Creativity and Culture Thrive in Charlotte

Crescent Communities is set on building inspiring places and spaces where art and culture can continue to thrive in cities like Charlotte. Last week, we kicked off the Charlotte Skyline Series, a series of Crescent-curated events that will simultaneously celebrate the many things that make Charlotte unique while fostering conversations about the ways in which our city can grow. This is an approach we have used in Nashville, and we’re looking to continue in all active markets.  

The first Skyline Series event was designed to celebrate Charlotte’s vibrant art scene. Local artist John Hairston Jr. completed a stunning mural on the side of the former Goodyear store located at the intersection of Tryon and Stonewall Streets, while another Charlotte artist, GrahamCarew, worked on one inside the building. A bucket drummer provided background music in the parking lot while Hairston Jr. finished his piece, and entertained guests outside as the night came to an end. 

The event also featured the unveiling of Skyline, a publication Crescent created in partnership with ZPZ/Food Republic, the Emmy and Peabody winning content development company, that provides a wonderful overview of the many cultural amenities — artists, restaurants and breweries — that the Queen City has to offer. 

At the very heart of the festivities were two walls. On one, guests were asked to identify what they’d like to see in Charlotte in the future; on the other, which was a yarn wall, attendees were given the chance to identify existing connections between important organizations in the city, as well as ones that need to be made. We plan to use this input to further foster the connections necessary to advance the worthy integration of art into Crescent’s work and beyond. 

We created a Storify to capture the evening’s ideas and conversations. The energy and commitment to the city present at the recent kick-off event were truly inspiring. The evening provided a dazzling reminder of why this place is so special — and the inescapable feeling that the best is yet to come.