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MAKING FRIENDS, CREATING SMILES. Three Leaf is now in SouthPark! We are excited to bring our special brand of patient-centered orthodontics to a community we love. With convenient hours, flexible payment options, and advanced technologies, Three Leaf Orthodontics is built around caring for friends like you. Dr. Shane Markey is a specialist in orthodontics, with the knowledge and skill to treat a wide range of oral health issues related to the alignment of teeth and jaws. Whether it’s braces or Invisalign, our combination of state-of-the-art technology, quality care, and a kind, experienced team creates a pleasant journey toward amazing results.

SOUTHPARK 3151 Apex Drive, Suite 102E, Charlotte, NC 28211

When Dr. Markey decided to open the office of his dreams, he had two criteria: it had to be filled with kindness and have a culture focused on the patients. As a native of Ireland, Dr. Markey looked to his roots and found inspiration in the symbolism of a three-leaf shamrock: hospitality, friendship and fun. We think you’ll notice the difference at Three Leaf Orthodontics. We invite you to schedule a complimentary consultation at our beautiful new facility at Apex-SouthPark. Let’s start your journey toward the healthy, beautiful smile you deserve.

WAXHAW 8412 New Town Road, Suite A, Waxhaw, NC 28173

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FROM THE EDITOR

CATHY MARTIN EDITOR

editor@southparkmagazine.com

y mother and I didn’t always see eye to eye when I was growing up, but in hindsight, boy, did she work hard. Mom got up before anyone else to make breakfast and pack lunches for the family before going to her job at a public school in our small town. After school, she came home and cooked a scratch-made dinner every night — and more often than not, there was a homemade cake or pie sitting on the counter. We might not have known it at the time, but in many ways, we were absolutely spoiled. I’m a terrible cook, so thankfully, these days, there’s no set formula for a household’s division of labor. In my house, for example, my husband handles most of the meal planning and grocery shopping, while I tackle the laundry and home organization. What works for one family might not work for another, and that’s OK. Still, this last year has shined a light on how child care and household responsibilities still fall disproportionately on moms, even those working full time. Census data shows that many more mothers with school-age children — 1.4 million more than a year ago — are not actively working, as family-related tasks have taken precedence during the pandemic. Even stay-at-home moms have faced new challenges, from home schooling to social isolation, not to mention the emotional toll the pandemic has taken on all of us. Among the many heroes of this past year, moms are right up there. So it was a no-brainer for us to dedicate our cover story to a group of hardworking Charlotte mothers with a variety of occupations and backgrounds. Style editor Whitley Adkins proposed the idea for a Mother’s Day style feature with a dash of whimsy more than a year ago, and the wheels were already in motion when Covid struck last March. Photo shoots and interviews were canceled as we scrambled to tell new stories about artists adjusting to sheltering in place and how our neighbors were celebrating birthdays and special date nights at home. Fortunately, all six women who said “yes” in early 2020 were still game this time around, and the crew — Adkins, photographer Olly Yung and writer Caroline Portillo — were able to pick up right where they left off. We hope you enjoy it! And when Mother’s Day rolls around this year, be sure to raise a glass to all the hardworking moms in your life taking on the most important job in the world. SP

SP behind the scenes

Left: Photographer Laura Sumrak captures artist Lauren Reddick’s colorful south Charlotte home. Middle: Photo-shoot prep during a pandemic is a family affair! Right: The crew with Chef Joya and family at home.

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h m p ro p e r t i es .c o m

May

DEPARTMENTS 23 | Blvd. Davis Ligon’s classic cool closet; four women entrepreneurs and their buzzworthy startups; Verdant Bread takes it slow; Secret Garden Tour returns; Foster Village co-founder Becky Santoro creates community

71 | Simple life The secret to a good life? Less is more

75 | Omnivorous reader An evil character spices a Carolina plot

77 | Bookshelf Notable new releases

79 | Well and wise Normalizing discussions about mental health

124 | Swirl Parties, fundraisers and events in the Queen City

128 | Gallery A new mural teases an immersive art experience

ABOUT THE COVER Janet LaBar, president and CEO of the Charlotte Regional Business Alliance, at home with her three children and the family's pandemic pup, Timber. Photograph by Olly Yung; styling by Whitley Adkins.

SOUTHPARK

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G E N E R A L C O N T R AC TO R

FEATURES 83 | Juggling act by Caroline Portillo | photographs by Olly Yung | styled by Whitley Adkins

Six Charlotte moms make managing kids and careers look effortless.

96 | Bold standard by Cathy Martin | photographs by Laura Sumrak

Artist Lauren Reddick’s south Charlotte home is a quirky mix of color, pattern and texture.

110 | Reel house by Michael J. Solender | photographs by Grant Baldwin

Charlotte Film Society’s new three-screen theater will give indie films a forever home in the Queen City.

96 16

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1230 West Morehead St., Suite 308 Charlotte, NC 28208 704-523-6987 southparkmagazine.com _______________ Ben Kinney Publisher publisher@southparkmagazine.com Cathy Martin Editor editor@southparkmagazine.com Andie Rose Art Director Lauren M. Coffey Graphic Designer Alyssa Rocherolle Graphic Designer Whitley Adkins Style Editor

A TRADITION OF KNOWLEDGE AND TRUST Gay Dillashaw 704-564-9393 gay.dillashaw@allentate.com

6700 Fairview Road, Charlotte, NC 28210

Contributing Editors David Mildenberg, Taylor Wanbaugh Contributing Writers Michelle Boudin, Wiley Cash, Jennings Cool, Jim Dodson, Ben Jarrell, Juliet Kuehnle, Page Leggett, D.G. Martin, Caroline Portillo, Jay Sifford, Michael J. Solender Contributing Photographers Grant Baldwin, Mallory Cash, Daniel Coston, Amy Kolo, Laura Sumrak, Peter Taylor, Olly Yung Amanda Lea Proofreader _______________ ADVERTISING Jane Rodewald Sales Manager 704-621-9198 jane@southparkmagazine.com Scott Leonard Account Executive/Audience Development Specialist 704-996-6426 scott@southparkmagazine.com

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blvd. People. Places. Things.

INSPIRED BY NATURE

Charlotte jewelry brand Geoflora has been a local favorite since twin sisters Ellen and Margaret Hinrichs launched the business in 2013. Now customers far and wide can enjoy their handcrafted rings, earrings and more — last month retailer Madewell began selling several exclusive Geoflora designs on its website, with prices starting at $25. Geoflora was selected as part of Madewell’s Hometown Heroes Collective, which spotlights local creatives from across the U.S. The current class of artisans were chosen for employing sustainable practices. The Hinrichs use materials from ethical sources in creating their jewelry, recycling metal scraps and reusing packaging materials when possible. View all of Geoflora’s nature-inspired designs at geoflorajewelry.com, and shop for the new exclusive collection at madewell.com (click the “Labels we love” tab) through September.

southparkmagazine.com | 23

blvd. | style

CLOSET CRUSH:

Davis Ligon BY WHITLEY ADKINS PHOTOGRAPHS BY AMY KOLO

harlotte dentist Davis Ligon studied at the University of Virginia and got his doctor of dental surgery degree at the Medical College of Virginia before a post-doctoral residency at UNC Chapel Hill brought him to the Old North State. After almost moving to New York City, the Virginia native heeded the call back south and planted his roots in Charlotte. Ligon offered SouthPark a peek inside the recently remodeled closet in his 1928 Eastover home. Visual arts, design, music and architecture all influence his personal style, Ligon says. “Since the pandemic, with fashion in general, I have found myself wanting to buy

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blvd. | style less overall,” Ligon says. “More than ever, I want to support companies who are developing sustainable items. I am not a trendy shopper. My style of shopping endorses buying what you like, knowing you are going to keep the item for a long time.” Comments have been edited for length and clarity. You have one of the most stylish homes in the city, certainly for a bachelor. How do you have such great taste? I would say my love of travel is the most inspiring thing for me — architecturally, stylistically, what have you. I’m a very visual person, and I’ve always had an innate desire for things around me to be beautiful and pleasing. How do you describe your personal style? Nostalgically American. I might also say East Coast prep with a West Coast attitude. Do you have any style icons? JFK Jr. all the way. He could pull off casual street wear just as easily as a Ralph Lauren tuxedo. Even though he could, he never really seemed to dress to impress. He had the most effortless, classic style. He never took himself too seriously, but he always looked

“I grew up a baseball player, so I was always wearing baseball caps,” Davis Ligon says. “If I’m traveling, I’ll usually grab a cap that reflects the places I go. ... Whitney [Hahn with California Closets] and I designed the cabinet display specifically for my baseball caps.”

SOUTHPARK

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blvd. | style

sharp as a tack. A more current style icon would be Ryan Gosling. He has so much style — he is dapper as f**k. Do you have a ‘look’? I don’t think I have a look necessarily. I love the outdoors, so a lot of my clothing sort of goes in that direction. I have a ton of Patagonia in my closet, and people like to make fun of me for wearing my plaids and flannels, but it fits my lifestyle and my draw to the great outdoors. When the occasion presents itself, I feel equally at home wearing black tie to a gala. Where do you like to shop? In Charlotte, I think Tabor rivals any men’s shop between New York and L.A. For a custom suit or jacket, David Watkins at Abbeydale. I have a beautiful plaid blazer that he custom made for me, with my monogram hidden under the lapel. Outside of Charlotte, Billy Reid and What Goes Around Comes Around in New York City. I have a great pair of well-worn vintage cowboy boots I got there that fit me perfectly. Do you have any packing travel tips? I typically pack the basics that will work well together and don’t overthink it too much. When you look in your suitcase when you’re away and don’t see anything you like, that’s always a good excuse to go check out the local stores! Tell me about your closet. I had the closet redesigned, along with a bathroom remodel, a few years 28

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blvd. | style ago. I called California Closets, and [design consultant] Whitney Hahn was great. She knew I had my own ideas of what I wanted, and she executed them brilliantly. We wanted to respect the architectural integrity of the house while incorporating modern, clean lines. How did you personalize the space? There was a Cole & Son Delano wallpaper with the geometric print that I always liked. I wanted to find a space for it in my house and decided it was right for the closet. I tried to curate items that were personal to me, including Avett Brothers and Coachella concert posters. I called [local artist] Stephen Wilson about a Grateful Dead Steal Your Face piece he has made in the past. He made one for me specifically for the space. A family friend painted the picture of Teddy (Ligon’s Australian labradoodle) for me, and I hung it in there because that’s where he sleeps. Last but not least, there is a photograph of my nephew that his girlfriend took of him on the streets of New York. I trimmed out the room myself in a chartreuse velvet ribbon accessorized with antique bronze nailheads. I’d seen that done before, and I thought it reminded me of a men’s haberdashery shop. SP Courtney Kovacs of Coko Concierge assisted with closet organization.

THIS OR THAT Boots or sneakers? I like Chelsea boots with a suit, or a short boot over a loafer most of the time. As for the sneakers, I lead an active lifestyle — so I guess both. Then again, scratch all of that. Hiking boots. Sunglasses or hat? Definitely both. Definitely, always, both. Jacket or vest? Jacket Pants or jeans? I like pants that fit like jeans but are not necessarily denim. I like the color variety of a utility pant that can be dressed up or down. Go-to brands: Billy Reid, Faherty, Bonobos and Saturdays NYC. J.Crew has been a wardrobe staple since I was in high school. Shoe designers: I like my Golden Goose. I’ve always been a Ferragamo fan, and I recently bought a pair of Hermes loafers on a trip to Miami.

SOUTHPARK

blvd. | interiors

True blue

DESIGNER INNA KOVALINSKIY CREATES A RELAXED, INVITING SPACE TO SHOWCASE VINTAGE WWII MEMORABILIA.

n this sitting room for a family with young children, the homeowners had two priorities: They sought a quiet space to enjoy adult conversation, as well as a place to display items from their extensive collection of World War II memorabilia. The couple, who recently moved to Charlotte from California, had previously traveled across Europe, attending reenactments and collecting artifacts along the way. “They wanted a creative way to showcase it,” says interior designer Inna Kovalinskiy, who launched Kovalinskiy Design 32

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blvd. | interiors with her contractor husband, Vitaliy, after renovating and designing their own Mint Hill home several years ago. The space, originally intended as a formal dining room, is one of the first areas guests see as they enter the home, so Kovalinskiy wanted it to make an elegant first impression. White walls were painted a deep blue, with a large vintage decommissioned flag serving as a focal point. In the center of the room is a vintage Lineberry factory cart the homeowner converted to a coffee table. Kovalinskiy added custom molding and builtins for those treasured collectibles, along with valances and draperies in a classic ticking pattern. Modern elements like the sculptural glass chandelier and a new rug with a vintage appearance pull the design together. “We wanted it to feel appropriate to that time period but still feel modern,” the designer says. “Part of our design is we want to create spaces that age well.” In this case, the result is a stylish space with a well-worn, timeless feel. SP — Cathy Martin

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For those who seek an exceptional life Your home is more than a building or an address. It’s where you experience life, connection, and growth. The real estate company you choose to represent your property should be as exceptional as you are, and as your next chapter is going to be. In North Carolina, only Premier Sotheby’s International Realty offers unrivaled service and limitless opportunities. If you are thinking of selling, now is the perfect time. Call us today for a private consultation at 704.248.0243. Premier Sotheby’s International Realty 716 East Boulevard | Charlotte, North Carolina 28203

Asheville | Banner Elk | Blowing Rock | Charlotte | Lake Norman | Linville Ridge Sotheby’s International Realty® and the Sotheby’s International Realty logo are registered service marks used with permission. Each office is independently owned and operated. Equal Housing Opportunity. Property information herein is derived from various sources including, but not limited to, county records and multiple listing services, and may include approximations. All information is deemed accurate.

blvd. | entrepreneurs

Creating a buzz

THREE WOMEN-LED BRANDS ARE SHAKING UP THE LOCAL STARTUP SCENE.

Burning bright PRETTY HONEST CANDLES FOUNDER ANDREA RICHTER TURNED A CRAFTY HOBBY INTO A FLOURISHING BUSINESS.

ast year, after being unexpectedly laid off from her job as a social-media manager, push came to shove for Andrea Richter. “I was scrambling on what to do,” Richter says, echoing a sentiment familiar to many during the pandemic. After considering different career paths, she quickly landed on an unexpected one — one that involved turning her part-time hobby into a full-time gig. “I have always been a crafty person. I also always loved candles and wondered what went into making them,” says Richter, who began making candles for fun in 2017. While working full time after earning an MBA from Wingate University, Richter occasionally sold her candles at pop-up events and online at prettyhonestshop.com. Richter spent several years perfecting her scents. Her candles are made using soy wax and fragrance oils that are free of phthalates (chemicals commonly used in plastics and personal-care products), 36

SOUTHPARK

PHOTOGRAPHS BY BRANDON TODD

BY JENNINGS COOL

blvd. | entrepreneurs

resulting in a biodegradable product with a clean, slow burn. “Making candles was never something I wanted to make a business out of, but I just needed something physical to do,” Richter says. But in April 2020, she decided to turn her hobby into a full-blown business. Soon afterward, shoutouts on BuzzFeed, Apartment Therapy and Travel Noire made Pretty

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Honest Candles a viral sensation. “It just kind of went nuts,” Richter says. She turned her house into a warehouse, where Richter processed and packed orders. Boxes piled up in her family room, and her kitchen became her workspace. After a few months, Richter decided it was time to take permanent steps to grow the business. “I have had to let go of the expectations I had for the corporate life,” Richter says. “I had to accept that this is how I was supposed to move forward.” In August, she moved the business out of her home and into an official warehouse, adding four employees to support daily operations. Best-selling scents include Lemon Lavender, Fresh Coffee, Honeysuckle Jasmine, and Green Tea & Lemongrass. Richter has also developed an online candle quiz for indecisive customers to see which scent might be their best fit. Since day one, the business has not slowed down, according to Richter. “It’s been an insane, wild ride,” she says. SP Mother’s Day pick: Pastel Spring candle bundle: choose (2) from Rain Water, Sea Salt & Orchid, Orange Blossom and Pineapple Sage ($42 + shipping); prettyhonestshop.com

From Charlotte. Knows Charlotte.

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CO N TAC T S COT T L E O N A R D scott@southparkmagazine 704.996.6426

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blvd. | wellness

Craving calm CRISTINA WILSON CREATED MOOD HOUSE TO MAKE IT EASY FOR OTHERS TO CARVE OUT TIME FOR SELF-CARE. BY CATHY MARTIN

SOUTHPARK

Awake to feel energized. Each experience is defined by its own massage techniques, aromatherapy and playlist. Wilson teamed with two local brands, Pretty Honest Candles and perfumer Jules & Vetiver, to create the aromatherapy candles, which can also be purchased for $34 each. But the music might be the most distinguishing part of the Mood House experience. Instead of New Age mainstays or nature sounds, Wilson created curated playlists for each of the four moods. “I’ve danced my whole life, so I’ve always been aware of how music can change your mood instantly and powerfully,” Wilson says. “I try to approach it like a movie score or soundtrack — what songs make you feel truly joyful (abundant) or absolutely relaxed (calm)? ‘Clear’ is inspired by a California coffeehouse vibe to boost creativity. I think our unique take on music will be an important part of the brand as we grow.”

PHOTOGRAPH BY JAMEY PRICE

ristina Wilson knows a thing or two about feeling stressed. The Davidson College graduate spent nine years working in local media, including five as president of Charlotte Agenda (now Axios Charlotte). In all those years of chasing deadlines and working nonstop to help build a burgeoning media brand, there was little time left for self-care. “I found myself going months and months without a massage,” Wilson says. “The truth is that I’m less effective — as a businesswoman, as a leader, as a parent — if I don’t create time for myself.” So in 2019, she left the media business and a job she loved to develop Mood House, a massage studio with a sleek, minimalistic vibe and a membership program that makes it hard for stressed-out Charlotteans to make excuses. Wilson spent time in Los Angeles and Palm Springs, Calif., to zero in on the aesthetic she wanted to create in Mood House. Charlotte architect Perry Poole helped her realize her vision. “Perry wouldn’t let me show him any inspiration photos — not one,” Wilson says. “It allowed the design to be completely original and based organically on the experience we wanted to create for clients.” Stark white interiors and soft lighting evoke a sense of calm as you enter the studio, which is tucked in a Dilworth shopping center on Park Road. A slim, curved corridor lined with oversized windows leads to Mood House’s seven massage suites; another wing houses a private infrared sauna and an area for upper-body massages, ideal for on-the-go clients who don’t have time for a full treatment. At the center of the 4,000-square-foot space is a large meditation room for events and workshops, where low-hanging pendant lights emit a soft, warm glow. When you arrive at Mood House, you’ll choose your experience based on how you’d like to feel when you leave: Calm, for those seeking deep relaxation; Clear to enhance focus and creativity; Abundant for an upbeat take on a Swedish massage;

blvd. | wellness

PHOTOGRAPH BY LAURA SUMRAK

While guests can still opt for traditional relaxation tracks, Mood House’s playlists seem to be a hit among its 350 members (and counting, as of early April). “We’ve gotten feedback that for people who have trouble with their thoughts racing, having music with lyrics to latch onto is actually a super helpful part of the relaxation process,” Wilson says. “It takes the pressure off of your own thoughts in a way.” While operating a massage studio bears little in common with running a media company, Wilson knew she needed to follow her instincts. “I feel like deep down, building things was more the fulfilling part than building something in media, specifically,” she says. “For me, as a client, this was just what I was missing.” How it works: Mood House members receive discounted rates for signature massages — $85/month for a 50-minute massage ($105 for nonmembers) and $115 for an 80-minute massage ($135 for nonmembers) — along with discounts on sauna sessions and access to meditation events. Unused massages roll over from month to month; you can also gift a massage credit to a friend. SP Mother’s Day pick: Aromatherapy candle ($35) and gift certificate for a 50-minute signature massage ($105), moodhouse.com

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blvd. | beauty

Makeup mavens SWAN BEAUTY CO-FOUNDERS LEIGH HUMPHREY AND LINDSEY REGAN THORNE CREATE A PERSONALIZED WAY TO SHOP FOR BEAUTY PRODUCTS. BY JENNINGS COOL

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Humphrey reached out with the idea for Swan Beauty, a digitalbeauty concierge. “The rest is history,” Thorne says. The duo designed Swan Beauty to operate as a personal stylist for beauty and skincare products. The customer fills out an online beauty quiz at swanbeauty.com, sharing preferences such as budget, favorite brands and skin type. Products are then hand-selected by a team of makeup artists and skincare specialists. Each customer receives samples to try before committing to the full-sized products, along with detailed instructions for how to apply them. Humphrey and Thorne created Swan Beauty to be an easy, digital way to find products delivered right to customers’ doorsteps in curated boxes — without ever having to leave home. “It’s really fun because customers are coming to us with a specific need,” Humphrey says. SP SP Mother’s Day pick: Mother’s Day Beauty Box, including a Jenny Patinkin Rose on Rose face roller, Jouer Blush and Bloom cheek + lip duo, Saint Jane beauty serum, lilah b. Aglow cleansing butter, and Chantecaille Lip Chic ($190), swanbeauty.com

PHOTOGRAPHS BY ALLISON KUHN

hen it came to shopping for makeup and beauty essentials, Swan Beauty co-founder Leigh Humphrey recognized a significant gap between bestselling items and the information being shared with customers about various available products. She explains it like this: When customers approach a beauty counter at the mall, the salesperson is often incentivized to sell specific branded products. But what if there was a service where the specialist instead had the customer’s unique interests in mind? This idea was the catalyst that triggered Humphrey, who previously worked in database marketing and innovation for large fashion companies, to develop a new way to offer beauty products. “We are all about education,” says Lindsey Regan Thorne, a local makeup artist and beauty influencer who last year co-founded Swan Beauty with Humphrey. “One of the biggest parts of Swan is educating customers on why and how to apply.” Thorne entered the beauty world in 2009 after working in the interior-design industry. She created her own personal blog and brand centered around lifestyle topics with a beauty focus. She later started a makeup and hair business, Be Pretty, providing services for weddings, special events and photo shoots. Throughout her career, Thorne has worked with clients of various skin types and needs, including a woman who was battling stage 4 cancer. The woman turned to Thorne for her expertise, wanting to look and feel her best during her final days. Thorne spent hours helping the client find products that worked for her and guided her through step-by-step makeup application lessons. Before passing, the woman shared how the lessons changed her life. After that pivotal experience, Thorne decided she wanted to take beauty lessons to the next level. “It’s one of those moments etched on my heart forever,” Thorne says. “Something so silly as a makeup lesson made this woman feel so special during her last days on Earth.” Shortly after Thorne’s “aha” moment,

Advice for what matters most, Advice for what matters most, when most whenyou you need need it it most Congratulations Drew P.P.Crawford Crawfordfor forbeing being CongratulationstotoDavid DavidG. G. Hall Hall and and Drew named totothe WealthAdvisors” Advisors”2021 2021list. list. named theForbes Forbes“Best-in-State “Best-in-State Wealth As your lifelife evolves, Merrill adviceand andguidance guidancetotohelp help stay As your evolves, Merrillcan canprovide providepersonalized personalized advice youyou stay on track to pursue your on track to pursue yourgoals. goals. HallCrawford Crawford Group Hall Group David G. G. Hall, Hall, CRPC David CRPC®®,,CPWA CPWA® ® Senior Vice Vice President President Senior Wealth Management Management Advisor Wealth Advisor 980.282.1761 980.282.1761 dave_hall@ml.com dave_hall@ml.com

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Source: The Forbes “Best-in-State Wealth Advisors” list, February 11, 2021. Data provided by SHOOK™ Research, LLC. Data as of June 30, 2020. The Forbes “Best-in-State Wealth Advisors” ranking was developed by SHOOK Research and is based on in-person and telephone due diligence meetings to evaluate each advisor qualitatively, a major component of a ranking algorithm that includes: client retention, industry experience, review of compliance records, firm nominations; and quantitative criteria, including: assets under management and revenue generated for their firms. Investment performance is not a criterion because client objectives Source: The Forbes “Best-in-State February 11, 2021.reports. Data provided LLC.ofData as of June 30,LLC 2020. Theindicative Forbes “Best-in-State Wealth Advisors” rankingofwas and risk tolerances vary, andWealth advisorsAdvisors” rarely havelist, audited performance Rankingsby areSHOOK™ based onResearch, the opinions SHOOK Research, and not of future performance or representative anydeveloped one client’sby SHOOK experience. Research and is based in-personfrom and telephone due diligenceofmeetings to evaluate eachand advisor qualitatively, of client a ranking algorithm that includes: retention, industry experience, Rankings andonrecognition Forbes are no guarantee future investment success do not ensure that aa major currentcomponent or prospective will experience a higher level ofclient performance results, and such shouldrecords, not be construed as an endorsement of the advisor. Neither Forbesassets nor SHOOK receives in exchange for placement on the ranking. Forbes isisa not trademark of Forbes Media LLC. objectives All review ofrankings compliance firm nominations; and quantitative criteria, including: under Research management andcompensation revenue generated for their firms. Investment performance a criterion because client reserved. and risk rights tolerances vary, and advisors rarely have audited performance reports. Rankings are based on the opinions of SHOOK Research, LLC and not indicative of future performance or representative of any one client’s experience. RankingsPierce, and recognition fromIncorporated Forbes are no guarantee future investment success andavailable do not ensure that a current or prospective will experience level performance results, andofsuch Merrill Lynch, Fenner & Smith (also referred of to as “MLPF&S” or “Merrill”) makes certain investment products sponsored,client managed, distributed aorhigher provided by of companies that are affiliates Corporationas(“BofA Corp.”). MLPF&S is aadvisor. registered broker-dealer, registered adviser, Member SIPC andina exchange wholly owned subsidiary ofon BofA Corp. rankingsBank of America should not be construed an endorsement of the Neither Forbes nor SHOOKinvestment Research receives compensation for placement the ranking. Forbes is a trademark of Forbes Media LLC. All

rights reserved. Investment products: Are Not FDIC Insured Are Not Bank Guaranteed May Lose Value Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated (also referred to as “MLPF&S” or “Merrill”) makes available certain investment products sponsored, managed, distributed or provided by companies that are affiliates of The Bull Symbol and Merrill are registered trademarks of Bank of America Corporation. Bank of America Corporation (“BofA Corp.”). MLPF&S is a registered broker-dealer, registered investment adviser, Member SIPC and a wholly owned subsidiary of BofA Corp. CRPC® is a registered service mark of the College for Financial Planning. CPWA® is a registered service mark of the Investment Management Consultants Association dba Investments & Wealth Institute. May Lose Value MAP3416664 | AD-03-21-0447 | 472538PM-0321 | 03/2021

The Bull Symbol and Merrill are registered trademarks of Bank of America Corporation. CRPC® is a registered service mark of the College for Financial Planning. CPWA® is a registered service mark of the Investment Management Consultants Association dba Investments & Wealth Institute. © 2021 Bank of America Corporation. All rights reserved. MAP3416664 | AD-03-21-0447 | 472538PM-0321 | 03/2021

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blvd. | food + drink

Slow rise

VERDANT BREAD’S DELIBERATE PROCESS AND ORGANIC GRAINS YIELD TASTY LOAVES WITH UNIQUE FLAVOR.

“Y

BY BEN JARRELL • PHOTOGRAPHS BY PETER TAYLOR

ou choose that slower process of growing,” says Verdant Bread co-founder Jaymin McAffrey. Still, the small bakery on Monroe Road has amassed quite a following since he and Tanner Fink launched the business in 2017. “Thankfully, with each step, we’ve been able to grow very organically.” The bakery employs cold fermentation, a process by which yeast dough is allowed to slowly proof at slightly above refrigerator tem-

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perature. At 50 degrees Fahrenheit, natural yeast quietly consumes complex starches and, in turn, not only provides carbon dioxide that allows the dough to rise but also flavor compounds that make each bread unique. Under these chilled conditions, it’s a calculated rise. This is not a business model built for speed — even compared with other small bakeries — and it’s downright languorous when compared with larger commercial ones that help stock supermarket shelves. But what I first misunderstood as a metaphor was more

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blvd. | food + drink a microcosm of the bakery’s growth as local artisans. “It’s funny. It kind of mirrors exactly what we’re doing with this very slow process with bread — not buying a bunch of equipment to automate everything,” McAffrey says. With a focus on using millers local to North Carolina like Lindley Mills and Carolina Ground, Verdant’s success begins with organic grains, from rye to ancient varieties like einkorn wheat, and a slow proofing process with a wild yeast starter, affectionately named “Gloria.” It ends with a hot, quick bake. The fresh-milled grains give flavor, texture and nutrition. Wild yeast and lactic acid provide rise, tenderness and additional flavor. Heat from the oven kills the yeast, sets the dough and forms the crust of their various breads. From dough to table, the whole process takes up to two days. When I first heard of Verdant a few years back, they were baking bread for Not Just Coffee out of a kitchen off Monroe Road where Sweet Spot Studio now sits. Blown away by the hearty sourdough below smashed avocado, I was rightfully confused — Charlotte did not have bread this good. NJC owners Miracle and James Yoder told me of the two former Kindred bartenders baking bread out of a commissary across town. Still in its infancy, other clients included Mama Ricotta’s and Hex Coffee, which first carried Verdant’s bread when the bakery was a name without a home. Slowly, intentionally, that name built a following that continued to expand after they began selling their bread at Matthews Community Farmers Market in 2019. On a dreary late winter day, McAffrey and Fink invite me inside their bakery — the current bakeshop is just across the parking lot from their original location behind Common Market Oakwold — to check out their production and to meet the team. Fink stands over a table of dough balls, pulling and twisting each one into the familiar shape of a bagel. Behind him, his team members buzz, steadily filling orders for their 15 wholesale accounts. The Loyalist Market in Matthews would soon become the 16th. “Tanner and I are in this space and it’s fairly small; but we’re able to crank out a really large amount of bread over here. It’s been really fun,” McAffrey says. He explains why it was so important for them to start slow and get a foot in the door at the market. “We like to do wholesale, but that’s not our bigger vision. We really love focusing on the community of farmers, the tradesmen — that’s what’s valuable to us.” Fink finishes his thought: “Getting bread on a table. Getting bread to people.” SP WHERE TO BUY: Verdant Bread is sold at the Matthews Community Farmers Market and Uptown Farmers Market on Saturdays; at The Pickled Peach in Davidson on Wednesdays; and at the bakery at 4410 Monroe Rd. on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Monthly subscriptions (one loaf per week) are $25. Pre-order at verdantbread.co.

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blvd. | new in town

Eat & drink

Popular food truck What the Fries opened a brick-and-mortar restaurant in south Charlotte. Greg Williams and Jamie Barnes started What the Fries in 2015 — on the menu, expect favorites like the shrimp and steak hibachi fries alongside house-made tater tots, burgers and sandwiches. 10707 Park Road, Suite F; whatthefriesclt.com u Just Salad is now open at Apex SouthPark, its fourth North Carolina location. The New York-based restaurant chain serves salads, wraps, smoothies and more. 4425 Sharon Rd., Suite 195. justsalad.com/nc u Margaux’s Wine, Pizza & Market opened in a former general store in downtown Pineville, serving St. Louis-style pizza (thin crust with blended cheeses), sandwiches, salads, and cheese and charcuterie boards. 316 Main St., Pineville; margauxswine.com u Babe & Butcher will open its first brick-and-mortar shop this spring at Camp North End. Customers can choose from among local meats, cheeses, fruits and vegetables to create customizable charcuterie boards and boxes. Also available: house-made truffle crostini, cookies and meringues for made-to-order dessert boards. Babe & Butcher will offer same-day delivery of its signature charcuterie boards, along with wine, beer and champagne. Lindsay Anvik and Rob Henricks started Babe & Butcher in 2019. babeandbutcher.com

What the Fries

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Shop local

u House of Nomad moved its flagship store from Brunswick Avenue to a new larger location at 1405 East Blvd. Led by designers Kelley Lentini and Berkeley Minkhorst, HON sells pillows, throws, baskets and other home accessories sourced from Mexico, Bali, Africa and Thailand. shophouseofnomad.com u Twenty Two West opened a new studio and store in west Charlotte. Local artist Mary Hamby started Twenty Two West in 2015, crafting jewelry and home décor items with porcelain clay and fibers. Shop hours are Tuesday-Saturday 11 a.m. – 6 p.m. 2613 Tuckaseegee Road, twentytwowest.com. SP

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blvd. | gardening

Fitting in

WHAT TO DO WITH AUNT LOUISE’S HEIRLOOM ROSE

BY JAY SIFFORD

love gardens with stories. Actually, I believe that garden design is the perfect medium by which to hone the art of storytelling. You see, every person, every home, every parcel of land has a story to tell. I recently met with a potential client in Dilworth who had, through the purchase of an older home, inherited a collection of Lenten roses. They were gifted to the previous owner by the wife of a pastor at the Lutheran church on Morehead Street. Fortunately, these hellebores fit in nicely with the aesthetic of the garden, so they will stay. But what do you do with that odd-but-precious plant that you inherited from a long-gone relative? Can it fit into an overall garden design, and if so, how? The first and most obvious way to deal with Aunt Louise’s legacy is to feature it front and center — to embrace it. If the plant is small or medium in size, accentuate it by placing it in a nice, size-appropriate to slightly oversized container. Many weekend gardeners tend 50

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to undersize containers — a slightly larger than necessary container will give the plant extra emphasis in the garden. If the plant is too large for a container, such as a Japanese maple, consider creating a small rolling berm and inserting a boulder underneath it to underscore its value. Another idea is to borrow a concept from European gardens and surround the plant with edged gravel. Doing so can elevate a plant in importance and raise it to living-sculpture status. This is a bit risky as, if done incorrectly, it can look like a planting bed at a convenience store. To avoid that fate, choose a natural looking stone such as Tennessee River gravel, and avoid white gravel or lava rock. Perhaps widen an existing gravel path in a certain area and site the plant off-center, out of the way of garden traffic, or use it at the end of the path as an axial focal point. A second way to incorporate an heirloom plant into a cohesive design scheme, or to knit together a disparate collection of plants,

blvd. | gardening is to carpet the bed with a ground cover. Think of a room with furniture of several styles. A beautiful rug upon which all the furniture sits can go a long way in making the room feel cohesive. In a sunny situation, plants such as ‘Blue Rug’ juniper, a very low-growing cotoneaster such as ‘Streib’s Findling,’ dwarf Acorus, thyme or a low-growing ornamental grass will fit the bill. In shadier areas, dwarf mondo, strawberry begonia or shorter sedges are all fair game. Wide swaths of a single plant read as simplistic and pleasing, allowing specimen plants to bring their best to the proverbial garden plate. Please spare yourself future headaches by avoiding thuggish plants such as English ivy. A third idea would be to employ the use of juxtaposition, or comparison-contrast. Every garden element, whether living or not, possesses four characteristics: size, shape, color and texture. By matching two of these four characteristics and varying the other two, you can create a garden vignette that has enough of

a common thread to visually hold it together, but enough diversity to create and maintain interest. For example, if your heirloom plant is a conical spruce, perhaps introduce a trio of round dwarf spruces sited in front and slightly to the right or left of your heirloom. The size and shape are different, but the color and texture are similar. A final solution would be to simply add more similar plants. If your heirloom is a rose, purchase more and create a bed of roses. By following one or more of these design principles, you can create a flowing, seamless garden out of the most disparate collection of plants. And most importantly, you’ll make Aunt Louise proud. Happy gardening! SP Jay Sifford is a Charlotte-based landscape designer who specializes in contemporary, Asian and transitional gardens. His work has been featured in Southern Living, Country Gardens and Fine Gardening, as well as Houzz and several books. siffordgardendesign.com

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blvd. | home & garden

Gardens great and small HISTORIC FOURTH WARD’S SPRING GARDEN TOUR RETURNS.

BY PAGE LEGGETT • PHOTOGRAPH BY AUSTIN CAINE

he news release for this year’s “Secret Gardens of Fourth Ward” tour promises gardens from “the micro to the magnificent.” If you’re familiar with the historic district, you can imagine micro. The uptown enclave is dotted with condos, townhomes and Victorians with small spaces — patios, terraces, a patch of green by the driveway — that many residents have turned into outdoor oases. But, just how magnificent are we talking? The Phillips garden on 9th Street more than qualifies, says Heath Knott, a longtime Fourth Ward resident and chair of this year’s tour. “The parents [of a Fourth Ward couple] bought the house next door and tied both properties together with one big backyard,” Knott says. “There’s a pool, a Jacuzzi, an outdoor fireplace, among other things. The parents have a screened porch on the back of their house with an outdoor fireplace positioned so they have privacy. Everyone can socialize in the sort-of shared backyard, but there are unique, tiny, private spaces, as well.” After skipping the tour in 2020 due to the pandemic, Fourth Ward residents are especially eager to welcome visitors back to the neighborhood. “Spring is here, and everybody’s a little more confident about 54

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getting out,” Knott says. The tour is entirely outdoors, and organizers will adhere to state guidelines and restrictions. Besides gardens, ticket holders can enjoy complimentary food and beverage tastings (while they last) in gardens and restaurants along the route, including freshly shucked oysters from Sea Level. The private gardens are truly “secret” (hence, the tour’s name), but there are public spaces on the tour, too. Docents will lead tours of historic Elmwood/Pinewood Cemetery at 3 p.m. both days. Knott’s own townhouse — which has been on previous tours but is not on this year’s — proves you can turn a small space into a wonderland. “We have our upper-level back courtyard, a small front courtyard, a bigger one in the rear and a koi pond water feature [that] allows us to grow plants in water.” In Fourth Ward, even the micro is magnificent. SP Fourth Ward in bloom. Tour the “Secret Gardens of Fourth Ward” May 22 and 23 from noon to 4 p.m. Tickets can be purchased online at fourthwardclt.org. During tour hours, ticket holders can pick up guidebooks at the booth at the corner of 9th and Poplar streets. Tour organizers expect tickets to sell out in advance.

THE MINT MUSEUM Come intrigued. Leave inspired.

Mint Museum Uptown

at Levine Center for the Arts

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Mint Museum Randolph 2730 Randolph Road Charlotte, NC 28207

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mintmuseum.org

blvd. | givers

Building a village FOSTER VILLAGE, CO-FOUNDED BY COFFEE-SHOP OWNER AND FORMER TEACHER BECKY SANTORO, PROVIDES A MUCH-NEEDED COMMUNITY FOR FOSTER PARENTS IN CHARLOTTE.

ecky and Tony Santoro had always thought about someday being foster parents, but life got busy. The couple moved to Charlotte from Michigan in 2007 to take teaching jobs at Title 1 schools in CMS. They started a family, and on their 10th anniversary opened Enderly Coffee just off Freedom Drive on the edge of uptown. “We were working four jobs to make ends meet, we had two babies, and I looked at Tony and said, ‘This hasn’t gone away, and I feel like if we keep living our lives, we’re not going to stop and do this,’” Becky Santoro says. The couple enrolled in classes and spent 30 hours training to be foster parents. An hour after receiving their license, they got a call about a little girl who needed help. “I ran to Target, and even though I had just done this — I had two little ones — I couldn’t remember what to buy,” Santoro remembers. “I couldn’t remember what you need for a 1-year-old. Now with Foster Village, we deliver welcome packs because I remember that feeling of ‘I don’t know what she needs.’”

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Foster Village Charlotte is the nonprofit Santoro founded in 2018 with three other foster moms — Sloan Crawford, Traci Prillaman and Molly Zalewski — after they realized there was no local network to connect foster families and little guidance to help them get started. Santoro and Prillaman serve as co-directors of Foster Village Charlotte, one of seven affiliates of Austin, Texas-based Foster Village. “Fostering can isolate you. Your friends and family, no matter how well intentioned they are, they don’t understand the ins and outs of foster care,” Santoro says. “It’s just a different life, so I Googled looking for a community and only a small Facebook page popped up.” There are 16 different agencies licensing foster parents in Charlotte, according to Santoro, so most families don’t know each other. “They don’t talk to each other. There was no connecting of the dots. We weren’t trying to make a nonprofit — we were just trying to find community.”

“We weren’t trying to make a nonprofit — we were just trying to find community.”

PHOTOGRAPH BY JULIE FAY

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The Santoros are now a family of six. They ultimately adopted the little girl they fostered, and when they learned she had a brother, they fostered and later adopted him as well. (Santoro points out that 60% of foster kids in Charlotte return to their family of origin.) Santoro left her job as a teacher and now runs Foster Village full time. The nonprofit established a resource center in Oakhurst in July 2019, which serves as a hub for volunteers and a place for support groups to gather (those meetings have been held virtually during the pandemic). Santoro says the support has been overwhelming. “I’m building everything I [wished] I had as a foster parent — if I could have done it over, here’s what I would have needed at the time,” she says. “And it’s definitely humbling to have so many people supporting us in such a big way. I anticipate 2021 being our year of advocacy. Let’s find the parents and support them, but let’s also figure out why they’re burning out and stop it.” SP

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PHOTOGRAPH BY NATHAN BINGLE

They started by asking friends and family to help them fill 30 welcome packs in 30 days — bags filled with clothing, pajamas, blankets and other essentials that are given to new foster parents. “We were surprised — they just started showing up from everywhere.” Foster Village still provides those welcome packs — they delivered 250 in 2020 — but they’ve grown to offer so much more. With three part-time staffers and 70 volunteers, the group works with hundreds of families each year offering training and mentorship for foster parents, even providing one-on-one check-in calls. “We’re really trying to lessen burnout,” Santoro says, an important consideration given that 60% of foster families give up in the first year. “We are strong advocates for supporting the families. Our aim is to strengthen the support around the child because that supports the child. All of our programming affects the child, but through the lens of helping the caregiver.”

blvd. | the creators of n.c.

Found magic FOR SHANNON WHITWORTH, THE MUSE LIVES AND BREATHES IN THE MOUNTAINS OF BREVARD. BY WILEY CASH PHOTOGRAPHS BY MALLORY CASH

“M

y art is how I see the world,” says artist and singer-songwriter Shannon Whitworth. “And my music is how I hear it.” Just outside of Brevard, she is walking across the expanse of grass between her barn studio and the renovated farmhouse she shares with her husband, Woody Platt of the Grammy Award-winning Steep Canyon Rangers, and their young son. The late afternoon is rainy and cool. In the distance, mist hangs over the mountains like a gray, gossamer blanket. In other places across the South, spring has begun to reveal itself, but here in the mountains, winter is still hanging on. Whitworth didn’t always live in the mountains that have become so synonymous with her music and art. She was born into a bustling home with two older brothers in Fairfax, Va. By the time she reached high school, her restless nature prompted her to head south to Hilton Head, S.C., where she spent summers with her Grandma Nancy, an Old South dame who owned a ladies’ cloth-

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ing boutique and lived in a lamplit home where every room had a clock radio playing martini music. The soundtrack to Whitworth’s summers in Hilton Head were comprised of Billie Holiday, Frank Sinatra and the clink of ice in Grandma Nancy’s cocktail glasses. To the girl who’d been raised in an active household in a busy city, the freedom of low country life was both mysterious and emboldening. “I went down there playing with Barbie dolls,” Whitworth says, “and I came back home wearing a training bra.” Like many people who grew up in the 1990s and who would later become artists, Whitworth was an angsty teen who filled her journals with reams of poetry. Her parents had always been music fans, and she grew up listening to James Taylor, Paul Simon, Crosby, Stills & Nash. When her older brother began dating a woman who played the guitar, Whitworth realized she could set the words she’d written to melodies. The woman — who would eventually become her sister-in-law — showed her how to play chords, and by the time

Whitworth began college in Boone, she was already skipping class to play music. “I was consumed by it,” she says. Then someone gave her Lucinda Williams’ first album. That’s when she had the vaguest of notions that, just maybe, she could become a musician, too. “I didn’t know a lot of women who were doing this,” she says, and she didn’t know if she could do it either. After a series of moves and adventures took her all over the country, a camping trip to Brevard in 1999 finally convinced her to settle down and give music a try. “I was moonstruck by Brevard,” she says. She is sitting by the window in her living room, the sun having fallen below the mountains just above the confluence of the headwaters of the French Broad River. Night is creeping across the fields. “It felt like there was a crystal under the Earth that was pulling me here. I always thought I would end up back on the beach somewhere, but this place spoke to me,” Whitworth says. “I knew I would write a lot of songs and paint a lot of paintings here. And if I could do those things, then I knew this was where I needed to be.” She spent a few months in the offseason living in the old cook’s cabin at Camp Carolina, stuffing envelopes and mailing promotional materials for the camp and working on her music. “I must’ve written a hundred songs,” she says, but she was too self-conscious to perform them in front of anyone aside from her brothers and a small circle of musician friends. “And then a friend of mine told me about a dive bar in west Asheville that hosted karaoke,” she says. “The people who came to karaoke were old country people. Nobody knew who I was or even cared. It felt safe.” The first song she ever

performed in front an audience? Dolly Parton’s “Jolene.” “Dolly Parton was my spirit animal of sorts,” says Whitworth, whose own singing voice is lower and warmer but just as resonant as Parton’s. “I figured that if I could transform myself into someone like that, then I could do anything. It was like putting on body armor.” Another major influence while Whitworth was finding herself onstage was Dwight Yoakam, especially his album dwightyoakamacoustic.net, which features him playing his greatest hits with only an acoustic guitar. Whitworth would play his album and record it on a borrowed 4-track while recording herself singing harmony and playing accompanying instruments like mandolin and banjo. She would layer in her recorded parts with Yoakam’s music. “It was as close as you could get to being in a band with Dwight Yoakam while also being a total weirdo at the same time,” she says. The first time Whitworth performed with her guitar in front of a live audience was during a jam night at Jack of the Wood in Asheville. That’s also where she met the other founding members of a bluegrass band that would soon become The Biscuit Burners. Over the next few years, the band would go on to release two acclaimed albums while crossing the country on what seemed like a never-ending tour. But despite all the band’s success, it was their first show that perhaps had the greatest effect on Whitworth’s life. On that night, Woody Platt set up the band’s sound equipment. While it would take a while for friendly exchanges to become flirtations and for flirtations to become love, by 2006, Whitworth and Platt were a couple, and Brevard was their home. After years on the road as a touring southparkmagazine.com | 61

blvd. | the creators of n.c. musician, to Whitworth Brevard felt like a sanctuary. She left The Biscuit Burners and released a spate of highly praised solo records, and she soon found herself building her life around two things: her relationships with the people she loved and her art. “Painting reminds me of how I feel when I sing through a microphone,” Whitworth says. “It’s a way of reporting my feelings, and it’s also a place where I can dig deep into healing. It all used to be a way to work through angst.” Since having a child, Whitworth has shifted to creating art from a source of light. “I’m going to a different place when I work now, and I’m still trying to sort that out. I’m learning to use these new tools that motherhood has given me. Sometimes I don’t have the words or the music, but the colors are always there.” Over the last year, Whitworth’s paintings have found homes with a stable of interior designers across the South, and her work has been featured in galleries and shipped all over the country to private collections belonging to the likes of Edie Brickell and Paul Simon. “When I first began painting, all of my art was coastal, but after settling into the land here and having our son, I just started seeing this landscape so clearly, and it’s reflected in my work. I’m living it,” Whitworth says. “People always tease me about believing in magic, but I always tell them, ‘You’ll believe in magic when it finds you.’” She has risen from her seat at the window, and she is now moving through the house, turning on lamps, their soft light meeting the sound of Patsy Cline’s voice floating from an unseen source

somewhere in the kitchen. Whitworth uncorks a bottle of wine and pours a glass. Whether it’s a lamplit room in Hilton Head, a festival stage on the other side of the country, or a light-filled studio where the dewdamp mountains loom in the distance, Shannon Whitworth has always found magic. Or, perhaps, it has always found her. SP Wiley Cash is the writer-in-residence at the University of North Carolina-Asheville. His new novel, When Ghosts Come Home, will be released this year.

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blvd. | calendar

May

H A P P E N I NG S NOTE: Please check in advance with venues and event organizers to confirm details and hours.

Events + activities Wells Fargo Championship After a year hiatus, the prestigious golf tournament returns to Quail Hollow Club with limited fan attendance. May 3-9, ticket costs vary; wellsfargochampionship.com Charlotte Knights First Home Game of the 2021 Season Charlotte’s beloved baseball team is back: Homer and the team will kick off the 2021 season in a home series vs. the Gwinnett Stripers at Truist Field. Can’t make the opener? The first two weeks of the season features a dozen home games. May 4, ticket costs and availability may vary; milb.com/charlotte-knights Mother’s Day Tea at The Ballantyne Hotel Treat mom to The Ballantyne’s take on classic tea with a Southern flair. May 8-9; $45 for adults or $60 with a glass of champagne; $25 for children 5-12; theballantynehotel.com Charlotte Symphony Evenings at the Park The CSO welcomes audiences back in this mini-series of concerts at Symphony Park, featuring works inspired by nature and the outdoors. May 7, 21 and 28; advance tickets are available in pods of four or six at charlottesymphony.org

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Memorial Day Trail Race and Memorial Day Celebration at U.S. National Whitewater Center The holiday weekend kicks off with a Saturday morning jaunt through the Whitewater Center’s trails on either a 5-mile or 8-mile route. On Sunday, cool off with rafting and enjoy cold beverages, good food, live music, yoga and fireworks. May 29-30; race registration and activity costs vary; usnwc.org Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway Rev up your Memorial Day weekend with the 62nd running of NASCAR’s Coca-Cola 600. The event will include a pre-race military salute and performances by the 82nd Airborne Chorus and Lee Greenwood. May 30; tickets start at $49; charlottemotorspeedway. com

Museums + galleries Brian Rutenberg: Point of Pine at Jerald Melberg Gallery In this solo exhibition featuring new abstract landscape paintings on linen and paper, Rutenberg returns to his reflections on the landscapes of the South Carolina low country. May 1-June 12; jeraldmelberg.com The Round Chaos at SOCO Gallery This exhibition curated by Dexter Wimberly includes paintings and mixed-media works by artists Alex Callender, Adin Kachisi, Jackie Milad and Senghor Reid. Through June 12; socogallery.com

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Figuratively Speaking at Anne Neilson Fine Art The gallery commemorates its seven-year anniversary with an exhibition featuring seven painters, sculptors and mixed-media artists whose works celebrate the beauty of the human form. Featured artists include Caroline Boykin, Paul Day, Nick DeMarsico, Jacob Dhein, Lisa Moore, Pam Moxley and Lisa Noonis. May 1-June 12; anneneilsonfineart.com

Stitches and Stories presented by Mint Museum Uptown This livestream event features a conversation about the work of quilt and fiber artist Elizabeth Talford Scott, mother of artist Joyce J. Scott. This talk explores the rich contributions of African American craft artists as the Mint Museum celebrates the acquisition of Elizabeth Talford Scott’s Untitled Shield series. May 13, 4-5 p.m.; free to attend the Zoom event, but registration is required; mintmuseum.org Levels of Abstraction at Elder Gallery of Contemporary Art This exhibition celebrates the various approaches to abstraction — and invites the viewer to participate. May 26-Sept. 11; eldergalleryclt. com SP — compiled by Amanda Lea

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Cathryn Miles & Blaire Wheeler at Shain Gallery Cathryn Miles’ inspiration comes from her immediate environment, like the turbulence of the clouds and the natural patterning of the earth. Blaire Wheeler’s work is a balance of abstract and realism, highlighting the beauty in the everyday. May 28, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; shaingallery.com

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|simple life

Simple gifts THE SECRET TO A GOOD LIFE? LESS IS MORE BY JIM DODSON

friend recently wondered why I named this column “Simple Life.” I joked that it was better than the original name I came up with — “Frankly, My Name Escapes Me.” In truth, the title is as aspirational as it is functional, a useful reminder that the longer I live, the more I grow to appreciate the value of simplifying my life. In her recent column, “Simplicity: The Neglected Value,” author and communications coach Bruna Martinuzzi points out that we time-enslaved, stressed-out, overworking humans simply don’t know what’s good for us when it comes to where we place our focus in life. “We read and hear enough about its benefits in just about every facet of our lives,” she writes, “yet we walk past it, every day, in pursuit of the more complex, complicated, tangled and sometimes puzzling. There is no glitter in simple, not enough buttons to play with. We fear that simple equates with easy, light, too basic — unsophisticated.” Leonardo da Vinci, in fact, declared simplicity the ultimate form of sophistication. As did the likes of Winston Churchill, Albert Einstein, Walt Whitman, Lao Tzu, Yogi Berra, Marcus Aurelius, Leo Tolstoy and Maya Angelou. Rumi called it the dust that hides the gold. Whether planning a wedding or a war, simplicity is key to a successful outcome, knowing what’s not essential and eliminating it before things get out of hand. A year ago, the combination of the pandemic and wedding plans that had grown far more complicated than expected prompted my daughter, Maggie, and her fiancé, Nate, to postpone and rethink

how they wished to tie the knot. They’ve since envisioned an intimate gathering of close friends and family to celebrate their union when the moment is right, somewhere in nature, stress-free and away from the madding crowd. One unexpected benefit of this strange year of distance and isolation, social scientists and trend watchers report, is a broad refiguring of how we Americans live, work and appropriate our time. While churches and bars — the yin and yang of modern cultural society — still struggle to stay open, life-enriching activities like meditation, Zoom yoga, home gardening, golf and bird-watching have mushroomed in popularity. According to more than one expert on the American workplace, mobile workspaces and home offices will be the engine that produces the next Industrial Revolution, spawning a vast new generation of home-grown entrepreneurs and inventive visionaries. History holds some encouraging parallels. During the Great Depression and Second World War, an era of severe economic dislocation and public self-sacrifice, a generation of self-made engineers, tinkerers and inventors — many working in the isolation of their own garages and backyard sheds — managed to create everything from frozen foods to the first computers, color TV to dialysis machines, jet engines to Tupperware. That boom became the foundation for the consumer revolution and space age of the 1950s and ’60s. Your smartphone is the godchild of that time. A couple years ago, while traveling the Great Wagon Road for my current book project about America’s original immigrant highway, I paid an afternoon call on a lovely Amish family, the Lapps, who live in the heart of Pennsylvania’s lush Lancaster County. southparkmagazine.com | 71

|simple life The “plain” ways of America’s Old Order Amish — such as their unadorned clothing, use of oil lamps instead of electricity and reliance on horses for transportation and farming — are an echo of our vanished agrarian past and a living reminder of the virtues of simplicity. Amish and Mennonite farmers were the first European settlers to answer William Penn’s call to Lancaster County in the late 17th century, using their wise farming practices and love of the land and their animals to transform the county’s rich limestone soil into the most productive farmland in the nation. The so-called “Garden Spot of the Nation” is now regarded as the birthplace of American agriculture. The Lapp family’s ancestors had been on their land since before the American Revolution, living as comfortably in accord with nature and the Divine as anyone I’ve ever met. After Mervyn showed me around his immaculate barns, we sat with his wife, Catharine, in the evening light, sipping delicious meadow tea — a drink made from boiling fresh mint gathered from surrounding fields — beneath a grove of old trees. They talked about their three grown sons, all of whom worked in the family’s masonry business, and how devotion of God, family and the pleasure of doing good work with their hands were the pillars of a rewarding life. It was one of the most pleasing interviews I’ve ever conducted. For the record, there were even a few myth-busting surprises, including the fact that the Lapp men were all crazy about playing golf, and that Mervyn was a lifelong L.A. Dodgers fan who often

Being said about

“

McColl, 85, still plays a pivotal role in making North Carolina a better place. Beyond the Bank makes that crystal clear.” – Business North Carolina

“

Building a great bank has been upgraded to building a better community. (McColl) still has the energy and courage to believe he has a better place. What a legacy!”

– Harvey Gantt, Charlotte civic leader and former mayor

“

Nothing motivates Hugh McColl more than leading collaborations of strong voices to spark innovative solutions for the challenges of our time.” – Michael Marsicano, president and

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watched games on his neighbor’s television. “If you’re smart,” he told me during our walk through his beautiful stone barn, “you take stock of what’s really important in your life ... and other things you can simply live without.” He paused and gave me a wry look. “Simple things are always best. That’s a key to happiness. But I do need my Dodgers.” As I drove home to North Carolina on a winding backcountry road, I was reminded of my own aspirations of simplicity, beginning with my chosen route home. Getting anywhere fast is one thing I can do without. In his 1939 classic, The Importance of Living, Lin Yutang points out that beyond the noble art of getting things done, there may be an even nobler art of leaving things undone. “The wisdom of life,” he writes, “consists in the elimination of nonessentials.” During this year of distance from friends and family, in place of going out to movies or dinner with friends, an older couple I know took up reading to each other every morning from their favorite books, a practice they plan to continue indefinitely. “It’s been a wonderful discovery,” Harry reports. “A simple gift that’s brought us closer than ever. It’s now part of our lives.” Over this same interlude, I began work on a large garden I have dreamed of making for many years, one that will probably take me many more years to complete. As any gardener knows, of course, a garden is never finished, so my education as a man of the soil — and my wonder at its constant gifts — will never cease, until I do. Simply put, what a lovely thought. SP

NOW IN S E STOR

Hugh McColl’s Chapter Two The twenty years Hugh McColl’s spent since stepping down as Bank of America CEO belies the notion that irrelevancy is a part of retirement. This is the story of how McColl, at 85, remains essential in a city that bears his imprint, from building Uptown to investing social capital in all corners of the community. A new book by Howard E. Covington Jr. available online at:

howardcovingtonbooks.com

On sale at Park Road Books, Charlotte; Scuppernong Books, Greensboro; Hub City Bookshop, Spartanburg; Litchfield Books, Pawleys Island, S.C.; Books & Beans, Rocky Mount; , Southern Pines; and Battery Park Book Exchange, Asheville.

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|omnivorous reader

Thriller triumph

AN EVIL CHARACTER SPICES A CAROLINA PLOT. BY D.G. MARTIN

o you remember Hannibal Lecter, the psychotic doctor played by Anthony Hopkins in the film The Silence of the Lambs? Lecter was a brilliant but evil serial killer who dined on his victims. We may have been horrified by Lecter, but we were mesmerized, too. Some publishers tell their authors that such over-the-top evil characters like Lecter can make a good story even better. Kathy Reichs, one of North Carolina’s most successful crime fiction writers, uses the salt of just such an evil character to season her most recent book, A Conspiracy of Bones. In this 19th novel by the Charlotte-based and New York Times bestselling author, Reichs introduces Nick Body, who delivers conspiracy theories on a popular podcast. Reichs is not new to designing intriguing evil characters. Her series of Temperance Brennan novels was the basis of the long running Bones television series. Brennan, like Reichs, is a brilliant forensic anthropologist. She uses her dead body-examining skills to solve complicated crimes perpetrated by her evil characters. Nick Body’s ability to stir up his listeners reminds us of the late Rush Limbaugh, though Body goes to a whole other extreme. He kidnaps children and then stirs up his podcast listeners, who pay money to access his program and buy the products he offers that, supposedly, arm them against the coming violence. Here is how Reichs sums up her character’s alarmist con games: “Over the past decade, Body has been particularly vehement on two themes: Plots involving kids. Plots involving medical wrongdoing. Occasionally, his insane theories managed to combine both elements. Many of Body’s harangues focused on disease. Over and over, he returned to the theme of government conspiracy. “A sampling: He claims that the Ebola epidemic in West Africa was a biological weapons test performed by America. That SARS was a germ attack against the Chinese. That AIDS was created and

distributed by those in power in the U.S. That the anthrax attacks following 9/11 were orchestrated by the government. That banning DDT was a scheme to depopulate the Earth by spreading malaria. That Huntington’s disease is caused by a microbe and the government is conspiring to suppress a known cure. And, my personal favorite, that chemtrails are responsible for mad cow outbreaks. Brennan figures out Body’s deadly schemes and bring him down, though the beginning of the story seemingly has nothing to do with the evil podcaster. What gets Brennan’s attention is a mutilated, unidentified body found in rural Cleveland County and sent to the medical examiner in Charlotte for identification. The fictional Charlotte-Mecklenburg medical examiner, Dr. Margot Heavner, and Brennan have a long-standing and bitter rivalry. So Heavner does not ask Brennan to assist in the official identification process. Brennan is miffed and decides to conduct her own investigation. With the help of old friends in law enforcement, she tracks down multiple leads in Cleveland County, WinstonSalem (an ashram), Mooresville, Tega Cay and all over Charlotte. At every stop Brennan and Reichs teach readers lessons in science and technology. They show how good law enforcement can use such learning to track down leads and bring the bad guys to justice. In the end, Brennan connects Body to crimes that go far beyond his conspiracy-theory exploitations. Even more satisfying for Brennan, her superior work results in putting a negative spotlight on Heavner, who has to leave her job in disgrace. All this gives us hope that the next fictional CharlotteMecklenburg medical examiner will value Brennan and put her great skills to work. SP

D.G. Martin hosts North Carolina Bookwatch Sunday at 3:30 p.m. and Tuesday at 5 p.m. on UNC-TV. The program also airs on the North Carolina Channel Tuesday at 8 p.m. southparkmagazine.com | 75

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May books

|bookshelf

NOTABLE NEW RELEASES

COMPILED BY SALLY BREWSTER

Project Hail Mary, by Andy Weir Weir, the bestselling author of The Martian, delivers a suspenseful portrait of human ingenuity and resilience in this powerful story of a desperate effort to save Earth when astronomers discover the sun is losing heat. Ryland Grace awakens from a coma with no memories of his identity or how he came to be alone on a spaceship. Weir creates instant engagement by toggling between Grace’s efforts to make sense of his present circumstances and flashbacks that gradually paint an unsettling picture of his life before as a highschool science teacher. An unforgettable story of survival and the power of friendship. Olympus, Texas, by Stacey Swann A powerful family in a small Texas town is wracked by miseries of its own making. Peter Briscoe, a real-estate baron, has been chronically unfaithful, resulting in at least three illegitimate children by at least two women other than his wife, June. Two of the kids, twins Arlo and Artie, were raised by their mother, Lee, in a house across town from the Briscoe acreage yet were supported by Peter and treated as siblings of his three children with June: Thea, Hap, and March. Once the kids grew up, a couple of them intentionally put many miles between themselves and Olympus, but the remaining group more than managed to keep the scandals, betrayals, fistfights, and other fireworks going strong. Swann’s debut is rich in Texas flavor and full of nods to classical mythology — quotes from Ovid, twins human and canine, and the kind of relentless bad luck that usually means you’ve offended a deity. A page-turning debut novel. Facing the Mountain: A True Story of Japanese American Heroes in World War II, by Daniel James Brown From the author of The Boys in the Boat, a gripping World War II saga of patriotism and courage: the special Japanese-American

Army unit that overcame brutal odds in Europe; their families, incarcerated in camps back home; and a young man who refused to surrender his constitutional rights, even if it meant imprisonment. They came from across the continent and Hawaii, and their parents taught them to embrace both their Japanese heritage and the ways of their American homeland. They faced bigotry, yet they believed in their bright futures as American citizens. But within days of Pearl Harbor, the FBI was ransacking their houses and locking up their fathers. Within months, many would themselves be living in internment camps. Based on Brown’s extensive interviews with the families of the soldiers as well as deep archival research, the book portrays the journey of four Japanese-American families and their sons who volunteered for 442nd Regimental Combat Team and were deployed to France, Germany and Italy, where they were asked to do the near impossible. Malibu Rising, by Taylor Jenkins Reid An addictive, fast-paced story of a group of celebrity siblings in Malibu, Calif., by the author of Daisy Jones & The Six. There’s model Nina Riva, professional surfer Jay, photographer Hudson, and Kit, an aspiring pro surfer. The Rivas’ absentee philandering father, Mick, won over their mother, June, with a sultry singing voice that propelled him to fame in the 1950s. The setup brings together these two storylines: Mick and June’s love story and tragic unraveling, and the narrative of what happens on the day of the Riva siblings’ legendary annual party in summer 1983. Everyone who’s anyone attends, the rule being, “If you were cool enough to know about the party, you were cool enough to come to the party.” This page-turning indulgence is perfect for the beginning of summer reading. SP Sally Brewster is the proprietor of Park Road Books, located at 4139 Park Road. parkroadbooks.com. southparkmagazine.com | 77

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The struggle IS real LET’S NORMALIZE TALKING ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH. BY JULIET LAM KUEHNLE

Juliet Kuehnle is a licensed clinical mental health counselor supervisor and the owner of Sun Counseling and Wellness. Kuehnle conducts weekly Instagram Live interviews with interesting people in the community who share their experiences, struggles, life lessons and tips for balanced living. In this column, she shares insights from these conversations and advice from other local mental-health professionals.

ver this past year of the pandemic and quarantine, we’ve gotten more comfortable with keeping it real about life being weird and difficult in so many ways. There has been more openness around what challenges have arisen, how we’ve had to constantly pivot, how we feel disconnected from others and from our typical activities, and how our kids are struggling. A lot of conversation starters have moved from “How are you?” to “How are you holding up?” because we recognize we are in this un-

charted territory together. Whether or not you’ve had the language for it, you have probably felt that having to try to endure constant disruption isn’t something humans can just easily tolerate. In fact, for many of us, it’s been traumatizing and exhausting, and we’ve experienced a whirlwind of many emotions all at once, We have had to work to hold multiple experiences at the same time: grief and hope, fear and optimism, frustration and gratitude. This shift in honesty and dialogue is a therapist’s dream come true! We are hoping that this is more than just a “moment” and that it can continue to be okay to talk and share about our mental health — which is comprised of our emotional, social and psychological well-being — just as we do about so many other aspects of our lives. My mission is to normalize “psychobabble,” erase the stigma by highlighting the openness of people in our community, and to share tips for promoting your own mental wellness from my expertise and that of other local providers. southparkmagazine.com | 79

|well and wise A few weeks ago, I spoke with Alyssa Wilen of Chef Alyssa’s Kitchen. Below are excerpts from our interview, lightly edited. What does mental health mean to you? Cooking tends to be very focused on other people’s experience and what I [can] do to make other people happy. Food [is] a natural, creative way to do that, so I’ve worked over the years to gain self-confidence and find ways to become comfortable in my own headspace and in my day to day. And if I am, that makes me a lot more even-keeled and ready to take on whatever could throw me off.

down to the basics in a lot of ways – figuring out what we really need, what fuels us and what doesn’t, acknowledging boundaries we can set and deciding to not subscribe to something that doesn’t serve us. What are your insights specific to the food and beverage industry? Some people know of a stigma around cooking and restaurants, in particular. People drawn to this industry tend to be more introverted or can easily have their egos bruised. They can find it difficult to manage all of the stressors — the long hours, the hard work, the competition, the isolation even when surrounded by so many people. Then, unhealthy habits that are so easy can become a crutch. There’s been a shift, and more people are comfortable checking in with each other, and more people are saying it’s okay to take time off, it’s okay to take care of yourselves.

For you to be open about the balance of knowing your struggles with a healthy dose of self-compassion is refreshing. What else have you noticed specifically in the pandemic that you need for your mental health? Even though our connection with others has Chef Alyssa Wilen been lessened, I realized I was getting over-stimWhat is your go-to self-care activity? ulated on social media. And [that boundary] has Prepandemic, it was working out and yoga. drawn me closer to reading, listening to podcasts and other things That helped me breathe better. Now, it’s when I can remove distracI felt I didn’t have time for. I’ve learned more about what I want to tions and be totally present with my children. focus on. The full interview of Kuehnle’s “Who You Callin’ Crazy?!” featuring This has been a bonus of the pandemic. It’s stripped things Chef Alyssa can be found on Instagram @suncounselingandwellness. SP

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Parenting is often a thankless job — with or without a global pandemic. These six Charlotte moms take it all in stride and make managing kids and careers look effortless.

Juggling act

WRITTEN BY CAROLINE PORTILLO PHOTOGRAPHS BY OLLY YUNG STYLING + PRODUCTION BY WHITLEY ADKINS HAIR + MAKEUP BY ELIZABETH TOLLEY AND JOSIAH REED

Emily Brunotte

Woman who inspires her: Ruth Bader Ginsburg. It’s hard to go through law school as a female and not be drawn to RBG. She was married and had a 14-month-old when she started law school at Harvard. Her genius, her class and her work ethic were all inspiring. Favorite app for the kids: ABC Animals Parenting advice: Prepare to be forever unprepared. Personal style: Jeans, a white T-shirt, a good pair of shoes and beach waves — that’s what I look like most days.

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Emily Brunotte’s working-mom-with-little-ones survival strategy: Don’t touch or clean anything until 4 p.m. “Most of my day, I sit in different spots around the kitchen island, surrounded by groceries I haven’t put away yet, mail I haven’t opened yet, kids’ finger-painting, a bag of pretzels, coffee that’s been cold for two hours,” she says. “That’s my scene right now.” Brunotte is a branding and marketing maven and a mother of two: Cora, 4, who likes to fill out workbooks and pretend to create video makeup tutorials, and Beck, an always-running, always-bruised 2-year-old who’s been known to dive headfirst off the back of the couch. She’s also a proud stepmom of Ella, 14, and Charlie, 13, who live with her and her husband, Nick, over the summer and most holidays. As for that kitchen island, when Brunotte is perched in front of it, she’s usually on her laptop, helping small businesses through her content-marketing firm Marsac Consulting. Her clients range from spas to personal stylists to car dealerships, and they turn to her for social-media management, logo design, website refreshes and organic content marketing. Her sweet spot: helping female entrepreneurs help themselves. “I love the idea of a mom sitting at home working and taking care of her kids,” Brunotte says. “I want to help you help yourself.” Brunotte, 34, graduated from Queens University of Charlotte in 2009 with a major in business and a minor in Mandarin Chinese. She later attended law school at Capital University in Columbus, Ohio. She became versed in graphic design and taught herself to code through online courses and YouTube videos. During her second year of law school, she started a blog, Champagne in the Rain, and corresponding Instagram page (@emilybrunotte), which gained traction quickly. Business owners she knew started reaching out: Would she help them with their marketing and branding? It wasn’t until Brunotte had graduated and taken a job in estate planning for a financial-services firm that she began to see her hobby as a potential full-time job. Her husband encouraged her to make the leap. Though she’s no longer a practicing attorney, Brunotte still puts her JD to work. “Law school changes the way you think,” she says. “It made me more disciplined. It also gave me this great love of doing research, which I do constantly.” And then, every day at 4 p.m., she takes a break to tend to that messy kitchen island. Brunotte tries to schedule most of her work calls between 2 and 4 p.m., when her son, Beck, is napping and her daughter, Cora, is curled up with a preschool workbook. “She likes to do homework and pretend she’s working,” Brunotte says. CeliaB Orquidea dress, Five One Five, $415; Eugenia Kim sunny striped straw hat, Coplon’s, $395; Mignonne Gavigan orchid earrings, $235 (similar can be found at Charlotte’s); Jimmy Choo sandals, $795, Coplon’s.

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Janet LaBar Women who inspire her: Our family is pretty enamored with the U.S. Women’s National Team (soccer). I admire these high-performance athletes — some of them working moms — who are leveraging their platform to champion equal pay for women, Black Lives Matter and LGBTQ rights. They are incredible role models living their best lives and leading by example so our daughters and our sons can “see it to be it.” Go-to pandemic outfit: Is this a thing? I never leave home without a 704 Shop mask. Pandemic pastime: Taking family walks with our Covid pup, Timber; he is what we didn’t know we were missing in our lives. “When the kids are in bed, I ...” … do laundry (constantly washing soccer uniforms!), make their school lunches, inevitably discovering that we need more groceries, which leads me to late-night online shopping at Whole Foods for (fingers crossed) next-day delivery. Then my husband and I compare notes for tomorrow’s schedules, and finally, I wake up the sleeping laptop to catch up on emails and get more work done. Go-to workday lunch: When I’m heading into the office and know I’ll be on back-to-back Zoom calls, I try to grab a good culture cottage cheese or a Kettle & Fire bone broth. If I’m out of those (see above re: online grocery shopping), I take my amazing colleague Colleen’s offer to pick up lunch for me — The Sandwich Club’s Healthy Choice (#19) on a croissant is an easy go-to.

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It’s the kind of bell you’d find in a boxer’s ring, but this one is mounted in Janet LaBar’s kitchen, where she rings it for family breakfast, lunch and dinner. “It’s our ‘Order up! Food is ready’ bell,” LaBar says. “And it’s loud.” In the midst of work-from-home life, it’s impressive to hear that LaBar, president and CEO of the Charlotte Regional Business Alliance and one of the most powerful players in the 15-county region, is helping prep and serve three meals a day for herself, her husband, James (director of economic development for Charlotte Center City Partners), and their three children: Mabel, 10, and twins Eloise and Gus, both 8. Well, LaBar says, laughing, “I suck at playing with my kids. … For me, it’s always been, ‘Let me provide for my family, make sure they have a roof over their heads, food on the table.’” That’s the kind of mother LaBar’s mom was. An immigrant from the Philippines and the wife of a sailor in the military who was always traveling, Rosalinda Magno often worked two or three jobs to provide for LaBar and her two brothers as they grew up in Pensacola, Fla. She ended her career as a medical lab technologist supervising a team of more than 50 other lab techs. LaBar, who had held a similar chamber CEO role in Portland, Ore., was hired to lead the newly formed Charlotte Regional Business Alliance in early 2019. The alliance was created by uniting the Charlotte Chamber and Charlotte Regional Partnership, two groups that had been plagued by turf wars. Overseeing a team of 33 people, LaBar, 44, is the first female — and certainly the first Asian American woman — to lead either of the now-merged groups. More than half of LaBar’s time at the helm has been marked by the frenzy of the pandemic and the resulting upheaval of an industry grounded in handshakes and getting people together in one space to talk about the region’s challenges and opportunities. “You lose that in a Brady Bunch-style screen meeting,” she says. When Mabel, Eloise and Gus first transitioned to remote learning last spring, LaBar spent months posted up at the kitchen table with them, working on her laptop while the three learned to negotiate iPads, Zoom, meeting IDs and time management. “It was complete, complete chaos,” she says. But her kids are now on a first-name basis with many of the city’s movers and shakers. They often ask “what Ms. Carol said” (that would be Carol Lovin, an executive vice president at Atrium Health and chair of the CLT Alliance), or “what Mr. Michael called about” (that would be Michael Smith, president and CEO of Charlotte Center City Partners). “They’ll say, ‘Oh, what’s going on with racial equity, mom?’” LaBar says. “I feel like we are unintentionally cultivating these little community leaders in our home.” The whole experience has also brought a sense of shared humanity. LaBar isn’t fazed when Timber, the family’s Sheepadoodle, pushes the door open with his nose, or when the sounds of one of her kids’ musical instruments ring out from a few rooms away. As for the boxer’s bell — if it makes a cameo on a Zoom call, it’s a reminder that family time is important, LaBar says. “We’re all still in this together.” LaBar says it breaks her heart to hear that the majority of the people who exited the workforce during the pandemic were women. “I know there are things employers can do and policymakers can create that give us more flexibility to achieve a more wholesome approach to how we live, work and play.” Etro silk blouse, $875, and Lafayette 148 blazer, $898, Nordstrom.

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Morgan Fogarty When you meet a TV personality like Morgan Fogarty, you might expect her offair nights and weekends are marked by high heels, craft cocktails and small bites at a rooftop bar with a skyline view. Nope, Fogarty says, as she drives into the WCCB Charlotte broadcast studios, where she anchors the news at 10 p.m. and the popular WCCB News Edge at 10:30 p.m. Even before the pandemic, Fogarty, one of the city’s most recognizable names for over a decade, preferred pajamas to nightlife and “dirty barn clothes with zero makeup and unwashed hair” to pretty much anything else. The barn is the Union County spot where Fogarty keeps her two horses, a Haflinger named Macaroni (“Mac” for short) and Saint, a thoroughbred and former racehorse. It’s where Fogarty unwinds from the hours she spends each week researching, writing and interviewing some of the region’s highest-profile leaders. Fogarty’s parents owned a farm in Lancaster, Pa., and growing up, she competed in horse shows. But she didn’t rekindle her love for horseback riding until her son, Sawyer, 8, expressed an interest several years ago. Sawyer’s equestrian hobby was short-lived, but Fogarty found herself smitten once again. Now, she rides her horses nearly every day, and she and her 5-year-old daughter, Sadie, spend the lion’s share of each weekend at the barn. Fogarty graduated from Penn State University with a degree in broadcast communications. After a brief stint at an NBC affiliate in Hagerstown, Md., Fogarty moved to Charlotte, where she’s spent most of the last 16 years. In the first few months of this year, Fogarty’s days unfolded like this: virtual schooling with the kids, riding at the barn, working from home, driving to the studio to meet a skeleton crew, then heading back home around 12:30 a.m. She and her husband, Jeremy Spring — who, believe it or not, was her fifth-grade boyfriend — did a lot of tag-teaming, from horse shows to lacrosse games to caring for the family’s lizard, hamster, three cats and Doberman pinscher named Rachel. As for that remote learning, Sawyer didn’t mind it so much. But Sadie wasn’t a fan of kindergarten by computer screen. “God bless the teachers,” Fogarty says. “I would get text messages from Sadie’s teacher that said, ‘Sadie has wandered away from her computer and is putting makeup on in the background. Can you put her back at the computer?’ or ‘Sadie is lying down on the ground playing with her dog.’ Or ‘Sadie has taken the hamster out of the cage and is playing with her.’” Fogarty laughs. “I think she got pretty tired of our shenanigans.” Fogarty turns 40 this month. In honor of it, she says she made “the most exciting purchase I think I’ve ever made”: a used horse trailer. To her, it represents freedom — for her, Sadie, Mac and Saint. “I was so thrilled to have this filthy, used horse trailer,” she says. “We can hit the road and do whatever we want. That’s a good 40th birthday gift.” In pre-Covid days, Fogarty and her husband would try to coordinate one family dinner halfway between their house and the WCCB Charlotte broadcast studios. Afterward, Sawyer and Sadie would stop by the station and run around. “They loved it,” Fogarty says. Sika handmade dress, $396, Chinese Laundry sandals, $79, and Primaura Lucite box clutch, $65, all from Chosen; Silvia Furmanovich earrings, Tiny Gods, $5,940; Anne & Valentin Silvana sunglasses, Sally’s Optical Secrets, $365

Local woman who inspires her: Kristie Puckett Williams. She’s a force to be reckoned with in Charlotte and across North Carolina in the fight for social justice and equity. National woman who inspires her: Abby Phillip, a Harvard-educated journalist on CNN. She’s supremely wise, talented, brilliant. I love watching her news coverage. Best mom hack: I bought a pack of TableTopics questions (the family version) and I keep them on our dining-room table. When we eat dinner together — which doesn’t happen every night because of my schedule — we pull cards and ask each other fun, interesting questions. I love listening to the answers my kids come up with, and it’s a great chance to segue into other conversations. Personal style: Stevie Nicks vibes.

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Chef Joya Nothing about Adjoa Courtney fits the granola-and-Birkenstocks stereotype of a vegan chef. She wears crop tops and fake lashes. She has pink hair (for now) and prefers jewel-toned chef coats over the standard-issue white. And when she is making her soul food — yes, vegan soul food — she cranks up the Isley Brothers, Patti LaBelle and Anita Baker. “Some people will say, ‘Joya, what makes your food so good?’” she says. “It’s my energy. I have to make sure my mood stays lifted. I’m grooving.” Courtney, better known as Chef Joya to her more than 69,000 followers on Instagram (@cookingwithjoya) and TikTok (@chefjoya), has a robust personal chef clientele and is swarmed at every pop-up food event she hosts, both in Charlotte and beyond. Before the pandemic, she was known for her in-home tasting events — Chef Joya and a few other chefs and servers would gather 50 people for a seven- to 10-course themed tasting meal. Her signature: veganizing soul food and dishes with AfroCaribbean, French and African cultural influences — and doing it so seamlessly you won’t believe there’s no meat. Every night, you can follow along on Instagram Live as Chef Joya makes dinner for her kids — a 16-year-old daughter and three sons, ages 13, 17 and 19 — and her girlfriend, Ava. None of the kids are fully vegan, but they salivate nonetheless at her dishes with names like “Nashville Hot Chik’n” and “Krab Cake Stuffed Ched’r Biscuits.” Chef Joya, 37, started a mostly vegan diet long before it was trendy. When she was 7 years old and growing up in Milwaukee, her parents adopted the lifestyle after finding out her dad was borderline diabetic. “My parents literally came home and said, ‘We’re not doing any meat,’” Chef Joya recalls. “It was that quick.” Chef Joya was a hair and makeup artist for 15 years before entering the world of food service. She never went to culinary school and isn’t classically trained. But her countless hours of experience over her home stove are transforming the way people across the world eat. She’s sold thousands of copies of her three e-cookbooks, which range from $14.99 to $29.99 and cover everything from brunch delicacies to vegan cookouts. So for anyone looking for a new spin on their outdoor gatherings this summer, take a page from Chef Joya’s book, and pass the mac & cheez, please. Before the pandemic, Chef Joya spent a year working on recipes for her first cookbook, though she didn’t have the bandwidth to flesh it out. But when the world stopped? “I wrote the cookbook in three days.” Farm Rio mixed print tropical maxi dress, $450, and Christian Louboutin Bodrum espadrille sandals, $795, Neiman Marcus; Noble Collective necklace, $245, and earrings, $54, Chosen.

Local woman who inspires her: Chef Lisa Brooks. She’s an amazing mentor and the owner of Heart & Soul Personal Chef Services, which features nine Black women chefs. National woman who inspires her: Beyonce. She’s the best at what she does, and she doesn’t compete with anyone. She’s her own competition. Practical parenting advice: Your children have their own destinies. You are only the vessel and their guide. Personal style: Glamour hippie with edge. Pandemic pastime: Painting. “When the kids are in bed, I…” … am already asleep.

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Mollie Gee

Best mom hack: Creating safe spaces for check-ins with my children. They give me invaluable insight into what’s going on in their worlds, and it establishes trust between us. Go-to pandemic outfit: Comfy black sweatpants (my Vuori joggers are my favorite), a warm and cozy top (I love my Dolly Parton sweatshirt) and UGG slippers (pretty sure I haven’t taken them off since last March). Workday lunch: A grilled chicken sandwich with avocado, pickles and slivered almonds on top; carrots; and an apple. Personal style: Anything that is comfortable, non-confining and makes me feel confident in my authentic self.

Talking with Mollie Gee while she sits on her porch, her cadence soft and gentle as birds chirp in the background, it’s easy to see why she was a safe harbor for so many during the storm of the Covid-19 pandemic. Founder of SouthPark-based The Nest Counseling, Gee’s practice focuses on women and moms. And as a mother of a young daughter and middle-school son, she’s attuned to her clients’ particular journeys through anxiety, depression, childhood trauma, grief and loss. Gee has also experienced many of those conditions firsthand. In fact, her Instagram account, @TheChubbyDebutante, is a nod to her past insecurities, fears and a self-loathing that manifested itself in an eating disorder. Gee, 41, grew up in a wealthy family in Nashville, Tenn., that had high expectations. “The message I received in my very privileged family was that in order to be loved and accepted, I must be perfect,” she recalls. “And to be perfect, to me, was to be skinny, pretty and smart.” She coped by binge eating, often starting with a couple gallons of ice cream and ending with two packages of Oreos. After earning a master’s degree in nursing from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, Gee spent nine years as a nurse practitioner. Her specialty was child sexual abuse and pediatric hematology and oncology, and in her work she saw the impact of mental health on physical health — and realized she wanted to be involved on the psychology side. It wasn’t until she was in the throes of earning a second master’s degree in clinical health at UNC Charlotte that she began to really grapple with her own wounded past — and truly came to grips with her eating disorder. “Nobody tells you this, but if you do it right, counseling school will break you down and shatter you in a million pieces,” Gee says. At 33, she spent a year recovering, with the help of counseling and a nutritionist. A licensed clinical mental health counselor associate, Gee says many of her clients have struggled over the last year with anxiety about the unknown nature of Covid-19 and its implications. Others, she adds, appreciated the way 2020 lowered expectations and social pressures. For Gee, an introvert, there were silver linings. Many of her clients enjoyed the efficiency of telehealth, and it left Gee more time with her family. She and her kids began eating nearly every meal together. They took daylong hiking trips in the mountains. And family movie nights with her husband, Jon, became a time of bonding two or three times a week. “There was no pressure to be anywhere but together,” Gee says. “That is my jam.” Gee uses six puppets in her therapy practice. Each animal (turtle, sloth, shark, dragon, dog and eagle) is a symbol of a different stage of selfhood — the child, adolescent and adult — and Gee has her clients reference them to illustrate their feelings. Sika handmade dress, $396, headband, $40, and Primaura earrings, $125, all from Chosen.

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Perry Swenson Perry Swenson Livonius can trace her life after professional golf to a couple of airplane barf bags. Born with her father’s love of the sport, Perry Swenson (her professional name) graduated from the University of Texas in 2005 and joined the LPGA Tour, sponsored by Lilly Pulitzer. She was touted as one of the league’s rising stars. (Swenson even did a brief stint on the Golf Channel reality-TV show Road Trip Myrtle Beach with golfer Charlie Rymer, singer Josh Kelley and Mark Bryan, the lead guitarist for Hootie & The Blowfish.) But Swenson often wondered what she’d do when she was ready to retire her clubs professionally. A Charlotte native and one of the top senior amateur golfers in the world, Swenson’s father, Norman, hit the links with many of the city’s movers and shakers. So in 2011, just before he flew to South Korea to play in the World Club Championship, Perry Swenson asked her dad, “If I ever get out of golf, what do you think I should do? Who should I contact?” On the plane ride home from South Korea, Norman Swenson, 64, suffered a fatal heart attack. But in his luggage, Perry Swenson found two barf bags on which her father had scribbled 100 names, ranging from Fred Whitfield, current president of the Charlotte Hornets, to banking executive Mac Everett. Soon after, when Swenson left the LPGA Tour, she grabbed the lists and started making calls. When she got to Chuck Hood, founder and owner of independent insurance agency Hood Hargett, he offered Swenson, a finance major, a job in sales. Ten years later, Swenson, 38, is still with Hood Hargett, working in a division that focuses on high net-worth individuals with multiple homes and assets. But she’s also making a splash with her new side hustle, The Pearl Pagoda. Swenson and her friend and fellow mom Christina Murphy co-founded the company last year to offer pandemic-friendly shopping via outdoor pop-up shops. The shop is all about chinoiserie-chic items and preppy Palm Beach designs, which infuse everything from kids’ apparel to bamboo housewares, kaftans to weekender bags. The concept exploded. The Pearl Pagoda’s first pop-up leading up to Christmas last year was held in Murphy’s backyard in Pellyn Woods. The partners painted some backdrops, set up themed tables and posted about it on social media. “We thought a couple people would show up and we’d wing it,” Swenson says. “We hadn’t even 100% priced everything. We hadn’t thought of the checkout process.” More than 40 people were there to shop right when the pop-up opened, and hundreds more descended over the next couple of days. The partners have since held themed pop-ups for Valentine’s Day and Easter and added an e-commerce platform to the mix, thepearlpagoda.com. Translation: Night owl Swenson is often working until 2 or 3 a.m. Thankfully, her husband, Justin, knows how to wrangle their 6-year-old daughter, Leighton, and 4-yearold son, Swenson. “Luckily, my husband is pretty good at school lunches,” Swenson says, laughing. “He knows that’s his deal now.” SP The daughter of one of the world’s top amateur golfers, Perry Swenson grew up on the 16th hole of Carmel Country Club and now lives on the 10th. Once, while playing at Augusta National Golf Club with her father, Swenson got a hole in one. Renata by Renata Gasparian Carolyn Jaguars Wild top, $188, and skirt, $238, renatagasparian.com; Inez Sophia sandal, Inez.com, $238; Primaura cream teardrop earrings, Chosen, $125.

Local woman who inspires her: Roberta Bowman. She spent more than 25 years at Duke Energy, retiring in 2012 as senior vice president and chief sustainability officer. After her retirement, she became the chief brand and communications officer for the LPGA Tour. We formed a lasting friendship on the golf course, and I can call her up at any time to ask her professional advice in confidence. She has shattered glass ceilings for women in the workplace, and I am in awe of all of her continued success. Best mom hack: Having an arts-and-crafts room where the kids know they are free to use anything they want. I’m amazed at their creativity! “When the kids are in bed, I ...” ... catch up on work and start random projects around the house. You might catch me at midnight with my electric sander on the front porch. I’ve also been spotted by neighbors using the golf cart headlights to see while I paint our brick mailbox in the dark. Pandemic pastime: Cast-net fishing in the ocean, painting and perfecting my royal-icing cookie-decorating skills. Go-to workday lunch: Diet Pepsi and Cheez-Its. I know, horrible.

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Bold standard

ARTIST LAUREN REDDICK’S SOUTH CHARLOTTE HOME IS A QUIRKY MIX OF COLOR, PATTERN AND TEXTURE, FILLED WITH VINTAGE FINDS AND ORIGINAL WORKS OF ART. BY CATHY MARTIN • PHOTOGRAPHS BY LAURA SUMRAK

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here’s a funny story behind nearly everything in artist Lauren Reddick’s house, from the marble-top fudge table that’s now a kitchen island to the vintage Italian chandelier she acquired in exchange for a handmade doll. From the outside, the two-story white-brick home on a corner lot in Beverly Woods East offers few clues to the whimsical yet comfortable interior that’s chock full of one-of-a-kind objects. But inside, bold patterns, vintage treasures and original works of art are on glorious display. The Reddicks — Lauren, her husband Rob, and their three kids, age 16, 15 and 12 —moved to Charlotte from the Washington, D.C., area almost 16 years ago. Growing up, they both moved around a lot — Rick was a military kid; Lauren’s father was a college football coach. “I lived in seven homes before I was 18,” Lauren Reddick says, while Rick had never lived anywhere longer than three years. “It definitely makes you a very well-rounded person — you have to just be able to go make friends, and

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I think it also makes you a little bit more sensitive to those that are left out, because you’re aware of it,” she says. “We both just wanted to pick a home base.” If you follow many Charlotte interior-design accounts on Instagram, there’s a good chance you’ve seen Reddick’s abstract paintings — many of them figurative works, mostly women — gracing a hallway, bedroom or bookshelf. The prolific painter sells her work through Art House Charlotte, a local consultancy owned by Judith Zehmke. “I’ve always loved women and faces,” Reddick says, citing Israeli artist Itzhak Tarkay as an early inspiration. “But women were not popular until recently.” At home, Reddick’s works mix and mingle with found or thrifted artifacts, architectural pieces and uniquities. “I always joke that I’m a Craigslist junkie — I love flea markets. I love Craigslist. I love side-of-the-road,” says Reddick, who studied interior design at Virginia Tech before changing her major to marketing and communications. One of her first post-college jobs was creating window displays for retailer Anthropologie. In the kitchen, Reddick snagged the classic porcelain sink for $50 on the online classifieds site just before the modern farmhouse trend exploded. Once she got it home, she realized her existing cabinets would collapse under its weight. She looked around the house and found a sturdy antique buffet, cut off the top and created a one-of-a-kind base for the heavy sink. The fudge table-turned-kitchen island was originally from a candy shop in Florida and had made its way to Gastonia, where the owner casually stashed his shotgun on the bottom shelf before Reddick hauled it away. “None of this was planned, but it all ended up working out pretty well,” Reddick says with a laugh. Despite Reddick’s self-professed Craigslist addiction, not everything in her home was discovered online. A large mirror in the dining room was found at an antiques market in Romania. In the kitchen, the chrome chandelier — minus a few of its original crystals — was discovered by a friend at a yard sale on Queens Road West. The fixture is a collector’s item by Italian lighting designer Gaetano Sciolari, whose modernist take on classical design was fashionable in the 1960s and ’70s. Reddick’s friend bought it for $50, then decided she couldn’t use it. At the time, Reddick made and sold monogrammed dolls, popular as baby-shower gifts. When Reddick’s friend offered to give her the light fixture for free, the artist said, “At least let me give you a doll.” The fixture is now a stunning focal point over the kitchen island.

n the living room, Christian LaCroix wallpaper from Designers Guild combines a traditional pattern with bold, bright colors, reflecting Reddick’s penchant for blending the conventional with the unexpected. One eye-popping piece is an oversized pink vinyl bench from Blacklion, which had acquired items from the estate of a family who owned a trendy Miami salon. Reddick paid $200 for the 10-foot bench, then sent her sofa off to be extended and reupholstered. The bench that no one else wanted now pairs perfectly with the made-to-fit sofa. Perhaps the most striking space in the home is the mudroom, a former tool shed that’s now a dramatic back entryway with 12-foot ceilings and floor-to-ceiling storage. Reddick combined a large credenza, a child’s vanity (sawed in half) and a dresser that once belonged to her mother-in-law, then painted everything in a glossy black to create a custom storage unit. Searching online for architectural salvage pieces, she discovered a carpentry-shop owner who was selling his

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business — she bought four columns, a header and newel post for $300. A 10-foot pier mirror from the 1800s stands at the bottom of the staircase — the ornate, Victorian-era mirrors were traditionally placed between windows in parlors and foyers. Reddick drove to Wilmington with a trailer and a makeshift A-frame to buy it. “You could just see it just swaying,” the whole drive home, she says, grinning. “I couldn’t believe it did not break.” An Osborne & Little wallpaper with a bold butterfly design — Reddick found five rolls for sale on eBay — completes the design. Upstairs in the owners’ suite, the Reddicks converted a former attic space to a spacious and serene bathroom with marble tile flooring and a large soaking tub. When a homeowner in Barclay Downs listed a pair of marble sinks for sale for $50 each, Reddick bought them — and a piano she’d had her eye on for over a year — to create the custom vanity.

fter 16 years, Reddick sadly admits she’s nearly run out of projects. Meanwhile, her thriving art business is keeping her busier than ever. Working out of her home studio, she’s recently begun a new series of paintings featuring Queen Charlotte that is sure to be a hit among local art enthusiasts. And though her home finally feels complete, Reddick’s face still lights up when describing the zany vendors she’s met along the way and 106

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the faithful friends who have helped her secure unique finds, like an oversized neon chandelier in the sitting room. Asked where she found the enormous, gilded mirror sitting beside the stairway in the foyer, she laughs, and repeats a familiar phrase. “Oh, now that’s a funny story,” she tells me. And I’m certain that it is. SP

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Reel house

Movie buffs grieved when the Manor Theatre shuttered after 73 years. Charlotte Film Society’s new threescreen theater will give indie films a forever home in the Queen City. BY MICHAEL J. SOLENDER PHOTOGRAPHS BY GRANT BALDWIN

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hen Brad Ritter’s phone buzzed late one Friday night last May, his boss’s illuminated number on the screen forebode ill tidings. Ritter, longtime general manager of the Manor Theatre, Charlotte’s last remaining art house cinema, suspected the worst. His fear was soon confirmed. “I knew what was up, but he wouldn’t share the news on the phone,” Ritter says. “We met the next day at the Manor, where he told us the decision to close the theater and indicated everything had to go. As I looked around the lobby, my eyes fixed on the popcorn maker, and I began to imagine it anchoring the concession stand of a new theater. Right then, the wheels began to turn.” Ritter, an avowed cinema buff, recognized the Manor’s demise as an opportunity for the Charlotte Film Society, where he serves as president. The community-based nonprofit’s mission is bringing independently produced art house films to Charlotte. Ritter’s kernel of an idea began to pop into something that had long been on the minds of CFS members and its board of directors — a dedicated theater owned and operated by the film society.

RIGHT: COURTESY OF DOCKLANDS DESIGN

The Manor Theatre on Providence Road — the last cinema in Charlotte that regularly screened independent films — closed last May, above. Opposite: the Charlotte Film Society’s rendering for a new three-screen theater in NoDa.

he Manor opened in 1947 in a small retail center on Providence Road, which today houses a Panera Bread, barre studio, beauty boutique and a Thai restaurant. Eastern Federal Corp. owns the property but sold the screens to Regal Cinemas in 2005. Rumors began swirling a few years ago that Eastern Federal was mulling replacing the center with a mixed-use development. Future plans for the site remain unclear. Losing the Manor on the heels of the similarly fated Park Terrace and Ballantyne Village theaters left the city without any established cinemas regularly showing independent films. (Now owned by AMC Theatres, The Park Terrace at Park Road Shopping Center reopened in 2019 and today screens mainstream movies.) Cinephiles across the city expressed alarm. Many reached out to Jay Morong, longtime CFS program director and senior lecturer of film studies at UNC Charlotte. “I got calls almost immediately from the community asking what the film society was planning to do in light of the Manor’s closing,” Morong says. “People simply assumed we were going to work to fill the void. If we didn’t address the need, who would?” As news of the Manor’s closing seeped into public view, community connections led Ritter to the principals at the Flywheel Group, a local design and development firm spearheading the Trailhead District, an ambitious arts and entertainment project in NoDa’s

“People simply assumed we were going to work to fill the void. If we didn’t address the need, who would?”

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“When we initially began our GoFundMe drive, it took off like a rocket,” says Angel Truesdale, vice president of the CFS board. “It’s clear the community is behind us.”

north end. Before long, plans were drawn for a new theater in a redeveloped industrial building there. The space is just a two-minute walk from the Sugar Creek Station along the LYNX Blue Line. The Independent Picture House will house three screens, with seating for 108, 86 and 27. In addition to full concession offerings, the theater will serve beer and wine, with an adjacent outdoor patio for lingering before and after screenings. The theater is on track for a late fall opening.

harlotte Film Society holds a special place for cinema fans across the Charlotte region. Established in 1982 after Charlotte’s then-premier art house, the Visulite Theatre, converted to a live event venue, the all-volunteer film society has consistently worked to bring lesser known and avant-garde indie flicks to the Queen City, often partnering with local art collectives and cultural institutions. In 2019, CFS screened 48 films through its Back Alley Film Series and Saturday Night Cine Club and through collaborative screenings with VisArt Video, arts incubator C3 Lab and The Light Factory. Over the years, CFS also has worked with International House, LGBTQ film festival Reel Out Charlotte and the Charlotte Jewish Film Festival. In 2020, CFS took over operations and administration of the long-running Charlotte Film Festival, a nonprofit annual event. Last September’s five-day online virtual event screened 150 films and attracted 7,000 viewers from 42 states.

Jay Morong, Brad Ritter and Angel Truesdale study plans for the new theater in NoDa’s Trailhead District.

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“We considered postponing the festival last year with the pandemic but didn’t want to lose momentum and had so many great films to showcase,” Morong says. “Absent a current home and facing the pandemic, we currently offer about 10 different films a week through our site (charlottefilmsociety.com) in a video-on-demand format online screening room.” Two fundraising campaigns are underway to help lay the foundation for the Film Society’s vision. As of early April, more than 800 contributors had donated to a grassroots GoFundMe appeal launched last fall. The campaign has reached three-quarters of its $150,000 goal, with the funds earmarked for projection equipment and installation costs. A larger, quieter appeal supported by Foundation For The Carolinas is ongoing to underwrite theater build-out costs, initial rent and operating funds to provide a fiscal onramp for the organization’s self-sustainability. “When we initially began our GoFundMe drive, it took off like a rocket,” says Angel Truesdale, vice president of the CFS board. “It’s clear the community is behind us. It’s reassuring for the board to show other potential funders as we build a community cinema [that] we have a large family of support behind us.”

orong is excited about the programming opportunities possible with a dedicated theater, which will be open 365 days a year. “Charlotte residents can expect us to continue bringing high-quality indie films to the region — just a lot more of them,” he says. “We’re going to build on our foundation and provide exposure to the next level of art house films, including smaller-budget and experimental movies. The Charlotte Film Festival will have a fixed home at our theater, and we are welcoming and encouraging other area festivals to look to us as a potential host for their events. We want to work with them and want to be a community center for film.” Local filmmakers will find an eager partner with the new theater as a venue for hosting screenings and connecting with audiences. “We’re blowing up our old model,” Ritter says. “Our own theater allows us to pursue corporate sponsorships, tiered memberships and more ways to deliver classic films to the community.” In return, filmgoers will find a cinematic haven at the Independent Picture House, complete with the Manor’s celebrated popcorn machine. Ritter rescued seats, curtains and the concession-stand marquee from the closed theater, all poised for a second act at the new theater. There has always been a demand for independent film in Charlotte, and the recent art house closings appear more reflective of rising property values than lack of interest in culturally important films. CFS looks to capitalize on this appetite and create a cultural touchstone for the city. “There is a tradition across the country of showcasing independently made films,” Truesdale says. “In recognizing the culturally important contributions independent cinema makes to the community, we’re inspired by models and resources established by organizations like [Ann Arbor, Mich.-based nonprofit] Art House Convergence. The Independent Picture House is here for the community, and the community is here for us.” SP

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Meeting the Challenge

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These women are making things happen despite an incredibly difficult year. They have faced the pandemic with determination and with empathy for their clients, employees and community. SouthPark Magazine introduces you to an amazing group of entrepreneurs with a laser focus on business, family and the city they love.

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Carolina Gandrud

FETCH! PET CARE - SOUTH CHARLOT TE One conversation with Carolina Gandrud and two things quickly emerge: a welcoming personality and joyful love for animals. When Carolina’s family relocated to Charlotte, she left corporate America and launched her own business with a culture centered around service, people - and their pets. Fetch! Pet Care - South Charlotte was born. Carolina’s business motto is simple: care for people by caring for their pets superbly. Her childhood in Quito, Ecuador, nurtured a love for animals with countless rescues and saves. As the first in her family to achieve a university degree and MBA, Carolina feels driven to help others succeed and flourish. Throughout Carolina’s travels and experiences across many cultures, she’s witnessed the connection we all have to animals. Fetch! combines so many things Carolina feels passionate about! fetchpetcare.com/south/charlotte/about 704-288-1175 southcharlotte@fetchpetcare.com

At Fetch!, Carolina and her team provide loving, reliable pet care. Fetch! offers a range of services for all animals: dog walking, pet sitting, in-home overnight care and pet transport. Plus, they are bonded and insured. Carolina believes a selective hiring process gives clients consistency and creates a solid team with a sense of community. Schedule a free “meet and greet” with Fetch! Pet Care - South Charlotte today. Feel secure knowing the Fetch app also provides an activity log, photos and tracking. Trust Fetch! for daily pet needs, or while you’re on vacation -- your pet will love the extra TLC!

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Jeff Cravotta, Cravotta Photography

Sonya Pfeiffer

ELDER GALLERY OF CONTEMPORARY ART

1520 South Tryon Street 704-370-6337 info@eldergalleryclt.com @elder_gallery_clt

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As owner and creative director of Elder Gallery of Contemporary Art in South End, Sonya Pfeiffer’s top priority is making all visitors feel welcome, from seasoned art collectors to curious newcomers. “We work very hard to make art accessible and to demystify the intimidation that many people feel when they walk into a gallery,” says Pfeiffer. The gallery’s diverse collection has something for every eye. Expect to find landscapes that transport you to another place, abstract paintings to get lost in, figurative works and edgy pieces, plus one-of-a-kind jewelry. Recent exhibits such as Steven Hayes’ Beyond Any Means dig deep into current issues, while artists like Cynthia Flaxman Frank celebrate beauty and calm. “I believe there is just as much value in artwork that reflects a connection to nature, or honors beauty, or just makes us feel happy as there is in artwork that makes us think critically,” says Pfeiffer. During the pandemic, Pfeiffer and her team got creative and grew community through artist interviews and demos on Instagram. It gave artists a lifeline to sell and share their works, while welcoming a new audience. Pfeiffer’s understanding of art’s communicative power reflects her professional journey as a practicing civil rights and criminal defense attorney and previously, as an investigative news reporter. Pfeiffer knows impactful storytelling can stir compassion, and often, action. Visit the award-winning Elder Gallery of Contemporary Art and create your own art story. You may find the perfect piece to start or add to your collection.

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Michelle Renée BELLEZZA B OUTIQUE

6822-F Phillips Place Ct, Charlotte NC www.bellezza-boutique.com 980-819-6100

Michelle Renée is an international recording artist who has travelled the world performing. She found herself buying her own apparel overseas and had a vision of bringing unique and beautiful pieces from all over the world to the Queen City. Her vision became reality when Bellezza, a high fashion boutique, debuted in SouthPark. After travelling internationally to procure lines and exclusive merchandise for Bellezza in early 2020, Covid-19 hit our world. Michelle Renée had secured the inventory she wanted, but the shutdown kept her from opening. That fall, Michelle took a leap of faith. With boxes of inventory arriving at her doorstep, Michelle knew it was time to act. She began hiring and by December, Bellezza employed five team members. Bellezza Boutique at Phillips Place was born. “Our motto is to embrace the beauty of every woman’s body type and style,” says Michelle Renée. True to her word, Bellezza has a wonderful piece of apparel or jewelry to please a variety of shoppers. Tested by the pandemic, Michelle Renée is thankful Bellezza became a success story. She is inspired by her invaluable team of amazing stylists and their enthusiasm to help clients look and feel their best. “I had faith in my vision and in the ladies of this lovely city!” says Michelle Renée. For unique apparel, visit Bellezza seven days a week. southparkmagazine.com | 117

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Judy Miller

JK MILLER DESIGNS

704.576.3092 judy@jkmillerdesigns.com www.jkmillerdesigns.com Member ASID, IDS

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“This is not a hobby,” Judy told her mom when she started her design company, JKMiller Designs, in 2010. She was working 12-hour days while raising three kids. Judy’s passion for design and helping others is evident. She goes to great lengths to create an enjoyable stress free experience while steering clients away from the “one size fits all” design template. She believes our homes should reflect our extraordinary story. Judy confesses, “Interior design is an intimate art form, as one must execute and problem solve in people’s deeply personal spaces.” Judy prides herself on creating a client-centered experience and being a good steward of their budget. Educating clients on how to stay current with their investment in furnishings allows her designs to have a timeless sensibility. In her business, she values the designer/client relationship and works off the idea that, in her words, “fair works 100% of the time.” Judy feels fortunate to work with so many people who value design and appreciate the hard work that goes into creating a home that feels inviting and livable. “It is my hope that my clients share the joy this process brings to me,” she says, “because design isn’t just a hobby, it’s the time you take to make your house a home.”

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The Beautiful Mess Photography

Natasha Duff-Cole LADIES OF LINEAGE

Charlotte 704-547-4208 Fort Mill 803-233-1722 info@ladiesoflineage.com @ladiesoflineage

For Natasha Duff-Cole, there is nothing like watching a future bride discover her “it” wedding dress. It gives Natasha joy that her premier bridal boutique, Ladies of Lineage, creates a memorable experience that is one for the books. Natasha has dedicated herself to redefining the bridal gown shopping experience with a stunning selection of hand-selected gowns and excellent customer service. Her team of trained stylists understand what a privilege it is to play such a special role in a bride’s wedding day and are committed to making the process of finding a wedding dress easier. This belief and understanding ensures that each bride’s unique personality, style, and overall vision are not only heard but brought to life. With the many unknowns of the pandemic, Ladies of Lineage continues a never-wavering focus on their brides. Natasha sees roadblocks as a teaching opportunity to share with her two young children and remains driven to find innovative solutions to help her clients instead of taking shortcuts. Just like the fine details on a Ladies of Lineage gown matter to the bride, the fine details of running a successful business matter to Natasha. Come visit and have the wedding dress shopping experience of a lifetime at Ladies of Lineage. Look for their new location in Phillips Place this summer! southparkmagazine.com | 119

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Jackie Paynter DRYBAR

At Specialty Shops SouthPark 6401 Morrison Blvd, Charlotte, NC 28211 704-749-2159 At Atherton Mill 2120 South Blvd Suite 4, Charlotte, NC 28203 704-665-1903 thedrybar.com @drybar_charlotte

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Jackie Paynter, a native Charlottean, and the owner of two Drybar locations, combines her passions into a career: a love for people and a love for beauty. With 20 years in the beauty industry, Jackie knows what works best for her clients. At Drybar, Jackie’s team uses the best beauty products, professional tools, and services to create and maintain the perfect blowout. Jackie wants her clients to feel their very best. She believes Drybar services give clients an outward glow and an internal boost. It’s her mission to help people with all hair types to feel empowered and confident when they leave. Jackie pushed through a challenging year like her clients, the Drybar team and other small business owners. It’s been “one step in front of the other” each day. Today, she is thankful. Thankful for loyal clients and a talented staff. Thankful that Drybar is busy again. Thankful for a supportive small business community. Thankful most of all, for her family. The pandemic struggle is not over, but her connection to the Drybar team, clients and the small business community is stronger. “Sharing best practices and encouraging each other was so important during this time,” says Jackie. Make an appointment today and leave feeling fabulous.

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Nilou Henderson

HENDERSON VENTURES + ZIBA LUXURY SALON & SPA Nilou Henderson was raised to work hard and stay humble. She built successful companies with a “go for it” attitude while staying focused on family. Nilou is raising two daughters with that same appreciation and can-do spirit. She owns two businesses at Piedmont Row, optimizing convenience and time. Her new Aveda salon, Ziba, is right next door to Henderson Ventures, an exclusive real estate brokerage company which Nilou owns and operates with her husband, former NBA player Gerald Henderson. At Henderson Ventures, Nilou and Gerald provide a seamless, rewarding experience for their clients. Having moved around with Gerald’s NBA career, the Hendersons understand why their clients in the entertainment industry need confidentiality when it comes to selling or buying a home. At Ziba, clients enjoy a luxury experience in a one-stop shop. It’s the only local full-service salon where clients can grab a cocktail, or even an espresso while they relax and get pampered. hendersonventuresinc.com Nilou@hendersonventuresinc.com @nilouhenderson

Nilou’s work ethic and passion for business run deep. She came to the United States as a young girl from Iran, where women have fewer rights. The freedom to live out her dream is precious and she wants her girls to know they can do anything. So it makes sense that when Nilou needed a salon name, she went back to her Persian roots. Ziba means beauty. Nilou also sees beauty in hard work and its enduring legacy. southparkmagazine.com | 121

A full-service Aveda salon now open in SouthPark! Salon Services:

The name Ziba means beauty. We all have our own version. It’s our glow. Our kindness. Our confidence. At Ziba Luxury Salon & Spa, we help your Ziba shine. Come to be pampered and leave feeling beautiful. Serving cocktails, wine, espressos and more! Ziba Luxury Salon & Spa 4620 Piedmont Row Drive, Suite 160

• Manicures • Pedicures • Hair Color/Cut/Style • Hair Extensions

980.256.5486

• Facials/Hydrafacial • Threading • Microblading • Waxing • Lash Extensions

Hello@ZibaLuxury.com @zibaluxury

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Allison Sprock

allison sprock fine art Allison Sprock’s passion for fine art was ignited at a young age by her Aunt Lulu, Louise Allred, who was a wonderful artist. As the owner of allison sprock fine art, Allison loves helping clients find the perfect painting for their home. Allison equally welcomes visitors who are just stopping by to relax. Visit Allison and the asfa gang at this hidden gem in Cotswold. The gallery has a laid-back feel with an eclectic mix of original artwork by famous and emerging artists from around the world.

705 S. Sharon Amity Rd.

(below Leroy Fox & Art Aspects)

704.705.2000 allisonsprockfineart.net @allisonsprockfineart

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1300 Baxter St, Ste 114 Charlotte, NC

70 Lake Concord Rd NE Concord, NC

8001 N Tryon St Charlotte, NC (University Area)

Book Your Suite at Tuscarora’s!

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U N DER CON TR ACT

U N DER CON T RACT

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DEERING OAKS 2509 Richardson Drive

4 BR | 4.2 BA | 4,818 sq. ft.

5 BR | 4.1 BA | 6,451 sq. ft.

$ 2, 35 0,0 0 0

$ 2 , 35 0,0 0 0

Classic 1.5 story brick home on a beautiful and private 0.57 acre lot with an in-ground saltwater pool. Floor-to-ceiling windows, grand formals, incredible wood paneled Great Room, Bonus Room, 1st floor Guest Suite, renovated baths, updated kitchen, and slate roof.

Situated on a beautiful 0.68 acre cul-de-sac lot. Fabulous open plan with hardwoods down, high ceilings, 2 story foyer, kitchen opens to great room, and MBR plus guest bedroom on main level. Incredible storage could be finished. 3 car garage and circular driveway.

THE SALTON TEAM Brokers / Realtors ® | Top Producers Listing & selling homes for over 45 years combined. Lynn Salton

Sarah Salton

Rusty Salton

704-315-9515 | sarah@hmproperties.com

HMPROPERTIES.COM

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|swirl A monthly guide to Charlotte’s parties and galas

Virtual Wish Ball

Virtual gala and pod parties in various private homes February 26

Robin and Jack Salzman

Co-host, Wish Kid Kierra

Jason and Carmen Mutch

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Wish Kid Krystal with her puppy

Dennis and Amy Kaz

Stacey Jenks and Terri Zandhuis

Shelley and Kevin Johnson

Don and June Mills

Jerry and Amy Kurtz

Rita and Mike Carlet

Hans and Terri Zandhuis

PHOTOGRAPHS BY DANIEL COSTON

Cody Zeller

This year’s virtual Wish Ball was celebrated in pod parties across the county and elsewhere. The event benefiting MakeA-Wish Central & Western N.C. featured live and silent auctions and raised $480,000 to grant wishes for 80 wish kids.

|swirl A monthly guide to Charlotte’s parties and galas

McColl Center Re-Open House March 11

Claudia Gonzalez Griffin and Anna G. Dean

Carolyn Cooper and John Xenakis

PHOTOGRAPHS BY DANIEL COSTON

Marc Fuller and Cole Sinclair

Deja Taylor

Peter Wong

The McColl Center re-opened its doors with the debut of a new show, Spaces Between, featuring works by the center’s winter/ spring 2021 artists-in-residence, Anna G. Dean, Rehab El Sadek, Lorena Mal and Sharon Norwood.

Ben McCarthy and Blair Potts

Alex Cookson and Jonell Logan

Carolyn, Sarah and Terri Genay

Alex Miller and Alyssa Gifford

Armando Bellmas

Joyce Wines

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|swirl A monthly guide to Charlotte’s parties and galas

In Pursuit of Resilience Virtual Gala benefiting Mitchell’s Fund March 11

Chandler Head, Darby Camp and Frank Turner

P.J. Barnes

Robbie Shaw and Meg McElwain

We couldn't be happier to welcome back a familiar face to the team. 1300 Baxter St, Ste 114 Charlotte, NC

Robert Nahouraii, MD, FAAP

8001 N Tryon St Charlotte, NC (University Area) 511 Lauchwood Dr Laurinburg, NC

Now accepting new patients! New locations are opening soon.

704-335-3400

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Vernisha Crawford

Bellezza is the proud fashion sponsor for the newly crowned Miss NC/USA Madison Bryant shown here at Bellezza boutique in a Bellezza dress. CONGRATULATIONS MADISON!

Child & Adolescent Neurology Michael Amiri, MD Matthew McConnell, MD Kelly Xiong, DNP, FNP-C Betty Mays, NP-C Drew Boylard, NP Autumn Grimm, FNP

70 Lake Concord Rd NE Concord, NC

Beth Gardner Strandberg

6822-F PHILLIPS PLACE CT | PHILLIPS PLACE CHARLOTTE NC 28210 | 980.819.6100 | BELLEZZA-BOUTIQUE.COM CALL OR VISIT NOW TO SCHEDULE A COMPLIMENTARY WARDROBE CONSULTATION WITH A STYLIST TO COORDINATE YOUR WARDROBE WITH A NEW AMAZING BELLEZZA LOOK!

PHOTOGRAPHS BY DANIEL COSTON

Josh Daniel

Mitchell’s Fund added some star power for its virtual event, with popular actors Darby Camp and Chandler Head appearing alongside local musician Josh Daniel. Mitchell’s Fund helps families navigate trauma and works to improve childhood mental health.

|swirl A monthly guide to Charlotte’s parties and galas

SouthEnd Arts

Justice & Beauty opening event March 4 SouthEnd Arts opened its Justice & Beauty exhibit featuring works by numerous local artists at Studio 229 at the historic Brooklyn Collective.

Monique Douglas and K. Liles

PHOTOS COURTESY OF CLAIRE LECHTENBERG

PHOTOGRAPHS BY DANIEL COSTON

Bree Stallings

Myesha Winston

Anand Wakankar and Gail Baillargeon

Michelle and David Levi

Toye Durrah and Joanna Henry

Eva Crawford

We Believe Virtual Gala

YWCA Central Carolinas February 25 YWCA Central Carolinas’ annual We Believe event featured a talk with Felicia Baiden, assistant professor of clinical practice in the Tift College of Education at Mercer University.

Shelley Smith

Felicia Baiden

Kirsten Sikkelee

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BROOKE BROWN PHOTOGRAPHY FOR CHARLOTTE IS CREATIVE

| gallery

Ready, set, B Gogh

ree Stallings painted this Vincent Van Gogh-inspired mural at Camp North End in honor of the artist’s birthday on March 30. In addition to being a talented multimedia artist, the Queens University graduate is the newly installed director of artistic experiences at Blumenthal Performing Arts. In her new role, Stallings will help BPA expand its programming and connections with local artists. “I can’t wait to continue to bridge the gap between our community artists and our arts institutions, as well as strengthen the bond between our public spaces and high-level art experiences,” Stallings says. The mural sits at the future entrance of Immersive Van Gogh, an art experience debuting June 18 in the historic Ford building. The touring exhibition features more than 500,000 cubic feet of towering projections, illuminated images from Van Gogh’s catalog of masterpieces and more than 60,000 frames of video. Tickets are on sale now — and selling fast — and start at $39.99 for adults and $24 for children. The experience runs June 18-Sept. 12. Learn more at vangoghclt.com.

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Ready to Relax?

Escape to the Lake

Lake Norman’s Premier Yacht Club is closer than you think.

Cornelius, North Carolina www.PeninsulaYacht.com | 704-892-9858