UKRAINIAN MURALIST SHARES HER STORY WITH CHARLOTTE

The mural above was painted within the last two weeks at Victoria Yards on E. 7th St. by artist Sofiya Dziubliuk (@soyka.art.studio). She arrived in Charlotte less than three weeks ago from her home in Irpin, a city near Kyiv in Ukraine. ⁣

Friends of Dziubliuk reached out to the Charlotte creative community to find a place where she could paint a mural. She wanted to share a work of art that would bring attention to the suffering of her people. The creative community answered. The organizers of Charlotte SHOUT! gave her a place to share her art and her perspective.⁣

THE STORY BEHIND THE MURAL

According to Dziubliuk, the mural was created as a reflection on the events in Ukraine.

“On February 24, 2022, Russia launched a full-scale war against Ukraine,” said Dziubliuk. “[E]ntire cities were destroyed. Thousands of lives were destroyed in peaceful residential areas. A bloody massacre took place in my hometown of Irpin. The neighboring cities of Bucha and Gostomel fought heroically.”

“Every day, my heart and thoughts are with them.”

The mural depicts a young girl standing on the ruins of what was her home. She holds up a picture she drew of what it looked like when it was intact and surrounded by joy.

“Thousands of stories without a happy ending,” said Dziubliuk. “Thousands of children have lost their parents and their homes. Millions of tear-soaked eyes. Ukraine is fighting for its freedom, for its right to exist and for the whole civilized world. We strive for development, we want to move forward.”

MEET SOFIYA DZIUBLIUK IN PERSON

Dziubliuk has helped organize a rally in support of Ukraine from 3 to 5 p.m. on Sunday, May 1 in Romare Bearden Park. All are invited. This is an ideal time to meet her and other members of the Ukrainian community in Charlotte. You can also purchase artwork from her; all proceeds will be sent to volunteers on the ground in Irpin.

After a short stay in Charlotte, Dziubliuk is planning to return to her hometown to participate in rebuilding it.

“The whole world stands with us, and we will definitely win!” she said.

HOW YOU CAN HELP UKRAINE

For verified information about the war and support efforts to rebuild the country financially, Dziubliuk encourages visiting war.ukraine.ua, the official website of Ukraine. She also recommends comebackalive.in.ua, a website where you can directly support volunteers assisting the Ukrainian army in the fight against Russian occupiers.

CREATIVE PROFILE: APPARO

We’re committed to introducing you to people, organizations, venues and collaborators who can assist your creative work and the work of those you champion. This week, we’re highlighting Apparo.

”We help nonprofits do even more to improve life by supporting them to overcome technology and business process problems in order to bolster their reach and impact. Our services are free or well below market cost.” – Bleema Bershad, director of marketing for Apparo

APPARO’S MISSION & VISION:

To transform the community and improve lives by connecting local nonprofits to technology expertise and resources that amplify their impact.

WHAT APPARO DOES:

Due to the behind-the-scenes nature of their work, you may not have seen Apparo at work in Charlotte. But, they’ve been busy. In the 19 years Apparo has been in Charlotte, they’ve assisted more than 650 local nonprofits, providing tech-based consultation, training and project solutions.

Click the button below to learn more about Apparo’s services and how to begin working with them … or for them as a volunteer!

BOOM FRINGE FESTIVAL CLAPS BACK

Boom Returns In-Person Tonight and Tomorrow at Camp North End

“We represent the broad range of the arts, all types of artists in one space — everything from architecture to aerial dance to hip hop to chalk art.” – BOOM Charlotte Founder and Executive Director, Manoj Kesavan

Tonight at Camp North End, the BOOM Fringe festival returns after a two-year hiatus brought on by COVID-19.

That’s not to say the folks at Que-OS, the local nonprofit that produces BOOM, have been idle.

Among other things, they have executed neighborhood arts events, helped create a comic book about experiences during the pandemic and produced “Where Do We Stand Now?,” a series of online events featuring videos co-produced by Charlotte Is Creative, BLKMRKTCLT and The Roll-Up.

Now, it’s time to BOOM again in person. The event will take over Camp North End tonight and tomorrow with the energy and passion of the past … and a few, new surprises.

“Our spirit is the same,” said Kesavan. “A coming together of a diverse range of talent, focused on the art that’s not in the mainstream in Charlotte. BOOM is an opportunity to discover the hidden talent and diversity of this region.”

Click the button below for details and ticket information about BOOM Fringe 2022.

Access Denied: The barriers associated with having a low credit score

Have you ever been rejected for a financial product you needed? If so, you’re not alone.

In fact, according to industry statistics, approximately 80% of near-prime or subprime credit card applications are denied. Beyond the embarrassment of being denied a credit product, being rejected for a line of credit could mean you can’t afford to pay for an unexpected emergency or buy a car so you can travel to and from work every day.

These are critical moments that can make or break a person, financially.

In general, your ability to get approved for a financial product typically starts with your credit score, which serves as a gauge for your financial standing. And, you need to protect it.

Read the full story to learn strategies to build good credit, an essential for growing your creative business.

[NOTE: This is the third of a four-part series cultivated by local nonprofit, Common Wealth Charlotte, for April’s financial literacy month. This installment features insight from Andy Jenkins of CreditKarma.com on how to build good credit.]

CHARLOTTE NAMES JAY WARD FIRST POET LAUREATE

Congratulations to our friend and creative collaborator, Jay Ward, on being named the City of Charlotte’s first Poet Laureate. He received this honor at a special event hosted by Blumenthal Performing Arts this week. We wholeheartedly agree with this designation. He is an incredible poet and a champion of Queen City creativity.

We’re proud to know and work with Jay, most recently hiring him to write and perform a spoken word piece about the Albemarle Road Corridor of Opportunity. Earlier last year, he worked with us to compos a poem for Para Guide.

The Biscuit is proudly sponsored by: