WS Arts Magazine, Issue Two

Papermen

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MONTICELLO PARK PUBLISHING

380-H KNOLLWOOD ST. • SUITE 191 WINSTON-SALEM • NC • 27103 www.wsartsmag.com

PUBLISHER & EXECUTIVE EDITOR Ed Hanes ed@wsartsmag.com

VP-BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT & ADVERTISING DIRECTOR David A. Johnson dave@wsartsmag.com

ASSOCIATE EDITOR Sherry Johnson

sherry@wsartsmag.com

STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Wendy Hanes wendy@wsartsmag.com

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Contributors: Timothy Matthews

WS Arts Magazine is published monthly by Monitcello Park Publishing. Any reproduction or duplication of any part thereof must be done with the written permission of the Publisher. All information included herein is correct to the best of our knowledge as of the publication date. Corrections should be forwarded to the Publisher at the address above.

Disclaimer: The paid advertisements contained within WS Arts Magazine are not endorsed or recommended by the Publisher. Therefore, neither party may be held liable for the business practices of these companies.

WS ARTS MAGAZINE

CONTENTS

6 | Publisher’s Letter 8 | Cover Story Papermen

14 | UNC School of the Arts

Nutcracker Performance Means Scholarship Dollars for Students

16 | Behind the Scenes at Carmen Photographs by Wendy Hanes

20 | Seeing Kudzu

The Beginnings for an Artist in Winston-Salem

26 | Cigars & Spirits

The Rocky Patel Vintage 1992

18

28 | Cigars & Spirits

Ancient Ancient Age 10 Year Old: The Choice of the People

29 | Arts News

87 Dance Productions, SECCA and The Hanesbrands Theatre presents... Movies By Movers Vol. III

30 | Arts News

School of the Arts Chancellor Search Committee Receives Charge From System President

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PAGE 5

Publisher’s Letter

When the world is on your shoulder Gotta straighten up your act and boogie down If you can’t hang with the feeling Then there ain’t no room for you, this part of town……

So tonight Gotta leave that nine to five upon the shelf An’ just enjoy yourself………

Let the madness in the music get to you Life ain’t so bad at all If you live it off the wall -Michael Jackson

T

hree years ago as I was speeding to yet another meeting, that iconic Michael Jackson song blared through my speakers. The song, Off the Wall, was released from the self titled album in 1979. I remember one of my playmates on the block had a children’s juke box that we thought was the real thing. In actuality it was just a heavy cardboard box with a record player on top.

When the music played there was a spectacular light show embedded within. We would put that Off the Wall album on (that belonged to my friends older sister) and turn up the little juke box as loud as we could. Then….magic…..iconic r&b rhythms melded seamlessly with familiar pop sounds….and that voice!

We jumped and danced all afternoon. It seemed the music from the album and song was seared into my memory. I was moved by the music and all I could understand that dancing machine of a man saying at the time was : “Life ain’t so bad at all if you live it off the wall.”

I pulled to a stop at the Five Points intersection on Stratford Road. There in the intersection was a man selling newspapers…a smile on his face and a bounce in his gait.

It was a crisp day out but still just warm enough to have the windows down. As he walked up the median a smile came across his face. The rhythms from my admittedly stentorian radio had stroked his ears, the ease of a familiar musical breeze bringing two strangers immediately closer. As he handed me a paper he simply said “…life ain’t so bad at all…..live your life off the wall….live it off the wall!”

I pulled off, let my windows up, and turned my radio down to answer a call. Wrong number. As I moved down West First Street the music still played but, for some reason, the lyrics came alive. I caught every word: Do, what you want to do, There ain’t no rules it’s up to you, It’s time, to come alive…….

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I made some decisions that day and I haven’t looked back since.

Forward two years to a lazy Sunday morning. I was met with the face of my friend from Five Points in the WinstonSalem Journal. There he was on a full page advertisement for an upcoming pictorial called, simply, Papermen. By this time I had begun acting on my decisions from two years prior. I happened upon the creator of the Papermen exhibit, Christina Kirouac. We met over coffee to discuss her work, her outlook, and how she came upon the idea for her pictorial.

I asked her about my friend, my paperman. She told me “you’ve got to get to know them like I did….it took time to develop trust.” We share some of that with you in this issue.

Mostly, we let the pictures do the talking. Look at the detail of their skin, their eyes, their hair. Find the story…..find your story within those details. I found my story and my future on a Fall day in Five Points three years ago. Michael Jackson was the driver, but it was my paperman who allowed me to hear the message: Gotta hide your inhibitions Gotta let that fool loose, deep inside your soul Better do it now before you get too old……

Let the madness in the music get to you Life ain’t so bad at all If you live it off the wall.

Thanks for reading, Ed

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WS ARTS MAGAZINE

Papermen

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PAGE 9

C

ommunity.

Belong.

What do those words really mean today?

That’s the question Christine asked

Kirouac when

she

arrived in her newly adopted home of WinstonSalem. She saw people who resembled her, people who didn’t…..people who did things she did and people who didn’t.

Body politic.

Commonality.

Both are

synonyms for the word community….this word that can both unite and, ironically, isolate.

Harmonize. Exist. Become. All metonyms of belong….but who do we belong to? Who do we face and who do we brush by?

“In 2009 I noticed men selling the WinstonSalem Journal at city intersections. They were a curious community, these men who stood differently, interacted with drivers differently… they moved with a distinct cadence all their own.” Community. A unit made up of individual beings that, somehow, tie the separate geographies of the city together.

That’s

what these men, these Papermen were…a community.

“I wondered if I could talk with them,” remembered Kirouac, “would they speak with me and if they did, what would we talk about?

I wanted to see what could happen.” Over time she did speak with each of the gentlemen presented on these pages. Some interactions were smooth while others were a little more reserved. They were wary and unsure of this stranger who wanted to know more about their community while, possibly, discovering her own. (Continued on page 12) PAGE 10

WS ARTS MAGAZINE

Christine Kirouac is a Canadian Prairie born artist.

Over the last twenty years she has held

several residencies and has received diverse grants from The Canada Council for the Arts, Manitoba Arts Council, the National Film Board, and the National Aboriginal Achievement Foundation. She recently received her first American Regional Artist Project Grant from the Arts Council of Winston-Salem and Forsyth County for the feature work of this issue, the photo-based project Papermen.

Her media installations and videos have exhibited in both galleries and screenings at film and video festivals throughout Canada.

Her work has been

well received from the Lisbon International Film Festival in Portugal to the 4th Cairo International

Biography:

Christine Kirouac

Video Festival in Egypt in 2011. This year her new video work, Don’t Go Away, was short-listed as a finalist for New Frontiers at 2012 Sundance Film Festival.

Don’t Go Away has ultimately been chosen to have it’s world premiere at Light Assembly; Art Basel Miami Beach this December during their inaugural mass-scale showcase of video art and architecture.

The goal of Light Assembly is to combine largescale video art projections with the citywide canvas of Miami Beach and mainland Miami’s modern architectural marvels and historic landmarks.

Ms. Kirouac has taught as a Visiting Professor in Studio at Salem College and has been a lecturer in Art History and Appreciation at Winston-Salem State University and Greensboro College. She currently teaches Studio Foundations and Drawing at Wake Forest University. n You may see her work featured at: www.christinekirouac.com and on facebook at wsartsmag.

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“Each conversation was incomparable. Some were brief while some conversations lingered. Some of the guys where warm and shy while others where skeptical…wary.

In the end, all were willing.” All were willing…..willing to open their community….willing to share their experience of belonging to this loyal band of news providers. “The project turned into an opportunity for my subjects – who are passed everyday by hundreds of motorists - to share something of themselves that reflect a unique spirit and vulnerability.”

Winston-Salem, like all societies, is made up of boundaries that identify “communities”.

It is the limit of that word “community”, used as much to unite as it is to divide, that inspired Kirouac to create a project that could reach beyond the strict definitions of race, class, and economic station. “The presence of our Papermen can remind us that, sometimes, borders are meant to be crossed.”

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Nutcracker Performance Means Scholarship Dollars for Students

S

By Timothy Matthews

ometimes we take them for granted. A

most rigorous training environments in the country. What they

world class hospital. A steady hand in

are up to is providing a foundation upon which the City can

the banking industry. A reinvigorated

continue to build its place as an arts mainstay. What they are

University level nursing program. An

up to is providing cultural sustenance for a community while

energetic and committed philanthropic

helping their classmates remain enrolled. The Nutcraker is

community. Sometimes the people of

upon us again. If last year is any indication, UNC-SA students

Winston-Salem take our blessings for

are in for another scholarship bonanza.

granted.

For over forty-six years, their production of The Nutcracker

The University of North Carolina School of the Arts is such

has been one of the Triad’s most eagerly anticipated events of

an example. Perhaps it’s because they are tucked away in the

the holiday season. Tickets to the professional caliber ballet

valley between Washington Park and what is now a bustling

at the Stevens Center went on sale October 1 and are already

downtown. Perhaps it’s because we don’t see their students

tracking significantly ahead of last year, in which several

on ESPN or represented on reality TV every night. “Those

performances sold out and performance capacity averaged

crazy kids,” we might think to ourselves, “what are they up to

at 92%.

now?”

What they are up to is earning their keep in one of the PAGE 14

UNC-SA set records with its 2011 performance. The show grossed in excess of $500,000. That equated to a 34 percent WS ARTS MAGAZINE

increase in overall revenue from their 2010 performance. The success of the show also meant $200,000 in scholarships to help support student access to the University.

“The extraordinary success of the Nutcracker is a tribute

a

to the students, faculty and staff of UNCSA…,” commented outgoing Chancellor John Mauceri when interviewed by the UNC-SA media relations team after the record performance of 2011. “This scholarship money has been raised from the direct educational outcomes of these students who are, in effect, taking their final exams when they perform.”

It’s not just the Nutcracker that brings in the dollars for UNCSA student success. In 2011, the school saw revenues of $1.5 million from The Nutcracker and the all-school production of Oklahoma raising in excess of $650,000 toward scholarships and educational outcomes. As University Producer Katharine Laidlaw will attest, this is no ordinary feet for a performing arts school, “$500,000 in revenue from a single, limited-run production……it’s remarkable”.

Live music is a key element in driving the success of this production. The UNCSA Nutcracker Orchestra will once again accompany all performances under the baton of Charles Barker, Principal Conductor of American Ballet Theatre. UNCSA’s production is the only Nutcracker in the Triad to be performed to a live orchestra. Douglas Gawriljuk, a former faculty member of the UNCSA School of Dance who now teaches dance in West Palm Beach, Fla., will return to supervise the 2012 production.

2012 also marks the first production of The Nutcracker under the leadership of Susan Jaffe, who was named Dean of the UNCSA School of Dance earlier this year. Jaffe is widely known and respected as one of the leading ballerinas in America. For 22 years, Jaffe danced with American Ballet

Progressive

southern

insPired

destination a for Progressive

dining insPired southern

hosPitality destination & for events sPecial

dining

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Theatre (ABT), where, after she retired from the stage, she joined the faculty of the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School.

Producing revenue generating shows that support the school and students is not an easy task. Even while surrounded by the world class talent present in the students and staff at UNC-SA, the pressures are great. As a State

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1

8/6/12 PAGE 15

11:26 AM

Behind the Scenes at Carmen Photography By: Wendy Hanes

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(Continued from page 15)

the American Ballet Theatre, where he performed as a soloist,

need for an overhaul became clear.

and continued with the New York City Ballet as a principal

In 2009, this cherished holiday production was re-imagined

dancer. During his career he has performed leading roles

by then UNCSA Dean of Dance and former American Ballet

in the full-length ballets “Giselle,” “La Bayadere,” “Sleeping

Theatre Principal Dancer, Ethan Stiefel, who developed new

Beauty,” “Coppelia,” “Swan Lake,” “Romeo and Juliet,”

choreography assisted by several of his UNCSA dance faculty.

“Midsummer Night’s Dream,” “Jewels” and “Manon.” While

Additionally, the production unveiled new lighting designed by

at American Ballet Theatre, he worked with Agnes de Mille

ABT Resident Lighting Designer and UNCSA alumnus Brad

and performed lead roles in “Rodeo,” “Fall River Legend,” and

Fields with new set pieces designed by UNCSA Design &

“The Other.”

Production faculty member Howard Jones. The reinvigorated

in companies around the world including, The Dutch National

production has received rave reviews, played to packed

Ballet, Bavarian State Opera, The National Ballet of Canada,

houses, and welcomed some of the most renowned guest

Pacific Northwest Ballet, Philippine Ballet Theatre, and has

artists from the world of dance.

been a guest of many dance festivals worldwide. He is also a

Askegard has been a guest artist performing

This year, guest artists Veronika Part (Principal, American

co-founder and director of a new ballet company, Ballet Next.

Ballet Theatre) and Charles Askegard (Principal, New York City

In our tightening economy today’s performances still have

Ballet) will dance the roles of the Sugar Plum Fairy and her

to be better than in past years. The performance schedule has

Cavalier Prince at the performances on December 13 and 14

to be surgically organized to promote efficiency. The audience

at 7:30 p.m.

has to be broader.

Born in St. Petersburg, Russia in 1978, Veronika Part joined the Kirov Ballet. She was promoted to soloist in 1998. Part’s

It all has to happen in an economic

environment where wallets are thinner and expectations for excellence in the arts remain high.

repertoire with the Kirov included Nikiya in “La Bayadère,” the

To conquer all of the obstacles in record breaking fashion

Queen of the Dryads in “Don Quixote,” Myrta, Moyna and

while raising in excess of $500,000 in student scholarships

Zulma in “Giselle,” Raymonda and Henrietta in “Raymonda,”

is incredible. With attendance eclipsing 15,000 last year, the

the Lilac Fairy in “The Sleeping Beauty” and Odette-Odile in

UNC-SA team continues to build upon their success in utilizing

“Swan Lake.” She also danced roles in George Balanchines’

multiple outreach methods and creative partnering. When

“Apollo” (Terpsichore), “Jewels” (Emeralds and Diamonds),

coupled with previously underutilized merchandising efforts, the

Symphony in C (second movement) and “Serenade,” and in

students of UNC-SA are, once again, in a position to benefit.

John Neumeiers’ “The Sounds of Empty Pages.” Part was

The full performance schedule for the UNCSA production of

the winner of the

The

BALTIKA Prize in

is: Saturday, Dec.

1999. She joined

8 at 2 p.m. and

American

Ballet

7:30 p.m.; Sunday,

New

Dec. 9 at 2 p.m.;

Theatre

in

Nutcracker

York as a Soloist in

Thursday

August 2002 and

Friday, Dec. 13 and

became a principal

Dec. 14 at 7:30

dancer in 2010.

p.m.;

and

Saturday,

C h a r l e s

Dec. 15 at 2 p.m.

Askegard has had

and 7:30 p.m. and

a

Sunday, Dec. 16 at

distinguished

performing career, which began with PAGE 19

Ethan Stiefel

Veronika Part

2 p.m. and 7 p.m. n WS ARTS MAGAZINE

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WS ARTS MAGAZINE

Seeing Kudzu: The Beginnings for an Artist in

By Ed Hanes Winston-Salem Photography by Judi Russell

F

rom sun up to sun down, Judi Russell is an abstract artist and thinker.

She is also

a teacher. The art is what you see but at

the end of the day, she’s a teacher.

Her goal: To inspire others to excavate and explore their creativity.

She is also part of the historic business fabric of our city, arriving in

Winston-Salem

as

a

trainee

(stewardess) for Piedmont Airlines in the 1968. “When I flew into WinstonSalem for my interview, it was to be the first of several I’d scheduled with airlines. I fell in love with Winston-Salem from the air as I looked down and saw the lush vivid green. Coming from Indiana, a state of beautiful farmlands filled with cornfields, this lush green covering (kudzu) just filled me with joy. During the interview, I was asked if I wanted to be in the next class starting in four days. Without any hesitation, I said “Yes”.

That’s when the teaching started and her journey toward the arts actually began.

She recalls one lesson involving a passenger and his tape deck: “….a young man boarded the plane in Washington and was extremely concerned about the safety of the new tape deck he’d just purchased. He had just moved to Greensboro from Georgetown, Massachusetts. It was quite a culture shock! This man, John Russell, became my husband. We’ve been married almost 44 years.”

“I was one of the first stewardesses allowed to continue working after marriage.

My husband was really excited about the “free travel” until the day I told him I had resigned in order to sell cosmetics and train consultants for Fashion Twenty Two. We had quite a few discussions over that decision!” The job allowed Judi to grow her marketing and creative skills but it didn’t come without a price. “I did everything from ordering and stocking cosmetics inventory, accounting, marketing, training, sales meetings, weekly newsletters, advertising and going door-to-door trying to WSARTSMAG.COM

PAGE 21

book shows. It was a 24/7 job. During this time, we had our first child and one day I decided to look for a job that would allow me to spend more time at home.”

She eschewed an offer from the historic Thalhimers department store. Judi, instead, became a commercial bank sales training manager for the venerable Winston-Salem institution, Wachovia Bank and Trust. “My job was to develop and/or modify sales training programs for tellers, customer service representatives and corporate bankers. Several of these programs were sold to correspondent banks.”

She then moved into a Promotion Manager and Merchandising Manager position for Hanes Hosiery and Bali. “I accepted this job because it gave me the chance to be more involved with the creative process and creative problem solving. It was a wonderful opportunity to work with a corporate level sales department and with our customers at the department stores where our goods were actually sold.”

Then came her stint as VP of Advertising for Professional Diet Control. “My mother, Betty Stokes, and her partner, Peggy Shelton, had opened several Diet Centers and wanted to grow the business through franchises. They offered me a position as VP of Marketing/Advertising.” This proved to be a great opportunity to create, place and monitor the impact of the advertising. Once again Judi found herself over extended and at a crossroad. “I was working 24/7 and now we had two daughters. Suzi was eight and Keli was one. It seemed like a good time to start a small advertising agency in our home.

I’d have more time with our daughters and could do a better job of controlling my work hours.”

True to her “can do spirit”, Judi opened a self-named advertising firm in 1979, The Russell Agency. Once again, time was her enemy. “Of course, controlling the amount of time I worked turned out to be impossible. I knew the agency had grown too big for our home when freelance artists were eating dinners with us on a regular basis and helping with our two daughters.” After her husband purchased an insurance company, The Argus Group, life became very one dimensional: “Our lives revolved around our children and our businesses.”

PAGE 22

WS ARTS MAGAZINE

While she worked with Fortune 500 companies providing creative marketing solutions on a daily basis, there was still something missing.

In the agency her creativity was

confined to communicating ideas and working with artists, photographers and writers. There was a visual artist yearning to be released.

Judi read “The Artist Way” by Julia Cameron and attended several workshops, including the Landmark Forum workshops. “I was trying to rediscover myself . . . to expand beyond sales, management and creating new ventures. As a result, I discovered that creating art was, and probably always had been, my passion.” After 25 years she realized that in order to fully realize her vision she had to live it. She recreated herself as an artist. She sold the firm, now owned

by Betsy Hamilton, Anne Cullen and Cindy Cash, and hasn’t looked back.

“My move into creating art has been a wonderful experience of attending numerous art programs domestically and abroad (France and Italy). I was trying to “catch up”…..to learn as much as possible to move my art forward. Learning has been one of my favorite parts of this journey.

I am

constantly amazed at the creativity of individuals. I’ve also learned that artists, in every category, tend to be individuals who are willing and generous in sharing their ideas.”

Ever the entrepreneur, Judi opened Art & Artifacts, a Gallery in Blowing Rock 4 years after leaving the advertising world. The gallery showcases the work of approximately 20 - 25 artists who, no doubt, benefit from Judi’s natural teaching instinct.

She shares space with Blowing Rock

Gallery of Homes and Land, founded by Lynn Hill. Lynn, also from Winston-Salem, has always been involved with the art community. “Lynn and I often laugh that we decided to open our businesses right as the economy took a nose dive. We are both really excited to be in business at this time.”

Russell’s work is an optical wonderland.

Abstract at

their core, Judi works hard to maintain a sense of realism that allows her viewer to capture the subject matter of her paintings.

Familiar themes. Dramatic colors. Diversity in

composition and pattern. This is no ordinary afternoon on WSARTSMAG.COM

PAGE 23

the easel.

Hill captures Russell’s genius from a different

perspective: “When you see a retrospective of Judi’s paintings, they don’t necessarily represent a progression or evolution, but rather a delving into unexplored dimensions of her mind’s eye. She delights in the freedom found in seeing where her heart and head lead her next”.

“Many of my works have been inspired by a meditative/art process that I started using over fourteen years ago,” noted Russell. “I might write down a question, or questions, then close my eyes. Using a pencil, with a light touch, I fill a page with lines, circles, and squiggles. When I open my eyes I will look for an image. If I see an image I will trace it with a black ultra fine Sharpie pen. I might add or delete details, using watercolor pencils and/or crayons to color the image.

Words might come to me and I will just jot them down next to the image.”

Perhaps the work that she is best known for is a painting using mixed media, her ode to Winston-Salem, "AWAKENING”.

A 2nd place winner in the Hanes Companies Competition in 2008, the work is currently part of their corporate collection.

“My inspiration came from seven drawings in my journal along with my desire to communicate, through art, my view of Winston-Salem as the city of the arts.”

Symbols in the painting include the bridge and the Teapot in Old Salem and visual nuances from Downtown.

Symbols of music and dance, the Moravian Star, film and theater, vineyards, and patches to represent the ever present diversity of Winston-Salem complete the mix. “Some of these symbols are obvious and some are there as an inspiration for me. I also included Kudzu - which I saw from the air the first time I flew into Winston-Salem.”

Ever the teacher, the facilitator and inspiration to others, Judi is a Juried Member of Associated Artists of Winston-Salem.

She will be working with Associated Artists and Sawtooth as an Instructor in the later part of 2012 and 2013. She will also be sharing her creative process through Associated Artists of Winston-Salem at the Sawtooth building during the “6 Days in November” event. From airline stewardess to advertising executive the art (and teacher within) never left her. n PAGE 24

WS ARTS MAGAZINE

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PAGE 25

Cigars & Spirits

The Rocky Patel Vintage 1992

By Ed Hanes

T

he birth of my first daughter, Madelyn. My

foray into this foreign land of cigar artisans and their ingenious

graduation day from law school. The one

blend of leaves. The Vintage 1992 line is a tribute to his

year anniversary of my company during the

persistence against the odds. This Torpedo shaped cigar is a

worst economic downturn of our time.

It

bit over 6 inches with a 52 ring gauge. That equates into a 45

never fails: I always end up with a Vintage

minute stroll through Runnymede on a perfect fall afternoon:

1992 line from Rocky Patel on my platter.

75 degrees….leaves freshly on the ground….life laid out in

This happens for a few reasons: 1) Rocky Patel is an

front of you….no worries today. Heavenly!

entrepreneur in an industry people told him he couldn’t

The cigar is perfectly wrapped in a flawless, ten-year-

survive in, just like me; 2) He’s a trained attorney with a

old Ecuadorian Sumatra leaf. This wrapper gently cradles

love and respect for fine culture and fine art, just like me; 3)

a masterful blend of filler leaf that has been gently coaxed

Rocky Patel is one of the very best at what he does and has

to its most flavorful seven year climax. The binding of this

proven it beyond all doubt.

masterpiece is a true work of art. When stroked with the flame

The story was not always so smooth. His first line of cigars was a disastrous failure. It left him with doubts regarding his PAGE 26

from my butane torch, the result for cigar lovers is simply spell binding.

WS ARTS MAGAZINE

There is no doubt as to the expertise behind the construction of the Vintage 1992. While firm to the touch, once appropriately lit the draw is smooth and consistent. I prefer a punched cigar but this torpedo requires the sure steel of a well made guillotine cutter. If your slice is quick and true this masterstroke of the cigar world will maintain its physical integrity and perform gracefully.

Nuts and hardwood is the flavor of the moment with this Rocky Patel. Your favorite cup of Joe is what is left on your palate in the final stages. Consistent in its draw, the emitted smoke is not as thick as one might imagine from such a well made stogy. The true character of the cigar is its evolution over time: like morning to evening, it takes you on a journey of emotion, memory, and accomplishment. You don’t want the day to end. You slow your stroll a little. You squeeze your loved ones hand just a bit tighter for a bit longer. You take it all in. This cigar deserves your patience.

The Rocky Patel Vintage 1992 is, in a word, flawless.

Coming to your local cigar shop at around $9 per stick, this is certainly a deal compared to last months review of the Padron Series 1926. While not cheap, the Vintage 1992 deserves it’s space on the shelf beside the finest cigars in the world.

For it’s even burn…for thick and robust ash, for it’s beautiful construction and artful soul, we give this Rocky Patel a rating of 5 e.d.s n WS Arts Magazine has designed and implemented a ratings system where cigars receive an E.D.S (really...I didn't name the rating system after myself) of 1-5.

Each review explains, in easy to understand terms, why we chose that particular rating for a given cigar. Our ratings system is described as follows: 1 E.D.S - These are cigars of last resort. They are questionable even if only mowing the yard or planting a garden.

2 E.D.S - These cigars make tolerable companions while you wash your car. They aren't looking for attention, nor should they!

3 E.D.S - These are pretty respectable cigars but may still fall short. We recommend them for the golf course, the back porch with one of your uninitiated friends, or for the after wedding party (for the husband of your best girlfriend who thinks he knows everything about cigars).

4 E.D.S - Now we’re talking. Enjoy these fine cigars after a delicious meal or with your favorite cocktail. Again, I prefer Friday's at Single Brothers (or my Cigar Room). Join me!

5 E.D.S - Respect your elders! These complex treats are true works of art. They deserve Coltrane, good friends, and your favorite adult tasty treat. Only the best! n

WSARTSMAG.COM

PAGE 27

Cigars & Spirits

Ancient Ancient Age 10 Year Old: The Choice of the People

I

By Timothy Matthews

n our premiere issue we promised to bring you reviews of the finest bourbon available. After our opening salvo (Booker's 7-Year Old Batch Numbered) we wanted our next choice to enter the stage at a different price point while not sacrificing our commitment to saluting only the finest artisans of this age old craft. What, then, would be our next indulgence?

The answer was presented in the form of a long forgotten bottle resting peacefully in the back of my bar. “Triple A” is the name, or as the kind folks at the Buffalo Trace Distillery prefer, Ancient Ancient Age 10 Year Old. Some may wonder how a $13 bottle of bourbon can possibly be in the same class as the $60 bottle we reviewed last month. The answer is easy: it’s not……. but, surprisingly, they do live on the same block.

The Triple A has earned it’s place as a value added, premium crafted, nectar of the good earth for those interested in enjoying serious Kentucky bourbon. Ancient Ancient Age originates from the Buffalo Trace Distillery, sitting atop the banks of the Kentucky River. It is the oldest distilling site in the United States, resting on what local lore says was once an age old crossing for American bison. The distillery is named for the revered creature that created paths followed by the earliest Americans.

The broader Ancient Age brand has been around in excess of 60 years and comes in four variations: • Ancient Age: 36 month old bourbon, bottled at 80 proof • Ancient Ancient Age 10 Star: aged 6 years and bottled at 90 proof • Ancient Ancient Age: a 10-year-old whiskey and bottled at 86 proof • Ancient Age Preferred Blended Whiskey: bottled at 80 proof.

The star of this review is the 10-year-old whiskey, often confused with the “10 Star” as a result of the similarity of their labeling (and, we believe, because it is exceedingly difficult to get the 10 year outside of Kentucky while easy to get the 10 Star at the local ABC store). Ancient Age was originated at the George T. Stagg Distillery. That distillery went on to become the Ancient Age Distillery. The plant is now owned PAGE 28

by the Sazerac Company operating under the name of Buffalo Trace.

Buffalo Trace produces some of the best bourbon anywhere (Eagle Rare, Benchmark and a range of single-barrel bourbons-Blanton1, Rock Hill Farms, Elmer T. Lee and Hancock's Reserve). Their entry level Ancient Age brand is no exception. The 10 year old Ancient Ancient Age is uniquely situated and prepared for the challenge of even the most experienced bourbon drinkers. Unlike more expensive premiums (and we consider the Triple A an entry level premium) this offering is not aggressive in it’s approach. It is an excellent entry point for novice bourbon drinkers.

While the Booker’s 7 Year “laughed at ice”, this bourbon is not so stout. During our tasting with two ice cubes, the bourbon became quickly watered and lost it’s character. One ice cube is the call of the day (or, as we later discovered, keeping your bottle of Ancient Ancient 10 Year chilled in the freezer may be the best way to capture the flavor of this unique bourbon).

The nose on the Ancient Ancient Age is excellent: a gentle breeze of oak, a whisper of flint fragrance….beautiful. The palate is slightly sweet in a raisin, dates, vanilla kind of way. No Southern Comfort lollipop style with this Bourbon. Natural sweetness rounded off with a kiss of cinnamon spice and a lingering yet satiny rye bite finish separate this offering from some of its less cultured cousins on the bottom shelf.

The Triple A’s smooth style is both it’s strength and it’s weakness: It has the blood lines of a prized stallion but, for practical purposes, merely trots through the bluegrass satisfied that it has fulfilled its calling. For a bourbon tipping the scale at a mere 86 proof, the flavor palate is to be admired for it’s balance: not too sweet…. not too bold….just a nice stroll in Hanes Park.

This is an excellent sipping bourbon that doesn’t require, or deserve, a lot of fuss. Yes, it has great color. Yes, it has a fine aroma. Yes, it’s aged 10 years in the artesian manner that all Kentucky Bourbons must be produced. Unlike more expensive offerings in the Buffalo Trace stable, however, this one has a clear calling: Saturday afternoon on the porch…. cigar at the ready…..your favorite man or lady at your side….. kids playing under the magnolias in your backyard. That’s Winston-Salem living. n WS ARTS MAGAZINE

Arts News

87 Dance Productions, SECCA and The Hanesbrands Theatre presents...

Movies By Movers Vol. III

8

7 Dance Productions, SECCA and

“As the festival has continued to grow, I have wanted to give

The Hanesbrands Theatre presents

people from different movement communities an opportunity

Movies By Movers Vol. III, a film festival

to come together for an event that celebrates all sorts of

that both celebrates and challenges

movement and share our collective passion and experience

the boundaries of live human motion

with each other and those members of our community that

through the art and magic of film and

may not think they are movers.” Says Hagan. “The thing I love

digital media December 7th-9th 2012 in Winston Salem. The

most about presenting these films is that they demonstrate

Festival, now in its third season has grown exponentially since

that movement and a passion for living is something that is

its inception to include not only dance, as originally intended

accessible to anyone.”

by the festival’s founder, choreographer and dance filmmaker

The fest kicks off at The Hanesbrands Theatre on December

Cara Hagan, but also skating, parkour, martial arts, mime and

7th, with a showing of Bones Brigade: An Autobiography at

more. For the first time, Movies By Movers will present feature

8pm and the Shorts Program 1 at 10pm. December 8th’s

films in addition to its

events

short

program.

place

Brigade:

with Bones Brigade:

film

Bones An is

Autobiography, a

An

will at

take

SECCA,

Autobiography

documentary

at 2pm, the Shorts

directed by legendary

Program 2 at 7pm

skateboarder

and People in Motion

and

filmmaker Stacy Peralta that illustrates the creation of The

at 8pm. December 9th will take place at a/perture Cinemas

Bones Brigade, a group of six teenage boys that grew to

with a presentation of the final shorts program at 7:30pm.

become some of the world’s most influential athletes in the

Full schedule and ticket information can be found at www.

field of skateboarding. People in Motion is a documentary

moviesbymovers.org. For questions, e-mail MBM directly

directed by Cedric Dahl that invites viewers into the world of

at moviesbymovers@gmail.com or call The Hanesbrands

parkour, a sport that fosters daring self-expression through

Theatre, through which tickets will be sold, 336-747-1414.

acrobatic interaction with urban landscapes. The shorts program features a diverse collection of films from across the United States and abroad and includes many dance films, as

The Hanesbrands Theatre – 209 N. Spruce Street, Winston Salem, NC SECCA – 750 Marguerite Drive, Winston Salem, NC

well as films that feature martial arts, mime and various forms

a/perture Cinemas – 311 W. Fourth Street, Winston Salem,

of performance art.

NC n

WSARTSMAG.COM

PAGE 29

Arts News

School of the Arts Chancellor Search Committee Receives Charge From System President

T

he Chancellor Search Committee of the

Ross said, adding that the ideal candidate doesn’t have to

University of North Carolina School of the Arts

be a performer or someone who has run an arts institution.

held its first meeting in late October. University

But they must have a passion for “the concept of a public

of North Carolina President Tom Ross gave the

conservatory,” he continued.

committee its charge.

“I will tell you that … running an institution of

Ross said he would look for “someone who can manage in a tough fiscal environment” but who has the ability to see beyond

higher education, particularly a public

financial constraints to articulate and

institution, is a difficult position to be

“sell” a vision “because that’s part of

in, and it is increasingly difficult,” Ross

what it takes to raise money.” Ross

said as a preface to naming “certain

said the candidate must be prepared

core characteristics” for which he is

to “invest significant time and energy

looking.

in raising private resources.”

“This is a special place and it will

Other characteristics he cited

require a special leader,” President

include:

Ross said. First, he said, “You must

• “The ability to understand and

have a person with integrity. And you

manage a high school at the

must have a person with courage”

same time you’re trying to

because that person is responsible for

operate a university.”

managing in a very difficult environment,

• “Has to both be willing to engage with

increasingly so, with a great deal of public

the community but has to be able to

scrutiny, in a challenging world … . The kind of

be successful at that.”

leader that can do that successfully is one that has

• “Highly value academics.”

integrity and one that is courageous enough to make the right

• “People skills and communications skills.”

decision.”

The committee has established a dedicated web page

Ross continued: “I think it is going to be important moving forward … to have an individual who can manage an

for the search: www.uncsa.edu/chancellorsearch/, and the actual audio of President Ross’ remarks are available there.

organization, who understands the nuances of both the law

Chancellor Search Committee Chair Rob King also

and accounting requirements and principles but who also is

announced the addition of another member on the Search

attentive to personnel and understands morale….”

Committee: School of Dance alumnus Mark Land, representing

He would look for “someone who will care deeply about the

the alumni. Land joins two other alumni on the committee,

faculty and the staff and will do everything possible to create

John Williams, who is representing the Board of Trustees, and

an environment for them to use their talents,” because they

Jamie Call Blankinship, who is representing the faculty.

are the people who work with the students. “If you don’t love students, you won’t like the job,” he added.

“At this institution, if the person who is leading it does not have a passion for the arts, they won’t be successful,” PAGE 30

King said that based on conversations he had with some alumni, he thought the addition of a person to specifically represent the alumni “would add value to a well-rounded team.” n WS ARTS MAGAZINE

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