Earlier this summer, we invited a group of creatives in Charlotte to gather at Summit Coffee NoDa to collaborate, brainstorm and network. This was part of Charlotte Is Creative’s “Coffee/Crushin’ With Creatives” series, which offers one morning and one evening meet-up each month. 

It was a morning of productive conversation about Charlotte’s art scene and what it means to be an artist in the Queen City. Now, it’s your turn to meet the creatives we had the pleasure of meeting:

Brianna Osorio

Business: Playful Palette

IG: @playful.palette

What are your creative disciplines? Freelance graphic design, digital art and illustration, logo design/branding and product design.

What’s the best way for people to find or experience your work? On Instagram — @playful.palette

What kind of creative projects do you love working on? I love creating all types of digital art. Personal projects are always a good time, but I truly love making someone’s vision come to life.

What’s one creative goal or dream you want to tackle before the end of the year? One goal I want to tackle this year is to fully learn the ins and outs of UX design and be able to add this skill to my repertoire.

Brianna is open to commissions.

Julie McElmurry

Business: Charlotte Unconventional Film School

IG: @unconventionalfilmschool 

What are your creative disciplines? Event planning, documentary filmmaking, retreats for creatives, storytelling

What’s the best way for people to find or experience your work? Come to our events.

What kind of creative projects do you love working on? Interviewing people on camera.

What’s one creative goal or dream you want to tackle before the end of the year? I look forward to teaching others how to create documentary films about the subjects they love. My goal is five new films by Charlotte residents. 

Julie is open to commissions.

Tara Spil

Website: www.taraspil.com

IG: @tspilart 

What are your creative disciplines? Painting, oil, acrylic, mixed media, drawing, charcoal, pencil, paper works

What’s the best way for people to find or experience your work? Various local shows, Instagram, and web. My working studio at at Hart Witzen Gallery and Studios.

What kind of creative projects do you love working on? Abstract and landscape work, small- to large-scale originals on canvas, commissions, collaborative projects, publicly funded projects.

What’s one creative goal or dream you want to tackle before the end of the year? Increase sales so that I can make my practice more sustainable. I’m working on plans for this now.

Tara is open to commissions.

Dave Ordog

Website: www.mealsandmisfortune.com

IG: @daveordog

What are your creative disciplines? Improv, blogging, sketch, standup

What’s the best way for people to find or experience your work? Improv and standup dates are  on my Instagram or website.

What kind of creative projects do you love working on? I love writing and acting in sketches, as well as hosting and performing in live shows.

What’s one creative goal or dream you want to tackle before the end of the year? I have written a sketch show that I want to fully produce by the end of the year.

Dave is open to commissions.

Daniel Arena 

Website: www.danielarena.video

IG: @darena_film  TikTok: @darena_film

What are your creative disciplines? Filmmaker, video editor, colorist

What’s the best way for people to find or experience your work? Through my website. I have worked with MTV, VICE Media, etc.

What kind of creative projects do you love working on? I love working on video projects – mainly filming and editing.

What’s one creative goal or dream you want to tackle before the end of the year? My biggest goal is to grow in Charlotte by working with local creatives and clients.

Daniel is open to commissions.

Becca Nipper

Website: www.beccapaints.com

IG: @beccanipperart

What are your creative disciplines? Scenic art, fiber art (cross stitch and embroidery)

What’s the best way for people to find or experience your work? Through my website or Instagram.

What kind of creative projects do you love working on? I love painting scenery for theater, live events and installations. I also enjoy doing cross stitch portraits and commissions of any kind.

What’s one creative goal or dream you want to tackle before the end of the year? I would love to transition my skills to mural work and to use that opportunity to give back and be more involved with the creative community.

Becca is open to commissions.

Sara Hornung

Business: Notably Paper Company, LLC

Website: www.Etsy.com/shop/notablypapercompany

IG: @notablypaperco

What are your creative disciplines? Paper goods, graphic design

What’s the best way for people to find or experience your work? Visit me at pop-up markets around Charlotte.

What kind of creative projects do you love working on? I enjoy designing and making information cards for other small businesses. I also love making “from the desk of” stationery and wedding stationery.

What’s one creative goal or dream you want to tackle before the end of the year? One creative goal I have for Notably is to host our own interactive pop-up event. 

Sara is open to commissions.

Amber Bounds

Business: Little King Art

Website: www.littlekingart.com

IG: @littlekingart

What are your creative disciplines? Painter, fiber artist, art instructor, ambitious daydreamer

What’s the best way for people to find or experience your work? You can find my murals at Fern & Ivy Salon, Babe & Butcher and The Cocktailery (a collaboration with Kelly Aiken). Check out my classes with SkillPop!

What kind of creative projects do you love working on? I love creating whimsical, abstract and floral murals for both local businesses and homes. Bringing joy to others through art is my goal.

What’s one creative goal or dream you want to tackle before the end of the year? After having my work in local magazines, I’d love to create a unique mural that is worthy of being published in a national magazine.

Amber is open to commissions.

KJ & Mila Sanchz Ugueto

Business: Cultural Spaces

Website: www.keudisanchzarts.weebly.com

IG: @keudisanchz

What are your creative disciplines? KJ is a multidisciplinary artivist. Mila is a singer, writer, teacher and cultural promoter.

What’s the best way for people to find or experience your work? Our Folkloric Devil Dancers project will soon be in exhibitions!

What kind of creative projects do you love working on? Folkloric representative pieces of art (costumes, paint, sculpture) and linguistics material for learning Spanish.

What’s one creative goal or dream you want to tackle before the end of the year? Print and reproduce our graphic novel and exhibit the folkloric pieces we are working on.

KJ and Mila are open to commissions.

JOIN US!

Read more about these incredible creatives and find links to their work here. And, if you are interested in taking part in a future meet-up, follow the Charlotte Is Creative Instagram page for announcements.

Each month, we post about an upcoming meeting and invite creatives across the Charlotte region to nominate themselves in the comments. We put the list in a randomizer and invite the first 15 names on the list.