Cassandra Alexis Richardson
Owner | Director
With an unyielding sunny disposition and an innate passion for art since childhood, Cassandra has spent the last two decades as a gallery director in San Francisco and Charlotte and as an art adviser on private yachts and luxury cruise ships worldwide. She has produced regional, national, and international exhibitions from progressive contemporary artists to the Great Masters: Picasso, Dali, Rembrandt, Goya, Erte, and the like. With a background in non-profit art-centric fundraising, she curated exhibitions for Tipi Hedren, Bill Clinton, and George Lucas at Skywalker Ranch. In tandem with her mentor, David Ferguson of the Institute for Unpopular Culture, Cassandra is known for her representation of Jean Michel Basquiat's The Offs First Record, which premiered at Art Basel Miami in 2007.
Originally from Charlotte, Cassandra was a Country Day 'lifer' and graduated summa cum laude from the University of Colorado at Boulder with a triplicate degree in Art History, Fine Arts, and English Literature, later completing Sotheby's Institute of Art curriculum, "Writing for the Contemporary Art World." Upon her return to the Queen City, she served as Gallery Director of Central Piedmont Community College under the tutelage of beloved mentor, Melissa Vrana, Dean of the Arts. During that time, CPCC's lauded Ross & Pease galleries won Charlotte Magazine's 2015 "Best Art Gallery" award. Cassandra's bold vision brought the mighty talent of Lee Baumgarten, MyLoan Dinh, and Charles Williams to headline the celebrated Sensoria Festival of the Arts during her tenure at the college.
In 2018, Cassandra won an Arts & Science Council Cultural Vision Grant for The Evocation Project, a year-long endeavor with brilliant local artist Monique Luck. Co-sponsored by McColl Center and International House, The Evocation Project explores the complexity of the human response to loss, using art as a platform to bring about healing through personal connection.
In 2019, Cassandra took the helm as Gallery Director of Anne Neilson Fine Art, leading the gallery to unprecedented success with her vast knowledge and worldly arts industry experience, buoyant energy, and contagious passion. Deeply inspired by Anne's mission to give back to the community through art, Cassandra instills a parallel philanthropic mission at Lexicon Gallery.
In 2022, it was time to leap towards a lifelong dream: launching a gallery venture of her own— and thus, Lexicon Gallery was born! Cassandra is a committed champion of contemporary artists, an arts industry expert, and an esteemed guide for passionate art lovers at any stage of their collecting journey. She has written feature articles for The San Francisco Chronicle, Juxtapoz, LUX Lifestyle Magazine, American Art Collector, The Mill Magazine, The Loop Mag, Southpark Magazine, and The Charlotte Observer.
Ever since her days "moonlighting" as a runway model in San Francisco, Cassandra has been keenly interested in fashion, and thus expanded the mission of Lexicon to champion several world-renowned fashion designers whose aesthetic, passion, and purpose synergize with her own.
Cassandra is elated to contribute to our beloved Queen City's cultural landscape and warmly welcomes you to Lexicon, where your next love affair with art may begin…
Heather Felts
Gallery Manager
Heather graduated with a BFA from Winthrop University in 2011 with a concentration in Drawing and Jewelry and has since curated and installed more than one hundred exhibitions! These exhibits have been complex in nature, ranging from monumental suspended steel sculptures to installation of more than 50 different artists’ works at UNCC’s and CPCC’s Annual Student Juried Shows.
In 2019, Heather became the Assistant Director of UNC Charlotte’s exemplary art gallery program, facilitating exhibitions with visiting professional artists and BFA student exhibitions. She co-curated and assisted with installations in tandem with UNCC’s Gallery Director, Adam Justice, managing UNCC’s online art gallery and work-study students in the BFA program.
Prior to her tenure at UNCC, she was the Gallery Coordinator at Central Piedmont Community College, where she and Cassandra managed eight different art galleries as part of the college’s robust multi-disciplinary Arts program. Working together in beautiful harmony and creative partnership, their time together in the Arts at CPCC forever shaped their lives, and Cassandra and Heather vowed that they would be united in the Arts in Charlotte again one happy day! We welcomed Heather to Team Lexicon in 2023, where she was instrumental in curating the gallery’s Grand Opening exhibition, Garden of Earthly Delights, and these two “soul sisters” have been together ever since!
Heather is known for her expert eye and consistency in aesthetically pleasing curatorial design and industry-standard safety protocol for art handling and installation. She is Lexicon’s co-curator, art handler, and installation expert. Heather is also an incredibly gifted ceramic sculptor, painter, and illustrator with an eye for up-and-coming artistic talent!
Julie Jones
Art Consultant | Collector Liaison
A passionate champion of artists and collector of art, Julie studied Art and Design, graduating with a B.A. from the lauded Webster University in London, England. As a lifelong painter, Julie draws inspiration from her travels throughout Europe, Africa, and South America. She spent years living throughout England, then in Houston, TX; New Orleans, LA; and now happily calls Charlotte her home with her husband, Eifion, five kids, and two Goldendoodles.
Julie uses her art expertise and extensive travel experience to discover new artists and form and continue close relationships with artists, art lovers, designers, and collectors. As Lexicon’s Art Consultant and Collector Liaison, she is your friendly ‘spirit guide’ in helping you find the perfect work of art that speaks to you!
Niav Lorenzo
Gallery Coordinator
Niav is a professional artist and creative director specializing in project management, graphic and product design, marketing, and film. Her journey in professional art began with realistic acrylic paintings at the age of seven, culminating in graduation from Northwest School of the Arts with a major in Visual Arts. She is currently pursuing a BFA in Studio for Interrelated Media at Massachusetts College of Art and Design in Boston and completed the Creative Marketing program from Savannah College of Art and Design.
Niav has an unyielding curiosity and drive that enable her to work passionately on all her creative project endeavors, pushing boundaries and creating impactful change. In 2023, she directed a "Youth Interactive Art Gallery" at Camp North End to promote young artists across the city, giving them resume-worthy experiences and teaching them about entrepreneurship and creative thinking. Alongside this, Niav published a free online guide for replicating educational workshops and independent exhibits, allowing any artist to build their creative career. With a passion for helping and inspiring others, Niav helps to support Lexicon Gallery's mission to nurture artistic success and foster a passion for art collecting.