WALTER Magazine - June 2024

I’ve got rhythm. I’ve got music. I’ve got AFib.

Atrial Fibrillation may be the most common heart rhythm disorder. But it requires uncommon care.

The kind of care we provide at our dedicated AFib Center. Care that reduces your risk of stroke or heart failure. Here, highly skilled electrophysiology physicians specialize in your heart’s electrical wakemed.org/afib-center system and offer a wide variety of treatment options for AFib, many of them minimally invasive.

Just what you and your heart need to get your life back to normal. And the band back together. wakemed.org/afib-center

wakemed.org/afib-center wakemed.org/afib-center

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Same-day appointments available • Most appointments seen within 48 hours • Easy access to specialists in electrophysiology, cardiology, bariatrics, sleep medicine, nutrition and smoking cessation • Expedited care to improve AFib outcomes • Dedicated visits specific to AFib

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JUNE 2024

The Art & Soul of Raleigh

JUNE 2024

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JUNE 2024 JUNE 2024

Same-day appointments available • Most appointments seen within 48 hours • Easy access to specialists in electrophysiology, cardiology, bariatrics, sleep medicine, nutrition and smoking cessation • Expedited care to improve AFib outcomes • Dedicated visits specific to AFib

The Art & Soul of Raleigh

The Art & Soul of Raleigh

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CONTENTS

JUNE 2024

25 OUR TOWN 25 DRINK: Small Batch 27 GARDEN: Hey, June!

28 NATURE: The Great Migration 32 MUSIC: Keeping the Blues Alive 34 MAKERS: All the Buzz 36 EXPLORE: Retro Stays 38 ALBUM: In a Groove 39 SPORTS: Wild and Wonderful 42 SIMPLE LIFE: When Losing is Winning

FEATURES 45 Wishing

by Jaki Shelton Green art by Jane Cheek

46 Pride of Place

Dustin Smith and Burton Buffaloe create a stylish family home

by Ayn-Monique Klahre photography by Catherine Nguyen

56 Cut & Shave

Inside local barbershops

by Matt Lail photography by Rob Hammer

64 Lavender Blues

A hydrangea-filled garden

by Helen Yoest photography by Juli Leonard

IN EVERY ISSUE 10 EDITOR’S LETTER 14 CONTRIBUTORS 15 YOUR FEEDBACK 17 OUR TOWN 19 DATEBOOK 89 THE WHIRL 96 END NOTE: A Triptych in 3D

42

72 InterDisciplinary

Painter Isabel Lu

by Colony Little photography by Joshua Steadman

On the cover: Dustin Smith and Burton Buffaloe’s home. Photograph by Catherine Nguyen.

8 | WALTER

Joshua Steadman (ISABEL LU); Trey Thomas (SCULPTURE); Forrest Mason (PONYSAURUS); Gerry O’Neill (GLASSES)

96

72

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10 | WALTER

My daughter and her friends after choir practice; N.C. Poet Laureate and WALTER poetry editor Jaki Shelton Green with Addie Ladner.

I

often think about how lost I’d be without my village of mom friends to help me navigate parenting — but lately I’ve noticed that our village of dads is just as strong.

A few years ago, my husband Josh started Y Guides with our older daughter and a group of friends. (For those who aren’t familiar, this is a program where groups of dads and their sons or daughters go on various camp-like adventures over the course of three years.) They’ve aged out, but now he’s continuing the tradition with our younger daughter.

And as sweet as it is for them to have some solo time, it’s also sweet how all the daughters now know all the dads (possibly too well — just ask who snores the loudest).

More than once, I’ve gotten a text from a dad after school along the lines of, I hope it’s OK, but I threw the bikes in the truck and took your girls to Brookside Bodega. That dad is now the preferred pickup person after choir practice on Thursdays — sometimes, he lets the kids sit in the bed of the truck, too. Apparently, that’s a whole lot more fun than riding in the backseat of our SUV. Part of the reason we moved here was because our oldest daughter’s godfather lived here. And sure enough, my girls think of his kids as their cousins. They

have formed a special relationship with their “uncle” that comes from sharing both milestones and mundane times together, including many hours on the couch watching the Hurricanes with the dads, who are die-hard fans.

Seems like my girls are on a firstname basis with most of the dads in the neighborhood, actually, and vice versa.

A set of twins in our group even refer to my husband as “Joshy-washy,” a special nickname only a few of his own elementary school friends ever called him, until now. My youngest often invites herself along with a neighbor dad to pick up one of her friends from after-school, and I’m sure she’s chit chatting all the way.

I know which dads to call when we need to borrow a power tool, move a couch, mount a TV or install some new lighting fixtures. Josh is on the team when it’s time to tear down a shed or help put up fencing for a new puppy.

I’ll speak on behalf of the mom village: We’re all grateful to have this extra manpower, or rather, dadpower, in our lives.

Ayn-Monique Klahre Editor

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JUNE 2024 EDITORIAL

PUBLISHING

Editor AYN-MONIQUE KLAHRE ayn-monique@waltermagazine.com

Publisher DAVID WORONOFF

Creative Director LAURA PETRIDES WALL laura@waltermagazine.com Associate Editor ADDIE LADNER addie@waltermagazine.com Contributing Writers Catherine Currin, Jim Dodson, Mike Dunn, Josh Klahre, Matt Lail, Elizabeth Lincicome, Colony Little, David Menconi, Debbie Moose, Lee Pace, Helen Yoest, J. Michael Welton Contributing Poetry Editor Jaki Shelton Green Contributing Copy Editor Finn Cohen Contributing Photographers Rob Hammer, Juli Leonard, Forrest Mason, Taylor McDonald, Catherine Nguyen, Joshua Steadman, Trey Thomas

Advertising Sales Manager JULIE NICKENS julie@waltermagazine.com Senior Account Executive & Operations CRISTINA HURLEY cristina@waltermagazine.com Finance STEVE ANDERSON 910-693-2497 Distribution JAMES KAY Inquiries WALTER OFFICE 984-286-0928 info@waltermagazine.com Address all correspondence to: WALTER magazine, 421 Fayetteville Street, Suite 104 Raleigh, N.C. 27601

Contributing Illustrators Jane Cheek, Gerry O’Neill Intern Elaine McManus

WALTER is available by paid subscriptions for $36 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 984-286-0928.

WALTER does not accept unsolicited manuscripts.

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

Owners JACK ANDREWS, FRANK DANIELS III, DAVID WORONOFF In memoriam FRANK DANIELS JR. © 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 12 times a year by The Pilot LLC.

12 | WALTER

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CONTRIBUTORS Worn for hours

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If anyone can appreciate a good barber, it’s Matt Lail. “Blessed” with multiple cowlicks, Lail has spent his life chasing the right magician to make it all work. He found it here in Raleigh. (Thanks, Steve!) “There’s just something instinctively appealing about barbershops. They’re places where you come away looking better but also intrinsically feeling better.”

Lail is a communications professional who is also blessed with a wife and three kids... who all have really good hair.

Preservation

CATHERINE NGUYEN / P HOTO G R A PH ER Catherine Nguyen is an advertising and editorial photographer specializing in interior design and architecture. A New York native, Nguyen has a background in management consulting and marketing.

After realizing her passion for creative pursuits, she attended the Academy of Art University in San Francisco to study photography.

“What really struck me about Dustin and Burton’s home is how layered and thoughtful it is. Every piece of art, furniture and decor holds meaning. There are no obvious design rules at play, everything is just loved well — much like the family in the home.”

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ROB HAMMER / P HOTO G R A P HE R Rob Hammer is a freelance photographer known for shooting professional athletes and longterm projects focused on niche aspects of American culture. One project in particular has spanned more than 13 years, where he has traveled 35,000 miles a year documenting barbershops in all 50 states of the United States.

“It was a thrill to be given the opportunity to showcase the diverse barbershop culture in Raleigh, which truly has something for everyone.”

DEBBIE MOOSE / WR I T ER

Freelance writer Debbie Moose, a former reporter and food editor for The News & Observer, has written seven cookbooks. When she’s not cooking, she enjoys writing about unusual obsessions (such as people who collect stinky amorphophallus plants) and unexpected beauty. That’s what attracted her to Susan Reynolds’ jewelry: “To have the special eye to see the beautiful potential in things other people find unattractive — that intrigues me. And the jewelry is so elegant and surprising!”

courtesy contributors

MATT LAIL / W R I TE R

FEEDBACK We love to hear from you!

“I love your magazine because it keeps me connected to the vibrancy of Raleigh.”

— Mary Esther Baker “Jim Dodson’s column about marital ‘conditions‘ is spot-on! My husband suffers from both RRBS (Recurring Refrigerator Blindness Syndrome) and UHIC (Unfinished Home Improvement Complex) — though I may have a touch of UHIC, too!”

— Alayna Tetreault-Rooney

Jennifer Anné, assistant manager of the SECU DinoLab, poses with the May issue, in which we toured the new facility.

Lots of folks were happy to read about the opening of the bar Natural Science...

“Congratulations brother! So happy to see this, well deserved!”

— Blake Gotliffe “Best bar in Raleigh!”

— Amy Nonino “Great spot!”

— Chana Lynn

We make fathers feel special every day.

Your Dad deserves the very best. At The Cypress of Raleigh, we strive to provide it. Members enjoy an exceptional lifestyle with opportunities to continue learning, growing and enriching their lives.

Plus, we offer a smart plan for health care, along with the financial benefits of homeownership. For our Members, we make every day special.

919.518.8907 thecypressofraleigh.com/future

@waltermagazine www.waltermagazine.com

WALTER

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

THe Art & Soul of Raleigh | 15

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OUR TOWN

Geoff Wood

Relish the start of summer by with Juneteenth celebrations, new books, sports, family-friendly shows and laid-back music.

WATCH THE COMPETITION Our area is a hot spot for summer sports. Women’s pro soccer team Carolina Courage will take on California’s Monterey Bay Football Club on June 16 and the Pittsburgh Riverhounds on June 22 — get there early to enjoy food trucks and photo ops at FanFest (from $12; 101 Soccer Park Drive, Cary; nccourage.com). Head to Zebulon to support the Carolina Mudcats, the farm team for the Milwaukee Brewers. They have 13 home games this month (from $17; Five County Stadium, 1501 NC-39, Zebulon; milb.com/carolina-mudcats). Get a taste for car racing at the Wake County Speedway the first three Fridays of the month (from $15; 2109 Simpkins Road, Raleigh; wcspeedway.com). Drive out to Pinehurst for the day June 10 to 16 to watch top golfers compete in the U.S. Open (from $65; Pinehurst Resort & Country Club, 80 Carolina Vista, Pinehurst; usopen.com). — Addie Ladner THe Art & Soul of Raleigh | 17

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DATEBOOK WALTER’s list of things to see, do and experience this month.

by ADDIE LADNER

PRIDE MONTH

courtesy Heights House

All month | Various times There are lots of ways to celebrate Pride Month in town! On June 8, Runologie and Trophy Brewing will host the annual Run for Love 5K, which benefits Raleigh Pride and the LGBTQ+ Center of Raleigh.

In addition to the 5K, kids can participate in a free 400-meter fun run just before the 5K kicks off.

Afterwards enjoy live music, food trucks and a drag show (9 a.m.; from $45; 1251 Goode Street; trophybrewing.com). On June 15, Heights House will host Parlor Pride for the second time, with DJ Jermainia providing the beats and drag performers Chloe Cassidy and Oak City Kitty offering entertainment on the hotel’s front lawn. “Being able to bring our community to celebrate love in all forms truly is the best,”

HANDS-ON HISTORY: WEAVE A BOOKMARK

June 1 & 15 | 12 - 3 p.m.

Members of the Triangle Weaving Guild will be at the North Carolina Museum of History teaching little ones how to weave a bookmark. The activity will be followed by a Cloth Clues Gallery Hunt, where visitors will search the museum galleries for interesting artifacts for a chance to win a prize. “These gallery hunts always give visitors a chance to connect with our history and with each other,” says Nancy Pennington, the museum’s

says Will Bryant, manager and operations director at Heights House. Kids are welcome, and the event will feature themed crafts and activities along with food trucks (1 - 5 p.m.; $10; 308 S.

youth program director. The event is part of the Artist at Work series, which showcases craftspeople from across the state who practice traditional art forms. Free; 5 E. Edenton Street; ncmuseumofhistory.org

STUDENT ART SHOW

June 1 - 27 | Various times This month at Sertoma Arts Center, more than 120 pieces of student art, chosen by their instructors, will be displayed across its four galleries.

In the Raleigh Room, Art Needs Art shows new paintings from Peter

Boylan Avenue; heightshousenc.com). On June 22, downtown will be full of life for Out! Raleigh’s 12th annual Pride festival (11 a.m. - 7 p.m.; Fayetteville Street; outraleighpride.org).

Marin’s advanced painting students.

In the Hall Gallery, The Talent of Sarah Ann Austin’s Students shows mixedmedia pieces. In the display cases will be Deliberate Texture, various sculptural pieces and handmade objects put together by Ann Haigler. And in the Wall Case Gallery is Weaver of Worlds, colorful handwoven wall hangings curated by Leeman Smith. “Through this collection, the viewer senses the individual style of each artist while detecting the influence of their instructor. The methods and techniques used are consistent threads while the

All information is accurate as of press time, but please check waltermagazine.com and the event websites for the latest updates.

THe Art & Soul of Raleigh | 19

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DATEBOOK execution, content and composition are uniquely individual,” says Joeli Franks, the art center’s director. Free; 1400 Millbrook Road; raleighnc.gov/arts

courtesy Eleanor Rice (PETS); courtesy The Green Chair (IZARD BOOK); courtesy Raleigh Iron Works (FOODIE)

KINKY BOOTS

June 7 - 23 | Various times Based on a true story, Kinky Boots follows the unexpected journey of Charlie Price, a reluctant shoemaker who rallies to save his father’s failing shoe factory. In the meantime, Charlie forms a friendship with a drag queen named Lola, who convinces him to make dazzling stilettos instead of traditional men’s dress shoes. With a score by the legendary Cyndi Lauper, this musical will make you smile, laugh and ponder what could happen when you step out of your comfort zone.

From $25; 301 Pogue Street; raleighlittletheatre.org

YOUR PETS’ SECRET LIVES June 1 | 11 a.m.

Did you know canaries have a secret force-field capability? Or that your pet dog never relieves itself in the same place?

These are just a few things entomologist and local author Eleanor Rice learned when doing research for her second book, Your Pets’ Secret Lives, out this month.

“Each page I wrote taught me something amazing about the animals with which we spend our days. It changed the way I see all pets,” says Rice. Head to Quail Ridge Books for a fun, quirky book release party, where you can ask Rice your wildest questions and meet book illustrator Rob Wilson, who’ll teach you how to draw your pet’s portrait. Plus, there’ll be a special surprise guest (hint: they’re famous, but not human). Free but registration encouraged; 4209-100 Lassiter Mill Road; quailridgebooks.com

RALEIGH FOO

FOODIE FARE

June 8 | 11 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Event production group MAKRS Society is hosting a food and art festival at Raleigh Iron Works. Local singer and guitarist Kerry Long and vocalist Scarlet Tantrum will be performing live while guests enjoy eating from top-notch food trucks. Amoung them: Cousin’s Maine Lobster, Poblanos Tacos, Narrative Coffee and The Jones BBQ. Free; 2200 Atlantic Avenue; raleighironworks.com

STEEP CANYON RANGERS WITH THE NC SYMPHONY

June 8 | 8 p.m.

Conductor Michelle Di Russo with the North Carolina Symphony will join Grammy-winning folk group Steep Canyon Rangers at the wooded Koka

Booth Amphitheatre. The show is part of the Symphony’s UNC Summer Fest, a laid-back concert series where guests can bring their own picnics, beverages and lawn chairs to relax and enjoy music under the stars. From $41; 8003 Regency Parkway, Cary; boothamphitheatre.com

TRUST THE WHISPER

June 13 | 9:30 - 11:30 a.m.

Author and motivational speaker Kathy Izard will be in conversation with two of Raleigh’s housing advocates in Raleigh this month.

Jackie Craig, the founder of The Green Chair Project, and Molly Painter, campaign chair for CASA’s King’s Ridge development, will join Izard to discuss her books Trust the Whisper

and Grace Heard a Whisper. Over coffee and light bites, the three will discuss their work and the importance of leaning into your purpose. $35; 1853 Capital Boulevard; thegreenchair.org

SOUND HEALING MEDITATION

June 15 | 3 - 4 p.m.

Emily Barnhill, a local certified sound-healing practitioner, will lead a centering meditation session at the Oberlin Regional Library. Bring your mat, water bottle and a mind ready for clearing. It’s just one of several free events of this type geared towards mental and physical wellness in adults and seniors throughout June. Others include yoga and therapy gardening classes. Free but registration encouraged; 1930 Clark Avenue; wake.gov/events

INTO THE GARDEN

June 17 - 18 | 7 p.m.

Local aerial acrobatic company Cirque de Vol is bringing an enchanting, family-friendly performance to Burning Coal Theatre. Follow Peanuts, an THe Art & Soul of Raleigh | 21

DATEBOOK JUNETEENTH

June 15 - 19 | Various times

Celebrate the end of Palmer drive; dixpark.org). slavery in the United Also on June 15, check out States with moving and Juneteenth Celebration at joyous events. At the North Downtown Cary Park, a Carolina Museum of Art, jubilant festival hosted by the two-day Juneteenth cultural historian Darrell 12 - 6 P.M. Joy celebration kicks off Stover. Enjoy bites from on Friday, June 14, with a food trucks like Royal gospel concert featuring Grammy-winning musician Kirk Cheesecake & Varieties and TrySeafood. And for entertainFranklin and Stellar Award-winning songwriter Maurette ment, funk group Plunky & Oneness of Juju as well as poet Brown Clark. On Saturday, June 15, the museum will stream and singer Priscilla Miller are on the lineup (1 - 7 p.m., free; 327 S. Academy Street; downtowncarypark.com). On the 2023 film adaption of The Color Purple, based on the acclaimed novel by Alice Walker (check website for prices and Juneteenth itself, June 19, visit the John P. “Top” Greene community center to see a display of Ankara fabrics and times; 2110 Blue Ridge Road; ncartmuseum.org). On June 15, African American quilts for the African Cultured Expresthe Capital City Juneteenth Celebration at Dorothea Dix sions of the Arts “Sewcial” exhibition (6 - 8 p.m., free; 401 Park will feature entertainment, family activities, vendors Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard; raleighnc.gov/parks). and food on the lawn at Harvey Hill (12 - 6 p.m., free; 693

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22 | WALTER

courtesy North Carolina Museum of Art

Left to right: Kirk Franklin and Maurette Brown Clark

inquisitive pet hamster, as she embarks on a journey through her front yard — which turns into a magical adventure of self-realization, courage and love. The intimate downtown theater will be enlivened with 13 aerialists disguised as flowers, gnomes, mushrooms and flowers in this original production that will captivate all ages. From $25; 224 Polk Street; cirquedevol.com

courtesy Cirque de Vol

SUMMER SOIREE

June 22 | 6 p.m.

Hope Renovations is a nonprofit organization with a twofold mission: to prepare underemployed women to work in construction and to aid adults with aging in place. At the organization’s annual fundraiser, Summer Soiree, founder Nora El-Khouri Spencer will celebrate recent success stories.

Guests can enjoy a meal prepared by Carolina Inn staff, danceable tunes from six-piece band CJ Baker Entertainment and a chance to participate in both live and silent auctions. From $175; 211 Pittsboro Street, Chapel Hill; hoperenovations.org

KINGFISHER X SLOW DRINKS

June 26 | 6 - 8 p.m.

“This is, perhaps, my favorite time of the year, landing right at the intersection of two of the most fruitful and exciting microseasons,” says author and beverage guru Danny Childs. “It’s peak berry season, herbs are at their prime and some of the hallmark ingredients of summer — like tomatoes, peaches and corn — start to trickle in from the fields and the forests.” Childs is known for his skill and passion for foraging ingredients to create craft spirits. He’ll be at hip bar Kingfisher promoting his new book, Slow Drinks, and serving his

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THe Art & Soul of Raleigh | 23 5/13/24 9:50 AM

DATEBOOK

June 20 | 7 - 10 p.m.

“The art of friendship is not lost in adulthood!” says The Crowded Table Club founder Lucy McInnis. “Each event reminds me that the journey of starting over is best walked with friends by your side.” McInnis founded the club when she moved to Raleigh two years ago to create events where women and femmeidentifying individuals could make friends. The group hosts monthly pop-ups where guests are encouraged to enjoy the art of conversation. This month’s theme is A Midsummer Celebration, playing up the summer solstice with an evening of whimsy that’ll include hair-braiding and flower-crown stations, a seated dinner and a “letting go ceremony” surrounding a bonfire. From $77; 330 Gideon Creek Way; search “Crowded Table Club” on eventbrite.com

niche cocktails for an additional cost.

Free to attend; 321 E. Chapel Hill Street, Durham; kingfisherdurham.com

PETE DAVIDSON: PREHAB TOUR

June 30 | 7 p.m.

Actor, stand-up comedian and producer Pete Davidson, a Saturday Night Live veteran, is coming to the Martin Marietta Center for the Performing Arts for his comedy show, “Prehab Tour.” Among Davidson’s list of accolades is making Time’s “100 Most Influential People” list, Forbes’ “30 Under 30” list and producing a semiautobiographical comedy show, Bupkis, on Peacock. His routines often have themes of advocacy around mental health and openness about his own struggles. From $49; 2 E. South Street; martinmariettacenter.com

MAKING CHANGE HAPPEN. Thanks to the generous donations to the Raleigh Police Department Foundation (RPDF), positive change is taking root within our community. These contributions are fueling vital initiatives aimed at enhancing public safety, fostering community engagement and empowering our officers to better serve and protect Raleigh residents. From supporting youth programs to providing essential resources for law enforcement, your donations are making a tangible difference in creating a safer, stronger and more connected Raleigh for all.

Please consider a gift today – raleighpolicefoundation.org

24 | WALTER

Getty Images

A MIDSUMMER CELEBRATION

DRINK

Nick Hawthorne-Johnson

SMALL BATCH Ponysaurus expands with a sour-beer brewery and wide-open space in Raleigh Iron Works

by CATHERINE CURRIN photography by FORREST MASON

O

n opening day, the line thronged around the block — ardent fans of North Carolina brewer Ponysaurus, excited to welcome it to Raleigh. While its beers have been popular bottle-shop picks for almost a decade, it’s the first time the brewery has had taps flowing here.

The first Ponysaurus opened in 2015 in downtown Durham, and as its popularity grew, cans were sold across the region. It opened a second location earlier this year in Wilmington and a third, in Raleigh Iron Works, in April. “We wanted to share more of our beer with more people, and we really liked the vision for Iron Works,” says Nick Hawthorne-Johnson, who, along with David Baldwin, is a co-founder and co-owner of Ponysaurus Brewing Co. The Raleigh location will be home to the brewery’s sour-beer production. “Beer is broken into clean beer and sour beer,” Hawthorne-Johnson says. “Sour is usually made with bacteria, and having that bacteria in your main brewery you risk contaminating your other beer.” But don’t worry — it’ll still serve a wide selection of Ponysaurus’ other beers in cans and on tap.

“This space gives our team the opportunity to experiment with things like barrel aging and blending to create special, exclusive products,” Hawthorne-Johnson says. Sours tend to have a tart, sometimes cider-like flavor and seasonal ingredients — THe Art & Soul of Raleigh | 25

DRINK

6 Beer Gardens

There are plenty of places to enjoy a pint in Raleigh — but these beer-forward spots boast open-air seating and food to go with.

NEUSE RIVER BREWING: Both brewery and brasserie, Neuse River has indoor and outdoor seating and brews its beer on-site (see: a Cherry Pie Sour and a Peaches and Cream Witbier).

Left to right: David Baldwin, Jeff Seizer and Nick Hawthorne-Johnson.

NICKELPOINT BREWING: Just next door to Neuse River, there’s Nickelpoint, with 14 rotating beers on tap.

Don’t miss the live music events and local food trucks.

RALEIGH BREWING COMPANY: Tucked away on Neil Street, Raleigh Brewing has 32 of its own beers on tap — visit for food trucks, trivia and the brewery’s weekly run club.

STANDARD BEER + FOOD: A Person Street corridor favorite, Standard has dozens of outdoor picnic tables for enjoying a draft beer or frozen cocktail.

some of Ponysaurus’ offerings include its fizzy and complex Blackberry Peach Sour or the subtly pink Cherry Sour. Special sours from this location will include cork and cage bottles, plus large-scale bottles.

In addition to specialty sours, there’s an array of other beers and cocktails to enjoy. Some Ponysaurus favorites include its Golden Rule Saison, the Baltic Porter and a Session IPA, plus an array of frozen cocktails including an espresso martini.

Aside from beer, a theme across all Ponysaurus locations is pizza — or as Hawthorne-Johnson calls it, “humble bar food.” Raleigh’s kitchen is led by chef Jeff Seizer, the former owner and executive chef of French restaurant Royale, which closed in 2020. “Through my friendship with Nick, I was able to join this hospitality group I really respect and cook pizza, which is something I have always wanted to do,” Seizer says. Hawthorne-Johnson adds: “Jeff is classically trained — he uses that same attention to 26 | WALTER

detail in his execution of our food.”

Along with chef Roxy Garza, Seizer developed the Ponysaurus pizza recipes in collaboration with Oakwood Pizza Box’s Anthony Guerra. The menu has the classics — like Margherita and veggie pies — plus unique options like a chicken parm pie and a clam pie with chopped clams, garlic and lemon. “We are a brewery that makes great food,” says Seizer. “The menu is meant to be enjoyed while drinking a pint but also inspired by classic pizzeria and bar food.”

The Ponysaurus menu also offers bar favorites like wings, chicken sandwiches, burgers and curly fries with homemade dipping sauces. “I love using seasonal and local ingredients to make great-tasting, classic dishes,” Seizer says. His current menu favorite is the Blistered Tomato Pie. “It’s a great combination of local, fresh tomatoes, cheese and sausage all on our signature pizza dough,” he says.

The space has large concrete booths for

TAP YARD: Just around the corner from Ponysaurus on Automotive Way, Tap Yard’s expansive beer garden hosts rotating food trucks and special events, like live music and poetry night.

TROPHY AT MAYWOOD: The brewery’s main production location, Trophy Maywood hosts rotating food trucks and has a dog-friendly patio. Of note: They release a new beer almost every Friday.

group gatherings, bar seating and an upstairs dining room. Drinkers and diners spill onto the patio with picnic tables and standing areas to enjoy a beer. The focal point is the larger-than-life skeleton of a “Ponysaurus,” a mythical combination of a horse and dinosaur, and Rochelle Johnson, Hawthorne-Johnson’s wife, designed the space using framed maps and paleoart to lend the space a museum feel.

“We want to be a part of the fabric of the community,” says HawthorneJohnson. “We’re bridging the RaleighDurham divide, and hope this will become a third place, part of the underpinning for people to have their social and community gatherings.”

GARDEN

HEY, JUNE! By now, you may have some warm-weather vegetable plants about to bear fruit, fresh mulch in your beds and flowers beginning to bloom. To keep the momentum going, consider these tips from Lisa Barrie, farm manager at Raleigh City Farm.

WATER SMARTER Give your beds a good soak about once a week. “Watering deeper and less frequently establishes a strong root system and helps plants tolerate dry weather,” she says. Water first thing in the morning, when it’s cooler, and point your hose toward the roots: “I like to tell people to spray down, not up.”

Celebrate each season with custom arrangements, wreaths, garland & more!

Getty Images

www.finchforest.com

CUT AND PINCH Keep herbs like mint, oregano and basil thriving by pinching the tops off about once a week to promote bushy growth. (Enjoy the trimmings in pasta sauces and salad dressings!)

If you planted zinnias, dahlias, daisies or cosmos, cut them regularly to make new blooms. “You’re encouraging the plant to get wider and make new shoots for growth,” says Barrie.

SUDS UP Keep an eye out for harlequin beetles on brassicas plants and aphids on tomatoes! Barrie says liquid hand or dish soap is your friend here. Remove the larger pests manually and drop them in a bucket of soapy water. For smaller insects like aphids, Barrie suggests spraying the plants with a solution of three parts water, one —Addie Ladner part soap.

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NATURE

The GREAT migration Sandhill Cranes in flight.

A chilly trip to Nebraska to see a sedge of Sandhill Cranes words and photography by MIKE DUNN

28 | WALTER

T

his past March, my wife, Melissa, and I finally checked off one of our bucket list items: a trip to view the migration of Sandhill Cranes in southern Nebraska. We occasionally see a few of these cranes in North Carolina in winter (we counted 24 on this past year’s Christmas Bird Count at Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge), but there they often congregate in the tens of thousands during migration.

I enjoyed the reaction of people that asked about our trip: when I said, “Nebraska” (in March no less), they often looked askance and said, “Oh, that sounds… great.” Still, the last week of March found us driving west, camping

at some beautiful spots along the way.

Sandhill Cranes are elegant, gray-brown birds from 3 to 4 feet in height (depending on subspecies) with wingspans of up to 6 feet. They mate for life and travel in family groups. In addition to their physical beauty, they have a distinctive call.

The famed conservationist Aldo Leopold described the sounds of Sandhill Cranes as the “tinkling of little bells, the baying of some sweet-throated hound, and a pandemonium of trumpets, rattles, croaks and cries.”

Sandhill Cranes are now the most abundant crane species in the world, with an estimated population of over 800,000. There are several subspecies,

some of which are migratory. A few, especially the Greater and Lesser Sandhill Cranes, undertake long-distance migrations in North America between their breeding grounds in the far north and wintering grounds in the southern U.S. and Mexico. The Platte River in south-central Nebraska is an ideal stopover on this long journey — plenty of cornfields with leftover grain, plus a braided river where they can roost at night in shallow water, safe from predators. They stay in the area for several weeks each spring, building up the energy reserves necessary to complete their migration and start breeding and raising young.

Lucky for us, we were there at the peak of the migration numbers, an estimated 486,000 Sandhill Cranes. That represents a third of the world’s population of Sandhill Cranes in a roughly 80-mile stretch of the Platte River at one time!

Local groups like the Crane Trust and Audubon’s Rowe Sanctuary work with other conservation partners and local farmers to protect and manage the habitat the cranes need. This includes the somewhat unlikely scenario of periodically tearing out trees and other vegetation that might otherwise invade the shallow sandbars the cranes prefer. Prior to the construction of several dams along the Platte, seasonal floods scoured the shallows, keeping them free of shrubs and trees. Now, that work must be done with heavy machinery. These groups also provide visitors like us with opportunities to witness this wildlife spectacle.

While there are opportunities to watch cranes come in to roost on the river in the evening from public viewing areas or through tours with the Crane Trust, Rowe and some private businesses, our most anticipated viewing opportunity was spending the night right next to a potential roosting site in a blind operated by the Rowe Sanctuary.

The blinds are fine if you are used to camping; they’re just small, unheated wooden structures with viewing ports

Clockwise from top left: Whooping Cranes; Greater Prairie Chicken scuffle on the lek; a Sandhill Crane dancing; Melissa in the overnight blind at Rowe Sanctuary.

We would hear the crane calls slowly fade in intensity, and then suddenly flare up with a raucous explosion of sound for several minutes before settling back down again. that open and close. Volunteers from Rowe dropped us and our gear off at the blind in late afternoon. We were provided with a red flashlight (no white lights allowed as they might scare the cranes) and a bucket stocked with poo bags for

a toilet. We were not allowed to leave the blind at all. We brought sleeping bags and pads, plenty of warm clothes, camp chairs, some food and water, our camera gear and binoculars, and a sense of anticipation.

A few ducks and shorebirds were in front of the blind for the first couple of hours. As sunset approached, we saw small flocks of cranes flying over and landing about a half-mile upriver.

This continued as the sun sank lower. I glanced at my watch, thinking the birds should be here. Flocks of cranes filled the sky upriver, but none were landing near us and I was trying not to show my disappointment.

As the sun dipped below the horizon, four cranes suddenly landed about 50 THe Art & Soul of Raleigh | 29

NATURE yards upriver from us.

After another few anxious moments, a large flock of cranes flew overhead, then circled and landed near the first four.

Within minutes, there were more flocks landing, some right in front of our blind! Soon, there were thousands of noisy cranes within a couple of hundred yards up and downriver of the blind.

(A group of Sandhill Cranes is called a sedge, by the way.)

The dim light prevented me from using my telephoto lens, but sitting there with the lingering color of sunset and the sounds of so many cranes was a spiritual moment. After darkness settled in, we gently closed the windows and used the red flashlight to put away our chairs and lay out our sleeping bags, worried that each noisy move we made would spook the birds. At one point, some of the flock closest to us (probably only 75 feet from the blind) noisily flew off, and we were heartbroken to think that we might have been the cause. But, over the next several hours, we would hear the crane calls slowly fade in intensity, and then suddenly flare up with a raucous explosion of sound for several minutes before settling back down again. We think they are just fidgety birds, ready to take flight and resettle at the slightest hint of alarm.

Before sunrise the next morning, we slowly put away our sleeping gear, unfolded our chairs, and gently opened the windows to an amazing sight. The river was covered in cranes, as far as we could see in both directions.

It was a glorious morning listening to and watching the cranes. Small groups were flying to and from the sandbars, providing us with plenty of opportunities for photos in the morning light.

There were also plenty of fascinating behaviors to observe with so many cranes in front of us. Dancing is perhaps the most famous behavior associated with Sandhill Cranes. Maneuvers include bows, head thrusts and vertical leaps with spread wings. A crane often grabs a stick or piece of vegetation and tosses it in the air as part of this 30 | WALTER

Cranes at sunset in Nebraska.

eye-catching ritual. Cranes may signal their intention to take flight by standing, stretching their neck forward and holding that pose for several seconds or longer (we call it “the lean”). This may help coordinate flight among family members.

More and more birds took off and we were finally left with just a few scattered individuals by mid-morning, when we heard the ATV coming to retrieve us.

We had arranged for a more luxurious experience at the Crane Trust that evening with lodging, a catered dinner and heated blinds. But before we checked in there, we drove the back roads looking for more birds and photo opportunities.

During the day, the cranes spend much of their time feeding in harvested corn fields with a backdrop of machinery and buildings, which are a bit less scenic than their roosting sites on the river. We got lucky and spotted a group of large white birds feeding in a field with some Sandhills. They were Whooping Cranes, the tallest North American bird at almost 5 feet — and also one of the rarest.

A major conservation effort brought the population back from only about 15 birds in the wild in the early 1940s to today’s population of over 500 migratory

whoopers. The Platte River is a stopover in their migration from Texas to Canada every year, and we were fortunate to see 15 over a couple of days.

Though crane-viewing was the primary goal of our trip, we also took advantage of two other Nebraska birding wonders: the breeding displays of Greater Prairie Chickens and Sharp-tailed Grouse. Both species congregate at specific locations (called leks) each spring, where males have elaborate courtship displays that include rapid foot-stomping, feather and wing displays, colorful inflated air sacs, and unusual sounds. A few local guides operate blinds to view the leks at dawn, when the birds are most active. The low booming sound of the males is something you wouldn’t expect from a bird.

Though it may not sound like it, a trip to Nebraska in mid-late March is certainly worth it. If roughing it in a small blind is not your thing, both Audubon’s Rowe Sanctuary and the Crane Trust have wonderful viewing blinds and a variety of program offerings. A visit supports conservation efforts to help maintain one of North America’s greatest wildlife spectacles: the migration of thousands of Sandhill Cranes.

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MUSIC

Freeman Vines (left) and Tim Duffy

Music Maker Foundation promotes blues music and the people who play it

by DAVID MENCONI

32 | WALTER

E

ven though he’s not a preacher, Tim Duffy is still an evangelical sort. A native of Connecticut, he came to North Carolina almost 40 years ago to study at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s folklore program. He has since gone on to a career as documentarian, musician, producer, artist manager, philanthropist, fundraiser and blues crusader of sorts, preaching about the importance of blues music to the state, nation and world.

“Music is important to who we are as a country,” Duffy says. “The U.S. does not have a common religion or ethnicity, but we have this music. It’s our most power-

ful language and it was mostly created here in the South. North Carolina does not tell its music story enough.”

To that end, Duffy has spent the past three decades spreading the word through the nonprofit Music Maker Foundation. He and his wife, Denise Duffy, formed Music Maker in 1994 with the late Robert “Nyles” Jones, a medicine show blues-guitar legend who performed under the name Guitar Gabriel. Music Maker releases recordings and promotes shows and tours, and also finds other ways to support musicians financially.

Currently based in Hillsborough, Music Maker has an annual budget of just under $1.3 million, raised primarily through donations. A large chunk of the organization’s budget goes toward grants for artists who need it for everything from rent or groceries to prescriptions.

Most of them are elderly, trying to get by on Social Security or disability, and they’ve never made much money from music. “The government should be doing what I’m doing,” Duffy says, “but they never will.”

Music Maker has helped scores of North Carolina legends over the years, Piedmont blues icon Etta Baker and Durham bluesman John Dee Holeman among them. Along with assisting Mebane old-time fiddler Joe Thompson, Music Maker helped launch the career of his protégés, Rhiannon Giddens’ The Carolina Chocolate Drops.

In addition to releasing albums by Music Maker artists, the organization has published books, including Song Keepers: A Music Maker Foundation Anthology, a lavishly illustrated package that comes with four compact discs. Venerable bluesman Taj Mahal, a longtime Music Maker supporter who serves on its 19-member advisory board, ranks Duffy alongside towering figures in the folklore field like field-recording ethnomusicologist Alan Lomax, “Anthology of American Music”

Tim Duffy

Keeping the BLUES Alive

Axwel Kustmer (HOLEMAN); Tim Duffy (BAKER); Jimmy Williams (CAROLINA CHOCOLATE DROPS); Aaron Greenhood (GLORIFYING VINES SISTERS); Bill Reynolds (DEDICATED MEN OF ZION)

compiler Harry Smith, blues scholar Sam Charters, composer/educator John Work and author/documentary filmmaker Zora Neale Hurston.

“Tim’s dedication over 30 years to this labor of love in folklore, ethnomusicology, recording, documenting, distributing and personally creating revenues for overlooked but great traditional artists has improved their lives and music,” says Mahal. “Tim stands tall without question amongst the aforementioned pioneers and luminaries.”

One of Music Maker’s higher-profile projects in recent years was Hanging Tree Guitars, which began as a 2020 book depicting the work of Freeman Vines. A guitar-playing bluesman and luthier, Vines makes guitars with a decidedly outsider-art bent. With the wood of trees once used in lynchings, Vines has made more than 100 such instruments. In addition to their depictions in the pages of Hanging Tree Guitars, Vines’ guitars have also been in a series of art exhibitions.

“He works differently from most people who make guitars,” Duffy says of Vines. “Most look for the straightest wood, but he’s looking for wood from trees with history. His guitars really catch people’s attention.”

Vines lives in Fountain, a tiny town of fewer than 400 in the Eastern North Carolina county of Pitt. Working with Vines has introduced Duffy to numerous other musicians in the region, among them Farmville’s The Glorifying Vines Sisters (who are kin to Freeman Vines) and the Greenville gospel quartet Dedicated Men of Zion — now Music Maker artists all.

“I’m totally convinced Fountain is one of the greatest African-American music communities in the world,” Duffy says. “The coastal plain down to South Carolina was where gospel was invented, music handed down as oral tradition with everyone singing harmony in groups. It’s endless, thousands of families singing harmony. A big community to be involved with.”

Duffy is enthusiastic enough about Fountain to have big plans for the town. To facilitate his organization’s work with regional acts there, a Music Maker compound is in the works with a state-of-the-art recording studio, photo studio and artist-in-residence space. It’s all part of keeping the music alive by helping the people who make it.

“I still love helping people and finding artists,” Duffy says. “The blues and this culture will never die, there’s always more and more out here that need help.

Bump ahead 100 years, and all this work we’re doing needs to be preserved. A hundred years from now, all this will someday be stored at UNC’s Southern Folklife Collection. Who knows what will be looked at? If you don’t document it, it goes away. That’s my folklorist training.”

Top to bottom: John Dee Holeman; Etta Baker; The Carolina Chocolate Drops; The Glorifying Vines Sisters; Dedicated Men of Zion.

THe Art & Soul of Raleigh | 33

MAKERS

All the BUZZ

Susan Reynolds turns cicadas into beautiful, unique jewelry

by DEBBIE MOOSE photography by TAYLOR MCDONALD

34 | WALTER

W

hen Susan Reynolds gets ready to make jewelry, the first thing she does is open a window and light a scented candle. It’s stinky work to craft her pieces — mainly because her raw materials consist of dead cicadas.

Reynolds has been making earrings and pendants using the wings of those noisy creatures for more than 20 years.

Inspiration struck when a cicada dropped from a tree onto her head while she was walking her dog near her home in Historic Oakwood. She picked it up, examined it and was fascinated by its wings.

“I’ve always loved natural wonders,” Reynolds says. “The cicada leaves behind such a fascinating exoskeleton.” Reynolds already had a jewelry-making business, incorporating precious and semi-pre-

cious stones into antique-style designs.

In fact, she’d already been studying the structure of insect wings, trying to recreate their forms using wire. That cicada, though, inspired a new thought — to use the actual wings of the cicada as the focal point of her pieces.

Through trial and error, Reynolds perfected a technique of using resin to preserve the wings, adding jewels to accent their delicate nature in earrings and pendants. She took the finished products to shops that already sold her work or had seen it at shows. Most shop owners were fascinated, although one was hesitant.

“One owner didn’t think she’d be able to sell them — she was grossed out about them being bugs — but she took a few, anyway. When they sold, she got more.

She said she’d still never wear them, but her customers sure liked them,” Reynolds says.

Today, Reynolds sells about 360 pairs of cicada-wing earrings a year, and they’re available at more than a dozen stores in North Carolina and Virginia, including the gift shops at the North Carolina Museums of History and Natural Sciences, as well as through an Etsy shop.

Each summer, Reynolds collects dead cicadas and stores them in her freezer until she’s ready to work. Early on, Reynolds wondered how she’d get enough: to make 800 pairs of earrings, allowing for damaged wings and single wings for necklaces, she’d need more than 400 cicadas. But she receives a steady supply, mailed from customers who have purchased the earrings or dropped off by friends and neighbors.

Even her mail carrier delivers cicadas found on the route. She keeps a box on her doorstep for contributions to the artist known to many as the “cicada lady.”

“I don’t mind being called that,” she says, laughing. Since Reynolds began keeping count in 2020, she has worked with more than 1,000 cicadas, and at any given time, you can expect to find a couple of large bags of them in her freezer.

When Reynolds is ready to work, she masks up and pulls out a handful of cicadas. Each has two pairs of wings, the smaller fore wings and larger hind wings. “The wings are surprisingly delicate for a bug that’s so loud and clumsy,” she says. Using surgical scissors, she snips the wings from the bodies and soaks them in soapy water to remove any dirt. (As for the parts she doesn’t use? They’re food for the neighborhood squirrels and chickens, and she has a friend who takes some of the bodies for fly-fishing bait.) When the wings dry, the creativity begins. In the beginning, she left the wings unadorned to show off their structure or studded them with a few Swarovski crystals for sparkle.

Now, she likes to incorporate designs cut from antique postcards to create a Victorian-inspired look. She places the designs on the wings, then coats them

Clockwise from top left: Cicadas, wings and cabochons by Liz Kelly; Susan Reynolds and Liz Kelly; finished cicada-wing pendants; attaching a wing pendant to a cabochon.

with several layers of clear resin, letting them set between coats. It takes about five days to complete a pair of earrings.

This spring, two separate broods emerged in the eastern and central U.S., making it the most active cicada season since 2021. With the anticipation of lots of raw materials, Reynolds brainstormed new ways to highlight the wings.

One of her new projects is a collaboration with Raleigh potter Liz Kelly.

Kelly is creating porcelain cabochons to combine with Reynolds’ wings or to be used as stand-alone charms. They depict the insects with their wings spread — although at first glance, you might think they’re butterflies. “The goal for me is to

make people look twice,” Kelly says. She combines vintage decals with transfers she’s designed, which she places on oval pieces of white ceramic.

Kelly liked the idea of making bugs beautiful, and the project tapped into a deep connection to cicadas. “When I was a child, I had a cicada collection. I remember gathering them up with my grandmother. I’ve always loved natural wonders and natural material,” Kelly says.

Reynolds thinks that it’s just that sentiment that attracts people to her work: “I get a lot of fan mail, which I never expected. People share childhood memories of hearing cicadas, of picking them up.

There are so many sweet stories.”

THe Art & Soul of Raleigh | 35

EXPLORE Rhode’s Motor Lodge

RETRO STAYS Refurbished motor lodges around the state offering a nostalgic weekend getaway

F

our wheels, a suitcase and the open road — as cars became more affordable in the 1950s and ‘60s, the idea of a weekend away at a drive-up motel gained in popularity. And in the last few years, hospitality folks across the state have been exploring that nostalgia, refurbishing motor lodges from the era for a new generation of travelers. “The ease and access of pulling up and parking right in front of a lodge offers a totally different experience from what could be a more antiseptic hotel stay,” says Andy Schrader, who owns and operates the Sunset Motel in Brevard. “Plus, you get to meet your neighbors, because all that separates you is a front door.”

Alongside modern-day amenities, many of these redone motels work to create a community among the guests and locals, offering spaces like outdoor pools, lounges, fire pits or game areas.

“With these restored motels, people are responding to a link to the past — these properties have a soul,” says Russ Jones, president of Loden Properties, which developed Rhode’s Motor Lodge in Boone.

If that appeals to you, consider one of these spots for a weekend away.

36 | WALTER

MOTHER EARTH MOTOR LODGE Originally known as the Mid-Town Motor Lodge, this 44-room lodge in Kinston was transformed into the Mother Earth Motor Lodge in 2016 by Stephen Hill, owner of nearby Mother Earth Brewing.

The motel was built by George Dubose of Dubose Realty Company in 1963 and was long a draw for downtown shoppers and those traveling on Highway 70. James Brown and some of his band stayed at the original motel after performing local shows in the 1960s, and the building is on the National Historic Register.

After the 1980s, the motel went through one more owner before Hill revived it. The exterior was preserved throughout the revamp, and the interior decor remains true to its period feel with design details like wood paneling, a spunky orange-lime-and-teal color scheme and Mid-century modern furniture. But the centerpiece of it all may be the pool in the central courtyard, with nearby picnic tables, shuffleboard and a nine-hole mini-golf course to keep guests entertained. Down the street from the lodge, Mother Earth Brewery and its attached Tap Room are destination spots

for local beer lovers.

501 N. Herritage Street, Kinston; motherearthmotorlodge.com RHODE’S MOTOR LODGE Offering easy access to many of Central North Carolina’s scenic hiking and ski areas, Rhode’s Motor Lodge in Boone was originally built in the 1950s. It was renovated by Loden Hospitality (the design group behind Raleigh’s Longleaf Hotel) and reopened in October 2023.

Christine McDonald, Loden Hospitality’s chief operating officer, oversaw the design team that transformed this 54-room boutique inn. “We wanted to create a cozy spot that feels like a throwback to those Mid-century motor courts, mixed with the charm of a rustic lodge, but pulled together with a modern camp feel,” she says.

The structure pretty much had to be gutted, but they kept small sections of terra-cotta tile flooring and the original iron balconies, whose design became the inspiration for the lodge’s logo. The decor nods to the Mid-century roots through pops of orange but also leaned into the camp inspiration with elements like

courtesy Rhode’s Motor Lodge

by ELIZABETH LINCICOME

courtesy Skyline Motor Lodge

tree-trunk side tables, Adirondack chairs, tent-inspired pendant lights and Coleman coolers instead of ice buckets.

The Rhode’s team also wanted to make sure that the hotel was “a destination for locals,” says Jones: “We created lots of spots — on the front patio, in the courtyard and in the lobby — where anyone, not just hotel guests, can gather around a cozy fire, regardless of the weather.”

1377 Blowing Rock Road, Highway 321, Boone; rhodesmotorlodge.com SKYLINE MOTOR LODGE Built in Highlands in the 1930s, the Skyline Motor Lodge was designed by Arthur J. Kelsey, an architect who studied under Frank Lloyd Wright. The Indigo Road Hospitality Group renovated and reopened the hotel in 2021. “We wanted to preserve the nostalgic, whimsical feel of the property by maintaining its signature design characteristics and interaction with nature,” says Indigo Road founder Steve Palmer. “Our intention was to create an environment where guests feel welcome, comfortable and connected to the natural beauty of the Highlands area.”

From the outside, the 40-room boutique hotel blends into the scenery with its low, long rooflines and artisan stonework. The interiors incorporate reclaimed wood, terra-cotta flooring and native granite. The mezzanine and reading room sport whimsically mismatched decor, and the rooms get a 1960s vibe with pumpkin orange doors and platform beds. A central courtyard includes seating areas, lawn games and small fire pits for guests.

470 Skyline Lodge Road, Highlands; skyline-lodge.com SUNSET MOTEL About a 10-minute walk from Brevard’s Main Street, the 20-room Sunset Motel first opened its doors in 1955, but after multiple owners and steady decline it was forced to shut down during the pandemic. Current owner Andy Schrader rescued it in 2022. “When I first bought this place it was pretty much in disrepair,” he

Skyline Motor Lodge

says. “The decor was kitschy and quirky, so I’ve been bringing it back to its roots with Mid-century modern atomic flair.”

Now, brightly painted rooms feature retro appliances like Victrola record players, vintage furniture and art. Schrader is continuing to renovate the hotel, outfitting the common area out back to incorporate a fire pit, as well as a glamping tent. “I want this motel to be the goto place for folks here for our mountain biking, waterfall hiking, fly fishing and summer music series,” Schrader says.

Most of all, Schrader’s proud to have gotten a long-beloved motel back in operation: “I grin from ear to ear when I see my guests taking selfies in front of our sign.”

523 S. Broad Street, Brevard; thesunsetmotel.com ROUTE 19 INN Located within the Great Smoky Mountains in Maggie Valley, off the iconic U.S. Highway 19, the Route 19 Inn was originally known as the Rocky Waters Motel. It first opened its doors in 1948, and the 32-room lodge was restored and reopened in spring of 2020 after sitting vacant for a decade. The design was a collective effort of a group that includes

majority owner Robert Verkaik, who has been in the hospitality industry for 50 years, and Matt Ferguson, a former Disney executive, along with partners Lori Ferguson (Matt’s wife), Mark and Mary Elizbeth Craft, and general managers Angela and Eric Frisbee.

“The process of bringing the property back to life took two years,” Frisbee says.

“It was like entering into a time capsule.

Beds had been left made, towels were still in their racks — everything frozen in time. There were literally trees growing inside some of the rooms!”

Today, guest rooms boast crisp white walls and colorful vintage furnishings, with artwork including retro posters, collages made from old newspapers and magazine clippings, and old records. In addition to the rooms, the site also hosts a playground, shuffleboard court, seasonal outdoor pool and trout fishing in nearby streams.

“Guests love the decor, they love the mountain views and the cooler weather, but most of all they love the family that works here,” says Devan Messer, who runs the front desk.

4898 Soco Road, Maggie Valley; route19inn.com

THe Art & Soul of Raleigh | 37

ALBUM

In a Groove A new record from Boulevards, Carolina Funk, offers live-performance energy

Ian Tilghman

by JOSH KLAHRE

F

or over a decade, Boulevards — the stage name of performer Jamil Rashad — has been a fixture on the Raleigh and national live music scenes.

He’s built a reputation on reliably delivering sweat-soaked shows, and on June 28, he’ll release Carolina Funk: Barn Burner on Tobacco Road, his fifth studio LP. At this moment, the artist is really feeling himself. He’s found a producer, Sergio Rios (of Say She She notoriety), who gave him the space to make a record he’s been trying to make his whole career. He’s happily engaged to the love of his life. He’s found sobriety after 38 | WALTER

struggles with substances and alcohol. He’s set up a home base in a cool historic home in nearby Fayetteville.

And he’s holding onto the pure bliss of knowing how many people in his orbit stepped up to collaborate and to make this record happen.

Rashad recounts the time he heard the first round of mixes for Carolina Funk. It was the middle of the night; he’d been awoken by the buzz of a notification on his phone. It was the file “What We Live For,” a track off his new LP. “After I heard it, I just laid in bed and cried,” Rashad says. “My fiancée

asked why I was crying and I just said, it sounds so good!”

As the title suggests, the album offers a heavy dose of funk, a musical genre that credits several notable North Carolina-bred artists to its formation. Rashad likes to think of his personal spin on the genre as “garage funk,” which he describes as “raw, energetic, fun and catchy, but with really good songwriting.” The sound — and Carolina Funk, in particular — is meant to feel like it was recorded live. “I wanted to make an album that echoes the spirit of my shows,” Rashad says.

SPORTS

courtesy USGA (COURSE); courtesy Tufts Archive/Village of Pinehurst (DONALD ROSS)

Wild and Wonderful

Left: Pinehurst No. 2.

Right: Golf course designer Donald Ross.

Pinehurst No. 2 prepares to test the best

by LEE PACE

O

n a December day in 1935, Donald Ross hosted A.W. Tillinghast at Pinehurst No. 2.

Ross, then 63, the son of a Scottish stonemason, was an apprentice in his 20s to legendary golf pro Old Tom Morris at St. Andrews. He set up shop in Pinehurst in 1900 and designed notable golf courses across the eastern United States, from Seminole Golf Club in Florida to Inverness Club in Ohio.

Tillinghast, 59, was the son of a rubber goods magnate in Philadelphia. He fell under the spell of golf on a visit to St. Andrews in 1896, where he established a mentor-mentee relationship with Morris.

Tillinghast’s golf course design acumen stretches from San Francisco Golf Club on the West Coast to Winged Foot Golf

Club and Baltusrol Golf Club outside of New York City.

Tillinghast visited as a consultant with PGA of America, which in 11 months would conduct its flagship competition, the 1936 PGA Championship, on Pinehurst No. 2.

Ross showed his guest the green complexes that he had just converted, with the help of green superintendent Frank Maples, from their previous flattish sand/clay structure to undulating Bermuda grass, shaping the sandy soil around them into dips and swales. He noted the roll-offs around the greens, how they penalized shots even slightly mishit and propelled balls into the hollows nearby.

They felt the taut turf under their feet, reveling in how the drainage qualities THe Art & Soul of Raleigh | 39

SPORTS

40 | WALTER

U.S. Open at Pinehurst

it in 1970 from the Tufts family, whose patriarch, James W. Tufts, had launched the town and resort in 1895 as a refuge from the cold winters of New England.

The Diamondhead president, Bill Maurer, conceived the World Open on the PGA Tour and the World Golf Hall of Fame in the early 1970s and wanted all the traffic, attention and accolades he could muster for Pinehurst and its No. 2 course.

It took two more decades to figure out how to bring the National Open there.

First, there were the dodgy finances of the resort and club, which eventually went bankrupt and was taken over by eight banks for two years beginning in March 1982. Robert Dedman Sr. and his Club Corporation of America bought the facility in 1984 and provided what has turned into four decades of stability, innovation and financial security, with Robert Dedman Jr. taking the baton after his father died in 2002.

Second, there was the issue of the playing surfaces.

Pinehurst and other golf courses in the Mid-Atlantic or so-called “transition zone” have forever been vexed over the choice for their putting surfaces — between Bermuda grass, the de facto choice for Florida and warm-weather climes,

and bent grass, which thrives in the North. Pinehurst officials experimented with new strains of both over the 1970s and ’80s, walking a tightrope between offering smooth and playable greens for 12 months of the year and making them lightning-quick in the summer for an elite competition. (Pinehurst old-timers still remember Hale Irwin and Johnny Miller taking dead aim at flagsticks during PGA Tour competitions on No. 2 in the late summer and their approach shots stopping mere feet from the hole.)

By the early 1990s, the USGA and Pinehurst officials agreed that advances in grass technology and green foundation construction would allow them to rebuild the greens to stand up to the world’s best players on a 90-degree day in June. The USGA announced in June 1993 that it would conduct the 1999 Open at Pinehurst. The competition was a rousing success from the perspective of ticket sales, corporate support, traffic ebb and flow, housing and, certainly, the golf course itself.

“It’s the most draining course I’ve played in a long time,” said European Ryder Cup team member Lee Westwood at the time.

“People sometimes ask what’s the hard-

courtesy USGA (COURSE)

of the sandy loam made for the ideal golf playing surface. Ross explained the choices golfers had off the tee — on the par-4 second, for example — showing his friend the lovely view into the green from the left side of the fairway, but pointing out the gnarly bunker complex a player had to flirt with to get there.

Ross nodded to the native wiregrass that grew in profusion along the fairways and how it reminded him of the whins of his native Scotland.

“Without any doubt Ross regards this as his greatest achievement, which is saying a great deal,” Tillinghast said after his visit. “Every touch is Donald’s own, and I doubt if a single contour was fashioned unless he stood hard by with a critical eye. I told him with all honesty that his course was magnificent, without a single weakness.”

Pinehurst No. 2 would continue to be the site of the North & South Open on the PGA Tour through 1951, with Ben Hogan, Sam Snead, Bryon Nelson and Ross himself among the winners. It would host the 1936 PGA (won by Denny Shute) and the 1951 Ryder Cup (won by the Americans, 9.5 to 2.5, over the team from Great Britain and Ireland).

But it wasn’t in the mix to host a U.S. Open through the 1970s. That was simply impossible, because Pinehurst shut down for the summer and the American national championship was always played in June.

Even when the resort went to a yearround operating calendar, the idea was still problematic, because of the USGA’s preference for playing courses with firm and fast greens, a challenging task on Southern courses during hot weather months. The U.S. Open was not played in the muggy Southeast until venturing to Atlanta Athletic Club in 1975, though it had already visited hot spots in Houston, St. Louis, Dallas and Fort Worth.

About the time Jerry Pate was winning in Atlanta, officials at Pinehurst Country Club began floating the idea of an Open for No. 2. The Diamondhead Corporation was five years into its ownership of Pinehurst after purchasing

est course I’ve ever played,” said two-time U.S. Open champion Lee Janzen. “Now I know.”

The Open has been contested on No. 2 twice more and the course has played as a par-70 for each championship. Payne Stewart was 1-under in winning the Open in 1999, Phil Mickelson was evenpar and Vijay Singh and Tiger Woods were 1-over. Michael Campbell won with an even-par total in 2005, with Woods at 2-over. Martin Kaymer has been low man in the three Opens, shooting 9-under in 2014, but his nearest competitors were a mile back with Ricky Fowler and Eric Compton tied for second at 2-over.

The 2024 Open at Pinehurst will be the first played on the Champion Bermuda greens installed after the 2014 Open and the second of the Coore & Crenshaw restoration era. Bill Coore, a native of Davidson County who played No. 2 often during his boyhood summers, and Ben Crenshaw, the two-time Masters cham-

pion, coordinated an extensive makeover in 2010-11 that included stripping out hundreds of acres of Bermuda rough, recontouring fairways and bunkers to Ross’ design and rebuilding the perimeters with firm hardpan sand dotted with wiregrass, pine needles and whatever natural vegetation and debris might accumulate.

“In the early days, this golf course was disheveled and brown, and the ball rolled and rolled,” Coore says. “That’s what gave it its character. Over time, that was lost.

It was too green and too organized.”

“Bowling-alley fairways,” Crenshaw adds. “Straight and narrow.”

Don Padgett II was the Pinehurst president and chief operating officer from 2004-14 and the man who convinced Dedman that hiring Coore & Crenshaw and taking No. 2 back to its “golden age” from 1935 through the 1960s was the correct move. Padgett is a “golf guy,” in industry parlance, coming to the resort with

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a background as a PGA Tour player in the early 1970s and a longtime club professional. His father, Don Sr., was director of golf at Pinehurst from 1987-2002.

One March afternoon a decade into his retirement, Padgett is sitting in a rocking chair on the porch overlooking the 18th green of No. 2. It’s sunny and 55 degrees.

“I think this is what the Tufts envisioned,” he says. “If you’re from Boston, this is balmy.”

The world of golf is coming to Pinehurst this month, and the game’s top players will find the 18 holes that so impressed Tillinghast in 1935 — and will vex them in 2024.

“The golf course today probably presents itself as the best it ever has,” Padgett says. “It’s Ross’ concept, with modern maintenance behind it. I think he’d look at this golf course and say, Wow, I wish I’d had the ability to grow grass like this. It’s not distorted, it’s enhanced. I think he would bless it.”

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THe Art & Soul of Raleigh | 41

SIMPLE LIFE

When Losing is Winning Seeing the world through missing glasses

by JIM DODSON illustration by GERRY O’NEILL

T

he other day, I lost my latest pair of eyeglasses. Sadly, this happens on a regular basis. My wife, Wendy, jokes that she keeps a running account with Warby Parker.

Just for fun, I made a rough count of eyeglasses I’ve lost over the past 30 years of our marriage. I gave up the count after six, which happens to be this year’s total alone. At least one of those pricey pairs of specs was never found. It vanished into the magical Land of Lost Things without a trace.

Of the remaining missing five, Wendy found two pairs in the pockets of old work shirts and a third in a sports coat I haven’t worn since Christmas. The fourth pair turned up in a rose bush, where I’d been doing some early spring pruning.

The fifth and final missing pair — my hip, whiskey-hued tortoiseshell sunglasses — finally revealed themselves in my golf bag, where I left them two weeks ago.

Wendy’s theory to explain my penchant for losing my glasses is that I have so much on my mind — i.e. deadlines,

42 | WALTER

books to read, my aging golf swing, the general state of the world, etc. In short, there’s little room remaining to remember where I leave things that I don’t deem essential.

My explanation for this perpetual problem comes from my being nearsighted and only needing glasses to see objects in the distance, including, but not limited to golf balls, birds at the feeder in the yard, street numbers, the fine print on billboards, UFOs and interesting cloud formations. When I’m reading, writing or examining something up close, I typically remove them and — apparently — forget where I put them down. Out of sight, out of mind.

All of this invariably has me pondering lost things in this world, including people.

We Americans are obsessed with winning and losing.

Billions of dollars from wealthy team supporters flood our college sports, where winning is the only name of the game.

Up on Wall Street, meanwhile, predicting winners and losers

is the holy writ of American commerce, where we watch the record Dow rise as if we’re running with the bulls. We associate wealth with winning and poverty as a stubborn, inconvenient truth. Jesus, after all, said the poor will always be with us. He also asked what profit it is for a man to gain the whole world, but lose his soul?

Sometimes being lost or losing is the best thing that can happen to you. More than once, I have been lost on America’s country back roads, only to discover wonderful people, places and things I would never have encountered otherwise.

Losing one’s fear of those who don’t share our opinions, tastes, gender, lifestyle, religion, race or brand of politics can be a courageous and very healthy thing, quite possibly the first step toward regaining the kind of social civility that could heal this divided county.

Many years ago, due to my work and strengthening faith, I even lost my fear of dying by choosing to believe that each day is a reason to feel grateful for being alive — even on socalled “bad” days when nothing seems to go right.

Losing a loved one to disease or tragedy, on the other hand, exists in a category all its own, though the passage of time and memories can often be an unexpected path to healing and awakening. I lost both of my parents more than two decades ago, yet today I seem to hear their wonderful voices

and wise words clearer than ever.

My mom was the one who stressed the importance of losing one’s fear and judgment of others in a world where everyone is different, a value system I saw her live every day of her life. It’s something I aspire to but admittedly still struggle with at times. Forever a work in progress, I suppose.

My dad was a fine baseball player in his youth and, later in life, a terrific golfer. Following in his wake, I was something of a hotheaded kid who hated to lose at either of those games. It was he, however, who pointed out that my boyhood sports hero, the great amateur golfer Bobby Jones, said he never learned anything from winning a golf tournament.

In truth, it took me many years — and no shortage of lost games and golf matches — to appreciate my old man’s belief that being a good loser is, in fact, the road to someday being a gracious winner. When I was about 10 years old, he placed a famed copy of Rudyard Kipling’s poem “If” on my bedroom wall. I can still recite my favorite passages by memory.

And I don’t even need glasses to see the timeless vision of these words: If you can make one heap of all your winnings /And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,/ And lose, and start again at your beginningss / And never breathe a word about your loss ... / Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it, /And — which is more — you’ll be a Man, my son!

Open June 15 – Sept. 29 FR E E AD M I SS ION for Museum Members TICKETS: naturalsciences.org/pollinators

THe Art & Soul of Raleigh | 43

Sarah Ford

Wishing

by JAKI SHELTON GREEN art by JANE CHEEK wishing razor blades did not slash rainbows hands did not steal light from the dawn prayers spoken in tongues did not dissolve into silk pocket linings air could be bartered for fire war could reinvent itself as a prayer of silence Jaki Shelton Green, the ninth poet laureate of North Carolina, is the author of nine poetry publications including Dead on Arrival, Breath of the Song and Conjure Blues. Her commissioned works have been choreographed and staged for film and will serve as the content for a collaboration with visual artist Monique Luck that will exhibit at The Mint Museum in September 2024.

THe Art & Soul of Raleigh | 45

PRIDE OF PLACE 46 | WALTER

Dustin Smith, left, and Burton Buffaloe with their children, Holland and Stone, and the family dogs, Teedo and Izzy.

Dustin Smith and Burton Buffaloe have created a family home that’s a celebration of style — and a sanctuary, too by AYN-MONIQUE KLAHRE photography by CATHERINE NGUYEN

THe Art & Soul of Raleigh | 47

“W

e always come together — stylewise, business-wise, parenting-wise — I found my person,” says Dustin Smith of his husband, Burton Buffaloe. That’s lucky, because the two primarily work together as popular content creators through the brand Raising Buffaloes.

“We never intended to have this following, there was no business plan, we were just sharing our lives in the excited way any new parent does,” says Buffaloe. “But we got this organic following, and we had to have a conversation about it. We decided we felt it was important to have representation of gay dads.”

Smith and Buffaloe are open books, outward-facing professionally — so fans might be surprised to learn that they’re both introverts. “The perception is that

48 | WALTER

we’re extroverts, and we can play that role easily, but we don’t get energy off of it,” says Buffaloe. Here, in their stylish, deeply personal home, is where they recharge and reconnect as a family. “We need this space to hide and regroup,” says Smith. So the two designed their house from scratch, filling it with spaces to sit quietly with a cup of coffee, watch movies as a family or host friends for kid-friendly hangouts.

Buffaloe’s originally from Garner, and Smith grew up in Charlotte. The two met in Raleigh in the early 2000s, then each moved around a bit before they reconnected in Raleigh and started dating in 2012. “We both had these same life goals — to create a family, to have children — and knew we’d want to settle here,” says Smith.

They were married in 2015 and built

their house with a family in mind, even though their twins, Holland and Stone, weren’t born until 2016. “We already knew how many bedrooms we’d need; we were looking at school districts and calculating the distance to the grocery store and the pediatrician,” laughs Smith.

A narrow lot in University Park fit the bill. “It’s a place where we could still be part of the vibrance of the city, but in a quiet neighborhood,” says Smith. “It’s really diverse, a mix of retired people and college students and young families like ours,” says Buffaloe.

The architecture of the home has a contemporary bent, with traditional detailing — like wooden siding and a generous front porch outside and decorative molding and a formal dining room inside — to create a been-there-forever vibe.

“We wanted to feel like this house was a

BRIGHT IDEAS “We basically live in this space,” says Smith of their open-plan kitchen, opposite page, which connects to a breakfast nook and dining area. This page: The copper pendant lamp in the breakfast area nods to the copper counter stools. A large piece by E. Alex is one of the bright pops of color in this mostly neutral space, along with the royal blue credenza and minty-green subway tiles in the kitchen backsplash.

THe Art & Soul of Raleigh 49

PLAYFUL SPACES A painting by Shaun Richards is the focal point in the living room (before the couple fell in love with it, they’d planned to put a fireplace there). Behind the sofa, doors open completely onto a covered porch. “We love to have people inside and outside, by the fireplace and in the bar, it’s just so much fun,” says Smith. He used smaller doorways to connect the bar, opposite page, to the kitchen and dining area to mimic the look of a historic home. The floral print is meant to surprise and delight. “I’m always obsessed with fun wallpaper, and I loved having it in this pass-through space,” says Smith.

He designed the office, opposite, which is at the front of the home, to look like a “modern library. I wanted it to feel super-cozy, but refined.” Grasscloth on the walls adds texture and depth. Since both work from home, they wanted a space that would also be a good location for video meetings.

50 WALTER

renovation, not a new build,” says Smith.

“We like a blend of styles, and I’ve always loved going into those older homes, like the ones in Historic Oakwood, where you can see those nods to the past.”

The outside of the two-story home is painted in dark grays, with wood accents.

“It’s unique, but not crazy,” says Smith.

“It has its own personality, but it’s not screaming at you.” The color scheme was inspired by the Pacific Northwest. “I love those kinds of plants and the sort of darker, moodier colors,” says Smith. Inside, lighter natural tones are the base. “We love playing with neutrals, but with these really hot pops of color — like a neon orange or a vibrant pink to shake it up,” Smith says. “That’s our idea of ‘neutral.’”

When it came to decorating, Smith took the lead, but both have similar taste.

“I know what I like, but Dustin knows how to put it together,” says Buffaloe.

“I can tell when something’s off, but I can’t tell you how to fix it.” Smith credits a good friend, interior designer Susan Tollefsen, with helping him shop and choose pieces. “I’ve always loved design, but Susan is my sounding board,” he says.

“We go play at furniture stores or at the vintage market; she has a great eye for art and chairs. She’s a fun friend with fun design benefits!”

The overall style is playful, eclectic and collected. In the dining room, for example, they paired an elegant brass-footed dining table from Buffaloe’s childhood home with curvy chairs upholstered in a bright mustard-hued velvet. A rustic antler chandelier hangs above the table from a ceiling that’s a minty green. In their

THe Art & Soul of Raleigh | 51

KID SOPHISTICATES The twins just recently moved into separate rooms — but “they never want to sleep alone!” says Smith. “They have that special twin connection, we think it’s really cute.” Each child was allowed to choose the general theme for their room.

Stone wanted space and robots; Holland asked for pinks and florals. For the primary bath, they chose classic materials and installed a tub “big enough to fit Dustin,” laughs Buffaloe. “I love the crispness of subway tiles — we built this more than 10 years ago and it still suits us,” says Smith.

52 | WALTER

SOFT & STATELY The couple chose a warm gray color for the primary suite to make it feel more cozy. “It gets tons of light, so it’s just a beautiful space we love to spend time in,” says Buffaloe. A pair of amethyst geode lamps flanking the bed are favorites. “I’d wanted some forever, and then we stumbled upon them in a vintage market!” says Smith.

THe Art & Soul of Raleigh 53

OUTDOOR LIVING “We loved the idea of creating a space that felt tucked-away, like one of those hidden courtyards in New Orleans or Charleston,” says Smith. The great room opens onto a covered patio, which leads toward a courtyard with a fireplace.

“This is where we make s’mores with the kids, where we have conversations after they go to bed,” says Smith. His brother, Chad Smith, a landscape designer, did all the landscaping and hardscaping in the courtyard. Chad is now working full-time on their latest project, an 80-acre farm, garden and outdoor market outside of Raleigh called Holl & Stone that will open this month.

bedroom, they paired a traditional wooden bed with a modern cowhide-covered bench and quirky geode lamps. There’s fun floral-print wallpaper in the bar area and patterned accent walls in each of the kids’ rooms. “Burton allows me to take risks. Like, I’ll tell him I’m putting crazy wallpaper in the closet, and he’s on board with it without seeing it — he just trusts me,” says Smith.

One big way they add personality to their home is through their art collection — their walls boast everything from North Carolina artists like Cher Shaffer and Clarence Heyward to internationally known makers like Andy Warhol, Eyvind Earle, E. Alex and Kenneth Noland. “We like fine art, contemporary art, things we find at vintage stores — I think art makes a home, it creates moods and conversation,” says Smith. “I’ve never bought 54 | WALTER

art to match a room, I just find things I love and it just works. If you buy things that you truly love, that are just you, it always comes together harmoniously.”

The two have a closet filled with art that they rotate onto their walls. “Just about everything in the house gets changed around; we’ll forget we have something, and the kids influence what we put up, too — they’ve had a few things they don’t like that we put away,” Buffaloe says, noting that their office has become a repository for some of the pieces the kids deem “creepy.”

One giant painting, Assimulate by Raleigh artist Shaun Richards, has particular meaning to the couple. It depicts two boys playing in the foreground, with the wreckage of an airplane in the background; the words “to be continued” appear in one corner and text from

the United States Constitution peeks out from underneath the paint. “We see a lot of ourselves in that piece,” says Smith. “We each had rocky times before we met, and we’re blessed to have found each other.”

There’s a secondary layer, too: that “to be continued” text is written in a font that recalls the movie Back to the Future II, which was set in a fictitious 2015. In real life, 2015 is the year that the Marriage Equality Act passed, making their union legal across the United States — and they happened to have found the painting just after they were married.

“We are extra proud to be where we are — in this day and age, in the South — because growing up I never thought I’d be able to be married with kids,” says Smith. “We’re making an impact by being visible.”

GREEN SCENES Redwoods and blue spruces pop against the darker paint colors; Smith credits his brother for helping select unusal-for-Raleigh plants that work within their landscape. In addition to the seating area, the deep, narrow backyard includes a dining area, a garage with a guest suite on top and a grassy area with play equipment.

“We have a lot of hardscape, but it’s softened by plants,” says Buffaloe. Smith particularly likes sitting in the dining area, which is defined by a clean-lined pergola. “That was my brother’s design, and now this incredible weeping bald cypress is taking over,” he says. “It feels so cozy, like you could be inside but you’re not.” Smith’s mother found the antique gate to the street, which was originally made and installed in New Orleans for the author William Faulkner. Smith painted it his favorite shade of green, and learned afterwards that that was its original color.

THe Art & Soul of Raleigh | 55

&

CUT SHAVE Rob Hammer’s unique photography project takes him on a tour through local barbershops

by MATT LAIL photography by ROB HAMMER

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Left page: “People may be surprised at the amount of expertise it takes to care for a beard,” says Mister Pompadour’s Matt Goldsworthy. He incorporates steam treatments to rejuvenate the natural oils that are lost to everyday life. “Underneath it is still skin. It needs moisture,” says Goldsworthy. “The steam relaxes it. The softener helps it get the oils it needs to keep growing, to give it that shine back.”

Right: The hands of Joe Martin, one of the barbers at Nicholson’s Barber & Style Shop on Hargett Street.

THe Art & Soul of Raleigh | 57

R

ob Hammer fondly remembers tagging along with his father to the barbershop as a boy. As the Raleigh-based photographer recalls, the barbershop they went to — a small, standalone shop in the town of West Sand Lake in upstate New York — was more than just a place to get a haircut.

“What an incredible place for guys to just hang out,” he says. “The camaraderie is the thing that stands out the most to me.”

Since then, Hammer’s fascination with barbershops never left him, even as he noticed that a number of the traditional shops were disappearing all across the country. So he’s been using his camera to capture what makes them more sanctums than salons. Over the past 13 years, Hammer has visited more than 1,000 shops in all 50 states and captured roughly 200 with his cameras. “These vibrant

This page: Barbers at Man-Mur — a name that nods to where the customers hail from, “Murphy to Manteo” — have been serving Raleigh since 1959. Current owner Richard Creech has been cutting hair at the location, which he operates with his wife Wendy, since 1988. “The things on the walls of barbershops are indicative of its community,” says Hammer. “You see a bunch of NC State stuff at Man-Mur, whereas if you go to a barbershop in Montana it’s covered with hunting trophies.”

Opposite page, bottom left: The tools of the trade are on display at the various Arrow Haircuts locations throughout Raleigh and the rest of the Triangle and Charlotte.

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spaces are more than grooming parlors, they’re incredible time capsules that can’t be duplicated,” he says. “They are cultural landmarks, social hubs and intimate storytellers of our collective narrative.”

In 2020, Hammer published a book of his work, Barbershops of America – Then and Now, and he’s continued to photograph these special spaces. In Raleigh, he’s found subjects that range from the old-school to the new, from gritty to glitzy — but they all share the same feeling of being special places to hang, to gossip, to talk trash, to just be. “These places are like a second home to so many men,” says Hammer. “Some folks have been cutting hair in the same shops for 50 or 60 years.

Just think about the things they have seen — and the fact that they have stayed in business while other stores around them have closed.”

For some shops, like Man-Mur Barber

Shop on Hillsborough Street or Nicholson’s Barber & Style Shop on East Hargett Street, the allure’s in the familiar. The two shops boast collectively more than 100 years of service. After all, says Larry Pulley, a barber at Nicholson’s, “barbers have been around since Man’s been around.”

For other, newer spots, like Mister Pompadour Barber Lounge at The Loading Dock on Whitaker Mill, which opened in May 2020, the upscale service is the star. “Our barbers are the ones that make the shop so special,” says manager Matt Goldsworthy. “These are people that are committed to their craft. They want to cut hair for their career.”

In the end, the loyal customers that keep coming back do so for reasons beyond just a good haircut. “Going to a barbershop is often more about connection and community than it is about actually getting groomed,” says Hammer.

Top left: The slogan on the windows outside Nicholson’s Barber & Style Shop in downtown Raleigh says it all: “It pays to be well groomed.” Carlton Nicholson and his team (including Larry Pulley, pictured) have been doing that — and providing a place to get up to speed on the latest news — for decades. “People like the small-town atmosphere,” says Pulley. “It gives people a sense of unity.”

Top right: Yes, the main mission of any barbershop is to cut hair.

But as men’s tastes have changed, so have styles. Sometimes customers need a little styling help — in the form of pomades.

THe Art & Soul of Raleigh | 59

Left page: When Dominican-born and New York-raised Joseph Mejia opened his shop The Dominican on Capital Boulevard in 2006, the master barber sought to fill a gap by providing hair care for Latino men. Since then, it’s become a popular destination for people of all cultures — and hairstyles. “It’s an experience to even visit,” says Hammer.

“I’ve never seen so many barber chairs in my life.”

Right page: Arrow Haircuts has found its niche in the area since founder Pete Phipps opened its first Raleigh location more than a decade ago in the old Professional Barber Shop on Woodburn Road in The Village District. Today, Arrow has 10 locations in Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill and Charlotte.

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THe Art & Soul of Raleigh | 61

Top left: “Can I get you a beer?” is often one of the first things a customer is asked when they walk into Arrow.

Each location offers beer for the adults and lollipops for the kids. Arrow has even partnered with Trophy Brewing Company to offer special brews like “Off the Top” and “The Usual.”

Top right: Goldsworthy notes that cutting facial hair can be tricky and it can grow slowly.

“You cut a man’s beard too short or mess it up, it’s messed up for a while.”

Bottom right: A customer gets a consult at The Dominican.

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Top: Nicholson’s Barber and Style Shop embraces its history; the furniture and decor are essentially the same as when it opened all those years ago. “This look and feel can’t be duplicated because time is the only way to achieve that look,” says Hammer.

Bottom: Like a lot of barbershops, Man-Mur is as much a hangout for the latest news and gossip, whether you need a haircut or not. “The day I was there, these guys came in and just sat down and started cracking jokes,” recalls Hammer. “And it was clear that it’s a daily occurrence.”

THe Art & Soul of Raleigh | 63

lavender

BLUES

Kathy and Michael Flynn’s hydrangea-filled garden

by HELEN YOEST photography by JULI LEONARD

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Hydrangeas have been a beloved Southern tradition since they were first imported from Japan in the 1750s.

THe Art & Soul of Raleigh | 65

“I love gathering coordinating blooms and noticing the many shades of blue that occur in different varieties.”

— Kathy Flynn

I

t’s not uncommon to downsize to a smaller home once the kids leave the nest, and that is just what Kathy and Michael Flynn did back in 2005. With one child out of college and the other two rapidly finishing up, they found a new home and garden in Raleigh’s Valley Lakes at Greystone Village, just minutes from where they’d lived for the previous 12 years. “Not needing our bigger home any longer, the timing was right to downsize,” Kathy says.

Their previous home had been a new construction where they’d built out a much-loved garden from scratch, featuring about 20 mature mophead hydrangeas. “That’s where I learned to enjoy filling a vase with flowers fresh from the garden,” Kathy says. “But while I loved working in my old garden, I was excited to have a new project.”

The Flynns moved in the fall, around Thanksgiving, and set about creating a garden they could enjoy but more easily manage as they got older. There were challenges with the new garden: the front yard had spindly grass and a wet, shady-sloping backyard that wouldn’t grow grass for the previous owners. The entire back garden was soggy and covered with knee-high piles of leaves and other debris, and dense foliage obscured the view of Greystone Community Lake.

First, the Flynns chopped up a blanket of leaves and small branches covering the yard, composting them to amend the future beds. “Clearing up the debris created a space where the hardscape and plantings could go,” says Kathy. The next step was opening up the view. “Removing a few huge hickory and sweetgum trees dramatically improved our sight-

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line to the lake,” says Kathy. Over time, they added a slate patio over the soggy ground, plus flagstone-stacked edging around flower beds and a slate-andtimber path to slow the pace down to the lake, doing all the work themselves.

As a start for the garden, Kathy brought along four mophead hydrangeas from their previous home. “I loved their blooms, and the bold textures and feel of hydrangeas. They’re interesting to look at both close up and from a distance,” she says. Those four hydrangeas soon — accidentally — turned into many more.

“They fell apart in the move, so Mike separated them to give them their best chance at survival in the new garden,” Kathy remembers. The hydrangeas thrived in their new home.

Over the next decade, the Flynns began propagating or dividing their hydrangeas, spreading them throughout the yard. Today, Michael estimates their hydrangea collection is 170 strong (“I’m not a hoarder, I promise!” chuckles Kathy). The Flynns worked as a team to spread these colorful shrubs throughout their new garden. “I probably planted 100 hydrangeas with Mike doing the rest,” says Kathy. As Mike says, “I enjoy planting with my wife; I know it makes her heart happy.”

The cultivar names of their hydrangeas are long forgotten, but the mopheads, hydrangea macrophylla, are favorites in many Southern gardens. Acidic soil is necessary to keep their mophead hydrangeas blue, so Kathy and Michael have placed Espoma Organic Holly-tone or aluminum sulfate from time to time to alter the colors a bit. “The blue shades are perhaps a favorite. I love gathering coordinating blooms and noticing the many shades of blue that occur in differ-

Kathy and Michael Flynn in their garden.

ent varieties,” says Kathy.

The Flynns added more to their garden oasis as time and circumstances allowed.

A few of the plants they have chosen are a variety of ferns, hellebores, oakleaf hydrangeas, heuchera, echinacea, peony, ajuga and pachysandra, as well as zinnias and a burgundy Japanese maple. “We choose plants to give a variety of textures with little maintenance,” says Kathy.

But even with those other flowers, the hydrangeas are the star. Kathy planted many along the slope down to the lake “to help hold the hill.” It’s a perfect location to receive morning sun and afternoon shade — and to show off for

neighbors walking along the grassy trail that encircles the lake. “Each spring, I have walkers tell me they can’t wait for the blooms to begin,” says Kathy.

During the pandemic, the Flynns added a fireplace in their backyard, assembling it from a kit from General Shale Brick & Building Materials. It’s just off-center from the view out the kitchen window, so they can keep an eye on it while preparing meals inside. “We love it,” Kathy says. “On cool afternoons, we’ll start the fire while working in the yard; it’s the perfect place for gathering together or with friends, with our beverage of choice.”

Nearly two decades into their “new”

garden, it’s once again easy for Kathy to make arrangements from its bounty. “Hydrangeas work well due to their sturdy stems and long bloom time, and I like to add things like branches from a blueberry bush or ferns,” she says.

And while they moved to the new house to downsize, the yard has proven a welcome spot as their family has grown to include three spouses and eight grandchildren. On Sundays, the family gathers for dinner. “We are fortunate to have a close relationship with our children and grandchildren and they live close by, so we can get together often,” says Kathy.

2019 || 113 THe Art & SoulJUNE of Raleigh 67

Clockwise from top: Gentle steps leading down to the footpath toward Greystone Community Lake. The path is on an approximate 20% grade, with three sets of steps made from landscape timbers but nothing to keep a wheelbarrow from maneuvering easily. A specimen of Bloodgood Japanese Maple; an unusual picotee hydrangea.

68 | WALTER

Clockwise from top: The Flynns assembled the fireplace from a kit by General Shale Brick & Building Materials. The tiny flowers of the native coral bell perennial. After the spurge plant flowers, its sepals are interesting on their own. A native bee seeks pollen and nectar from a shade-loving hosta.

THe Art & Soul of Raleigh | 69

Clockwise from top: A shade-loving border edged with flagstone the Flynns did themselves. Purpletop vervain is a great pollinator plant for bees and butterflies. The Christmas fern (named such since it stays evergreen through the winter) is easy to grow and widely available.

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Clockwise from top: The oakleaf and mophead hydrangea blend naturally in a picturesque view. A native bee prepares to alight on its floral rewards. An individual flower of the oakleaf hydrangea.

THe Art & Soul of Raleigh | 71

InterDisciplinary Isabel Lu explores emotions, food and healing in their paintings

by COLONY LITTLE photography by JOSHUA STEADMAN

“M

y painting practice is very intuitive,” says artist Isabel Lu. “If I’m experiencing something, I’m writing down manic notes and I’ll have to paint it. And as I’m painting, more things come up — the actual meaning develops over time.”

Lu’s current solo show at Artspace, Your Ocean is on Fire, is based on a year’s worth of personal reflections on relationships and experiences.

This body of work is a trenchant self-exploration of Lu’s identity as a first-generation Chinese-American and an asexual, nonbinary person living in the South. Through her art, Lu grapples with a search for healing, looking for answers that lie between the lenses of Western and Chinese medicine.

Growing up in Greensboro, Lu always had an affection for art; illustration, manga and anime were early influences. Lu attended the renowned Weaver Academy for Performing & Visual Arts and Advanced Technology in her hometown and studied painting under artist Steven Cozart, but she also had a passion for research and

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Opposite page: The diptych Your Ocean is on Fire.

THe Art & Soul of Raleigh | 73

“If I’m experiencing something, I’m writing down manic notes and I’ll have to paint it.

And as I’m painting, more things come up — the actual meaning develops over time.”

— Isabel Lu

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The painting Mi with Cheese in Lu’s studio.

academia. “I had a growing interest in nutrition and the idea that you could use foods to prevent disease and heal,” Lu says. They pored over books like The Omnivore’s Dilemma and The China Study, then went on to get a degree in nutrition from Cornell University and a Masters of Public Health from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. During this time, they placed creative pursuits on hold. “I completely stopped painting,” Lu says. “Mentally I was not capable of holding both at the same time.”

But at a screening of the film Reclaiming Power: The Black Maternal Health Crisis by Elon University professors Stephanie Baker and Keisha Wall, Lu also began to appreciate the value of

interdisciplinary approaches to health and community. Instead of presenting information as a paper, this short film used contemporary dance, incorporating the voices of women to convey their experiences with childbirth. “It was really powerful; I did not know you could use art in that way,” says Lu. That spark helped Lu sharpen the focus of their passions, creating space to harmonize research, social work, food and art. During the pandemic, Lu was halfway through their master’s program when she resumed painting, realizing it could be both cathartic and an opportunity to create an impact. “I was like, oh, this is what it feels like to be happy,” Lu says. “I didn’t have the words for it

at the time, but I was seeking creative outlets to understand people’s holistic experience with health.”

In 2022, Lu became the Durham Arts Guild Artist in Residence, where for six months she painted a series of portraits that explored Asian Americans’ relationships with food. In 2023, Lu exhibited this body of work at CAM Raleigh and also became the Emerging Artist in Residence at Artspace. Most of this work is gathered in Your Ocean is on Fire.

In the exhibit, each painting is accompanied by a poem and samples of dried foods. One large-scale painting, Watermelon, depicts the artist looking just beyond the viewer’s gaze, face slightly angled away from a decaying slice of waTHe Art & Soul of Raleigh | 75

Lu works on a painting titled QiLin in her studio at Artspace.

termelon. A pastel color scheme suggests a lightness that is betrayed by chaotic drips of paint at the side of Lu’s body.

For the exhibit, a white plinth nearby displays a poem alongside a wooden dish of dried fruits and herbs — both explanation and balm for the emotions in the painting. “Isabel’s words amplify the work in a raw and beautiful way,” says photographer and collector Catherine Nguyen. “Her despair and anger are a contrast to the fluidity of her paint lines: they are beautiful and feel soft, but the words come at you like daggers.”

Your Ocean is on Fire is a deeply personal exploration that, for a self-proclaimed introvert, was a daunting task. “This is a 00 || WALTER 76 WALTER

diary on public display,” Lu says. A diptych that shares the name of the exhibition rounds out the show. On the right side of the canvas, Lu is on the ground, staving off a panic attack symbolized by a pair of translucent hands. “I wrote the line, ‘the ocean is on fire,’ and then a few weeks later, I was reading my Chinese textbook around dream states and organs, and I read two lines: ‘when the heart is weak one dreams of fire and when the kidneys are weak, one dreams of being immersed in water,’” Lu says. “I was literally feeling both at the same time.”

In addition to the Artspace exhibition, Lu is working on the Asian Joy Mural Project, a collaboration with Ina Liu

and Sophie Tô that’s funded through the Raleigh Arts SEEK program. The project centers oral histories that will be collected and archived through the UNC Southern Oral History Program. Seven subjects were chosen who represent various backgrounds, ages and occupations; they will be featured in a mural near Raleigh Union Station this month.

Lu hopes the mural will become a catalyst for continued community work, particularly with Asian American youth exploring art and activism. “Sophie, Ina and I want to keep creating opportunities for people to experience working together and learning from each other. That in itself is part of our art,” Lu says.

Clockwise from top left: Paintings Tofu, You and Me, food offering at current exhibit, Corn, Watermelon, Your Name and Metal.

THe Art & Soul of Raleigh | 77

One History, Many Voices

Palace Tours • Gardens • Special Events • Living History Programs • Exhibits www.tryonpalace.org 529 South Front St. 252.639.3525 Experience living history. Walk in the footsteps of the governors who lived at Tryon Palace during the 1770’s – a time of intellectual and political turmoil. Tour the Palace, Kitchen Office, Stable Office, and 21 acres of beautiful gardens.

Visit with the 1st Regiment NC Continental Line at their encampment and observe 18th c. military life. Tour the historic Dixon House and learn about a family from the early 1800s. Visit the New Bern Academy, our state’s first chartered public school, and where the 35th Regiment USCT first mustered, during the Civil War. Throughout the year, there are specialized tours, lectures, and events such as Glorious Fourth, Rev War Day, Outlander tours, Garden lectures, African American cultural programming, and more. Enjoy enriching exhibits at the NC History Center. Hear stories about those who lived and worked at the Palace, and of eastern North Carolina’s rich and diverse history. Experience Tryon Palace.

35th USCT Juneteenth Celebrations

Vibrant Summer Gardens

Glorious 4th

Spinning & Weaving

Rev War Day

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The Endless Summer

Search for the Perfect Day Long days and balmy nights — those extra hours of sun give us energy to enjoy each day to the fullest. Whether your idea of the perfect summer day includes an outdoor excursion, music under the stars or an air-conditioned performance, North Carolina has lots to offer.

THe Art & Soul of Raleigh | 79

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With gear for everything from hiking, paddling, fishing and camping among the stars, Great Outdoor Provision Co. offers endless summer fun.

Take your adventures to the next level with a Hobie pedal kayak, shown here. Every feature of these kayaks is designed with your entertainment in mind. (A paddle is included if you want the extra workout!)

Visit one of our stores to meet the friendly and professional staff that travel the same path on our creaky wood floors, waiting to help you kick-start your adventure.

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NORTH CAROLINA MUSEUM OF ART Chef’s Table: To Take Shape and Meaning

Join Catering Works at the North Carolina Museum of Art on June 21 and July 26 for a very special culinary evening in celebration of special exhibition To Take Shape and Meaning: Form and Design in Contemporary American Indian Art. The Chef’s Table event begins with a cocktail hour and gallery tour with exhibition guest curator Nancy Strickland Fields (Lumbee), director/curator of the Museum of the Southeast American Indian at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke, followed by a seated dinner with expertly paired wines in the Museum’s East Café. Catering Works executive chef Rich Carter presents cuisine inspired by the exhibition, paired with dramatically styled plating, for an incredible evening of sensory experiences.

Tickets are $175. Visit ncartmuseum.org or call 919-715-5923 for more information.

JUNE 21 JULY 26 North Carolina Museum of Art, East Building 2110 Blue Ridge Road, Raleigh, NC 27607 THe Art & Soul of Raleigh | 81

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NORTH CAROLINA SYMPHONY UNC Health Summerfest MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND THROUGH MID-JULY

Koka Booth Ampitheatre 8003 Regency Parkway, Cary, NC 27518

The UNC Health Summerfest offers audiences the best in music and entertainment — from pop to classical — in a relaxed and fun outdoor setting. For more than 20 years, families and friends have packed their picnics and gathered under the stars for concerts at Koka Booth Amphitheatre.

This season features Opening Night with a Tchaikovsky Spectacular, including “Piano Concerto No. 1,” “Romeo & Juliet Fantasy Overture” and more. Plus, hear classical concerts showcasing music by Rossini, Debussy, Dvořák and Bernstein.

Be amazed by the Grammy-winning Steep Canyon Rangers, joining your North Carolina Symphony for the best in bluegrass, Americana and folk rock. Other pops favorites include a Salute to John Williams, The Music of the Rolling Stones, Songs of the ’70s and high-flying Cirque acrobatics.

Tickets start at $32; kids 12 and under admitted free on the lawn.

Visit ncsymphony.org or call 919-733-2750 for more information.

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THEATRE IN THE PARK Henry V JUNE 20-30

By The Way, Meet Vera Stark AUGUST 15-25 Theatre in the Park 107 Pullen Road, Raleigh, NC 27607

Theatre In The Park is proud to present two fantastic shows in our Summer 2024 season. From June 20-30, join us for Shakespeare In The Park (indoors, of course) as we present Henry V, Shakespeare’s thrilling study on nationalism, war and the psychology of power. Fresh to the throne, King Henry V launches England into a bloody war with France. When his campaign meets resistance, this inexperienced ruler must prove he is fit to guide a country into war. Directed by and starring Ira David Wood IV. August 15-25, we present By The Way, Meet Vera Stark by the Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Lynn Nottage. This new comedy draws upon screwball films of the 1930s with a funny and irreverent look at racial stereotypes in Hollywood. It’s a 70-year journey through the life of Vera Stark, a headstrong African American actress, and her tangled relationship with her boss, a white Hollywood star grasping to hold on to her career. Directed by Yamila Monge.

Tickets start at $23. Visit theatreinthepark.com or call 919-831-6058 for more information.

THe Art & Soul of Raleigh | 83

COME HEAR NC Statewide Music Additional information including time, registration and tickets available online for each individual event.

Come Hear NC was started in 2019 to celebrate the Year of Music in North Carolina. It’s an initiative of the NC Deptartment of Natural and Cultural Resources that fosters music programs across the state. Representing all genres, Come Hear NC creates unique programming while amplifying the existing work of the state’s vibrant music scene. Check out one of these performances: • June 8: Mount Airy Fiddler Convention, Mount Airy • June 21: Juneteenth: A Celebration with Nnenna Freelon, Shana Tucker and guests, NC Museum of History, Raleigh • June 21: Make Music Day, Statewide • Jule 5-7: Ocean City Jazz Festival, North Topsail Beach • July 20: Tar Heel Troubadours: Henhouse Prowlers, NC Museum of History, Raleigh • Aug. 10: Moonshine and Motorsports with Jim Lauderdale and the Kruger Brothers, NC Museum of History • Aug. 30-Sept. 1: Earl Scruggs Festival, Tryon • Aug. 31-Sept. 1: John Coltrane Jazz Festival, High Point • Sept. 5-7: Hopscotch, Raleigh • Sept. 24-28: IBMA World of Bluegrass, Raleigh Visit comehearnc.com for more information.

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Nina Simone, by artist Scott Nurkin @ncmusicianmurals #NCMMTrail Photo credit: Jared Caldwell

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WILDERS 515 Longhorn Creek Lane, Turkey, NC 28393 Fridays 2 - 6 p.m. & Saturdays 8 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Elevate your summer barbeques, picnics and family reunions with high-quality, locally-raised meats.

Savor the tender, rich flavor of Wilders 100% Fullblood Wagyu Beef and Berkshire Pork, raised on our farm in Eastern North Carolina. Whether you prefer the ease of online shopping, the welcoming feel of our in-store service or the vibrant energy of your nearby farmers market, Wilders is here to meet your needs.

Explore our retail storefront in Downtown Clayton or step into the rustic charm of our General Store, located on our farm in Turkey, NC. Closer to home, find us at the Midtown Farmers Market in North Hills Raleigh every Saturday for a firsthand taste. Experience the bold flavor that our premium, locallyraised meat brings straight from our farm to your table.

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Wilders General Store

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THe Art & Soul of Raleigh | 85

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CITY CLUB RALEIGH Business Social Club & Event Space

150 Fayetteville Street, Suite 2800 Raleigh, NC 27601

Experience the epitome of luxury and exclusivity at City Club Raleigh, where stunning views and exceptional dining come together. Perched atop the city, our club offers a sophisticated escape with a blend of modern elegance and timeless charm. Indulge in culinary excellence with dishes crafted from locally sourced ingredients, and take part in our vibrant events that make every visit memorable.

Now, for a limited time, immerse yourself in the unmatched ambiance of City Club Raleigh without a club membership.

Enjoy a refreshing summer cocktail and dinner while marveling at the best view in Raleigh. To access this exclusive experience, simply call the club and mention WALTER magazine to receive your guest pass and secure your reservation. Discover why City Club Raleigh is the city’s premier destination for those who seek the extraordinary.

Visit cityclubraleigh.com or call 919-834-8829 for more information.

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These Mountains Know How to Summer Our favorite summer tradition? Escaping the heat for Jackson County, NC. Home to the Western North Carolina Fly Fishing Trail® and The Great Smoky Mountains National Park, unique restaurants with alfresco dining, and free concerts under the stars, these mountain towns have a way of celebrating summer that keeps us coming back year after year.

Plan your trip at DiscoverJacksonNC.com

CASHI ER S C HER O KEE DI LLSBO R O SYLVA

2024

THE WHIRL WALTER’s roundup of gatherings, celebrations, fundraisers and more around Raleigh.

KRISTY WOODSON HARVEY BOOK LAUNCH On Apr. 24, WALTER hosted North Carolina author Kristy Woodson Harvey at City Club Raleigh to launch her new book, A Happier Life.

Presenting sponsor Fink’s Jewelers gave away a pair of Roberto Coin earrings to a lucky guest and Green Front Furniture created the 1976 Lounge inspired by the setting of the book. Guests enjoyed cocktails, a summer supper, Q&A with Harvey and book signing. Thank you to our event partners The Country Bookshop and Alphagraphics.

John Hansen

Kristy Woodson Harvey, Kathie Bennett, Kimberly Daniels Tawes

Patrick Casey

Kathy Brown, Nancy Andrews, Kristy Woodson Harvey, Susan Turner, Donna Smith Front row: Cristina Hurley, Addie Ladner, David Woronoff, Karlie Marlowe.

Back row: Ayn-Monique Klahre, Laura Wall, Julie Nickens.

Bina Thakkar, Jean Shortley, Lois Derry, Veronica Besch, Karen Gates, Suzie Goldberg, Winnie Gleason, Constance Collins, Karen Hearth

Abigail Conyers, Wendy Conyers

Danielle Mehaffey, Claire Brown, Kimberly Wood, Tonya Pounds

To have your event considered for The Whirl, submit images and information at waltermagazine.com/submit-photos

THe Art & Soul of Raleigh | 89

Our signature event includes professional workshops, networking opportunities, a seated dinner and thought-provoking talks by local women leaders.

WINnovation sharing STORIES inspiring ACTION

SCAN FOR MORE INFO!

Friday, September 13 at The Umstead Hotel & Spa

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THE WHIRL OAKWOOD GARDEN CLUB TEA & TOUR On Apr. 27-28, more than 500 guests visited Historic Oakwood for its annual Oakwood Garden Club Tea & Tour. Guests visited five gardens, where they enjoyed flowers, evergreens, native plants, the history of the homes and gardens, delectable tea and treats, and most importantly, one another.

Leah Finch

Mindy Erdmann, Lynne Liptak, Nancy Erdmann

MAKING RALEIGH SMILE SINCE 1899

Elodie Long, Kate Long

Paul Williams, Kenneth Artis

Our patients receive state-of-the-art care in a professional, safe, and friendly environment.

We welcome new patients!

OUR SIGNATURE SERVICES INCLUDE: Comprehensive & Cosmetic Dental Care Same-Day CEREC Crowns Suresmile Clear Aligner Orthodontics Dental Implants Sleep Apnea TMJ Therapy Sabra Taylor, Leah Finch, Chris Crew

3201 Glenwood Ave. Suite 301 Raleigh, NC 27612 919-782-0801 • info@raleighsmile.com

THe Art & Soul of Raleigh | 91

THE WHIRL DUELING DINOSAURS GALA On Friday, Apr. 19, the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences held a gala event to celebrate the opening of the new SECU DinoLab, a state-of-theart research laboratory and museum exhibit. Themed “An Epic Celebration,” the Dueling Dinosaurs Gala featured dinosaur-themed cocktails, heavy hors d’oeuvres for carnivores and herbivores, music and dancing.

Sunita Hill, Jan Burkhard Catlin, Vanessa Peeters, Hina Sharma

Brian Mullins Photography

Doris Geoff Coltrane, Sneha Shah-Coltrane, Denise Young, Michele Kloda

Chris Leaston, Mandi Carbon Leaston, Nev Nelson, Will Nelson

Carlton Midyette, Marjorie Hodges

Chris Valauri, Susan Valauri

Karl Rectanus, Victoria Wheeler

Ashton White

Kelli Fletcher, Ayn-Monique Klahre

Haviv Avrahami, Ashton Mae Smith Fisher, Blake Fisher

THe Art & Soul of Raleigh | 93

VLADIMIR TERLIKOWSKI

THE WHIRL

(1873-1951)

WAKE TECH IGNITE 2024 More than 750 business and community leaders gathered Monday, Apr. 15 at the Raleigh Convention Center for the seventh-annual Wake Tech IGNITE. Hosted by the Wake Tech Foundation, this year’s theme was “Heroes in the Hallway,” which highlighted the many ways in which students, faculty, staff and partners in the community make a difference every day.

“Anemones in Green Water Jug,” 20 x 29 inches, oil on canvas, 1924

Original Oils from 1920’s Paris

Tomesah Harrison, Whitney Westbrook

Angela Washington, David Liberatore

G A L L E RY C F I N E A R T

Front row: Scott Ralls, Raven Edwards, Elizabeth Calvente, Mia Lattanzi, Khadijah Scarboro, Matt Smith. Back row: Tim Humphrey, Ethan Haynes, Joe Bright.

Tom Looney, Mike Conlon

Sarah Gaskill, Sophia Hoffmann, Kim Raynor, Jennifer Allen, Lisa Jones

Scott Ralls, Sig Hutchinson, Brian Ralph, Bill Crouch

94 | WALTER

Brenda Gibson, Estella Patterson, Stacey Lundy

Jason Martin/Veritas

540 N. BLOUNT ST • 919.828.3165 • GALLERYC.NET

THE GARDEN RIBBON CUTTING

courtesy Ryan Johnston (JACKSON); courtesy Raleigh Rescue Mission (THE GARDEN)

On Apr. 22, Raleigh Rescue Mission unveiled “The Garden,” an innovative concept for women and children experiencing situational homelessness. In partnership with Lennar Homes, a campus will be built to serve up to 350 women and children. It’s designed to include family suites, a child learning center, a dining hall, gathering spaces, counseling centers, a salon, an outdoor park and a community garden to create a nurturing environment for residents.

Cooper Bratton, Sam Bratton

John Luckett, Jessica Day, Robert Smart

“Top pick for your summer reading list.”

- Sir Walter Raleigh

Guests at the event

JEFF JACKSON FUNDRAISER On Sunday, May 5, GASP hosted a fundraiser for Jeff Jackson, a candidate for North Carolina Attorney General, at Junction West. The event included homemade hors d’oeuvres, beverages and both the real Jeff Jackson and a cardboard cutout of his likeness.

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ISSUES PER YEAR 1 YEAR $25 2 YEARS $45 3 YEARS $60

Molly Martinson, Ella Frantz, Carter Worthy, Katie Thompson

Carrie McMillan, Megg Rader, Anne Bullard

THe Art & Soul of Raleigh | 95

END NOTE

A Triptych in 3D

An artistic collaboration activates a gathering space on Centennial Campus

by J. MICHAEL WELTON photography by TREY THOMAS

F

or North Carolina State University’s Centennial Campus, the new “Reds and Whites” lies at the heart of a holy grail of design.

More than a sculpture, it’s central to a three-part convergence of architecture, art and landscape.

It’s sited on an outdoor plaza where Snøhetta’s 2013 James Hunt Library meets Clark Nexsen’s 2020 FittsWoolard Hall. “Reds and Whites” is a three-dimensional work by critically acclaimed artist Larry Bell — refined by landscape design from Mark Hoversten, dean of the College of Design, in collaboration with Thomas Skolnicki, the university’s landscape architect.

It’s no small gesture. Bell created four 8-foot square glass cubes, aligned with Memorial Belltower on the North Campus, a mile and a half

96 | WALTER

away. Hoversten planted two square bosques of nine deciduous trees at its east and west ends, adding a pair of granite seating walls to the north and south.

“It couldn’t overwhelm the art,” Hoversten says of the design.

The project was initiated by Susan Woodson, an artist who’s married to NC State chancellor Randy Woodson. She wanted a signature work of art equal to the quality and import of Hunt Library. For that, she first called Larry Wheeler, former director of the North Carolina Museum of Art. Then she rang up Hoversten, who served as a liaison to the Centennial Campus Public Art Committee.

Wheeler was the consultant for artist selection and contract preparation, and he interfaced with San Francisco’s Anthony Meier, the art gallery representing Bell.

Hoversten and Skolnicki flew to Bell’s Taos studio to work through the design. “He wanted it to be linear, but that interrupted spaces used for frisbee-throwing, sunbathing and tents for receptions and graduations,” Hoversten says. “We had conversations and then looked at a rectangular plaza instead.”

The final product had to pass the “fraternity test” from skateboarders, Hoversten says. He used concrete paving for that, adding 4 to 5 feet of gravel alongside the sculpture for its protection. And the trees provide shade but cast no shadows on the sun-loving structure.

Now it’s a destination. “Students can say, I’ll meet you at the ‘Reds and Whites,’” he says.

And they’ll do that in a world-class space.

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