The last two years have been monumental for Charlotte's creative scene. The COVID-19 pandemic hit arts and culture institutions hard, especially in 2020 as venues, galleries and museums temporarily closed to limit the spread of the virus. Then, between the ongoing impact of the pandemic and the eruption of protests for racial justice and equality and skyrocketing political divisiveness, there was plenty of inspiration for new creative works.
And in 2021, just when things were looking up on the pandemic front, new COVID-19 variants showed up. While the region is pulling itself out of the pandemic, slowly but surely, Charlotte's cultural institutions are still coping with the upheaval of the virus.
And with that in mind, WFAE sent a few questions to arts and culture leaders in the Charlotte area, asking them what their plans are for the new year. We rolled out these responses a few at a time each week in January in our arts and entertainment newsletter, Tapestry. That's free and you can sign up here.
Now let's take a look at the 13 responses we got.
Krista Terrell, Arts and Science Council
Krista Terrell is the president of theArts and Science Council, which for years has helped fund arts and cultural institutions and projects in Mecklenburg County. In 2021, the city of Charlotte decided to move a substantial amount of funding away from the ASC, creating a different way to get money to various artists and institutions. But the nonprofit remains a major force in the city’s arts and culture scene.
Question: What are a couple of highlight events at your venue/business happening in 2022?
Answer: This year will see ASC continuing to invest in the people, programs and ideas that move us toward a more equitable, sustainable and innovative creative ecosystem. Among the highlights of our ongoing funding for creative individuals are our current Creative Renewal Fellowship and Emerging Creators Fellowship program calls, which support local artists who need time and resources to renew their creative spirit, explore ideas and create new projects.
Additionally, the next several months will see renewed investment in cultural education programs that align with the curriculum and enhance student learning in K-12 public, charter and independent schools. Public art will also continue to shape our city and county. Two projects that will begin this year and be led by local artists include public art for the planned Ezell Farms Community Park in Mint Hill – artist Meredith Connelly will seek resident input at a virtual Community Engagement from 6 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 20 – and a mural for Mecklenburg County’s Independence Park to be created by artist Georgie Nakima.
Q: How do you plan to keep promoting the talents and voices of people who have traditionally been underrepresented in Charlotte’s mainstream arts community?
A: For nearly a decade, ASC has worked to make a number of substantive changes to our organizational practices to reflect our commitment to cultural equity. This work will continue in 2022 through a multitude of ways.
Our Cultural Vision Grant program has expanded opportunities for projects led by and/or serving communities that have historically been under-resourced, including African, Latin-a/o/x/e, Asian, Arab and Native American (ALAANA), LGBTQ and disability communities. The latest Cultural Vision Grant recipients will be announced soon and the call for the next round of grants will open soon as well.
Promoting the talents and voices of those who have been traditionally underrepresented in Charlotte’s mainstream arts community extends to Mecklenburg County residents, which is where our Culture Blocks program comes in. Culture Blocks connects residents with responsive arts, science and history experiences close to where they live by engaging with creative individuals and organizations to present cultural programming in specific geographic areas. Look for a number of specially curated Culture Block activities to take place in the coming months throughout the county.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg cultural organizations are committed to equity and, as such, several are continuing to work to understand their own environmental culture, the history and legacy of white supremacist structures within their organizations and how those structures are maintained or disrupted. ASC Technical Assistance grants will help some of these organizations create plans of action to embody equity in their work.
Q: What adaptation for the coronavirus pandemic did you make that will continue in the coming year?
A: The adaptation for the pandemic we made and will keep is the hybrid option of in-person and virtual as it relates to information sessions and office hours for our grant opportunities, as well as our continued listening and learning sessions to hear from residents in the community. Culture Blocks will also continue to support in-person and virtual experiences to engage residents and we will continue to work with grantees to provide flexibility in funded projects and experiences disrupted by the ongoing pandemic.
Arsena Schroeder, Dear Soul Music Co.
Arsena Schroeder is the Charlotte singer-songwriter who foundedDear Soul Music Co., which provides resources for independent artists in an effort to end the “starving artist” stigma by helping creatives successfully navigate the music scene. (Pro tip: Schroeder was a guest on WFAE’s Amplifier podcast back in 2018.You can listen here.)
Question: What are a couple of highlight events at your venue/business happening in 2022?
Answer: In 2022, Dear Soul Music Co. will be providing more recording arts camps for youth ages 10-16 at the Eastway Regional Recreation Center. These camps will take place April 11-15 and June 13-17. Registration will open next month. We also intend to continue providing more live shows, workshops and artist consultations as well.
Q: How do you plan to keep promoting the talents and voices of people who have traditionally been underrepresented in Charlotte’s mainstream arts community?
A: At Dear Soul Music Co., we champion independent artists through our community workshops in songwriting, artist branding and music production as well as through our Unplugged+Live Concert series. Last Year, Unplugged was voted Queen City Nerve's "Best in The Nest" best concert series. We highlight local and touring singer-songwriters and invite them to share their original works sponsored by ASC Culture Blocks.
Q: What adaptation for the coronavirus pandemic did you make that will continue in the coming year?
A: Since the start of our pandemic, with the exception of our youth summer camps, all workshop programming has been offered virtually. Our concerts have been hosted in-person, outdoors and/or virtually. In this coming year, we hope to transition all concerts to 100% in-person with rapid COVID testing available before entering the building. Our music production classes will however remain virtual as these are best with participants using their home studio equipment! We look forward to all that 2022 will bring!
Christopher Stuart, Charlotte Ballet
Christopher Stuart is the interim artistic director atCharlotte Ballet. The Ballet typically presents six performance series yearly, from October to May.
Question: What are a couple of highlight events at your venue/business happening in 2022?
Answer: We are really excited about our Innovative 1970, which celebrates the year the company was founded. Each new work will be inspired by music, fashion and events — political and social — of that time. We look forward to having three amazing choreographers coming in to create all brand new works. Those three choreographers are Rena Butler, Ja’Malik and Andres Trezevant, who is a Charlotte Ballet dancer. This performance series will run from Feb. 4 through Feb. 26. We are also happy to finally bring our brand new “Sleeping Beauty” to the Knight Theater, and that production will run from April 29 through May 8. We were in the final dress rehearsal of this production in March 2020, when we, unfortunately, had to close due to COVID. It is finally time to be able to share this wonderful production with our community.
Q: How do you plan to keep promoting the talents and voices of people who have traditionally been underrepresented in Charlotte’s mainstream arts community?
A: We strive to build relationships, collaborate and offer a platform and creative space for any and all creative voices. It's who we are and what we will always continue to do. The diversity, equality and inclusion work that Charlotte Ballet has embraced and advanced is a critical component of our artistic vision that must be nurtured toward further evolution.
Q: What adaptation for the coronavirus pandemic did you make that will continue in the coming year?
A: We are hopeful that 2022 proves to be a transformative year for Charlotte Ballet. We want to be able to continue offering amazing performances to our community while also offering a safe space for all of our artists, students, staff and patrons. We also learned that we could reach a broader audience by offering a digital experience. Our second company (Charlotte Ballet II) was able to reach thousands of students from all over North Carolina during the pandemic, and that is something I was very proud of.
David Taylor, Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Art + Culture
David Taylor is president and CEO of theHarvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Culture in uptown Charlotte. It's one of the city’s premier cultural institutions.
Question: What are a couple of highlight events at your venue/business happening in 2022?
Answer: We are excited to bring the upcoming exhibitions that will open on Jan. 28, 2022:
- Jamel Shabazz: Reflections of a People – this exhibition will explore the images of esteemed photographer Jamel Shabazz and will highlight various forms of Black excellence and visual memories of life in New York City. It will run Jan. 28 through March 6, 2022
- Visible Man: Art and Black Male Subjectivity – this exhibition will address the intersection of representation and perception in the portrayal of Black men through cultural, racialized and personal lenses. It will run Jan. 28 through April 24, 2022.
- FuturePresent: Acquisition Highlights from the Permanent Collection – this exhibition will examine the Gantt Center’s legacy of art collection. It will run Jan. 28 through June 26, 2022.
Additional exhibition openings include:
- South Arts Show — highlights nine artists in nine states, selected from a pool of over 800 applicants, to display the strength of art in the South. They will present diverse themes, visions and styles. March 18-May 29, 2022.
- Painter’s Refuge: A Way of Life — we also look forward to featuring an exhibit from renowned artist Reginald Sylvester II. His exhibition opens on May 6, 2022, and will end Jan. 16, 2023. This will be the first solo exhibition in the U.S. for this North Carolina-born artist and furniture designer. Sylvester is represented by Maximillian William - Art Gallery in London.
- Black History Month Programming throughout the month of February with a special focus on Southern Black culture.
Stay tuned for more to come!
Q: How do you plan to keep promoting the talents and voices of people who have traditionally been underrepresented in Charlotte’s mainstream arts community?
A: We will continue to have the programs that highlight culturally diverse talent and with opportunities for the community to engage, including:
- Family First programs every first Saturday of the month.
- Wednesday Night Live programming in person.
- Open Air Art Talks offered virtually.
- The go-to destination for special days and holidays like MLK Day, Black History Month and Kwanzaa.
- Special programs and performances featuring diverse voices and talents.
Q: What adaptation for the coronavirus pandemic did you make that will continue in the coming year?
A: Virtual programs like Open Air and UnMasked that were launched during the start of the pandemic have become staples and will continue to be produced. Other programs that are currently presented onsite may become virtual as needed, given the status of the pandemic.
We will continue to follow CDC guidelines and operate safely, including requiring masks to be worn by staff, volunteers, vendors and patrons regardless of vaccination status.
Monique Douglas, the Brooklyn Collective
Monique Douglas is the director of community engagement at theBrooklyn Collective, which operates out of three buildings in Charlotte’s old Brooklyn neighborhood, once a hub of Black life that was razed during urban renewal. Douglas is also co-owner ofStudio 299 on Brevard.
Question: What are a couple of highlight events at your venue/business happening in 2022?
Answer: The Gallery at the Brooklyn Collective reopened Jan. 7 for the community to come through and enjoy the artwork every Friday from 6-9 p.m.
The Gallery at the Brooklyn Collective will debut a new art exhibit in the month of February.
Third Saturdays at Studio 229 on Brevard beginning Jan. 15 will feature a jazz series “Brooklyn Nights,” which celebrates the history of the “Black Wall Street” block for which the Brooklyn Collective buildings stand within. It features jazz musicians inspired by the music of the Harlem Renaissance and jazz greats of the era in which Charlotte’s Brooklyn neighborhood was in its heyday. These performances are also with purpose as they will highlight each month a local nonprofit doing great work in our community.
Studio 229 on Brevard at the Brooklyn Collective will host a Black Fine Arts Fair March 24-27.
Q: How do you plan to keep promoting the talents and voices of people who have traditionally been underrepresented in Charlotte’s mainstream arts community?
A: We will continue to highlight the talent and voices of those underrepresented in several ways:
Through featuring ongoing opportunities for visual artists in the Gallery in the Brooklyn Collective’s MICo. Building.
Studio 229 on Brevard offers multiple opportunities monthly for musical talent in our city who have limited options to perform in uptown Charlotte. Their newly installed art gallery will also provide opportunities for artists’ work to be displayed and sold, and they have multiple events where visual artists are provided opportunities to paint live and introduce themselves and their talent.
The Grace Church, which is also now a performing arts center, through a partnership between the Brooklyn Collective and Blumenthal Performing Arts, will showcase performing artists in multiple disciplines.
We are excited about this block of our city fusing history, humanity and artistry to foster inclusivity, culture, community and collaborations.
Q: What adaptation for the coronavirus pandemic did you make that will continue in the coming year?
A: Although each of our buildings has a much larger capacity by fire code, we restricted the numbers that we will allow in each of our three buildings to be in compliance with the city, county and state guidelines. We will continue to follow protocol as laid out in those guidelines.
We are currently providing masks at the door and sanitation stations are visible throughout our venue spaces. We respect any additional steps private parties request in order to ensure that their guests feel safe within our environment.
David Fisk, Chalrotte Symphony Orchestra
David Fisk is president and CEO ofCharlotte Symphony Orchestra, one of the region’s biggest facilitators of musical performances, both through its concerts and youth programs.
Question: What are a couple of highlight events at your venue/business happening in 2022?
Answer: There is so much to look forward to in 2022. In March, we commemorate the Charlotte Symphony’s 90th anniversary with a beautiful program featuring Vaughan Williams’ Dona Nobis Pacem. We’re also celebrating Christopher Warren-Green in his final season as Music Director, who will conduct Mahler’s 9th Symphony in January and will close out his tenure in May by leading the CSO and Charlotte Master Chorale in Beethoven’s 9th Symphony. In between, we’ll welcome Atlanta’s Morehouse College Men’s Glee Club, perform ’90s hip-hop and R&B alongside Beethoven, hold several concerts at NoDa Brewing Company as part of our On Tap series, and much much more, including soon-to-be-announced community concerts.
Q: How do you plan to keep promoting the talents and voices of people who have traditionally been underrepresented in Charlotte’s mainstream arts community?
A: It will be, in part, through new collaborations and new partnerships, whether it be on our main stage or through our community connections. We are focused on providing opportunities for underrepresented voices and talents to be presented as part of our work, as conductors, composers, guest artists, collaborative performers, new members of the orchestra, students, or through membership of our board or staff. We’ll be announcing some of those new partnerships and collaborations for 2022 in the coming weeks and as part of our 2022-23 season that is now in the planning stages.
Q: What adaptation for the coronavirus pandemic did you make that will continue in the coming year?
A: Since September the Charlotte Symphony has been requiring proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test to attend indoor performances at the Blumenthal Performing Arts Center. Vaccination policies are also in effect for all CSO staff, musicians, guest artists, stage crew and the staff and volunteers of the Blumenthal. It’s incredibly important to us that we create a space where everyone feels safe to relax and enjoy the music. As the pandemic evolves, we continue to work hand-in-hand with Atrium Health and our partners at the Blumenthal to reevaluate our policies.Charlottesymphony.org is the best place to find the latest updates.
Bree Stallings, Blumenthal Performing Arts
Bree Stallings is a Charlottemultimedia artist, illustrator, writer and activist. She’s alsoBlumenthal Performing Arts’ director of artistic experiences.
Question: What are a couple of highlight events at your venue/business happening in 2022?
Answer: There’s a lot to announce when the time is right, about what and where the follow up to the smash hit Immersive Van Gogh will be, and Blumenthal’s own answer to a huge festival celebrating the intersection of Charlotte and the world, but something I’m really excited about is the continued development of Made in CLT.
Q: How do you plan to keep promoting the talents and voices of people who have traditionally been underrepresented in Charlotte’s mainstream arts community?
A: Made in CLT is a ongoing program that highlights the immense talents we have here in Charlotte, operating as a once-yearly grant and a year-round project implementation that calls on the brightest and boldest multi-disciplinary arts ideas from our community. You can keep your eyes peeled about the 20-plus projects already funded and in process of presenting now, and for the next round of grants funding to be released in the spring.
Q: What adaptation for the coronavirus pandemic did you make that will continue in the coming year?
A: Much like Luke Jerram’s GAIA (giant inflatable Earth in Founder’s Hall, Parer Studio’s Intrude (Bunnies! Big bunnies!), the Of Earth and Sky poetry installations, and the 92-foot-tall Vincent Van Gogh balloon, we will continue to “pop up” big surprises around the city. Not everything has to be a sit-down, ticketed event. We can get creative about the ways we can engage our cityscape and the community. As a whole, we need to meet and gather and explore, so until we can do that again in ways we used to, we can change.
Alvin C. Jacobs Jr., photographer
Alvin C. Jacobs Jr. is aphotographer and image activist whose work has been showcased throughout the Queen City. His “Welcome to Brookhill” exhibition at the Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Culture and “K(n)ow Justice, K(no)w Peace” contributions at the Levine Museum of the New South are especially well-known.
Question: What are a couple of highlight events at your venue/business happening in 2022?
Answer: A couple of highlights include my new creative space in the (Visual and Performing Arts) Center, a residency with Sol Nation and creative documentation partnership with the Knight Foundation.
Q: How do you plan to keep promoting the talents and voices of people who have traditionally been underrepresented in Charlotte’s mainstream arts community?
A: That’s a constant responsibility of mine, and one I will continue to champion. When I’m in the room, I try to add as many great creatives as I can to the conversation. But not just in numbers but the ones with amazing work ethics and skill.
Q: What adaptation for the coronavirus pandemic did you make that will continue in the coming year?
I’ve been laying low outside business, choosing to protect my health and peace of mind during the latest rise in cases. But that also means if I’m not adapting, I’m losing both valuable resources and ground. I believe this season includes doing more with less.
Mark Peres, The Charlotte Center for the Humanities & Civic Imagination
Mark Peres is the executive director of theCharlotte Center, a community forum meant to help people solve problems in the area and make communities flourish. He's also a professor at Johnson & Wales University,author and host of the "On Life and Meaning" podcast.
Question: What are a couple of highlight events at your venue/business happening in 2022?
Answer: First and foremost, our inaugural Festival of Ideas! In partnership with Charlotte SHOUT!, The Charlotte Center will bring some of the best voices in Charlotte and beyond to light up the stage about what matters to the region and all of us as curious human beings. Second, our Forum events! What could be better than connecting with curious and thoughtful people to explore and discuss ideas that make a difference so we can make a difference!
The Forum is a conversation and speaker series that happens every other month at local event venues around Charlotte. And one more happening we are excited about: We are partnering with the city of Charlotte on SenseMaker, a community outreach program that gathers the stories of hundreds of residents and reveals patterns of lived experiences.
Q: How do you plan to keep promoting the talents and voices of people who have traditionally been underrepresented in Charlotte’s mainstream arts community?
A: Easy. The humanities – history, poetry, literature, philosophy and the arts – are the great common ground for everyone. They belong to our entire city equally. At every event, we bring together people across Charlotte who are ready to share their voices and wisdom on stage, who wish to contribute to thoughtful discussion and who offer new perspectives on the topics we discuss through their art and poetry.
Q: What adaptation for the coronavirus pandemic did you make that will continue in the coming year?
A: Our organization launched during the pandemic! There is no time like the present to bring people together so we might flourish. Our Wisdom Wednesday series is composed of virtual events where people are invited to discuss topics that help us thrive. We will continue to offer virtual and in-person programming that honors best practices for the safety of all who live here.
Kenya Templeton, The Velo Griot
Kenya Templeton is a Charlotte eco-fashion designer, cycling equity advocate and performer. She has a mobile classroom program called The Velot Griot, as profiled here byQ City Metro.
Question: What are a couple of highlight events at your venue/business happening in 2022?
Answer: I am in the process of fully launching Velo Griot, my mobile classroom on the back of an electric bicycle to teach arts, natural health and Black history. My 2021 Arts and Science Council Emerging Creative Fellowship has been the seed for this project. This year, I am launching the arts and natural health curriculums in BIPOC and low-income communities that are often overlooked when this type of programming is distributed. I renamed my clothing and fashion design company Kenya Templeton Designs. I have been making primarily women's jewelry but will be expanding into men's accessories, handbags and art this year.
Q: How do you plan to keep promoting the talents and voices of people who have traditionally been underrepresented in Charlotte’s mainstream arts community?
A: Velo Griot is my main vehicle for this work as I talk about the past, present and future. I will also be hiring these talented individuals as the Velo Griot program grows. I use my social media (Facebook and Instagram), Kenya Templeton Does, to bring attention to artists, businesses and organizations that are often overlooked.
Q: What adaptation for the coronavirus pandemic did you make that will continue in the coming year?
A: I am a new artist. Since I have limited my performances in public due to my exposure to the public at work and contracting long COVID, I have spent the pandemic strategic planning, making contact with organizations I would like to do programming with, applying for grants to build Velo Griot and creating a foundation for my artist career. In 2022, I am transitioning to more doing than planning. I will be performing music I have written, planning performances and teachings outdoors and getting my products into more stockists.
Eric Mullis, Goodyear Arts
Eric Mullis is director of residences and events atGoodyear Arts as well as the author of “Pragmatist Philosophy and Dance” and an associate professor of philosophy at Queens University of Charlotte.
Question: What are a couple of highlight events at your venue/business happening in 2022?
Answer: At the end of 2021, we rebooted our Avant-Goodyear performance series, which brings high-caliber experimental performance to Charlotte. We are looking forward to producing several more events in 2022 that feature film, dance and theater.
Q: How do you plan to keep promoting the talents and voices of people who have traditionally been underrepresented in Charlotte’s mainstream arts community?
A: Our residency program and guest curation opportunities support the work of underrepresented artists in the Charlotte community. The showings associated with those programs are always free and open to the public.
Q: What adaptation for the coronavirus pandemic did you make that will continue in the coming year?
A: Like many arts organizations, we shifted some of our programming online, specifically by hosting artist talks with Charlotte-area artists. We also took advantage of the large outdoor spaces at Camp North End, offering an event — Joy Ride — in which attendees could experience performance in the safely of their cars and another — Strange Times — in which small groups of socially distanced individuals were led on a tour of site-specific art installations. We will continue to think creatively and prioritize the safety of our artists and audiences.
Carla Aaron-Lopez
Carla Aaron-Lopez is anartist, educator and member ofBLKMRKTCLT, a gallery and venue space in Camp North End. Her “LOCAL/STREET” pop-up exhibition with the Mint Museum was a big success last year, and she’s also the chair of theTalking Walls festival, which last year resulted in several large murals at Charlotte’s Metropolitan shopping center. She was was also a curator for BLKMRKT’s “Nu Growth” series in 2021.
Question: What are a couple of highlight events at your venue/business happening in 2022?
Answer: I'm excited for LOCAL/STREET 2022 and Talking Walls 2022. I am also planning a new project that will be executed in 2023 that will elevate Charlotte's perception and understanding of performance art.
Q: How do you plan to keep promoting the talents and voices of people who have traditionally been underrepresented in Charlotte’s mainstream arts community?
A: I will continue advocating for artists and creatives of color in traditional spaces that welcome new ideas and innovation. I will also continue to create profitable opportunities for practicing, emerging artists and creatives of all walks of life
Q: What adaptation for the coronavirus pandemic did you make that will continue in the coming year?
A: My best adaptation is to continue wearing a protective mask inside and outside of public spaces.
Chris Timmons, Theatre Charlotte
Chris Timmons is the acting executive director ofTheatre Charlotte, a volunteer-based theater group. The group has been adapting not only to the COVID-19 pandemic but also a fire thatgutted its building in late 2020.
Question: What are a couple of highlight events at your venue/business happening in 2022?
Answer: Without a doubt, we are looking forward to welcoming everyone back into our facility for our 95th season in the fall. We have a few more shows to round out our current season and are particularly excited to share those with audiences as well: “Smoke on the Mountain” in January, “Love, Loss and What I Wore” in March and “Detroit 67” in May.
Q: How do you plan to keep promoting the talents and voices of people who have traditionally been underrepresented in Charlotte’s mainstream arts community?
A: It has been difficult to produce theater stories in general during the pandemic and embracing the voices of underrepresented people in our community is a priority as we move forward. We are seeking partnerships and sponsors within the community to help support programming that allows these artists to create and allow their work to be seen. We have started a series called “This is Charlotte,” which is a theme-based series of original work written by people in Charlotte who have been underrepresented. We were supposed to premiere our first live installment as part of Charlotte SHOUT!, but that festival was canceled and the fire to our facility has further complicated matters. We are hopeful to be able to find support for this program and other works by voices that people may not be familiar with.
Q: What adaptation for the coronavirus pandemic did you make that will continue in the coming year?
A: First and foremost, our attitude is to remain flexible as things are constantly changing. It has been difficult to anticipate what will happen next as the virus continues to dictate what we can and cannot do. Our priority is the safety of our artists and the audiences who support our work. We will continue to require that our performers, production staff, volunteers and audience members be vaccinated because it is the safest way for us to be able to experience live theater as it is intended. We have reduced the amount of paper we use as a result of the pandemic: Things like tickets, playbills and brochures are being done digitally, and that will continue as well.