Watch Out! JazzArts Charlotte’s New Season is Scorching Hot “This is the first time that we have combined so many of the most popular names in jazz all in one season. Each of these artists are dynamically diverse, many of whom are making their Charlotte debut at the JAZZ ROOM, with lots of new music to share with our audiences.” – Lonnie Davis JazzArts Charlotte has announced the lineup for its 20th season of its signature series, JAZZ ROOM. And, according to the organization’s president and CEO, Lonnie Davis, this season is scorching. In fact, she defines it as “6 Sizzling Hot Summer Season ..read more

Rosalia Torres-Weiner “I want people to feel excited and welcome when they see the work, and my hope is that they will feel like they are living as a part of a larger symphony community.” – Rosalia Torres-Weiner 40-FOOT MOBILE SYMPHONY STAGE UNVEILED WITH ORIGINAL DESIGN BY CHARLOTTE “ARTIVIST” Neighborhoods across Mecklenburg County, get ready – the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra (CSO) is coming for you right where you live. Last week, the CSO and City of Charlotte cut the ribbon on “CSO Roadshow,” a new 40-foot mobile stage that sits 25-30 Charlotte Sympho ..read more

Seven Local Creatives H.U.G.ged in April At CreativeMornings/Charlotte on Friday, April 12, we recognized seven local creatives with $250 H.U.G. (“Helpful Unfettered Gift”) micro-grants. Here’s who they are and how they’ll be using their H.U.G.  Jason Hackner@jasonplusthemlc Will pay to file for 501(c)(3) nonprofit status. Anna Lee Will purchase art materials for an upcoming exhibition. Mitchell Burleson@mitchellweavesWill fabricate woven steel for a piece he’s creating for the Young Affiliates of the Mint. Maurice Norman @mauricejnormanWill hire a photographer to shoot his upcoming event ..read more

“A State of Becoming” | CREDIT: Morag Myerscough Creative Entrepreneurs Hard at Work in Charlotte SHOUT! We’ve been talking about Charlotte SHOUT!, a 17-day taking over Uptown Charlotte through this Sunday, a lot lately. Last week, we shared our thoughts on the SHOUT! HUB, an experiment in giving local creative groups access to empty retail spaces in the Overstreet Mall. Read more here.  That’s because SHOUT! is putting local creative entrepreneurs to work. SHOUT!, managed by Charlotte Center City Partners, provides Charlotte-area creatives, performers and makers with opportunities to sh ..read more

SHOUT! Chic Workroom What’s happening ON the streets is cool.What’s happening ABOVE the streets is ground-breaking. By now, you know that Charlotte SHOUT! takes over the streets of Uptown Charlotte for 17 days. At Charlotte Is Creative, we’re always excited to take part in SHOUT! It gives hundreds of local artists, performers, creatives, and makers a chance to get involved, get paid, and try their hand at something they’ve never done before… something they can add to their portfolio, resume, and social feeds… something they can get hired to do after SHOUT! And, while we’re excited about the h ..read more

Charlotte’s Opportunity Fund Reopens: $1M Grants for Arts & Culture Initiatives SUMMARY: The City of Charlotte reopens its Opportunity Fund on March 6, with a deadline of March 28 for Letter of Intent submissions. This round of the Opportunity Fund contains nearly $1 million in grants for arts and culture initiatives aligning with the Charlotte Arts and Culture Plan. As detailed by Priya Sircar, the city’s arts and culture officer. applicants can request up to $40,000, with eligibility criteria to be met before a full proposal submission is required. Information sessions, both virtual and ..read more

“Having the chance to simply be in this room full of other driven and passionate Charlotte creatives really shifted me into this energy of ‘Wow, artists really make Charlotte an amazing place to be and I get to be a part of this magic,’” said Delilah Eby, knitwear designer, Fall 2023 CEI Cohort. We’ve said it many times. And we’re going to keep on saying it: Creatives are small businesses. To build their careers as creative entrepreneurs, creatives need paid gigs and grant funding. They need promotion. They need connections and generous amounts of social capital. They need access to resource ..read more

  “I’m learning so much and renewing my mindset… I’m transforming into a Creative Business Owner rather than a creative with a business.” – Claude Whitfield, Founder Backspinz Music Academy INVESTING IN YOUR CREATIVE FUTURE Creatives in Charlotte are not only essential to our quality of life and our reputation, they are vital members of our local economy. As we’ve said many times, each individual creative is a small business. But, to thrive in a business town, both part-time and full-time creatives need business knowledge to help them chart the path forward. Developed by Charlotte is ..read more

[NOTE: The editorial below was written by Amy Carleton, co-founder of Black Notes Project (BNP), a new music weekend at Knight Theater, Jan. 26-27 The performance will feature national recording artists  – Brandee Younger, Mad Skillz, Igmar Thomas & Revive Big Band and “Hip Hopera” star, Tunde, as well as local favorites such as 5-year-old rapping sensation, Savannah “Van Van” McConneaughy, and the Charlotte Symphony Youth Orchestra.  This is not a sponsored story. After speaking with Carleton, we felt strongly that she should share this ..read more

Meet 19 Cool (and Highly Caffeinated) Creatives To close out 2023, Charlotte Is Creative organized a last-minute gathering of Coffee With Creatives, our monthly meet-up with a small group of randomly selected creatives. And, it was a blast. The talent in the room ran the gammut — from visual art to photography, journaling, art curation, cartooning and filmmaking. We caught up with old friends and made tons of new ones. And, we recommend you follow them all.  We assemble a new group of creatives and buy them a cup of coffee every month. If you want a chance to be at our Jan. 20 meet-up at ..read more