Rosado, who earned her Master of Fine Arts from Louisiana State University, moved to
Charlotte in May to join her fiancé. Weeks after she arrived, she saw the McColl Center’s
email request for applications for its new studio rental program.
Now, she produces works out of a studio on the third floor of the North Tryon Street
center and leads workshops at the McColl’s Open Studio Saturday events.
“Since I’ve been in Charlotte, it has been only good things,” Rosado said. “I have had so
many opportunities that I was not expecting and have felt really hopeful that my art career
can take off here.”
Artist Samantha Rosado mixes paint in her new studio at the McColl Center for Art + Innovation
on Tryon Street in uptown Charlotte. The McColl recently opened eight new studios, just for
local artists. Rosado and seven other artists chosen by the McColl moved into the renovated
third floor studios earlier this summer.
Keilen Frazier KFRAZIER@CHARLOTTEOBSERVER.COM
HELPING LOCAL ARTISTS
Historically the McColl Center has supported artists from across the country in its
weeks-long artist-in-residency program. Some alumni, like Juan Dolhare (Argentina)
and Javier de Frutos (U.K.), have come from international locations. But that focus was limited.
“Generally residences are designed to bring emerging artists into a city to connect
with local artists, to build a national or international creative community, and then
they leave,” said Jonell Logan, the McColl Center’s creative director. “There was
this gap that was taking place, so we really wanted to be intentional in thinking
about how to support local artists.”
Beginning about two years ago, leaders at the McColl Center began reexamining
the organization’s strategic plan, with a goal to build opportunities for local artists,
namely access to space, a pricey expenditure.
The COVID-19 pandemic created a natural period for construction — two large
spaces on the third floor that had been used for artist residencies were converted
into smaller spaces, nine studios in all.
The studios are subsidized by the Windgate Foundation, Bank of America and
Chandra and Jimmie Johnson. Studio artists rent the space for one year, with the
option to renew for another.
In all, 30 artists applied for studio space in this first round. “We know that there are
more people who need spaces,” said Logan. “So we are trying to give enough
people resources in two years to then move on and find another space.”
Jonell Logan, Creative Director at the McColl Center for Art + Innovation, said the eight new studios being rented to local artists at the McColl allow them to to collaborate with each other and use the McColl’s equipment to grow their careers. Keilen Frazier KFRAZIER@CHARLOTTEOBSERVER.COM
COMMUNAL LABS
The eight artists selected represent a variety of focuses, from photography to painting, sculpture, and more. “We wanted a full range of creative practices,” Logan said, “so we are reflecting back the creatives in Charlotte.”
They invited members of the creative community to be part of a jury designed to help guide the decision-making. “We wanted to make sure that it’s not just our single voice … but (that of) the broader creative community here in Charlotte,” Logan said.
In addition to the affordable space, artists in the program also have access to the McColl’s many communal labs, where they can explore printmaking, 3D printing, laser cutting, digital media, ceramics, woodworking and sculpture. Plus, they’re included in Open Studio Saturdays and other programs that allow them to interact with each other and the public.
‘GET IN THE ZONE’
For Rosado, who moved into her studio in June, studio access gives her the space and
solitude she needs to focus on her work, which colorfully reflects her Puerto Rican heritage.
“I think about Puerto Rican cultural and family dynamics, and the play between religion and
sexuality,” she said. Both Rosado and her sister grew up Roman Catholic and are in
same-sex relationships.
“(My art examines) interactions we have on a daily basis with our family,” she said.
“Everyone is so different, but there’s a lot of love. There’s joy and chaos.”
The space allows her to “get in the zone,” Rosado said. “And it’s a good way to
make friends.”
Artist interaction is another benefit of the studios, according to Logan. “It really is
exciting because, not only do they get the space, they get to work together,” she said.
“There’s this broader exchange of ideas and conversations around what’s happening
in the larger art world.”
Cash, who is primarily a photographer but likes to work in a variety of media, agrees.
“Being in the space, with this diverse group of artists, is a very fertile space to be in,”
he said. “The facilities allow me to take risks and get messy in my studio, so I can go
where the work takes me.” LEARN MORE
For more information on the McColl Center’s studio artist program, including studio
If you need a break from the heat, wander up to the mountains to the Thistle Meadow Winery in Laurel Springs NC. It is about an hour and 1/2 north of Charlotte. You can have a picnic there under this tree next to a stream and sip some of their great wines. Many couples have gotten married under this tree over the years. This is a color pencil sketch.
