Rupam Varna
The Music Yard
A celebration of the universal language of music through interactive replicas of musical instruments, inspired by cultures from across the globe, using sustainable materials.
📍Levine Avenue
Blumenthal Fellows Program
“This year’s selected artists are building on the momentum of past festival successes with work that is more inclusive, more interactive, and more engaging than ever before. The nine projects chosen reflect a bold vision, each one a stretch goal aimed at expanding the boundaries of creative expression and positioning our local talent for the global stage."
Bree Stallings, Director of Artistic Experiences, Blumenthal Arts
Introducing the 2025 Blumenthal Fellows
SPONSORED BY BARRINGER CONSTRUCTION
Jay Huleatt
Nexus
An immersive sculpture that tracks audience movement and behavior through light and sound using real-time technology that encourages curiosity and kinetic connectivity.
📍The Green
Eva Crawford
Quilt Cube
Largescale vinyl reproductions of portraits painted on damaged vintage quilts. Festivalgoers will be encouraged to donate worn, torn, or stained garments for use in art instead of thrift stores where items may end up in trash piles around the world.
📍Blume Studios
Emily Sage Avery
Together
Two larger-than-life corn husk doll sculptures that, as a surprise, when audience members link hands between them, the energy conduction running through their daisy-chained bodies creates a musical melody.
📍 The Green
Nony Tresierra
Torito de Pucara
A colorful, giant replica of the traditional pucará bull, a sacred symbol of his native Peru, standing tall as a vibrant, interactive public sculpture and imaginative children’s play space.
📍 The Green
Kortney Paloalto
Mix & Match Magic
A three-part revolving, interactive structure that features various character creations in the style of alebrije, or colorful Mexican folk art through Charlotte-referential imagery.
📍 Levine Avenue
Viashali Awale
Art Safari – Line It Up!
Stacked rotating cubes with vibrant images of birds, animals, food and famous architecture from countries represented by our CIAF communities. When the correct alignment is created, a conduit activates a rewarding light!
📍 Levine Avenue
Friday Jones
The Fourt
A large greenhouse structure that invites audience members in to learn about four distinctly Black-centered neighborhoods of Charlotte and their journeys through gentrification and change.
📍 The Green
Dweh Brown
Born Rich, Black As My Soul…
A visual storytelling series celebrating the richness, resilience, and radiance of Black identity.
📍 Knight Theater Lobby Windows
About the Fellows Program
The Blumenthal Fellows program supports local, established artists who are ready to take creative risks. Fellows receive funding up to $15,000, mentorship from past artists, and the opportunity to showcase large-scale installations during the Charlotte International Arts Festival. These works are interactive, imaginative, and often go on to national recognition.
Since 2021, over $500,000 has supported 50 groundbreaking projects.
Join us in expanding this impact. Your gift ensures more Charlotte artists can dream bigger and be seen on a global stage—right here at home.
