Welcome to Charlottesville

The Story of Charlotte McGraw

Written by Charlotte McGraw and Nora Ayad

Illustrated by Charlotte McGraw

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Discover the magical road to Charlottesville.

When a young girl is made to feel different because of her disabilities, she dreams of a place where everyone belongs. To cope with the hardships she faced, she turns to art to process her emotions. Through her imagination she creates Charlottesville- a magical town where every creature is welcomed with kindness, every quirk is celebrated, and differences are embraced. Charlotte brings the story to life with her signature "creatures," the imaginative characters that have become her distinctive artistic style and embody the inclusive world she has created.

Based on Charlotte McGraw's lived experiences, this moving picture book is a testament to the healing power of creative expression. It reminds readers of all ages that while we cannot always choose the world we are born into, we can imagine, create, and help build the world we want to live in. A story of resilience, belonging, and the transformative power of art, Welcome to Charlottesville invites children and adults alike to celebrate differences, embrace empathy, and discover Charlotte's message: You are not alone.

Meet the authors

Charlotte McGraw

Author & Illustrator

Charlotte McGraw is a talented, Columbus-based artist who specializes in collage-making as a creative process. Charlotte is the creator of her own imaginative town, “Charlottesville”, where she is the mayor, welcoming any and everyone. Charlottesville residents are mixed media works of art, or “creatures” as she calls them. Each creature has a name, backstory, and quirky personality.

Charlotte works out of Goodwill Columbus' Art Studio & Gallery, an innovative fine arts program for artists with developmental disabilities and other barriers, and serves as a lead artist facilitating workshops with We Amplify Voices. Her joyful spirit is a source of inspiration to everyone she meets.

Nora Ayad

Author

Nora Ayad is a community artist and musician working in Columbus, Ohio. Together with Charlotte, she has led various collage workshops across the city, most notably with incarcerated women at the Marysville Ohio Reformatory for Women.

Uplifting voices from the community, Nora teaches in K-12 schools with We Amplify Voices, contemporary art galleries such as the Wexner Center for the Arts, and with youth at the Columbus Metropolitan Library. Nora is a firm believer in the power of art to change lives. She is a dear friend and collaborator of Charlotte McGraw.

The story behind welcome to charlottesville

Charlotte dreamed of telling her story through a book brought to life by her own artwork. At the heart of that dream was Charlottesville, an imaginative town where differences are celebrated and everyone belongs. Its residents are mixed-media works of art, or “creatures,” as Charlotte calls them. Through this world, Charlotte hopes to show that people with disabilities are human and deserve to be seen, valued, and accepted for who they are.

Building on Charlotte’s longstanding relationship with We Amplify Voices, we worked together to bring her dream to life with support from an Ohio Arts Council ArtsNEXT grant. Inspired by Charlotte’s lived experiences, imagination, and signature collage “creatures,” Welcome to Charlottesville shares the message at the heart of Charlotte’s work: you are not alone.

This project was made possible in part by an investment of public funds from the Ohio Arts Council (OAC). The OAC is a state agency that funds and supports quality arts experiences to strengthen Ohio communities culturally, educationally, and economically.

Charlotte's journey with we amplify voices

2021 — Charlotte Joins WAV as a Songwriting Participant

We first met Charlotte through Goodwill’s songwriting program, where she worked with the group on the original song “You Lift Me Up.” Charlotte’s album artwork was featured on both “You Lift Me Up” and the Never Get Low EP.

2023 — Charlotte Designs the WAV Building Mural

Charlotte’s mural was unveiled at WAV’s Open House and became a permanent part of the WAV building in Franklinton. The mural was made possible by the Greater Columbus Arts Council, Ohio Arts Council, Franklinton Board of Trade, Neighborhood Design Center, and Citicom Print.

2021–2025 — Charlotte Leads Workshops at the Ohio Reformatory for Women

Through her artistic process, Charlotte guided women at the Ohio Reformatory for Women in creating their own towns and creatures. Their creations became Tapestryville, Wheelersville, and Reillyville, each town named after a living area within the reformatory.

Charlotte Visits Schools and Summer Camps

During these visits, she talks with young people about her story, her art, and their own creativity.

Inspired by the world of Charlottesville, participants imagine and create CREATurEs of their own.

Charlotte Leads Community CREATurEs Workshops at WAV

2026 — Charlotte Creates Her Book

All of these experiences led to Charlotte bringing her art and creatures together in her very own book inspired by her life, created in collaboration with WAV.