An Update on KCCI Charlotte
Our colleagues in Charlotte, NC are plowing ahead with their own initiatives:
The initiatives are:
They’ve got a fair number of details posted on their own website:
Here’s a summary of their work:
e-Merging Arts is focused on building a bridge between local emerging artists and potential buyers. Too often, emerging artists find it difficult to consistently get their work in front of buyers, and many times arts supporters who want to purchase a piece of original art cannot afford the price points of mainline galleries. Therefore, the opportunity exists to enable this connection, both offline and online. To do so, e-Merging Arts is working to create partnerships with local property owners/managers and with local emerging artists to provide a venue for artists to display and sell their art while enhancing the quality of the space. The online component to the initiative can be found at www.e-mergingarts.org. This online marketplace provides the potential consumer an opportunity to search for local visual and performing artists as well as view the works in person.
The e-Merging Arts team is composed of Hilary Coman, the Coman Company; Kim Garguilo, Arts and Science Council; Thad Walton, First Citizens Bank; and Emily Westbrook, Economic Development Office, City of Charlotte. Currently, the initiative is being funded by volunteer time and donations.
Creativity Festival
The Creativity Festival is being designed as a weekend event focused on creativity and innovation within our city. The festival will celebrate and showcase Charlotte’s own inventors, thought leaders, entrepreneurs and artists. Details are under construction with the first annual Creativity Festival targeted for Spring 2008.
The Creativity Festival initiative team consists of Mark Peres, KCCI; Shane Johnson, BAC; Manuel Zapata, Zapata Engineering, Louis Foreman, Enventys.
The Blog
The Charlotte Blog Project is investigating ways to foster civic dialogue utilizing new and old technological methods. We plan to bring together disparate organizations to allow a more concise and fuller engagement of conversation about issues that affect everyone in the Charlotte Region. Focus will be on utilizing blogs and live events where the audience can not only see and hear the conversation, but can also participate which will afford the chance for every voice to be heard.
Members of The Blog initiative team are: Jeff Wise, Freeman White, Inc.; Rod Garvin, GenerationEngage; Marcie Obendorf-Kelso, The Light Factory - Contemporary Museum of Photography; Chris Meade, NPower
The Green 100
Where the thrill of racing and technology meet environmental awareness…
The Race
The Green 100 project was developed to engage the multi-billion dollar North Carolina Motorsport Industry and our increasingly environmentally-conscious citizens in a conversation about available technologies for more fuel-efficient cars. The Green 100 will be an exciting, competitive race of alternatively powered cars on a 100-mile road course.
The Awards
To highlight green initiatives and encourage more, we will recognize leaders, organizations and companies in the greater Charlotte region that are illustrating how environmental savvy promotes regional prosperity.
Team members include: Steve Blount, Comfort Contractors; Aaron Houck, UNC Charlotte Urban Institute; David Lee, Bank of America; Jim Thompson, Bank of America; Erin Tucker, Johnson & Wales; Ben Ullman, Bank
International Corridor
The International Corridor initiative is focused on connecting with other organizations engaged in the revitalization of the corridor along Central Avenue between Plaza Midwood and Albemarle Road. The goals are to promote this area as the international crossroads in Charlotte, increase appreciation of the growing multi-cultural community, and foster economic development and catalytic activities.
Team members include: Barbara Cantisano, Central Avenue Bilingual Pre-school; Catherine Cervantes, Gantt Huberman Architects; Ronnie Devine, Mecklenburg County Government; Peggy Eagan, Children & Family Services Center; Sara-Marie Miller, Comag; Joseph Morris, City of Salisbury; Angeles Ortega-Moore, Latin American Coalition; Kristy Teskey, The Bank of America Charitable Foundation.
Third Space
Third Space is dedicated to initiating ‘co-working’ spaces in the City of Charlotte, NC for the purposes of fostering the creative class of professionals and building community.
