PHOTO | MAYRA PARRILLA GUERRERO

Charlotte artist Teresa Hopson collaborated with peers to create “Singing in the Dead of Night,” an exhibit featuring the work of Black women artists.

At a young age, Teresa Hopson saved enough allowance money to purchase her first sketchbook, a tool she used to artistically express her thoughts, feelings and emotions.

Now the 34-year-old artist displays those emotions at an exhibition featuring the work of Black women.

The “Singing in the Dead of Night” exhibition launched on Sept. 3, at the Charlotte Art League, where more than 100 people attended.

“The show is free but during the first night we made people RSVP because of the capacity of the building and we completely sold out,” Hopson said.

The exhibition that featured paintings from eight local women — including Hopson — and two others from out of state closed Sept. 30. According to Hopson, the theme of the show was about the essence of being a Black woman, each painting representing what that looks and feels like through a canvas.

“I have been following these artists on Instagram for a while and always thought it would be cool to collaborate with them in an exhibition,” Hopson said.

The exhibition came to life after Hopson won an artist support grant last year from the Arts and Science Council. She was granted a generous amount after submitting a proposal for the show.

“I wanted to do a Black female lead artist showcase,” Hopson said.

As for the name of the exhibition, Hopson says it came from a popular Beatles song called “Blackbird,” specifically the version of Dionne Farris.

“As I was listening to the song one day, I kind of thought to myself, that these lyrics are really deep and meaningful when you think of them through the lens of a Black woman,” Hopson said. “The song was originally written as an observation of African American life back in the ‘60s.”

Additionally, Hopson, who has conducted three exhibitions, said the lack of Black women-led exhibitions in Charlotte when she was younger fueled her to conduct the exhibition featuring other Black women.

“Before this, I collaborated with two guys, one by the name of Chris Clarke and another guy by the name of S.K. Creative,” Hopson said. “We did a collaboration called Black Kaleidoscope that was at … Dupp & Swat. That was the last one that I did before this show. Before that, I did a solo show back in college — UNCC —and I just put that together myself where family and friends showed up.”

Hopson’s journey into the art world came as a youngster.

“I wanted to emulate my older brother who would often paint and draw,” she said. “I have always been influenced by art but did not begin taking myself seriously as an artist until 2018.”

Upon beginning to come to terms with the new aspects of her future, Hopson searched for opportunities to grow as an artist.

Hopson’s art is emulated through acrylic paintings, specifically portraits, some she sells in art shows.

While working as an administrative assistant in a real estate firm, Hopson is pursuing a teaching certificate to become an art teacher to advocate for the importance of Black art.

“Representation is important,” she said. “People from all walks of life need to see themselves reflected in all forms of art. That is why representation is important and I want to be able to teach that.”

Hopson aspires to conduct her latest exhibition every year, featuring different Black women and their art.

“I worked hard to put all of this together and I was just really grateful for all the ladies that came on board and worked with me,” she said. “And it’s just been such an awesome experience and I can't wait to do it again.”

In the meantime, Hopson’s art can be found via her Instagram @Tcfineart or her website Teresachristine.com.

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