http://www2.designcentercarolinas.com/index.php/news en kendria@sweetteaconsulting.com Copyright 2012 2012-05-10T10:43:31+00:00 http://www.designcentercarolinas.com/index.php/news/highest-design-water-tower-art-contest-names-winning-artist/ http://www.designcentercarolinas.com/index.php/news/highest-design-water-tower-art-contest-names-winning-artist/#When:10:43:31Z The Design Center of the Carolinas unveiled the winning work of art in its 3rdannual “Highest Design” Water Tower Art Contest, sponsored by Ram Realty Services, at a special Design Center event on May 2nd.  With more than 17,000 votes cast for 36 works of art, Jeff Thomas and his original work “I Am/We Are” garnered nearly 5,000 votes to capture the prize. Jeff was presented with a $1,000 check by Ivy Greaner, Chief Operating Officer, Ram Realty Services. Thomas said about his inspiration for the winning piece, “As artists, everything we create is part life experience and part environment, the product of countless decisions and choices, little and big. All of them influenced in one way or another by where we are and what surrounds us. Yet as we choose where we rest our heads, we become a part of our surroundings. A part of the influence. A part of the inspiration.” Carolina Pad is generously donating $5,000 in school supplies to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg School, Billingsville Elementary, that Jeff championed.  Principal Arlene Harris was on hand to accept a certificate from Carolina Pad for the school supplies. The supplies will be delivered at the start of the 2012-2013 school year. Local artists competed online for votes to win the chance for his or her work to be displayed on the highest canvas in the city, a 125’ water tower. “I Am/We Are” will be replicated onto a large horizontal vinyl canvas and installed on the Design Center water tower in place of the 2011 artwork, “Jane’s Dancing Addiction,” created by Ashley Plyer, last year’s winner.                     “We are excited about the momentum the Highest Design Contest continues to build every year. The community support has been wonderful. We are honored to showcase Jeff’s work on the water tower as the winner of 2012.  Jeff and his wife are recent transplants to South End and have embraced their new community with heart and soul,” said Ivy Greaner, Chief Operating Officer, Ram Realty Services. 2012-05-10T10:43:31+00:00 http://www.designcentercarolinas.com/index.php/news/south-end-community-day-and-block-party-this-saturday-april-28th/ http://www.designcentercarolinas.com/index.php/news/south-end-community-day-and-block-party-this-saturday-april-28th/#When:14:04:09Z Come join us this Saturday as we Volunteer in the AM and Party in the PM for the first South End Community Day and Block Party. The day will have two parts: Community Day, 8am-noon, a morning to volunteer for several beautification and clean up projects and Block Party, 6:00pm-10:30pm, food trucks, craft beer and live music on Camden between Park Ave and Tryon St.   We are pleased to partner with South End nonprofit, the Charlotte CommunityToolBank to celebrate their first year in South End and to help facilitate a series of beautification and clean up projects in South End. We have close to 50 volunteers signed up to join us at the ToolBank headquarters at 121 West Kingston Street for Free Breakfast from Common Market and Registration between 8-8:45am. We will head to the project sites so we can begin work at 9am and conclude by Noon. If you haven't registered but would like to join us please email Ted Boyd at tboyd@charlottecentercity.org or just show up on Saturday morning. We will plant flowers, create some new flower beds, pick up trash, remove graffiti, clean up along the Rail Trail and an art project or two. For more information visit www.southendclt.com. 2012-04-27T14:04:09+00:00 http://www.designcentercarolinas.com/index.php/news/last-week-to-vote-in-the-design-center-of-the-carolinas-highest-design-wate/ http://www.designcentercarolinas.com/index.php/news/last-week-to-vote-in-the-design-center-of-the-carolinas-highest-design-wate/#When:13:04:23Z The Design Center of the Carolinas 2012 “Highest Design” Water Tower Art Contest enters its final week with over 10,000 votes cast for 36 works of art entered in this year’s contest. The Design Center of the Carolinas (DCC) and Ram Realty Services opened online voting on Monday, March 19 for their third annual art contest for Charlotte’s design and arts community. Local artists are competing online for votes to win the chance for his or her work to be displayed on the highest canvas in the city, a 125’ water tower. Online voting will close at 11:59 pm on Sunday, April 29. The winner will be announced on Wednesday, May 2 at a special ceremony at the Design Center of the Carolinas. The artwork will be replicated onto a large horizontal vinyl canvas and installed on the Design Center water tower in place of the 2011 artwork, “Jane’s Dancing Addiction” created by Ashley Plyer, last year’s winner.                    The winning selection will be determined by public online voting at www.designcentercarolinas.comwhere each entry is displayed. Each visitor may vote once per day for his or her favorite piece. The winning artist will receive a check from Ram Realty Services for $1,000. Carolina Pad will donate an additional $5,000 in classroom supplies to a Charlotte-Mecklenburg School in need that has been championed by the winning designer. The schools selected by each artist are listed on the web site. The contest was open to professionals from Charlotte’s design community working in businesses such as advertising agencies, photography studios, graphic design firms, printing companies, architectural firms as well as arts programs at local universities and community colleges.  Artists were encouraged to share their vision of what inspires them as artisans. The winner’s artwork will appear on the Design Center of the Carolinas water tower for a twelve-month period. The water tower is a South End landmark and symbol of the surrounding creative community.  “This year’s contest has surpassed last year’s so far in the amount of entries and community participation.  We are proud to continue to sponsor the Highest Design contest which has such a meaningful impact on the community’s artists, schools and residents,” said Ivy Greaner, Chief Operating Officer, Ram Realty Services. The Work, The Artist(s) and Their Selected School: Elizabeth Arzani, Flags of South Bank, Lebanon Road Elementary School Elizabeth Arzani, Tensegrity Systems, Lebanon Road Elementary School Jeffrey Barnett, Little Hope and Compassion, Northwest School of the Arts Megan Dobrusin, Art + Community, Cotswold Elementary Megan Dobrusin, A Clear Blue Sky, Cotswold Elementary Sarah Evans, World of Inspiration, Highland Mill Elementary Clark Hawgood, Heart Of Hope, Northwest School of the Arts  Chris Hunt, Charlotte Rocks, Coulwood Middle School.  Carmella Jarvi, Air & Water, Randolph Middle School Carmella Jarvi, Companions, Randolph Middle School Carmella Jarvi, What is She Looking At?, Randolph Middle School Jerry Kirk , North Carolina: My Hometown, Idlewild Elementary Rachel Lewis, My Inspiration, Ashley Park Elementary Monique Luck, I See My Daughters, Northwest School of the Arts Monique Luck, Set on Fire, Northwest School of the Arts Monique Luck, Somehow I Had a Notion, Northwest School of the Arts Monique Luck, I’ll Dream of Love, Northwest School of the Arts Anthony McCrea Jr., Possibilities, University Meadows Elementary Jerel McLaurin, It's All Me, Briarwood Elementary Marques Moore, Reaching for Success, Windsor Park Elementary Ken Morgan, Center Ring I, Briarwood Elementary Ken Morgan, Center Ring II, Hickory Grove Elementary Ken Morgan, Center Ring III, Irwin Avenue Elementary Ken Morgan, Morgan On Stage, Greenway Park Elementary Marc O'Kane, Creativity, JH Gunn Elementary Alexis Pagan, Stamp Out Loud, Steele Creek Elementary Ráed Al-Rawi, Wind of Change, Cotswold Elementary Ráed Al-Rawi, When Pigs Fly, Billingsville Elementary Lauren Schmidt, Untitled, Ashley Park Elementary Steve Schmitt, Botta’s Box, Myers Park High School Jeanette Shelley, South End Metro, Devonshire Elementary Anna Smith, Static Nature & Everything Around You, Newell Elementary Christine Szeredy, Wind, Northwest School of the Arts Jeff Thomas, I Am / We Are, Billingsville Elementary David K. Wagner, ART IS . . ., Northwest School of the Arts Kent Youngstrom, Love, Northwest School of the Arts 2012-04-25T13:04:23+00:00 http://www.designcentercarolinas.com/index.php/news/making-our-mark-design-gallery-exhibition-friday-march-23-sunday-march-25/ http://www.designcentercarolinas.com/index.php/news/making-our-mark-design-gallery-exhibition-friday-march-23-sunday-march-25/#When:18:52:38Z The Design Center of the Carolinas (DCC) is proud to host on site the Making Our Mark Design Gallery Exhibition Friday, March 23 - Sunday, March 25. The gallery show is a juried exhibition featuring work pre-selected by the Chairmen of Design at UNC Charlotte, Eldred Hudson. The Gallery Exhibition is hosted by the AIGA UNC Charlotte Student Group for all UNC Charlotte students. The work is intended to be a strong representation of UNC Charlotte. The goal is to bridge the gap between design students and professionals through a fun environment allowing for one-on-one communication - as well as your viewing pleasure. "Best of Show", "First Place", "Second Place", and two "Honorable Mentions" will be awarded. Sponsors include Amelie’s, Duncan Parnell, Dilworth Coffee, and Cheap Joes. WHEN : MARCH 23-25, 2012 HOURS: Friday,  6:30pm-10:30pm (Reception) Saturday, 1pm-5pm Sunday, 1pm-5pm WHERE : Design Center Of the Carolinas, Historic South End, 1930 Camden Road Suite #120  Charlotte, NC 28203 2012-03-20T18:52:38+00:00 http://www.designcentercarolinas.com/index.php/news/online-voting-begins-today-monday-march-19/ http://www.designcentercarolinas.com/index.php/news/online-voting-begins-today-monday-march-19/#When:21:29:04Z The Design Center of the Carolinas (DCC) and Ram Realty Services opened online voting on Monday, March 19 for their third annual art contest for Charlotte’s design and arts community. Local artists are competing online for votes to win the chance for his or her work to be displayed on the highest canvas in town, a 125’ water tower. The winning selection will be determined by public online voting at www.designcentercarolinas.com where each entry is displayed. The winning artist will receive a check from Ram Realty Services for $1,000. Carolina Pad will donate an additional $5,000 in classroom supplies to a Charlotte-Mecklenburg School in need that has been championed by the winning designer. All schools selected are also listed on the web site to encourage voting. Votes will be accepted through April 29, 2012 and the winner will be announced at an event in May at the Design Center of the Carolinas in Historic South End. Participants are encouraged to ask friends and family to vote for their work and the artwork with the most votes wins. The contest was open to professionals from Charlotte’s design community working in businesses such as advertising agencies, photography studios, graphic design firms, printing companies, architectural firms as well as arts programs at local universities and community colleges. Last year the Charlotte community selected the winning artwork through online voting - 17,000 votes were cast during the 2 weeks of online voting. Artists were encouraged to share their vision of what inspires them as artisans. The winner’s artwork will appear on the Design Center of the Carolinas water tower for a twelve-month period. The water tower is a South End landmark and symbol of the surrounding creative community. The winner and the winning school will be spotlighted in a special ceremony in May at the Design Center of the Carolinas. The artwork will be replicated onto a large horizontal vinyl canvas and installed on the Design Center water tower in place of the 2011 artwork, “Jane’s Dancing Addiction” created by Ashley Plyer, last year’s winner. “We are proud to be vital part of the Charlotte community and Historic South End. We believe that we can impact many people through what we accomplish with the Highest Design Contest and we will continue to support Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools and do our part during trying times,” said Ivy Greaner, Chief Operating Officer, Ram Realty Services. “Our theme here at The Design Center is - “Get Inspired” - and as the creative hub for South End we want to inspire others around us to connect and do what they can to make the community stronger.” The Work, The Artist(s) and Their Selected School: Elizabeth Arzani, Flags of South Bank, Lebanon Road Elementary School Elizabeth Arzani, Tensegrity Systems, Lebanon Road Elementary School Jeffrey Barnett, Little Hope and Compassion, Northwest School of the Arts Megan Dobrusin, Art + Community, Cotswold Elementary Megan Dobrusin, A Clear Blue Sky, Cotswold Elementary Sarah Evans, World of Inspiration, Highland Mill Elementary Clark Hawgood, Heart Of Hope, Northwest School of the Arts  Chris Hunt, Charlotte Rocks, Coulwood Middle School.  Carmella Jarvi, Air & Water, Randolph Middle School Carmella Jarvi, Companions, Randolph Middle School Carmella Jarvi, What is She Looking At?, Randolph Middle School Jerry Kirk , North Carolina: My Hometown, Idlewild Elementary Rachel Lewis, My Inspiration, Ashley Park Elementary Monique Luck, I See My Daughters, Northwest School of the Arts Monique Luck, Set on Fire, Northwest School of the Arts Monique Luck, Somehow I Had a Notion, Northwest School of the Arts Monique Luck, I’ll Dream of Love, Northwest School of the Arts Anthony McCrea Jr., Possibilities, University Meadows Elementary Jerel McLaurin, It's All Me, Briarwood Elementary Marques Moore, Reaching for Success, Windsor Park Elementary Ken Morgan, Center Ring I, Briarwood Elementary Ken Morgan, Center Ring II, Hickory Grove Elementary Ken Morgan, Center Ring III, Irwin Avenue Elementary Ken Morgan, Morgan On Stage, Greenway Park Elementary Marc O'Kane, Creativity, JH Gunn Elementary Alexis Pagan, Stamp Out Loud, Steele Creek Elementary Ráed Al-Rawi, Wind of Change, Cotswold Elementary Ráed Al-Rawi, When Pigs Fly, Billingsville Elementary Lauren Schmidt, Untitled, Ashley Park Elementary Steve Schmitt, Botta’s Box, Myers Park High School Jeanette Shelley, South End Metro, Devonshire Elementary Anna Smith, Static Nature & Everything Around You, Newell Elementary Christine Szeredy, Wind, Northwest School of the Arts Jeff Thomas, I Am / We Are, Billingsville Elementary David K. Wagner, ART IS . . ., Northwest School of the Arts Kent Youngstrom, Love, Northwest School of the Arts About Design Center The Design Center of the Carolinas is ideally located between Camden Road, West Tremont and Worthington Avenues in the Historic South End of Charlotte, NC, along the LYNX Light Rail at East/West Blvd.  A signature example of adaptive reuse of historic buildings, DCC is comprised of three distinct buildings featuring exposed brick, expansive windows and compelling architectural details, giving a vintage vibe to contemporary workspace.  Its trademark water tower is also a landmark of Historic South End and a symbol of its urban redevelopment. This unique workspace is designed to bring life to a progressive mix of showrooms, studios, offices and event spaces, resulting in a one-of-a-kind gathering place for creativity and forward-thinking businesses.  For more information, please visit www.designcentercarolinas.com or contact Meredith Dickerson at (704) 971-6517 or meredith.dickerson@cbcmeca.com regarding leasing opportunities. About Carolina Pad Carolina Pad™ is a leading supplier of fashion school, office and organizational products. Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, with offices in Hong Kong and Shanghai, Carolina Pad is one of the fastest Growing stationery companies in the world. Its school, office, and arts and crafts products can be found at mass merchant, office supply, grocery, and drug stores. The Carolina Pad™ portfolio of brands include Studio C™, Note2Self™, Ghostline®, Notebound®, Sasquatch™, and u:create™. Learn more about Carolina Pad at www.carolinapad.com. About Ram Ram is an affiliated group of companies and partnerships that acquire, develop, manage and finance retail and residential properties.  The group also selectively acquires debt secured by retail and residential properties.  Ram has raised two closed-end private equity real estate funds: Community Reinvestment Partners LP and Ram Realty Partners II LP.  Since 1996, the company has deployed $1.5 billion in real estate transactions.  Ram has launched Ram Realty Partners III LP, a fully integrated private equity real estate fund targeting distressed and value-add retail and multi-family properties in select high growth markets in the Southeast.   Ram is headquartered in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida and has offices in Fort Lauderdale and Tampa, Florida, Charlotte and Chapel Hill, North Carolina.   We are committed to making places that are socially responsible, economically vibrant and environmentally sustainable. Contact: Kim Counts, 704.507.4158, kcounts@carolina.rr.com Kendria Sweet, 704.533.3796, getinspired@designcentercarolinas.com 2012-03-19T21:29:04+00:00 http://www.designcentercarolinas.com/index.php/news/adw-comes-to-the-design-center/ http://www.designcentercarolinas.com/index.php/news/adw-comes-to-the-design-center/#When:20:08:45Z via CBJ ADW Architects has signed a lease for 8,298 square feet in the Design Center of the Carolinas. The firm plans to move there from 1401 W. Morehead St., where it occupies approximately 15,000 square feet. Robert Lauer Jr., a partner at ADW, says in a statement that the character, feel and history of the Design Center made it a good match for the firm, which specializes in architecture, planning and interior design. ADW’s recent local projects include Dilworth Elementary School, Carmel Baptist Church, Calvary Church Life Center and Charlotte Fire Station No. 39 on Providence Road. ADW was represented by Charles Jonas, formerly of Trinity Partners  but now with Jones Lang LaSalle.   Florida-based Ram, which owns the property, was represented by Meredith Dickerson of Coldwell Banker Commercial MECA. 2012-02-29T20:08:45+00:00 http://www.designcentercarolinas.com/index.php/news/calling-all-artists/ http://www.designcentercarolinas.com/index.php/news/calling-all-artists/#When:20:54:09Z By Anita Overcash Nothing makes a water tower more noticeable than when it’s shaped like a peach (Think: Gaffney, SC) or has a compelling piece of art on its surface. Thanks to Design Center of the Carolinas’ (DCC) Highest Design Contest, South End’s water tower falls into the last description. Check out its 2011 winning work (“Jane’s Dancing Addiction” by Ashley Plyler) below. The funky piece with a jammin’ Obama will remain up through the Democratic National Convention. Cool, huh? In it’s third year, the DCC’s Highest Design Contest gives one local artist the chance to display their artwork on the 125’ water tower and win a check for $1000. This year’s theme is “What inspires your creativity?” Entries are due by March 16 and online voting runs from March 19 — April 30. 2012-02-09T20:54:09+00:00 http://www.designcentercarolinas.com/index.php/news/the-3rd-annual-highest-design-contest-has-begun/ http://www.designcentercarolinas.com/index.php/news/the-3rd-annual-highest-design-contest-has-begun/#When:13:37:14Z The 3rdAnnual Highest Design Concert is off to a great start. Find out more about the contest and how you could win $1,000 and select a CMS school to receive $5,000 in school supplies from Carolina Pad.   See us on WBTV, http://www.wbtv.com/category/195957/video-landing-page?clipId=6639324&autostart=true   And see what Charlotte Magazine has to say about the contest, http://www.charlottemagazine.com/Blogs/Revue/January-2012/High-Aspirations/   Get your artwork ready and pick your school to champion!! Check back for updates. Artwork is due March 16, 2012. Online voting begins March 19. 2012-01-26T13:37:14+00:00 http://www.designcentercarolinas.com/index.php/news/the-design-center-of-the-carolinas-announces-charlottes-third-annual-highes/ http://www.designcentercarolinas.com/index.php/news/the-design-center-of-the-carolinas-announces-charlottes-third-annual-highes/#When:14:22:49Z The Design Center of the Carolinas (DCC) and Ram Realty Services announce an opportunity to showcase local creativity through their third annual art contest for Charlotte’s design and arts community. The winning artist will have his or her work displayed on the highest canvas in town, a 125’ water tower, plus win a $1,000 check in this year’s Highest Design Contest. The theme is “What inspires your creativity?” The contest begins January 17 with entries due by March 16, 2012. Online voting will run from March 19 – April 30, 2012.                  The Charlotte professional arts community including designers, photographers, illustrators and other artists are invited to participate. The winning selection will be determined by public online voting. In addition to the artist winning a $1,000, Carolina Pad will donate an additional $5,000 in classroom supplies to a Charlotte-Mecklenburg School championed by the winning artist. Entries must be submitted by March 16, 2012 by email to getinspired@designcentercarolinas.com. Submission requirements are available online at www.designcentercarolinas.com. All artwork will be judged online by open voting from the Charlotte community. Participants are encouraged to ask friends and family to vote for their work and the artwork with the most votes wins. Each artist is encouraged to share his or her vision of what is inspiring artisans today. Entrants may work in a variety of two-dimensional mediums, but need to work in a horizontal format. The winner’s artwork will appear on the Design Center of the Carolinas water tower for a twelve-month period. The water tower is a South End landmark and symbol of the surrounding creative community. The winner and the winning school will be spotlighted in a special ceremony in May at the Design Center of the Carolinas in Historic South End. Ivy Greaner, chief operating officer of Ram Realty Services spoke of the ongoing tradition of this contest, “We love that the Design Center is thought of as a place full of creative energy that ties with the creative community of Charlotte.  Itis there for all to see when you look up at the water tower.”  The contest is open to professionals at least 18 years of age. Required working size is 18”w x 12” h horizontal. Artists are encouraged to enter from Charlotte’s design community working in businesses such as advertising agencies, photography studios, graphic design firms, printing companies, architectural firms as well as arts programs at local universities and community colleges.  The artwork will be replicated onto a large horizontal vinyl canvas and installed on the Design Center of the Carolinas water tower in place of the 2011 artwork Jane’s Dancing Addiction. The winning entry will be selected by the Charlotte community through a web and viral social media campaign on the Design Center of the Carolinas web site. www.designcentercarolinas.com. About Design Center The Design Center of the Carolinas is ideally located between Camden Road, West Tremont and Worthington Avenues in the Historic South End of Charlotte, NC, along the LYNX Light Rail at East/West Blvd.  A signature example of adaptive reuse of historic buildings, DCC is comprised of three distinct buildings featuring exposed brick, expansive windows and compelling architectural details, giving a vintage vibe to contemporary workspace.  Its trademark water tower is also a landmark of Historic South End and a symbol of its urban redevelopment. This unique workspace is designed to bring life to a progressive mix of showrooms, studios, offices and event spaces, resulting in a one-of-a-kind gathering place for creativity and forward-thinking businesses.  For more information, please visit www.designcentercarolinas.comor contact Meredith Dickerson at (704) 971-6517 or meredith.dickerson@cbcmeca.comregarding leasing opportunities. About Carolina Pad Carolina Pad™ is a leading supplier of fashion school, office and organizational products. Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, with offices in Hong Kong and Shanghai, Carolina Pad is one of the fastest Growing stationery companies in the world. Its school, office, and arts and crafts products can be found at mass merchant, office supply, grocery, and drug stores. The Carolina Pad™ portfolio of brands include Studio C™, Note2Self™, Ghostline®, Notebound®, Sasquatch™, and u:create™. Learn more about Carolina Pad at www.carolinapad.com.  About RAM                                                                                                                                                       Ram is an affiliated group of companies and partnerships that acquire, develop, manage and finance retail and residential properties in the Southeast.  The group also selectively acquires debt secured by retail and residential properties.  Ram has raised two closed-end private equity real estate funds: Community Reinvestment Partners LP and Ram Realty Partners II LP.  Since 1996, the company has deployed $1.5 billion in real estate transactions.  Ram is headquartered in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida and has offices in Fort Lauderdale and Tampa, Florida, Charlotte and Chapel Hill, North Carolina. For more information, visit www.ramrealestate.com. 2012-01-16T14:22:49+00:00 http://www.designcentercarolinas.com/index.php/news/design-center-supports-queen-city-in-pink/ http://www.designcentercarolinas.com/index.php/news/design-center-supports-queen-city-in-pink/#When:13:24:19Z Photos by Clear Sky Images Watch the water tower lights glow pink from September 24th through October 3rd in support of Queen City in Pink and the partnership with Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure® to be held on October 1st. Queen City in Pink is a reminder to stay vigilant in the fight for a breast cancer cure and a tribute to breast cancer survivors and those who have been affected by or lost their lives to the disease. 2011-09-13T13:24:19+00:00