This collaborative display showcases the efforts and achievements of Central Piedmont students and employees in the realms of art and advocacy over the course of six decades; portraying how the creative minds of our community generate powerful works of art and impactful works of advocacy for our society and beyond.
The exhibition starts with highlights of student-created works from a variety of fields, from engineering to creative writing and photography. It then focuses on Central Piedmont graduate John H. White. His documentation of African-American communities in Chicago's South Side neighborhood earned him the Pulitzer Prize in 1982. His everlasting presence continues to encourage and inspire Central Piedmont students to "shoot from the heart" and "Keep In Flight!" In closing, the exhibition takes a closer look at advocacy-related initiatives carried out for students and by students.
A special thanks to Jesse Bennett, Jennifer Conway, Michael Long, Dr. Alain Miatudila, Amelia Zytka, members of Phi Lambda, members of the Charlotte Racial Justice Consortium, and most importantly, the students of Central Piedmont, for their support, guidance, and inspiration for developing this exhibition.
Quote by Alicia M. Hopkins from ArtsNow.
The arts as a “concept” is a powerful tool for storytelling, for educating, for connecting, and for advocating. The arts can take many forms - song, creative writing, sculpture, dance/theater, photography, digital design, 3-dimensional design - the possibilities are endless.
All patrons of the arts have a different experience. Some may notice the nuance of the strokes, others may notice the emotion captured in an image, while others experience the work in a way the designer never intended. That is the beauty of art; it gives a voice to the voiceless and a platform for those without a stage.
Throughout this exhibit, we encourage our audience to see the objects on display as both works of art and works of advocacy. Some items showcased here were created for class credit, others as a creative outlet, and some as an advocacy tool. These items were selected based on their beauty as well as their ability to advocate for causes greater than ourselves.
We all have a role to play as creators, educators, and innovators. We hope this exhibition will inspire you to support whatever causes are dear to you and create something that can support that cause.
Prepare for Tomorrow, Think today! by Keith MorrisEngineered Creations
The following works were class projects created under the instruction of Scott Bradey. Each student involved in the project was responsible for creating specific parts. From left to right:
The art form of creative writing is quite versatile - from sonnets to poems, short stories to haikus - hundreds of Central Piedmont students have created wonderful works of literature over the course of six decades.
Preserved in the college archives are some editions of literary magazines such as The Hammer, The Keystone, and the Paul Atwell Literary Magazine. The Hammer was founded in 2017 and is currently run by the Central Piedmont English department, with support from other departments.
The next unique project featured in this case is the “Archival Revival” project, where students use an archival photograph as a writing prompt to create whatever type of writing piece they prefer. This project was based upon the ekphrastic writing style taught in ENG125 - Creative Writing.
Literary Magazines
The Paul Atwell Memorial Literary Magazine (Winter Quarter 1977), a Central Piedmont Community College student publication. The featured works are “Knowing” by Marjorie Witt Johnson and an untitled poem by M. Savacool.
Keystone 1999, CPCC’s Creative Arts Magazine. The featured works are “In Our Kitchen” by Jessica Anne Squires, “Forgotten” by Kathy S. Jerolimic, and “Godzilla” by Jodie Steele.
The Paul Atwell Memorial Literary Magazine (1982-1983), a Central Piedmont Community College student publication. The featured story is “A Feline Episode” by Evelyn V. Johnson. Photo by Cathy Boyd.
The Hammer (Spring 2020), Student Arts and Literature Magazine. The featured poem is “No Chairs At The Bus Stop” by Ana Wengert-Ramos.
The Hammer (Spring 2019), Student Arts and Literature Magazine. The featured works are “Profiling at the Parade” by Miranda Maynor and “Wonderboy” by Tucker Fraetis.
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Archival Revival
As part of class assignments for ENG 125 students, English professor Angelina Brooks collaborates with the Central Piedmont Archives over four semesters for the Archival Revival project. For this assignment, students are instructed to curate a creative writing piece using archival photographs from our photographs and publications collections.
The purpose of this assignment is to present the archives to students in a more creative and inviting way. Using images of our past as writing prompts for a new story, helps students to think more in-depth about the source they view, and about what can be said and “unsaid” when viewing an image.
On display are four student poems along with their accompanying archival images taken by student photographers. The student works are from Fall 2019 through Spring 2021.
Visit the Archival Revival LibGuide to view all student works.
John White Photo Purchase Award Winners
As a result of his impact upon Central Piedmont, the John White Photo Purchase Award was created in his honor. Mary Kicklin was the first student to win this award. This award is still active today, given to Central Piedmont students in amounts up to $300. The work is then added into the College’s permanent art collection and displayed throughout all campuses.
Friday Night (2015) by Scout Rosen
Description: Photograph of couple at dinner table sharing an intimate moment - taken from outside of the house.
Rustiez (2022) by Huynh Bya
Description: A run-down brick building with a maze of pipes attached to the exterior wall. Beside it stands a utility pole supporting a variety of cables.
Photographs by John White - Donated to Central Piedmont
Hallelujah (2013)
Description: Black and white photograph of a man with an open mouth crying out in jubilation.
Ballet Dancers
Description: Ballerinas at practice.
Caption: To Central Piedmont Community College - The Springboard of My Career - Thanks - John White
Photographs by John White - From the U.S. National Archives
John White documented the life of African American communities in Chicago's South Side neighborhood during the summer of 1973. This earned him the Pulitzer Prize in 1982.
Photo #1
Date: July 1973
Original Caption: A Black man who is jobless sits on the windowsill of a building in a high crime area on Chicago’s South Side.
Photo #2
Date: May 1973
Original Caption: Empty housing in the ghetto on Chicago’s South Side Structures such as this have been systematically vacated as a result of fires, vandalism or failure by owners to provide basic tenant services.
Photo #3
Date: June 1973
Original Caption: Black sidewalk salesmen arranging their fresh fruits and vegetables on Chicago’s South Side.
Photo #4
Date: June 1973
Original Caption: Black owned business on Chicago’s South Side. The city is believed to be the Black business capital of the United States.
For full captions and to view the rest of John White’s Documerica collection, visit the U.S. National Archive's Flickr Album.
One of Central Piedmont’s most famous alumni is photographer John White. He graduated from Central Piedmont in 1966 with an applied sciences degree and a focus in art-photography. Throughout his career, John White went on to receive numerous awards, including the Pulitzer Prize in 1982 for his work as a photographer at the Chicago Daily News, which documented life of African-American communities in Chicago’s Southside neighborhood. John White was the first (and perhaps the only) community college graduate in history to win a Pulitzer Prize.
To celebrate this momentous achievement, Central Piedmont invited John White to the campus, where he was honored with the Richard Hagemeyer Educational Advancement Award and Mayor John Belk declared June 11, 1982 as “John White Day.”
"John White Day" Archival Materials
The Central Piedmont Phi Lambda chapter of Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) is dedicated to local community service and service to our college community through education and hands-on activities. From scholarships to service and leadership experience, Phi Theta Kappa is a great way to learn the skills that will make you a valuable employee and an asset to your community.
The purpose of Phi Theta Kappa is to recognize and encourage scholarship among two-year college students. To achieve this purpose, Phi Theta Kappa provides opportunities for the development of leadership and service, for an intellectual climate to exchange ideas and ideals, for lively fellowship for scholars, and for stimulation of interest in continuing academic excellence.
On display are images, scrapbooks, awards, and textural materials highlighting the advocacy efforts of our PTK students, as well as the positive impact Phi Lambda has upon our college and local communities.
Phi Lambda/PTK Artifacts
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Left: This 2003-2009 PTK scrapbook contains photos, handwritten cards, and cut-outs from the 2005 Induction Ceremony program.
Center and right: The “Phi Theta Kappa: The Door to Phi Lambda” scrapbook documents the early years of PTK and its establishment in 1970. It contains newspaper clippings, newsletters, photos, and more.
Founded in 2020, The Charlotte Racial Justice Consortium (CRJC) is a partnership between Central Piedmont Community College, Johnson C. Smith University, Johnson & Wales University - Charlotte Campus, Queens University of Charlotte, and the University of North Carolina, Charlotte. In 2020, the CRJC was selected by the Association of American Colleges & Universities (AAC&U) as a Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation Campus Center.
CRJC’S GOALS
Artifacts
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Left: CRJC 2021-2022 cohort sweatshirt with Central Piedmont on the front; the CRJC logo on the left sleeve and 1963 (the year CPCC was established) on the right sleeve.
Right: CRJC 2020-2021 cohort t-shirt with the words “Truth, Racial Healing & Transformation” on the front.
By 1972, Central Piedmont’s campus and student population began to grow exponentially. President Dr. Richard Hagemeyer quickly realized that while the campus was growing rapidly, there were still an overwhelming number of people throughout Mecklenburg County in need of an education, yet were unable to commute to campus.
Dr. Hagemeyer advocated for funding in hopes of building other campuses throughout the county. Though his requests were denied, he sought other ways to provide equitable access to education in the days before the internet. It was out of this necessity that the concept of “Distance Education” was born.
Through the Rural Renaissance Project, which utilized local newspapers, radio, television, and even the telephone, Central Piedmont created a variety of services through partnerships which provided access to educational materials for all who wished to learn.
Over time, these “analog” services evolved into the digital services our society has grown accustomed to. As a student, imagine yourself having to use the telephone to listen to your textbook passage; or using the newspaper to receive your weekly assignments for your courses.
The items on display peel back the layers of time and serve as evidence of the tenacity of Central Piedmont to provide equitable education by any means necessary.
Telephone
A handwritten draft of “The History of Mecklenburg County.” It was Program #155 in the DOLLY system.Newspaper
Television
The CPCC TV Telecourse Information Booklet, Winter 1979. Telecourses were courses of study provided over television, specifically on WTVI Channel 42, and offered for academic credit.Audio/Radio