MEET THE ARTPOP TEAM
Wendy Hickey
Founder & Executive Director
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Wendy Hickey is the Founder and Executive Director of ArtPop, a role that embodies her unwavering passion for supporting local artists, a mission she has championed since 2002. With over 20 years of experience in the billboard advertising industry, Wendy transitioned to fulfilling her dream of making art accessible and supporting local artists’ small businesses in the Charlotte region. ArtPop became a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in the summer of 2015.
After years of volunteer service, Wendy became ArtPop’s first employee on May 1, 2018. Since then, the organization has grown and transformed communities while supporting hundreds of local artists.
Friends, family, her artist community, and kindness are central to Wendy’s life. An outdoor enthusiast, Wendy enjoys hiking, mountain biking, paddle-boarding, and spending time with her partner, JT. Having left home at 16 and with no formal college education, Wendy takes immense pride in her career in advertising, which ultimately led to the creation of the ArtPop mission.
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Dylan Bannister
Director of Arts Programming
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Dylan advances ArtPop’s mission by managing our Artist Cohort and Creative Commissions programs. He oversees program operations including strategic planning, coordination with artists and community partners, installation logistics, and more. Dylan also contributes to the organization’s strategic planning, events planning, and creative direction for our marketing materials and website.
Having joined the ArtPop staff in 2022, Dylan believes that ArtPop creates significant community impact through accessible arts experiences. His favorite part of the job is connecting and collaborating with talented local artists.
Dylan is a visual artist himself, and his interdisciplinary artworks are based in memory, nostalgia, and everyday life. Based in Rock Hill, SC, he advocates for the city’s vibrant arts & cultural community. In 2025, he worked alongside local artists and organizations to found the ‘Keep Rock Hill Creative’ initiative.
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Vanessa Ross
Marketing Coordinator
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Vanessa is an NC native with a background in performing arts and a passion for sculpting and resin casting. She’s a huge believer and supporter of the Charlotte, local creative scene and believes that is the heart of what makes the city so special. She also firmly believes that creativity and art are vital to happiness and the human experience, and should be accessible to people of all walks of life and of all incomes.
Inspired by her love of pop culture, designer toys, and vintage fashion Vanessa’s pop art sculptures are often combined with jewelry components to create wearable art.
In her spare time you can find her binging horror movies, attempting to recreate the SFX, and filming silly photo shoots that scare her neighbors.
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Kristina Aquilone
Development Director
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Kristina brings more than a decade of nonprofit development experience to ArtPop, with a passion for building relationships, creating meaningful partnerships, and connecting people to missions that make a difference. As Development Director, she works to grow ArtPop’s philanthropic support and expand opportunities for local artists throughout the Charlotte region.
Before joining ArtPop, Kristina served in nonprofit development leadership roles, where she built fundraising strategies, cultivated individual and institutional donors, secured grants and sponsorships, and developed partnerships that helped organizations grow. She especially enjoys bringing people together around a shared vision and finding creative ways to create meaningful impact.
Kristina is excited to be part of an organization that makes art accessible, celebrates local creativity, and brings color and connection into everyday spaces. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her family, traveling, trying new restaurants, and discovering new places. She has called Charlotte home for many years and loves exploring the city’s neighborhoods, restaurants, and arts scene.
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Artist Cohort Benefits:
Features at Events
Career Growth Education
Grants & Scholarships
Public Art Displays
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Program artists join a thriving creative community of local artists & alumni - a family that's been growing since 2014!
Artists also receive a one-year membership to the Guild of Charlotte Artists.
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Region-wide artwork displays on billboards, digital displays, and many other public advertising spaces!
This is made possible by our Program Partners, who donate public advertising space valued at over $8.5 million annually to feature local art!
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ArtPop aims to provide our Artist Cohort members with opportunities to learn artist business skills & professional practices. We are currently seeking funding to fuel these artist educational benefits - please consider making a donation here.
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Program artists are featured at our Community Art Market events, where they can connect with attendees and offer works for sale!
Features at other potential community events, exhibits, and activations are also possible!
Empowering Local Artists
Artist Cohort Program Benefits:
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Juried-in artworks are exhibited on numerous billboards and public advertising displays regionally and nationally!
This is possible thanks to our program partners, who donate public advertising space valued at over $8.5 million annually!
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Made possible through community investment, 2026 Artist Cohort members receive financial infusions towards their artist careers:
$2,500 Scholarships awarded to each of the 5 high school senior student artists.
$250 Artist Uplift Grants awarded to each of the 19 adult artists.
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Courses and opportunities for Artist Cohort members to learn business skills and professional practices.
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ArtPop Alumni Mentorship: Connecting each Artist Cohort member with an artist from a past program year for guidance and community connections.
Artist Webpage: Unique webpages in ArtPop’s online directory for visitors to connect with Artist Cohort members.
The Guild of Charlotte Artists offers a free annual membership to 2026 Artist Cohort members.
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Artist Cohort members have the opportunity to participate in ArtPop’s community events and exhibits, providing opportunities for them to connect with new audience members and collectors.
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Coming soon: an all-new benefit which will empower Artist Cohort members to give back to our community through outreach and beautification!
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Malaysha K. Belton
2024 Artist Cohort
“Being part of the ArtPop Artist Cohort has been a transformative experience. This program has not only provided invaluable exposure but also connected me with an inspiring community of artists. Seeing my work displayed in Times Square 3x was a surreal career-defining moment that further validated my creative journey and expanded my audience.” -
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Rico Marcelo
2024 Artist Cohort
“ArtPop helped me achieve dreams I didn’t even know I had. ArtPop is an opportunity; it’s motivation, it’s the validation of my work as an artist. Thank you from the bottom of my heart and all my creative self.”
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Eleanor Parks
MARKETING DIRECTOR
Creative and strategic in equal measure, our marketing director brings fresh ideas to every campaign. They turn insights into action and help our message resonate with the right audience. -
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Karl Holland
CUSTOMER SERVICE MANAGER
Friendly, attentive, and always ready to help, our customer service manager ensures every interaction is a positive one. They keep communication clear, timely, and human.
Submission Deadline: March 22nd, 2026 at 11:59pm
ArtPop invites local artists within the Charlotte region (NC & SC) to apply for our 2026 Open Call!
24 local artists (19 Adults and 5 High School Seniors) will be selected through a juried process to join ArtPop’s 2026 Artist Cohort, which activates public spaces with engaging art and empowers local creatives!
Before applying, artists must read through the Submission Guidelines below for crucial directions.
Jump to Section:
Dates & Steps to Apply - Artist Eligibility - Artwork Requirements - Cropping Your Artwork - Artwork Template - FAQ
OPEN CALL
OPEN CALL
ArtPop Artist Cohort
2026 Open Call
Opportunity for CLT-Region (NC & SC) Artists
Adults 18+ and High School Seniors
Apply by March 22nd, 2026 at 11:59pm
Important Dates:
TBA: Open Call Begins
TBA: Application Deadline
TBA: All applicants are notified
TBA: Public announcement of the 2026 Artist Cohort
TBA: Billboard installations begin and continue throughout the year.
Steps to Apply:
Review All Submission Guidelines: Carefully read the requirements below first. Applications which fail to follow the Submission Guidelines are ineligible.
Format Your Artwork File: Follow the specifications to properly crop and format your artwork file. Images that are improperly formatted are ineligible.
Apply Via CaFÉ: All applications will be accepted exclusively via CaFÉ. Applying artists must register for a free CaFÉ account, then submit your application here.