejoy
Fine Art, Architectural & Interior Photographer
Gabriel Mejia
Music Production & Audio Engineering
Alexander Lieberman
Collaborative Artist & Designer
Chef Reyana Radcliff
Executive Chef & Culinary Consultant
Krishanni Smith
Filmmaker, Producer & Photographer
Jamil Steele a.k.a. Dyair
Muralist, Painter & Freelance Illustrator
Kenya Templeton
Music & Fiber Art
Carolina Quintana Ocampo
Storyboarding & Illustration
Charles Thomas, (Director/Charlotte, Knight Foundation), introduces Charlotte Ballet dancers at a special celebration of Charlotte with community members and Knight staff and Trustees | CREDIT Jon Strayhorn/Knight Foundation)
Knight Foundation Invests $17M to Charlotte Organizations
On Sept. 9, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation (KF) announced it was making donations to four Charlotte-area nonprofits:
- LISC Charlotte ($8.75M)
- Charlotte Ballet ($5M)
- North Carolina News Lab Fund ($2M)
- Historic West End Partners ($1M)
Of these investments, Maribel Pérez Wadsworth, president and CEO of KF, said: “Our theory of change is simple: We take inspiration from the people who dream big dreams for their communities and seek to support them. And we believe we can do more, and have greater impact, when we work together.” READ MORE.
The Charlotte Museum of History Receives Historic Preservation Fund Grant
The Museum was awarded $444,500 from the National Park Sevice to fund the largest preservation project of the historic Rock House. READ MORE.
Size Matters: “Big Ass Canvas Show” Opens at Nine Eighteen Nine Studio Gallery
Artists Mikel Frank and Barbara Ellis appeared on QC Life yesterday to talk about their new exhibition, open through Nov.7. The installation was curated by Joanne Rogers, owner of Nine Eighteen Nine in the VAPA Center. WATCH THE SEGMENT.
EVENTS
CIAF Meet the Artists
Sept. 18 | 6 to 8 p.m. | Free with Sign Up
Stage 2 at Blume Studios | 904 Post St.
Before “The Infinite,” Blumenthal Arts’ new immersive experience opens on Sept. 20, meet some of the incredible international artists – Luke Jerram and Keith Tucker – behind it. Moderated by Bree Stallings, the artists will share information about their careers and take questions from the audience on how to scale up. Participants will get a sneak peek at “The Infinite” and a voucher to use once the experience opens.
Dark & Divine R&B Figure Drawing
Sept. 18 | 6 to 8:30 p.m. | Free Tickets
Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Culture | 551 S. Tryon St.
Join a guided figure drawing experience led by instructor Ida Mae, featuring partially clothed Black models in artistic, cultural and divine expressions.
#YPMixterCLT
Sept. 25 | 5 to 9 p.m. | Purchase Tickets
Lenny Boy Brewing | 3000 S. Tryon St.
This annual event offers young professionals the chance to meet local nonprofits, learn about their needs, network with their peers and find exciting arts organizations they can volunteer with or fund.
Charlotte Film Festival
Sept. 24–29 | Purchase Tickets
Independent Picture House | 4237 Raleigh St.
Watch more than 100 films—local, regional, national and international—spanning genres like animated shorts, documentary shorts, features, narrative shorts, narrative features and student shorts.
Confluence Carolinas
Oct. 9–11 | Purchase Tickets
AvidXchange Music Factory, Visulite Theatre and other music venues
Designed to accelerate the development of the Queen City music community, Confluence is a conference by day and a festival by night, featuring industry experts in panel discussions at AvidXchange Music Factory and performances at multiple independent venues across Charlotte.
FUNDS
Crown’d Grant Application Open
Due Sept. 30 | APPLY HERE
This new grant from Crownkeepers invites Charlotte-based creatives to apply for resources that will support their artistic career.
SEED20 Applications Open
Due Oct. 7 | APPLY HERE
Apply to one of the region’s top funding programs for organizations and nonprofits tackling important social challenges. Managed by Social Venture Partners, SEED20 provides coaching resources to prepare them to deliver compelling pitches for funding in front of a large, live audience in spring 2025.
Women’s Impact Fund Application Opening Oct. 1
Due Oct. 18 | APPLY HERE
The annual Women’s Impact Fund grant program is designed to strengthen high-impact projects working for significant positive change. Applicants must be 501(c)(3) tax-exempt or have a fiscal agent and primarily serve Mecklenburg County.