CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Culture Queens is a group looking to create more inclusion in the Charlotte region by making sure people of color have more access to art and the outdoors.
“Art takes you so many different places,” Jennifer Everett, the founder of Culture Queens, said.
The Queen City if full of arts and culture, but Everett noticed something missing.
“I was going to museums, ballets, recitals, and I didn’t see any women in there that looked like me," Everett said.
Not seeing women who looked like her inspired the start of the nonprofit Culture Queens.
“Even when I did see women who looked like me, I knew they were on a different social level, and I wanted the women I knew to have the same access to those opportunities, to be able to come in the room and learn about artists," Everett said.
Everett said, at times, feeling welcomed in art spaces could be a challenge, and her group is working to change that.
“We are not what you see on TV," Everett said. "We are multidimension; we are multitalented."
Culture Queens works hard to get Black people involved in outdoor communities.
“I’m a tree hugger," Everett admitted. "If I walk and hug a tree, don’t be alarmed."
The group goes on new adventures monthly across North Carolina. Everett said those hikes are full of conversations and support.
“It brings me such peace," Everett said.
From the mountains to the Queen City, Culture Queens is providing a community for all.
“We literally lift each other up," Everett said.
Culture Queens is holding an event called The Queens March on March 6 at the Bechtler Museum of Modern Art that will celebrate women who tell their stories through performing and visual arts.
Contact Lexi Wilson at lwilson@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, X and Instagram.
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