Downtown Crowd, August 2021

DOWNTOWN CROWD AUG. ‘21

A LOOK INSIDE Sean Seid’s New Poetry Book

The New Vintage Q&A with Ballet Pensacola’s New Artistic Director

CURATING NOSTALGIC COLLECTIONS

SHARING ROOTS Plant Libraries Sprout Up

Also in this Issue:

MILITARY MATTERS an Armed Forces News Section

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DOWNTOWN CROWD August 2021 CONTENTS libraries springing up in neighborhoods throughout the region. We had the chance to connect with local plant enthusiasts who established some of the first plant libraries here in our area as a way to bring members of our community together through their shared love of plants.

Publisher Malcolm Ballinger Owner Malcolm Ballinger Executive Editor Kelly Oden Editor Morgan Cole Art Director Guy Stevens Graphic Designer Garrett Hallbauer Editorial Assistant Dakota Parks Editorial Intern Maya Sekhon

Advertising Account Executives Paula Rode paula@ballingerpublishing.com Becky Hildebrand becky@ballingerpublishing.com For advertising rates or news tips contact Phone: 433.1166 • Fax: 435.9174

DOWNTOWN CROWD is published by Ballinger Publishing.

Offices located at 314 N Spring St., Ste. A, Pensacola, FL 32501

Downtown Crowd is locally owned and operated. It is published monthly for distribution in Pensacola, Florida. All Right Reserved. Reproduction or use of the contents herein is prohibited without written permission from the publisher.

Comments and opinions expressed in this magazine represent the personal views of the individuals to whom they are attributed and/or the person identified as the author of the article, and they are not necessarily those of the publisher. This magazine accepts no responsibility for these opinions. The publisher reserves the right to edit all manuscripts. All advertising information is the responsibility of the individual advertiser. Appearance in this magazine does not necessarily reflect endorsement of any products or services

by Ballinger Publishing. © 2021

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Editor’s Letter Morgan Cole, Editor

Last weekend, I attended a beach cleanup at Fort Pickens and was completely blown away by the number of people who showed up to support the cause. But one thing’s for sure—it was hot! Despite the fact that it already felt like it was 100 degrees outside by 9 am, the volunteers hit the beach with buckets and trash grabbers in-hand, dedicating more than two hours of their Saturday morning to assist with cleanup efforts. This dedication reminds me why I love living in Pensacola—the overwhelming sense of community. Despite the heat and early weekend hours, these individuals put their community first.

Because let’s face it, I know that we all would have rather been basking in the air conditioning instead of sweating outside under the smoldering sun.

Events like this remind me how many, driven individuals are contributing to this ‘sense of community.’ One such individual is local artist and entrepreneur Lindsay Keeling, who is sharing her passion with the community through her new art subscription box business, Art Within.

Speaking of sharing your passion with the community, in this issue you’ll learn about some new plant

If gardening isn’t your thing, you’ll surely enjoy curling up (somewhere cool) with an inspiring book instead. In this issue, you’ll read about local author Sean Seid, who just published his first book, The Love Inseid, which intertwines both poetry and photography to create an inspiring work of art.

If you’re looking for another way to immerse yourself in the creative community this summer—check out these local vintage shop owners and their carefully curated collections.

With Pensacola’s vintage scene thriving, you can find items from any decade with your name written all over it.

Lastly, we had a chance to catch-up with the Ballet Pensacola’s new artistic director, Darren McIntyre, to learn a little more about what he has in store for the upcoming season. After falling in love with Pensacola’s sense of community, he felt Ballet Pensacola was the perfect place to carry out his artistic vision.

So when you find yourself needing a retreat from the heat or looking for some inspiration to spark your creative side, we’ve got your back.

From monthly art subscriptions boxes to discovering fun vintage finds, this issue has it all. Enjoy!

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12 6 5 Questions with Creatives 8 Sharing Roots: Plant Libraries Sprout Up Across the Gulf Coast 10 A Look Inside Sean Seid’s New Book

12 The New Vintage: Curating Nostalgic Collections 18 Changing of the Guard: Q&A with Darren McIntyre 20 August Events Calendar 22 Military Matters

ON THE COVER - Selections from the Saturn Collection Photo by Guy Stevens

Stay cool and until next time,

DOWNTOWNCROWD.COM | 5

What made you decide to launch your own business, specifically an art subscription box?

5 QUES TIONS WITH

CREATIVES

LINDSAY KEELING • ART WITHIN

BY MORGAN COLE

After moving to Pensacola from Chattanooga, TN eight years ago to obtain her MBA at University of West Florida, local artist and entrepreneur, Lindsay Keeling, decided she was ready to pursue her passion as a full-time career. During the pandemic, Keeling found herself with more time to connect with her creative side and became inspired to work on a concept for a new business idea. Little did she know, in less than a year, she’d be launching Art Within, a monthly art subscription box service.

As a lifelong artist, Keeling began taking lessons at an early age and learned foundational skills. Her work became more abstract as she grew older, and she began showing her paintings in local galleries throughout Tennessee and Florida, including her own art show at Artel Gallery in 2019. Keeling wanted to share her passion for creating and launched the art boxes to encourage individuals to ‘create outside of their comfort zones.’ The monthly art boxes are designed to help aspiring artists, ages 8 and up, find their own unique style and understand the basics of different art mediums and techniques.

Downtown Crowd had a chance to catch up with Lindsay Keeling to learn more about her new business endeavor and what inspired her to launch Art Within.

For prices and to view the complete line-up of monthly art boxes, visit createartwithin.com or follow @createartwithin on Instagram.

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brushes, pencils, Stabilo fine point pens, scissors and glue.

The idea for Art Within sparked sometime during the pandemic. I wanted to live more in alignment with my passion and values, and everything started falling into place once I decided to take the leap of faith. I have been working on the business behind the scenes for several months. Art Within officially launched in July 2021, with the first round of subscription boxes shipping in August.

The items and materials featured in each month’s box are centered around the specific project. Art Within projects are tailored to anyone ages 8 and up, and no artistic experience is required. I get inspiration from art projects I completed in school, and ideas from fellow artists and teachers. I hope to collaborate with other local artists for special projects in the future.

After a career in marketing, project management and risk management, I decided to take the leap and pursue my passion as a full time job. I have always dreamt of running my own business, especially one related to my passion for art. Mental health is also a huge priority for me, and I believe creativity and art can have a positive impact on a person’s wellbeing. Painting is a way to escape from day to day stress and focus on something positive and productive. “Busy your hands to keep your mind calm.” I launched Art Within to encourage creativity and make it convenient for individuals and their families to bring art into their daily lives.

Do you have another occupation or has operating your new business become a full-time job?

What comes inside each subscription box, and how do you decide on the items and what projects to feature in each month’s box?

Each box includes all the materials required to complete the project(s) of the month, simple step-by-step instructions and access to a short video for extra inspiration. The instructions include learning concepts to help you understand the materials and basic techniques. The “Standard” box includes art supplies for up to two artists and “Family” box for up to four artists. All boxes include free shipping and sustainable packaging. Some of the upcoming projects will even include the packaging as an art material to encourage re-use and recycling!

The “Me, Myself, and I” art project is available as an individual purchase outside of your subscription. This box includes art supplies for up to two artists to complete an abstract self portrait series in mixed media, pen & ink, watercolor and collage. Supplies include watercolor paper, drawing paper, graphite transfer paper, assorted colors of cardstock and construction paper, watercolors, paint-

I currently handle all aspects of Art Within and also sell my abstract landscape paintings. My husband, family and friends have been incredibly supportive throughout the journey to launch this business. I’m grateful to them, and I’ll need their help packing subscription boxes soon.

How much is a subscription box and how do I purchase one?

The “Standard” subscription boxes include materials for up to two artists and start at $36 per month. The “Family” subscription boxes include materials for up to four artists and start at $46 per-month. There are also individual project boxes available (while supplies last) in case someone missed out on a previous month’s project box or just wants to give one of the boxes a try without committing to a monthly subscription. You can purchase a subscription for yourself or gift it to a loved one by visiting our website at createartwithin.com and simply select your box size and payment plan at checkout. To celebrate the official launch of Art Within, I will be giving my first 50 art box subscribers a free full-sized sketchbook and 2B pencil with their first month’s box!

What makes your box unique compared to other monthly art subscription boxes?

Art Within provides more than just art supplies. Learning concepts and a variety of projects and mediums give you the tools to build a solid foundation. Abstract art projects help you create outside your comfort zone, and the Art Within creative community on social media gives you the opportunity to share your work with likeminded aspiring artists. Our mission is to conveniently bring art into your daily life to build creativity, focus and wellbeing.

SHARING ROOTS Plant Libraries Sprout Up Across the Gulf Coast

Plant swap groups have existed through social media platforms such as Facebook for years, although the plant libraries are a relatively new development. Angela Blake, the founder of Emerald Coast Plant Libraries, was inspired when she learned about a plant library located in Tallahassee. Blake decided that she should introduce the idea to local plant groups in her area, and the idea quickly caught on. Today, there are approximately thirty libraries all the way from Fort Walton to Pensacola. There are many people eager to host their own plant libraries, and the community is continuously growing.

Plant libraries are an exciting way for the community to come together and facilitate their common love for plants. People can propagate plants they already own

and trade them for others they may not already have. While devoted plant enthusiasts can scour the libraries for that one rare plant they’ve always wanted, other visitors can come and enjoy the experience of getting involved and giving back to the community. Having a plant flourish under your care is an exciting and therapeutic experience that anyone can take part in. Blake is passionate about gardening and wanted to share her passion and its benefits pertaining to mental health, community interactions and more.

The concept is simple. Take a plant, leave a plant. Libraries are open to any visitors, as long as they follow the rule. Participants bring plants that they have propagated, and in turn they can pick any plant from the library. Some hosts were initially concerned about the system, but their doubts quickly vanished when they realized that most people were taking one plant and leaving multiple.

Blake recommends bringing plants that are non-invasive and easy to take care of. Hosts would like visitors to only leave plants that have already taken root to make sure it survives in the library.

According to one library owner, Jacquelyn Sternung, “anything is fair game.”

Sternung began her library about a month ago after seeing the Emerald Coast Plant Libraries page on Facebook and instantly fell in love. “I loved the idea of a space where my neighbors and the community could share something positive,” she explained. Sternung is always excited to check her library when she gets home from work. It makes her happy to see new plants and know that someone has stopped by and found a plant they want. Owning a plant library has brought back her passion and excitement for gardening, and she hopes that it will make a difference in someone’s day whether it’s finding a unique plant or by just walking by and seeing something positive.

If you are interested in becoming a host, Blake asks that you reach out to her to let her know why you want to start a library, give her some background information about your plant care experience and send her a picture of the area you want to use. She encourages people to contact her with any questions about starting their own plant library communities in other areas.

Sekhon

new trend has sprouted in communities all across the Emerald Coast, bringing people of all walks of life together with their shared love of plants.

Whether you’re new to gardening, a longtime plant enthusiast or just want to grow your collection, plant libraries can help facilitate a love for gardening and the community.

photos by Maya

by Maya Sekhon

1308 East Belmont Street

724 Woodmere Drive

e celot Driv 7700 Lan

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Emerald Coast Plant Libraries

ppPensacola

• 2925 North U Street • 8100 Crystal Wells Place • 621 North 79th Avenue • 7700 Lancelot Drive • 332 Gibbs Road • 1308 East Belmont Street • 8815 Thunderbird Drive • 724 Woodmere Drive • 2901 Swan Lane • 724 Stanley Avenue • 2517 Sea Robin Road

ppCantonment • 1989 Parker Road

ppPace • 4147 Charles Circle • 2604 Wilderness Lane

ppMilton • 3620 Gatlin Road

ppGulf Breeze • 2995 Swift Street

ppNavarre • 2217 Avenida de Sol • 6906 Calle de Bandoledo • 2701 Woodbury Court

ppHurlburt Field (must have base access)

• Corvias Housing Office 50 Mayo Street 8 am–5 pm

ppShalimar • 55 Berwick Circle

ppFt Walton • 940 McFarlan Avenue

ppCrestview • 6319 Bethany Drive • 301 Runnymeade Drive • 4518 Dorcas Road • 107 Eloise Place • 100 Old Milligan Road (The Porch Life) • 275 Lindberg Street • 798 Dixie Street

ppNiceville • 208 21st Street • 122 2nd Street

ppDestin • 709 Mars Street

A LOOK

INSIDE Sean Seid’s New Book

by Dakota Parks | Images from Sean Seid

s a notable figure in the art scene and a regular in the open mic poetry circles, Sean Seid, 31, has had a fascination with the magic of language since his earliest memories. Throughout his life, he has been captivated and enthralled by poetry, succumbing to inspiration serendipitously sprawling on napkins, receipts and scrap paper when the moment strikes. As an adult, he learned to combat imposter syndrome and self-doubt, rediscovering his creativity and passion for writing. For the last two years, Seid has been working on compiling and archiving his work to publish his first book, The Love Inseid, which he released in June. His book intertwines poetry and photography to examine the power of yoga and meditation, nature, introspection and self-love, while embodying a creative call to arms.

The catalyst for this introspective and soul-searching poetry came to Seid when he discovered yoga and meditation, which allowed him to examine his belief systems and begin to appreciate creativity for creativity’s sake. Seid went on to enroll in a program to become a yoga instructor and began working as a massage therapist, then later as the receptionist at Empathic Practice.

tered at some point in their life, and that the voices inside and outside of themselves convinced them not to follow that dream. Or convinced them that they weren’t capable or weren’t worthy of that dream. One of the primary messages of the book is that very dream and seed inside yourself is the most valuable thing in life.”

Part of his journey toward writing the book began with battling imposter syndrome and the voices telling him he wasn’t capable of publishing a book in the first place. Seid found Poetry and Photography a mentor and creative through support from Felipe Munoz, Sean Seid owner of Empathic Practice, who helped Seid publish his book and established Brainfeed Publishing as an incubator to help authors and creatives embark on the task of getting their work out into the world.

“One of the great questions Seid explained that he that so many people ask Sean Seid’s new poetry and photography actually wrote and assembook, released in June 2021. in their lives is, ‘What am I bled a majority of the book here to do? How can I help in his down time at work, or make a beneficial change in the world?’ In behind the receptionist desk at Empathic yogic terms, we call that Dharma,” he said.

Practice. Between scheduling appointments “Throughout the process of this book, I’m and answering the phone, Seid would jot down exploring the medium of poetry, words and lines to a poem or edit photographs. writing as my Dharma. I want to write something that is authentic to myself and brings “As a creative myself, I know that idle time something of value or joy to others. I believe can lead to demotivation, boredom and lack that everybody has a dream that they have had of satisfaction with what we do,” Munoz since they were children, or that they encounexplained. “If I can, as an employer, support

The Love Inseid

Does the moon pull on the fluid in my spine?

How many times have I seen her rise and fall,

Does she read palms?

And wax and wane,

Will she read mine?

While I do my best,

Would she run her milky finger across the crease of my life line?

To ride the waves of human emotions,

How many lives, 10 | DOWNTOWNCROWD.COM

“So much of my poetry is about looking inside of myself and encouraging other people to do the same,” Seid said. “I try to paint a picture of what you’re going to find in there. I wanted to showcase the difficulties and shadow work of what’s going to inevitably come up when you dig into yourself—those demons, neuroses and difficult to accept aspects of yourself.”

And spiritual pains? ~ from “Moon Crooner”

Wrap my eyes in your most marvellous dreams, Technicolor epiphanies Of landscapes and technologies…

Trace a finger tip from nape to neck, And back again, Unzipping these bioluminescent machines we’ve called home in lieu of a better understanding. ~ from “Technicolor Epiphanies” something that will help my team to be motivated and exercise creativity in their idle time, I think the motivation and joy that comes from it can ripple into how we perform as a company and attend to our clients. I see this as nurturing talent that will bring back to us and our community. To me, it is an investment on the employee to be a company that helps them to achieve their dreams on a personal level.”

Munoz said his dream for Brainfeed Publishing is to serve as an incubator for creatives providing writing and mindset coaching, graphic design services, resources for selfpublishing and the intricacies of the publication process that helps people publish their next book, podcast, play or other creative aspirations they might have.

In his book, The Love Inseid, Seid moves effortlessly between photography and poetic musings on strolls through nature, the tribulations of love and slice of life poetry about food, cleaning and day-to-day existence. He explained that his photography often serves as a starting point for a poem and closely inspires the work he writes. Although he began taking photos while traveling, much of the work within his book was captured locally along the Panhandle.

“I didn’t really explore photography seriously until I was living in Costa Rica, working for an

ayahuasca center. It was physically, mentally and emotionally taxing to work with a plant medicine that acts almost like therapy to open you up and expose things hidden within your psyche,” Seid said. “We finally got a break from work, and a friend and I went on a road trip. She encouraged me to bring my phone along to take photos of nature on one of our walks. That experience reawakened my love of photography. From there, I started exploring what I love about photography, which is finding something mundane and revealing the magic to the eye. Often, I do that through double and multiple exposures.”

Many of the poems in Seid’s book like “Moon Crooner” and “Technicolor Epiphanies” explore aspects of unrequited love and the stages of connecting and learning how to love another person. Most importantly, however, the book explores the vitality of self-love and learning to embrace loneliness and creativity as a means to know yourself better. This creative call to arms reoccurs as a motif throughout the book to encourage and support the dreams and aspirations of the readers.

“I think a sort of microcosm for my beliefs is that I feel like art should be open source,” Seid explained. “We should be able to draw creativity from the commons and nothing should be held as property, because I feel like that is how we allow creativity to keep evolving. Art

is the medicine for the soul as we navigate the difficulties of life. I want people to have the freedom to cut apart my poetry and glue it back together to create something new. The creative community in Pensacola, particularly the art, poetry and open mic community has been like the breath that has played through me as a flute. I want people to know this is not an individual accomplishment. Instead, it is a reflection of a larger creative community that has influenced me. We are all an accumulation of everyone we have ever met.”

Seid pays tribute to this community through his extensive acknowledgements section thanking local creatives, restaurants and the community at large for their inspiration and support. He also gives permission to all readers in the beginning of the book to cut out his poetry, read it at open mics, share it with a friend or even photocopy it and slip them into random nooks and crannies at coffee shops and waiting rooms. Staying true to his philosophy of creative commons, Seid shares all of his photography and poems for free on Instagram at @lookinseid. For those that want a tangible copy of his book, you can purchase a copy from him at Empathic Practice for $33 while he works on distributing copies to local shops. Seid is currently working on a second book, which he hopes to release by the end of the year.

DOWNTOWNCROWD.COM | 11

The New

Vintage

Saturn Collection

CURATING NOSTALGIC COLLECTIONS

by Dakota Parks Photos by Guy Stevens

ashion trends often rotate with the seasons and come in and out of style like clockwork. Mom jeans, bell bottoms, chunky sneakers, bucket hats, hair scrunchies and even neon windbreaker jackets are all back in style. If you ask a vintage collector, however, vintage never goes out of style these days. As consumers learn more about the consequences that industrial fast fashion has on our planet, from the 2,700 gallons of water it takes to produce one cotton t-shirt to the average garment only being worn three to seven times before hitting the landfill, sustainability is a leading reason to shop vintage. The local vintage scene in Pensacola is sprawling, from the colloquial “antique alley” on Navy Boulevard to pop up vintage markets all over downtown Pensacola. While vintage collectors are constantly tracking down new thrift stores, clothing exchanges, garage sales, estate sales and hidden gems they will take to their hoarder-esque graves, most of their business now happens on Instagram. The new vintage scene is influenced by 90s clothing now classified as vintage. Fueled by online shopping and social media, it is constantly driven towards nostalgia, giving clothing, furniture and home goods a second chance at life. Downtown Crowd spoke to some of the veteran vintage shops in Pensacola to learn more about their styles, niches and vintage hoards.

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@saturncollection

L

ike a true vintage clothing connoisseur, Van Smith, 34, recalls that her itch for vintage came from adolescence when she needed an outfit for a hippiethemed middle school dance and her sister took her to the now closed store, Years A Go-Go, to buy some bell bottom pants and a tie dye shirt. From that moment on, she was hooked and began to frequent that same vintage shop and gravitate toward late 60s and early 70s psychedelic hippie and disco-era clothing. Smith has always had an eccentric clothing taste, and the clothing she sells is filled with bright colors, funky patterns and plenty of vintage accessories to complete any look. Her business, Saturn Collection, previously had a storefront located inside Miles Antique Mall for four years before Hurricane Sally destroyed the building. Now she primarily sells online on Etsy and offers local pickup from her porch.

“I am drawn towards the particular patterns that came out during the 10-year period from 1963 to 1973,” she explained. “I’ve been doing this long enough that I can actually tell the difference between a floral pattern from the 2000s and a floral pattern from the 1960s.

I don’t have to physically flip through every shirt on the rack anymore. I can just slowly walk down the aisle and look at that sliver of fabric that is in between every single blouse and pull out the vintage material with my eyes.”

Saturn Collection sells everything from vintage denim shorts, leather jackets, 50s and 60s era velvet dresses, to disco jumpsuits, floral and psychedelic pattern dresses and 90s band tees and pins. Van Smith also

runs the Pensacola Vintage Collective with Ryan Smith, owner of Obsolete Heat. Together they help coordinate and host vintage clothing markets in Pensacola to provide locals with a diverse selection of vintage clothing all under one roof. Their next market is on October 9 at Odd Colony.

“I think I’m a bit of a vintage purist in the sense that I don’t want to walk into a mall and purchase a pair of bell bottom jeans off a rack,” she explained. “I would rather wear a pair of the 1940s military dungarees that created the bell bottom style. However, I’m not a purist when it comes to altering vintage. I think that if you buy a garment and it doesn’t fit you right, you need to go straight to your tailor and get it to fit you correctly. But make sure your tailor is experienced in vintage fabrics because they’re different than modern fabrics. I constantly tell customers that I hope the garment I sell them is its last stop because I hope they wear it until it’s unwearable.”

Smith also explained that sizing is a huge learning curve in shopping vintage because there is no standardization in sizing, and vintage sizes are completely different than modern-day sizes. She laboriously measures every inch of her vintage clothing and each of her orders comes with a tape measurer to use for future orders. She also regularly posts tutorials on how to properly measure clothing instead of measuring your body.

“I really try to move the focus on measuring your favorite piece of clothing right now,” she explained.

“If you like how it fits, measure it, and then compare those measurements to another piece of clothing that you’re interested in buying. Because your body is not meant to fit into clothes. Clothes are meant to fit onto you.”

F

or Zachary Keaton, 30, owner of Supertouch Vintage on Navy Boulevard, thrifting and restoring furniture came out of necessity long before it became his passion. He grew up low income in Atlanta, GA helping his grandmother sort through donations at her thrift store and taking first picks of band t-shirts and secondhand clothing. He learned early on about the sheer amount of waste in the world and began to live by a mend-and-make-do mentality to repair furniture, cars and clothing. In February 2020, he opened his store focused on restoring and repairing Danish modern and midcentury modern furniture back to their vintage finishing using original manufacturing techniques.

Keaton explained that running a vintage furniture restoration store by himself is a non-stop job. He spends a lot of time traveling across the South all the way to Texas and Tennessee to pick pieces, repairing furniture, delivering locally to customers and constantly posting finished pieces online, so his storefront is only open two days a week. Keaton also shares a great deal of his restoration process online through videos posted on social media stories so that customers can actually watch his process and know his work is genuine.

“I would say 70 percent of my business is online through Instagram and my website. I’m constantly shipping furniture to California, New York and South Korea

@supertouch _ vintage through Instagram. If I post a rare $3,000 piece in my store, it’s going to take a really particular person to walk in here and buy it, but if I post it on Instagram, suddenly people all over the country are looking at it wanting to buy it and have it shipped to them,” he said.

Like many of the vintage clothing sellers that are adamant about fighting fast fashion, Keaton is passionate about restoring vintage furniture to fight the throwaway compressed particle board furniture that is filling up storefronts and landfills. While he can always spot the rare and profitable furniture worthy of 30 hours of his labor to repair and refinish, he’s also passionate about finding solid vintage pieces with little neglect that he can deep clean, touch up and sell for an affordable price.

Marri Salt, 39, recalls thrift-store hopping as a child with her mother and grandmother as a competition to find the best score of the day. The three of them would hold up their vintage picks in the car like treasure out of a chest, and her mother would constantly say, “Oooh, that’s funky yet groovy!” Salt used this memory as the namesake for her shop that focuses on 60s and 70s clothing with bright, bold and funky patterns. She explained that she loves vintage clothing because it stands the test of time and lasts forever. “Vintage can be your friend for life. I have polyester blouses in my closet that I’ve worn since I was 14 years old,” Salt said. Funky Yet Groovy started out in Miles Antique Mall more than two years ago and is now a traveling shop, following Salt along to markets, including the Pensacola Arts Market that she hosts. You can also shop her collection on her Instagram. photo by Natalie Allgyer

“I started out using all of the wrong techniques at first,” Keaton explained. “Then I learned how to restore furniture properly and moved on to using an air compressor and spray gun like they used back in the 50s and 60s when they made this furniture. Most of the furniture only needs minor repairs for wood chips and scratches.

But, if I do a full teardown restoration, I completely chemically strip the piece. Then, I do a color match to the same color that came out of the factory and refinish it with the same lacquer products they used to manufacture it. They used a lot of aerosol lacquers because the furniture is made out of different species of wood like walnut and birch, so if you stain the entire thing, it will come out multiple colors. You have to color match all the different wood types on a piece.”

Funky Yet Groovy

@funkyyetgroovy

photo by Natalie Allgyer

Supertouch Vintage

“It’s important to me to have pieces that everyone can afford, because I didn’t grow up with much money,” Keaton said. “I meet a lot of low-income people in the vintage scene, and they also deserve to have a cool piece of furniture that’s going to last them another 60 years. I make sure every piece of furniture I sell is professionally cleaned, repaired and ready to last 60+ years, no matter the price I sell it for. I have a console I just sold for $3,500 sitting next to a dresser for $250.”

DOWNTOWNCROWD.COM | 13

photo by @ai_ames_imagery

lemonbright

@lemonbright Rocket Anyway Vintage

@rocketanywayvintage Valorie Taylor, 36, has been thrifting since she was in middle school. After she collected more than 500 vintage dresses by college, she started selling vintage clothing on Etsy in 2011. She has always been drawn toward vintage clothing to create one-of-a-kind outfits and can often be seen sporting cowboy boots, a bolo tie and a variety of vintage Western wear. She actually plans to launch an exclusive vintage Western collection in the fall. Her sister shops, Rocket Anyway Vintage and Vintage on the Rocks, are located in Blue Moon Antique Mall. Taylor describes her style as “eccentric, eclectic and versatile to mix and match eras to make your wardrobe fun and specialized towards your unique personality.” Rocket Anyway Vintage primarily sells 80s and early 90s items but has some items as early as 50s in the shop. Vintage on the Rocks specializes in vintage lounge wear, slips and lingerie.

PARCEL

@parcel.vintage Hana Frenette, 33, launched her Instagram shop in October 2016 and is addicted to hunting down the perfect vintage picks and digging through bins with zero expectations on what she might find. When she isn’t slinging vintage, she works as a writer and editor. Frenette came into the vintage scene as a loyal customer, shopping from other local vintage businesses before she amassed her own private collection. While she doesn’t have a particular era or style that she curates, she sells a lot of 70s and 90s clothing, and she explained that she is constantly looking for items that will always be in style like silk blouses, good-fitting jeans and a perfectly worn t-shirt. She ships her items to customers online and offers free local delivery. “I really appreciate the sustainable aspect of buying vintage. It feels nice to think about giving new life to old pieces,” Frenette said.

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lthough she doesn’t identify as a vintage clothing dealer, Nancy Butler, 26, often uses the vintage clothing that nobody wants. Digging through racks and bags of ripped and torn flannels, donated monogram t-shirts that no one will ever buy, or 90s clothing that her friends have kept since their adolescence and outgrown, Butler breathes life back into these garments to keep them out of the landfills. She has been collecting and selling vintage clothing since she was in high school, but it wasn’t until 2016 that the dream for her business, Lemonbright, came to fruition. Butler is a hairstylist at Cobalt Studio and an artist that lives in a Bluebird school bus that she converted into a tiny home and uses as a business base to create and sell her upcycled, handmade clothing.

“I was driving to a thrift store in Macon, GA to buy vintage clothes. It was a three-hour drive, and I was crying because my whole life was flipped upside down,” Butler explained. “My mother had just died, and I didn’t know what I was going to do. I was driving behind a school bus, and I realized buses are huge and that I could live in one of them. I pulled over to a rest stop and started Googling school bus homes, then I walked outside and saw a converted skoolie in the parking lot. When I finally got to the thrift store, I immediately saw a 1980s Bluebird bus hat sitting on a rack, and I knew it was fate. The bus came from a painful part of my life as a way of grieving and trying to create something sustainable for myself.”

The conversion took a year and half, and Butler learned everything along the way from YouTube University. In late 2019, she made a switch in her business niche and sold off most of her valuable

vintage clothing. She taught herself how to sew on YouTube and began cutting apart and creating hybrid upcycled clothing that allowed her to focus on sustainability, creativity and fighting fast fashion. Lemonbright sells clothing geared toward punk, skater and streetwear styles with inclusive sizing and fully androgynous aesthetics.

“As a nonbinary person, I wanted all of my clothing to be gender neutral because I don’t believe clothing or hair styles need to be gendered” she said. “I also design all of my clothing to be worn baggy and oversized to help people feel comfortable in their bodies and gender presentation. Upcycling clothing allows me to actually shop in sizes that don’t fit me and tailor clothing to more inclusive sizes. Clothing is such an individual and personal thing. I think making your own clothes is a big part of queer culture because nothing ever fits your identity off a rack.”

Butler’s clothing uses a combination of 80s and 90s band tees, flannels and old t-shirts sewn back together with a modern twist. She begins by finding similar sized fabrics and often combines and exchanges up to five elements from different garments. She often finds school sports team or monogram shirts at thrift stores and sews a patch over the name plate so the garment can be used again by another person. She even creates hair scrunchies out of childhood bed sheets and scrap fabric. You can find her set up at numerous markets around town or shop her Etsy store online.

“The whole meaning of Lemonbright and what I believe in is based on the quote, ‘a life lived for art is never a life wasted.’ There are so many times I could have given up and chosen a different path in life, but this is what I wake up for in the morning and what gives my life meaning,” Butler said.

Garden Street Vintage is curating streetwear from the 90s to early Y2K, including hip hop, rap, grunge and hardcore band tees and concert shirts to vintage Levi’s and Guess jeans, sports hats and sneakers. While a majority of their clothing is men’s streetwear, Wayne explained that all of their clothing is unisex, and that there is a growing market for women shopping for baggy style shirts and jeans. In addition to the vintage streetwear, Garden Street Vintage will also stock a small selection of modern streetwear like Supreme, Vape and other skateboard brands that can be hard to find in Pensacola. The store will also have a hat and sneaker wall with some rare vintage sneakers on display.

Garden Street Vintage @gardenstreetvtg T he co-owners of Garden Street Vintage, Dallas Wayne, 26, Adam Ynfaante, 28, and Cody Potter, 28, are some of the newest faces in the vintage scene and long-time thrifting companions. The trio began setting up at vintage markets with their individual vintage shops and quickly became good friends. After three years of thrifting together and slinging clothing next to each other at markets, they set out to combine their niche clothing tastes and open the first vintage streetwear boutique in downtown Pensacola. Garden Street Vintage, located at 100 S Jefferson Street, is expected to open within the next month.

“We always had friendly competition running into each other thrifting,” Wayne explained. “But we each have our individual styles. Cody is a total sneaker fanatic and has one of the best Nike collections on the Gulf Coast. Adam and I have similar tastes in wrestling, sports and concert shirts, but he is really knowledgeable about hardcore music like Black Flag. I just love 90s hip hop, which pioneered 90s streetwear and culture. I love that we can sell the authentic vintage styles that modern clothing manufactures are trying to recreate right now. If you walk into a mall, you’ll see most stores are recreating the vintage looks that we are curating for our customers.”

“Most vintage sneakers are collector’s items only because they will literally disintegrate on your feet,” Wayne explained. “We will have some rare OG Jordan and Nike sneakers on display that were released in 1985 and the early 90s and can’t be touched. But people can come in and see the original leather, fabric and craftsmanship that you can’t usually see in person unless you go to Atlanta, Los Angeles or some of the thrift and vintage capitols. Any of the vintage sneakers with a foam insole will literally crumble in your hands, so the sneakers for sale in the store will be from the 2000s and really help complete the look when styling vintage streetwear.”

The co-owners of Garden Street Vintage also travel around the country to different thrift conventions and have contacts with vintage dealers across the country. Wayne explained that they are excited to build and diversify the vintage scene in Pensacola after being one of the first groups of people to embark on selling both men’s vintage clothing and streetwear here. He said they even dream of hosting a thrift con in Pensacola to bring other big city vintage dealers to this area and show off the bustling vintage scene here.

Obsolete Heat

@obsoleteheat

Ryan Smith, 42, is a regular vendor at the 200 South Markets and a co-host of the Pensacola Vintage Collective. His business, Obsolete Heat, specializes in streetwear from the 70s through the 90s like sports and concert t-shirts, hats and outerwear. He also collects local memorabilia like hurricane and unique event shirts, old bar and business shirts and local sports team clothing for customers looking for a hint of nostalgic Pensacola. Smith explained that vintage graphic t-shirts are by far the biggest demand in the vintage scene across the country right now because they’re unisex and fit a wide variety of body shapes. “Everyone has a hint of nostalgia in them and wants to remember some aspect of their youth, be that a band or a major event. Van, from Saturn Collection, and I founded the Pensacola Vintage Collective because we wanted a space for everyone, including private collectors and vintage clothing from the 1920s all the way to the 1990s,” he said.

“We have clientele that want the same clothing that we want, but don’t necessarily know how to get it or what to look for in thrift stores, because it takes a lot of years to build up the knowledge and make sure you’re not just wasting your money,” Wayne said. “We have hand-picked everything for you, so the only thing you have to do is come into the store and pick out your favorite shirt and pair of pants and you’re set.”

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A Q&A with Ballet Pensacola’s New Artistic Director, Darren

A

McIntyre

by Morgan Cole

photo by Jessica Kaminski

s Ballet Pensacola prepares to enter its 2021–2022 season, the company is honored to welcome newly appointed artistic director Darren McIntyre. Originally from Australia, McIntyre has produced more than 30 original works and has restaged and coached several full-length traditional repertory ballets. He has toured extensively across the globe in places such as the United States, Canada, Asia, Europe and South America. Recognized by the American Guild of Musical Artists as an Artist of Extraordinary Ability, McIntyre is also the founder and artistic director of the Marianne McIntyre Memorial International Ballet Scholarship. McIntyre is excited to bring his artistic vision to Ballet Pensacola and the community and looks forward to his first season as artistic director.

Downtown Crowd had the chance to catch up with McIntyre during his first week on the job to learn a little more about his artistic vision for the future of Ballet Pensacola.

DTC: How long have you been involved with ballet and dance and when did you first become interested in dance and choreography?

DM: Originally from Glen Innes NSWAustralia, I spent most of my childhood growing up in Port Macquarie on the Mid North Coast and kind of always knew I wanted to be a professional dancer ever since I took my first dance class when I was 10 years old. I loved it from the very first day. It is hard to explain, but dance was me and I had to dance. It was like it chose me. I also had a huge passion for languages and was studying German at the time. After completing one year abroad in Germany through the STS International Exchange program (when I was 18 | DOWNTOWNCROWD.COM

15 years old), I was selected to attend the internationally acclaimed Prix de Lausanne (1996), which is the world’s largest youth ballet competition, equivalent to the Olympics. There, I was approached by the late Gailene Stock CBE AM who invited me to audition for The Australian Ballet School (TABS). As per her suggestion, I successfully auditioned and moved to Melbourne to start my training with TABS (1997). Whilst at TABS I was honored to be the recipient of The Sir Robert Helpmann Bursary and The Dame Peggy Van Praagh Award for Choreography. I was also fortunate to perform in their productions of The Snow Queen (1997) and The Red Shoes (1998) by Petal Miller Ashmole as well as worked with The Australian Ballet Company in Natalia Makarova’s

La Bayadere and Rudolf Nureyev’s Don Quixote (1999). I graduated, receiving my Advanced Diploma of Dance in 1999.

As a professional dancer, choreographer and guest teacher, I have toured extensively throughout the United States, Australia, Asia, Canada, Europe, Mexico and South America, performing a wide range of both classical and contemporary works as a freelance artist with companies such as The National Ballet of Ireland, The Landestheater Detmold in Germany, Louisville Ballet in Kentucky, City Ballet of San Diego, Milwaukee Ballet and Ajkun Ballet Theatre in New York City.

I also love theatre and recently was a street performer with New York City’s

Experience, The Ride and was honored to be featured as an original cast member in the world premiere and the first Australian Tour of the new Australian hit production, BANJO (in the role of Banjo Paterson).

DTC: What made you decide to become an artistic director after spending so many years as an awardwinning dancer and choreographer?

DM: Having been an artist myself for most of my lifetime, I regard dance as a transient mode of expression, a language of its own, one with infinite progression and purpose. It is incredibly inspiring to be a part of a creative world and industry that is consistently bringing positivity, imagination and edifying values to the forefront of our society. I am very enthusi-

Warm up class with Classical Ballet of Colorado before Giselle. Photo by Sean Slavin

I got to Pensacola, I immediately fell in love with the city and was totally feeling the community vibe. I also realized the incredible opportunity that Ballet Pensacola could offer me to execute my artistic vision. I was ecstatic to find out the following month, on June 10 to be exact, that I was being offered the position and immediately decided to accept as I knew it was the right fit for me as well as the right fit for them.

DTC: As the new artistic director, what are some of your biggest goals and priorities?

astic about my chosen career and dance embodies a large quantity of who I am as an individual.

During my career, thus far, I have been fortunate to experience directing two companies here in the USA, Montgomery Ballet and Lake Erie Ballet. I have served as assistant to the Artistic Directors of another company in New York City, Ajkun Ballet Theatre and most recently I held the position of Artistic Associate & Ballet Master at Fort Wayne Ballet in Indiana.

The knowledge attained during these interim positions and throughout my career is invaluable; however, the most important quality I built during this time was the ignition of my passion for being in the performing arts industry. I love how dance can open a dialogue for people of all walks of life, creating a platform of entertainment, statements and education. The synergy of art and life that makes our world a better place, is a philosophy I share wholeheartedly and an inspiration I bring fully to my work.

DTC: What made you decide to pursue the artistic director position at Ballet Pensacola and did you have any previous ties to the company as a performer or choreographer?

DM: I didn’t really have any prior affiliations with Ballet Pensacola before this recent appointment as artistic director.

During Covid lockdown, I had made the difficult decision that I would step back from performing as I was struggling to maintain keeping in shape. It had been a year since I performed, and I just knew it was time to think about retiring. One day a good friend and former Ballet coach of mine in New York City called me, as he knew I had decided to seek opportunities such as artistic staff positions and had been sending out my materials and interviewing in various places. He informed me that one of the principal dancers from a professional company in Florida had reached out to him to ask if he knew anyone who might be interested in applying for the artistic director position. I knew that quite a few of my colleagues had already submitted for Ballet Pensacola and so I thought, why not? I have nothing to lose, so I sent my materials in for consideration. I then went through several interview processes with written proposals, Zoom meetings and various interviews, which took place over a couple of months—given that there was a lot of interest in the position and the candidate pool was quite large.

In May, I received a phone call and the invitation to fly to Pensacola for an in-person interview as one of the final three candidates for the position. I was at that time, contemplating several offers and opportunities that I had received but decided to take the invitation. Once

DM: Cultivating an interest in the arts and promoting dance and physical movement as a creative outlet can definitely enrich the lives of our community, captivating imaginations and developing a deeper understanding of the arts. I believe dance should be accessible and affordable to everyone, all year-round, because it’s our responsibility to keep ballet, and all of the arts, as vital components of our community.

I have already mapped out my three-season plan for Ballet Pensacola and have some exciting productions planned, including some of my performed productions I have done.

I also have some exciting world premieres in the works. Stay tuned for this coming season’s exciting line up.

DTC: Is there anything you would like to share about what we can expect for the upcoming season?

DM: We have a lot in store for our 2021– 2022 season. On Halloween, Ballet Pensacola will debut the premier of my original production of Dracula inspired by Bram Stoker’s original fable. This haunting and legendary tale is sure to spookily delight your taste and ballet bite as we travel from Transylvania to London in a pursuit of chaotic seduction, lust and frightful encounters.

In addition, Ballet Pensacola will celebrate the holiday spirit with performances of the beloved classic, The Nutcracker. As for Spring 2022 performances, Ballet Pensacola will present the colorful, iconic tale of The Wizard of Oz. For more on artistic director Darren McIntyre and Ballet Pensacola’s 2021– 2022 season, visit balletpensacola.org.

photo by Patrick Trautfield

Ballet Pensacola’s Second Annual Mr. Tutu Competition Friday, August 6 | Doors Open at 5:30 PM Phineas Phogg’s inside Seville Quarter This exciting evening of dance, fundraising and fun will feature some of Pensacola’s leading gentlemen as they strut their stuff in pink tutus in support of Ballet Pensacola. Who will be crowned Mr. Tutu 2021? It’s up to you! Make a donation to cast your vote for the ‘Man in Pink’ that you want to see take home the crown. Tickets are $50 and $75 and can be purchased online at balletpensacola.org.

To vote for Mr. Tutu 2021, scan the QR code or visit balletpensacola. org/support/benefit-events-tutu. All proceeds/donations directly benefit Ballet Pensacola.

DOWNTOWNCROWD.COM | 19

August COMMUNITY EVENTS Blue Wahoos Scheduled Home Games Blue Wahoos vs Mississippi (July 27–August 1)

Blue Wahoos vs Montgomery (August 10–15) Blue Wahoos vs Biloxi (August 17–22)

Join Pensacola’s Blue Wahoos on weekdays at 6:35 pm, Saturday at 6:05 pm and Sunday at 4 pm. Box seats are open behind home plate, on top of the dugouts or down by the baseline. Tickets are $13-$15 per game. Reserved seats and standing seats are also available.

For tickets and information, visit milb. com/pensacola/tickets.

Blue Angels Practice Cruises

June 9–November 3 The world-famous Blue Angels are based at NAS Pensacola and can be seen practicing over the museum on select Tuesdays and Wednesdays throughout the year. What better way to watch the Blues practice than from the top deck of one of our beautiful catamaran-style ferries? Beer, wine, liquor, sodas and waters available for purchase. Cruises are from 10 am to 12 pm, and tickets can be purchased at pensacolabaycruise.com/cruises/ blue-angels-practice-cruise.

Harlem Globetrotters

August 3 The world-Famous Harlem Globetrotters are bringing their newly reimagined Spread Game tour to over 150 cities in 2021 starting. The Spread Game Tour is a basketball event like no other. Anklebreaking moves, jaw-dropping swag and rim-rattling dunks are only some of the thrill you can expect from this fully modernized show. Part streetball from the players who defined it, part interactive family entertainment, the new tour will show off the best of the Globetrotters in a dazzling exhibition of talent and game. Check out the show at the Pensacola Bay Center on August 3rd at 7 pm.

Constant Coffee Poetry Night

August 3, 10, 17, 24 & 31 Join Pensacola Poetry at the longest running open mic in Pensacola at Constant Coffee & Tea, located at 615 20 | DOWNTOWNCROWD.COM

Scenic Highway. Every Tuesday, poets and creatives come to flex their voices through poetry, rap and spoken word.

Come out and support the local arts community and hear a beautiful bricolage of words. Doors open at 6 pm and mic starts at 6:30 pm. Follow Pensacola Poetry on Facebook for updates and information.

YIKES! Open Mic at A Little Madness Brewing

August 4, 11, 18 & 25 YIKES! Welcomes newcomers and pros alike to standup and get on the mic!

Each participant gets 5–7 minutes to work out their material and make the people laugh. Be a part of the Madness at A Little Madness Brewing Company every Wednesday. Signup at 6:31 pm and standup at 7 pm.

Mr. Tutu II presented

by Ballet Pensacola

August 6 Join the Ballet Pensacola on August 6th from 5:30 pm to 8 pm for Mr. Tutu II. You won’t want to miss any of the contestants strutting their stuff to benefit Ballet Pensacola! All proceeds go to support Ballet Pensacola and its programs. $50 entry includes alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. The event will be held at Seville Quarter’s Phineas Phogg’s. Visit balletpensacola.org for tickets and information.

JoJo Siwa D.R.E.A.M. The Tour

August 11 JoJo was bound to be a star from the very beginning. As a child, she loved to dance, sing and wear her signature BOW’s! Her mom, Jessalynn Siwa, and JoJo moved to California as JoJo grew in popularity. Her signature bows are known globally and represent her fans called the “Siwanatorz.” She has released five songs and loves being in the recording studio. Her tour will be held at Pensacola Bay Center at 7 pm.

Gordon Open Mic

August 12 Join the Gordon Community Center for this month’s open mic night where musicians, comedians, poets and performers celebrate their artistic talents.

Open mic night is hosted on the second Thursday of each month from 7 pm to 10 pm at the Gordon Community Center located at 306 North DeVilliers Street in downtown Pensacola. If you are interested in performing, you will have a chance to sign-up for a time slot when you arrive. For more information, follow @penartsinc on Facebook.

1960s “Woodstock” Murder Mystery Dinner Show

August 14 Seville Quarter and Improbable Cause Mystery Theatre Presents: 1960s “Woodstock” Murder Mystery Dinner Show.

Doors open at 6 pm and show starts at 7 pm. Tickets are $59 and include dinner with a choice of two entrées. It’s Woodstock without the rain, the threat of failing a drug test or the looming fear of getting drafted! Of course, murder is afoot, so keep your eyes peeled! Hippies and squares alike are invited to help Detective Gunn get to the bottom of one very peculiar death in the Summer of Love! Come join us way back in 1969 for more fun and mayhem than you can shake a Volkswagen bus at!

Gallery Night Pensacola

August 20 Gallery Night will once again host its monthly art centric event on the third Friday from 5 pm to 10 pm. Gallery Night is hosted on the streets of downtown Palafox between Main Street and Garden Street, which are closed to vehicle traffic between 5 pm and 11 pm.

Seville Haunted Ghost Tours

August 20 & 29 Listen as your guide weaves tales of ghosts, debauchery, murder, mayhem, paranormal activities and history of Seville Quarter and Historic Downtown Pensacola. The Haunted Tours will take guests through Seville Quarter and the streets of downtown Pensacola. After the tour, you will return to Seville Quarter and receive a $5 Drink Voucher to enjoy some spirits on tap!

2021 Argonaut 5k

August 21 Pensacola Runner’s Association proudly presents the 2021 Argonaut 5k. Enjoy a fun and challenging 5k on the cam-

pus of UWF! Participants will receive a high-quality singlet (while supplies last).

This is a fundraiser for the UWF Men’s and Women’s Cross Country Teams, and 100 percent of the proceeds will be going directly to support the team this upcoming season. This race will start on the roads near Lot SP2 and will feature an Olympic style finish on the track of UWF. Race start time will be at 7:30 am and roads will be partially closed at 7:15 am. Get there early and get your parking spot!! Register online at runsignup.com/Race/FL/Pensacola/ Argonaut5K.

Ft. Pickens Lionfish Survey Dive

August 21 Lionfish have consistently been reported within the boundaries of the Fort Pickens Area of the Gulf Islands National Seashore. Working with Florida Sea Grant on a research permit issued by the National Park Service, the Ocean Strike Team will be conducting monitoring and removal dives of the invasive lionfish. They will be conducting for monitoring/removal dives from now until September. Each event will be limited to 14 volunteer divers. For more info, visit oceanstriketeam.org/fort-pickenslionfish-dives.

Rodney Carrington: LIVE

August 21 Rodney Carrington is a multi-talented comedian, actor, singer and writer playing sold-out shows around the world as one of the top 10 highest-grossing touring comedians for the past two decades.

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MILITARYMATTERS

MILITARYMATTERS

AN ARMED FORCES NEWS SECTION

PENSACOLA NATIVE SELECTED AS SAILOR OF THE QUARTER FOR NAVAL MEDICINE READINESS TRAINING COMMAND 

Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Alexis Delapaz, medical laboratory technician at Navy Medicine Readiness Training Command (NMRTC) Bremerton Laboratory. Photo by: Douglas H Stutz, NHB/ NMRTC Bremerton public affairs officer

Delapaz, originally from Baguio City, Philippines before immigrating to the U.S. at age 15, calls Pensacola, Florida home. Once high school was completed, she worked several jobs, but none that provided a sense of purpose. Attending college for nursing always seemed to be put on hold. Yet after her first son was born, she made the decision to join the Navy with the intention of becoming a hospital corpsman.

I

t’s not as if Hospital Corpsman 2nd mand master chief] was waiting patiently Class Alexis Delapaz had to slow and announced the selection in the lab with down to be recognized by her command. my co-workers and friends,’ related Delapaz, If anything, being selected as Sailor of the acknowledging that there is some significance Quarter for Naval Medicine Readiness Train- to being selected. ing Command (NMRTC) Bremerton meant the award had some catching up to do.

“This selection is important because I wanted to represent my division to the best of my “I was completely surprised when I was se- abilities,” continued Delapaz. “I wanted my lected. I was genuinely humbled. Before the junior sailors to know that our hard work announcement, my chief called to see if I is relevant especially during this pandemic. could stop by the lab after taking my son to Their contribution is significant, and we are his well-baby appointment. The CMC [com- being recognized for it.”

22 | DOWNTOWNCROWD.COM

“I wanted to be a good role model for him and I wanted to make sure he had a bright future ahead of him. What better way to ‘accelerate my life’ than to join the US Navy? I have been interested in the healthcare field since childhood,” said Delapaz, who has also added an associate’s degree from George Washington University and is currently working on her Bachelor’s in Clinical Lab Science through Thomas Edison State University.

She joined the Navy in 2011. As a medical laboratory technician since 2013, her first duty station was at Naval Medical Center San Diego in transfusion services—Blood Bank—for four years. She is currently work center supervisor for NMRTC Bremerton’s Laboratory department.

After primarily concentrating on blood banking at her previous command, she is now involved in every aspect of her command’s lab.

MILITARYMATTERS “I am so thankful. There’s so much that I have learned. Work is never boring. We get to work in phlebotomy, specimen processing, blood bank, hematology, coagulation studies, urinalysis, chemistry, and perform rapid microbiology tests. We learn from our quality assurance and receive histology and cytology specimens. I love learning from my lab supervisors, leaders, and especially my junior sailors. I also enjoy teaching our new techs. It is such a good feeling to see our new techs build their confidence in the lab,” said Delapaz.

Delapaz affirms that her lab was, if anything, ever busier over the last year due to the ongoing pandemic. Guidelines were constantly evolving. The need for flexibility was constant.

Accurate and timely results were paramount.

“Knowing our role and doing our part is so important. It’s like an engine. If one part is

not functioning properly, it affects the overall engine’s performance,” described Delapaz.

approximately 3,200 specimens from USS Nimitz (CVN 68), along with processing, shipment, testing and subsequent follow-up reporting. Similar efforts were done for other local commands centered in the third largest fleet concentration.

Delapaz’s effort, along with the rest of the lab team, ensure a ready medical force supporting a medically ready force in alignment with the Navy surgeon general’s priority on operational readiness.

“The lab processed thousands of tests for our military members and our families, includNumbers alone help tell part of such con- ing COVID-19 and other lab tests required tinual fleet support efforts. The Core Lab, for operational readiness. Having these tests Hematology, Urinalysis, Coagulation, Blood completed in a timely manner ensures that we Bank, Point of Care Testing, Microbiol- always have a ready medical force. As a Sailor, ogy, Cytology/Histology did approximately we always have to be medically ready to deploy.

699,500 tests for 2020, with another 79,400 As a lab tech, we always have to be up to date tests done at branch health clinics located at with training and knowing how to do our job Naval Base Bangor, Naval Station Everett well, in case of deployment,” noted Delapaz. and Puget Sound Naval Shipyard.

When asked to sum her experience with Navy The lab also helped develop large unit collec- Medicine in one sentence, Delapaz replied, tion and processing procedures for COVID “Working in Navy Medicine is a tough job, but testing, which included the collection of at the same time it can be very rewarding.”

PROGRAMS OFFERED:

Associate of Science in Nursing

Day and Night Classes Available

Medical Assisting • Dental Assisting Medical Office Administration • HVAC Cosmetology • Massage Therapy Practical Nursing

850.476.7607 FortisInstitute.edu

4081 E Olive Rd Suite B | Pensacola, FL 32514

Flexible Class Schedules

Financial Aid Available for those who Qualify

Career Placement Assistance for all who Graduate

ABHES Accredited | Approved for Veteran’s Training Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN)

For consumer information, visit Fortis.edu

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Fall Youth Art Programs — Art Lab - PreK–8th —

Hands-on classes for home-school, public, and private school students. Morning and afternoon classes offered.

• Collage • Pottery • Printmaking

• Drawing • Painting

• Textiles • Sculpture • Glass

• 3-D Design • And More!

Upcoming Sessions: $135 Aug. 16–Sep. 6 | Sep. 20–Oct. 25 | Nov. 1–Dec. 13

— Saturday Art Classes —

Yoga and Art for Kids: Creating with Clay 10 am–12 pm

Fall Adult Art Programs — Figure Drawing - Age 18+ —

Students will study movement, proportions, anatomy, and figure construction from a model in this beginner–intermediate class.

Sep. 6 – Oct. 11 | Six Week Class: $275

— Drawing 101 - Age 16+ —

Learn to accurately and realistically draw objects from life in this introductory drawing from observation class.

Oct. 25–Nov. 29 | Six Week Class: $225

— Explorations in Creative Painting - Age 18+ —

Mixed media series exploring different themes each six weeks.

Reflection on Life’s Journey Sep. 11–Oct. 16

Each Six Week Class: $225

— Holiday Art Camps — September 6

November 11

December 20–23

October 11

November 22–24

December 27–30

Labor Day

Indigenous People’s

Veteran’s Day Fall Break

Winter Holiday

New Year Camp

Scholarships Available!

For more info and class registration, visit

Focus on the Figure Oct. 30–Dec. 11

— Pins and Needles - Age 16+ — Learn how to use a sewing machine, read a pattern, and create a simple article of clothing.

Sep. 7–Oct. 12 Oct. 26–Nov. 30 Six Week Class: $200

FirstCityArt.org

— Pottery on the Wheel, — Handbuilding, & Sculpture Classes open to beginner to advanced students.

Sep. 6–Oct. 11 Oct. 25–Nov. 29 Six Week Class: $200

850.429.1222

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There is something special about Pensacola in the Fall—crisp blue skies, white sandy beaches, coastal breezes, and cool evening strolls through our historic downtown. Additionally, each fall, Foo Foo Festival layers on arts, cultural, culinary, historical and environmental experiences for the enjoyment of locals and tourists alike. Join in, and experience it all during Foo Foo Fest this fall!