The Charlotte is Creative Podcast

The last few months have been a lot of things, but one thing they haven't been is boring. In today's episode of the podcast, producer Andy Goh talks to head biscuit bakers Matt Olin and Tim Miner about everything that's been happening since the pandemic took over in March. Hear Matt and Tim talk about the reimagination of Creative Mornings, the Black Lives Matter mural, new funding for artists, an...

Henry Rock, founder of City Startup Labs, works to help build young men into entrepreneurs, so it makes sense that he knows a thing or two about the value of a mentor in building social capital. It's no surprise then, that he himself had several influential figures in his life that helped shaped him into the leader he is today. In today's episode of Who Built Me, we talk to Henry about the lessons...

For almost a decade, Molly Shaw has served as the President and CEO of Communities in Schools, a vital position of leadership where her work directly impacted students across Mecklenburg County. This summer, however, Molly has left her position to explore new opportunities. In the very first edition of Exit Interview, Tim Miner sits down with Molly for a chat about the challenges she faced, the le...

When getting started in any field, particularly one as unforgiving as journalism, having a mentor is essential. On today's episode of The Biscuit CLT Podcast, we've got another edition of our Who Built Me series, this time we're featuring the host and lead reporter of She Says and The List, Sarah Delia. Sarah Delia talks about a mentor she had in college named Martha who worked at a radio station...

We spend much of our lives trying to be conscious of the effects our words have on those who receive them because you never really know how something you say can affect someone. Something that you may find casual might be wildly inappropriate or even harmful to someone else. In today's Who Built Me series, we talk to Meredith Dean, CEO and Founder of The Dean's List, about four men in her life who...

The great landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted said, "The enjoyment of scenery employs the mind without fatigue, yet exercises it, tranquilizes it yet enlivens it, and thus, through the influence of mind over body, gives the effect of refreshing rest and reinvigorating the whole system." Every day, City of Charlotte Senior Urban Designer Rachel Stark looks at our city and works to create Olms...

In an effort to define social capital and show the profound effects it has on our community, we're introducing a new series of podcasts called Who Built Me. We've asked several prominent Charlotteans to talk about the people and ideas that have shaped them into who they are today. In the latest edition of The Biscuit's Who Built Me series, Andy Goh talks to artist and entrepreneur Eric Ndelo. Eric...

On the morning of Tuesday, June 9, 2020, Charlotteans woke up to a bold new mural being painted on a prominent stretch of South Tryon Street that read "Black Lives Matter." Inspired by similar murals in Washington, DC and Raleigh, a group of Charlotte artists and organizers came together within a matter of hours to create their own homage to the movement. What makes Charlotte's mural unique, howev...

In an effort to define social capital and show the profound effects it has on our community, we're introducing a new series of podcasts called Who Built Me. We've asked several prominent Charlotteans to talk about the people and ideas that have shaped them into who they are today. In the latest edition of The Biscuit's Who Built Me series, Andy Goh talks to media personality and entrepreneur Ohavi...

In an effort to define social capital and show the profound effects it has on our community, we're introducing a new series of podcasts called Who Built Me. We've asked several prominent Charlotteans to talk about the people and ideas that have shaped them into who they are today. First up is Toni Freeman. In a long career filled with leadership positions at the Arts & Science Council, Junior Leag...

It's hard to find someone who is more fiercely proud of being a native Charlottean than Winston Robinson. So much so, that Robinson's nickname of "Wilmo" is inspired by his native neighborhood of Wilmore. That, combined with the work that he's doing as former president of the Lockwood Neighborhood Association, through A Vibe Called Fresh, an annual food and music festival open to all residents, as...

Good things come in threes, and with this week's episode, The Biscuit CLT Podcast hits the trifecta with an episode on visual creativity in the Queen City.  Classic Black is the most recent sculptural exhibition at the Mint Museum Randolph. Inspired by the hauntingly dark and matte basalt sculptures of Josiah Wedgwood. The sculptures are striking in their own right, but they're presented in conjun...

It takes institutions of all shapes and sizes to make a vibrant arts scene. The national and international artists attracted to both the walls of LaCa Projects, and prestigious residencies at McColl Center for Art + Innovation bring exciting and fresh perspectives from outside the Queen City. Today on The Biscuit CLT Podcast, co-biscuit baker Tim Miner talks with Argentinian visual artists Franco...

In 2016, Charlotte art mavens Jen Sudul Edwards, Hillary Burt and Neely Verano came together to form The Sphere Series, a collection of panel discussions centered around contemporary art and how we view our own society through art's lens. This Wednesday (February 26), The Sphere Series returns with Angels to Anathema: What Do We Do When Beloved Artists Behave Badly? Hosted at the Mint Museum Uptow...

At the February edition of Creative Mornings Charlotte held at The Comedy Zone, Stacy Cassio delivered a moving talk about the global theme of "Invest." As the head of Pink Mentor Network, Stacy is leading by example by investing in women in the city of Charlotte. Her organization is helping empower women by providing a network or resources and support, leading to a more equitable environment in t...

You may know that co-Biscuit baker Matt Olin has an extensive history in theatre... in production and direction. His most recent theatre performance was more than twenty years ago! So when he auditioned for, and was cast, in Theatre Charlotte's upcoming production of The Odd Couple, it was an example of Matt stepping outside of his comfort zone. By performing on stage, Matt Olin truly is living ou...

Neo soul and R&B singer/songwriter Cyanca released I'm Staying Home, her second EP in the spring of 2019. By the end of the year, her lead single "Patti Mayonnaise" had been named song of the year by Queen City Nerve. This success has helped lead to live performances across the country, but she remains loyal to her home state of North Carolina. In today's episode of the Biscuit CLT podcast, produc...

At the first Creative Mornings Charlotte of the new decade, Manny and Adrienne Threatt of Hope Vibes delivered a stirring presentation in the hall of Myers Park Presbyterian Church.  If you're not familiar with Hope Vibes, they're a non-profit organization here in Charlotte that provides basic services to our homeless population. Hosts Tim Miner and Matt Olin talk to Manny and Adrienne about how t...

Considering the closure of local music venue staples such as Tremont Music Hall, the Double Door Inn, The Chop Shop among others, the mere act of opening a music venue in the heart of Uptown can almost be seen as an act of defiance. A bold gesture in the face of trends, indeed, one that only proves to be even more courageous when the venue in question is dedicated to jazz. In today's episode of Th...

Christmas is *gasp* less than one week away, so that means you have just under seven days to enjoy one of the best parts of Christmas: the music!  On this week's episode of the Biscuit CLT Podcast, producer Andy Goh talks to long-time Charlotte jazz musicians, pianist Noel Freidline and singer Maria Howell. Having played together for a decade since meeting at the Jazz at the Bechtler series, Freid...

Joni Deutsch of WFAE, delivered a thoughtful talk on the global theme of "Silence" at this month's Creative Mornings Charlotte gathering. After everyone cleared out, hosts Matt Olin and Tim Miner sat down to talk to Joni. In this episode of the Biscuit CLT Podcast: CMCLT Rewind, hear Joni talk about how she developed her love of music, the role of public radio in storytelling, and how her podcast...

Four and a half years ago, Matt Olin and Tim Miner sent email invites out for a first-time gathering of creatives at Laca Projects in Wesley Heights. With the goal of attracting 40-50 people, it quickly became clear that they were on to something when the event sold out. And then sold out the next week. And the next week, the week after that and so on.  Tomorrow morning at Black Hawk Hardware in P...

If you think that we at the Biscuit were above publishing our interview with fellow podcaster Katie Black today simply because today is Black Friday, then you my friend are clearly new around here. Welcome to the party! Today the party takes us to Uptown coffee shop Coco and the Director where hosts Matt Olin and Tim Miner recorded an interview with Katie Black as part of a new series of live podc...

Design creation is just as much a creative endeavor as painting or photography. On today's Biscuit CLT podcast, hosts Tim Miner and Matt Olin talk to the Haas Brothers (Simon and Niki), who just opened the very first design show ever curated at SOCO Gallery.  The exhibition, titled I Saw Design, and Art Opened Up My Eyes, I Saw Design, is on view at SOCO through January 17, 2020. It combines the b...

With Charlotte's chronic homeless population at just under two thousand people, providing resources can be challenging. In July of 2016, Emmanuel and Adrienne Threatt founded Hope Vibes with the hopes of providing basic hygiene products to those who need it most, particularly women.  In this episode of The Biscuit CLT Podcast, Tim Miner talks to Emmanuel and Adrienne at Community Matters Cafe. The...