On a billboard near you: ArtPop Street Gallery Charlotte introduces its 2025 artists
It’s the season of giving, and once more ArtPop Street Gallery is giving 20 regional artists the opportunity to be in the spotlight with their work displayed on billboards, digital displays and other public media spaces throughout the Charlotte area.
The nonprofit art organization on Thursday evening revealed the 2025 winners of its Cities Program. Winners were selected through a rigorous blind review process conducted by a jury of artists, curators and community figures.
The class of 2025 artists’ artwork covers a wide range of mediums and subject matters, with winners coming from Mecklenburg, Union and York counties.
The 19 adult winners, out of a total 226 entries, are mostly seasoned veterans with art degrees and previous gallery exposure, many with numerous awards and accolades on their already impressive resumes. They receive a collective $8.5 million worth of donated outdoor advertising space for one year, plus other opportunities to grow their practice and network.
As in past years, the Cities Program also recognizes one talented youth, with this year’s winner being Ellie Ko, 17, of Marvin Ridge High School. She will receive the same benefits as the adult artists, plus a college scholarship to help her pursue a career in visual art.
“The goal with our Cities Program is to create a sustainable financial future for these artists and their art practices,” said Brooke Gibbons, director of Impact and Sustainability for ArtPop Street Gallery. “Charlotte has a rich diversity of artists, from painters and photographers to sculptors and woodworkers, and this program helps to highlight that wealth of talent.”
Now in its 12th year, the program’s impact extends beyond individual artists. Since its inception, more than 200 artists have participated, with 89 percent reporting significant growth in their digital audience and 85 percent noting enhanced connections within the art community. Organizers say these connections are vital for sustaining and growing the vibrant arts scene in Charlotte.
In 2024, the Cities Program artists’ imprint reached over a billion media impressions, Gibbons said.
ArtPop Cities Program 2025 artists
Student artist: Ellie Ko
Title of piece: Then and Now
Medium: Oil paint
Instagram: @GoYuuum
Artist: Diego Alba
Title of piece: Orange Room
Medium: Acrylics and oil pastels
Instagram: @diegoalba.art
Website: www.diegoalba.me
Artist: Karey Bancroft
Title of piece: The Party in My Garden
Medium: Photography and collage
Instagram: @kareybancroft
Website: www.kareybancroft.com
Artist: Teresa Dunlap
Title of piece: Joined By Tradition
Medium: Catawba pottery and longleaf pine basketry
Instagram: @stitchandcoildesigns
Website: https://www.stitchandcoildesigns.com
Artist: Rosemary Dykstra
Title of piece: Countryside
Medium: Acrylic on canvas
Instagram: @rosydykstraartist
Website: https://www.rosemarydykstraartist.com
Artist: Caroline Greb
Title of piece: Citrus Sea
Medium: Watercolor, gouache and pencil
Instagram: @carolinegreb
Website: https://carolinegreb.com
Artist: Kai Griffin
Title of piece: Tensions 3.3 (Spectrum)
Medium: Laser cut cast acrylic, enamel
Instagram: @hellokaigriffin
Website: www.hellokaigriffin.com
Artist: Jing Huang
Title of piece: Loop #17 (Detail)
Medium: Glazed stoneware
Instagram: @jing_ceramics
Website: www.jinghuangceramics.com
Artist: Susan Jedrzejewski
Title of piece: Wild Perceptions 2
Medium: Photo Transfer on Pine
Instagram: @sociallysusan
Website: https://www.susanjedrzejewski.com
Artist: Linda Keene
Title of piece: Wash Day
Medium: Fabric collage art quilt
Instagram: @LKeeneArt
Website: www.lkeeneart.com
Artist: Meg Greene Malvasi
Title of piece: Home Place
Medium: Composite photograph
Instagram: @littledogslaughed
Website: www.littledogslaughed.com
Artist: Camisha McDaniel
Title of piece: Forever Love 2
Medium: Mixed media
Instagram: @artist_camisha_mcdaniel
Website: https://artist-camisha-mcdaniel.my.canva.site
Artist: Hannah McKee
Title of piece: Morgenmete
Medium: Oil on canvas
Instagram: @ladysharktattoos
Website: https://ladysharks.bigcartel.com
Artist: Zaire McPhearson
Title of piece: Between the World and Me
Medium: Quilted portrait
Instagram: @zairemcphearson
Website: https://zairemcphearson.com
Artist: Chalice Meikle
Title of piece: Figure It Out: 32 of 50
Medium: Mixed media on panel
Instagram: @therealchalice
Website: https://therealchalice.com
Artist: Jill Melyssa
Title of piece: Metalwork handcrafted sculptural art rings
Medium: Metalwork jewelry
Instagram: @jillmelyssa
Website: https://www.jillmelyssa.com
Artist: Carla Nathan, Crane Seven
Title of piece: Elemental Guidance
Medium: Mixed media, using wood, palm branches and silver
Instagram: @crane.seven
Website: www.craneseven.com/
Artist: Paolo Pedini, ZeroPopArt
Title of piece: Robot Billboard
Medium: Wood sculpture
Instagram: @ZeroPopArt
Website: www.zeropopart.com
Artist: Randy Pende
Title of piece: Contentment
Medium: Oil on canvas
Instagram: @randy_pender
Website: https://randypenderart.com
Artist: Vanessa Thorman
Title of piece: THE HUNTRESS (Secretarybird)
Medium: Watercolor
Instagram: @Vanessa_Thorman_Watercolor
