Charlotte arts community building connection, opportunity

MAKAYLA BINTER

Visual artist Makayla Binter, community manager at Charlotte Is Creative, contends arts give communities of identity and making it accessible makes it possible to see what is possible in terms of creativity.

A city’s identity is the people who reside in it. 

In Charlotte, one of the ways it’s defined is through the arts. Whether it be public murals, cinematography, or collectiveness, local artists and organizations are working to create spaces that foster connection and expression.
There’s heart and passion among Charlotte artists and it flourishes through the synergistic relationship between artists and organizations, which provides them with access to resources and opportunities.

“Charlotte's arts and culture community is growing, diverse, and increasingly community-driven,” said Arts & Science Council vice president of advancement Robert Touchstone. “ASC’s primary role is being a connector and a funder. Our job is to bring together artists, residents, nonprofits, businesses, philanthropy, and government to strengthen the cultural life of our community.”

Since 2017, ASC’s annual investment in artists has grown from $100,000 to over $1 million in 2025. Touchstone said ASC’s approach has evolved to prioritize inclusivity and neighborhood engagement.

“By listening to residents and spending more time in neighborhoods, we’ve discovered and supported a wider range of artists, traditions, and cultural expressions that reflect the full diversity of Charlotte-Mecklenburg,” he said.

Makayla Binter is community engagement manager at Charlotte Is Creative and a visual artist who does murals, digital illustration, and customization. She contends art gives communities a sense of identity and making it easily accessible allows people to see what is available in terms of creative expression “where Charlotte’s soul is.”

“For most cities to have visible public art, obviously it's free to look at, that's incredible,” said Binter, a 2020 Davidson College graduate in biology and studio art who earned a master’s in urban design at UNC Charlotte in 2022. “Charlotte's one of the lucky cities that it doesn't necessarily matter if it’s about the murals. It’s a whole bunch of other mediums that come together to showcase how cool our city is.”
Binter cites arts accessibility as vital for a community’s well-being including mental and physical health. 

“Your brain is able to slow down and process things, and it also provides additional context and ability to communicate maybe how you're feeling,” she said. “It allows for people to process traumas, and so I think it's like really important for us to have that access.”

Jayden Hollins, a third-year communication arts student at Johnson C Smith University, freelances as a videographer and photographer. In his work with My Brothers Keeper, a non-profit that platforms rising artists, he’s applying skills such as facilitating and programming.

Hollins’ style of work is to showcase the beauty in flaws, also specializing in the use of color such as stark contrasts and grading to tell a story. 

“What I do deals with people of color internationally, and in my photography, you see a really bold and intentional use of color,” he said. “I hope that my art encourages somebody to look at the world, at themselves, their community a little bit differently, to think critically about those things. That’s the goal.”

There’s a notable adversity that Hollins has found about getting support and funding especially from philanthropic organizations.

“I've noticed some really inspiring beacons of hope in the arts community in Charlotte,” he said. “Sometimes we just wish that our financial support would match that moral support. You generally never see a serious support from institutions for arts initiatives…because artists is deemed as not necessary.” 

Compared to bigger U.S. cities like New York, and countries like Japan, France, and the Netherlands, Charlotte’s emerging art scene is moving forward although still conservative in some respects. The culture is also collaborative and fresh.

“I realize that Charlotte sometimes likes to play it safe,” she said, “and I think that's like a Southern Belt thing. … Charlotte is a very young city comparatively. That means with every new event, every new mural, every new project, every new public art piece, it is actively creating history, and I find that really cool. That’s really unheard of in a lot of other cities around the world, so I think it's easy to jump into Charlotte and make an impact fast, and I think that’s really unique.”

On the other end of the spectrum, people engage in the arts by curating events.

Ivana Ruff is vice president and event planner for Gyal Gala, where she does community outreach for the business, which is a platform for artists to present their creativity. 

“I feel like that is one of the ways that we do have the community show up,” she said, “We hosted an art gallery once, and we had a lot of local talent … artists come out and they were able to do a showcase in their own select rooms.” 

The purpose of Gyal Gala is to bring forth “niche content or aesthetics” with events as an outlet for people to express interests that may seem rare or uncommon. 

“It’s all about bringing…niche groups of things to the forefront for people to be able to express themselves, to be able to have that space available,” she said. “We always aim for that and try to curate that space specifically for those groups of people. … There’s just a lot of people that I’ve gotten the opportunity to know that motivates me to want to do better because they’re just doing such great things and they have so many talents. There’s a lot of hidden gems regarding people in Charlotte.”

Gyal Gala has partnered with Charlotte Shout, which holds annual events to celebrate the city’s art culture and community. Two members created art for Shout’s 2024 Easter Egg event.

“They did a wonderful job making that art piece, and it was on display uptown,” she said. “As long as you reach out, apply for different things that the city has to offer. There’s so many opportunities, and they’re always looking for new faces. You just need to have the talent.”

Said Touchstone: “Arts and culture are incredibly impactful because they help create a sense of belonging. They bring people together, help communities tell their stories, and allow residents to see themselves reflected in the places where they live.

“You can't build a thriving, global city without also investing in the experiences that make people want to live, work, and raise a family there.”

Binter advises emerging artists who want to start a career do so here.

“It’s exactly what you make of it,” she said. “Show up, do the work, and like you will be rewarded, but again, if you’re not willing to do that as an emerging artist, it could look really pretty on the outside to an artist who you'd view as successful, but it's because they had to do the work too. 

“Charlotte is boring if you stop exploring, so if you come to Charlotte with an open mind and a willingness to explore, you’re gonna find exactly what you’re looking for.”

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