WILMA Winter Issue 2026 by Greater Wilmington Business Journal / WILMA magazine

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LEADERSHIP + LIFESTYLE SINCE 2003

BUILDING UP Leading YWCA’s next chapter

BY DESIGN

Lizzee Hill’s audacious furniture line

HEALTH HELP A new wave of longevity wellness

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DEPARTMENTS 13 SPOTLIGHT

21 WILMA LEADERSHIP 42 FEAST 48 HEALTH + WELLNESS 52 STYLE 82 SCENE 86 DIRECT MALE 88 TAKE 5

FEATURES 65 SECOND LIVES 74 NEIGHBORHOOD STROLL 78 EQUINE ESCAPE

the fixers

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flying colors

colors of Castle St.

45 26

grouper gourmet

stage presence

good vibes

74 42

cultured palate

hand made

82 on the cover

Drewe and Kate Branding Co. styled and photographed this month's cover shoot with Elizabeth Hill, who recently launched Audacity, her collection of upholstery, pillows, and furniture.

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Leadership + Lifestyle since 2003 PUBLISHER Rob Kaiser PRESIDENT Robert Preville EDITOR / DIRECTOR OF WILMA LEADERSHIP Vicky Janowski VICE PRESIDENT OF SALES & MARKETING Matthew Coleman SENIOR MARKETING CONSULTANT Craig Snow MARKETING CONSULTANTS Alexis Powers Jillian Hon Heather Cunningham EVENTS DIRECTOR Jamie Merrill ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF WILMA LEADERSHIP & EVENTS Alec Hall ART DIRECTOR - EDITORIAL Suzi Drake ART DIRECTOR - MARKETING Tara Weymouth DIGITAL & INSIGHTS EDITOR Lindsay Podraza MEDIA COORDINATOR Tara Sestanovich OFFICE MANAGER David Taylor FASHION STYLIST Drewe Smith CONTRIBUTORS Nina Bays, Jenny Callison, Meghan Corbett, Sophia Hughes, Amy Kilgore Mangus, Beth A. Klahre, Samantha Kupiainen, Laura Moore, Emory Rakestraw Boyd, Dylan Patterson CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Daria Amato, Drewe and Kate Branding Co., Madeline Gray, Aris Harding, Terah Hoobler, Nate Smith, Peyton Zino DIRECTOR OF FEAST WILMINGTON Jessica Maurer

@ WILMAmag / WILMAmag.com FOUNDER Joy Allen SUBSCRIBE For a one-year subscription, please send $26.00 (check) to: WILMA, 101 N. 3rd St., Suite 400, Wilmington, NC, 28401or call 910-343-8600 x201 Copyright 2026

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CONTRIBUTORS

EMORY RAKESTRAW BOYD is a North Carolina native

who has extensively covered the people, places, and history of the Tar Heel State. She works in public relations representing clients in the interior design and wellness sphere throughout the Southeast. When not writing, she can be found at the beach. She featured Elizabeth Hill’s new furniture line Audacity (page 61).

L AURA MOORE is an English professor at Cape Fear Community College in one of the top three-rated English departments in the state. In addition to education, she has a background in public relations and journalism. Moore looks at longevity focuses in the local wellness space (page 48).

BETH A. KL AHRE retired from a major Pennsylvania

chocolate manufacturer where she held leadership positions in engineering, IT, and global business services. Now relocated to Southport, she spends her time writing and has been published locally and nationally. She is learning to play the harp, loves walking the beach with her dog, and serves on the board of directors of Friends of the Library Southport & Oak Island. She talked with equine facilitated psychotherapist Francess Danner (page 78).

DREWE SMITH and KATE SUPA own a creative studio

– Drewe and Kate Branding Co. – that helps companies elevate their brand and digital presence through photography, brand styling, logo design, and website creation. They styled and photographed this issue’s cover and feature on Audacity (page 61), style feature on jean trends (page 52), and rugby-inspired pieces (page 60). dreweandkate.com

MARK WEBER is an illustrator and fine artist who is based

in Wilmington. His work has appeared in many magazines and publications including Greater Wilmington Business Journal, WILMA, New York Times, The Atlantic, Wall Street Journal, Rolling Stone, and Highlights for Children to name a few. He illustrated this issue’s Direct Male essay on page 86. weberillustration.com and markweberart.com

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FROM THE EDITOR

FIXER

UPPERS

he wiggly porch step. The beloved stuffed animal’s missing eye. The outdoor couch cushion disemboweled by a bored squirrel. These are things that a hammer, hot glue gun, and online replacement order could easily fix, with just a little bit of free time. But one handywoman’s house projects are another woman’s passion projects. For three local women in particular, breathing new life into objects of the past means more than just reduce, reuse, recycle. Leah Sherrill turned an idea of fixing up bicycles into a win-win to pass along bikes while creating job opportunities for those with disabilities. Artist Lisa Strazza built a career out of cleaning up artwork ranging from museum quality to grandma’s personal portrait. Layer by layer, she uncovers the memories the art holds. And in her workshop, Claire Renaud refurbishes old furniture into whimsical, practical, and/or decorative new pieces. You can read more about their work on 65 and maybe be inspired to repair instead of toss. Also in this issue, turn to page 61 to learn more about how Elizabeth Hill expanded her Hart & Hill Interiors business to include her own collection of upholstery, pillows, and furniture that showcase her own personality and innovation. With the ongoing renovations on Pine Grove

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Road for Wave Wellness, we look at the longevity health offerings the new wellness center plans to incorporate into its menu as well as what other practitioners in the longevity space have been doing in our health feature on page 48. And it doesn’t get fresher or more local than a fish market-to-table dinner that highlights coastal flavors for the cooler, firepit-weather months. Find recipe inspiration from Zora’s on page 45. In WILMA’s Leadership section, we talk with YWCA CEO Jhaniqua Palmer on major updates for the longtime facility (page 38), get advice from former WILMA Leadership co-director Maggi Apel on figuring out what’s next (page 26), and get some small business insights from Craft Cabana owner Danielle Hedglen (page 34). As we head into the busy holiday season, I fully recommend gearing up by taking a break at the beach. Early November is when kite flyers from around the country converge at Kure Beach, and there’s nothing like a giant scuba diver floating above you to put you in the holiday spirit. Turn to page 88 to find out how to make the most out of the Cape Fear Kite Festival.

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Vicky Janowski, WILMA editor editor@wilmingtonbiz.com

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STAGE DEBUT

SPOTLIGHT

LADYFOLK PRODUCTIONS’ ORIGINAL PLAY HYSTERIA! debuts in November at North Front Theatre, 21 North Front Street in downtown Wilmington. The play “follows women through time as they dodge accusations of witchcraft, bear the blunders of ‘genius’ doctors, dream up apocalyptic worlds, and survive the uncanny valleys of reality TV,” according to writer and directors MEGHAN COOK and JESSLYN WILSON, who are also Ladyfolk Productions’ executive directors. “Hysteria! is the definition of a labor of love. We spent two years writing it and watching it change as we changed,” Wilson says. The show runs November 5-8 and 12-15. ThursdaySaturday shows are at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday matinees are at 2 p.m. Info: instagram.com/ ladyfolkproductions

photo by MADELINE GRAY

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SPOTLIGHT

HEALTH HEROINE COASTAL HORIZONS CENTER PRESIDENT AND CEO MARGARET WELLER-STARGELL is the Lifetime Achievement award recipient in this year’s Health Care Heroes program. Weller-Stargell joined Coastal Horizons in 1985 as a counselor, becoming executive director in 1995 and later the nonprofit’s president and CEO. “Under her leadership, services have expanded far beyond the walls of a

traditional substance use treatment center, making comprehensive care more accessible to people in schools, healthcare settings, and communities throughout the state,” WellerStargell’s nomination says. She receives the award at an event November 12, when finalists in the other Health Care Heroes categories will be recognized, and those winners announced. Info: WilmingtonHCHeroes.com

file photo

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SPOTLIGHT

COMEDIC TIMING

OSCAR-NOMINATED PRODUCER TIG NOTARO brings her comedy to the CFCC Wilson Center stage in January. Notaro, an Emmy- and Grammy-nominated stand-up comedian, actor, writer, podcaster, and radio contributor, performs for one night on January 8. Her most recent special, Tig Notaro: Hello Again on Prime Video, earned Emmy nominations. Notaro’s current national stand-up tour, Out of Nowhere, started in late October and also includes a stop at the Durham Performing Arts Center. The Wilmington show starts at 7:30 p.m. Info: wilsoncentertickets.com/events

GOOD TIMES

CAREER CHOICES

WHO’S BAD

TIP OFF

WHAT: Annual Good Friends of Wilmington Luncheon

INDUSTRIES WITH BEST MEDIAN EARNINGS FOR WOMEN IN NHC

WHAT: BAD Day Music & Arts Festival

WHAT: WILMA Night at UNCW Women’s Basketball

WHEN: 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m., December 9

WHEN: November 14

MANUFACTURING

WHEN: November 3; doors open at 6 p.m., tip-off at 7 p.m.

LOCATION: Wilmington Convention Center DETAILS: The women’s organization hosts its annual event to raise money to provide financial assistance to those in need in New Hanover County. INFO: GOODFRIENDSOFWILMINGTON.ORG

$65,982

LOCATION: Brooklyn Arts District

$61,065 PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION

$53,329 FINANCE & INSURANCE/REAL ESTATE & RENTAL & LEASING

DETAILS: A single-day music and arts festival bringing together live performances with artists including Grace Potter and Lady Die, art installations, wellness sessions, and community nonprofit partnerships INFO: BADDAYFEST.COM

LOCATION: UNCW Trask Coliseum DETAILS: The Seahawks play Barton College, and WILMA readers can join with $5 game tickets using the code WILMA at checkout. INFO: UNCWSPORTS.EVENUE.NET/ EVENTS/WBI

Source: Census Bureau, ACS

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SPOTLIGHT

photo by MADELINE GRAY

FUN AT WORK PATRIOT ROOFING COMPANY, A FEMALE-OWNED AND LOCALLY OPERATED ROOFING COMPANY, recently came in at the top of the rankings for Best Places to Work in Wilmington. The Best Places to Work program, put on by WILMA’s sister publication Greater Wilmington Business Journal, is based on company submissions and their employees’ survey results. Patriot Roofing Company is owned by STEPHANIE BOLTON, who took over ownership of the business in 2019. They and this year’s other winning companies were named at an event in October. For details and winners, go to bestplacestoworkwilmington.com.

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ON THE AGENDA Advice and connections from local leaders + the latest on the WILMA Leadership initiative p.22

WILMA LEADERSHIP UPDATES p.26

LEADERSHIP ADVICE FROM MAGGI APEL p.30

WILMA LEADERSHIP NETWORK p.33

WILMA LEADERSHIP SPONSORS p. 34

PLUGGING IN: CRAFT CABANA p.37

PLUGGING IN: ART CLASSES p.38

LEADERSHIP Q&A WITH JHANIQUA PALMER

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UPDATES

RECAP:

The latest on the WILMA Leadership Initiative and its mission to empower women to lead with confidence and purpose

EADERSHIP INSTITUTE: With this year’s WILMA Leadership Institute cohort • Lcoming to a close, recent session topics included public speaking and strategic thinking at

sites including Live Oak Bank and Corning. Learn more about the forty-eight women in this year’s cohort at wilmamag.com/women-to-watch/wilmas-leadership-institute.

OMEN TO WATCH AWARDS: This year’s awards event in September drew •W a sell-out crowd to honor this year’s finalists and announce winners in the Arts, Business, Education, Health, Nonprofit/Volunteer, Public Sector, Rising Star, and WILMA Icon categories. For a list of award winners, go to page 28.

ENTORING: As a part of WILMA’s mentoring program, women in the community •M are matched with mentors to assist with their leadership development. Participation in the program is limited to those who went through a WILMA Leadership program in the past year, and the mentorship runs through September 2027. This year’s group of mentees, selected from an application process, went through orientation in October and began meeting with their mentors.

ILMA NETWORK: The WILMA Network, made up of Leadership Initiative •W sponsors, continues to hold monthly meetups, including a lunch at Bluewater Waterfront

Grill, coffee at Concorde Espresso Bar, and an upcoming pre-game social at UNCW women’s basketball WILMA Night. For info on those in the Network, turn to page 30 and online at WILMANetwork.com, where you can also find info about joining.

EXPLORE MORE OPPORTUNITIES TO GET INVOLVED

LEADERSHIP INITIATIVE

LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE

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W2W AWARDS

LEADERSHIP ACCELERATOR

WOMEN TO WATCH AWARDS

LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE

UP NEXT:

LEADERSHIP ALUM

How to connect with WILMA’s leadership programs

LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE: This year’s WILMA Leadership Institute class • graduates in December, closing out its nine-month program. The group met for leadership

skills training, peer mentorship, and interactions with community leaders. Applications for next year’s cohort are open in December and January. For more info, go to WILMAInstitute. com

L EADERSHIP ACCELERATOR: Planning is underway for the 2027 WILMA • Accelerator conference at the Wilmington Convention Center. The half-day event includes

keynote speakers and workshop seminars around topics for women in leadership. To suggest topics or being considered as a speaker, go to WILMAAccelerator.com, and fill out the speaker interest form.

THE LOOP : Keep up to date with these and other Leadership Initiative programs • as I Nwell as application announcements by going to WILMAmag.com or signing up for the WILMA Leadership email at WILMAmag.com/email-newsletter.

MORE INFO: WILMALeadership.com GET ON BOARD

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SPONSORED CONTENT

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FEAST

Gag Grouper with Romesco Sauce

INGREDIENTS 1 lb. gag grouper fillet Romesco sauce (recipe below) Olive oil

½ small red onion, very finely sliced Salt and black pepper Parchment paper

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Center the grouper fillet in the center of a large piece of parchment paper. Season with salt and black pepper and spoon a generous amount of Romesco over the top. Scatter finely sliced red onion on top and finish with a little olive oil. Fold the parchment over the fish and crimp the edges together so you have a properly sealed parcel. You want to keep all that steam, moisture, and flavor trapped inside. Put the parcel onto a baking tray and bake for about 15-20 minutes, depending on the thickness of your fish. Open the parchment carefully and check the center. You want the grouper just cooked and beginning to flake but still beautifully moist.

Romesco Sauce

INGREDIENTS

1 red bell pepper 3 plum tomatoes A good handful of almonds 2 cloves garlic

DIRECTIONS

Good olive oil Chunk of crispy baguette Salt & black pepper 1tsp smoked paprika

Put the bell pepper directly over a stove flame and let it blacken all over to char the skin. Pop it into a plastic bag, close it up, and leave it to sweat for about 15-20 minutes to make the blackened skin easy to peel away. Remove the skin, stalk, and seeds. Put the tomatoes under a hot grill and let them blacken and blister. Once they are cool enough to handle, pull away the skins, cut them open, and remove the seeds. Blanch the almonds to loosen their skins, peel them, and toast them until golden and fragrant. Blitz together garlic and almonds in a food processor until roughly ground. Tear in a chunk of crispy baguette and blitz again. Add the pepper, tomatoes, and paprika and pulse everything together. Slowly pour in a glug of olive oil until you have a thick, spoonable sauce. Don’t make it completely smooth. Romesco should have a bit of texture to it. Season generously with salt and black pepper, taste, then add a little more olive oil if it needs loosening.

photo c/o Vic Roberts

A Carolina Supper by VIC ROBERTS

This one came together from assorted corners of North Carolina and ended up in a friend’s kitchen in the mountains near Blowing Rock. Our niece Sarah arrived with the good stuff from Durham: vegetables

from the Durham Co-op and a properly crusty baguette from Loaf Bakery. From Wilmington, I brought a North Carolina gag grouper from Zora’s Seafood Market, where I’m currently learning the ropes as a rookie fishmonger, which meant, naturally, I had to cut the grouper down myself – filleting, pin-boning, and removing the skin. Sarah took charge of the Romesco sauce. Peppers charred straight over the flame, tomatoes blackened under the grill, toasted almonds, garlic, olive oil, and a chunk of that Loaf baguette blitzed together but left with plenty of texture. Smoky, nutty, garlicky, and the sort of sauce that makes you keep finding excuses to stick a piece of bread into it. I baked the grouper in parchment with plenty of Sarah’s Romesco and some very finely sliced red onion. Fold it up, put it in the oven and let the parcel do the work. The fish gently steams in there, picking up all that roasted pepper, garlic and olive oil while staying beautifully moist.

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FEAST photo by Ryan Jankowski c/o Zora's

Author Vic Roberts with a snowy grouper

Paired with an impressive but simple leek tarte tatin (recipe online at WILMAmag.com), and a fall mountain supper was ready. Also making the journey from Wilmington was a bottle of Famille Ogereau En Chenin 2024, Anjou, picked up from Red Bank Wine. Bright, fresh Chenin with enough texture for the Grouper, enough acidity for the Romesco, and just right with those sweet, caramelized leeks. Gag grouper is one of those fish that doesn’t need much messing about with. The flesh is firm, meaty, and beautifully moist when you cook it gently. The lovely thing about cooking fish in parchment is that it looks like you’ve done something rather clever when actually you’ve made life easier for yourself. The parcel creates its own little cooking environment, gently steaming the grouper in its own juices, while the Romesco, olive oil, and red onion mingle underneath. Gag grouper is particularly good cooked this way. It has enough structure to stay beautifully chunky rather than falling apart, but the parchment keeps all that lovely moisture where you want it. Then you open the parcel at the table and get that first hit of roasted pepper, garlic, almonds, and fish. Very little washing up too, which never hurts. At Zora’s, we’ll cut your fish exactly how you like it, but we won’t just send you home wondering what to do with it. Tell us what you fancy cooking, and we’ll talk you through some of our favorite ways to prepare it. Better still, join The Fish List email. Every week we’ll share what’s looking particularly good at the market, along with simple recipe ideas, and a bit of inspiration for getting the best out of your fish. W Vic Roberts is a fishmonger at Zora’s Seafood Market and Kitchen, 1411 Castle Street. zorasmarket.com @zorasmarketandkitchen

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HEALTH + WELLNESS

rendering c/o WAVE WELLNESS

Health Through the Ages Longevity trends go local

s people are able to live longer on average, the goal has become to make the most of those extra years. Local longevity clinics and wellness spas are hoping to help to make that happen. Wave Wellness is set to open in December in the former Lowe’s Foods grocery store space on Pine Grove Road, and among its wide-ranging slate of wellness offerings will be longevity focuses to “empower people to have longer, healthier lives,” says CEO ANDY KRICHMAN. 48

by LAURA MOORE | photo by ARIS HARDING

“Our goal is to help people increase their life span. We realized there does not have to be a big differential between life span and health span,” Krichman says. While anti-aging and longevity health has started to receive more attention in recent years as a specific wellness focus, many of the offerings, from hormone replacement to personalized nutrition plans that change with age, have been widely accepted. BETH PANOFF, founder of Arcadia Institute for Health and Longevity, brings years of experience in both conventional and functional medicine to her approach towards longevity, offering peptide therapy, bioidentical hormone therapy,

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nutrition, and supplement therapy at her 432 Eastwood Road location. Panoff says she has a “passion for helping women in their second half of life.” A family nurse practitioner since 2003, Panoff worked as a registered nurse for ten years prior to working in “conventional medicine” at Columbia University Irving Medical Center working in critical care. She loved it, but after seeing the trend of chronic diseases, she thought, “Why are we waiting so long for people to get sick?” Panoff then began to work for an integrative medicine practice in Connecticut, and that, she says, “changed

HEALTH + WELLNESS

“

Functional medicine opens up possibilities of how we look and treat patients. There are so many different ways to look at disease or prevention.

“

my view of medicine. A light bulb went off – this is the answer!” “There is a different, bigger ‘toolbox’ that people can use for the job of living healthy and well,” she says. “Functional medicine opens up possibilities of how we look and treat patients. There are so many different ways to look at disease or prevention.” Adding to her “toolbox,” Panoff completed peptide-focused training and certification from Seeds Scientific Research and Performance Institute (SSRP) and is also a SSRP Fellow in cellular medicine. “My continuing education there has included peptide therapy, regenerative and cellular medicine, metabolic health, and longevity medicine. I am also currently nearing completion of my A4M longevity fellowship through the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine now also known as Redefining Medicine,” Panoff says. At Arcadia, the testing that is done depends on the individual patient, but Panoff typically takes “a much deeper look than a routine annual lab panel.” Labs often include glucose and metabolic health markers, inflammatory markers, advanced cardiovascular risk testing, comprehensive hormone and thyroid testing, and gastrointestinal testing. Panoff also offers TruAge/ epigenic age testing and InBody bodycomposition analysis. “My goal is not to order every test on every patient. It is to choose the testing that helps us understand what is happening physiologically, identify risk earlier, and then objectively track whether our interventions are actually improving health and function,” Panoff says. Metrics also are key for the membership-based Wave Wellness, Krichman says. Members will be assessed to test their flexibility and mobility. Inspired by wellness facilities around the world, Krichman says the goal of Wave Wellness is to get members “more in tune with their bodies and have a place in town, so they do not have to travel.” “Anything we can measure we can

BETH PANOFF, founder Arcadia Institute for Health and Longevity

track, and anything we can track we can improve,” he says. The 46,000-square-foot facility at 805 Pine Grove Drive plans to provide members with programs that include fitness and nutrition, with access to a performance area that includes strength and cardio training and four yoga and Pilates studios as well as a 3,000-squarefoot wet area with a sauna, steam room, cold plunges, light therapy, and hyperbaric chamber. In addition, there will be an IV room with several options for immunity, wellness, and overall well-being, as well as a Recovery Room with six massage chairs, lymphatic rollers, and a stretching area. “It will be a great space for the body to recover, recuperate, and rejuvenate,”

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Krichman says. The Wilmington location will have a med-spa, event space, childcare center, café, and co-working space. “It is a one-stop shop, where members can get a workout, take a shower, have a bite to eat, then get some work done in their co-work space,” Krichman says. Full-body health is a common focus for longevity clinics and services. At Arcadia, Panoff focuses on cardiovascular health, osteoporosis and brain health, insulin resistance, and overall metabolic health. “It is about preventing diseases and figuring out how to be as well as we can for as long as we can,” Panoff said. “We want to improve quality of life, not just the quantity of it.” W 49

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STYLE

DENIM DAYS

by NINA BAYS

We all know, denim never goes out of style (hello Levi’s, circa 1873!), but certain trends have surfaced for fall/winter. Gravitating away from the polar opposites of the ultra-skinny and the super baggy fits, this season’s jeans present in a more structured and polished way. Here are a few of our favs:

SLIM LINE AN ELEGANT JEAN FOR WHEN YOU WANT TO SERVE A LITTLE EXTRA STYLE / SILHOUETTE

A streamlined fit that gives you legs for days

THE RISE High-rise

THE WASH

Dark indigo wash

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Palma JEANS in Inky Rinse by Citizens of Humanity

photos & styling by DREWE AND KATE BRANDING CO.

STYLE

CURVES AHEAD

STYLE / SILHOUETTE

Sculpted curve through hip and thigh

THE RISE Mid-rise

THE WASH

Medium indigo wash, perfect for transitioning seasons from fall to winter

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Low Curve Crop JEANS in Curb by AGOLDE

THE BEST JEAN TO FLATTER AN HOURGLASS FIGURE, THE CURVE JEAN FEATURES A LITTLE EXTRA ROOM IN THE HIP, GLUTE, AND THIGH AREAS AND A CONTOURED WAISTBAND TO HELP AVOID THAT DREADED WAIST GAP

STYLE

THE

NEW BARREL Miro 27.5 JEANS in Vintage Sky by Citizens of Humanity

A MODERN DENIM SILHOUETTE, THE BARREL JEAN PAIRS WELL WITH FITTED TOPS AND LIGHTWEIGHT SWEATERS.

STYLE / SILHOUETTE

The new barrel is fitted through the hips with slightly less volume in the leg than a classic barrel, and a gentle tapering at the ankle.

THE RISE High-rise

THE WASH

Medium wash for a balanced, timeless look

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STYLE

BAG IT UP BAGGY JEANS MAY SEEM LIKE THE COMFORT FOOD OF THE DENIM WORLD BUT DONE WELL YOU CAN LOOK EFFORTLESS WHILE ALSO FEELING DOWNRIGHT COZY.

STYLE / SILHOUETTE Fitted waist, relaxed leg

Ayla Baggy JEANS in London by Citizens of Humanity and Sasha leather BELT by rag & bone

THE RISE Mid-rise

THE WASH

Vintage blue, with just enough wear to make them look like you’ve had them forever

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STYLE

STRAIGHT UP NO CHASER THE MOST VERSATILE CUT OF THE BUNCH, THIS JEAN WORKS ON EVERYONE, FOR EVERYTHING AND PAIRS WELL WITH JUST ABOUT ANY TYPE OF FOOTWEAR.

STYLE / SILHOUETTE Vintage Loose JEANS in Curb by AGOLDE, and Randy BELT by Freda Salvador

A slightly wide, straight leg with a universal fit that’s clean, relaxed and easy to style

THE RISE High-rise

THE WASH

Soft indigo wash

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STYLE

THE

COOL KID

LOOKING FOR MORE THAN A ZIP FLY AND A FUNKY WASH? THIS JEAN IS THE EPITOME OF COOL.

STYLE / SILHOUETTE

Relaxed leg with a drawstring toggle waist and button fly

THE RISE

Low-rise

THE WASH

Classic blue

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The Cool Jean JEANS in Classic Blue by Still Here

MODEL: Michal Lauren Cheshire | WARDROBE: Oliver

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STYLE 3.

Field Trip

by Nina Bays

Channeling your inner academic is easy with the season’s latest trend: the rugby shirt. Mixing Ivy League vibes with fresh color combos, the striped rugby shirt can be worn just as easily with a tailored pant or skirt as it can with jeans. Or, knot it over your shoulders for the ultimate preppy look. Opt for the classic relaxed fit with a white point collar, or change it up a bit with a more modern cropped version. W

1. F rank & Eileen + Patrick Pullover (available at S. Worsley) 2. G ood American Cropped Rugby Polo in Navy Berry (available at Island Passage) 3. R alph Lauren RLX Crest Polo Sweater (available at Rec Club) 4. F aye Knit Dress (available at Monkee’s of Wilmington) 5. D ouble Collar Striped Polo (available at Monkee’s of Wilmington) 5. styling and photos by Drewe and Kate Branding Co.

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STYLE

Audacity

The

Hart & Hill Interiors launches its own line

by EMORY RAKESTRAW BOYD | photos & styling by DREWE AND KATE BRANDING CO.

hile ELIZABETH “LIZZEE” HILL was sourcing furniture and fabric for clients, she kept running into the same issue. She could not find exactly what she was looking for within a reasonable price range. That’s when it hit her: She needed to find “the audacity” to create her own. Audacity, Hill’s new collection of upholstery, pillows, and furniture, recently softlaunched, with online ordering available in the coming months. As a natural extension of her Wilmington-based interior design business, Hart & Hill Interiors, Audacity reflects Hill’s personal style of bold color, eclecticism, and timelessness. She has worked closely with Hart & Hill’s designer and head showroom merchandiser, RICKY PATTERSON (shown above with Hill), to take Audacity from idea to reality. “I am a very extra person by nature, and I wanted that to come through in this brand. Think fringe, color, and pattern,” Hill says. “Price point was a big deal. Custom can get so expensive, especially when you’re like me, and you’re like, let’s add fringe and contrast welt; dollar signs are falling. I asked myself, ‘How do we give people a product in a chair or sofa that isn’t completely unreasonable but keeping it within that certain mid-to-high level?’” Much like Audacity, Hill found her way to interior design through innovation and reinvention. After raising her three children, she

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STYLE

wanted to set the example that you can pivot, start over, or pursue dreams at any point in life. In 2023, she started Hart & Hill Interiors with the help of HOLLEY ROBERSON, who today serves as manager, co-founder, and designer. The two used Roberson’s knowledge of the furniture business combined with Hill’s experience in interior design, renovation, and sourcing to bring Hart & Hill to life. They opened the brickand-mortar store on Oleander Drive in 2024. Hart & Hill offers both interior design services and retail, with products sold off the floor – including lamps, sofas, and chairs – available that day. “I wanted a place where customers who enjoy decorating could come and collaborate to build their dream design,” she says. “We all strive to make homes feel beautiful, welcoming, usable for everyday life and special occasions.” From whole-home interior design to one-off rooms like a nursery, Hill works on a variety of projects, adapting to each client’s needs and scope of work. Many of her clients are looking to fill gaps within their home, especially on the retail side, whether it is a sofa that does not fit a new space or a client inundated with choices. While many come to Hart & Hill with an affinity for design, they look to Hill for collaboration, sourcing trade-only furniture and fabrics, and customization, she says. “As we grow, we’re learning,” she says. “We have replaced some brands that didn’t sell, added Mahjong, and hosted a big Christmas event, which we aim to expand every year. We also added antiques and one-of-a-kind finds.” Patterson joined the team two years ago, advising Roberson and Hill on retail staging and serving as a guide during Hart & Hill’s Christmas market, sourcing ribbons, decor, and ornaments. Hill notes a large part of the process actually happens after the 62

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design is finished, and that’s where JENNA SCHAEFFER comes in, handling orders, logistics, and follow-ups. Audacity seemed like the natural next step for Hill, whose creativity largely influences the way she decorates. She loves things in a room that are unique, prompt a giggle, or start conversation, mentioning a lamp in the store with a middle finger finial and how it only lasted two hours before it was purchased. With a self-described mischievous side, Audacity seamlessly fits within the larger brand narrative. “Being in my forties, I’m now less concerned when I’m making decisions; I’m not saying, ‘Oh gosh, is this going to be too much?’” Hill says. “This has opened me up to better design. When you’re allowed to relieve that pressure off yourself, you’re allowed to perform.” Audacity’s debut pieces include a tufted armchair in blue and white animal-spot fabric, with pink contrast welt and a playful bullion fringe base. Furniture donning Tibetan-style tigers or Chinoiserie Pagoda upholstery reflect Hill’s vibrant inclinations. Even Audacity’s monochromatic fabrics are saturated with color, and there are neutrals, too, but in leopard print or tonal cheetah. “It’s not as loud as your normal cheetah print; it says something, but doesn’t scream at you,” she says. “I like houses to have a lot of personality.” Although launching Audacity has been a learning process, she doesn’t shy away from describing how fun it has been, either. Hill has also been giving second life to vintage sofas and chairs, fashioning pieces in refreshed upholstery and reworking them to serve as beautiful, functional items for everyday living. Those pieces will be available as Audacity’s One of a Kind items. W

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Second Lives Repurposing takes on personal meanings

Consider them the fixers but in a nonthreatening way. From giving new life to furniture pieces to painstakingly restoring artwork to repairing bikes through purpose-driven work, these local women are making the old new again. by JENNY CALLISON | photos by MADELINE GRAY & ARIS HARDING

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Special Pedals program manager Lingam James (left) and founder Leah Sherrill are shown at the Red Cross Street bike shop.

New Cycles

ike a bicycle wheel, with its spokes radiating from a hub to the rim, Special Pedals connects its core mission with service to a much larger community. At its heart, and in the heart of its founder, LEAH SHERRILL, the nonprofit seeks to serve Wilmington-area residents with disabilities. In pursuing that mission, the program has built a whole community, using the repair and resale of bicycles as a way to build skills, boost confidence, and provide job opportunities for people with disabilities. Sherrill got the idea that bikes might be more than just a means of transport when she was an undergrad at University of North Carolina Wilmington and doing field work, helping people with special needs find jobs that were meaningful and that paid a living wage. “I worked with an individual whose bike was her primary means of transport and in need of repair,” Sherrill says. “I didn’t see a lot of bike shops in Wilmington and thought knowing how to repair bikes could be a marketable skill.” Sherrill met with staff at UNCW’s Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, where she learned startup basics. A sponsor paid the fee to get her 501(c)(3), and Special Pedals was born in 2016. Through bike shop Two Wheeler Dealer and John Pesaikes, who fixed bikes to give away, several in Sherrill’s special needs community began learning repair and retail skills. The purchase of a truck to use as a mobile bike shop put Special Pedals on the

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photos by MADELINE GRAY

road to a future. At Wilmington Brewing Co. with friends one day, Sherrill looked at the large parking lot and saw opportunity. “I spoke to the owners, who said we could set up there as a mobile bike shop every Sunday. So, we’d come, unload everything, and just learn, work on, and sell bikes,” she says. “Whatever money we earned, I paid to the participants. Other community members volunteered to help us. “Other breweries started asking us to come. I loved that because breweries are such communal spaces, and our clients had something they could talk to others about. The community liked us because we met so many needs: bike repair, affordable bikes, an easily accessible location, further education and employment for people with disabilities. Our participants were earning money that they had control over.” The business grew, but Sherrill needed to reduce her time commitment because she was teaching full time and had started working on a master’s degree. In LINGAM JAMES she found someone who shared the organization’s perspectives and goals. That was almost five years ago. He led the search for Special Pedals’ shop at 320 Red Cross Street, and now manages its operations, including an internship program for prospective employees. “The location of our shop is strategic; we wanted to be in proximity to the bus station,” James says, noting that many interns, employees, and customers depend on bus transportation. Business is good but is seasonal, he says. “We service fifty to sixty bikes a month and sell an average of twenty or more per month,” James says. “During bike season we sell out.” W

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Memories Refresh

New Jersey.” In New York, Strazza worked on her own abstract paintings. After moving to North Carolina, she incorporated Southern Impressionism into her pieces, which are sold in area galleries. Her restoration work today largely focuses on clients’ personal pieces, which she takes on by appointment only through strazzagallery.com or artdoctors@strazzagallery.com. Each project is different and can take from weeks to three months to work through the detailed cleanings and updates. “I work on some things that are just sentimental value, that somebody’s grandmother did, or something that’s a significant listed artist,” she says. Many of her projects restore family memories along with the paintings themselves. For example, one was a life-sized family portrait of a young woman that probably dated back to the early 1800s. “But it was so dark, you could hardly see what it was,” Strazza says. “It cleaned up so dramatically, that when it was all finished, we discovered that there was a rug and a brooch in the painting that she was wearing, and that family still owned those.” Strazza’s husband also works out of the studio to restore memories – but on the photographic side. Photographer JOHN STRAZZA brings damaged and aged family photos back to life digitally. “It’s so nice to bring something back to life really,” Lisa Strazza says, “and it gives such excitement and happiness to the owners. It’s really satisfying work.” W -Vicky Janowski

ISA STRAZZA restores artwork, and oftentimes family memories, one paint stroke at a time.

Strazza, who operates Strazza Art Restoration out of her home studio in Southport, has spent twenty-five years in the field of art restoration and art conservation – the difference being that conservation work focuses more on preserving pieces and comes with tighter, museum-level restrictions on what to change, while restorations aim to update pieces to their original appearances. Strazza, who studied abstract art in college, started learning about restoration while working at a gallery that did art restoration and high-end framing. “Because I was an artist, and I’ve always had a very good sense of color … and that’s a large part of restoring paintings,” she says about the learning process. “I had to learn a lot about traditional oil painting techniques and a lot about chemicals, solvents, and different varnishes.” That included research about the difference in materials between regions and time periods. “I had to learn what was used and how to clean it, how to reverse the different varnishes, and what colors and pigments were used at different time periods,” Strazza says. Earlier in her career, she worked with a company that specialized in church restoration. “I really did a lot of work up on scaffolding,” she recalls. “I apprenticed with other craftsmen and conservators, and that’s where I learned a lot of old-school techniques, and I worked on some pretty significant paintings in churches in New York and

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photos by ARIS HARDING

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Restorative Process

he fabric of CLAIRE RENAUD’s career has been, quite literally, fabric. A retired theater costume maker, she now uses textiles and leather to create jewelry and three-dimensional artwork. She is also a rescuer: She gives old furniture new life through artful reupholstery and restores antique sewing machines to sell to collectors. Renaud’s creative journey began when she was a teenager. “Our family was from Vermont, and I am one of sixteen children – the baby girl with one younger brother,” she says. “All my siblings are artists or artistic, and I grew up watching them do all these different things. Someone in the family could fix whatever was broken. My father was a cabinet maker. We had access to all his machines and tools and grew up in his woodshop.” At sixteen, Renaud used to skip school and walk to her sister’s house, where they would make costumes. People started paying to borrow them, so the two started a business. When, three years later, Renaud married and moved to New Hampshire, she used her costume-making skills to start her own enterprise. At first her stock was largely Halloween costumes, but she transitioned into show business and grew both her staff and her output. “My business grew until I had 20,000 theatrical costumes, which we shipped across the country,” she says. “Our specialty was Disney shows; our number one show was Beauty and the Beast, for which we had thirteen sets of each costume, sized to fit

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children up to plus-size adults.” When she moved to Wilmington during the pandemic, Renaud sold her business. With no shows to serve and no local staff, she felt it was time to pick up a new thread. “I was also an artist, a juried member of the League of New Hampshire Craftsmen,” she explains. “In Wilmington, I found Eclipse. That’s where my work is displayed. I make furniture and a lot of recycled art, but my biggest-selling items are witch hats. I started making miniature ones from old leftover cloth from my business, but on a whim, I decided to make full-size hats.” Renaud also began volunteering with Historic Wilmington Foundation (HWF). “I’m around the old things I love and doing something with a purpose,” she says. “I teach upholstery classes: We work on a piece there, and then the foundation sells it. The workshops sell out instantly, and there’s always a waiting list.” Renaud purchases old items of furniture from HWF’s salvage lot and brings them back to life in new ways. On newly reupholstered chairs she appliqués a fabric animal, flower, or other design. “I paint with my sewing machine,” she says. “I start with a solid piece of fabric, sketch the outline on the back, and paint the picture with thousands of yards of thread. My favorite is an antique easy chair with a giant octopus.” She also makes “toadstools” – old stools upholstered with thread “paintings” of toads on the seat. And she’s currently restoring two antique barber chairs, part of her ongoing creative journey. W

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Neighborhood

Stroll

Creative Castle launches new First Friday art walk on Castle Street

by AMY KILGORE MANGUS | photo by MADELINE GRAY

tarting in October, Wilmington’s Castle Street became home to a new monthly celebration of creativity, community, and local business.

Creative Castle, a free First Friday art walk spanning the ten-block corridor between Third and 12th streets, invited visitors to explore one of the city’s most eclectic neighborhoods through art, music, shopping, food, and handson creative experiences. The idea was sparked by three women business owners who saw an opportunity to showcase the unique character already thriving along Castle Street: SARA EDGE, owner of River’s Edge Art Supplies; KATHY LINDENMAYER, owner of Home Plate Provisions; and ERIN JONES, owner of The Roasted Bookery. Together, they envisioned something that complements Wilmington’s established Fourth Friday Gallery Nights while creating a distinctly Castle Street experience. “We wanted something complementary but different,” Edge says. “We wanted it to be not just gallery-focused, more relaxed, and incorporate businesses as well.” That broader vision is reflected in the event’s name. “We chose Creative Castle to reflect that our street has a broad creative identity, which includes visual arts, but also movement, music, craft, culinary arts, and other disciplines,” Lindenmayer says. Visitors can expect much more than traditional gallery exhibitions. Participating businesses will host local artists, musicians, crafters, makers, and vendors, while restaurants and shops offer special experiences and promotions. From live painting and sketching to poetry, literature, vintage vendors, and creative pop-ups, the event embraces the many ways creativity shows up in everyday life. “It can be intimidating for some people who don’t know much about art or are not into the arts to go to galleries,” Edge says. “This is a way to get more people interested in art and creativity and expand people’s minds or horizons.” The event is also designed to support emerging artists. While

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Fourth Friday often features established gallery artists, Creative Castle aims to create opportunities for those just beginning to exhibit their work. “We have the opportunity because Castle Street is more diverse and eclectic to do something different and bring some new folks in,” Lindenmayer says. “It’s a springboard for artists before they are trying to submit to one of the galleries.” That commitment reflects the collaborative spirit of the women behind the effort. All three businesses are woman-owned, and both Edge and Lindenmayer speak passionately about mentorship, community-building, and creating opportunities for others. “Something that’s nice about our neighborhood is that it’s very diverse in every way,” Lindenmayer says. “I feel like it’s leveling the playing field a little bit for businesses like ours to be able to invite folks in and provide opportunities.” For Edge, the goal is simple: to help people discover Castle Street. “I hope they leave feeling inspired and excited,” she says, “and want to explore Castle Street more, even not on a First Friday.” W

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• The bigger picture: Creative Castle is a new monthly First Friday event designed to showcase the creativity, independent businesses and community spirit already thriving along Wilmington’s Castle Street. • The details: The free art walk stretches for ten blocks between Third and 12th streets, with participating shops, restaurants, and businesses offering art, music, food, shopping, demonstrations, pop-ups, and other creative activities. • Why it matters: The event aims to make the arts more approachable while also giving emerging artists, makers, and small businesses opportunities to connect with the community and introduce their work to new audiences. • Info: instagram.com/creativecastlefirstfriday This story originally appeared in WILMA sister publication Good Life Wilmington. To sign up for Good Life’s free weekly email newsletter, go to goodlifewilmington.com. WINTER 2026

Three Castle Street business owners Sara Edge (from left), Erin Jones, and Kathy Lindenmayer helped start up Creative Castle, a First Friday art walk that’s similar to the arts council’s Fourth Friday gallery crawl downtown.

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Equine Escape Frances Danner expands equine therapy practice

by BETH A. KLAHRE | photo by MADELINE GRAY says. “The sessions bring a sense of comfort in a non-judgmental space that encourages clients to open up beyond what happens on a couch in a clinical setting.” Danner’s goal, since fifth grade when she started riding, has been to learn every aspect of equestrianism. “Just having experience with a horse isn’t enough,” she says. “I made it my mission to find the best ways of doing everything for the horse. I have a true relationship with all of my horses, and I incorporate that bond into every therapy session. I know what every ear movement means.” Danner brings a wealth of experience to Azalea Coast. She has been a therapeutic riding instructor and a Special Olympics equestrian coach for ten years. Additionally, she is a coach for a competitive show team and a previous coach for the Interscholastic Equestrian Association. In 2019, Danner earned a bachelor’s degree in business from the University of North Carolina Wilmington. Two years later, she obtained a degree in clinical mental health from Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia. Danner is also certified as an animal-assisted therapy interventionist and trains others how to

RANCES DANNER grew up on the beaches of Kitty Hawk and the Outer Banks, where she spent every free minute fishing, swimming, and riding horses.

“Horseback riding along the shore is one of my favorite things,” she says. “I did that most days of the week, and I loved it.” Danner has turned her love of horses into animal assisted therapy, a service that she offers to children, adults, couples, and families at Azalea Coast, a farm in Porters Neck that she has been leasing since May. “It is the perfect farm for therapy, quiet and beautiful,” Danner says. As an equine facilitated psychotherapist, Danner specializes in addressing trauma, depression, anxiety, life transitions, and family or relationship issues with horses and activities like grooming, walking, and simply spending time at the farm. “The incorporation of animals expedites healing,” Danner 78

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safely and ethically incorporate animals into treatment plans. During couples sessions, Danner observes partners interacting with each other and with the horse. “I watch how the couple talks to each other, how their energy-heightened language and their emotions affect the horse. Often the horse retreats from the couple,” she says. Those same interactions apply to children. “After kids have interacted with a horse, they can visualize what happened when they get home. They understand how their emotions and language can affect their family just like it affected the horse,” she says. “This kind of therapy does so much more than clinical therapy because everyone is so involved.” As the sole proprietor at Azalea Coast, Danner’s days are long, caring for three of her own horses and seven boarders. Her typical day begins at 7 a.m. bringing the horses into their stalls from the pasture for hay and water. Then she returns to the pasture to pick up waste. Danner’s first therapy sessions and riding lessons begin at 9 a.m. and continue through noon. In the middle of the day, she makes sure the horses have cold water and plenty of hay, and she mucks the stalls. Then it’s back to lessons until 6:30 p.m. when the routine repeats in reverse: caretaking of the animals and putting them out to pasture, mucking the stalls, and another trip to the pasture to deliver hay. In addition to traditional clinical therapy and animal assisted therapy, Danner offers several other services at the farm: boarding; lessons in riding; hunter jumper lessons, a skill that tests horses and riders’ ability to clear obstacles and fences; and professional training for horses and riders tailored to each horse’s individual need. “We work through behavioral issues with the horses, developing better responsiveness and work ethic, addressing unwanted habits such as laziness or resistance,” she says. “My goal is to help each horse become a more confident, willing, and well-rounded partner.” Danner continues to improve her own riding skills, taking hunter jumper lessons and eventing, a triathlon consisting of dressage, cross-country, and show jumping. The triathlon assesses proper movement and harmony between the horse and rider, agility through woods and water, and precision jumping over fences. This month, Danner started offering workshops at Azalea Coast for veterans, first responders, and teachers, among others. The first workshop, based on prior sessions she has offered in the Outer Banks, is for middle school girls, teaching confidence and strategies to deal with bullies. Danner intends to deliver workshops on parenting and mindfulness to help individuals discover their own emotional peace. Eventually, she hopes to offer yoga and Pilates. “And anything else that helps with healing,” she says. Danner, whose vision is to create a place where people feel supported, empowered and inspired, says everybody has a place at her farm. “A horse can do so much for us,” she says. “I want more people to be able to experience this therapeutic environment.” W

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SCENE

Stage Seen to be

Theatre for All marks its milestones by SOPHIA HUGHES | photos by NATE SMITH

Henry, GINA GAMBONY, and DYLAN PATTERSON in 2014. To adults with disabilities, that outlet can be especially significant. While working-age adults without disabilities experience severe loneliness at rates of 8%-10%, the statistic jumps to 65%-68% for adults with disabilities within the same age range, according to Brown University School of Public Health. Mobility disability is the most common type of functional disability among U.S. adults, affecting roughly 1 in 7 individuals, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Theater directors and educators Gambony and Henry believe theater, as its own language, has a way of transcending

woman who was initially too shy to announce her own name in an opening circle wowed her entire theater company with a solo vocal performance.

“To see the evolution of a young woman who could barely say her name out loud, growing into the artist that she is, where she can sing her own solo,” director KIM HENRY says, “that kind of says a lot.” The young woman is one of many students with disabilities who have found a creative outlet and theater family through Theatre for All, an organization founded in Wilmington by 82

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SCENE boundaries and reaching people in ways they may not have felt reached before. “What being involved in theater does is, first of all, it helps develop communication skills, socialization skills, and comfort in meeting people. This addresses the issue of isolation,” Gambony says. For Gambony, those connections have produced what she describes as “a million special moments” across her career. Witnessing students blossom into their full potential over the years has kept her showing up each day ready for the next student’s big moment. Theatre For All began in 2014 when Patterson recognized a gap for performing arts opportunities in Wilmington for those with disabilities. Along with Gambony, with a background in teaching and working with people with disabilities, and Henry, with a background in theater and previous

philanthropic efforts working with refugees, the three shared one mission: to provide a platform. “They are actors and singers and dancers and comedians,” Henry says. “But what platform have they had? None.” Gambony and Henry believe that each student already possesses the talent and charisma the audience loves before they walk into the classroom. When stage theater becomes more accessible, students can simply hone these skills and share them as they were intended to be seen. From a beginning at Laney High School with outreach work, Henry, Gambony, and Patterson are now managing performance companies, summer camps, community classes, and leadership training classes serving nine schools across New Hanover, Pender, and Brunswick counties. Over the years, transformative moments like the one Henry recalls with her student have cultivated talented actors

Gina Gambony and Kim Henry (clockwise, from left) co-founded Theatre for All with its first classes in 2014. Participants are preparing for their December show, Threads. Co-founder Dylan Patterson rehearses with Theatre for All company members.

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SCENE who have stayed loyal to Theatre for All, amassing returning fans. Performers have produced several plays with the company, all of which are original and written based on the ideas of the actors themselves. “Everything is original; we write the shows together with our performers. Every time you watch, it’s something you’ve never seen before and will never see again,” Gambony says. In December, Theatre for All will present Threads, a festive show centered on giving and receiving, and symbiosis between cultures. It will take place at the Hannah Block Historic USO Center in downtown Wilmington. Details for the ticketed show, as well as other productions and classes, will be posted on the group’s website at theatreforall.org. In September, the nonprofit marked its twelfth anniversary with a casino night fundraiser. Theatre For All wishes to continue to expand as an organization, in hopes of seeing the idea replicated across not only the U.S. but across the world. Not only are the performers benefited by exposure to the audience, but it works both ways. Many neurotypical and ablebodied people simply lack interaction with people who are differently abled in their day-to-day life. However, research suggests that those interactions do matter: A research study from the University of Rochester explains that meaningful contact between differently abled people and able-bodied people significantly reduced prejudice. “The truth is people often feel uncomfortable staring at people with disabilities because they were taught that it’s rude to stare. Here we’re saying, please stare,” Gambony says. The goal, however, is not simply to put performers with disabilities on a stage. It is to change what audiences expect to see from a group of talented performers. By the end of a show, Gambony says, audience members have told the organization that they forgot they were watching people with disabilities. They were simply watching a story unfold. “Part of what we’re doing is making the invisible visible,” Gambony says. “The invisible is the personalities, the talent, the complexities of people with disabilities.” W 84

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DIRECT MALE

Reel to Reel by DYLAN PATTERSON | illustration by MARK WEBER

I NEED AN INTERVENTION. NO, IT’S NOT THAT I’M DRINKING TOO MUCH. I’M NOT A DRUG ADDICT. And I haven’t lost my soul to gambling.

Stars is the History Channel’s hit reality show about the world-famous Gold & Silver Pawn Shop run by Rick Harrison and family in Las Vegas. Each episode is more or less the same: 1) Customer arrives with an item to sell such as a Civil War musket, a collection of Star Wars action figures, or a coin from ancient Rome. 2) We learn about the history of the item. Often, an expert is brought in to assess the item’s authenticity and value. 3) The haggling begins. 4) An agreement on price is (or isn’t) reached. What is it about Pawn Stars clips that I find so irresistible? Is it that they’re quasi-educational; therefore, watching them is easy to rationalize? Is it the corny banter between Rick and his family? The drama of the haggling? The disparity between the hopes the customer arrives with and how much cash they actually leave with? Sometimes a customer thinks they have a priceless Picasso that turns out to be a fake. Other times, they have no idea they’re sitting on a treasure. Other Reels in my feed don’t fit neatly into a category. Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune clips. Stand-up comedy bits. Texas hold ’em poker hands. Clips from TED Talks. And, yes, I must admit there are scenes from The Brady Bunch, Three’s Company, and Little House on the Prairie. How they ended up in my algorithm, I’ll never know. But do I watch them? You bet I do. Sure, taken individually, none of these videos is particularly harmful. But the problem is they’re like potato chips. One or two isn’t so bad for you, but if I ate chips one after the other for 90 minutes straight seven days a week, wouldn’t you call for an intervention? Like with any addiction, I guess the real question isn’t the what, but the why. More important than what type of alcohol one is abusing is why the binging is happening in the first place. More important than what Reels I’m watching is why I’m burning perfectly good hours of my precious life with such mundanities. But, of course, the endless feed of Reels is designed to keep us swiping and swiping to ensure we never have a moment’s quiet during which we might ask ourselves such an existential question. Concerned about the dangers of AI? Swipe on. Dissatisfied with your marriage? Swipe swipe. Vague thoughts about your mortality? Swipe swipe swipe. There’s an old Sam Cooke song, Twistin’ the Night Away. Those were the days. Now we’re swiping our lives away. But maybe one day we’ll reach the end of the endless feed. The end of the road. But then what would we do exactly? Can anyone remember what we used to do with all that time?

I’m actually embarrassed to admit it, but I’m addicted to those super short videos delivered via Facebook Reels. Yes, Facebook. The lamest of the social media apps. Why couldn’t I be hooked on something young and hip like TikTok? Like all social media, Facebook Reels are ruled by an algorithm that serves up more of what you’ve selected in the past while also using those past clicking habits to predict what new types of videos you might get obsessed with in the future. Just as one’s choice of booze says something about the drinker – an Old-Fashioned aficionado is a different breed than a light beer drinker, and both are a far cry from the sipper of espresso martinis – in the same way, what videos persist in one’s feed tells us something about the watcher. Perhaps, I realize, a cataloging and analysis of my algorithm’s selections could provide some insight into the state of my mind and spirit. There are a few categories of video to which I’m addicted. One, we’ll call Before and After. A benevolent landscaper spies a house with an insanely overgrown lawn, so he mows, weed whacks, and edges it for free. A close cousin to the landscaping video is the haircut video. A male customer arrives with wildly overgrown hair, and in 60 fast-motion seconds, there the client is: a new dude with a new ’do. Both types of video deliver a certain kind of satisfaction. As we gaze on the foot-high grass or the matted mullet, we can rest assured their time is limited. The wilderness, the wildness, will soon be tamed. Our hero, a knight of sorts, will, with his sword-like blade, subdue chaos and restore order. These videos are most satisfying when we couldn’t imagine it was possible there was a diamond under all that rough. Why do I find these Before and After videos so addictive? Do I fear chaos and yearn for order? What is it with my old fogey appreciation of straight lines and right angles? Am I as bad as a conservative ’60s father imposing a crewcut on his hippy son? Another variety of Before and After video is the Furniture Flip clip. The ones that appeal to me most are the thrift store flippers. Guys in their twenties who go to Goodwill with 15 bucks, buy a chest of drawers, sand and paint it, then sell it for $250 the next day. The whole process condensed into a video of under a minute. I love that these guys take something that is one step from the dumpster, and, with some elbow grease, a “can do” spirit, and a few basic tools, bring it back to life. Pawn Stars videos figure prominently in my feed and are in a category of their own. If you’re not familiar, Pawn

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Dylan Patterson is a writer and filmmaker who teaches English at Cape Fear Community College. Mark Weber is a Wilmington-based artist and illustrates WILMA’s monthly Direct Male essay. weberillustration.com

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TAKE

photo by PEYTON ZINO

festivities have grown tremendously over the years, and last year, we hosted Carolina Beach’s first-ever drone show. We have also added a lot more kite flyers and kites to the event, doubling our list of contacts since 2021.” WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE PART OF THE WEEKEND? “I really love watching the trolley come down the road toward the festival. Seeing all of the kids’ faces light up really makes the whole weekend for me. Saturday night is also one of my favorite parts.” HOW DOES THIS FESTIVAL DRAW PROFESSIONAL FLYERS? “I think word of mouth has a lot to do with it. There are festivals around the country and throughout the year, so the kite flyers run into each other from time to time and discuss which ones they have been to and where they are going next. The kite flyer community is a pretty tight-knit group of passionate people, and a lot of our newcomers have been by word of mouth. The fact that they can come spend a weekend at the beach also helps.” WHAT’S THE MOST INTERESTING KITE YOU’VE SEEN AT THE CAPE FEAR KITE FESTIVAL? “I think they are all interesting when you hear how it was made, who is flying it, or how they fly it. If I had to choose, I would say the caterpillar on the beach stands out because it is absolutely enormous and sits on the sand for you to take an up-close look at. The ‘sport kites’ are also very interesting. How a team of kite flyers can coordinate and sync their kites to make them buzz through the sky without tangling their lines is really fascinating to watch.” W

In November, whales, octopi, and other colorful creatures will fly over Kure Beach. November 6-8 brings

the twentieth year of the Cape Fear Kite Festival, which is estimated to draw more than one hundred kite flyers from around the country. They’ll display their airborne skills to about 7,500 spectators for a Friday night preview and drone show and to about 5,000 a day on Saturday and Sunday during the daytime festival, says ALANNAH KEELER, director of operations for the Pleasure Island Chamber of Commerce. Keeler, who has been with the chamber for seven years and runs its day-to-day operations, serves as event coordinator for the annual kite festival, among other Pleasure Island events. Info on the free event is at pleasureislandnc.org/cape-fear-kite-festival. HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THE KITE FESTIVAL FOR SOMEONE

WHO HASN’T BEEN BEFORE? “I would describe it as ‘magical.’

It is a fun weekend with something for everyone. Friday night at the Carolina Beach Boardwalk is just mesmerizing. There is really nothing like seeing the kites lit up with LED lights on the beach while the DJ plays music. There is also something about seeing a giant whale floating in the sky over Fort Fisher or a scuba diver that is the size of a school bus that makes you feel like a kid again.” HOW HAS IT GROWN OVER THE YEARS? “When the Pleasure Island Chamber of Commerce took the event over in 2021 (from founders and kite enthusiasts Mike and Judy Agner), we added Friday at Kure Beach Pier and Friday night at Carolina Beach Boardwalk to the festival weekend as well as live music, food vendors, crafters, and shuttle services. The Friday 88

WILMA

ALANNAH KEELER’s full profile will appear in an upcoming WILMA Lifestyles email. To sign up for the email, go to WILMAmag.com/email-newsletter.

WINTER 2026