Artist Type: Visual

!con: “Blooming Magic” Blooming Magic celebrates the theme of curiosity through an explosion of interconnected imagery. Each side of the Icon is designed to spark wonder, inviting viewers to explore its many hidden elements. From interwoven tree roots and mushrooms to planets, sacred geometry, sea creatures, blooming flora, and flying books, this design embodies the…

!con: “Reina Curiosa (Curious Queen)” Reina Curiosa is an interactive sculpture that celebrates curiosity through hidden doors, windows, and flower centers – each revealing miniature artworks and secret details. Blending botanical forms with Charlotte’s cityscape, it invites all ages to explore, touch, and discover. Every interaction sparks wonder, encouraging a deeper connection with both the artwork and…

!con: “Exclaim Inclusion” Exclaim Inclusion explores individuality, accessibility, and shared human experience through color, movement, and texture. While the original concept began with structured elements, the piece evolved into a more fluid form reflecting the reality that inclusion is not rigid, but dynamic and ever-changing. The cascading colors represent diverse experiences, each moving at its own…

!con: “In Bloom” In Bloom is a hand-built wheat paste installation that layers analog photography into a shifting, textured surface. Images are printed and applied one fragment at a time, then torn away in sections to expose what’s underneath. As parts are removed, new colors and shapes come into view.  Made with biodegradable materials and assembled…

Interactive Art Installation: “The Oracles Speak” Dorne Pentes is a longtime Charlotte artist with diverse careers in filmmaking and art creation. Coming from a family of artists and designers, Dorne creates large scale interactive inflatables. Dorne has a unique, expressive artistic style and has translated that style into both illustrations and large inflatable sculptures called…

Easter Egg: “In Their Own World” In Their Own World celebrates childhood curiosity. The piece features a group of children exploring nature. There is a girl studying insects through a magnifying glass, a boy comparing the glow of fireflies to the stars, another girl identifying a spider spinning a web, and a girl watching caterpillars turn into vibrant butterflies. I have created this piece by blending painting with…

Interactive Art Installation: The Stamp Stop Dominique is a Charlotte-based brand strategist, graphic designer, and illustrator passionate about using art and design to uplift communities. As the founder of DAP Designz, she has spent over a decade crafting impactful brand identities for businesses while also engaging in public art projects that celebrate culture and storytelling.…

Easter Egg: “Lightning Bug Love” Lightning Bug Love is a hand-painted egg depicting children chasing fireflies in awe and wonder in twilight. These images of childlike wonder, paired with the glow of the fireflies, invoke joy and curiosity in the viewer, reminding them to reconnect with the imagination of their younger selves while also highlighting…

Interactive Art Installation: “ShoutOke Frequency” Aguinaldo Santos is a Brazilian-born artist and architect trained in Brazil, now based in Charlotte, NC. His background in architecture shapes a practice driven by curiosity and experimentation, where forms are reshaped, materials are mixed, and functions are reimagined to uncover new possibilities. Santos is fascinated by blending elements that…

Easter Egg: “Beneath the Blue” The ocean is one of Earth’s greatest mysteries—vast, powerful, and largely unexplored. This project dives into the theme of Curiosity by transforming an egg into a portal to the deep sea, where wonder and the unknown collide. On one side, a submarine window offers a glimpse into the hidden world beneath…