Quentin Talley, a native of Greenwood, S.C., and a graduate of Winthrop University, launched On Q Productions Inc. in November 2006. The nonprofit now is in its third season.
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The Arts & Science Council (ASC) has awarded a $30,000 grant to On Q Productions, a local nonprofit that seeks to reflect the African American experience, mainly through performance art.

On Q will use the money -- $15,000 a year for two years-- to retain marketing and sales expertise and to find space for basic operations.

ASC also awarded grants to Charlotte Folk Society and Historic Charlotte Inc.

ASC has been awarding the Cultural Innovation Grants since 2010. The awards are meant to support “emerging cultural organizations that show promise programmatically and innovate in serving the diverse population,” ASC said in a statement announcing this year’s winners.

On Q founder Quentin Talley said he was thrilled to receive the grant.

“We’ve been working for a long time,” he told Qcitymetro.com. “And we’re glad that the Arts & Science Council saw us worthy to have the grant. We’re definitely going to use it to the best of our ability.”

Talley, a native of Greenwood, S.C., and a graduate of Winthrop University, launched On Q Productions in November 2006. Now in its third season, the company is in residence at the Blumenthal, the only African-American company represented.

Five Questions for Quentin Talley

1. What inspired you to start a production company?

Talley: I’ve been doing arts all my life, ever since I was little. I wrote my first play in high school and another in college. Art has always been in my life, and it’s always been a way for me to tell a story or talk about a theme or issues that people wouldn’t ordinarily dialog about.

2. Where do you find your inspiration?

Talley: A little bit of everywhere. I watch a lot of movies; I go to see a lot of plays; I read a whole lot of books. I try to gather up as much information as I can. That keeps me motivated to keep going. Especially the community keeps me motivated. Without the community, there would be no On Q. There would be no people coming out to see us. That’s definitely a big motivation.

3. Where do you see the company going next?

Talley: Hopefully, to Broadway. We have an original show about Miles Davis and John Coltrane that we have been working on. We took it to off-Broadway about two years ago and it did well. Then we took it to the Edinburgh Festival in Scotland. That was the summer of 2009. We came back and have been working on it. It’s called “Miles and Coltrane.” We’ll be coming back with that show during CIAA next year. We took it on the road last summer to Atlanta and DC and hopefully we will be taking it back on the road next summer.

4. Are you surprised by early successes?

Talley: Yes and no. When On Q first started, it was literally On Q. Friends and family gave money to support the cause, but up until this year, it was mainly coming out of my pocket. Whatever we did at the box office paid for whatever we had. It was a challenge, but it was a good challenge. There were surprises along the road, good and bad. There have been ups and downs, but mostly good things.

5. What advice do you have for others?

Talley: Be diligent and be patient, most of all. It will definitely come together. It doesn’t happen overnight, though. We’ve been doing this for five years, and the pieces are finally starting to come together, and we have more pieces to fit into the puzzle. You just can’t give up.
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Editor's Note: To learn more about On Q Productions, visit its website at www.youarenowonq.com.

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