A Great Good Space
• – • Artspace
About the speaker
A Great Good Space was dreamed up by two artist friends, Denise and Jeannine.
They met in their high school art class. As the years passed, they went to different universities,
traveled, and worked abroad, studied some more, and after it all, found themselves in the same city again.
At the end of 2022, over coffee and pastries, naturally, they thought up a Great Good Space: a place to share their love of art, a space where art is for everyone.
- They believe that art is a celebration of our humanity.
- They believe that art is about community, a place where we can share our feelings.
- They believe that art is for everyone and that everyone should have access to art.
- They encourage artists of all ages and from all backgrounds.
A Great Good Space is a community art + design studio, passionate about using the act of making to embolden our natural creative curiosities and encourage imaginative play regardless of age, skills, and/or experience.
Their goal is to engage community voices through social practice art. Encouraging everyone to think of their imagination and our collective stories as everyday tools to create change and find our voice.
Jeannine Erasmus, Co-Founder
Mother, Artist, Storyteller
Jeannine is mother, artist, and storyteller. She has a master’s degree in Creative Literature from the Universitat Pompeu Fabra in Barcelona. She has worked as a writer and designer in big and small companies, and also runs a tiny illustration business, Jam and Toast. Growing up, Jeannine doodled on everything (and still does), and she is thrilled to pass along her love of drawing to all artists everywhere.
Denise Gunter, Co-Founder
Artist, Educator, Creative Curator
Denise is an artist and educator with an MA in Art + Design Education from Rhode Island School of Design. She’s facilitated creative experiences [for all ages] in museums, schools, and the arts non-profits. Growing up where all the women in her family have been artists, Denise has always found community in making and creating with others. She’s delighted to share this sense of collaboration and play with everyone both her and Jeannine meet in their little space in between: a Great Good Space.
FInd out more on their Substack newsletter here.
Local partners
Our friends at Brand Fuel are a brand merchandise agency with a B Corp certification. They have invested 26 years in our community, creating branded gear worth remembering and are committed to sustainability, trust, originality – and a lot of fun. Trust us, you want them at your party ;)
Mariko Gordon, CFA, CFP® is a finance maverick who founded a $2.5 billion money management firm from scratch. From money management to business mentoring, she offers personalized financial planning and business and investment advice at her registered investment advisory firm, Uzume, LLC.
MRC is a full spectrum graphic design studio with a focus on hand-crafted, out-of-the-box brand experiences for clients passionate about their business. They build iconic brands for kindred spirits.
Oak City Studio is the Official Audio Partner of CreativeMornings RDU!
At Black & White Coffee Roasters, they’re committed to connecting people to the most interesting and approachable coffees that they can find. They strive to be more than just a quality coffee roaster - they hope to challenge themselves and their customers to push the envelope of what specialty coffee ‘should’ be and how it should taste.
Boulted Bread is a craft bakery and stone mill at 328 Dupont Circle in Raleigh, NC. With a focus on heirloom and landrace grains, Boulted Bread offers craft breads and pastries of the highest quality.
Artspace is a non-profit visual arts center located in Downtown Raleigh. Visit Artspace for their exhibitions featuring national and community artists, more than 35 artists working in their studios, artists in residence, and for their art classes for all ages and abilities.
They are a space for creativity and social practice composed of artist residencies, exhibitions, arts education, and community outreach. They believe art should be celebrated and valued as an essential part of our vibrant and healthy community. Everyone is welcome at Artspace.
Phillip Teasley is an award-winning filmmaker who has worked with clients such as Amazon, ESPN, The Design Network, FOX Sports and more. He is currently looking for projects that will push his storytelling ability, as he believes that the secret to creating impactful videos is purpose and resolve! He is CreativeMornings/RDU Lead Videographer and we are so grateful to have him on our team!
Emily Bennett is a Lifestyle, Food & Beverage, and Brand Photographer based in Raleigh, North Carolina. She is passionate about storytelling, and the power stories have to disarm and invite us into a deeper understanding of ourselves and each other. Her work is inspired by the coast, long walks, and dinner parties. She is our Lead Photographer, and we are so glad to have her on our team!
Mountain Laurel Digital are a collaborative team that works hard to support and empower their clients and their team. Their approach is transparent, sustainable, and selective — and they aim to produce only work they can feel proud of. They work exclusively with clients who align with their values: they’ve found it makes everyone happier. MLD fills the need for an agency that leads with transparency from the start — and honest communication with both clients and their internal team.
CreativeMornings Raleigh is proud to announce that we are now supported by Artspace! CreativeMornings Raleigh is fiscally sponsored by Artspace, a 501©3 nonprofit visual arts center in Raleigh. Artspace enriches North Carolina’s culture by connecting artists and the community through the visual arts.
From the arts to food to nonprofits, WALTER tells the stories of our community. WALTER is available on racks around Raleigh, online at waltermagazine.com or by subscription.
Raleigh.com was made by Raleigh locals, for Raleigh locals. Join 10,000+ enthusiastic subscribers. Every morning, you’ll receive a 2-minute email about top events and deals in Raleigh… including CreativeMornings events!
Additional details
Our global theme for January is کورسو | (Koor·Soo). It was chosen by our Tehran chapter in Iran and illustrated by Hoda Ramy.
کورسو or Koorsoo (pronounced Koor·Soo) is a Farsi word meaning “a glimmer of hope.”
Each month, a different CreativeMornings chapter chooses a theme for our talks given in cities around the world. This year, many of our monthly themes will be in that chapter’s local language.
Our hope is that this will give each theme a richer meaning and foster deeper connections to other communities and cultures.
Our Tehran chapter had this to say about the significance of this month’s theme:
“In our darkest hours, when everything seems to have dimmed, sometimes a light remains—not bright, not certain, but real. That is Koorsoo—a faint glimmer of hope that dares to survive. Koorsoo is not about triumph or clarity; it is about the fragile yet unwavering light that keeps us going. A glance, a memory, a word—small things that prevent collapse. It represents the quiet resilience of those who continue in spite of the weight, who believe without guarantee. In a world that often normalizes despair, Koorsoo is a rebellion—soft, but profound. It reminds us: even the smallest spark matters.”
As a new year begins, ask yourself, “What is giving me hope right now?”
It’s up to each of us to keep that little light shining. Protect it and hold it dear. But be careful not to smother it. Share your koorsoo with the people around you. The world needs all the hope it can get.
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