PARKVIEW MAGAZINE Issue No. 1 by PARKVIEW MAGAZINE

P E O P L E . P L AC E S. S H A R E D S PAC E S. MICHELLE TANGUAY THE SOCIAL CLUB STREET MEDICINE DETROIT ACHILLE BIANCHI JOY KING’S UGANDA COREY DAMEN JENKINS CHEF LAMAR FARHAT PORT MFG. & DESIGN

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MASTHEAD PUBLISHER AND EDITOR IN CHIEF

Ashley K. Parks ART DIRECTOR

Judith Banham / Middlecott Design middlecott.com WRITER

Natalie Jordan / Columbia College, Chicago PHOTOGRAPHERS

Tim Leon / Tim Leon Photography Timleonphotography.tumblr.com Justin Milhouse / Fresh-Cool-Dope fresh-cool-dope.com CONTRIBUTORS

Corey Damen Jenkins / Corey Damen Jenkins and Associates coreydamenjenkins.com Joy King / Joy King Photography light-and-line.com Jonathan Parks / Jonathan Parks Enterprises jdparks.com Anne Strickland / PORT mfg. & design portmfg.com WEB DEVELOPER

editor

From the

Where I Stand

View: regard in a particular light or with a particular attitude. Interesting huh! So

Photography: Jessie Gliesman Studios / jessicahanning.com

simple, yet so profound. The interesting thing about oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s point of view is that no two people see the exact same thing the exact same way. From words to experiences, each is interpreted in the eye of the beholder, so to speak. Kind of like beauty, each of us experience life in a unique kind of way and each experience, therefore, influences our view, our appreciation for life, and our culture. Not so much of a keeping up with the trends type of read, but rather a piece of work that captures the interests, passions, and uniqueness of our being, Parkview Magazine is a quarterly collection of lifeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s allure, showcasing how individual taste is cultivated through living and embracing our transcending cultural nature. What has evolved into a fascinating body of inspiring, and objectively relevant anecdotes and narratives, from art to humanitarianism, Parkview Magazine is full of intricate beauties and extremely talented people. The Parkview Magazine journey has been absolutely amazing. Of course, I am a bit biased when it comes to the immense splendor found on each of these pages and I am forever grateful for the wonderful work, support, and excitement of each person involved in creating this premier issue. Welcome to Parkview. Ashley K 2

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MARCH 2015 Masthead

From the editor

“I FALL IN LOVE WITH ART EVERY SINGLE DAY.”

Interview with artist Michelle Tanguay WOOD WORKS

Achille Bainchi’s wooden eyewear

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LOOK GOOD. FEEL GOOD. DO GOOD.

Sebastian Jackson’s extraordinary barber shop The Social Club

POUNDING THE PAVEMENT

Street Medicine Detroit cares for homeless citizens SUCCESS

An inspirational guide by Jonathan D. Parks IN UGANDA

Photographer Joy King’s African portfolio

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CREATIVE PURSUIT

Anne Strickland’s of Port Mfg. & Design celebration of design and friendship

ENJOY!

Chef Lamar Farhat’s tasty dishes. With recipies!

HOME-STYLE CLASS

A luxe bachelor pad by interior designer Corey Damen Jenkins WHERE THE LOCALS GO

One of a kind shopping in Metro Detroit

On the cover: View of downtown Detroit by Justin Milhouse

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INTERVIEW

MICHELLE TANGUAY in front of one

of her paintings from the Face-To-Face Detroit series in her studio in Detroit.

INTERVIEW

“I FALL IN LOVE WITH A R T EVERY SINGLE D AY.”

A partially exposed brick wall is covered with paintings from Michelleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s FACE-TOFACE DETROIT series and recently created geometric pieces.

Michelle Tanguay in front of a geometric mural and PINK FLAMINGOS , inspired by a sabbatical to the Toledo Zoo.

Michelleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s painted pink flamingos perched in front of a patterned sphere and Zebras embedded in an OPTICAL ILLUSION on the walls in her studio.

PHOTOGRAPHY: T I M L E O N INTERVIEW: A S H L E Y K TRANSCRIPT: N A T A L I E J O R D A N

M I C H E L L E T A N G U A Y is a gifted artist who displays her hard work and passion in each of her pieces. We at Parkview Magazine had the opportunity and pleasure of sitting down and getting to know this young talent. She starts our interview with a brief tour through her studio, not far from downtown Detroit. The walls are filled with life size paintings of black and white faces, zebras, flamingos, and colorful geometric figures. The tables are full of paint and brushes. From her half shaven head and her rich red lips, to her self-done tattoos and paint splashed ankle boots, this free spirit was captivating and inspiring. We sat at her desk surrounded by traffic signs, paint, and peanut butter. We made ourselves comfortable. She crossed her legs in her chair, ran her fingers through her hair, and shared her story. PARKVIEW: What is art to you? MICHELLE TANGUAY: Art is everything to me...this

Michelle Tanguay on her desk in front of brick exposed walls and BLACK AND WHITE BANNERS in her studio.

is what I do all day. Everyday. It’s what I work for. It’s what I’ve always done...it’s the only thing I always did. I never paid attention in school, I dropped out of high school and I dropped out of art school, because it was taking away from me making more art. When I was younger, I drew on the walls and all over the ceilings. My parents let me. “She’s just artsy,” they would say. Then, I started working in the hallway. When I was little, my mom said, “Ok, you can go from your door to your brother’s door, and then that’s it.” So they were always super supportive. They just always knew that was all I was ever gonna do. Art was the only thing I was ever good at; it’s the only thing I ever cared about, and I couldn’t do anything else. I used to skip all my classes, and just hang out in the art room, and just 14

draw and paint. It’s something that I have to do. If I’m out of the studio for more than a week, I just can’t do that. I start to lose it. Art isn’t what I do; it’s who I am. I walk into people’s houses all the time, and they’re like “Um, so wouldn’t it be sweet if something was over here...” and I’m like, yeah, I’ll do it right now. Let’s go. That’s just how I am. What qualities make for good artwork? I had a guest speaker and curator come into this class at College for Creative Studies (CCS) and somebody asked her that same question and she gave the best answer. It was something like, you can walk into a studio, and you can have a hundred paintings, all around the walls, and they can all be the same exact painting. It can be a blue paint stroke down a white canvas. You can walk around, but there’s just one, that’s different, that stands out. It can look exactly like the rest of them, but it’s just different. There’s never a right answer for what makes art good, and what makes art bad. I love all styles of art. I love other’s people’s art more than my own art; I fall in love with art every single day. It’s not the color, it’s not the style. I really do love every type of artwork. I love sculpture and I love installation art as well. Sometimes, art just takes my breath away, and I can’t exactly pinpoint what it is. Tell me about your technique and materials you use. I’ve learned how to make it cheap. I am very, “This is what you gotta do,” when you’re a struggling artist. I’ve worked on big corporate jobs where they give me a budget, and I’m like, “this is amazing!” I still end up doing it really cheap. That’s how it happens the organic way. When I was painting these banners (pointing to banners on wall), I used black and white paint because my friend dropped off a bunch of black and white paint after he finished painting his house. The banners were free. So I essentially did a whole show for free. That’s perfect for me. I got a whole bunch of press from it, and I was like, yeah, I used this because this is what I had. I didn’t use canvas, because canvas is expen15

sive, so it’s always just the bare minimum. You just gotta think, that’s how the best art is made. What was your very first piece? How did it make you feel when it was complete? I was always painting as a kid. My mom said I started painting and drawing when I was 3 months old. So, I have no idea what was first. The first I can remember is this painting that’s hanging in my parent’s house. I did it when I was about seven years old. It’s really dark; a seven year old should not be painting this (laughs). I grew up Catholic, and it’s a girl praying. It’s hanging above the stairs at my parent’s. The whole place is filled with my artwork. What or who do you seek for support or reference? Where do you get your inspiration? Detroit inspires me. The people here just inspire me the most. I love it here. I love the grit of this city. I don’t even know if I fit in here, I don’t know if anyone does, but it welcomes you. It welcomes me. I can go to L.A. or New York City, and the people don’t inspire me like the people here do. The outpour of love and energy here is amazing. Everybody is in it together here. The struggles that the city of Detroit has gone through, you feel like you’re in it together. We’re going to come out on top, no matter what. Because of that, you support each other. The fact that I can have a thousand people come to a Pop-Up Detroit show, when we were doing that... that’s a big deal. If there’s something going on, everybody’s like, “Ok, let’s go. Let’s support it, let’s show up.” That’s what it’s really all about. If you put your heart in something and work hard, everybody’s going to help you do it. How do you make opportunities for yourself? I broke all of the rules. I was like, okay, a gallery is not going to represent me in Detroit; I’m going to invite everyone to my house and throw an art show. Basically. And that’s pretty crazy. I think I was one of the only shows that wasn’t at a gallery that was written about in The Real Detroit. People are like, “Oh, where’s the gallery?” I’m like, “It’s

“NOBODY IS GOING TO TELL ME NO. YOU’RE NOT GONNA SHOW MY ART? OK, I’M GOING TO SHOW IT MYSELF.”

painted black over it; there were no more lollipops in it, there was just a hand or something. It was just a disaster, and my friend walked through here, who is a musician, and said, “I love that.” I said take it, I was just about to paint over it today. Then I started getting text messages from him, for the next week; “What does this mean? What does that mean?” I’m like, listen, there is no meaning, I threw a temper tantrum, I hate this piece. Just whatever you think. Whatever you want to hear, just let me know so I can start feeding you that. That’s just what happens: I give them away and I paint over paintings all the time. That’s what drives my mentor, Camilo Pardo, crazy.

at my studio.” I sent out press releases and everything. I traded a painting for that press release. It was awesome. You just gotta do what you gotta do. People still write about the shows. I’m still young. For a female artist to be represented, it’s difficult, so I’m just gonna do it here. I’ll sell all my artwork on my own, to people, and that’s it. It’s outside of the box, but I didn’t think it was cool or hip. I was just like; this is what I have to do. So, I’m just throwing my own art shows. That’s why I started throwing art shows in Pop-up Detroit. I couldn’t get anything, anyone, to show my art, because I was a young kid in school. It ended up taking off. That’s what you have to do.

What excites you? I love magic tricks. When people are over, I’m like, “You wanna see a magic trick?” I whip out cards...I’m obsessed with David Blaine and all the street magic and stuff. I was always drawn to magic tricks when I was younger. I used to sit around with a deck of cards in my hands. I know a bunch of good ones. I think that it’s kind of like art. It’s kind of like when someone walks in here like, “Hey, how did somebody do that?” It’s like a magic trick. When people see me paint, they’re like, “Holy crap.” There was a time I was thinking about putting more magic into my artwork; I do a lot of projection artwork with Gabrielle Hall.

What do you do with pieces you don’t like? At the end of the month, I have friends that come over. I will usually have a whole bunch of paintings, stacked up against the wall, and those are the paintings I paint over. They’ll just be sitting there, stacked up, and somebody will be like, “Oh I love that painting,” and I’ll say, “Oh just take it, because I was just going to paint over it. I think it’s the worst thing ever.” The problem is that those paintings are usually from a time when I was struggling to get it done, and that’s why it’s on that wall; I hate it. There was a painting that was at one point a lollipop painting, and then I threw a temper tantrum,

What scares you? Messing it all up (laughs). I get scared that I give so much of myself to my artwork; I’m in here 24 hours a day, seven days a week. I’m scared that I’m going to give all of myself to this and it’s not going to work out. Like yeah, I sell paintings, but I don’t know if I’ll sell paintings tomorrow. I don’t know how long this is going to last, and that scares me. Am I going to wake up, when I’m 50 years, and be like, “Well, I’ve given so much of myself to this – I don’t have a husband, I don’t have kids – and I don’t have an art career.” However if I keep working, I can’t fail. I think that’s pretty awesome. You can’t fail at something you don’t give up on. This 16

What disappoints you? I don’t know. I get disappointed when I see people not living up to their potential. I have a lot of friends who come in here and they’re like, “Man, look (points to walls)...you’ve done all this stuff.” I believe anybody can do this. No matter what it is, anybody can make their dreams come true. This was my dream ever since I was a kid. One of my friends came over, and she said, “You’re living the dream.” I never thought that dream would look like this (laughs). I never thought it would be me still eating ramen noodles, but how awesome is that. All of my friends who are super talented, just amazing creatures, to see them wrapped up in going out and partying and just addiction issues they may have... I’m in a creative world. A lot of my friends, and a lot of issues that come up when you have creative people, are drugs and alcohol addiction, because you’re kind of a tortured soul, a lot of them are. It just comes with the territory. It breaks my heart. I get it; it’s difficult. It can be difficult at times, because you’re giving so much of yourself, but it disappoints me to see people that have everything, that have all the talent, and just waste it.

risks and sacrifices, in your personal life choices, creatively in your work, or professional decisions? How has that influenced the woman you are and your work? I’ve always just done what I’ve wanted to. Nobody is going to tell me no. You’re not gonna show my art? Ok, I’m going to show it myself. You think this is a bad idea? Well I think it’s going to work out, so I’m going to do it. I’m going to throw art shows when I’m 21 years old, with somebody else, and we’re going to do it. I’ve always just followed my gut. Sometimes, my parents are like, “You’re modeling nude for this artist?” He’s a great photographer though, so I don’t care. I’m not going to be a politician anytime soon. I’m covered in tattoos. Anything that is beneficial to my artwork, I’m gonna do it. People thought that when I did a Sierra-Mist advertisement, I sold out. Except I was like, hell yeah I’m selling out! I got a billboard! I drove down the highway, and looked at it like I made that. How cool is that? I do not care. I got a whole lot of crap for that. I was getting messages on Facebook from people saying, “Oh, enjoy the corporate money. It was nice following you.” Whatever, I don’t even know you (laughs). I will enjoy it, because that money bought me a whole entire screen-printing studio. It paid rent for three months, and it wasn’t even that much money. It wasn’t about the money. All my friends were working on this project. I had so much fun painting it. As long as I’m having fun, as long as I’m making something, I’m not going to limit myself to anything. People are like, “Oh that’s out of the question. What won’t you do?” If I want to do it, I’m going to do it. I’m happy, as long as I’m making something.

I recently read an interview with Lalita Tademy, author, she explains her feelings on taking risks like this: “I’m very supportive of people taking risks, and while that risk may not take you where you think that it might, I think it will take you someplace where you can pivot and eventually find your footing.” Tell me how you approach the idea of

Artists visually display their thoughts and ideas and experiences on canvas, oftentimes without using words. If you could write a book, what would the title be and what would readers expect to learn by reading it? That’s a tough one. Man. I can’t even come up with a title. Words are a disaster for me. I cannot write

is it for me. Who knows what will happen. This is all that I know how to do. I couldn’t do anything else. I don’t want to do anything else. I want to make artwork everyday. How blessed am I...I feel so fortunate to be able to have people that buy my artwork and support me. People don’t understand. If I sell a painting, that’s my rent for two months. I am super cheap. I don’t drink alcohol. I don’t party. That’s it. I say I’m scared of that, but I don’t really have a choice. This is what I was meant to do. I’m going to keep doing it, over and over and over again.

anything. I feel so bad for people who have to correspond with me over email. It does not work. Literally, brain to mouth, anytime vocabulary is involved, I don’t know. I would probably end up stealing something a friend wrote. I went to Wright and Co. this past fall and saw your recreation of Backhuysen’s “Ships in Distress in a Raging Storm.” I remember thinking “wow that’s a beauty” at the painting behind the bar. For me it was dark and light at the same time. Angry and calm. Forced and subtle. Then there are these boats that are being tossed around by the waves, which to me, is all ironic being that this piece is hung behind a bar. Alcohol itself does all of that with people’s demeanor and personalities. It can bring about forced, aversive, and angry behaviors or put you in a stupor, chill, or even subtle mood. Tell me what you see in this piece and what made you recreate it. When Dave from Wright and Co. asked me to do it, I got this email, and I was just like, “Oh HELL no. I am not about to do this!” I was talking to my boyfriend, and he was like, “Just send him a ridiculous price.” So, I sent him this ridiculous price, and he sent back, “Okay.” I was like, “Oh my gosh, I have to do this thing?” Twelve feet by seven feet! The original is only four feet by seven feet. I’m like, what am I going to do? This is crazy. I laid out the canvas, my boyfriend and I pinned it up, and I just started. I did the whole first layer of paint in a night. Covered the entire thing. It took me two months to finish. I can’t even walk in Wright and Co., because it’s a really emotional piece for me. I hate being one of those artists that are like, “Oh, it means so much to me,” or, “Yes, it’s really intense,” because that’s not me. However, I painted it during one of the most difficult and trying times of my life. I think it all came through in that painting. I painted it during a

“ART IS SUPER VULNERABLE. I’M PUTTING A LOT INTO MY WORK.”

time I was dating somebody who passed away, and it was the most traumatic experience of my entire life. Instead of going to the funeral, I worked on that painting. He was alive when I started it, he helped me hang it up on the wall, and then he passed away. I thought, “How am I gonna get this painting done? How am I going to get through this?” But I was like, Ok, this is just something that I have to do. It was a struggle; I cried for about 90% of the second half of that painting. I really think that all of that just came through. It’s so emotional. It’s so ironic and crazy that the first half of that painting I was so in love, and getting engaged, and getting this boy’s name tattooed on me; I was so happy, and then he passed away. It was like this storm came in, and that’s literally what this painting was. That painting was huge; its twelve feet by 18

INTRICATE DETAILS in one of Michelleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

paintings from Face-to-Face Detroit, a portrait series of random Detroit people.

“I’M DEFINITELY A TOMBOY, AND I LIKE GETTING MY HANDS DIRTY, BUT I’M D E F I N I T E LY GIRLY TOO.” seven feet, covered an entire wall, and the second half of that painting, I was destroyed. I’m painting the shipwreck, and I remember sitting there with one of my friends when I finished it, and I just cried. I couldn’t believe I finished it. It sat on my wall, he and I pinned it up together. It was up there because of him...taking that painting off the wall was the most difficult thing for me to do. I remember having one of my friends help me take it off the wall, and he knew that it was going to be tough. I didn’t want to take it down but it was more that I was so proud of myself for getting through it. Art is super vulnerable. I’m putting a lot into my work. That’s all me, and as a woman to put it all out there, no matter what I’m going through, it’s public. Everybody knew what happened, and then I was painting this thing...it’s a very vulnerable thing. I was just so proud of myself for getting through it. I just could not believe I got it done. That’s probably why I love art so much; no matter what happens in my life, it will always be there. It will always be the one thing that sticks with me. It gets me through everything. If it wasn’t for that painting, I think I would still be trying to cope with it. That painting saved me, and my art saves me. You have a few series of work on your website. Face to Face-Detroit inspired. Sweet Tooth. How did those come to you? The Sweet Tooth series actually came from when I was eating so much candy. I was dating this guy 21

and I would lie in bed with this giant thing of jelly bellies and just eat them constantly. I had this awful tooth ache before I started an art show. It was so bad, and I had all this candy on my table, and some girls walked in, and I thought, “It would be really funny if I just took photos of these girls holding lollipops,” and me holding lollipops because this toothache was always consuming me. So that’s what I did. That’s where the whole idea came from was because of this toothache and a week after the show, I had to get two root canals and fillings. I named all the paintings after teeth. The Face to Face-Detroit came from my love for painting people. I literally took a picture of every person who walked in my studio and painted them. I was like wouldn’t it be cool for people to walk in and see their face on a huge painting on the wall? So I did it. That’s how I feel. People are always asking me for this deep intellectual reason about why my paintings are the way they are. It’s really simple for me. Whenever I start thinking about it too much, that’s when I start messing it all up. I believe your surrounding influence you on various levels. Your studio is such a personal space as is your home. What’s the difference between your home and studio? How do they move you to create or not? Right now, my home is a tree fort. There’s a pile four feet high of stuff on the floor right now. I love my little personal space. I built it. There used to be a sign that said “no boys allowed”, and I love it. My studio is my home, and I realized a long time ago that I could not have a studio be separate from my home. I wake up, stumble out of bed, and grab a paintbrush. The thing I love so much about this is the guy next door. He is my mentor, my best friend, and the person who inspires me. He has done so much for me. From the time that I moved in here, oh my gosh. The fact that I have somebody in my life that knows what I’m going through, the struggles of being an artist, like what its like to date when you’re artist, what it’s like to have an art show. He says the perfect things to me at those

times. To have someone who’s creative and making something as much as I am...I tell everybody the best advice I can give to somebody is to surround yourself with more talented, more creative people. That’s it. I end up making art in different spaces. I’m a firm believer in taking sabbaticals, because I’m in my studio every single day working and sometimes... creativity comes in waves. If I start feeling like...I’m in a creative rut and I can’t work, I’ll be like, “Ok..it’s time to go. Time to take a break.” I’ll go on vacation and just think about what I’m going to go work on when I get back. That’s why I started painting flamingos. I needed a break and went to the Toledo Zoo and saw these gorgeous flamingos. Then I started painted them. It’s something that’s always in the back of my head. It’s this love/hate relationship because it’s the first thing in my life no matter what. It comes before everything, before me. Before every single art show, I end up in a hospital. I did the Red Bull House of Art show and I ended up in the hospital beforehand from exhaustion. I’m like, “I got this. I can do this.” (laughs) I’ve gotten a lot better. I love how your images on social media depict an edgy Michelle. Is that how you would describe yourself? How are you different from your artwork? I’m such a tomboy. I’m running around with power tools, covered in paint most of the time. I’m a mess; I have not brushed my hair, I just don’t have time. That’s just part of it. I would definitely say that the whole, “I don’t care” part, I’ve grown into. I used to care what people thought, now it’s like if I like something, if I’m comfortable, I’m good. I wear a lot of black, because I realized if I wear a lot of black, I’m always appropriate. I can go anywhere and it’s ok. I would say that I can be very girly. I love big high heels, and I love dressing up, but I am very edgy. I love just pushing the limits on things. I have a bunch of tattoos, but I don’t have any pretty, colorful tattoos. Most are lines and some I did myself. So I’m pretty hard to describe. I’m so ADD; I’m all over the board. I’m definitely

tomboy, and I like getting my hands dirty, but I’m definitely girly too. Everything kind of happens by accident. I’m a mess as a person because I can’t focus on anything else, other than my artwork. So, I’d say focused is a good word for me. I’m very passionate about my artwork and about the people in my life who are important to me. Everything else, I don’t even notice. Every other aspect of my life gets pushed to the side, because I’m so hyper focused on one aspect that nothing else matters. What matters the most? My friends, my family, and my artwork, and that’s it. Not in that order. What impact do you want your work to leave on the world? See, that’s something that I struggle with. I’m still trying to figure that out. I would love to start a foundation one day that raises money for kids in inner cities, for their art programs. Gilda Snowden just passed away and she was a person who I really looked up to at CCS. She’s this amazing artist, just an amazing person. It was difficult for everybody at CCS. She showed up to every single art show I had. A few days after she died, I went over to the DIA. I go there like once every two weeks. I was walking through and I turned a corner and her painting was there. My heart was just filled. I was like, how amazing is it that her artwork will live on forever. Not only that, hopefully 200 years from now, the memory of her will still be around and people will still be able to tell stories of this amazing woman, who gave so much love and supported all these people. Her artwork will still be in museums and will live on forever. That is what we all strive for; that people will continue to see my artwork. People will still continue to be inspired by something that I made. If that’s achieved, I’ll be happy. If I’m lucky, I’ll have stories about me and how crazy I was, running around my studio with Camilo and stuff. I want for my artwork to still be seen by people 100 years after I die, that’s what I want. I just want people to see it. michelletanguey.com 22

BUSINESS

A pair of HANDCRAFTED WOODEN FRAMES by Achille Bianchi of Homes Eyewear blends in with his workstation in his shop in Detroit.

Wood Works

Using old lumber for new fashion, ACHILLE BIANCHI utilizes his handiness and love for sunglasses to create wood frames for Homes Eyewear. PHOTOGRAPHY: J U S T I N M I L H O U S E TEXT: N A T A L I E J O R D A N A N D A S H L E Y K

ACHILLE BIANCHI explains the man-

ufacturing process of his sunglasses, holding one of his original designs, The Charlevoix, a late 1980â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s inspired aviator-style frame, named after a Detroit street.

“I

HARD WORKED HANDS hold one

of the very first cut outs of a pair of Homes Eyewear sunglasses side by side to a finished pair of The Kercheval design.

could be making benches right now, but it’s by the luck of the draw that I made a pair of sunglasses and I’m not going to stop anytime soon,” says Achille Bianchi. Born in Detroit, MI, raised just outside the city, but made his way back the day he turned 18, Achille knew at an early age he was a creative soul, a design enthusiast, and quite simply, an “eyewear geek”. Drawn to the innovative spirit of Detroit, Achille fits right in with a people who are exceptionally capable and immensely independent, and has made his home and his business, creatively called Homes Eyewear, in this great city. Having left a career in journalism and doing civic work for Detroit’s now mayor Mike Duggan, Achille reflects on doing a lot of “shop stuff” in high school which became his own creative influence. Years later, he’s found refuge in a 7.5 thousand square foot hackerspace, in the heart of the Eastern Market district in Detroit. Owned by 26 member OmniCorp Detroit who are influential in, and embrace the concept of, collective co-working space, this rustic sector adorned with a vintage motorcycle, stencil drawings in random corners and throughout the walls, wood tables, and woodworking gadgets is filled with an aura of artistry and innovation. With no formal background in woodworking, self-taught through hard work and perseverance, Achille has, nonetheless, honed the skill and learned how to operate the equipment around the shop like the laser cutter and sand blaster for a smooth and refined edge. “I feel like all these different skills are accumulating into something really good for me in the long run,” Achille states. So much so, he recently picked up his first set of chisels and saw and is constructing his first kitchen table from reclaimed wood for a friend. “I do whatever peaks my interest and I am in a unique position to move in the direction that I please,” he says. So let’s talk wood and sunglasses. Having made his very first pair of handcrafted sunglasses in May of the year 2012, it has taken thousands of hours to perfect each pair that he is now proud to sell. What started off as a three and a half to four hour process has diminished to just about 65 minutes. Since that first pair in 2012, he’s made over 200 others, burning through about 50, to get them just right. “Everything just finally came together after working and working and working with it,” Achille proclaims. When asked about the risks he’s taken and that of starting a new business, he responds, “Oh I don’t know. Moving to the southwest with a bunch of kids I probably shouldn’t have (laughs). Start up businesses are not as complicated as they seem to be. I did just straight up quit my job one day, and said to myself, ‘I don’t know what I’m going to do, but I’m going to figure it out.’ It was the best move that I have made. When you are at that point, and you’ve got nothing else, you just have to make something work. I thought, ‘I can’t fail.’ Literally, failing was not an option. That was one of the main driving factors for me – failure wasn’t an option – and I just really wanted to work with my hands. The rest was history as they say.” 27

Homes Eyewear is contributing to the push in the market for reclaimed materials. This, in turn, is contributing to the entrepreneurial spirit of the city. Using reclaimed wood from all over, in and around Detroit, and new wood from lumber mills throughout Michigan, Wisconsin, and Indiana, Achille constructs each pair of sunglasses by hand. He does not proclaim to be a specialist in wood harvesting so he supports organizations like Reclaim Detroit or the Architectural Salvage Warehouse in their efforts to preserve the city. They do this by taking houses down, reusing deconstructed stock, and putting people to work. Achille says “I don’t feel like I would be contributing much if I were just going in the house and ripping out wood and such.” Furthermore, there is an abundant amount of work and processing involved with the manufacturing of the reclaimed materials. His favorite woods to work with include maple and white oak. He also uses walnut or lace wood because you can see the “crazy grain” on it and it works for the newer experimental looks he plays around with when creating fresh designs. He is now working on a new line and says, “I feel like I’m really going to blow some people away.” The reclaimed wood is always nice because there are so many stories in each piece of lumber. He recalls a story when one woman contacted him for a relic of her childhood home. After Achille finished her custom engravings and a few additional details, she was euphoric and bought about 8 pair for her brothers and sisters throughout the United States. It was a moment that most certainly left an imprint on the success of these eyeglasses. Although plagued with the uncanny stereotype of crime and despair, Detroit is full of inspiration, talent, and rich history. It is in this that Achille finds comfort. “The people here are doing what they need 28

ACHILLE BIANCHI pieces together a

pair of his handcrafted wood sunglasses in his production shop in the heart of Detroitâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Eastern Market District.

A display of frames of the HOMES EYEWEAR COLLECTION with accompanying cloth and leather cases. Achille Bianchi on the upper level of the 7.5 thousand square foot manufacturing shop of OmniCorp Detroit.

to do to get by,” says Achille. He leaves this to reflect on days when he used to feel left out, sitting at the computer, transcribing interviews, while everyone around him was doing cool stuff; making a way for themselves. Surrounded by makers and doers of expressive and enterprising projects, Achille is amongst a collective of visionaries doing great work and helping refine the landscape of Detroit and surrounding areas. “I think it’s those kind of weird little connections and collaborations, where anybody is willing to teach somebody how to do something at no cost but at their own expense. You need to make sure you’re making an investment that pays off. Teaching is a great form of investment. Every single person doing something in this city that’s positive really reinforces that. Detroit is a great city and an awesome place to live. It’s just about what investment you’re willing to put in to it.”

or Achille, the person of inspiration and reference is Elon Musk, a man whose career is based around the creation and development of PayPal, SpaceX and Tesla. Hailing from South Africa, this entrepreneur is basically reinvigorating the entire electric car industry and turning the automotive industry on it’s head right now with it’s products, Achille excitedly explains. Encouraged by Musk’s love for books, motivation to learn from his interests, with no formal training in astrophysics and aeronautics, but starting a space company with plan to get man to Mars in 10 years, Achille finds genius in him and is inspired. “He’s just brilliant,” he says. Furthermore, Achille notes, his own obsession with reading, given 31

his background in journalism. “I’m basically putting myself through a second education – Google University,” he laughs. Although he values education, he explains that it’s insane to pay for an education for what he does. He takes advantage of the abundance of resources available and finds inspiration in them too. “It definitely helps to have billions of dollars to do the things you love, nonetheless, you start from somewhere, and that somewhere can oftentimes be nothing,” he says. Amazed at how far sheer curiosity and reading a book can propel the imagination and ones career, Achille states having the will to move is the start and oftentimes the most difficult. Whether it’s making sunglasses, benches, or traveling to Mars, we all have a responsibility to our communities and ourselves. Achille states his desire to impact the world in this way: “Growing up in Detroit – not growing up – but basically coming into my own in this city, has been humbling. I view a world where people don’t talk about much, but rather show it through their actions, not their words. I think that’s how legacies are created. Talking definitely has its place for ideas and inspiration but nothing speaks more than what you’re actually doing. I’m in the shop nearly 15 hours a day. I could easily be on social medial telling people, ‘Oh I can’t wait to work on sunglasses!’ Or I could just be working on sunglasses. It’s really that simple. I’d like to see a world that does more and talks less. Some days I look around Detroit and reflect on what I have and what I’m doing and I am astonished at how I have nothing to complain about.” We all have days when we lack the ambition and drive to keep moving forward but then we are reminded of our legacies and our journey, making our lives, our work, and our mission, our business, and we get to it. homeseyewear.com 32

BUSINESS

BARBERS (left to right) Sebastian

Jackson, owner, Vincenzo Tocco, and Nick Ashmon working at their wooden bookshelf stations at The Social Club, Detroit.

Look good. Feel good. Do good.

SEBASTIAN JACKSON , owner and founder of The Social Club Detroit.

More than a barbershop, but a movement, THE SOCIAL CLUB, sets the standard for community development and good work. PHOTOGRAPHY: T I M L E O N TEXT: A S H L E Y K . P A R K S

n a Tuesday evening, the sun still high in the sky, I walked into this barbershop on Anthony Wayne Drive in Detroit. There were soft sounds of buzzing in the air as the barbers clipped, cut, faded, and perfected their craft on the hair lines of five different clients seated in the classic leather barber chairs. A subtle tune from Gallina played in the background. There was this scholastic air and calm around, almost like being in a gallery. The door slowly closed behind me as the four male barbers and one female stylist looked up at me. Warmly one of them said, “Welcome. We’ll be right with you.” As I took a seat, my eyes were immediately drawn to the artwork and of course the towering book shelves that lined the walls. Shortly thereafter, the owner and founder, Sebastian Jackson, greeted me. He approached me with arm and hand reached forward and said, “Welcome to the Social Club.” Apologetic for the short wait, Sebastian assured me that he was just finishing up with a client; and that client had a unique style about himself. Everyone did. From the custom leather comb holster that hung on the shoulders of one barber to Sebastian’s lumberjack boots. I liked this place and was eager to learn all about it. Hailing from the central part of what Michigander’s call the “Mitten,” Sebastian was born in a town of about 99,000 named Flint and migrated to the Detroit metropolis during childhood where he has resided for the major part of his life. It was there in Detroit that he honed the skill of cutting hair, the skill of what has led to the grooming movement he now spearheads. What started out as cutting hair in college dorm rooms, where he studied at Wayne State University, for friends and family, Sebastian imagined a life of entrepreneurship in his future. He recalls talking to a friend saying “wouldn’t it be dope to own a barbershop here on campus?” Fast forward, that’s exactly what he has done. Passionate about intellect and conservation of the environment, Sebastian imagined a barbershop that groomed while maintaining a social responsibility to the community it served. He has in turn established the studio shop where men from all across the country stop by to look good. When asked about the inspiration behind the design and development of The Social Club, Sebastian responds, “There are a number of things that inspire me. My wife. My daughter. The development of my city. It sounds simple but our motto is ‘Look good. Feel good. Do good.’ It really is that simple.” He fur35

top: The walls of The Social Club are adorned with canvases from LOCAL ARTIST , giving the studio a gallery appeal. bottom: LEATHER COMB HOLSTER on the back of a traditional barberâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s chair. opposite page, top: A BARBER STATION lined with hair clippers, blades, scissors, and grooming razors. bottom: FRONT DESK made from reconstructed wood.

left: SEBASTIAN JACKSON at work. opposite page: Barbers VINCENZO TOCCO and NICK ASHMON.

ther explains, “I didn’t want just a traditional barber shop but I wanted to maintain the history and tradition behind the barbershop...a place where information is exchanged. It only makes sense to include the books and shelves. Books give knowledge.” And The Social Club has over one thousand of them throughout. The uniqueness in the shelving comes from the story behind them. The shelves that make up the barber stations are of reconstructed wood from what used to be “Lefty” of Detroit’s Imagination Station, a community art project, which was burned in a fire. “Lefty’s” wood dates back as far as 1886. “The great thing about wood is that it literally lasts for generations. What was, at one time, meant for a house, is now used for business. It served its purpose as a house and now it will serve its purpose as a business. When that time is up, it may be used for a chair and who knows what after that” Sebastian explains. Beyond that, the left over hair shavings from the cuts at The Social Club are recycled for its nitrogen content, which enriches the soil for better vegetation in Detroit. Imagine that, hair as a natural fertilizer. Sebastian goes on to speak about how he was initially trying to “go green” all wrong. Thereafter, he put an abundant amount of time into researching his community green initiative that now contributes to his social responsibility. ebastian has taken a simple concept of an old school barbershop, tweaked it with new and modern features, and has made it a movement. From its library esque appeal, to the museum of art that each client fancies while waiting or in the chair; from the conservation of the environment to the educating of minds, The Social Club is the place for the intellectual, well connected, and most certainly well groomed. It represents all of that. The Social Club provides a cultural experience in every way. While staying true to his passion and purpose, Sebastian Jackson is one to know. His humble spirit and genuineness is felt in everything he speaks on. It is apparent that this project is one that he holds very near and dear to him and it shows in the work that he’s doing. With a vision to make The Social Club a home in other major cities throughout the United States, each with key concepts from Detroit homes, Sebastian plans to show the world what Detroit has to offer, highlighting the city’s beauty in more ways than one. “People didn’t understand or even see the vision initially, but now that it’s come together, it all makes sense,” says Sebastian. As the renaissance that is happening in Detroit continues to drive the city, The Social Club is actively involved in the process. As we closed up our talk, I couldn’t help but smile and feel inspired by this young entrepreneur. Designed with a cause in mind, The Social Club is so much more than simply a barbershop, it is definitely something special. facebook.com/TheSocialClubDetroit

S 39

COMMUNITY

POUNDING THE PAVEMENT Compassion and quality healthcare guide the members of STREET MEDICINE DETROIT

as they service those experiencing homelessness. PHOTOGRAPHY: T I M L E O N TEXT: A S H L E Y K

Throughout our communities, there are quiet movers, shakers, and altruistic efforts underway that in many instances, go unknowing. Whether it’s through awareness programs, foundation work, community organizations, or pounding the pavement, there are humanitarian endeavors that deserve recognition for the work they do and the lives they touch. We at Parkview Magazine had the humbling opportunity to go on a street run and witness some of the amazing care of a young medical organization. Jonathan Wong saw a need for health care services in the streets of Detroit and he literally hit the ground running to fill in the gap for many of those experiencing homelessness in the city. What started as a movement in the 1990’s by Dr. Jim Withers, Street Medicine has made its way to Detroit through Jonathan and Wayne State University Medical Students to provide direct medical care to those individuals living on the streets. With a potential patient population of over 21,000 people, they seek to provide healthcare for those who are in the most need and lack the resources to obtain basic healthcare services. “We find them, and we care for them,” says Jonathan, President and Founder of Street Medicine Detroit. The Street Team is accustomed to locating the patients and servicing them right where they are, be it tucked away in encampments throughout the city, homeless shelters, or soup kitchens. Patients can be hesitant at times but when the wall of resistance is broken, the street team is allowed into their space. When it comes to routine visits and continuity of care, that, among other things can be a challenge. Jonathan explains, “Continuity of care can definitely be difficult, especially when working with a transient population. We aim to address this in several ways. We rely heavily upon our ‘street navigators’ from the Neighborhood Service Organization (NSO) and Southwest Solutions who perform homeless recovery services on a daily basis. They are our eyes and ears to the street and bring

right: Jonathan Wong, president and founder of Street Medicine Detroit. below: Street Medicine Detroit logo peeking through the jacket of a member of the street team.

Dean Carpenter, nurse practitioner and lead preceptor, and Esther Chae, vice president, lead the way through grassy fields to find patients. left: An encampment of tents, fire pits, and personal belongings where members of the street team service patients.

clockwise from top left: Encampment fire pit. Members of the street team discuss patient care while out in the field. Dean Carpenter checks stock in his backpack including medicines and immunizations. James Carey of NSO and street team member. Chae and Carpenter returning from looking through grassy fields and graffiti decorated hidden tunnels.

“WE FIND THEM, AND WE CARE FOR THEM.” us to the right people. People are generally creatures of habit, so we tend to see them in the same spots.” Treating common conditions like bronchitis, asthma, pneumonia, hypertension, diabetes, and skin infections, members of the street team carry backpacks full of donated medications to treat these illnesses, influenza vaccines, and equipment like blood pressure cuffs, pulse oximeters, and point-of-care diagnostics like glucometers to check blood sugar, hemoglobin A1c tests to check how controlled a patient’s diabetes is, and pregnancy tests. Wound care supplies are also necessary for the folks that they serve. “We do our best to bring all the essentials you would find in a clinic,” Jonathan says. While providing care on the streets is extremely limited, Street Medicine Detroit has a variety of connections where they are offered the opportunity to redirect patients to more appropriate primary care settings – NSO Tumaini Center and CHASS Clinic to name a few. Unfortunately, because transportation is occasionally an issue, it becomes a challenge for them to follow-up. As a result, some of the patients view the Street Team as their primary care provider (PCP). “I’d be the first to acknowledge that we are not fully equipped to perform the full functions of a PCP, but it sort of just happens because of how we bring medical care to the people,” says Jonathan. Furthermore, partnerships with various community organizations have formed a strong cohesive unit to stabilize people in the community by finding homes, getting people off the streets, minimiz-

ing the costs of prescriptions, assisting with substance abuse, mental health issues, and addictions. Funded by private donations and grants, it takes a collective effort to maintain these types of services. While the work of street medicine is not easy, it is, however, quite rewarding. Jonathan explains how working with the patients and developing meaningful relationships is one of the most fulfilling parts of Street Medicine. “Sometimes I don’t get as much time to interact with patients as I would like, but when I do, I’m always reminded of their boldness and courage, especially in the face of what can seem like insurmountable adversity. Certainly, there are system-based issues that make accessing housing and health care incredibly difficult, particularly for those who have been completely off the grid for years. It’s been inspiring to see people who are wanting to make active change in their lives, and it’s a huge privilege and honor to walk with them through the process. I learn so much from their bravery and determination,” Jonathan explains. Their lead clinical preceptor and huge supporter, Dean Carpenter, Nurse Practitioner, seconds this and notes how even small interventions can make a meaningful impact in the quality of life of their patients. Oftentimes bankrupt of their spirits, as James Carey, member of the Street Team, puts it, people experiencing homelessness appreciate the help and encouragement that they receive from organizations like Street Medicine Detroit. Their commitment to providing basic healthcare services in the streets, where the people are, is to be commended. This young group of health care professionals and students are simply there to help and don’t take it for granted that their services are wanted but necessary. A humanitarian in his own right, Jonathan Wong was on to something worthwhile when he brought Street Medicine to Detroit. With plans to expand their services and training for medical students at Wayne State University, and filing for 501c3 status, we can be sure that the work of Street Medicine Detroit is far from done. streetmedicinedetroit.org 44

Inspiration

Success A guide to reaching your life’s goals BY J O N A T H A N D . P A R K S

Let’s talk about success. Success (suh k-ses) is defined as the favorable or prosperous termination of attempts or endeavors; the accomplishment of one’s goals; and/ or having attained wealth, position, honors, or the like. So what does it mean to be successful? This question often makes one ponder. Maybe it’s because unlike many other questions: Who am I? Why am I here? What will my mark be? Defining success is difficult because it can be several things or have several endings. I’ve commenced several lectures with the following question, “How do you define Success?” I hear responses including: money, cars, houses, jewelry, clothes … all things that can be aligned with attaining wealth. When we think of successful people, Oprah, Bill Gates, Michael Jordan, Steve Jobs, Tom Brady, and President Obama come to mind because of their position and the honors bestowed upon them during their life’s journey. No matter what you are after, success varies from person to person. While our successes and pictures of what it looks like differs, one thing that’s common amongst most is that we group our success into one category. Part of having many successes is the freedom of having several avenues one can celebrate their victories from. I suggest breaking your goals into the following categories:

Personal Success

endeavors that pour back into you and/or your family

Professional Success

endeavors that yield growth in your career My personal picture of success isn’t aligned to a position or wealth. My personal success pours back into my family and me. As a husband, I want to make my wife happy. If I can accomplish this for many years, I feel confident saying I was successful in this. As a father, I want to raise my son to become a productive citizen who adds value to his community, and family. On a more personal level, do I have to mention weight lost? Five pounds this month would be good. Now take a moment to think about some endeavors that can yield growth in your career. 45

Some of you may be thinking to yourself, “Sounds great. Is this it?” Not quite. Identifying what success looks like to you and putting it into the correct category is only the half of it. The other half is the principles.

The Principles of Success: Identify what success looks like when it’s working right. I always think of cake when I share this principle. The average cake mix recipe will provide all the directions, ingredients, and a picture of what your finished product should look like. Regardless of your goal, be it personal or professional, do you have a picture of what it looks like when it’s working? That picture is what we use to measure our progress.

Submit to the goal. All things are created twice. Let’s say it again. Ready? All things are created twice. The first creation is mental (in your mind). The second creation is action, when we bring our thoughts to life. We don’t get to be successful because we want it. Once we’ve identified what we want, we have to commit ourselves, through action, to yield the results we want.

Photography: Marco Antonio

Align with your purpose.

JONATHAN D. PARKS is a motiva-

tional speaker and enthusiast. Born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, stroke survivor, and recognized as one of the most gifted, insightful, and powerful speakers some have heard. Jonathan is a walking miracle and has shared his story of overcoming and inspiration with audiences from around the country. jdparks.com

This is the most important principle. None of the other steps matter if they’re not aligned with your purpose. You want to know if it’s right? Answer these questions: What drives your revenue engine? What will people pay you to do? And what can you be the best in the world at? Success is different to each of us but it’s through dedication and commitment to the goals we want to achieve that our greatest successes are birthed. Although it doesn’t always take a lifetime to reach your level of success, it does, however, take work. So, take your first, or second, or third step towards your goals in life. Let’s get to it, success is waiting for us. 46

PHOTOGRAPHER’S PORTFOLIO

JOY KING:

UGANDA ANKOLE COW. With horns up to 4 feet long, these impressive cattle

provide food, currency, and tribal status throughout the region.

LOOKING OUT ON LUBOWA. A rainstorm rolls across the many hills of Kampala. A daily occurrence in the wet season.

ON LAKE VICTORIA. A pair of fisherman take a rest in a handmade boat. Here, they enjoy the most productive fresh water

fishery in Africa. Tilapia, Nile Perch, and tiny dried Mukene are all staple foods for most of Southern Uganda.

LAKE MBURO. A fisherman floats through the lake’s morning mist. He shares this water with the hippos,

who have just returned home from their nightly grazing on the shore.

PLAINS ZEBRA. Â Many animals, such as this

one, live blissfully unaware of the boundaries of their protected park.Â He and his harem were spotted miles from the entrance.

NTEKO RIDGE, looking west onto the Virunga Mountains in Congo.

LOCAL TAXI MOTORIST sit alongside the rode, posing while having a smoke.

THE REGAL SUNBIRD, found in Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda,

sits pretty on branches of greenery and a floral budding bush.

NORTHERN BWINDI, RUSHEGURA FAMILY. One of a remaining population of under 900 mountain gorillas. Split between

Congo’s Virunga mountains and Uganda’s Bwindi forest, this remarkable creatures is marooned on peaks surrounded by cultivated farmland. This species have been unable to survive in captivity, but rigorous conservation is keeping their numbers stable.

LET IT ALL

IN.

We sat with Joy King amid tea and breakfast one Sunday morning and asked her a series of questions about her time and travels to foreign nations, her passions, and purpose. Although different from Michigan, Joy assures us that her time abroad is far from foreign but oftentimes feels like home. Regarding Uganda, “It’s a beautiful place, filled with some of the most incredible people you will ever meet,” Joy says. Enthralled by her experiences, captivated by her work, we listened as she let us into her world.

ABOUT PASSION:

For reasons I don’t fully understand, I’ve turned out pretty obsessed with traveling and doing new things. I like being creative, using my hands, living simply, and staying transient. There are things that make you feel very awake or vital, and when I find those things I want to share them with others. I think this is where my photography comes in. I want to shake people, and make them look in the direction I’m looking for a minute, without having to dissect it or figure it out. ABOUT UGANDA:

I lived In Uganda for just over a year, which is so bizarre. Feels like a big chunk of my life. I think this latest was my fifth trip, I guess you could say I’m an addict. It all stems from having two odd and wondrous parents who crossed the world and met in Kenya, and never really stopped traveling and having odd and wondrous children. My dad is living in Uganda currently, and offered to help out while we got on our feet if we wanted to come join him. So a couple years after I finished college, my husband and I decided to sell everything we had and try something completely and utterly new. We landed in Entebbe, and started looking for work the next day. I was able to work as a photographer full time, and he managed a handful of local restaurants and taught at a vocational school. Compared to what we enjoy in the US, it’s basically frontier living. It’s a mind-boggling roller coaster of crazy, and so much fun. We even had our wedding there. ABOUT MEMORIES OF HER TRAVELS:

JOY KING is a gifted

photographer with an eye for capturing fascinating landscape, portraits and interiors throughout Metro Detroit and abroad. Living in Uganda for about a year, Joy has found a love and appreciation for rural life and its naturist beauty. Her portfolio is as diverse as her travels from her collection of Detroit Canvas’ to Pearls of Africa. She currently resides in Metro Detroit. light-and-line.com

It’s so funny to think about what can become normal in such a short time. My brother was visiting us once, and we were staying in a very bare-bones concrete camp house out in the wilderness. We were in our bunks one night, and suddenly became aware that the bugs bumping into our mosquito nets were, in fact, bats. Somehow we came to the conclusion that we had to catch them and get them outside. With flashlights and towels, we went to work. When that was finally accomplished, we were immediately chased back inside by a disgruntled hippo who’d been grazing nearby. It’s extremely gratifying to see your older brother run, screaming from something for a change. I remember traffic being the weekly roundup of illegal cows being driven out of town. I remember feeling ashamed about being unable to participate in the killing of my dinner on the back porch at a friend’s home in Kenya, suddenly face to face with my hypocrisy. I remember climbing for hours through primeval rain forest to meet a newly appointed silverback mountain gorilla and his family. I remember seeing the glow of an erupting volcano appear with the stars. I also remember finding myself down the barrel of a drunken security guard’s AK-47, being robbed, extorted, and witnessing the public abuse of animals and people. I remember poverty. You have to be ready to let it all in. ABOUT PHOTOGRAPHY:

As far as the shooting process itself, it’s an amazing form of non-verbal communication, which of course becomes especially important in international travel. Just the act of taking out your camera engages people and opens a door, which is what gives you the chance to get meaningful shots. There’s a mutual curiosity you can tap into that just doesn’t exist when you stay in familiar surroundings. In the end, it’s just about me being amazed by this planet over and over, and finding an effective way to tell people about it. ABOUT THE WORLD THROUGH HER LENS:

For me, it’s about being as transparent as possible. Removing myself, removing the lens, and just being a window.

ALL SAINTS CHURCH, RUKUNGIRI. Â Children eager to pose in front of their local church. Their self-assurance was striking.

DESIGN

CREATIVE PURSUIT left: Custom PORT mfg. & design demi lune table and malachite lamp with vintage nude painting. right: Inspiration board of â&#x20AC;&#x153;how it came to be.â&#x20AC;? Meaning, Design & Revelry event, held at the MerrillWood Building in downtown Birmingham, MI.

Anne Strickland of PORT MFG. & DESIGN is an interior designer who turns houses into homes by weaving a personal narrative into the design process and creating environments that promote the highest quality of living. BY: A N N E S T R I C K L A N D PHOTOGRAPHY: K R I S T I N G R E E N W A L D

clockwise from left: NOIR cabinet adorned with custom PORT mfg. & design tortoise tray, Visual Comfort Alabaster Lamp, a collection of vintage shagreen boxes, with backdrop of 1920s watercolor of Padung Woman and Cornelia Stuart Cassady Davis, Portrait of Indian Chief in Headdress. A handkerchief tossed on the side of a bronze embellished Vintage 1960â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Bar Cart from NYC estate. Bronze glazed votive holder from lovely Fleur Detroit.

People

left to right: Guests mingle and “revel” in the social celebration of design at the Design & Revelry event. Anne Strickland, owner and curator of PORT mfg. & design (top, right) greets attendee. Vintage man on a horse accessory atop coffee table reads.

always ask me why I decided to call my interior design business “PORT mfg. & design”. It seems baffling that I didn’t consider a name based on my own, or one that concisely defines the services rendered. At first glance, it might have seemed like an illogical and somewhat groundless foundation for an interior design business, but as I embarked on the journey of a creative business owner, nothing could have held more purpose. From the beginning I have considered design, my views and the life in which we implement these ideals an ever-evolving process. Granted, there can be consistent themes, such as family, comfort, and the constant quest to be effortlessly chic, but the forum that needs to encompass the life we live is constantly developing. To me, the word, “PORT”, has a time worn implication as a hub for activity. It’s trade and commerce in the most ancient sense of the word. It’s exciting curiosities from far off lands that illustrated the mysteries of exotic civilizations to keenly discerning buyers. It’s the artery through which our world introduced us to the old and new, the colorful and unusual. When I think about the way I want to conduct a lifetime involved in design, it’s through the act of constant exploration. To be inspired by the beauty that is presented to us daily, whether it’s the colors in a sunset sky, the patina of a perfectly worn antique or the boldness of a contemporary painting, is the ultimate luxury in the pursuit of creativity. The desire to become a designer is really following the idea that through action you can create the best backdrop to participate in life. This might sound overwhelming when thinking about the big picture, but atmosphere is infinitely better with something as simple as dimming the lights during dinner or having music playing and candles lit while entertaining. As a designer, this backdrop can take on many 71

This

left: Vintage Repro Safari Chairs alongside Quatrafoil side table. Visual Comfort Sconces and Trowbridge prints formally from a suite at the Plaza Hotel, NYC. Kravet Velvet Sofa decorated with Schumacher Pillows and scoop chairs in Pindler grey texture with Kravet “Bazaar” pillows gathered around a custom PORT mfg. & design cocktail table atop Stark Carpet. right: Vintage porcelain pup with decorated collar.

interpretations based on a project’s specific needs. Every client is different and every lifestyle creates it’s own series of stylish problem solving. While I feel I always stay true to my own voice, I had always envisioned inviting people to an event that was a direct reflection of my interests, discoveries and consistent desire to create. past September I hosted “Design & Revelry”, a truly curated assortment of objects centered around a highly festive gathering of 200 of my closest friends. The evening consisted of small vignettes full of antiques I’d collected and furniture I’d designed. It was a small taste of objects that captivated me with their story. From a dynamically sad portrait of a Native American chief to the witty handicraft of vintage tea towels, it was a collection that in no other circumstance would find harmony. Provenance ranged from paintings picked up at various auctions to tables found scouring antique markets to custom metal furniture pieces and hand painted trays. Music played while old movies lit up the walls and guests enjoyed an assortment of appetizers and refreshing cocktails. For one night it was an amusing pleasure to present an unedited vision in an environment fully governed by an unrestricted point of view. In hindsight are there things I would have done differently? You betcha. That’s just the thing. Our minds are ever influenced by previously undiscovered inspiration. Our knowledge is always expanding. The consistency is the desire to remain enthusiastic. Enthusiastic about life, the creative process and the illusive gift to wake up every day and be energized by work. I don’t know where design will take me in 5 month or even 10 years and that’s the beauty of it all - the alluring perpetual journey of artistic discovery. portmfg.com 72

FOOD

enjoy! Candles lit. Table set.

CHEF LAMAR FARHAT

brings the love and warmth of home to dinner with each dish he constructs. PHOTOGRAPHY: J U S T I N M I L H O U S E TEXT: A S H L E Y K

ROASTED CORNISH HEN WITH PURPLE CABBAGE, CRANBERRY MOSTARDA SAUCE AND MARBLE POTATOES ROASTED CORNISH HEN:

Cornish Game Hen 3 thyme sprigs ½ of a lemon 1 bay leaf Salt Pepper Season the entire hen with salt and pepper. Insert thyme sprigs, lemon and bay leaf into the cavity of the bird. BRAISED PURPLE CABBAGE:

1 head purple cabbage (shredded) 4 oz. bacon (small dice) 1 red onion (Sliced) ¼ cup red wine vinegar Sautee bacon and onion until bacon is crisp and onions are caramelized. Add cabbage and reduce heat, continue to cook until cabbage is soft. Add vinegar when cabbage is soft and remove from heat. Season with salt and pepper. CRANBERRY MOSTARDA SAUCE:

6 cup fresh cranberries 1 cup red wine 1 cup brown sugar 1 cinnamon stick 2 star anise 1 tbsp. dry mustard seeds 1 tbsp. extra strong Dijon mustard Add all ingredients except mustard and mustard seed into sauce pan. Bring ingredients to a boil for five minutes, then reduce heat. Remove the cinnamon stick and star anise from the cranberry mixture. In a blender combine mixture, and mustard and puree until smooth. Stir mustard seeds into mixture. Best made overnight. MARBLE POTATOES:

2 # Marble Potatoes 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil 4 sprigs fresh thyme (leaves only, no stems) Season potatoes with salt, pepper, evoo, and thyme. Roast in a 350 degree oven for 25 minutes.

aving made himself quite comfortable in the kitchen for more than thirteen years, Chef Lamar is no stranger to extraordinary cuisine and most certainly displays this as he continues to create succulent meals at Iridescence at Motor City Hotel and Casino in Detroit, Michigan. What began as a job washing dishes at a local Belleville, Michigan diner, where he was born and raised, Chef Lamar is now a flavorful culinary architect in his own right. Influenced by the fragrance of the season, flavor combination of homegrown ingredients, the heartiness of winter meals, and simply a love for good ole’ food, Chef Lamar stimulates even the most brilliant palate. Nonetheless, he’s not too far gone from having some of his favorite noodles every now and again, “like real ramen...I love a good noodle” says Chef Lamar. And when he’s not cooking in some of the most decorated kitchens in the city of Detroit, Chef Lamar is always welcome back home where he creates alongside his mother who he proclaims “makes the craziest sides.” Never a dull moment in the kitchen with this guy, Chef Lamar brings the fire and the flavor. Pull up a seat, dinner is ready. instagram.com/lfarhat87 76

POMEGRANATE GLAZED PORK BELLY & SCALLOPS WITH SPICED CASHEWS PORK BELLY:

5 # pork belly (skin removed) Âź cup pomegranate molasses 8 qts. Water 2 oz. fresh thyme 12 peppercorns 4 bay leafs 2# U-10 ct. Fresh Diver Scallops 1 butter nut squash 1 fresh pomegranate for garnish Braise pork belly in water with thyme bay leaf and peppercorns on medium heat for 11/2 hours or until fork tender. Remove pork belly from liquid, and cool pork down to 40 degrees F. Cut pork belly into 2in squares. Pan sear the pork belly skin side down until bronze color and crisp. Lightly baste the pork belly in pomegranate molasses. Pan-sear scallops until desired temperature. Butter nut squash-cut into large dices and steamed. Garnish with pomegranate seeds.

SPICED CASHEWS:

Cashew nuts Olive oil Sumac Kosher salt A pinch of cinnamon A pinch of cayenne pepper Roast cashews in 350 degree F oven & drizzle with olive oil. Combine spices in a small mixing bowl. Toss roasted cashews in spice blend.

CRANBERRY & POMEGRANATE SPRITZER 1 bottle Rose Champagne 1 cup fresh pomegranate juice 1 cup fresh cranberry juice 3 oz. Simple Syrup In a large punch bowl or pitcher combine Champagne, cranberry juice, pomegranate juice, and simple syrup. Gently stir until all ingredients are combined. Fill a tall slim glass with ice cubes. Pour spritzer over the ice and garnish with fresh pomegranate seeds and mint.

DESIGN

HOME-STYLE 80

previous spread: THIS MODERNIZED ROOM includes a small workspace, dining area and living room, anchored by two traditional rugs. Muted tones pair with neutrals to create a space that’s the perfect balance of sophistication and masculinity. THE MASTER BEDROOM is warm

with subtle overhead and bedside sconce lighting. The gold accents, leather chesterfield headboard, and neutral tones grace this haven for a good nights sleep.

FOR THE WINE CELLAR a small coat

closet was torn out and revamped into this refrigerated wine cellar, complete with porcelain tile surfaces that resemble wood texture and a chrome cable system that’s suspended via bolts in the ceiling and floor. The 8-foot-tall entrance is outfitted with a commercial-grade glass door and chrome frame reminiscent of what’s used for hotel elevators.

DESIGN

Limited by space but not imagination? When it comes to creating distinct living areas that speak to one’s creative nature and personality, and utilizing space limitations, COREY DAMEN JENKINS is among the best. Step into this Ann Arbor, Michigan loft as we walk through each room filled with class and sophistication. Nestled in a college town with football fans and pedestrians galore, this bachelor’s pad quiets the outdoors and welcomes a subtle warmth and whimsy, great luxury, and style. Come with us as we explore the use of texture, print, textiles, and lighting to design this residence.

COREY DAMEN JENKINS is a nation-

ally acclaimed HGTV featured interior designer with a passion for creating spaces with a fresh, continental mix of elegance and modernistic appeal. Corey is a true visionary and believes that “designing an interior space is one of life’s most satisfying experiences.” coreydamenjenkins. com

PHOTOGRAPHY: G E N E M E A D O W S , B R A D Z I E G L E R

THE GUEST BATHROOM received a bold

design choice: fish patterned wallpaper. The whimsical wallpaper paired with black mattefinished tile surfaces creates a moody interior.

THE ELEGANT LIVING ROOM features cozy

fireside seating perfect for post-dinner conversation. The careful balance of neutrals and muted tones makes for a modernized space ideal for a distinguished bachelor.

THE MASTER BATH, originally constructed

in 1909, could not be expanded in terms of space. By embracing dark, moodier colors and installing gleaming tile surfaces and chrome finishes, the room was given a larger personality.

shop ing

Where the Locals Go I remember working on a wedding some years back with a bride who wanted a unique wedding cake; something different and succulent. We found Sweet Potato Sensations in Detroit and that bride and her groom absolutely loved their wedding cake. It was delicious! That wedding made me think of the many unique places that offer some of the most interesting finds. We at Parkview Magazine visited other local independent businesses in and around the metro Detroit area and want to share them with you. We fell in love with each place in a unique way. From general stores to baked goods, there are tons of establishments with a unique vibe that are looking for your business. MOTOR CITY WINE

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A boutique wine shop and bar with tastings and the likes. 1949 Michigan Ave, Detroit, MI 48216; motorcitywine.com

ELDORADO GENERAL STORE

A vintage general store with rare treasures from journeys around the world. 1700 Michigan Avenue, Detroit, MI 48216 eldoradogeneralstore.com PARAMITA SOUND

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A new-era vinyl record shop and hub for musical inspiration and experiences. 1417 Van Dyke, Detroit, MI 48214 paramitasound.com

SOURCE BOOKSELLERS

SWEET POTATO SENSATIONS

A “sweet potato lovers heaven on earth” this bakery uses sweet potatoes for everything from cookies to waffles. 17337 Lahser Road, Detroit, MI 48219 sweetpotatosensations.com UPSTAIRS DOWNSTAIRS STUDIO

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A home and furnishing design studio 311 E. Maple Road, Birmingham, MI 48009 updown-studio.com

HUGH

A home décor and personal accessories store with midcentury influence of vintage and new style and a masculine appeal. 4240 Cass Avenue Suite 107, Detroit, MI 48201; lovehughlongtime.com

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An independent bookstore with a unique niche of non-fiction books. 4240 Cass Ave. Suite 105, Detroit, MI 48201; sourcebooksellers.com