Up.St.Art Annapolis Fall 2015

ART+CULTURE+LIFE

ANNAPOLIS

FALL 2015

Jah-Haha Collaborative Art

Jah-Haha Collaborative Art

Jeff Huntington

Jeff Huntington

Cindy Fletcher Murals: Public art of Annapolis. Photos by John Bildahl

Urban Walls Brazil

Charles Lawrance

Annapolis

fringe festival

IT’S ONE OUTRAGEOUS NIGHT IN THE NEW ANNAPOLIS ARTS DISTRICT

Annapolis

fringe Annapolis fringe

SATURDAY NIGHT SEPT 26 FROM CHURCH CIRCLE TO CALVERT ST

festival

7:00pm – MIDNIGHT

festival

original watercolor by GREG HARLIN available exclusively at the Annapolis Collection Gallery

THE ANNAPOLIS COLLECTION GALLERY on gallery row in historic annapolis

www.AnnapolisCollection.com

55 west street 21401 410 - 2 8 0 - 1414

CONTENTS 8 | Fall 2015

Volume 2

|

Issue 3

CANVAS

14

“Where’s Casey?”

ART+CULTURE+LIFE

By Julia Gibb

WAVES

20

ANNAPOLIS

Finding One’s Voice

By Leah Weiss

SNAP

26

Sharp Image

By Tom Levine

CONCEPT

32

Skribe Speaks Easy

By Zoë Nardo

SUP

F AL L 2 0 1 5

38

All Dressed Up

44

Sweet Envy

By Leigh Glenn

INK

By Andrea Stuart

THREADS

50

Vagabonds of Style & Function

56

The Night Watchmen Take Annapolis

By Zoë Nardo

CINE

By Andrea Stuart

WUNDERKIND

62

From Cartoon Eyes to Portraiture

By Desiree Smith-Daughety

COVER Sculpture - Blood & Bone Maple, oak, copper wire, plasti-dip, paint.

By Casey Johnson

HOOD

68

Larry Griffin Cares

By Patty Speakman Hamsher

UPSKILL

74

Brick and Clay

By Patty Speakman Hamsher

Editor’s Inkwell There once was a girl from The West Whose addiction for words, she professed.

For art she was fond, A lifestyle was spawned, Though her words make others feel quite undressed.

E

xpression. We all have a different process for communicating who we are, what we think, where we’ve been, and how we feel.

Whether a sculptor or mathematician, each of us expresses our passions.

The above limerick represents one of my favorite forms of expression: poetry. More than that, it expresses my love for waggish diction, frivolous humor, frolicsome defiance, and experimentation.

So, I invite you (yes you!) to join me in this frivolity. Submit a limerick following the aabba rhyme scheme (as above) for a chance to appear in our winter anniversary issue of Up.St.ART Annapolis. The winner will also be announced on our website, social media, and receive an official Up.St.ART t-shirt.

Happy wordsmithing!

upstart-annapolis.com | 9

WE. ARE. FAMILY. R E E B T F A C R’S IN OUR BLOOD IT

9445 Washington Blvd N, Laurel, MD 20723 (443) 345-9699

JAILBREAKBREWING.COM

get to

THE POINT

410.544.5448 | thepointcrabhouse.com 7 0 0 M i l l C r e e k R oa d A r n o l d , M a r y l a n d 2 1 0 1 2

ART+CULTURE+LIFE

ANNAPOLIS

Publisher & Creative Director Jimi Davies jimihaha@gmail.com Editorial Director Andrea Stuart upstarteditor@gmail.com Copy Editor Leah Weiss Associate Editors Leigh Glenn Katherine Matuszak Jenny Igoe Contributing Editors Desiree Smith-Daughety Leigh Glenn Katherine Matuszak Zoë Nardo Patty Speakman Hamsher Leah Weiss

Art Director Cory Deere cdeere@gmail.com

Contributing Photographers David Burroughs Mary F. Calvert

Joseph M. Eddings, Jr. Alison Harbaugh Casey Johnson Joe Karr Aaron Yealdhall Allison Zaucha John Bildahl Herb Mann Advertising Jimi Davies jimihaha@gmail.com Kim OBrien featherpublishing@gmail.com For distribution inquiries, contact Jimi Davies at jimihaha@gmail.com Please visit our website at

www.upstart-annapolis.com facebook.com/UpstartAnnapolis twitter.com/upstartnaptown instagram/UpstartAnnapolis

Mailing Address: Up.St.Art Annapolis P.O. Box 4162 Annapolis, MD 21403 410.212.4242 SUBMISSIONS: For article submissions, email proposal to andreastu@gmail.com. Up.St.Art Annapolis Magazine is published quarterly. Address: P.O. Box 4162, Annapolis, MD 21403. Subscription rate: $40, payable in advance. Single copies $4.99. Back issues, if available, $15 (includes shipping and handling). POSTMASTER send address changes to Up.St.Art Annapolis, P.O. Box 4162, Annapolis, MD 21403. Entire contents © 2015 by Up.St.Art Annapolis Magazine™ unless otherwise noted on specific articles. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part is strictly prohibited without Publisher permission.

12 | Fall 2015

S C R I B B L E R S JULIA GIBB A native Annapolitan, Julia Gibb earned a bachelor of fine arts degree at the Corcoran School of Art in Washington, DC. She teaches traditional Hawaiian hula at Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts.

TOM LEVINE Tom Levine writes for several magazines about architecture, design, culture, and music. When not on assignment, he whiles away hours smugly thinking about how he snookered Jimi Davies into paying him to while away even more hours hanging out in bars and listening to bands. He knows that he’s lucky.

LEIGH GLENN For nearly 30 years (15 as an editor and 9 as a speechwriter), Annapolis resident Leigh Glenn has written for numerous publications and associations, including the Washington Post and St. Petersburg (Russia) News. She has a master of fine arts degree in nonfiction from George Mason University. Her freelance credits include a reference book for ABC-Clio. She holds certificates in community herbalism and permaculture design, and has worked as an herbalist, teacher, and plant-walk guide.

LEAH WEISS Leah Weiss is a freelance editor and writer with roots in environmental and energy policy, music, and arts. She enjoys helping specialty writers present their work to a broader audience. Leah also teaches fiddle, performs with Gary Wright, Ahren Buchheister, and other area musicians, and co-hosts 49 West Coffeehouse's monthly American Roots Night music series.

PAT T Y S P E A K M A N H A M S H E R Patty Speakman Hamsher is a freelance writer and a dreamer living on the Eastern Shore of Maryland with her husband, two daughters, and six chickens. When she’s not overalyzing parenthood or fantasizing about traveling, she is chasing writing opportunities and blogging at Salinity Press.

ZOË NARDO Twenty-three with a journalism degree.

Will never outgrow the craving for Storm Bros.

DESIREE SMITH-DAUGHETY Desiree Smith-Daughety lives just a short paddle away from the Chesapeake Bay. She is co-founder and co-author of Waterfrontwriters.com, a creative showcase website. She has published two nonfiction books as well as articles in diverse publications, and has just completed a novel.

upstart-annapolis.com | 13

CANVAS

“Where’s Casey?”

By Julia Gibb

Photos by Casey Johnson

14 | Fall 2015

I

n the gallery at Creative Paradox in Annapolis, Casey Reed Johnson settles into a sofa. His sculpture Oculus hangs in one corner of the room, wood tones glowing in the spotlight, its mass casting shadows on the walls. It resembles a giant geometrically constructed eyeball with a walnut wood disk for an iris and a periwinkle pupil lit from within. Viewers are invited to step into the shadows behind the large sculpture and peer through a lens on the dark side of the sphere into a depiction of a starry sky surrounded by a violet corona. A plaque on the wall featuring text written by the artist speaks of mystery, human curiosity, the search for knowledge, and connection with the divine.

Johnson grew up in Westminster, Maryland, where he attended church regularly with his parents. His spiritual practices have evolved over the years, but Christianity remains central to his life and work. He began making art when he was ten years old; school diorama assignments sparked his enthusiasm for threedimensional art. While other children used shoeboxes to create their projects, Johnson sought large television boxes to showcase his ambitious compositions. He earned a bachelor of fine arts degree from Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore in 2009. Since then he has pursued a career in fine art, participating in many exhibitions.

Johnson recently exhibited work at a biennial conference held by Christians In the Visual

Arts in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and was accepted into a show at Washington Project for the Arts in Washington, DC, curated by artist Jeffry Cudlin.

For the past three years, Johnson has worked as Lead Catalyst and Curator at Creative Paradox. Now located off of Generals Highway, the nonprofit organization provides an environment for artists to explore their Christian faith through art and biweekly discussions. He’s been involved with the group since 2009, when it was still known as Studio of the Arts, and helped to build out its former location in downtown Annapolis. In addition to his work with Creative Paradox, Johnson and his wife, Amy, run Foxwood Co., a custom home goods company that the couple named after their son, Fox; she handles the organizational and social media aspects of the business, while he works in his home woodshop in Annapolis, designing and crafting cutting boards, spoons, planters, and other vessels. Johnson hopes to eventually merge his fine art aesthetic with functional pieces to bring objects of beauty, value, and utility into people’s everyday lives. “Beauty is function because of what it does for us, for our souls, for our wellbeing,” he says.

Johnson regards craftsmanship as an essential part of art. “When I look at a work of art, I really want to see time,” he says. “[It] shows care and thoughtfulness.” The

upstart-annapolis.com | 15

intensive labor he dedicates to his work is an act of humility—a way of connecting to the divine force that he refers to as Creator. Soft-spoken and modest, he doesn’t shy away from discussing his faith’s influence on his art. To generate ideas for his sculptures, he sits with pen and paper, making lists and spending time in meditation. Through this process of word study and patient waiting, he receives visual concepts.

Some works serve as experiential vehicles for his spiritual practice. While creating his sculpture Obstacles, Johnson hewed chunks of wood into gem-like shapes, named them, burned them, and prayerfully removed them from his path. The blackened shapes are displayed on a shelf, like onyx trophies transformed from obstacles into achievements.

Meticulously constructed shapes serve as containers in which Johnson stages interplay between the physical and the transcendent. Blood and Bone, a sculpture that Johnson describes as a living vessel, is a striking example of the love and toil he channels into his art. It resembles a lifesize canoe frame cradling an intricate network of hand-twisted copper wire shaped to look like tributaries of blood vessels feeding into a central vein. Crafting the piece became somewhat challenging. “I was in pain and in tears,” he recalls. He questioned whether he would be able to finish the piece after months of working alone in his studio while concerned friends asked, “Where’s Casey?”

Halfway through the project, the canoe frame broke and had to be rebuilt. Johnson Workglove Carved Limewood, Rough Quartz ultimately takes such

16 | Fall 2015

Blood & Bone

Maple, oak, copper wire, plasti-dip, paint

Ascension

125-lb oak beam (documentation of a live performance) Photo by Mark Joseph Oliver

challenges in stride and interprets them as humbling reminders that making art comes from love. His calling, he explains, is to share that same love and dedication with other artists as well as communities outside the art world.

Transparency about his spiritual focus is important to Johnson, and he welcomes viewers into a fuller experience of his sculptures by talking and writing about them in easyto-understand terms. Wallmounted plaques explaining the concepts behind the art often accompany his pieces. “You are asking [people] to spend

time with your piece,” he says.

“If you are putting all of these walls up, they’re not going to spend time with it.” He believes that contemporary art often leaves people feeling excluded, and is frustrated by the use of bewildering “artspeak,” saying, “We’ve let it get to a point where we’ve killed art, let it die, dragged it across the floor, and beat it. And then we’re like, ‘Now what?’” █ For more information about the artist and his work, visit caseyreedjohnson.com.

Handtools

CANVAS

Wood, mixed media

Obstacles

Burnt Limewood

Oculus (eyepiece)

Oak, plywood, lens, mirror, light

upstart-annapolis.com | 17

Éffrontées PORTRAITS A LA BOMBE 17th Sept - 12th Oct 2015 Opening Reception 17th Sept 6-9 pm AUP Fine Ar ts Gallery 6 rue des Colonel Combes 75007 Paris, France

Fine American Portraiture & Figures Moe Delaitre

Annapolis, Maryland Ussy-sur-Marne, France Por traits by Moe por traitsbymoe.com

WAVES

20 | Fall 2015

FINDING ONE'S VOICE

By Leah Weiss Photos by Allison Zaucha

E

arly one fall morning in 1999, Jane Daugherty, the choir director at Broadneck High School in Arnold, Maryland, appeared at Jeremy Ragsdale’s front door with exciting news. Ragsdale had been accepted into the GRAMMY Foundation Jazz Choir, and Daugherty wanted the high school senior to hear the news directly from her. Admission into the ensemble was a high honor—only 12 students from across the country were accepted.

They would perform for the

GRAMMY nominees and attend the awards ceremony. It was a defining moment for Ragsdale, and Daugherty’s actions, more than the news itself, would have a great impact on him.

Ragsdale, now in his early thirties, is an accomplished pianist and singer with an impressive resume: backup singer and vocal arranger with GRAMMYnominated pop singer Patti Austin for her Ella Fitzgerald tribute tour; member of a jazz vocal quartet that was big in Japan and performed for crowds of

upstart-annapolis.com | 21

Megan Hammond, singing at the Annapolis First Sunday Festival.

Joe Glumsic, playing in the backup band for the studio's Lead Singer program.

Hannah Hall in rehearsal.

“I feel the most creative when I teach,” he says. “I wanted to do for others educationally because I had been blessed with so many great teachers throughout my life.”

Will Guild, taking a guitar solo at the Annapolis First Sunday Festival.

Megan Hammond, in rehearsal

22 | Fall 2015

I had listened to my dad practicing trombone upstairs, and all the times we would drive to school together and he would talk about chord progressions.

It came together for me because of the piano training and playing things by ear. Now jazz is a big part of me.”

During his high school junior year, Ragsdale was elected into the All-Eastern Honors Mixed Chorus and performed at Carnegie Hall.

Moved by the group experience and the effectiveness of the conductor in bringing the group to a higher level of musicianship, he understood that music would be his life’s work and thought about working in a directing role in the future.

After attending New England Conservatory of Music for one semester, he dove headlong into contemporary music, enrolling at Berklee as a vocal performance major.

He thrived there, taking full advantage of its networking and performance opportunities. He then returned home to ponder his future.

Back in Annapolis, Ragsdale doggedly followed guitarist/vocalist Michael McHenry to all of his local gigs, and McHenry let him sit in with the band. “All the cool stuff that I had done in the past shadowed in comparison with me getting to sing with Mike,” he says.

Ragsdale soon realized that he was not interested in trying to make it as a performer. “I feel the most creative when I teach,” he says. “I wanted to do for others educationally because I had been blessed with so many great teachers throughout my life.”

Unexpectedly, he received an offer to teach at Towson University. During

that five-year tenure, he branched out into rock, blues, rap, and hip-hop, playing with the Annapolis-based band The Grilled Lincolns. In 2010, he joined the faculty at Berklee—a period that felt like the pinnacle of his career—but after three years, teaching at the college proper and for several of its summer programs, he felt the pull to come home and create his own program in his own community.

Jeremy Ragsdale Voice Studio opened for business at 162 West Street in May 2013, offering private lessons and group classes in contemporary music and vocal technique. The majority of its students are children. “For the first time in Annapolis history, there is a kid’s class that performs Top 40 pop music,” he beams. He likens the studio's The Lead Singer program to boot-camp singing, where teenagers learn vocal technique and perform four concerts over three months with a live band. Naptown Sings!, a glee club for 7- to 11-year-olds, is also offered.

Over one hundred students walk through the studio’s doors on a weekly basis, but Ragsdale says that it’s only the beginning. He plans to collaborate with similar-minded organizations, such as ArtFarm, that focus on teaching children to be intrepid artists. “Looking back at all the trust and acceptance I received [at a young age], I find that I am doing the same for my students who have the same potential. I want these people to be exactly who they are, unapologetically, and learn to be themselves, better, every day.” █

WAVES

thirty thousand; jazz vocal director at Towson University; collaborator with jazz notables such as Kevin Mahogany and Esperanza Spalding; and faculty member at the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston.

Growing up, he was steeped in music. His father, a Berklee-trained trombonist and jazz musician, served as the US Navy Band’s head music writer and arranger. Every year, his family attended the Navy’s holiday concert at DAR Constitution Hall in Washington, DC, a stirring gala that reflected the depth and breadth of his father’s talent and work.

Ragsdale started his musical training at age seven with classical piano lessons. He participated in choirs and musicals throughout his schooling and had encouraging teachers. His classical vocal technique teacher, Polly Parr Corretjer, was particularly inspirational and remains one of Ragsdale’s mentors to this day.

“We all need mentors,” he says. “The point that we decide that we’re too good to have mentors, that’s when everything goes to shambles.”

When he was a teenager, he began paying attention to pop music on the radio and wondered, “Why can’t I play this?” His father taught him applied music theory, helping him learn how to play songs by ear— without reading sheet music—so he could intuit a song’s structure and add touches of his own personal style. “Sometimes you just have to get off the page and start listening and trusting,” he says.

When Ragsdale gravitated towards jazz, it came easier than he expected.

“I had soaked in all the times that

www.jeremyragsdale.com

upstart-annapolis.com | 23

Bay Ridge Shopping Center,

107 Hillsmere Dr, Annapolis, MD 21403 | 410-571-5073

annapolissmokehouse.com

upstart-annapolis.com | 25 194 GREEN STREET | ANNAPOLIS, MD | 410.349.5081 | www.hobobags.com @hobotheoriginal

SNAP The crew prepares to take down the mast of Miss Anguilla at Sandy Ground on the island of Anguilla in the British West Indies, Sunday, July 25, 2004, the week after the largest regatta in the official sport, boat racing. (J.M. Eddins Jr./the Washington Times)

Right: Teddy Pekar and John Holstein pose for a portrait after a street basketball game in housing project in Havre de Grace, Md. (J.M.Eddins Jr)

26 | Fall 2015

SHARP

Arnold Fitzhugh, left, and Pete Longwreath cheer on their horse during the fifth race at Pimlico Racecourse in Baltimore, MD. (J.M. Eddins Jr.)

Tom Hall, 65, has been a cook for eleven years at Chick and Ruth's Delly on Main Street in Annapolis, MD. He pauses during the morning breakfast rush to say the Pledge of Allegiance. The pledge is a morning tradition seven days a week, at the neighborhood coffee shop. Behind him is fellow cook Alex Balmes, 27. (Mary Calvert)

Afghan children run up a street that separates the village of Hutal from the barbed-wire-covered walls of Combat Outpost Rath, home to members of Blackwatch Unit, Bravo Company, 2nd Battalion, 1st Infantry Regiment, with the 5th Stryker Brigade, in the Maywan District of Kandahar Province, Afghanistan. (Mary Calvert)

IMAGE

By Tom Levine

upstart-annapolis.com | 27

US Marine Lance Cpl. Dusty Langford of 8th Engineering Support Battalion rests after repairing a bridge over the Dyala River while under fire, allowing forward elements of the 1st Marine Division to enter Baghdad, Iraq. (J.M. Eddins Jr.)

US Marines take a cavalier attitude to the ninth chemical attack alert of the day in Southern Iraq. (J.M. Eddins Jr.)

A chimney sweep in Essex, MD. photographed for a Labor Day series entitled "It's a Dirty Job..." (J.M. Eddins Jr.)

28 | Fall 2015

O

n a Friday afternoon this past July, Joe Eddins spoke about the photographs he shot in 2003, at the onset of the Iraq war. Eddins, who was a Washington Times staff photographer at the time, had accompanied a marine battalion as it ascended a berm just over the Kuwaiti border and began a march across the barren Iraqi landscape.

Eddins’ photographs show young soldiers bearing the burden of their mission— their faces unable to mask emotional turmoil, their bodies slumped in physical exhaustion. One soldier crouches behind a sandy embankment with three others: he looks up, beyond the camera, his eyes wide, alert, and with a touch of fear. The shot is real and dramatic. Another photo shows the surrealism of war: four soldiers enjoying a card game, their bodies relaxed and their heads enshrouded in gas masks.

The images are clear, sharp, and economical. They present stories that we would not have otherwise seen, one frozen moment at a time. Somehow Eddins shows us—through digitized conversion of light and shadow—something real about the human experience.

When Eddins’ father served in World War II, he took along a boxy Kodak Brownie Hawkeye camera. “His photographs from his airplane of the Pyramids at Giza, the Himalayas, his crew, and [his] pet monkey in India really put the hook in me,” says Eddins. “As a kid, I could be seen running around, looking through the viewfinder and clicking the shutter on that very same camera, even though there was no film in it.”

While studying journalism at West Virginia University, he enrolled in an elective course in photography. By the next semester, he seemed to be spending half his time snapping pictures and the other half in the darkroom. Immersed in

photography, Eddins barely made it to class. Without the help of a friend who taped lectures, he might still be working through his senior year.

Whether on a beach in Bermuda, catching the wide-eyed excitement of race fans at Pimlico, or in the middle of a war zone, Eddins’ focus has always been on capturing the image. During more dangerous assignments, the intensity of his job and his focus left no time for concern about personal safety—at least until nighttime, when he switched off his camera. While in Iraq, sleep came fitfully at best. It was the only time when anxiety found a toehold, as the fear of chemical weapons hung heavily in the air.

“We were absolutely sure that we were going to get slimed at some point,” says Eddins. The thought would wake him, sweating in the middle of the freezing desert night.

Mary Calvert met Eddins at the Washington Times in 1998, when she was hired as a staff photographer. They began dating

During her job at the Washington Times, Calvert always looked for the iconic shot, the picture that showed the threads that bind us together, notwithstanding our differences.

Her picture of cook Tom Hall, pausing to recite the Pledge of Allegiance at Chick & Ruth’s Delly in Annapolis, is a perfect example. Like much of her work, the shot is in black and white.

Hall is turned away from the

“But if you play long enough and only fail two-thirds of the time, you have a shot at doing something special.” griddle, eyes gazing upward, hat held over his heart.

With his grizzled, wiry beard, sinewy arms, and glossy skin, Hall appears sculpted in a deeply patinated bronze. His expression is humble, yet the image is heroic.

It’s a short story about ritual and patriotism, showing how extraordinary the ordinary can be.

The Washington Times gave Calvert entrée

to the powerful and the mighty, and she produced intimate views of US presidents and others in Washington’s echelons of power.

It also gave her the freedom to pursue what moved her: long form photojournalism. “I specialize in underreported or neglected stories about gender-based human rights issues. We used to call this type of work ‘women’s issues,’” says Calvert. “I prefer to think of them as our issues.” She explains that marginalizing half the world’s population creates a problem for all of us. “The only difference between ‘us’ and ‘them’ is that they were born there, and we were born here. I became a photojournalist so I could tell the stories of those with no voices and provide a mirror for society to examine itself. Everyone should know what is going on in his or her world, and it is my job to make them care.”

Menkes van den Briel uses his communication system, a walkie-talkie radio activated by a button on his helmet, to talk with Crew 46 Commander, Veronica Zabala-Aliberto, background, who is taking soil samples to measure pH, moisture and light transference. (J.M. Eddins Jr.)

SNAP

soon after, and were married in 2001. During their idyllic honeymoon in Kauai, they had so successfully unwired themselves that they did not hear about the events of September 11, until six hours after they occurred.

Calvert was assigned to cover the war when it shifted to Afghanistan. She was on a helicopter with a medevac team as it flew into live war zones to treat and evacuate wounded and dying troops. The conditions were so hazardous that the helicopter could only touch down on one wheel, hovering inches above the ground, for fear of setting off land mines. Her pictures clearly show that she never flinched in perilous situations. During our interview, when she excused herself for a few moments, Eddins leaned in towards me and said, “Now that she’s not here and can’t respond— she is an incredibly brave woman.”

While in college, Mary Calvert considered a number of careers.

She was a liberal arts major who studyied travel and tourism, mental health, fine art photography, and commercial photography before returning to fine art. One winter day in 1981, she went to a matinee with her mother, and as they left the theatre they learned that Ronald Reagan had been shot. She went home, grabbed her camera, and headed over to George Washington University Hospital in DC, where the president was being treated. She found herself outside of the emergency room, hanging out with A-list photojournalists, a group who by that time had finished taking their pictures and had taken up their second-favorite activity: swapping war stories that were of shaky provenance but had solid entertainment value. “I was hooked,” she says.

upstart-annapolis.com | 29

Women listen intently durning class at a reading center in Karachi, Pakistan. Many schools offer classes to illiterate woman so they bring their learning home. The National Commission for Human Development has started 108,000 adult literacy centers in Pakistan since 2002, and has taught 2.6 million women to read. Its yearly goal is to start 100,000 centers and teach 2.5 million women to read. (Mary Calvert)

COLLATERAL DAMAGE The Democratic Republic of Congo is one of the most harrowing countries in the world in which to be a child. Despite abundant natural beauty and fertility, armed conflict and related hunger and disease have killed an estimated 5 million people here since 1998; a veritable second Holocaust that the International Rescue Committee says claims 45,000 new lives every month. The smallest victims and survivors of this catastrophe are children. The ongoing fighting puts millions of them at risk of abuse, disease, grinding poverty and exploitation by soldiers on both sides of the conflict.

With few toys, children make their own out of old jerry cans. More than a thousand families now live in small thatch and tarp huts outside the United Nations peacekeeping base in Kiwanja. Without peace, the Congolese people are among the poorest on the planet. The scale of violence has grown so critical that Human Rights Watch estimated 90,000 people who live in the Kivus have been displaced by the fighting and the marauding militias. (Mary Calvert)

30 | Fall 2015

In 2007, Calvert was nominated as a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in feature photography for project, “Ethiopia’s Trail of Tears,” a work described as a haunting depiction of sub-Saharan African women afflicted with fistula after childbirth. She earned her second Pulitzer nomination in 2010, for “Congo’s War on Women” for her “courageous work published in the Washington Times that vividly documents how rapes, by the tens of thousands, have become a weapon of war in Congo.”

Shortly after, the Washington Times downsized and Calvert was laid off.

She spent a year redirecting her career, becoming an independent photographer.

Desiring to contribute to family finances, she began expanding her work assignments to include corporate shoots and second shooter gigs for wedding photographers. Her independent work kept her tied into Washington’s political spheres, getting her occasional bylines in publications such as the New York Times.

After Eddins was laid off from the Washington Times in 2013, he and Calvert began applying for and receiving grants that allowed them to conceive and produce their own works. They conceived of longer feature pieces that required research, commitment, and vision.

Work like Calvert’s series on sexual assault in the military.

Eddins had shocked Calvert with the statistic that 26,000 sexual assaults occurred in the military in one year alone. Calvert had spent years covering the military in Washington and in the battlefield, and had taught photography to military photographers for over a decade. It was a story that hit close to home. She created a

two-part piece. The first part presents photographs of sexual assault victims. The second part documents the government’s response—there is a long shot inside a congressional hearing room whose architecture reflects the classical ideals of democracy; a woman sits at a table, testifying, and across from her are rows of empty seats, presenting a strong image of institutional indifference.

Winding down from such intense work is not difficult for the couple. “When we are off work, we tend to be very laid back,” says Calvert. They hang out with family and friends, eat out, go for walks, and share one other passion: baseball. It provides the pure green field where everything is ordered and nothing happens that is worse than a stolen base (except for a loss by the Orioles or the San Francisco Giants; they are strictly an orangeand-black family). A trip to the ballpark is one of their great pleasures. But it also reminds them how hard they have had to work to do what they do.

Tenney Mason was the director of photography at Patuxent Publishing in Columbia, Maryland, when Eddins began his career there. Eddins considers Mason his mentor, and remembers advice given to him about dedication and patience. “[Mason] equated documentary photography to hitting in baseball. You have to train hard and make no money for a long time, invest a huge amount of time away from your family and friends, and accept the fact that you fail more often than not,” recalls Eddins. “But if you play long enough and only fail twothirds of the time, you have a shot at doing something special.”

As artists, Eddins and Calvert strive to make strong and vivid

They are called Guardian Angels and the mission of these US Air Force pararescuemen is not to drop bombs, but to save lives and bring home troops doing battle in Afghanistan. All are trained trauma medical technicians who can perform battlefield surgery under enemy fire.

"These aren't numbers, these are our family, our brothers, sisters, husbands, wives and children," says Pararescueman Vincent Eckert, from Tucson, AZ. "We've kind of become a jack of all trades. These are the things we do so that others may live."

Aboard an HH-60 G, "Pave Hawk" helicopter, Staff Sgt. Joshua Keyes, 30, Alturas, CA, a Pararescueman or "PJ" (Parajumper) of the 55th Expeditionary Rescue Squadron of the USAF, keeps watch over the terrain, in Kandahar Province in Afghanistan as he proceeds on a rescue mission to bring in a "code alpha" casualty from the battlefield. (Mary Calvert)

SNAP

images that show us something we’ve never seen before, take us somewhere we’ve never been, and speak to us on an emotional level.

They want to refocus our attitude about the world. Sometimes it’s staggeringly beautiful, like Eddins’ shot of the aurora borealis in the Norwegian sky, and other times it is austere, making us aware of the plight of others. They are each other’s most trusted, honest critics, providing ideas and inspiration.

Their courage, drive, and support are never more evident than when one is leaving for a hostile corner of the world, and the other smiles and says, “Be safe, honey.” █

Joshua, 10, holds a toy gun he bought in the market outside the barbed wire fence of the United Nations mobile operating base near the village of Nyabanira. The UN has 34 mobile operating bases in North Kivu, small military encampments planted in or near villages to provide security and communications in Congo. Living within this downward spiral of violence has severe consequences, not least the effects of living traumatized by war and in a culture that seems to have forgotten its children. (Mary Calvert)

upstart-annapolis.com | 31

CONCEPT

32 | Fall 2015

Speaks Easy

By Zoë Nardo

O

n Broadway, they are called triple threats: masterful actors who are also experts in singing and dancing. Artistic endeavor often begets artistic endeavor. In the past, one who followed such a multi-disciplinary path was called a Renaissance man. Annapolis is teeming with Renaissance men and women— accomplished artists who are also musicians, musicians who are also skillful writers—and Aaron Yealdhall is part of that team.

Yealdhall is the garage-folk soloist known as Skribe, an illustrator, and cofounder of Speakeasy Gear, a T-shirt design company. It’s no wonder that Yealdhall has creative proclivities; his father is Gary Yealdhall, a well-known graphic artist who has produced artwork for organizations such as the Baltimore Orioles and GamePro

magazine. His father immersed his son in an atmosphere awash in art, and Yealdhall absorbed it as “the closest thing to magic.” Yealdhall polished his sci-fi-psychedeliccartoon style of illustration when he learned how to screen print. He then began producing, out of his garage, T-shirts bearing his artwork.

With Rob O’Connor, his longtime friend and creative counterpart, he expanded operations into a small print shop. He was happy to take any job that allowed him to grow as an artist, and especially enjoyed being the house artist for The Whiskey (a former Annapolis music club on West Street).

Freelancing was forcing a more frugal lifestyle than intended, so Yealdhall began to ponder a musical path. He sang in bands during and after high school, but was in a constant state of discomfort because

upstart-annapolis.com | 33

he didn’t know what to do with his hands.

He had never wanted to learn what he calls the “grabbing a snowball out of the air” hand movements that Michael Jackson did when hitting high notes. Sparing awkwardness for everyone, he chose to put a guitar in his hands instead, and taught himself how to play by watching and pausing music videos and replicating hand placement. The Whiskey hosted open mic nights, and one Wednesday he showed up, guitar in hand, and signed up under the name Skribe.

Through garage practice and open mic nights, Yealdhall went from singing in the car with his family to opening, in 2008, for Jimmie’s Chicken Shack. He had always been an avid listener and remembered walking to Record & Tape Traders to pick up the band’s new albums, so the prospect of the gig brought feelings of excitement. Playing to a sold-out crowd was unknown territory, but Yealdhall recalls it going better than expected. It was the moment that Skribe broke into the Annapolis music scene.

During a late night at the print shop, Yealdhall was in the midst of completing his first album, and he played back one of the songs, “Farmer Brown’s Mutilated Cow.” It had a solo that he couldn’t play on the guitar and seemed different enough to be played on a non-traditional instrument. He pulled out an old metal kazoo—a relic from a past birthday—pursed his lips, and mimicked the desired solo. The kazoo is now a keystone feature of Skribe’s show, and the crowds often chant for more of it. He has even garnered an endorsement from Kazoos.com. Inquire about his teak Heartwood Hummer, and he will also explain the American-Chinese kazoo epidemic, facetiously stressing, “We need to keep the kazoo dollar in America. Friends do not let friends import their kazoos from China!”

In 2010, Speakeasy Gear became Yealdhall and O’Connor’s brand, with the slogan “Every shirt has a cause and always will.” Each project is paired with a service organization or nonprofit, which receives 15 percent of the profits. As Yealdhall rationalizes, “There are all of these problems going on in the world,

34 | Fall 2015

CONCEPT

and you want to do something, but what can you really do? Maybe something that we drew in our basement and popped on a T-shirt can make a little bit of a difference.”

While listening to smooth jazz in their basement—the preferred setting for their creative work—Yealdhall and O’Connor whip up designs for The Beer For Brains Foundation, Operation Ward 57, Pandas International, and other organizations.

Speakeasy Gear always finds a way to honor each without abandoning its own recognizable, easygoing yet rebellious personality. One of three Baltimore-themed projects for Towson-based WTMD radio is a menacing Rat-Fink-esque Oriole, which, Yealdhall confessed, was a tribute to the late illustrator Ed Roth’s anti-Mickey Mouse.

Local flair is what people want, and Yealdhall didn’t take long to figure that out. He put a twist on mascots and tastefully blended beer with literature to create Speakeasy Gear's Edgar Allan Boh character.

For Yealdhall, illustration and music mutually benefit each other. When MeriCAN Canjo, a West Virginia-based shop that makes canjos (instruments that have a can as a body), supported Skribe and gave him a one-of-a-kind canjo, Yealdhall in turn had Speakeasy Gear create a logo for the store; Speakeasy is now represented in another state.

Yealdhall continues to intertwine his two artistic passions by gigging and illustrating album covers, T-shirts, logos, and stickers for bands around the area. Speakeasy Gear and Skribe can usually be found at festivals such as SoWeBo in Baltimore and Eastport a Rockin’ in Annapolis. Transforming from high school vocalist with uncomfortable hands to a touring solo musician complete with acoustic guitar, canjo, kazoo, kick drum and hi-hat, is a testament to Yealdhall’s hard work and tenacity. Let’s see where his creative pursuits take him next. █

upstart-annapolis.com | 35

DRINKS. LOCAL EATS. ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT.

METROPOLITAN KITCHEN & LOUNGE

169 WEST ST, ANNAPOLIS, MD 21401 | 410-280-5160

METROPOLITANANNAPOLIS.COM

SUP

38 | Fall 2015

A

DRESSED

By Leigh Glenn

D

Photos by Allison Zaucha

on’t expect the food revolution to be additive-d and preservative-d.

If local salad dressing and condiment company Tessemae’s All Natural is a bellwether, then expect unhealthy oils, so-called natural flavorings, citric acid, and xanthan gum to be replaced with ingredients that separate and solidify—like olive oil— when combined with other condiments and refrigerated. Like Tessemae’s.

In just six years, the movement toward healthful, unprocessed foods has become the personal cause of the team behind Tessemae’s. It’s a family-owned operation, with oldest brother, Greg Vetter, serving as CEO, middle brother Brian as executive vice president, and youngest brother Matt working as executive vice president of operations.

The eponymous matriarch, Teresa (Tessemae) is taster-in-chief, and father Steve provides good karma.

Teresa’s mother instilled in her daughter the importance of exercise and healthful food, and Teresa taught Pilates before most people even knew

UP

what it was. But she was not a food purist. When her sons visited friends and had a purple drink, she didn’t pitch a fit. If they went to the beach and begged for neon-orange fake-cheese puffs, that was fine—they just didn’t need five hundred bags of them.

The seed for Tessemae’s was planted a quarter-century ago, when the young Vetter brothers were athletic and, like most boys, craved foods that were anything but green. Teresa, however, wanted them to eat more veggies. After one of her annual visits to the wellness spa Rancho La Puerta in Tecate, Mexico, Teresa brought back recipes—black beans and rice or gazpacho—to the family’s Epping Forest home. The dishes would elicit a week’s worth of deference from her sons.

But one concoction in particular, a lemon-garlic dressing poured over romaine, changed everything.

Greg Vetter was in fifth grade and clearly recalls that first encounter.

“Whoa, we ate all that lettuce,” he recalls, “Make us more!” Baguette in

upstart-annapolis.com | 39

hands, the family wiped the bowl clean.

The salad became a Vetter family staple, and over time requests started coming in for the dressing at lacrosse tailgate parties.

When Vetter was a college freshman, his lacrosse coach offered to start him if he gained twenty pounds. He did it, but primarily through a beer-and-pizza diet.

When he arrived home during school break, with long hair and the additional weight, his mother didn’t recognize him.

Vetter then began researching food and athletic performance. He traded powdered eggs for hardboiled ones, and ate oatmeal and fruit instead of the chipped beef over biscuits that many of his teammates favored. His relatively simple actions rippled through the team, and by the end of the year, many of the guys were eating like he was.

40 | Fall 2015

After college, Vetter found himself in a series of unfulfilling jobs. He did well at them, but knew that he could do better. Blame healthful food, maybe, with its sides of mental and emotional clarity for keeping him going, along with a desire for more meaningful work. He had always felt that he and his brothers would do something great, but didn’t know what it would be—just that it wouldn’t follow the usual 9-to-5 routine.

And then a friend lifted a liter bottle of the lemon-garlic dressing from Vetter’s refrigerator. He was more puzzled than upset; why the heck would a guy steal salad dressing? Was it just that good?

Vetter asked his mother if she would go into business with him if they could get the lemon-garlic dressing into Whole Foods Market. She agreed.

He passed himself off as a food manufacturer, and landed a taste trial with a buyer. The dressing was a hit, and the Vetters were allowed to demo at the 2009 Whole Foods Market grand opening in Annapolis.

In their first week of production, at Adam’s Ribs in Eastport, they made and sold 660 bottles of dressing, 10,000-fold increase in sales of bottled dressings and condiments compared with 2009. The Vetters shifted into high gear. Wanting to stay local, they found a 36,000 square foot workspace in Essex. The Vetters moved in in 2013, replacing the drab greys and browns with bright colors and inspiring quotations from people who made a difference: Gandhi, Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Edison, and Ray Lewis. It more than accommodates the 24/7 production operations for the present lineup of 13 dressings and 8 condiments and sauces.

Vetter attributes some of their success to growing up crabbing, fishing, and swimming in the nearby Severn River. He’s kept a quotation in

SUP

his wallet from John F. Kennedy: "The ancient Greek definition of happiness was the full use of your powers along the lines of excellence.” Says Vetter, “I just like to see what people can do and what I’m capable of doing, and that is how I approach every day.”

Working their business plan, the Vetters aim to create a buffer against the fickleness that characterizes the consumer packaged-goods industry. As long as they can continue scaling up Tessemae’s brand while maintaining high standards, Vetter expects the company will continue to grow.

As Vetter sips water from a glass bottle before heading to Washington, DC, for a meeting, one gets the sense of how grounded he is. He knows that the company’s success could go as quickly as it came. “Take it for what it is,” he says, “and enjoy the ride.” If all goes well, perhaps Tessamae’s will help turn this revolution into an evolution of how we think and feel about food. █

upstart-annapolis.com | 41

49

WEST COFFEEHOUSE

WINEBAR

•

GALLERY

FINE WINES • MARTINIS SOUPS • SALADS • DAILY SPECIALS LIVE MUSIC 7 NIGHTS A WEEK JAZZ - FOLK - CLASSICAL

49westcoffeehouse.com 49 West St. Annapolis, MD 21401

INK

44 | Fall 2015

By Andrea Stuart

Photos by Alison Harbaugh

The only real stumbling block is fear of failure.

In cooking, you’ve got to have a what-the-hell attitude. – Julia Child

L

iquid amber drips off the edge of a saucepan, forming a molten blanket over a peanutbuttery pretzel crust.

Chopped peanuts sink elegantly into the plush bedding created by a layer of homemade caramel before being adorned with chocolate chips that soften into a chocolatey cloak in the oven. Opulence, created simply—this is the spirit behind Seton Rossini’s new dessert cookbook, Sweet Envy.

When Rossini, an award-winning designer, was approached last year by W. W. Norton & Publishing to write a cookbook inspired by her blog, Pixel Whisk, she was overcome with anticipation. The Annapolis native, who had moved to New York 13 years earlier and served as associate design director at Food & Wine magazine, would have to leave the culinary Mecca to pursue the project. She and her family moved to Baltimore and then

upstart-annapolis.com | 45

I had this tongue-in-cheek idea to make a quirky cookbook of things that look impressive but are tangible...

46 | Fall 2015

more recently to Annapolis, where her son, Nolan, will attend the schools she attended as a child, she hopes.

One might say Rossini’s careers in baking and authorship began with an elusive childhood affair with cookie dough, that sweet, sticky, buttery rapture that wraps the tongue in sunshine. The idea of swiping her finger along the smooth edges of a dough-slathered bowl, repeatedly licking her fingers in between each pass until the bowl was spic-and-span, was all the motivation she needed.

While it’s easy to imagine Rossini growing up alongside her mother in the kitchen, face spotted with flour and apron speckled with sauce, her relationship with food, especially with sweets, is multidimensional: a product of an artistic mind, scientific curiosity, motherly love, and unadulterated passion.

During the holidays, she and the family would bake her grandmother’s cookies. When Rossini inherited her grandmother’s most prized possession—a Toll House® cookbook lined with her recipes—she was smitten. Her grandmother was a source of inspiration, alongside several of her

found her passion, she urges others to explore their own paths. And if her book helps someone do that, even if just by dispelling a few myths about baking, then she’s done her job.

Perhaps it’s time to pick up a copy of Sweet Envy and begin with a recipe from the “Sweet and Boozy” chapter. It could be that some bubbly Pop Rocks shots are all a person needs to take the first confident step back into the mixing bowl of life. █

INK

mother’s 15 siblings who also cook.

But Rossini is, perhaps, the apple that fell a few feet farther from the tree. “I’m one of five in a family of lawyers, not artists. But [my parents] love the fact I have always been artistic, and they always pushed me to do artistic things,” she says. “I enrolled in Maryland Hall [for the Creative Arts] when I was younger, and enjoyed theater, dance, and art—anything creative.” As a result, Rossini went straight from Southern High School in Harwood to Parsons School of Design in New York City.

Fast-forward to today: Rossini talks animatedly about the connection between baking and nature. “There are so many gorgeous things in nature that translate to baking,” she says, referencing a chapter in Sweet Envy titled “Natural Curiosities.” “Nature represents all beauty. You see it in herbs, trees, leaves, and patterns such as in snowflakes.” Her mint chocolate trifle is a perfect example of this inspiration, with its chocolate mint leaves poised atop mint whipped cream and cookie crumbles—also an example of how fancy doesn’t necessarily mean complicated.

Rossini’s creative nature moves beyond the recipes in Sweet Envy. Her design and writing aptitudes, paired with a fearless attitude, have enabled her to be the exclusive creator of her book, from conceptualization to the finishing artwork. Much of her success is attributed to her relationship with trial and error, often staying up until the wee hours of the morning, tweaking recipes that she’s already baked a dozen times in pursuit of perfection. As the first chapter in her books says, “Bake it ’til you make it!”

When Rossini began baking cakes and blogging about them on the side, it was no surprise that

her learn-from-your-mistakes philosophy landed her a book deal.

Okay, it was a little surprising, but it was earned nonetheless. When it came down to deciding what to write about, Rossini says, “I had this tongue-in-cheek idea to make a quirky cookbook of things that look impressive but are tangible—bragworthy desserts—without trying too hard. That’s where Sweet Envy came from.”

While the idea of creating every part of a book might sound romantic, Rossini admits that the process required a light-hearted attitude and an ability to go with the flow. While most cookbook authors create recipes then hire a photographer to photograph them in one session, Rossini baked one recipe at a time and then waited for the lighting to present itself, sometimes moving her baked goods outside to best capture the image.

The true challenge came with the reality that infants, pets, and book creators have differing perspectives as to what’s important. There’s nothing like baking a dish for the twelfth time and seeing that the light has finally created an opportunity for a crisp photo. The camera is poised, the finger is on the shutter release button, the eye is focused on the perfect balance of color. And then, in the background, the shrill of a hungry infant is heard.

While taking care of the baby, there is another sound. Back in the room, the camera lays in shatters on the floor, and a jubilant hundred-pound black lab is sitting by its remains.

“Take two!”

“I wrote that I didn’t go to culinary school, so why should you trust me? It’s about giving yourself permission to make mistakes and learning from them,” Rossini shares.

“You try things until you find your passion.” Now that Rossini has

upstart-annapolis.com | 47

IMAGINE. IMAGINE. LIBERTY STAR LIBERTY STAR LED Solar-Powered LIBERTY STAR LED ered Solar-Pow DOCK LIGHTING SYSTEM LED ered Solar-Pow DOCK LIGHTING SYSTEM DOCK LIGHTING SYSTEM A SOLAR-POWERED LED DOCK LIGHT A SOLAR-POWERED SODOCK ADVANCED LED LIGHT A SOLAR-POWERED THAT LED ITSO GENERATES ADVANCED DOCK LIGHT POWER & LIGHT, THAT ITSO GENERATES ADVANCED HELPS YOU NAVIGATE POWER & LIGHT, THAT IT GENERATES

HELPS POWER YOUWITH NAVIGATE & COMMUNICATES & YOU LIGHT, & COMMUNICATES WITH YOU YOU NAVIGATE YOUR SOON, IT HELPS WILL ALSO PLAY FAVORITEWITH SONGS. YOUR & COMMUNICATES YOU SOON, IT WILL ALSO PLAY FAVORITE SONGS. SOON, IT WILL ALSO PLAY YOUR FAVORITE SONGS.

YOU CAN YOU CAN TAKE IT YOU CAN

TAKE IT ANYWHERE TAKE IT ANYWHERE UNTETHERED & UNTOUCHED ANYWHERE UNTETHERED & UNTOUCHED UNTETHEREDOGM & UNTOUCHED OGM (443) 699-6348 PH * (410) 268-7410 FAX OGM (443) 699-6348 PH

*

(410) 268-7410 FAX

LED LIGHTING & SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTS (443) 699-6348 PH * (410) 268-7410 FAX 7040 Bembe Beach Road, Annapolis,PRODUCTS MD 21403 LED LIGHTING & SUSTAINABLE 7040 Bembe Beach Road, Annapolis,PRODUCTS MD 21403 LED LIGHTING & SUSTAINABLE www.OrcaGreenMarine.com 7040 Bembe Beach Road, Annapolis, MD 21403 www.OrcaGreenMarine.com www.OrcaGreenMarine.com

TM TM TM

“Elevate Your Craft”

410-798-1011

Hi-Tide.com

Central Marine Construction | 410-798-1693 | Charlie@centralmc.com

THREADS

VAGA

BONDS

of Style & Function

By Zoë Nardo

50 | Fall 2015

Photos by David Burroughs

F

or years, the Lauren has been a trusty sidekick for women in Annapolis, the city where she was born, but now she is known all over this country and is rapidly infiltrating others. Over the past 24 years, this quirky world traveler has bounced around, but in 2012, she moved into a permanent home base on Green Street. It’s a three-story white row home with ruby-red trim. Matching flower boxes with overflowing purple pansies frame the brick steps that protrude onto the sidewalk.

Koren Ray opens the windowed front door, letting out a waft of leather that spews onto the street. Ray appears tiny in the doorway, especially when carrying a tote bag that’s oversized, compared to her torso. Over the front door is a light turquoise sign that reads “Hobo The Original,” with a red logo of a man carrying a stick and bindle—the original fashion accessory for the traveling soul.

Ray owns Hobo the Original, and Lauren is the company’s best-known accessory. Ray named her—and all the other lines of Hobo bags—and speaks about them as if they are her children. Lauren is a wallet that also functions as a clutch, or a clutch that serves as a wallet; either way, her double-kiss lock closure and eclectic color palate embody the brand’s fundamental design philosophy: “Cool is when vintage meets modern.” Ray describes the iconic Lauren wallet as “a stylish workhorse who is always there for you.”

In 1991, Ray's mother, Toni, started Hobo after losing her job at Georgetown Leather Design. Ray, who was essentially raised under a leather craft bench, was not surprised to be asked to assist in the endeavor. At the time, she was a 23-yearold Northwestern graduate with dreams of directing movies in California, but her mother’s go-big-or-stay-home attitude was infectious, and Ray agreed to help get Hobo on its feet. She worked for the company without pay while waiting tables at Waiting to dance. Photo by Web Wright

upstart-annapolis.com | 51

THE "LAUREN" 52 | Fall 2015

and knew that trade shows were a means for getting the word out on the brand.

Brewer towed the vehicle, they replaced the tires, and Hobo was mobile. The van was named “The Heater,” as it had a hole in the floor and the cabin was always hot. But it served its purpose; over fifty times a year, The Heater would carry Hobo’s handmade turquoise booth, along with the inventory of bags, to trade shows up and down the East Coast. They periodically ventured west as well. “It seemed very much like our heritage, to

be on the road. And being in a truck is part gypsy, part rock and roll,” says Ray. “It’s very hobo, taking our story on the road.” When Ray and Brewer, who are now married with four children, bought the business from Toni in 2004, they continued on as a humble company. And the excitement hasn’t faded, especially when Ray sights a Hobo bag perched on someone’s shoulder far from Annapolis.

Hobo has become an anomaly in the handbag business. Its products are carried in over three thousand momand-pop specialty stores all over the country, in huge department stores such as Nordstrom, Dillard’s, and Lord & Taylor, and across the world, scattered throughout Canada, Europe, Japan, and China. It’s a unique scenario for a business. In 2013, Hobo went back to its roots, re-embracing the mobile lifestyle with a refurbished turquoise-painted FedEx truck. Without a hole in the floor, Ray and Brewer travel up and down the East Coast, just as The Heater did 24 years prior. They also frequent local music festivals and charity events, and have plans to drive Hobo to Los Angeles.

New ideas are always coming out of Hobo. When the fall 2015 line, laden with jewel tones and enchanted forest vibes, hit the hooks, Ray and her team of designers had already submitted in the summer 2016 designs to be manufactured. Hobo doesn’t concern itself with fashion trends, but rather, keeps its colors vibrant, pockets and details plentiful, and women’s needs in mind.

Lauren is a perfect example of this.

And the approach has worked, thus far, “I’m inspired every day by women that I meet,” says Ray. “Hobo is about creating designs for those women who are making their own choices, not being dictated by fashion rules. They’re making their own rules and creating their own styles and looks. To me, that’s what defines a real woman.” █

THREADS

Middleton Tavern. One of her coworkers at Middleton was David Brewer, who had just received a business degree from the American University of Athens, in Greece.

Ray began confiding in him about Hobo, and Brewer quickly joined the mother-daughter team, creating their first computerized invoice system and towing their first large investment out of an overgrown field.

The investment was a maroon 1970s Chevrolet van. It came to them through a trade, made sight unseen, with one of Toni’s tenants who was having trouble making rent payments. She didn’t want to employ traditional advertising,

upstart-annapolis.com | 53

Richard Niewerth, Utah Expressway #1, oil on canvas board.

COLLECTOR’S CHOICE 2015

COME TO A PARTY...

LEAVE WITH ART.

SPONSORED BY ANNAPOLIS VOLVO

Sponsor Reception 5 - 6 pm

ART LOTTERY PRESENTED BY MFA

Event 6 - 9 pm Drawing Begins at 6:30 pm

OCTOBER 25 | 333 Buschs Frontage Rd, Annapolis, MD 21409

Visit www.mdfedart.org for details

OTHER UPCOMING MFA EVENTS

AMERICAN LANDSCAPES August 15 - September 13

STROKES OF GENIUS October 30 - November 21

SMALL WONDERS November 27 - December 24

WATER WORKS September 16 - November 1

MFA @ GALLERY B November 6 - November 29

Winter Member Show January 7 - 24, 2016

Maryland Federation of Art | 18 State Circle, Annapolis MD 21401 | 410.268.4566 | info@mdfedart.org

CINE

Some Men Were Born Heroes...

56 | Fall 2015

A Mitchell Altieri Picture

By Andrea Stuart

I

Photos by Herb Mann

t’s late, maybe midnight. The air extorts discomfort with a chill that shoots straight to the bones and catches on the breath. Blood drips, and dirt clings to at least a halfdozen tired faces. Body fragments form a crust on the floor. Furniture in disarray, casualties of a struggle. But no one in the area seems concerned; they seem downright cavalier. Some are grabbing slices of pizza from a nearby table. Despite having put in 12 hours of work on the set, the cast and crew of the 2016 film The Night Watchmen are decidedly content.

Filming a comedy/horror movie at the former The Capital newspaper headquarters in Annapolis provided a unique experience for the creative minds behind the movie. Director Mitchell Altieri (The Hamiltons, 2006), story creators Ken Arnold (Men in Black III, 2012, and House of Cards, 2014) and Dan DeLuca (The Wire), and co-writer Jamie Nash (Lovely Molly, 2011) brought to life the screenplay that was intentionally written for such an environment. As the tagline suggests, “Some men were born heroes... it wasn’t these guys.”

Unless of course, you redefine a hero

IT Wasn't These Guys upstart-annapolis.com | 57

as someone who makes you laugh until tears roll down your face (which is exactly what this movie does). With support from producers Jeffery Allard (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, 2003, and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning, 2006), three-time Emmy award winner Demetrea Triantafillides, and executive producers Cheryl Staurulakis (Power of Film award recipient), Leo Staurulakis, and Eduardo Sanchez (The Blair Witch Project, 1999), The Night Watchmen was built on a sturdy foundation.

Despite a few challenges, the one hundred-thousand-squarefoot warehouse-turned-filmstudio offered the ideal backdrop for the movie. Massive open space and minimal insulation necessitated the use of industrial heaters. Years of vacancy allowed dust to form a thick veil over every surface, and converting the space into a movie set required considerable elbow grease.

“Filming a comedy was a lot of work, but it was also a lot of fun. You work out of order due to lighting, schedules, camera equipment needs, and so on,” says Cheryl Staurulakis. “For instance, the first scene we shot, everyone was clean. Then we skipped to levels of blood applications on the characters. We had days where they would start out dirty, covered in blood, then they would all have to run and change, shower to be clean for a new scene. It’s tough on the actors, but they were true professionals and had smiles on their faces.”

Support from local businesses and individuals was instrumental in completing the filming. When several of the cast and crew 58 | Fall 2015

Hundreds of local actors were used in scenes like this battle sequence.

Producers Cheryl Staurulakis and Demitria Triantafillides Actors Dan Deluca and Max Grey Wilbur mid-scene

developed respiratory infections (Altieri took rests in the dressing room during scene changes to avoid passing out) and an actress sustained a moderate cut on her hand, Staurulakis sent an email to Dr. Mike Freedman of Evolve Medical Clinics, whom she knew as a supporter of the Annapolis screening of her film about the human papilloma virus (HPV ), Someone You Love, The HPV Epidemic. “I told him the director wouldn’t leave the set and the actress, still in makeup, looked like she’d been in an accident. He said, ‘no problem,’ and came at 6 p.m., patched her up, and wrote

our director a prescription, all as a courtesy,” she says.

Arnold and DeLuca, Maryland locals, were pleased to hire production assistants, interns, and staff from Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, DC. By doing so, they have inspired young minds to explore the arts as possible career paths. “My nephew Ryan Resnick was one of the interns, and he was promoted to production assistant,” adds Staurulakis. “Now, he’s in college, studying film because of The Night Watchmen. We had several college students and local kids

who had just graduated from college as well.”

That’s not to say that their California brethren were any less appreciated. James Remar, of the famed Showtime series Dexter, plays a vampire named Randall and had only five days to film his scenes before jetting off to New Zealand for another production. His contribution provided a prime example of professionalism to the younger actors and staff.

In the Los Angeles airport, Remar dropped his laptop

“Despite a few challenges, the one hundred-thousand-square-foot warehouse-turned-f ilm-studio offered the ideal backdrop for the movie. ” patiently waiting for a free moment to see the doctor.

Still in makeup, Remar was understandably concerned about his appearance when he hobbled into the waiting room, discreetly keeping his head bowed and sheathed by a hoodie so as not to alarm anyone with his vampire maquillage. Once Dr. Hoffman patched him up, Remar posed with the staff for a photo op.

“Our special effects and make-up artist, RJ Haddy, is an accomplished artist. His work is very convincing,” says Staurulakis. “This was a oncein-a-lifetime opportunity for most

Actor Ken Arnold discusses a stunt with director Mitch Altieri.

of the people in the doctor’s office. James was so sweet.”

When this article was written, the movie was in post-production, and Staurulakis had just seen a rough cut of the film. Overjoyed by how funny the movie had already seemed, she broke into giggles, thinking about the finished product, which she hopes will premier at Sundance Film Festival in January 2016.

If all goes well, they plan to present at South by Southwest and may come to Annapolis in the coming year. █

CINE

before embarking on his trip to Annapolis. The next day, his toe was swollen and blackand-blue. Staurulakis called in another favor, this time to Dr. Denise Varquez-Hoffman. The orthopedic podiatrist worked her schedule so that she could see Remar on a moment’s notice, but the production schedule precluded a same-day appointment. Remar continued working, squeezing his tumescent foot into unforgiving cowboy boots, running around the set, never complaining, and

upstart-annapolis.com | 59

Annapolis Velo Best Technology Best Value Reliable and Friendly service

GET ACTIVE!

436 Chinquapin Rnd Annapolis, MD 21401 667.225.4482 www.annapolisvelo.com

MORE THAN JUST A T-SHIRT. ANNAPOLIS, MD

|

MYTSHIRTGUY@BLKANKR.COM |

BLKANKR.COM

WUNDERKIND

62 | Fall 2015

from

Cart n Eyes to Portraiture

By Desiree Smith-Daughety

Photos by David Burroughs

Do you recall your earliest sketching attempts?

Ella Burroughs, a high school junior, recognizes the evolution of her own artistry from when she was just a moppet, drawing cartoon eyes and adding faces to sketches of the sun. “My parents wanted me to try new things and my dad is super into art,” she says. Burroughs’ father, photographer David Burroughs, offered parental nudges. “He let me sit in on his photo shoots and see his sketchbooks.”

Despite her initial objections, Ella was guided over to Bates Middle School’s Performing and Visual Arts (PVA) program by her parents. There, she entwined her nascent artistic talents with the program’s curriculum, developing an enthusiastic interest in portraiture.

Burroughs now attends St. Mary’s High School, which, in contrast to Bates, is more sports-oriented. Not being able to take art in her freshman year, she took a painting class at Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts and learned color theory. As a sophomore, she completed the requisite Art 1 class. While many students just worked to fulfill the credit requirement, Burroughs—ahead of many others with her PVA background—didn’t skim through. “Art 1 is the foundation and principles, but it was easy to build on that in the class because it’s what I like to do,” she says. “I could put more into what I did. Basic principles of design,

upstart-annapolis.com | 63

such as putting emphasis on balance, unity, or rhythm—I didn’t know how to put that in artwork until this year.”

While she likes going off on her own and doing what she wants artistically, Burroughs also sees great benefit in the focused projects intrinsic to any course. A unit with emphasis on balance, for example, helped her deepen her knowledge.

“It’s easier to grasp the concept when you have a direct goal,” she says.

While you may expect a teen to text and watch television for much of the day, Burroughs fills her hours drawing and playing guitar.

She also plays bass in her uncle’s band.

Burroughs finds that art tends to tell her how she’s feeling; when she is sad or angry, she will sit down with her sketchbook and work, as an outlet.

Burroughs has had life influences that differ from many of her friends. Her father worked in the film business, and she has met his film associates. Her worst fear is having a 9-to-5 job.

“Seeing my parents and their friends doing what they love, it’s a whole different outlook,” she says.

Much like any high school student, 64 | Fall 2015

Burroughs feels pressure to decide her future while she is only now unfolding her wings. She is preparing for the SAT exam, meeting with the school counselor, and considering colleges such as UCLA and New York University. With thoughts of her academic future roiling in her head, she has nonetheless set artistic goals, such as improving her skills with charcoal—up to now, pencil has been her principal medium. “I’m trying to get out of my comfort zone,” she says, “and also try watercolors, maybe take a painting class in the fall.”

Burroughs is familiar with the local artist hotspots in Annapolis, and frequently shops at local art supplier Art Things in West Annapolis. Like any hobbyist, she always leaves with more than she planned to buy. “I’ll be walking out and see an eraser and think, ‘Oh, I should probably get that’,” she says. She gushes over a recent find off of a social media site: “I got a new gel pen I’m excited to use to highlight over the pencil. It’s white. You put it over cheekbones and stuff.”

While Burroughs considers Georgia O’Keefe and her iconic flower paintings an early inspiration, her virtual peers, who post online examples of their work, are her current favorites.

“There are all these portrait artists who do side-byside portraits, explaining their techniques for how they did it; it’s kind of unconventional as a way

WKIND

to get inspiration,” she says. “I see a lot of high schoolers—it’s interesting to see others who are at the same level doing stuff, and for me [it’s] a good way to find inspiration.”

She has found YouTube to be a great resource for tutorials when she is feeling stuck and needs to hone a skill. She recently went to the site while struggling with highlighting and contouring, and found what she needed.

Notwithstanding her online inspirations, Burroughs places her artistic foundation squarely at her parents’ feet. “Art is definitely a skill you can learn,” she says, “I’d still be drawing bubble eyes if they hadn’t pushed for the PVA program. It’s how you’re raised.” █

upstart-annapolis.com | 65

Smoke less. Vape more.

vape180. com

903 Bay Ridge Rd Annapolis, MD 21403 | 410-263-3767

G

arrett Park Guitars might be described as having a dual personality.

On the one hand, it’s a local shop that you might drop by to purchase strings, get your instrument repaired, or bring your son or daughter in for lessons. It also rents orchestra and band instruments to students.

On the other hand, Garrett Park Guitars is also known, nationally and internationally, for specializing in vintage guitars and other collectible instruments that range from the affordable to the extravagant.

The shop’s inviting atmosphere draws in many curious locals, and there is plenty to keep them occupied. Artwork—including some pieces you can play—lines the walls, and inquisitive visitors may enjoy the broad range of Americana items.

Garrett Park Guitars exudes a vibe as cool as the guitars on display, and dogs Charlotte and Tally are happy to greet you with wagging tails as you enter.

There is a high demand for American guitars (they’re what blues and rock and roll were first played on), and Garrett Park Guitars ships them all over the world. But the shop is also known around Annapolis for excellent customer service and knowledgeable staff,. Don’t know exactly what you’re looking for? With over thirty years of professional experience buying and selling guitars, the owner and sales staff will be able to help.

If you’re looking for a shop with know-how, or a music store just to browse in, check out this hidden gem on Old Solomon’s Island Road.

Garrett Park Guitars has an impressive client list, selling instruments to artists such as Stevie Ray Vaughan, Al Di Meola, and Los Lobos.

You never know what you’ll find or whom you’ll bump into on your next visit.

upstart-annapolis.com | 67

n fi f i r G y r r a L

CARES

By Patty Speakman Hamsher

68 | Fall 2015

Photo by Joe Karr

HOOD

T

his summer, dozens of children from disadvantaged areas in Annapolis will smell the salt air on Coney Island in Brooklyn, New York, and dip their fingers in the Chesapeake Bay on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. They will giggle at movies in a theater and dance at Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts. But if one man had not changed the course of his own life, none of these children would be doing such things.

Larry Griffin is the man behind We Care and Friends, a nonprofit

outreach organization based in Annapolis. The organization is, in its own words, “dedicated to supporting the building blocks to create strong families and communities in areas affected by drugs, poverty, and crime in Annapolis and Anne Arundel County.” School on Water, one of the organization’s summer projects, is a camp for children between the ages of 7 and 15 who are at risk of academic or social failure.

Through engaging experiences with instructors and field trips to places beyond their neighborhoods, the

children are encouraged to think more broadly about life.

We Care and Friends began as a food and clothing drive that was held at Middleton Tavern in 1990. Over the next several years, it operated primarily out of Griffin’s house. There was overwhelming support from the community for what Griffin was doing, and there were plenty of people in need of what he and his volunteers were offering—food, clothing, and help in finding affordable or no-cost rehabilitation programs.

upstart-annapolis.com | 69

By 2000, We Care and Friends was relocated to the Stanton Community Center on West Washington Street, in the Clay Street neighborhood, where it operates today. Former Annapolis mayor Dean Johnson was a huge advocate of the organization, and provided critical assistance to ensure that it was located where it would be most accessible to those needing its services.

Griffin brings a deeply rooted empathy to the organization through his own life experiences.

A regular in the Annapolis music scene, he has been a percussionist since the early 1970s, when he saw and then sat in with a street performer in New York City’s Washington Square. He then

70 | Fall 2015

left New York with the goal of learning how to play drums, and planned to get a kit and listen to tapes.

It would, however, take Griffin more than twenty years to come back to such motivation, as he had become a victim of drug addiction and homelessness. When he overcame his addiction and left treatment in 1987, Griffin had a new focus that served as a tonic to keep himself clean: making music and helping people.

As a percussionist, Griffin has performed with the likes of Tina Turner and Carlos Santana. He continues to be an integral part of local Annapolis bands such as XPDs Band and Show, Michael McHenry Tribe, and Mama Jama.

But above all, Griffin dedicates

Through city and county grants, donations from the general public, and partnerships with local businesses and organizations, We Care and Friends has enough money to run its programs and keep a small emergency fund to assist people in dire need of shelter, medication, or help with overdue utility bills.

Musicians and artists around town often hold benefits for the organization. Don Hooker, who puts together the annual Chesapeake Bay Blues Festival at Sandy Point State Park, gives proceeds to We Care and Friends in exchange for security services provided by Griffin and others during the festival.

In many ways, Griffin has stepped out of his own cycle of poverty and into the cycle of inspiration. He was inspired not

only by musicians he encountered in his youth to pursue music, but also by overcoming the low points in his life so that he can help others.

Now he is inspiring people to walk the high road and help themselves out of poverty and destructive behaviors. He steadies his life through his music and a promise: “I’m going to be doing this until the day I die.” █

HOOD

his life to listening to people who are looking for a receptive ear and helping them get what they need, whether it is short- or long-term counseling, access to addiction programs, summer camps for their children, or food. His tireless work is pro bono, as he makes his living by catering, working security, and playing music gigs.

Last year, about one thousand people enjoyed a Thanksgiving meal—with turkeys and food provided by area restaurants— served by dozens of We Care and Friends volunteers. Nearly six hundred children received Christmas presents through its toy drive. During the cold winter weather, many homeless people found a bed at the Stanton Community Center, and Griffin was often up all night, helping people to feel safe and offering counsel.

In partnership with Bay Area Community Church, We Care and Friends administers a lunch program, providing free sandwiches and water to children and others who drop in. When people sign in to receive food, Griffin is there to talk to them about how We Care and Friends can help them improve their lives.

“It’s a hard business, because you just see so many people out here that are having a hard time living,” says Griffin.

Luanne Phillips, a We Care and Friends board member and licensed clinical professional counselor, has been offering free counseling at We Care and Friends for nearly five years. “I often describe Larry as a cross between Superman, Mother Theresa, and Santa Claus,” she says. “It’s hard not to support someone like that.”

upstart-annapolis.com | 71

UPSKILL

74 | Fall 2015

I

Brick &Clay

By Patty Speakman Hamsher Photos by Alison Harbough

f buildings had faces, one could describe the brick façade of the carefully tucked-away Stanton Community Center (SCC) as strong and stoic; it doesn’t comment on its past or on what takes place on the outside, nor does it reveal the magnitude of positive energy that is generated daily within.

The SCC has been standing tall on West Washington Street in Annapolis’ Clay Street neighborhood for more than one hundred years. In the 1800s, it was the only school in Anne Arundel County for African American children. For decades, its doors were opened by children seeking education. Today it is a thriving community center. Families come to the SCC for everything from team sports, GED, and adult basic skills classes to free dental care and clothing.

Most notable among SCC’s offerings is the Get Smart Club, an after-school program sponsored by the Annapolis Recreation and Parks Department and supported by community volunteers. Its goal is to ensure that disadvantaged and other students can find computers, supplies, tutors, and an after-school meal.

Younger children may participate in reading enrichment programs while older children may join sports teams or play golf through the Hook a Kid on Golf program. Three days a week, Sharon Disher, a 1980 US Naval Academy engineering graduate, brings STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) Academy to SCC. She and midshipmen volunteers from the Naval Academy run the Girls are Great at Science, Math Games, and

upstart-annapolis.com | 75

Classroom as it was circa 1950s

Archie Trader

76 | Fall 2015

traveled far beyond their neighborhoods, a day beside the Atlantic Ocean or a chance to take a gander at artifacts at the Museum of Natural History can be life changing.

“It’s the intangibles that we accomplish here,” explains Trader.

“It’s not just about what you can put into data and statistics. You know it’s happening and you know it’s being done, and that’s the joy of it.” Trader has come full circle since working for the Annapolis Recreation and Parks playgrounds at the age of 16. He benefited from recreational sports programs as a child growing up in Eastport in the 1960s and 1970s, and later was graduated from Morgan State University.

Trader’s desire to follow in the footsteps of his mentors, and combined with his background as a corrections officer, motivate him to continue working with disadvantaged children. He wants to show them a wider view of

the world in hopes that they will become more aware of, and seize, new opportunities.

Trader is not the only one invested in this effort. George Lassie Belt, whom Trader met while at Morgan State, has been working at SCC for nearly 25 years. Volunteer Deedee Rivers has been tutoring, running teen camps, and working on program funding for more than 20 years.

When children work with and are mentored by adults with whom they may not otherwise interact, important cultural, social, and interpersonal exchanges occur. The SCC’s programs not only enhance learning and achievement, but also help create a loving, supportive place where children can feel safe and acknowledged. The effort functions much like scaffolding, where adults support the children and the building supports them all. █

UPSKILL

Young Engineers and Scientists programs, which engage elementary-aged students in fun, hands-on projects, encourage critical thinking, and help develop problem-solving skills.

“What we do here is try to change the lives of children who might otherwise not experience certain things,” says Archie Trader, SCC’s Recreation Program Manager.

During the summer months, Trader supervises a daily camp that offers sports, games, swimming, sailing, and field trips to places such as Assateague Island and the Smithsonian museums.

Educational presentations on topics such as nutrition, dental hygiene, and drug prevention are provided, and specialized art classes are led by the Maryland Federation of Art. The camp provides opportunities that help broaden the children’s horizons. For those who may not have

upstart-annapolis.com | 77

78 | Fall 2015

upstart-annapolis.com | 79

80 | Fall 2015

Visual storytelling that gets to the heart of your work www.sugarfarmproductions.com

upstart-annapolis.com | 81

More murals: Public art in Annapolis. photos by John Bildahl

To grow grow your your business business today, today,you youmust mustbe be found online aa customer searches for found online when customer searches for To grow yourwhen business today, you must be what you do and where you do it. what do and where you dosearches it. foundyou online when a customer for what you do and where you do it.

Dig yourself yourself out out of of the the Google Googlegrave graveyard. yard.

Dig yourself out of the Google grave yard.

RNRDIGITAL RNRDIGITAL SOLUTIONS: SOLUTIONS: YOUR 1 STOP DIGITAL MARKETING YOUR 1 STOP DIGITAL MARKETINGPARTNER PARTNER RNRDIGITAL SOLUTIONS:

Custom ••Responsive Sites Engine • Digital YOUR 1 STOP DIGITALMobile MARKETING PARTNER Custom Website Website Responsive Mobile Sites••Search Search EngineOptimization Optimization(SEO) (SEO) • Digital Pre-targeting • Custom Videos • Social Media Management • Search Engine Marketing Pre-targeting • Custom VideosMobile • SocialSites Media Management Search Engine Marketing Custom Website • Responsive • Search Engine •Optimization (SEO) • Digital Pre-targeting • Custom Videos • Social Media Management • Search Engine Marketing

Let Let us us be be your your business’ business’one onestop stopmarketing marketingsolutions solutionspartner partner Let us be your business’rnrdigital@wrnr.com one stop marketing solutions partner rnrdigtalsolutions.com [443] 994-2511 rnrdigtalsolutions.com

rnrdigital@wrnr.com

[443] 994-2511

rnrdigtalsolutions.com

rnrdigital@wrnr.com

[443] 994-2511

Dream Dare Discover Agony and Ecstasy Live Together in Perfect Harmony 2015. By Jeff Huntington Latex and spray paint on concrete. Approx. 25 x 50 ft. Photo by John Bildahl