WALTER Magazine - April 2021

The The Art Art & & Soul Soul of of Raleigh Raleigh

APRIL APRIL APRIL2021 2021 2021

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Hayes Hayes Barton Barton Turns Turns 100 100 CELEBRATE CELEBRATE CELEBRATESPRING! SPRING! SPRING! PATRICK PATRICK PATRICKDOUGHERTY DOUGHERTY DOUGHERTY WILDFLOWER WILDFLOWER WILDFLOWERWALKS WALKS WALKS AN AN ANODE ODE ODETO TO TOTHE THE THEEGG EGG EGG

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DEPARTMENTS

Volume IX, Issue 7

47 OUR TOWN

8 | WALTER

DRINK: The Bee’s Knees Mead enters the craft game

25

EXPLORE: Wildflower Walks Five hikes for spring blooms

50

SIMPLE LIFE: My Wife’s Secret Life In the dark — and happier for it

29

MUSIC: Talent, Taste, & Joy Television performer Uncle Paul

52

31

BOOKS: Spirit Lifters 10 reads for a new perspective

NOTED: The Art of Renewal An appreciation for innovation, dedication, and change

32

FOOD: Ode to the Egg ...and why it’s better, deviled

IN EVERY ISSUE 12

Editor’s Letter

LOCALS: Project Zero Two folks working to curb waste

16

Contributors

17

Your Feedback

38

VAULT: Rx for History An immersive exhibit offers a lens

21

Datebook

87

The Whirl

43

CREATORS: Every Moment is a View Painter Richard Wilson

96

End Note: Window on the World

35

29

47

On the cover: Spud the dog in Hayes Barton, photography by Joshua Steadman

Taylor McDonald (MEAD); Getty Images (FILM REEL); Ben Runkle (TIME FOR UNCLE PAUL)

APRIL 2021

78 55

Beige Wall Telephone, 1960s

by Michael McFee illustration by Lidia Churakova

56

Hope Springs Capturing flora and fauna as the earth reawakens Words & photography by S.P. Murray

64

56 10 | WALTER

Dream Weaver Patrick Dougherty creates overscale sculptures using sticks

by J. Michael Welton photography by Greg Campbell

72

Making Hayes The origin of one of Raleigh’s premier neighborhoods

by Terry Henderson photography by Joshua Steadman

78

Bloom Forth A gardener and an engineer are inspired by the English country

by Carolyn Booth photography by Jaclyn Morgan

Jaclyn Morgan (PORTRAIT); S.P. Murray (FLOWERS)

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EDITOR’S LETTER

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Beauty, Artistry & Tradition FOR OVER 40 YEARS

www.persiancarpet.com

n February 5, I saw my first daffodil of 2021. The reason I know this is because on December 31, I made it a personal challenge (let’s not call it a ‘resolution’) to jog every day in January. I snapped photos for accountability.

When February hit, I kept on going.

I had momentum! I thought I could do another full month, or even 100 days.

But, as writer CC Parker noted in an email the other day: “We plan and God laughs.” Mid-February, I rolled my ankle playing tennis. The doctor declared it a bad sprain; no jogging for six weeks.

But I decided to stick with it, sort of, and aim for daily walks instead. Because the root of the challenge was less about fitness and more about getting the heck out of the house. Working remotely from home, it really is so easy to never leave my living room/office — particularly if it’s raining, cloudy, or the temperature dips below 50 degrees. I needed the motivation in those late-winter months.

And if I hadn’t gone out, I might not have seen those daffodils. Or the Lenten roses that came before them, or the redbuds and azaleas that came afterwards.

Taking photos offered a separate, but complementary challenge: to always look for something of beauty, or at least something of note. So I snapped the way the sun lights up my neighbor’s house in the evenings, a blanket of mist over

Oakwood Cemetery, and houses that left their Christmas lights on way past the holiday season. I spent one morning jogging due east to get a decent photo of a particularly spectacular sunrise.

When the jogs turned to walks, my daughters joined me, the distance more manageable for their short legs. I named the flowers as we passed — hyacinth, iris, tulips — and they suggested new routes.

(One led straight to Krispy Kreme.)

As I scroll back through the photos, I see the emergence of spring, which happens so incrementally you can only appreciate it in hindsight. So it goes with any slow process: I don’t see my daughters growing, but suddenly their clothes stop fitting; we don’t see the pandemic easing, but as my loved ones get vaccinated, that veil of anxiety is easing.

As we send this issue to the printer, I’m 75 days into my challenge. My photos aren’t as beautiful as the ones S.P. Murray captured around her home (see page 56).

But this morning, when I stopped — actually stopped — to admire the sunrise, I felt grateful to witness another ordinary, extraordinary moment.

Ayn-Monique Klahre Editor

EDITORIAL Editor

PUBLISHING Publisher

AYN-MONIQUE KLAHRE

DAVID WORONOFF

Creative Director

Advertising Sales Manager

Associate Editor

Senior Account Executive & Operations

LAURA PETRIDES WALL ADDIE LADNER

Contributing Writers

CAROLYN BOOTH, WILEY CASH, CATHERINE CURRIN, JIM DODSON, SARAH GODDIN, TERRY HENDERSON, HAMPTON WILLIAMS HOFER, MICHAEL MCFEE, DAVID MENCONI, JOE MILLER, DEBBIE MOOSE, MAMIE POTTER, ABBE TOWNSEND, LARRY WHEELER, J. MICHAEL WELTON

JULIE NICKENS

CRISTINA HURLEY

WALTER Events

KAIT GORMAN

Volume IX, Issue 7 APRIL 2021

WALTER is available by paid subscriptions for $25 a year in the United States, as well as select rack and advertiser locations throughout the Triangle. Subscribe online at waltermagazine.com/subscribe For customer service inquiries, please email us at customerservice@waltermagazine.com or call 910-693-2506.

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WALTER does not accept unsolicited manuscripts.

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Contributing Copy Editor

Please contact Ayn-Monique Klahre at ayn-monique@waltermagazine.com for freelance guidelines.

FINN COHEN

RILEY BENSEN KAYLA GUILLIAMS MORGAN GUSTAFSON BRIAN ROSENZWEIG

Contributing Photographers

Circulation

JACK ANDREWS, FRANK DANIELS JR., FRANK DANIELS III, LEE DIRKS, DAVID WORONOFF

MALLORY CASH, JUSTIN KASE CONDER, TAYLOR MCDONALD, JACLYN MORGAN, S.P. MURRAY, MICK SCHULTE, JOSHUA STEADMAN

Contributing Illustrator LIDIA CHURAKOVA

DARLENE STARK 910-693-2488

Finance

STEVE ANDERSON 910-693-2497

Owners

© WALTER magazine. All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without the express written consent of the copyright owner. Published 11 times a year by The Pilot LLC.

CONTRIBUTORS

JOE MILLER / W R I TE R

Sarah Goddin and Mamie Potter work for Quail Ridge Books in Raleigh. “We are optimistic that very soon — though our smiles might still be hidden and our voices muffled by masks — people will be able to gather and enjoy time with each other once again.

Putting together this list of books, we were reassured that we can find hope while we wait.”

S.P. MURRAY /

JACLYN MORGAN /

P HOTO G R A P HE R S.P. Murray is a national awardwinning photojournalist. She welcomed the opportunity to photograph this month’s feature, Hope Springs. “What I wanted to do was weave together quiet moments that people could universally respond to in a positive, uplifting way. These small moments of grace and beauty assure us that the promise of spring, and better things, is just around the corner.”

P H OTO GR A PH ER In her fourth assignment for WALTER, this Greenville-based family and wedding photographer documented an afternoon with Carolyn Booth at her home in Cary. “It was a joy to spend time with Carolyn and Dick. We even made a personal connection: they just so happen to know my grandparents very well. Carolyn and Dick were full of stories and laughter — and all the gardening tips!” More of Jaclyn’s work can be found online at jaclynmorganphotography.com.

Courtesy contributors

April 1-30

MAMIE POTTER & SARAH GODDIN / WR I T ER S

Miller is an outdoor writer and guide in Hillsborough. He wrote a weekly outdoor column for The News & Observer for a decade and now writes for various online sites, including GetGoingNC.com. He is the author of six books on the outdoors. “Every year around the first of February, I start seeking signs of spring in the woods. I know the season is near when I spot my first spring beauty or trout lily.”

Visit WaverlyCary.com for more information Enjoy a storefront scavenger hunt through Waverly Place to discover special deals and promotions at participating businesses.

Locate the spring decals in storefronts and scan the QR code to unlock the promotion.

Present the promotion page on your phone to the business to receive your discount!

Plus, Enter to Win a prize package at the end of the month.

Follow along on Facebook & Instagram for clues to help find the participating retailers!

Visit WaverlyCary.com for more information WaverlyPlaceNC WaverlyCary

WaverlyCary

FEEDBACK We love to hear from you! Tag us when you’re out and about — or cozied up at home with WALTER. “I love a good surprise — like when you open up your favorite Raleigh magazine and see they’ve written about your dad!

Beautiful article on the Beaufort Game Faire.” — Sarah Jenson

Follow Me to the

John Goode holding the March issue, which includes a story about Method, the neighborhood where he grew up.

“Courtney, I have no original words to describe the impact of [A Legacy of Generosity]. Amazing, great, and brilliant are all lacking!” — Judy Melvin

where the past can be explored in historic buildings and the present comes to life with Kristy Harvey’s Luncheon Friday, April 30 and “Seriously Southern Cocktail Party” Saturday, May 1

Reader Liz was pleased to see one of her Caitlin Cary pieces in WALTER. “The only thing better than Hannah’s bread is her caring and generous spirit.

So glad you highlighted her!” — Jenny G.

@waltermagazine www.waltermagazine.com

WALTER

SAVE THE DATE

Old Homes Tour weekend June 23-27 with special events featuring Kristy Harvey and her Friends & Fiction authors, Mary Alice Monroe, Mary Kay Andrews, Kristin Harmel and Patti Callahan Henry

421 Fayetteville Street, Suite 104 Raleigh, N.C. 27601

For more information: beauforthistoricsite.org • 130 Turner Street, Beaufort, NC • 252-728-5225 @TheBeaufortHistoricSite

No matter how long you stay, your heart will remain forever.

From catching wild waves to spotting wild horses, outdoor freedom has no limit on North Carolina’s Crystal Coast. Plan your incredible stay at BookTheCoast.com

OUR TOWN

Artifacts inside a fullsize, refurbished 1920s pharmacy that’s housed within the North Carolina Museum of History

“It’s like walking into the past — and the more you look, the more you see.”

–Diana Bell-Kite, curator of cultural history for the North Carolina Museum of History photography by JUSTIN KASE CONDER

THe Art & Soul of Raleigh | 19

SPRING STYLES NOW IN STOCK

Hobie Mirage Pro Angler The Ultimate Fishing Machine

greatoutdoorprovision.com Raleigh • Chapel Hill

DATEBOOK

Things to do in APRIL

Azaleas, emerging art, mindfulness, and Mother Earth: 11 local events to put on your calendar To submit an event, email info@waltermagazine.com

Courtesy The Justice Theatre Project (WHERE CAN I GO)

ADINKRA PAINTING WORKSHOPS

NOTED

WHERE CAN I GO? April 8 | 7 p.m.

In honor of Yom Ha’Shoah, or Holocaust Remembrance Day, hear stories of trauma and resilience in the world film premiere of Where Can I Go? produced in partnership by Raleigh-Cary Jewish Family Services and The Justice Theater Project. The 75-minute documentary, filmed through 2020 and into 2021, shows five Wake County Holocaust survivors who met once a week to discuss their experiences and take part in Kesher, an arts therapy program through RCJFS. The film was co-directed by arts therapist and stage director Barbara Kaynan and film artist Jesse Bonnell. “It’s sensitive yet beautiful,” says JTP director Melissa Zeph.

“We hope people will reflect on how we can either be complicit in discrimination and divisiveness or work actively work toward respect and peace.” That’s precisely why the JTP exists, says Zeph: as a social justice theatre, it presents opportunities to learn, act, and deeply process the performances. “We must tell this story beyond the Jewish community, and the virtual format allows us to do that,” says Zeph. Leading up to the event, check the JTP’s website for details on live Q&As, watch parties, and more. Virtual; from $10; thejusticetheaterproject.org

All month | See website for times Adinkra are beautiful designs that depict shapes, florals, insects, geometry, and more. Originating in Ghana, they were historically printed on cloth by the Akan, one of the traditional African matrilineal cultures. Learn how to paint Adinkra yourself at the Triangle Cultural Art Gallery during a 1.5-hour class complete with snacks, beverages, and fellowship.

Class sizes are limited to eight people and take place inside the gallery, surrounded by a range of global art from which to draw inspiration. $40; 8320 Litchford Road; triangleculturalart.com

WORDS UNSPOKEN

April 1 | 7 p.m - 8p.m.

Tune in to Facebook Live for Words Unspoken, hosted by the Garner Performing Arts Center. North Carolina native Celestine Hinnant, author of The Awakened Pen – Poetic Expressions from the Heart, will lead fellow creatives from the area for a night celebrating the written word.

One poet to hear is Raleigh native and soul singer Imani Horton, also known as ImonyLowd. “My poems aren’t just about the things that I go through; often they’re about the experiences of loved ones or friends,” she says. Writer Lawrence Bullock, empowerment speaker J. Dwayne Garnett, and poet Sherman Williams will also share their talents. Virtual; free; search calendar at garnernc.gov THe Art & Soul of Raleigh | 21

DATEBOOK MINDFULNESS 101

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Courtesy Current Wellness (YOGA)

18

Thursdays | 6:30 p.m “Your mental health is just as important as your physical health, and it’s time that we start normalizing mental health support,” says Current Wellness co-owner, counselor, and wellness advocate Brit Guerin. She and her team are hosting an online Mindfulness 101 Series to help.

With themes such as Reset, Compassion, and Balance, the classes include guided meditation and discussions around community and connection. While this is an eight-week series, Guerin says drop-ins are welcome and even one session will benefit you. Check out their calendar of indoor and outdoor yoga and fitness classes while you’re at it. Virtual; $18 for drop-in; currentwellnessraleigh.com

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April 3 | all weekend The Town of Cary was incorporated on April 3, 1871 — which makes this year its 150th birthday! To celebrate, the town is offering a mix of virtual and in-person events. Learn about Cary’s history through a virtual presentation April 3 at 8 p.m., which will include live performances from the Chatham Rabbits and Hiss Golden Messenger. Then spend the weekend exploring the city at your own pace through specially developed walking tours past iconic spots like the Cary Theater, first built in 1946, and Val Fox’s 2003 mural, Cary Now and Then, on Chatham Street. “This year is a tremendous opportunity to recognize Cary as the best place to live, work, and play,” says Cary Mayor Harold Weinbrecht. “We encourage all to participate in activities that will honor the past, celebrate the present, and look forward to the future.”

Virtual and in person; cary150.org

Couertesy Lawrence BBQ (GRILL)

AZALEA SALE

LAWRENCE BBQ POP-UP

STUDENT ART SALE

April 16 | 12 p.m For the second year in a row, the Arts NC State Student Art Sale will be held virtually. Amy Sawyers-Williams, manager of arts outreach and engagement for Arts NC State, says that the sale gives students the experience of selling their work and allows the community to acquire art from up-and-coming talent. SawyersWilliams says the virtual format of the sale, which has been open to the public since 2015, has offered new learning opportunities, too. “Last year, in a matter of three weeks, the students pivoted from an in-person sale to learning how to set up an online store to sell their work,” she says, “And they sold over $10,000 in work and commissions as a result!” Shop original pottery, mixed media, paintings, photography, and more, with all the proceeds going to the students who created them. Virtual; shop at arts.ncsu.edu/about/ for-students/student-art-purchase/

Brie Williams

April 8 | 5 p.m.

Sunny Gerhart will host chef Jake Wood and his Lawrence Barbecue team at St. Roch for a meeting of North Carolina and Louisiana fare. “It’ll be a laid-back evening with a delicious menu,” says Wood, who’s opening a location in the Boxyard complex soon. This month is also St. Roch’s fourth anniversary. “It felt like the right time to bring back our ‘Benefits with Friends’ events,” says Gerhart. “It’s how we introduce guests to the talent we love. Come out for Jake’s killer barbecue!” See website for details; 223 S Wilmington Street; lawrencebarbecue.com

April 8 - 17 | 8 a.m- 5 p.m.

Shop hundreds of varieties of the popular flowering bush, including hard-to-find ones, at the Campbell Road Nursery for the Gardeners of Wake County’s annual Azalea Sale. The proceeds support grants for North Carolina State University horticulture students.

“We exist to help the gardening community,” says nursery owner Phil Campbell.

Get there early — they often sell out of offerings, especially the Wolfpack Red, an azalea developed by a horticulturist at NC State. “As you can imagine, that one is very popular! We sell close to 100 of these at the sale and this year we will be celebrating our 40th anniversary of the sale, so we expect lots of people to be happy to come out and celebrate with us,” says Charlie Leverett with the Gardeners of Wake County. Free; 2804 Campbell Road; gardenersofwakecounty. weebly.com

RALEIGH, NC • 919.852.0570• DESIGNLINESSIGNATURE.COM

DATEBOOK

Courtesy Carolina Ballet (BALLET)

LEANING INTO THE WIND

MOZART: SYMPHONY NO. 40

April 21 - 25 | 7:30 p.m Enjoy a re-envisioned Mozart with Symphony No. 40, choreographed by Carolina Ballet artistic director Zalman Raffael, paired with Robert Weiss’ Les Saltimbanques and the pas de deux from August Bournonville’s Flower Festival in Genzano.

The program will be live-streamed for two evenings, then remain accessible until midnight on Sunday, April 25. Virtual; call box office at 919-719-0900 for streaming information; carolinaballet.com

April 22 | 8:30 p.m.

Mask up, grab a picnic blanket, and head to the amphitheater at the North Carolina Museum of Art for a free outdoor movie in honor of Mother Earth.

Leaning into the Wind, a documentary about British conservationist, artist, and photographer Andy Goldsworthy, emphasizes the strong connection between art and nature. The screening feels extra special this year, says NCMA park program manager Bryanne Senor, since it was postponed from last year, the 50th anniversary of Earth Day. “The Museum Park is a special place where art and nature play off each other, merge, and even become interchangeable,” says Senor.

“This film showcases that interplay in a beautiful and dynamic way, so hopefully our screening will amplify the inspiration that can be found all around us.” Free but registration required; 2110 Blue Ridge Road; ncartmuseum.org

BEARTHDAY BITES AT HOME

April 24 | 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Raleigh City Farm will combine a celebration of Earth Day with its 10th anniversary with Bearthday Bites at Home.

Once a vacant lot, the one-acre plot is now a thriving sustainable farm. “RCF has grown beyond our wildest dreams,” says co-founder Laurel Varnado Passera, “I am so grateful for all of the ways it connects our community to sustainable agriculture.” Last year, volunteers logged more than 4,000 hours of community service and the farm grew upwards of 2,500 pounds of produce. For the festivities, food truck The Pounded Pig will offer a three-course meal made with produce sourced from the farm and biscuit boxes to take to-go (pre-orders encouraged). Guests can also participate in farm tours, see plein air artists in action, and hear live music from the Farm Stage Pavilion. Free but tickets required; 800 N Blount Street; raleighcityfarm.org

Courtesy NC Division of Parks and Recreation (FALLS LAKE)

EXPLORE

Mountains-to-Sea Trail at Falls Lake

WILDFLOWER WALKS Five hikes where spring blooms, beautifully

T

hey’re so small, yet they offer so much hope: the first blossom of a spring beauty, no bigger than a dime with its five white petals splayed, or a trout lily unfurling its delicate yellow fingers, streaked in crimson. When you see these poking through the forest floor, you’re finally allowed to begin the count-

by JOE MILLER down to spring. Winter is on its downside, the annual cycle of life is about to begin, and shorts and t-shirt weather is around the corner.

In the Triangle, springtime happens bit by bit. Bottomland hardwood forests bloom first: those wildflowers need to grab life-giving sunshine before the canopy fills and hogs it all. South-facing

slopes are next, benefitting from their extended exposure. Meadows are typically last; no rush, they’ll have sun into fall.

Just as predictable as wildflowers responding to spring’s warmer weather are hikers, as some trails get crowded — but not all! Turn the page for five under-theradar spots in the Triangle good for catching the spring show.

THe Art & Soul of Raleigh | 25

26 | WALTER

HOWELL WOODS ENVIRONMENTAL LEARNING CENTER Four Oaks Howell Woods, a component of Johnston Community College, is home to a large selection of spring ephemerals and a generous span of time to enjoy them. Early in the season, the half-mile Leopold Loop offers early season sightings through bottomland woods, while the the quarter-mile Savannah Trail circles its namesake pond and offers better opportunities later in the season. Both trails can be picked up from the Learning Center, at the main entrance.

Venture farther into this 2,800-acre preserve — about half the size of Umstead State Park in Raleigh — and explore more than 15 trails and six gravel roads that take you through some of

Courtesy Louisburg College (DE HART BOTANICAL GARDEN); Drew Trenholm (BROWN DAMSELFLY, SMALL RED MORNING GLORY, BUTTERCUP)

ENO RIVER STATE PARK Pump Station Trail, Durham So good are the wildflower viewing opportunities here that the Eno River Association includes the Pump Station in both its winter and spring Sunday Hike series. This season, the star is the showy Lady Slipper orchid. (A vernal pond near the bridge over Nancy Rhodes Creek is home to another harbinger of spring, the enchanting chorus of spring peepers.)

This is an especially good hike for kids who may need more motivation than tiny flowers. The 1.5-mile trail is relatively short, but also passes the remains of the water works that supplied Durham with water from the late 1800s until 1926. The old stone dam on Nancy Rhodes Creek and the decaying brick foundation of the pump station make for good exploring (though keep a tight rein on the kids; some of the exposed walls rise 10 to 15 feet). And the Eno River through here includes several small cascades that are particularly frisky after a good rain.

4023 Rivermont Road, Durham; sunrise to sunset; for more information, visit enoriver.org

DE HART BOTANICAL GARDEN Louisburg When Louisburg College history professor Allen de Hart and his wife, Flora, purchased their homestead off highway US 401 in the early 1960s, they didn’t know what exactly they’d bought — until a botany professor came for dinner. On an after-dinner walk, he remarked, “You’ve got a lot of unique species. A whole lot.”

It turned out the land’s location on the Fall Line, which separates the Piedmont from the Coastal Plain, was the ideal habitat for a slew of plants.

Over the next 50 years, de Hart would cultivate what came with the property and add to it, resulting in a 92-acre preserve that today includes 620 azalea bushes, 3,000 daylilies, and something in bloom every month of the year.

About 3 miles of trail take you past two waterfalls, through a bamboo garden, over several rock outcrops (including one overlooking a lake that’s perfect for a spring picnic), and past just about every wildflower known to bloom in the Triangle.

3585 US-401, Louisburg; sunrise to sunset; for more information, visit louisburg.edu

Courtesy NC Division of Parks and Recreation (RAVEN ROCK); Joe Miller (TROUT LILY); Drew Trenholm (WILD ONION FLOWER)

Opposite page, top to bottom: De Hart Botanical Garden; damselfly; morning glory; buttercups.

This page, clockwise from top: Trout lily; stream in Raven Rock State Park; wild onion flower.

the best birding around (it’s part of the North Carolina Birding Trail), as well as into a wetlands formed by the sprawling Neuse River known as the Let’Lones.

6601 Devils Racetrack Road, Four Oaks; sunrise to sunset; for more information, visit johnstoncc.edu/howellwoods MOUNTAINS-TO-SEA TRAIL AT FALLS LAKE Day-Hike Section S, Durham The variety of terrain that this hike covers makes it especially attractive for spring wildflower viewing (it’s lovely in summer and fall, too). From the northern access off Red Mill Road, take the trail east through a low-lying

hardwood forest especially welcoming to early spring ephemerals. The trail goes on to skirt meadows, brush Falls Lake, enter more low-lying floodplain forest, and pass beneath a run or two of pines. (Note that the trail goes west as well — all the way to Clingman’s Dome in the Smokies.)

The trail can be swampy, so don’t wear your Sunday-go-to-meeting hikers, and be sure to pay attention: even though the path is well-marked with the MST’s white circle blaze, it’s easy to get distracted. This is an out-andback trail, not a loop, so at some point you’ll need to turn around. You can either set your watch and turn around after a set amount of time, or hike to the railroad tracks, which at exactly 3 miles makes for a 6-mile round trip.

Need more incentive? The trail is as flat as they come.

GPS 36.05041, -78.49429 (no street address). Note: If you are coming from I-85 headed north out of Durham, take the Red Mill Road Exit and go left (north) for 3 miles. Parking for the trail is off the right side of the road, just before the guardrail begins; sunrise to sunset; for more information, visit mountainstoseatrail.org

RAVEN ROCK STATE PARK Avents Creek Access, Fuquay-Varina Last year, North Carolina’s State Parks absorbed the brunt of the pandemic push to get outdoors. Nowhere was that more apparent than at Raven Rock State Park along the Cape Fear River: some weekend mornings the park reached capacity by 10 a.m. and had to shut its gates.

That, however, was the portion of the park south of the Cape Fear River.

On the north side, at the Avents Creek Access, the East and West Bridle Trails, each 4 miles long, were more popular with recreationalists of the four-legged variety than two.

Thus, there’s ample opportunity to enjoy the spring wildflower show the park has long been known for: Dutchman’s breeches and bloodroot by early April, saxifrage and trailing arbutu later in the month, and Solomon’s seal and bellwort in May. For several months, Raven Rock offers a who’s who of Piedmont spring wildflowers.

1549 River Road, Fuquay-Varina; 7 a.m.

- 9 p.m. from March to May, 7 a.m. - 10 p.m. from June to August; for more information, visit ncparks.gov THe Art & Soul of Raleigh | 27

Getty Images (FILM REEL); Ben Runkle (STILL)

MUSIC

TALENT, TASTE & JOY

Paul Montgomery in a snap from Time for Uncle Paul with Mildred Bradley, known as "Aunt Millie," and guests.

A television fixture for decades, Uncle Paul was more than a children’s entertainer

G

enerations of kids growing up in Raleigh between the early 1960s and early 1980s knew the late Paul Montgomery as Uncle Paul.

Genial and avuncular, he served as host of the daily children’s program Time for Uncle Paul on WRAL-TV. In a top hat, tails, and a wide smile, Uncle Paul interacted with puppets and recurring characters like Melvin the Mailman, read viewer mail between cartoons he’d introduce, and played the piano a bit. And during every show,

by DAVID MENCONI Montgomery would lead the live studio audience of kids around the room in time to a Sousa march.

Most viewers probably never would have guessed that Uncle Paul was legally blind.

At one time, many American cities had a similar show on the big local television station, with a beloved host who came to feel like a member of the family. But Montgomery was unique, with an off-camera life as a musician that was legendary on multiple fronts.

A renowned jazz pianist, Montgom-

ery was a linchpin of Raleigh’s jazz scene when it was centered around the Frog and Nightgown nightclub in the old Village Subway complex. His reputation went far beyond the city limits, too.

“He was at the most elite level, playing with friends like George Shearing and Alberta Hunter,” says North Carolina Arts Council executive director Wayne Martin, a longtime friend of Montgomery’s. “Hanging out with Paul was incredible because of the people he knew, all these icons of the jazz world who knew and admired him. He was THe Art & Soul of Raleigh | 29

their equal and their friend. It’s amazing he was here in Raleigh for all those years.”

Montgomery’s musical interests weren’t limited to jazz. Born in 1924 in the small Rockingham County town of Mayodan, he grew up around old-time and early country music. He began playing that music himself at an early age, advertised as “the South’s youngest ace fiddler,” before eventually graduating to playing jazz on piano.

In the 1930s, Montgomery came to Raleigh to attend the Governor Morehead School for the Blind. One of his classmates was a young man from Deep Gap named Arthel Watson — better known as Doc Watson, one of the great flatpicking guitarists of the 20th century and a legend on the folk-festival circuit. They became lifelong friends at Morehead, especially after Montgomery helped Watson get started by showing him how to play the basic G, C, and D chords on guitar.

One morning not long after that, Watson was back home on school 30 | WALTER

vacation and fooling around with a guitar one of his brothers had borrowed from a neighbor. Before leaving for work, Watson’s father, General, told young Arthel that if he learned to play a song by the time he got home, he’d buy him a guitar. Sure enough, Arthel had the Carter Family tune When the Roses Bloom in Dixieland down by that evening. He got his guitar — though he seemed to feel a bit guilty about having a head start, thanks to Montgomery.

“My brother and I idolized Paul because he’d known Doc at the Morehead School,” says Ben Runkle, a longtime musician in numerous area bands, including New Deal String Band and the Bottom Feeders. “We just thought that was the coolest thing ever.”

For those who knew about Montgomery’s musical exploits, his oncamera star turns as Uncle Paul seemed all the more amusing. “As Uncle Paul, it was like if Santa Claus had also been Doc Watson,” says Martin. “He was incredible.” All the same, Montgomery never mailed it in.

“He never sold the audience short, the kids,” says photographer Jay Jennings, a WRAL coworker. “That’s a big part of being a pro, especially when you’re on the air five days a week for as long as he was.”

Montgomery started out in various announcer and in-house musician roles before Capitol Broadcasting tapped him for the children’s show starting in 1961.

He hosted Time For Uncle Paul until 1981, stepping down rather than follow management directives to make the show more educational (and less fun, in his estimation). After that, he went back to playing music full time and had a fine run, passing on Christmas Eve 2002 at age 78.

“He was a jazz giant and also had exquisite, wonderful taste and talent in old-time music,” says Martin, who noted that Montgomery also played organ at the Lutheran church his family attended.

“I never met a more talented musician — and Doc would’ve said the same thing.

He was loaded with talent, taste, and joy.

He was a great blessing for Raleigh.”

courtesy WRAL (PAUL IN TOP HAT); courtesy of Kathy and Gregg Gelb (FAMILY); The News & Observer/Roger Winstead (LAUGH BY PIANO)

Paul Montgomery as “Uncle Paul;” Montgomery with his children, Gregg and Kathy; Montgomery in 1995.

BOOKS

SPIRIT LIFTERS

Wonder at nature or examine your soul — 10 reads for the season of change from staffers at Quail Ridge Books.

by SARAH GODDIN, MAMIE POTTER, AND ABBE TOWNSEND SURVIVAL OF THE FRIENDLIEST

by Brian Hare and Vanessa Woods

Husband-and-wife writing team and Duke research scientists Hare and Woods show how humans evolved and flourished as a result of cooperation and inclusiveness — but also why these same traits can lead to cruelty, and what we can do about it.

WILD NORTH CAROLINA

by David Blevins and Michael P. Schafale

Filled with stunning photographs of North Carolina’s natural wonders, this lovely book will inspire readers to seek out some of these special places to renew their spirits after a long, hard winter.

The authors include the ecological history and significance of each place for a fuller understanding and appreciation.

BEGINNERS by Tom Vanderbilt Inspired by his young daughter’s eagerness to learn everything, Vanderbilt embarks on a year of devoting himself to tackling new skills including chess, singing, surfing, drawing, and juggling.

Along the way, he shows us the rewards of immersing oneself in new abilities and knowledge, no matter how inept.

LOVE IS THE WAY

by Bishop Michael Curry

The Most Reverend Michael B. Curry was bishop here in North Carolina before becoming presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church. Bishop William J. Barber II, co-chair of the Poor People’s Campaign, says it best: “Bishop Curry proclaims and lives the way of love that has the power to transform broken systems and imperfect people. This book is 26 | WALTER a gift for our time... Listen to him.”

WORLD OF WONDERS

by Aimee Nezhukumatathil, with illustrations by Fumi Nakamura

An award-winning poet combines memoir and nature study in this exquisitely illustrated book, which has been named one of the best of the year by numerous publications. As Ross Gay wrote, “Sometimes we need teachers to remind us how to be flabbergasted and gobsmacked and flummoxed and enswooned by the wonders of this earth.”

SHAME by Joseph Burgo Chapel Hill psychotherapist Burgo shows us how to take our shame, give it a big embrace, and use it to move forward to a joyful life. The book includes personal stories and exercises, which make the journey to wholeness accessible to all.

TINY BEAUTIFUL THINGS

by Cheryl Strayed

The letters in this collection were part of an advice column called “Dear Sugar” that Strayed wrote for The Rumpus.

People to whom we’ve recommended this book have said it changed their lives.

Insightful, funny, poignant — Strayed touches all our emotions with her hard-hitting, beautifully written advice.

HOW LOVELY THE RUINS

edited by Annie Chagnot and Emi Ikkanda

Poets past and present offer words of encouragement to get us through challenging times. Published in 2017, the book has only gained in relevance over the past year. If you can only read a little at a time right now, this is the one book you should have by your bedside.

THe Art & Soul of Raleigh | 31

Getty Images

FOOD

ODE to the EGG In this Southern standby, the devil’s in the details

E

ggs have been symbols of rebirth and renewal for centuries, which puts them at the center of spring holidays such as Passover and Easter. And to my mind, there’s no finer example of the art of the edible ovoid than that jewel of the South: the deviled egg.

Sure, you can fuss with eggs. An Instagram-popular recipe for Middle 32 | WALTER

by DEBBIE MOOSE Eastern shakshuka involves simmering eggs in a spicy tomato-and-onion stew.

That’s more effort than I can generally muster in the mornings, particularly pre-coffee. You can strain a wrist muscle trying to neatly turn over an omelet.

Generations of kids were needlessly forced to tiptoe around while soufflés were baking — including my husband, whose mother accused him of making

her soufflé fall by walking through the kitchen with his giant teenage feet.

Completely untrue, according to cooking science, but it left him with a fear of soufflés.

However, the simple perfection that is the deviled egg is within everyone’s grasp, and it uses ingredients most have right at home. It’s truly a snack of the people, and has never been even theo-

retically affected by someone’s size-13s.

Deviled eggs are found all over the country. But as it is with college football and humidity, no one does deviled eggs like the South. For generations, battles for bragging rights have been fought at family reunions, church suppers, and tailgates, via surreptitious glances to see whose platter is emptying the fastest.

The winner earns the right to smugly lord over their cousins and neighbors until the next showdown.

For my mother’s generation, deviled egg plates — those glass or china platters with oval indentations that make perfect settings for the savory gems — were standard wedding gifts. Several years ago, I met a Morehead City woman who had collected more than 800 deviled egg plates; she was going for a Guinness World Record. After the plates took over the living room, her husband built an extension onto the house just to display the overflow.

I have a mere twelve plates.

If my mother ever received a deviled egg plate, it was never used. She hated eggs, and deviled eggs in particular, so she didn’t make them. In fact, the only time I remember her hard-cooking eggs was to dye at Easter and lose in the yard.

One of nature’s paradoxes is how parents can end up with children of completely opposite temperament and interests from themselves. So it was with me: born into a deviled egg-deprived home, they were all I could think about.

I looked forward to visiting my grandmother, my one regular source for deviled eggs, and devouring her silky smooth, mustard-tart creations.

Some teenagers smoked pot to rebel; I experimented with mayonnaise and pickle relish.

To fuel my obsession, I wrote an entire cookbook on deviled eggs. I learned minutiae of egg anatomy (peeling is easier if you start at the big end, where

an air pocket is); how to get the yolk exactly in the center of the white (store the carton of uncooked eggs on its side in the fridge); and why they’re called deviled eggs (early recipes used spicy ingredients, hence the term “deviling”).

The deviled egg itself has been reborn in restaurant kitchens, as small plates took over restaurant menus — possibly because their combination of intense flavor and rich creaminess creates a satisfying small bite.

That’s great — but I have a message to chefs who put an odd number of eggs on a plate for two people to share: don’t.

Anyone who fights this Southern woman for the last deviled egg will always lose, and I’d like to keep my friends.

Debbie Moose is the author of seven cookbooks, including her newest from University of North Carolina Press, Carolina Catch: Cooking North Carolina Fish and Shellfish from Mountains to Coast.

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Retirement living.

Better than you ever imagined.

DEBBIE MOOSE’S CREAMY FETA DEVILED EGGS Feta and olives give these rich deviled eggs a Greek accent. These two ingredients can be salty, so you may not need to add salt to the filling; taste and see. If you can’t find fresh chives, substitute the tops of green onions.

Ingredients 2 tablespoons sour cream 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice 1/ 3

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cup crumbled feta cheese

3 teaspoons finely chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh chives

you’ll experience luxury retirement living at its very best. Whether

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Finely chopped black or Kalamata olives for garnish

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Directions Peel the eggs and cut them in half. Put the yolks in a medium-sized bowl and mash well. Set the whites aside.

Stir the sour cream, lemon juice, and feta into the yolks until well combined, then stir in the parsley, chives, and black pepper.

Fill the whites evenly with the mixture.

Top each egg half with a few bits of chopped olives.

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teaspoon black pepper

Makes 12. *My method for hard-boiling eggs comes from the American Egg Board: Place large eggs in a saucepan in one layer and cover with cold water. Let come to a good rolling boil. Then remove the pan from the heat, cover, and set a timer for 15 minutes. When it goes off, drain and cool down the eggs under cold running water or in a bowl of ice water.

3/10/21 8:58 AM

Ayn-Monique Klahre

6 hard-cooked eggs*

LOCALS

Toward Zero Waste founders Dargan Gilmore (left) and Leigh Williams.

PROJECT ZERO A local organization works to reduce waste in the Triangle and beyond

W

by KAYLA GUILLIAMS photography by MICK SCHULTE

hen Leigh Williams prepared to go scuba diving in Kho Tao, Thailand, in 2003, she imagined what would be waiting for her on the ocean floor: a collage of oranges, pinks, and blues; myriad corals, fish, and sea flora.

But when she went underwater, what

awaited her was much duller.

“The coral was all faded, it wasn’t vibrant, and there was trash on the ocean floor,” she says. “Every single time I dove, I came up with trash in my back pocket. I picked batteries up off the bottom of the ocean, I picked up caps from the tops of plastic bottles — I picked up all kinds of weird trash.”

The trip started Williams on her environmental journey, eventually inspiring her to start the nonprofit Toward Zero Waste with a friend, Dargan Gilmore.

The organization, based in Cary, aims to address plastic pollution and waste by encouraging communities, businesses, and local governments to adopt a “zero waste” mindset.

THe Art & Soul of Raleigh | 35

On social media, the #zerowaste hashtag pulls up images of glass jars full of dry goods, beautiful bamboo dinnerware, and glass spray bottles filled with homemade cleaning solutions. But its true principles are not tied to aesthetics: zero waste is about reducing what you buy, reusing what you have, sending little to be recycled, and aiming to send nothing to the landfill.

Williams and Gilmore first met through an international zero-waste Facebook group for those interested in adopting a low-waste lifestyle. “We ended up meeting on one of those posts where they ask where everybody’s from, and we figured out we were from the same area,” Williams says. “So we planned to meet up and that was it.”

Gilmore says she considers herself to be a lifelong environmentalist, someone who loves to hike and backpack. “But it was actually the movie An Inconvenient Truth that was a kind of turning point for me,” she says. The documentary about former U.S. Vice President Al Gore’s global warming campaign led Gilmore to understand the potentially catastrophic impacts of climate change on the planet. She ditched her gas car for an electric one and started being more conscious of how much plastic waste she was creating at home.

“What I know now, that I didn’t then, was that sight was just a sign of a much bigger problem,” says Williams of her revelation in Thailand. Every year, about 8 million tons of plastic waste escapes into the oceans from the coast. To avoid adding to it, Williams started making swaps when grocery shopping, using reusable bags instead of plastic ones and bringing her own containers to fill with bulk foods instead of buying them pre-packaged.

After Gilmore and Williams met, they decided to start their own local-

Clockwise from top left: At a recent cleanup day. Event organizer Betsy Sisley picks up trash; Andrea Rushing hands out grabbers; volunteer T.J. Sisley; volunteers Ellah Couch (left) and Yabsira Tariku.

ized Facebook groups — Toward Zero Waste Raleigh and Toward Zero Waste Cary — to connect with community members and share what could and couldn’t be recycled, learn what the best low-waste shops in the area were, and trade tips for composting food scraps and paper.

As these groups started to grow (each now has over 1,000 members), more groups under the TZW name were started all across the state, from Wilmington to Chapel Hill to Asheville.

Williams and Gilmore started teaching zero-waste classes, hosting free movie screenings, organizing landfill tours, and providing other free educational resources to their community, like

“I think that’s the key to zero waste, the sharing of information with your community.”

— Andrea Rushing

36 | WALTER

guides to zero-waste shopping and a statewide green business directory. And each local TZW group, overseen by the two but led by a volunteer community director, started developing zero-waste events and initiatives within their own community.

Andrea Rushing, the community director for Cary, says she loves the opportunities TZW gives her to connect with her community, and as a homeschooling mom, helping educate on zero-waste swaps and principles is her favorite part.

“I really believe that knowledge is the heart of everything,” she says. “I think that’s the key to zero waste, the sharing of information with your community.

Because it can be so hard to change habits when you’re so used to what you were taught growing up.”

As the groups and initiatives kept growing, it made sense to make TZW a nonprofit instead of a “rogue little

community organization,” Gilmore says. And by January 2020, after a slew of complicated paperwork and legal measures, they were. But just three months later, they were having to learn how to operate as a nonprofit during a pandemic. “It’s been bad and good, because we can reach a lot more people in virtual events than we can in person,” Gilmore says. “But it has definitely been quite the learning process.”

The pandemic has also come with an onslaught of trash. Paper masks, takeout containers, plastic grocery bags, and more — there’s been an upswing in single-use items as we avoid germs at all costs. TZW is now faced with the challenge of encouraging sustainability while still prioritizing safety, suggesting tips like swapping disposable masks for reusable ones and refusing as much excess waste as you can when ordering takeout.

While they’re currently focused on the pandemic, they’re also thinking about the best ways to make an impact when the world gets back to normal. TZW is volunteer-driven, and Williams and Gilmore agree that their success lies in providing their volunteers across the state with resources to start initiatives in their own communities. “I would like to see us be able to support volunteers who want to make a big impact, whether that’s helping them get a grant so they can open up a zerowaste store or helping them support legislation,” Williams says.

But for now, the duo says, they’re focusing on making the most of another year of virtual programming and reminding their community that every small change can make a big impact.

“We’ll have our virtual events like movie screenings, but we’ll also have a few outside community events, because we need our community,” Williams says. “But overall, we will be continuing to push back against this single-use mindset, because we have to stop it.”

S he doesn’t need

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VAULT

Rx for HISTORY A reconstructed pharmacy offers an immersive look at the 1920s, and reflection for today

I

by HAMPTON WILLIAMS HOFER photography by JUSTIN KASE CONDER

magine offering a cigarette to someone in the middle of an asthma attack: Here, while you’re wheezing, light one up. Silly by today’s standards, but sensible a century ago: a 1920s-era box of Dr. R. Schiffmann’s Asthmador Cigarettes directs one to “expel the air from the lungs, then fill the mouth with smoke and take a deep breath… hold for a few seconds, then exhale.” In a modern world where 38 | WALTER

parents warn their middle schoolers about vaping — and particularly these days, when we’re wearing face coverings to prevent the spread of respiratory illness — asthma cigarettes exemplify just how much medicine has evolved.

And if you don’t believe they were real, full of ingredients like stramonium leaves and belladonna, you can head down to Edenton Street and check out the green cardboard packaging for

yourself. Walk through the main doors of the North Carolina Museum of History, grab a pump of sanitizer, and head left up the stairs to the third floor. By the time your hands are dry, you will have traveled back in time 100 years.

It’s there that you’ll find an entire 1920s pharmacy, preserved from the marble soda fountain to the mahogany display cabinets, all original features from J.C. Brantley Pharmacy, formerly at

709 Hillsborough Street. The drugstore is so much more than a basic museum exhibit. Not to knock glass cases and wall plaques, but this is something different: here, you step through the doors, look up at the light fixtures, walk in, spin around, peek over the soda fountain at the old ice cream case — the exhibit surrounds you. You can almost taste the root beer floats.

Under a sign for five-cent Pepsi-Cola (“refreshing and healthful,” it reads) sits a candy display with licorice gumdrops and Swinson’s peppermints. It’s where our grandparents would have gone for Vick’s rub and Nyal’s hair tonic. “It’s like walking into the past,” says Diana Bell-Kite, the museum’s curator of cultural history, “and the more you look, the more you see.”

To relocate an entire drugstore to the museum was no small feat. The efforts began 40 years ago, when a group of retired pharmacists started working with the NCMH to collect all manner of

Opposite page: The full pharmacy exhibit within the North Carolina Museum of History. This page: a few scenes from inside the pharmacy, including period goods and advertisements, as well as the cash register and lighting.

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Inside the pharmacy: A 1920s-era toothbrush and tooth powder for dental hygiene, and Sloan's Liniment for relieving aches and pains.

pharmaceutical artifacts from the 1920s in North Carolina. Then, in 1991, when John Brantley donated the entirety of the J.C. Brantley Pharmacy to the museum, staffers got to work cataloging and packing thousands of items

from the store. “We wanted to create an immersive experience for the visitor,” says John Campbell, NCMH collections manager. The artifacts filled two transfer trucks — and then came the real work of cleaning and reassembling

the wooden cabinetry and marble soda fountain. Conservators had to work with state agencies to properly dispose of dangerous narcotics still in some of the old bottles.

The refurbished pharmacy first opened in 1998 as part of the NC Health and Healing Exhibit. “I understand why it is one of our most popular spaces,” says Campbell, “because I still see items in the space that I have not appreciated before.”

Beyond being immersive in-person, the drugstore is now the first exhibit at the NCMH to be available online as a virtual tour. The museum contracted with a company to bring in the cameras and technology needed to scan the space in 360 degrees. With this special imaging, web visitors from all over the world can now move around, and even go further than in-person visitors by “stepping” behind the soda counter or into the pharmacist’s office. You can roam, zoom, read labels on bottles of

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medicinal oils, and click on white dots that offer more details and links.

“It is really exciting for us to have the digital tour,” says Bell-Kite. “As a museum, we hope to continue in a post-COVID world with programming developed in response to the pandemic, meaning more online in general, allowing people to virtually experience as much as those who can walk through.”

Part of the NCMH’s mission is to explore how the past influences the present, and you can see that influence in the products for sale here, which aren’t so different from the things we’d grab today at Walgreens: toothbrushes (only here, the bristles are made of horsehair), rubs for muscle aches (here, it’s Sloan’s Liniment, which was also used on farm animals), and children’s toys (here, it’s a Schoenhut all-wood train).

One big difference: we don’t go to Walgreens to hang out. A century ago, these drugstores were social epicenters. Home refrigeration wasn’t exactly widespread, so you’d grab a cold soda and catch up with friends while the pharmacist was in the back, grinding medicine with mortar and pestle.

With hospitals few and far between, a drugstore was as close as many North Carolinians came to a health care institution.

Another big difference: this soda counter would have been racially segregated in the 1920s. Black customers could have purchased products from the display cases, but they could not have sat down at a place like this.

Just as the 100-year-old labels offer a lens into what has and hasn’t changed in medicine, getting fully immersed in the pharmacy — in-person or online — offers a chance to reflect on the evolution of our social dynamics. In a society still grappling with its messy racial history, the past offers an opportunity to reflect on the present.

And that’s what the NCMH does for us: hidden among the relics from the 14,000 years that humans have inhabited our state, we find clues as to how we’ve evolved — and how much further we have to go.

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CREATORS

EVERY MOMENT is a VIEW

Through his art, Richard Wilson bridges the gap between then and now

S

by WYLIE CASH photography by MALLORY CASH

pend some time with visual artist Richard Wilson’s work, and you’ll quickly grasp the role historical connection plays in it.

Take his Shadow Series, for example. In each painting, an African American boy or girl stands in the foreground, the background comprised of images of an African American trailblazer. In one piece, a girl in a leather bomber jacket blocks the sun from her eyes and stares toward the horizon as if searching for a sign of what’s to come; behind her is

an assemblage of newspaper stories and photographs of Bessie Coleman, the first African American woman to hold a pilot’s license. Another shows a young boy in oversized boxing gloves gazing up at a speed bag that’s just out of reach; behind him, a newspaper announces that Jack Johnson has defeated James Jeffries to become the 1910 heavyweight champion of the world, the first African American to win the title. Other luminaries such as Arthur Ashe, Serena Williams, Michael Jordan, and Barack Obama are featured in the series, each a guiding light THe Art & Soul of Raleigh | 43

for the young dreamer standing “in the shadow.” To the viewer, it’s clear that ancestors and aspiration are powerfully present in Wilson’s artwork.

And if you spend any time with the artist himself, you’ll understand that ancestors and aspiration are powerfully present in his own life.

The oldest of three boys, Wilson was born in Robersonville (Martin County) and moved with his family to Conetoe (pronounced Kuhnee-tuh), another rural town in Eastern North Carolina, when he was 8. He grew up surrounded by family — siblings, cousins, aunts, and uncles. They were close-knit.

Today, Wilson is standing in the middle of his art studio in Greenville, where he and his wife have lived for just over 20 years.

The walls around him are festooned with his original works and ribbons from national art shows; the floor cluttered with framed prints and works-in-progress. Wilson, a tall man who looks like a linebacker yet comports himself like a poet, admits that he has nearly outgrown the space that he built himself. On the wall opposite him is a framed original painting titled A Window Into the Past, in which an older African American man with a cane is picking his way across a field to a weathered two-story farmhouse. The man in the painting is Wilson’s uncle. The home, which has since been demolished, once belonged to Wilson’s paternal grandmother, Francis Wilson Knight, lovingly known to everyone — family 44 | WALTER

or otherwise — as Grandma Pigaboot.

“Every weekend we’d go to my grandmother’s house,” Wilson says, gesturing toward the painting. “All the children and grandchildren. That was the highlight of my week. My uncle, who was a sharecropper, would cook on the grill. We’d all play kickball and softball. I can still smell the rain on the dirt, the trees — pears and pecans. It was a beautiful life.” He sighs and his broad shoulders slump forward slightly. “But when my grandmother passed away, we all stopped going back there, and we just lost that connection.”

Although Wilson’s work is nothing if not realistic, each piece contains elements of symbolism that could be lost on the casual viewer. In the painting of Grandma Pigaboot’s house, the electrical service entrance — where the home had once been connected to a power line — is frayed and disconnected. That’s exactly how Wilson felt in 2020, a year that saw a pandemic cripple the globe and political and cultural turmoil seize the heart and soul of the nation. Wilson used his art to reconnect with his family, his community, and the landscape that once brought him so much joy.

Although he had featured his grandmother’s house in previous works, last year he found himself wanting to paint it again, and this time he wanted to include a family member. He called up his Uncle Bill and asked if he could come take some photographs of him. Uncle Bill happily obliged. It had been a while since they’d seen each other.

“We started talking about old times,” Wilson says, “and he started posing for me, and I started taking pictures of him. We had a great time.” But Wilson wanted to keep their reunion a secret. “I told him, Don’t tell your children I’m doing this painting,” says Wilson. “I wanted to put it on Facebook to see if they recognized the house and recognized that their father was in the painting.”

Imagine Wilson’s delight when, after posting the finished painting online, Uncle Bill’s youngest daughter wrote this: Hey, cuz, I really like this piece. It reminds me of back in the day, and the man in the picture reminds me of my pops.

Comments from other cousins followed, each expressing tender sentiments.

“And then they started buying prints,” Wilson says, supporting him at a time when art shows had been canceled due to COVID. “It brought us all back together.”

Of course, the house in the painting represents much more than just a place. Wilson’s grandmother bequeathed him a legacy that highlights the importance of family, faith, land, and self-reliance — all of which Wilson has made use of throughout his path to becoming a full-time artist against incredible odds.

“My grandmother took us around and made sure that she introduced us to all of our family members,” Wilson says. “She was adamant about that, about knowing who your people are.” He stops speaking and smiles as if a memory is playing through his mind. “She also taught us how to be entrepreneurs. We used to turn in Coke bottles and get cash for them, and then we’d turn around and buy candy and sell it. Or we’d make Kool-Aid and turn it into freeze cups, and then we’d sell those.” She also taught Wilson and his siblings and cousins how to make use of the land by taking them fishing and teaching them how to sew gardens. And she instilled the importance of faith in their lives by ensuring that they accompanied her to church.

Wilson has won countless awards for his art, which has been featured in television shows and films, showcased in public and private collections and purchased by the likes of Hank Aaron and Gladys Knight. Those early lessons from his grandmother have allowed him to turn a childhood spark of inspiration into the passionate flame that fuels his work. His Shadow Series makes that clear.

Wilson acknowledges that not everyone is as lucky to have had the family and influences he’s had. Yet that’s the great thing about forging a connection with people you love.

“If you didn’t have it then,” he says, “you can start it now.”

One could say the same about living your dream.

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. He and his wife, photographer Mallory Cash, are traveling across North Carolina to meet creatives within our state.

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DRINK

the BEE’S KNEES

Uncovering an ancient honeyed wine in modern-day North Carolina

H

by CATHERINE CURRIN photography by TAYLOR MCDONALD

ave you ever drunk mead? Outside some sort of Renaissance festival?

I found myself asking this question to anyone who would listen when the editors at WALTER asked for a piece on the “nectar of the gods.” And like me, most of my friends had only heard of it in their history books. Mead was a mystery, at

least for my palate, which is more often frequented by a fizzy pét-nat, crisp Sauvignon Blanc, or hazy IPA. “Mead has such a rich history, and there are numerous accounts of its origin,” says Diane Currier, founder of Honeygirl Meadery in Durham. “I know it to date back to at least 9,000 B.C. when there were traces of early fermentation found in beverage con-

tainers in China.” Presumed to be the world’s oldest alcoholic drink, there are also early tales of mead from Egypt and India, and everyone from Vikings to Romans to modern-day drinkers have enjoyed the beverage, which is also known as honey wine.

Amid the craft-beverage boom — from funkier wines to beers of all colors, strengths, and infusions — mead THe Art & Soul of Raleigh | 47

Left: Diane Currier at Honeygirl Meadery. Right: A few of their different flavors of mead.

BLUEBERRY MINT PROSECCO INGREDIENTS 1 bottle prosecco 1 bottle Honeygirl Blueberry Mead 1 teaspoon sugar Handful of mint leaves Handful of fresh blueberries DIRECTIONS In a punch bowl or large pitcher, muddle blueberries, sugar, and mint leaves together (reserve a few blueberries and leaves for garnish). Pour prosecco over the ingredients. Fill a champagne flute halfway with Blueberry Mead, then top with the prosecco mixture. Garnish with blueberries and a mint leaf.

48 | WALTER

has also seen an uptick in interest from home brewers and businesses. (Maybe bees are the new chickens?) There are about a dozen other meaderies in North Carolina alone, including Starrlight Mead in Pittsboro, Wehrloom Honey in Robbinsville, Black Mountain Cider & Mead in Black Mountain, and Fox Hill Meadery near Asheville. So after some preliminary reading, I headed to State of Beer as my testing lab. It’s usually my first stop for any beverage-related research, and when I checked their website, I was pleased to find a plethora of brands and flavors of the fermented honey.

There, I first picked up a mango-flavored mead infused with black pepper, from B. Nektar in Ferndale, Michigan.

Mead tends to take on the flavor and form of the fruit or ingredients fermented along with the honey, I learned, and this one indeed had the lightest

notes of mango. I expected the mead to be so sweet that I could only handle one sip, but it was almost bitter, and I was pleasantly surprised at its drinkability — a happy, if confusing, hybrid between a beer, cider, and wine.

Next up was a Ginger Mead from Honeygirl. Currier founded the meadery after winning a Blue Ribbon for her homemade Hibiscus Lemonthyme Mead at the North Carolina State Fair in 2012. Now almost ten years in, Honeygirl’s mead is sold across the state, with flavors ranging from Fig Orange to Lavender. For the mead I chose, Currier says she was inspired by a more modern flavor profile: the Triple Ginger Cookies from Trader Joe’s.

“We used them as inspiration for our triple ginger approach: fresh ginger juice, freshly grated ginger plus ground ginger to add a rich, earthy flavor,” she says.

When I tasted the Ginger Mead, I discovered a hint of bitterness and spice

Despite mead’s ancient origins, Currier warns folks not to approach it too seriously, and to try it in different ways based on your mood.

‘INTERESTING STUFF’ FOR YOUR HOME & COLLECTIONS

that cut the smooth honey sweetness.

This mead was most enjoyable in slow sips versus a big swig — complex, but not quite cloying, more like an aperitif than a drink-with-dinner wine. Currier says that many of her meads are meant for sipping, much like a bourbon. “The aging and depth of the dark wildflower honey we use resembles a spirit,” she says. Beyond the added flavor notes, the provenance of the honey itself can change the flavor of the mead.

One of Currier’s favorite things about mead, she says, is how creative you can get with both the ingredients and consumption. “Honey is so fascinating,” she says. “It’s the only thing insects create that we eat.” Despite mead’s ancient origins, Currier warns folks not to approach it too seriously, and to try it in different ways based on your mood. The folks at Honeygirl say their mead is at its most flavorful when served at the temperature of a traditional red wine, but also endorsed it as the base of a spritzer for a hot day (think: topped with Topo Chico over a cup of crushed ice). There’s no one way to consume mead.

“Meads are very seasonal and it’s fun to play with it,” says Currier. “It’s all about chasing and experiencing flavor.

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WT

My Wife’s Secret Life

...and why I’m happily married, blissfully in the dark

I

recently discovered that my wife, Wendy, enjoys a secret life.

Actually, I’ve known about it for years. I just never let her know that I knew about it.

It’s also possible that she’s always known that I know about it (and has chosen to keep that a secret, too).

Either way, the woman is a master at keeping her husband happily married and blissfully in the dark.

Consider the high drama of our recent unplanned kitchen makeover.

50 | WALTER

by JIM DODSON

One evening last spring, our fancy German dishwasher blew up like the Hindenburg and flooded the kitchen of the charming mid-century bungalow we’ve spent the last five years faithfully restoring.

I suggested we move to Scotland.

Within days, however, Wendy had rallied a small army of specialists with industrial driers, fans, and blueprints for a complete renovation.

Curiously, they all seemed to know my wife by her first name.

Though I’m hardly the suspicious type, such fraternal bonhomie did make me momentarily wonder if Dame Wendy might have a private, second career as a kitchen subcontractor and home makeover artist.

One of her not-so-secret pleasures, after all, are the makeover programs playing around the clock on HGTV, brick-and-mortar dramas where — in the span of 45 minutes — unspeakably decrepit houses are transformed into suburban show palaces by clever couples

Getty Images

SIMPLE LIFE

who make witty remarks about shiplap at a yard sale in Maine right before we and infinity tubs. moved to Carolina. She claims there Not that I’m the jealous type, but my was no room for it on the moving truck, bride speaks so casually about home-remeaning I couldn’t at least drive it home hab hosts Joanna and Chip Gaines or the to the South and make a few bucks mowdorky Property Brothers or that sweet, ing lawns along the way. folksy couple redoing the entire town of I recently heard a top marriage specialLaurel, Mississippi, it’s as if she actually ist on the radio insist that the secret to a knows them. And I can almost picture long and happy marriage is “not having the Good Bones gals whispering sweet too many secrets, but enough to keep a nothings about rare Victorian beadboard marriage interesting.” or vintage crown molding in Dame WenThe specialist, a female psychologist, dy’s wise conch-like ear. didn’t specify how many secrets keeps a Unlike the unreality of these home marriage interesting, or conversely, how makeovers, our massive kitchen “reno” many keeps a marriage from collapsing took nearly a year to complete, includlike a $2 beach chair. ing endless delays due to COVID-19. We Fact is, I am perfectly happy operating upgraded the subflooring, wiring, and on a strictly “need-to-know” basis. She plumbing; installed a beautiful Tuscan knows that what I don’t know won’t hurt tile floor; searched two counties for new me, which may be the key to our own granite counters; and outfitted the entire long and happy marriage. kitchen with new appliances. We also Besides, we have an enviable distribution ordered so many takeout meals that I of domestic duties and responsibilities. considered moonlighting for Grubhub.

Wendy runs the house, pays the I’ll confess, there were bills, makes most of the important decisions moments when I had beguiling dreams of misty Though I’m hardly and never fails to find Scotland — specifically my missing eyeglasses/ the suspicious a rather fetching one wallet/car keys or TV type, such fraternal remote when it’s clear in which I am rowing a dinghy across Loch some thoughtless nitwit bonhomie did Lomond with a provochas mistakenly put them make me momen- somewhere just to make atively dressed Kim Basinger sitting in the me go crazy. tarily wonder if bow. it to say, I know Dame Wendy might mySuffice Strictly between us, I proper place in our have no idea what this happy domestic realm: have a private, dream could mean. But in the yard quisecond career as outside I’m not dinghy enough etly missing my beloved a kitchen subcon- John Deere lawn tractor. to tell my wife about it because she’ll know On an entirely septractor and home exactly what it means, arate front, I have no makeover artist. idea how much money I and I really don’t want to spoil the surprise if earn from my so-called Kim and I ever reach the literary career. I simply other side of the loch. put together words that amuse me, send Besides, doesn’t a bloke deserve a few them off to editors I’ve never met who healthy secrets of his own? Sadly, I don’t (sometimes) like and (eventually) pay me have many others. Unless you count real folding money for them. the fantasy about being the first man It’s a sweet mystery how this magic in history to ride his John Deere lawn happens. I frankly never know my precise tractor across America. Of course, that material worth, year to year, but I assure dream died when Wendy sold my tractor you it’s no mystery to Dame Wendy how

much money I make — or am due — down to the last farthing.

Home and family, however, are where Wendy’s secret life truly excels.

Our four fully grown and theoretically independent children constantly call up from faraway places to share their endless existential crises or ask her advice on all manner of discreet topics, confiding things they wouldn’t dream of telling the old man, whom they only call when they need more farthings to cover the rent.

But that’s OK with the old man in question. The older he gets, the less he knows and the happier he is.

For it’s all about perspective; my wife’s clever design for our happily married life.

One final example shall suffice.

The other afternoon, I popped into the house from trying to start up my walk-behind mower for the first lawn-cutting of the spring and discovered that my multitasking domestic Chief Executive was putting the final touches on our brand new fully renovated kitchen in a manner most unusual.

She’d just assembled an elaborate rolling cart she’d ordered from some chic West Coast design house and was dancing rumba-like to South African reggae music as she decorated Easter cookies for neighborhood kids.

“I’m thinking of painting the den a lovely green for the spring,” she blithely announced, sashaying past me. “It’s called Mountain Air. What do you think?”

As our elegant new dishwasher purred away, she waved the sample color on her smart phone, which isn’t remotely as smart as she is but probably a good deal smarter than her husband.

After 20 years of happy marriage, I’m no April fool.

I simply told her that I loved it and headed back to my stubborn lawn mower, secretly dreaming about Kim Basinger riding a John Deere tractor through the misty Scottish Highlands.

Jim Dodson is the New York Times bestselling author of Final Rounds: A Father, A Son, The Golf Journey Of A Lifetime. He lives in Greensboro.

THe Art & Soul of Raleigh | 51

NOTED

THe Art of RENEWAL

by LARRY WHEELER

S

she led the acquisition of the warehouse-style building where pring! How sweet the sound, as the warmer weather artists maintain studios and interact with a growing number of begins to soften the cacophony of disruption, disilluart-curious visitors. sion, and despair that infused our year past.

Yes, the arts are still here, stimulating our psyches Another downtown arts leader, Gab Smith, took her leave in inventive new ways and supplying essential energy last fall. Starting in 2013, Gab was the welcoming face of CAM, to the world around us.

Raleigh’s contemporary art museum. Under her leadership, As we reckon with the importance of the arts in our comexcellent and often controversial exhibitions were created. Gab munity — at this time in particular — it is important to salute has been tireless in expanding the reach and funding for the those among us who quietly have acclaimed middle-school docent assured that opportunities to creating a new pipeline Catharsis... is made possible in our program, engage with art and artists have for young people to get experinot been diminished. Every art ence in the arts. lives by the arts — and those who organization, artist, and patron I hired Gab in 1998 to be the make art. It turns difficult times deserves a standing ovation. director of visitor and volunteer into more hopeful times.

To survive, our arts community services at the North Carolina had to pivot and innovate — but Museum of Art. She did exemthe infrastructure was there, the result of decades of work. At plary work in making the museum more inclusive by engaging Artspace, for example, online summer camps and Instagram volunteers from all sectors of the community in special exhibiLive presentations of artist conversations brought art to the tions and the development of the museum park. Her work lives community during tough times. Former CEO Mary Poole, who on in that institution, as well. retired at the end of last year after 18 years, had long led the Speaking of the NCMA, director Valerie Hillings has providcharge in reshaping, physically and programmatically, the cened impressive leadership during these tough times. The museum tral presence for art and artists in the heart of the city. Notably, park has remained open as a refuge to all and its online arts 52 | WALTER

Gus Samarco (NORTH CAROLINA MUSEUM OF ART)

A thank-you to the arts leaders who navigated us through tough times — and a charge for the next era

experiences have kept us entertained, engaged, and educated.

As we move deeper into 2021, with the hopeful reopening of institutions at normal capacity, it has also become clear that we can’t operate as we were before. The events of last year offer a directive to reconcile with our pasts and with the structures of our institutions, and to move forward with an eye towards equity and inclusivity.

Much of this work was already in progress; I commend Gab, in particular, for lifting up the creative voices of artists including Martine Gutierrez, Maya Freelon, Leonardo Drew, and Estevan Oriol to stimulate our connection to the socio-cultural issues of our time. But now is the time to do the work even more boldly, with full transparency. And as I look around, I see that every organization, large or small, is redirecting its limited resources to make themselves anew. This bodes well for the community at large.

I offer loud applause to Valerie and the NCMA for hiring key professionals from a range of backgrounds and for amplifying cultural diversity and inclusion throughout the museum’s strategic plan. Maya Brooks was recently appointed as the Mellon Foundation assistant curator; her role will involve creating new cultural perspectives on the art collection through program and exhibition initiatives. And Moses T. Alexander Greene, after leading the African American Cultural Center at North Carolina State University, will take the helm as director of film and performing arts, the popular centerpiece of the museum’s public program, indoors and out. His recent innovation, NCMA Jukebox, broadcasts music of all cultural expressions throughout the park to great popular acclaim.

Closing my paean to spring I salute the refreshing contributions of my friends Lizzie McNairy, Marjorie Hodges, and Allen Thomas for their innovative and important web enterprises. Through the Matrons & Mistresses website, Lizzie focuses on female artists, new and historic, from a broad range of backgrounds. She highlights interviews, programs, and exhibitions that bring our attention to these talented but too often unsung voices. Artsuite is a new online platform created

by Marjorie and Allen to showcase the art marketplace, with insights on trends and diverse makers worthy of the attention of collectors and advocates.

Catharsis, the cleansing of our souls, is made possible in our lives by the arts — and those who make art. It turns difficult times into more hopeful times. So as this spring blooms, may we create our own personal odes of welcome to this remarkable season and the enriching energy it brings.

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Larry Wheeler is director emeritus of the NCMA, where he served as CEO for nearly 25 years. He currently is an advisor to collectors of contemporary art and to institutions seeking to activate the arts in their mission.

THe Art & Soul of Raleigh | 53

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FEATURES Beige Wall Telephone, 1960s To you who have never known what it is to be tethered to the family’s one phone by a corkscrew cord

filthied by idle fingers twisting it as we talked and stretched by our efforts to sneak with the handset away from the dining room where that cheap plastic box clung to the wall, my sister and I desperate

to hide behind curtains or in a nearby room and mumble dumb endearments to whichever lucky soul we had a crush on that week: I won’t say how wonderful it felt to hear a call’s unexpected tremolo

and rush to answer that sudden summons, lifting the receiver’s heavy curve out of its metal hook, or to dial seven numbers on a whirring analog wheel and hear a distant ringing pulse in the ear,

knowing that actual bells trilled as a body moved through space to deliver its hopeful Hello? – no, it was awful, that phone, intended for businesses, brisk standing exchanges of information,

not a home where its too-public anchoring left adolescent siblings open to each other’s mockery and the cocked ears of nosy parents straining to decode one side of conversations as we curled closer

to the wall and whispered words downward into the darkness that our huddling made, not pacing like a barking dog chained to a stake in the backyard but trying our best to vanish, descending

slow as a diver sipping words like oxygen from a humming line whose other end kept us breathing.

From We Were Once Here by Michael McFee (Carnegie Mellon University Press, 2017)

illustration by LIDIA CHURAKOVA

THe Art & Soul of Raleigh | 55

For my family, spring is about celebrating every flower and cherishing longer days. It’s about the extra warmth from the sun, the eternal hope, and the promise of Easter. In these photographs, I tried to capture that spirit, the small moments of grace that assure us that better things are just around the corner.

HOPE words & photography by S.P. MURRAY

56 | WALTER

Opposite page: Spring, more than any other season, shows us that hope can be found in even the tiniest of details, including the delicate shape of a new leaf as it reaches towards the sun! This page: My parents’ energetic kitty, Prissy, loves to help my mother in the yard. One afternoon, after a day of “helping,” I noticed Prissy’s pollen-covered toes as she rested on the deck.

SPRINGS THe Art & Soul of Raleigh | 57

Clockwise from top: This amazing snapping turtle arrived one afternoon to lay her eggs.

Slow and cumbersome on land, she finished her task, then, graceful as a ballerina, slid back into the lake. Baby bluebirds bring such joy — especially when they become impatient waiting for their parents to return with more food! A sweet tree frog naps during the heat of the day in the heart-shaped leaf of a moon vine plant. I love the delicate lines of the lily of the valley. Sadly, they don’t last very long before one of my cats sits on them and crushes the petals.

58 | WALTER

This sassy hornet arrived with a group of honeybees to enjoy the camellia blossoms.

“Lo, the winter is past; the rains are over and gone.

Flowers appear on the earth; the season of singing has come!”

—Song of Songs 2:11-12 THe Art & Soul of Raleigh | 59

We spent one afternoon rescuing two abandoned baby squirrels by luring them out of the trees with slices of apple. Both squirrels began to happily purr as they took the slices into their tiny hands.

We found a wonderful local rehabber through Wildlife Welfare that welcomed the babies with warm fleece blankets and lots of formula.

60 | WALTER

Clockwise from top left: The redbud is the first flowering tree to bloom in my yard. Its delicate, rosy-pink blossoms announce the arrival of spring! Every year we are treated to the unexpected sighting of the newest baby deer to join the herd. This one stopped by for a quick afternoon snack.

In my yard, the earliest colors of spring, including an old-fashioned yellow bell (forsythia) bush and redbud trees, mingle with the early spring grass. God provides inspiration every morning in the colors of the sunrise.

THe Art & Soul of Raleigh | 61

SKY SCENES Clockwise from top left: Paul Franzon’s RV-8 (photo by Denis Zholob); the Bomb Burst formation (photo

by Zholob); Abigail Ingle, a coordinator for the Bandits (photo

by Abigail Ingle); Vince Tryer’s RV-4 (photo by Zholob); an echelon turn with Tryer’s RV-4 in the center; the spinner on Franzon’s RV-8; a view from the second seat (photo by Abigail Ingle); Bob Ingle flying his RV-8A (photo

by Abigail Ingle).

Clockwise from top: My sister and her husband are master cooks; whatever they make is both beautiful and delicious! This is their homemade cornbread, served with a slice of sunshine. Time for the annual power washing of the house! Growing up, my grandmother had a beautiful garden full of spring flowers including buttercups and hyacinths. For my family, buttercups signify the arrival of spring, so it only seems appropriate to keep them on the table with my grandparents’ photographs. Alexander, my favorite feline solar collector, takes full advantage of spring’s longer days.

62 | WALTER

“TK first time you fly in formation, and you’re that close to somebody else, it’s really freaky.”

I love seeing the fishermen on the lake, no matter the season.

They are so peaceful and quiet while they wait patiently; it feels almost like a spiritual moment. Sometimes they are alone, sometimes with family, sometimes it’s simply a man and his dog enjoying the serenity.

“The world is full of magic things, patiently waiting for our senses to grow sharper.”

— W.B. Yeats

THe Art & Soul of Raleigh | 63

Sculptor Patrick Dougherty creates inviting, overscale sculptures out of saplings

dream weaver

by J. MICHAEL WELTON photography by GREG CAMPBELL

64 | WALTER

THe Art & Soul of Raleigh | 65

P

Patrick Dougherty weaves whimsical, larger-than-life sculptures out of willow, sweet gum, and birch tree saplings.

The Chapel Hill native builds his finished products mostly outdoors in the natural environment, the overscale forms inviting passersby not to just view them, but to explore within. His ephemeral work has been displayed around the world, gracing gardens and forests in dozens of countries, from Scotland to South Korea.

Around here, you’ve likely encountered Out of the Box on the wall of the North Carolina Museum of Art’s West Building, a 15- by 75-foot-long sculpture of spiraling sticks the museum commissioned in 2009.

As the Thomas Phifer-designed museum was being completed in 2010, Dougherty was in a separate building, testing his saplings for insects, fumigating them, and treating them with a fire retardant. Then he brought them over to the new building to assemble. “I used eye bolts with a cable strung down, and then I wove into that,” he says.

Out of the Box is one-of-a-kind for more than one reason: out of 313 works completed by Dougherty since the early 1980s, only 25 have been designed for interior spaces and most have a temporary lifespan. The NCMA sculpture is the sole project planned from the beginning for permanent display, inside.

In fact, most of Dougherty’s willowy sculptures usually live little more than a few years. He deliberately designs them that way. According to the artist: “Outside, the line between trash and treasure is very thin.”

66 | WALTER

Dougherty manages his clients’ expectations about that when they commission his work. “He says it will have one great year, one good year, and the third will be a pretty good year,” says Aaron Shackelford, director of Georgia Tech Arts in Atlanta, about the school’s new sculpture, A Chip Off the Ol’ Block.

After that, Dougherty’s sweet-gum-woven work will be mulched and scattered across the campus. “It can’t look disheveled or it will lose credibility,” Dougherty says.

For three weeks in early January, Dougherty and his son Sam worked at Georgia Tech, up on a hill near the Kendeda Building, a state-of-the-art regenerative structure said to be the Southeast’s most environmentally friendly building. “You walk out the door, and you see it,” Shackelford says of Dougherty’s sculpture. “To Patrick, it was the most likely site.”

Dougherty wants people to interact

with his pieces. That might mean walking up and touching them or entering one of the windows or doors that puncture them. “People know sticks from childhood — they remember being kids under a lilac bush or playing in a forest — and these memories are starting points when they look at the sculptures,” Dougherty says. “Then they go inside — and it can be emotional.”

The desired outcome is often a visceral experience — not just for the viewers, but for the hundreds of volunteers who gather, collect, and deliver saplings to one of his sculpture’s sites.

They’re usually an integral part of the whole gestalt of Dougherty’s work. In Georgia Tech’s case, volunteers flocked to a community called Serenbe on the Chattahoochee River, in search of saplings to load on a flatbed and deliver to campus.

“I was most worried about the volunteers, because it was 40 degrees

Inside Patrick Dougherty’s sculpture on the Georgia Tech campus, A Chip Off the Ol’ Block.

THe Art & Soul of Raleigh | 67

An overhead view of the installation process of A Chip Off the Ol’ Block.

68 | WALTER

and I was concerned that they wouldn’t show up,” says Shackelford. “But when all was said and done, there were 150 students and community volunteers, even though it was cold and raining and sleeting, and we were digging in the mud.”

Completed on January 22, A Chip Off the Ol’ Block consists of four separate structures that Shackelford expects to become a sort of campus landmark. “There will be a lot of graduation photos taken there, plus first-day-of-class pics,” he says.

At Davidson College in Mecklenburg County, Dougherty completed a sculpture on a triangular space near the main library last year. Called Common Ground,

the project’s name reflects the community spirit of faculty and students working in unison to make it a reality.

“We got to spend a lot of time together,” says Lia Newman, director and curator of the Van Every/Smith Galleries, a contemporary art space at Davidson. “It was difficult, backbreaking work for three weeks, but he was generous with his time and with the students and community.”

During a visit to Davidson in August 2019, Dougherty looked at a number of sites before deciding on one that would generate the most traffic.

By the time the project was underway in January 2020, students, faculty, and members of the ground crew were

“They remember being kids under a lilac bush or playing in a forest — and these memories are starting points when they look at the sculptures.” — Patrick Dougherty

loading a tractor trailer with saplings from college-owned property. “It was like we could never fill the need — we spent weeks ahead of his visit collecting the material and getting it to the site,” Newman says. “Mostly we were cutting three different-sized requirements, and when he got here, we were still collecting more.”

That February, the Davidson project’s finishing touches slipped in just under the coronavirus wire. “Now we all feel a little more connected because of it,” Newman says. “Today, it’s one thing that people can do during the pandemic.”

The sculpture is a physical bridge between the existing architecture and landscape. “It’s large, almost like a maze, because you go in and out of different spaces,” Newman says. “It’s interactive, and gets people to connect to the architecture around it.”

Alas, like the students mobbing the Georgia Tech sculpture, they won’t have THe Art & Soul of Raleigh | 69

Patrick and Sam Dougherty installing A Chip Off the Ol’ Block at Georgia Tech and Out of the Box at the NCMA.

that opportunity forever. Newman and the Davidson ground crew are keeping their eyes on the project and continually assessing its condition. “All Patrick’s work will go away at some point, so maybe it’s got a year and a half to two-plus years from now,” she says. “He doesn’t like to have the art collapse on itself.”

By the end of April, North Carolina will have one more of Dougherty’s sculptures, on a highly visible open area near the winery at the Biltmore Estate’s Antler Hill Village in Asheville. Parker Andes, Biltmore’s director of horticulture, says that one of the reasons the site works is because it’s an agricultural area — and one of the original owner’s favored spots. “Patrick’s art fits with the horse barn from 1901, a historic area near a log cabin that was George Vanderbilt’s hunting lodge,” he says. “It needed to be away from the house because it would be incongruent with that architecture and the feel of the house.”

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Besides, both Andes and Dougherty want the sculpture to be visible and experiential to those who visit the estate. Andes estimates that several hundred thousand people will be interacting with the new sculpture during this spring, summer, and fall.

“We want to give them an experience that will connect with them, where they’ll find a little inspiration, and see the structure, the flow, and the artistry,” he says. “Families will interact, take pictures and maybe some middle schooler or high schooler will say: I could do something like this!”

After much consideration, the Biltmore project’s materials will be shipped in from Dougherty’s favorite source for willow saplings in New York state. But for now, the scope and nature of the Biltmore sculpture is unclear. “When we order material, we don’t know what we’re going to get,” Dougherty says. “The last time, the willows were 8 feet tall, but

maybe this time they’ll be 10 feet tall.”

So besides the initial quests for a well-traveled site and the right kind of sticks, there are other questions, like what the work is going to be, and who will help put the sculpture together. “I have to see what my resources are,” he says. “I’ll take some ideas with me, and see what I have then, and make some decisions.”

Typically, building the sculptures takes place within a tight time frame. “Your sponsors get tired of you,” Dougherty says. “Three weeks is about all we can do before that happens — they start pulling their hair out. Everybody has got their limits, and by the time we leave, they’re ready for us to go.”

However it turns out, the Biltmore project, too, will be temporary. “It’s completely recyclable,” Andes says. “It’s going to last as long as it’s going to last, and then it’ll be picked up and become mulch for garden beds. It’s truly organic.”

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72 | WALTER

The origin of one of Raleigh’s premier neighborhoods

MAKING HAYES

by TERRY HENDERSON photography by JOSHUA STEADMAN

O A glimpse down a driveway in Hayes Barton, now an established neighborhood.

One hundred years ago, the term “North Raleigh” had a different context.

Today, it’s known as an amorphous area of perhaps 150,000 or so people — almost a city within a city. But in the early 1900s, Raleigh’s northern boundary ended at Peace Street, only a mile or so from the city’s center; just beyond that was considered “out in the country.” A few housing developments had begun to spring up along a two-lane dirt road named Glenwood Avenue, including Bloomsbury and Glenwood-Brooklyn, since the trolley line had been extended nearly 2 miles out of town.

But this area north of town would begin the suburbanization of Raleigh, providing homes for a growing class of white, working, and lower-middle-class residents.

As the city became more segregated along racial and class lines, developers created neighborhoods to house these largely white-collar workers, like government employees, railroad workers, clerks, and small business owners, employed downtown.

Now celebrating its centennial, Hayes Barton — bordered on the east by the now-bustling Glenwood Avenue and to the west by St. Mary’s Street and Oberlin Road — began life as part of this extension of the city limits. It was conceived as an elite neighborhood that catered to influential business owners, executives, medical and legal professionals, managers, politicians, and civic and social leaders. When it was annexed in 1920, it was the city’s newest subdivision.

What would become Hayes Barton sprouted from a cotton field and a vegetable patch on a prosperous country farm. There, a respected Civil War veteran, Captain B. P. Williamson, had labored 50 years to create “Fairview Farm,” an agricultural showplace that generated prize-winning produce, livestock, and horses that were the envy of the state.

The land had once been part of more than 3,000 acres descended from England’s King Charles II in the 18th and 19th centuries through his colonial representatives — the Lords Proprietors — to early settlers Joel and Henry Lane and their progeny, the Mordecai family. It was from Martha Mordecai Little that Williamson bought the original 300 acres and burnished his reputation as a businessman, county commissioner, treasurer, and investor. Williamson was well known as an “agriculturist” for his innovations in stockbreeding cattle and thoroughbred horses, and through THe Art & Soul of Raleigh | 73

experimentation in the planting of various grasses for soil conservation and improvement. Verdant and pristine, Fairview Farm was a destination for anyone serious about the latest techniques of breeding, agricultural innovation, and horse racing.

By the late 1880s, Williamson had sold a good portion of his land to his friend B. Grimes Cowper, who maintained the property with cotton production and farming enterprises and continued the name Fairview Farm. Williamson’s death in 1919 set in motion a flurry of activity focused on one of the largest remaining undeveloped pieces of property in an area of rapid expansion. The Allen brothers — real estate agents Dan, Frank, and William — convinced Cowper and Williamson’s widow, Ella, that the best use of the property moving forward would be as an elite subdivision that would attract Raleigh’s prominent citizens. In 1920, the Allen brothers created the Fairview Company with Colonel (later General) Albert Lyman Cox, to develop 175 of the original acres. It was named Hayes Barton after Sir Walter Raleigh’s ancestral home in England.

As with many early-20th-century neighborhoods, the development of Hayes Barton and surrounding communities was aided by the expansion of the trolley system owned by Carolina Power and Light Company. CP&L hoped to make money through increased sales of electricity, gas, and appliances from the development of homes and businesses along the route.

To get people interested in living along the trolley line, CP&L used an incentive successful in many communities across the country: an amusement park.

For the price of a nickel, “joyriders” were whisked to the fun at the terminus of the trolley line — and on the way, given the opportunity to imagine living beyond the noise, dirt, pollution, and congestion of the city.

Hayes Barton promised modern conveniences and the prestige of generous wooded lots, larger and more impressive houses, paved roads, full electrification, and indoor plumbing. It also offered protective covenants and the ability to 74 | WALTER

“choose your neighbors.” These protective covenants were common in new subdivisions across the country before zoning laws were in force. They included sensible restrictions on land use, density, and keeping livestock, but also often excluded racial and ethnic minorities, except those working as servants. (These covenants would later be ruled unconstitutional by the United States Supreme Court.)

Hayes Barton was professionally planned by Earle Sumner Draper. He was the same landscape architect that drew up Myers Park in Charlotte, which also had its beginnings as a rural farm. That was no accident: what better way to emulate Charlotte’s premier neighborhood than to piggyback on its same plan?

Raleigh had long been envious of Charlotte, in a way, for its population, industry, wealth, and progressive state leadership. Raleigh’s claim to fame was based largely on the legacy of old families whose wealth was tied up in land ownership — then not a very beneficial means for creating great wealth, unlike the Queen City’s banking and industrial base. With more heritage than money, Raleigh was prosperous, but not wealthy, and owed its reputation and status to being the center of a sizable agricultural region. Even as the location of a proliferation of colleges, institutes, and universities, and the seat of state government, it was hardly an economic engine.

Hayes Barton’s classical architecture, innovative landscaping, larger lot layout, privacy, and exclusivity offered an opportunity for up-and-coming businessmen and social climbers to model Charlotte’s elite and leapfrog over the stodgy, old-line neighborhoods downtown. Those fussy Victorian-style homes had the faded elegance of an older era with their amalgam of towers, turrets, gables, dormers, and bric-a-brac decoration. Besides, those sought-after areas like Oakwood, Blount Street, and Hillsborough Street were now full.

In contrast, Hayes Barton homes offered refined and elegant 18th-century English Georgian and Colonial styles made of brick, noted for their pleasing symmetry and spare detail.

Clockwise from top left: 1202 Cowper Drive, circa 1926; aerial view of Five Points in the 1940s; 1005 Vance Street, circa 1925; 913 Vance Street, circa 1925; WWI hero Albert Lyman Cox; 1525 Carr Street, circa 1925; sculptor Gutzon Borglum.

THe Art & Soul of Raleigh | 75

From the Albert Barden Collection, State Archives of North Carolina (HISTORIC IMAGES)

Today, the hallmarks of Draper’s landscape design in Hayes Barton are fairly common, but in those days, they were innovative and specifically appealing. Draper paid attention to creating a “garden suburb” in concert with nature: streets that followed the natural contour of the land, for example, rather than leveling the earth to create gridded, perpendicular streets with uniform blocks.

Small parks were created with the largest parcels to create an estate-like setting, and creek bed greenway areas — which in the past had been sold off as the backs of house lots — became the featured view from front windows.

Roomier living required buying a minimum of two lots, and larger lots created front yards that were usually generous and fairly uniform, despite various-sized setbacks. Gated, wroughtiron-fenced front yards gave way to open landscaped yards with low stone walls in keeping with more of a garden-like feel. Commercial and other incompatible residential uses were barred through deed covenants, although there were no zoning rules in effect then. Developers laid out enormous sums for the latest and most expensive infrastructure, paved streets, sidewalks, curb and guttering, water and sewer, and landscaping.

Quickly, Hayes Barton became home to a renowned group of leaders, including two N.C. governors, three U.S. senators, an ambassador, a secretary of the Navy, state supreme court justices, authors, newspaper publishers, writers, artists, a muckraking crusader, and a sports coaching legend. The neighborhood has had more than its share of overachievers, including Gutzon Borglum, creator of the dazzling head of Lincoln emerging from a six-ton block of white marble now in the U.S. Capitol, and, most notably, Mount Rushmore; Albert Lyman Cox, one of the most celebrated heroes of World War I (who built a replica of Mount Vernon as his home); and Everett Case, the man who brought big-time college basketball to North Carolina at N.C. State University.

Not all of Hayes Barton’s stories or residents were favorable or brought credit to the neighborhood. Emblematic of the 76 | WALTER

times nationally, the rise of segregation in the early 1920s saw the widespread use of protective housing covenants, private agreements written into deeds that not only regulated land use, but also discriminated against Black people and immigrants.

One particularly ugly and infamous incident occurred in 1927, when a prosperous immigrant was denied the opportunity to build a home in the neighborhood. Greek-born Gus Russos owned a hat cleaners, a series of shoeshine stands, and other investments, and wanted to build in Hayes Barton to place his kids near a good school. The neighborhood was incensed that an immigrant would be so presumptuous and held an “indignation” meeting in a nearby Baptist church to plot his exclusion. The fallout from this controversy erupted into a city-wide scandal for much of that summer. Ultimately, Russos decided on his own not to build in Hayes Barton — but he was supported in his intentions by the city’s newspaper publishers, who pointed out the irony that someone from the country that had given Western civilization its culture, architecture, and democracy somehow might not be “good enough” to live in the neighborhood.

One hundred years later, and with more stories to tell, Hayes Barton continues as both a modern and classic neighborhood, ready for its next century.

Today, it’s made up of Raleigh natives and folks from around the world as well.

A place that used to be considered the suburbs, a trek to get to, is now firmly part of Raleigh’s core. As Raleigh continues to grow, particularly in this time of rapid expansion, it’s also worth noting that what’s new today will become the foundation for future generations of Raleighites; knowing a neighborhood’s origins can be a reminder to be thoughtful in design and development.

With its well-preserved homes, lush landscapes, and central location, Hayes Barton is both a genteel time capsule and thoroughly modern neighborhood.

Terry Henderson is the author of Hayes Barton @ 100, a book on the neighborhood’s origins, development, and residents.

Clockwise from top left: 1202 Cowper Drive; a resident walking a dog; 1005 Vance Street; 913 Vance Street; Bobby Lewis of Raleigh Development Company (whose dog, Spud, appears on the cover); 1525 Carr Street; Thayer Van Horn with daughter Eloise and their dog, George Barris.

THe Art & Soul of Raleigh | 77

BLOOM forth

A gardener and an engineer create their own version of an English estate, abundant with azaleas

by CAROLYN BOOTH photography by JACLYN MORGAN 78 | WALTER

THe Art & Soul of Raleigh | 79

W

Welcome to my garden! Spring has arrived in all its glory, and my azaleas and rhododendrons are at their peak.

Take a stroll with me and I’ll tell you a tale of how a gardener and an engineer turned this rocky, sloping three-quarters of an acre into a glimpse of the English countryside.

We built our home here in MacGregor Downs in 1976, starting out with the usual shrubs and bushes. But our lot sloped away from the golf course and from side to side, leaving little space for anything around the house other than a small brick patio and bed of roses. It was not until we explored the British Isles that we found our inspiration.

We loved the spaces we saw attached to the 19th-century estates scattered about the English countryside: Sissinghurst Castle with its compartmentalized plots; Hidcote Manor with its great walls and roses; Hever Castle where the landscape rises around the ruins of an ancient moated castle. Many had elaborate glass houses, like giant terrariums, and all had extensive, engaging spaces where guests could stroll along gravel paths to their heart’s content.

Between our yearly trips abroad, we plotted our master plan. My husband, Dick, an engineer, ran a complete topography of our property. We leveled the entire lot and filled it with steppeddown walls, terraces, winding pathways, and even an addition to our home, until we had encompassed every inch of the property. The concept of English country garden “rooms,” with paths leading to beds all around the house, slowly became a reality.

80 | WALTER

ART & INSPIRATION I’m the gardener (left) and my husband, Dick, is the engineer. We modeled our garden after 19th-century country estates we saw on our annual trips to the British Isles. Over the years, we’ve enjoyed furnishing our yard with art and artifacts; gargoyles and other objets d’art decorate our walls. On a trip to New England we purchased a classical Victorian fountain from an old estate provider — water features are a must in every great country house garden! — and we found teak benches in Charleston, South Carolina.

THe Art & Soul of Raleigh | 81

SECRET SPACES Beyond the curved wall is what my granddaughter, Caley, called her “Secret Garden.” As a child, she danced with her doll along the soft green moss walkway and sat at the tiny table for tea parties.

Inside the Secret Garden, you’ll find azaleas, pansies, roses, and hostas.

Our graceful butterfly bench in the kitchen garden came from right around the corner, here in Cary.

There’s a perforated wall built for privacy, light, and airflow, but also for its visual effects: light and shadow dance through it in different ways throughout the year.

82 | WALTER

“Step carefully now, there are fairies at play!

And if you come upon those rascally rabbits nibbling their way through breakfast, please shoo them away!”

THe Art & Soul of Raleigh | 83

It would take years to become established. We needed professional help to dig out the rocks and roots and to bring in tons of sifted topsoil. Eventually, we built the brick walks ourselves, connecting the various areas, just as we’d seen in England.

An eight-sided brick gazebo caps the end of the retaining wall and overlooks the seventh green; it’s one of our favorite spots for a meal al fresco. Just beyond, a walkway takes us through a small parterre-style shade garden of miniature boxwoods, hostas, and ferns.

As we wander back towards the house, there’s a bed of hosta sieboldiana, planted from seed many years ago. The Oriental Snowball Viburnum shading the little plot is one of many heirloom plants my parents gave me, keeping the tradition of pass-along plants alive in our family.

After removing 30 or 40 trees to put in a circular driveway in front of the house, we were left with a natural area of indigenous trees, including dogwood, holly, redbud, and wild azalea. To that we added several cultivars of azaleas popular in the South: Lady Banks, George Tabor, and White Ruffles. But something was missing.

The engineer figured it out: we needed hardscaping. We cleared a path, and paired a bench with a sculpture given to us by our grandson, Brian, when he graduated from art school.

Our yard has hosted many family celebrations over the years: birthdays, weddings, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Easter. But finishing the “Martini Garden” may have been the best.

After many weeks of lugging and setting paver stones, then shopping for the perfect bench, the engineer sat down to rest. “I need a martini,” he said. The gardener, who had been busy planting hostas, Lenten roses, astilbes, and even more azaleas (if you can imagine) said, “I’d like one, too. And make it dirty.”

A tradition was born. And if you find yourself here around 5 o’clock, perhaps you’ll join us.

84 | WALTER

HERBS & ORCHIDS

Bandit, our puppy, slips through the iron gate into the kitchen garden to greet us. Here, he’s allowed to roam off-leash, and we often rest with him on the butterfly bench. As the trees have closed in over the years, I no longer try to grow a variety of vegetables. But what’s a kitchen garden (left) without a raised bed of mesclun and a few tomatoes? Herbs are abundant here and hardly a day goes by that I don’t pick a handful of chives or parsley. An increasing love of orchids had me yearning for a lightfilled sanctum indoors for both working and relaxing. This came to be my garden room, below.

THe Art & Soul of Raleigh | 85

GOLDEN HOUR Although azaleas dominate our landscape, other trees and shrubs help fulfill our mission to have something blooming year-round.

Dogwood, holly, redbud, and wild azalea are among the indigenous flowering trees and bushes, and to those we added several cultivars of azaleas popular in the South, including Lady Banks, George Tabor, and White Ruffles.

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THE WHIRL

WALTER’s roundup of gatherings, celebrations, and virtual fun around the Triangle.

Melissa Carrier (left) and Rida Bayraktar from Innovate Carolina at WALTER's WINi

88 WINi 2021 90 Big Night In for the Arts 91 Hemlines for Hearts 92 Triangle Wine & Food Experience 93 Stein’s Furniture Designer Open House 94 Stars of the Industry Awards

To have your fundraiser, party, exhibit, or store opening featured in The Whirl, submit your images and information at waltermagazine.com/submit-photos.

THe Art & Soul of Raleigh | 87

WALTER EVENTS

Clockwise from top left: Panelists and guests at the event; Bank of America vice president Molly DeCola; Bank of America Student leader Fatima Bell; WALTER editor Ayn-Monique Klahre; Melissa Carrier (left) and Rida Bayraktar from Innovate Carolina.

O

WINi 2021

n February 24, WALTER held its fourth annual WINi. A sister event to our WINnovation summit, which celebrates local women in innovation, this virtual event gathered female leaders for an afternoon of introspection and inspiration.

To kick off the event, Molly DeCola, vice president and Triangle community relations manager for Bank of America, interviewed Fatima Bell, a young woman from Bank of America’s Student Leaders program. Afterwards, Melissa Carrier, director of social innovation and professor of practice at Innovate Carolina at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, and Rida Bayraktar, the founder of Pink STREAM and a current undergraduate student at UNC, led WINi attendees through exercises designed to help them uncover the aspects of their careers that bring them the most fulfillment.

Panelists at the summit included Carly Prentis Jones, a 88 | WALTER

theatre artist, singer, arts advocate, and activist; Cari Roccaro, a two-time NWSL Champion soccer player for North Carolina Courage; Victoria Scott-Miller, the owner of Liberation Station, a globally recognized independent pop-up bookstore; Jennifer Dasal, the curator of modern and contemporary art at the NCMA and voice behind the podcast ArtCurious; and Jess Ekstrom, the founder and CEO of Headbands of Hope, a fashion retailer that benefits children with cancer. They shared stories of successes and failures, and offered advice for women starting out in their careers.

After the talks, the panelists and guests engaged in a lively Q&A with guests. WALTER would like to thank its partner and presenting sponsor Bank of America, supporting sponsors St. David’s School and Saint Mary’s School, as well as Wegmans and our production team, Attended Events, for their support.

To view the program, visit waltermagazine.com/wini.

Wise words from the WINi 2021 panelists...

“I had this plan and I had to scrap it, because I found a life that was calling out to me. It was scary to follow a new dream — and while I don’t tell people to follow their hearts and run away to the circus, I do advise you to stay open and see what finds you. You always have the right to say no to something that comes your way.”

— Jennifer Dasal, curator of modern and contemporary art at NCMA

“The idea that quitting is weakness is silly — I think that quitting reminds us that we have a choice. Our energy and creativity dies in limbo, it dies in the grey area. Move forward and instead of holding an outcome with a clenched fist, try holding it with an open palm. Success can’t be measured, it must be felt.”

— Jess Ekstrom, founder and CEO of Headbands for Hope

“Authenticity is activism: on stage, my differences are celebrated.

It’s OK for us to have multiple skill sets — in fact, we should celebrate them!

You can have it all, just not always all at once. Even the best-laid plans sometimes take a turn… just remember that nothing is permanent.”

— Carly Prentis Jones, performer and senior program director for artists & organizations at North Carolina Arts Council

“Change and life transitions are inevitable. If I fail, if I suck, if I’m not having that much fun — it doesn’t matter, because I learned something, and I grew. The right doors will open for you when you follow your heart.

Don’t bubble-wrap your life, and take care of your mental health.”

— Cari Roccaro, midfielder for North Carolina Courage

“We all are given a moral compass, we all are given intuition in some way, and you have to allow yourself to lead with that in order to make the best decisions possible. It took me a while to realize that I was not onedimensional, that I am a universe within myself, and I have to operate as one. Lean all the way into uncertainty.”

— Victoria Scott-Miller, owner of Liberation Station bookstore

THe Art & Soul of Raleigh | 89

THE WHIRL BIG NIGHT IN FOR THE ARTS On March 11, the United Arts Council presented its Big Night In for the Arts, a fundraising initiative broadcast live on WRAL-TV. The superstar line-up included actress and Raleigh native Ariana DeBose; country music artist Scotty McCreery, originally from Garner; Branford Marsalis, the renowned Durham-based saxophonist; actor and playwright Mike Wiley, based in Chatham County; and Chapel Hill folk duo Mandolin Orange. Mitchell-Casteel developed a creative pick-up menu for guests to enjoy while watching the show.

Laura Gunter, Mark Gunter, Mika Drew, Julian Drew, Donna Heffring, Peter Heffring

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HEMLINES FOR HEARTS In February, students Caroline Diaz, Lauren Elson, Emma Gibson, Lindsey Seidenstein, Alexis Shockley, and Daryn Wilkerson from NC State's Wilson College of Textiles displayed their creations at Crabtree Valley Mall as part of Hemlines for Hearts, a service learning design competition in partnership with the American Heart Association.

Hemlines for Hearts designs

More winning designs

Student participants

THE WHIRL TRIANGLE WINE & FOOD EXPERIENCE On Saturday, February 6, The Triangle Wine & Food Experience broadcast its Livestreamed Celebration & Auction to benefit Frankie Lemmon School & Development Center. Guests had the opportunity to pick up appetizer platters and drinks from Ashley Christensen’s AC Restaurant Group for their at-home celebrations. The event raised more than $1 million for the school.

Courtesy TWFE

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STEIN’S FURNITURE DESIGNER OPEN HOUSE On February 12, Stein’s Furniture & Lacquer Studio held a Designer Open House. They showcased their newly designed front showroom with lacquered pieces for sale and a back room filled with unfinished pieces. Raleigh designers were invited to tour the inventory, meet new team members, and see expanded customization offerings.

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THE WHIRL STARS OF THE INDUSTRY AWARDS On February 17, the North Carolina Restaurant and Lodging Association hosted its Stars of the Industry awards ceremony at The Pavilion at the Angus Barn. Max Trujillo and Matt Weiss of the NC Food & Beverage Podcast emceed the event, and Charles Winston Jr. and Wil O’Neal of Winston’s Grille were named Restaurateurs of the Year.

TK

Lynn Ming

Invites You To Attend A Virtual Event Benefiting Children and Families:

Charles Winston Jr., Wil O'Neal

Hope Lives in A Place To Call Home THURSDAY, APRIL 22 | 7PM

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More than anything right now, we believe that the world needs hope. The communities we serve are filled with some of the most inspiring children and families we’ve ever met, with stories of resiliency, perseverance, and hope. Join us for a memorable virtual event to share in a few of these heartwarming stories and to celebrate family and the hope that lives in a place to call home.

Please register by April 8 to receive the event link:

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Questions? Please email: philanthropy@chsnc.org While there is no cost to attend, our guests will be asked to make a tax-deductible gift to support our work with children and families.

EXTRAS Take WALTER to go! There’s always something to discover on our website and social media.

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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 much to offer in making the world 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 CEO of the Foundation For The Carolinas

YOUR GUIDE TO SECONDHAND SHOPPING IN RALEIGH In the midst of this darned pandemic, let’s not forget about the beauty of secondhand shopping here in Raleigh.

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Sunday Open House — or in this case, open garden... @jaclynmorgan

ON N I SALERIL P A

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:

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WINDOW on the WORLD

Astronaut Christina Koch delivers a fresh perspective on Earth

C

hristina Koch has seen the Earth from every angle, its bright blue landscape captured with her trusty digital camera from 250 miles above the planet’s surface.

Last March, the NASA astronaut returned from a 328-day stay on the International Space Station, the longest time spent by a woman in space. Koch participated in six spacewalks, including the first-ever with an all-female crew, and spent 42 hours and 15 minutes tethered outside the space station making repairs and conducting experiments.

In all, Koch orbited the Earth 5,248 times and traveled 139,053,992 miles.

Koch first remembers dreaming of space as a 5-year-old in Grand Rapids,

96 | WALTER

by TIM PEELER Michigan — and a stint in Space Camp cemented her vision. Her family moved to North Carolina, and she attended the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics for high school, then earned bachelor’s degrees in electrical engineering and physics and a master’s in electrical engineering from North Carolina State University.

“My time at State was one of constant discovery,” Koch says.

After graduation, Koch worked as a NASA engineer, then as a researcher in remote outposts like the South Pole, Greenland, and American Samoa.

Those assignments taught her to live in isolation, without the company of friends and family — helpful not just for her time in space, but for her return to Earth in the midst of a pandemic.

“Being comfortable with not seeing your loved ones in person and finding ways to be supportive virtually is a big parallel with being at the space station,” Koch says.

Her next celestial steps: Koch was selected to be part of NASA Artemis, a program that will land the first woman and next man on the moon. A threeyear mission, Artemis I will fly to the moon without astronauts and without landing, Artemis II will take astronauts into the moon’s orbit, and Artemis III will return humans to the surface of the moon for the first time since 1972.

“It’s very exciting,” says Koch. “I’ll probably know the first woman and next man to walk on the surface of the moon — any of us would be ready and honored to accept that mission.”

Courtesy NASA

END NOTE

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