The Roll Up
The Roll Up CLT is a large-scale public art initiative grounded in contemporary socially engaged art practices. Unlike traditional art forms that prioritize objects or visual outcomes, this work positions human interaction and community engagement as both medium and material. Emphasizing relationships and social dynamics revealed through participation, it aligns with frameworks such as relational aesthetics, new genre public art, participatory art, creative placemaking and social practice art. This approach emerged in the late 20th century as a response to institutional and market-driven art models, advocating for art that operates in the context of everyday life of everyday people.
This work is grounded in a practice that recognizes systems -- legal, spatial, cultural -- as materials just as much as wood, canvas or pigment. It pays close attention to how land is owned, how policy shapes neighborhoods, and how history is embedded in place. Artistic decisions are informed by lived experience, research and a commitment to care and accountability. The work is designed to intervene in everyday spaces, not just to reimagine them, but to ask who has the power to shape them and why. Community engagement isn’t an outcome; it’s the method, the process, and often, the medium itself.
The Roll Up CLT activates a range of culturally and historically embedded spaces across geographies—from a residential duplex with a garage that physically rolls up to invite neighbors inside; to a Black-owned coffee shop in a neighborhood facing gentrification; to public libraries and institutional settings such as museums, schools and universities. These “containers” position art-making as a tool for social inquiry and transformation. Rather than a static artwork, The Roll Up CLT evolves in response to the needs of the people and the place.
Each year, The Roll Up CLT invites a Black artist from across the nation to participate in a transformative site-specific residency. Visiting artists receive furnished living spaces, stipends, and holistic support that empowers them to thrive creatively while engaging with the local community. Beyond national residencies, The Roll Up nurtures local talent through fellowship and internship programs, equipping emerging artists with the tools, mentorship, and resources needed to establish themselves professionally. By connecting national artists, local creatives, and neighborhood residents through participatory interventions, pedagogical collaborations, and collective art-making, The Roll Up functions as a catalyst—bridging artists and transforming neighborhoods across borders.
Previous Roll Up residents include : Zun Lee, 2018 (Toronto Canada); SHAN Wallace, 2019 (Baltimore MD); Ashley Nickens, 2020 (Charlotte NC); Kia O. Moore, 2020 (Charlotte NC); Adam Davis, 2023 (Los Angeles CA); Seitu Jones, 2023 (Minneapolis MN) ; and most recently Tierra Armstrong, 2025 (Miami FL).
The Roll Up CLT is generously funded by individual donors and The Black Art Futures Fund Grant, The Arts & Science Council, McKnight Foundation, Artists Residencies Consortium, Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., Life Membership Foundation, #CharlotteIsCreative HUG Grant program, Foundation For The Carolinas, The Reemprise Fund, Common Field, and The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.
Mission Statement
The Roll Up activates everyday spaces through socially engaged, site-specific art practices that are grounded in collaboration, bridging connections and transforming neighborhoods.
Vision Statement
We envision a world where art is not confined to institutions or objects, but lives within the shared spaces, conversations and the everyday exchanges that shape our daily lives.
$250k+
9
Years of experience
Direct Artist Support
"Jessica embodies an ethic of kindness and service, and has created a mirroring residency program that was flexible enough to adapt in a way that encouraged my personal development, while also continuing to meet the shifting needs of the Charlotte community. During my residency, I was allowed the space to deepen my analysis of the city I've called home for ten years, and gained clarity on the role I wish to play here as a citizen artist. The suggestions and feedback provided through the program helped foster new community connections, and a personal ethic that I will carry with me for a lifetime."
- Ashley Nickens, 2020 Roll Up CLT resident artist
★★★★★