APR. ‘21
RECUBED ARTISTS REVITALIZE DOWNTOWN MURALS
Also in this Issue:
Military Matters
an Armed Forces News Section
FREE Southern Fried Ghost Stories • Put a Spin on Recycling • Ice Flyers Adjust to New Normal downtowncrowd.com
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DOWNTOWN CROWD APRIL 2021
Editor’s Letter
Publisher Malcolm Ballinger Owner Malcolm Ballinger Executive Editor Kelly Oden
CONTENTS
Gina Castro, Editor
Editor Gina Castro Art Director Guy Stevens Graphic Designer Garrett Hallbauer Editorial Assistant Dakota Parks Editorial Interns Jesse Gann Fiama Mastrangelo Sky Rivera Advertising Account Executives Paula Rode Paula@ballingerpublishing.com Becky Hildebrand becky@ballingerpublishing.com For advertising rates or news tips contact Phone: 433-1166 · Fax: 435-9174 DOWNTOWN CROWD is published by Ballinger Publishing. Offices located at 314 N Spring St., Ste. A, Pensacola Florida 32501 Published by Ballinger Publishing
7
While I was at 850eco’s first meeting at the beginning of last month, I was reminded of Pensacola’s Climate Strike in 2019. Of course, there were plans to have another climate strike in 2020, but the pandemic had other plans. That 2019 Climate Strike was amazing to witness. I was covering the event for UWF’s student magazine, The Argonautica, at the time. I remember being so blown away by the young activists leading the event. This was the first time I heard about local environmental groups, such as 350 Pensacola, Healthy Gulf and Keep Pensacola Beautiful. Since Earth Day and Arbor Day fall in the month of April, we wanted to inspire you to live sustainably. This issue features an article about businesses and artists who are taking recycling up a notch.
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We also spoke with the artists behind downtown’s most recent murals. If you haven’t seen the new CUBED murals, you gotta check them out!
Downtown Crowd is locally owned and operated. It is published monthly for distribution in Pensacola, Florida. All Right Reserved. Reproduction or use of the contents herein is prohibited without written permission from the publisher. Comments and opinions expressed in this magazine represent the personal views of the individuals to whom they are attributed and/ or the person identified as the author of the article, and they are not necessarily those of the publisher. This magazine accepts no responsibility for these opinions. The publisher reserves the right to edit all manuscripts. All advertising information is the responsibility of the individual advertiser. Appearance in this magazine does not necessarily reflect endorsement of any products or services by Ballinger Publishing. © 2021
If you believe spooky season is more of an all year thing, not a just October thing, then you’ll definitely like this issue. We profiled the local podcast Southern Haunts. But beware, this article is bound to give you chills. To wrap this letter up, I wanted to share some good news with you all. This is my last Downtown Crowd as Editor! I’m moving to Chicago this summer to start graduate school at Northwestern University Medill School of Journalism. It’s been fun writing for you all for the past year and a half, but I’m excited for this new challenge.
7 5 Questions with Creatives
Cheers,
14 ReCubed: Artists Revitalize Downtown Murals
8 Southern Fried Ghost Stories 11 Snow White: The Ballet 12 Citizens: Rhetoric, Response, Representation Exhibit Opens at PMA
18 Put a Spin on Recycling: Locals who Upcycle 20 Ice Flyers Adjust to New Normal 21 April Events Calendar 22 Military Matters
ON THE COVER – Art by Aidan Garcia
DOWNTOWNCROWD.COM | 5
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5 QUES TIONS WITH
CREATIVES VI CTOR I A BILL INGSLEY B Y S KY R I V E R A
With the Pensacola Tattoo Expo fast approaching, it only seemed appropriate that we shine a light on one of our local tattoo artists this month. Tattoo artist Victoria Billingsley at Sacred Grounds Tattoo Studio is a young tattoo artist bringing a little something new to the tattoo scene here in Pensacola. While some may describe her work as neotraditional, she likes to describe her work as “cutesy traditional.” Feed your tattoo curiosity with a trip to the Pensacola Tattoo Expo from April 30 to May 2 at the Sanders Beach-Corinne Jones Resource Center. In addition to tattooing, Victoria also creates painted wood art. Check out her artistic repertoire on her Instagram @vicbits. What got you into tattooing, or was there a specific moment when you realized it was what you wanted to do? I was 13, and it was when all of those tattoo reality shows started. I saw all of these tattoo artists put really cool permanent art on people. I’m the middle child, the “black sheep” you could say, and the tattoo career was just really calling my name. Do you have any tattoo heroes now, or someone you look up to in the industry? Obviously Shauncey Fury, but also another good friend of mine, Carrie Daniels over at Hula Moon. She [Carrie] has the cleanest lines of any tattoo artist I have ever seen. Locally, definitely both of them, they are both in the
American Traditional tattoo realm. Shauncey helped me to get where I am now. Without him, I would not be tattooing at all. He was and still is a great tattoo teacher. With Carrie, I love sitting and watching her tattoo. It blows my mind. I have no idea how she tattoos the way she does. I see you sell art. Can you tell me a little bit about that? The wood pieces were inspired by this page I found on Instagram [@blackliningwallart] because a lot of these tattoo artists I follow were getting a lot of crazy traditional designs cut out of wood to hang up on their walls. It was like tattooing your walls with pieces of wood. He was who I got all of those wood pieces from.
Everyone was doing them black, and because I was bored during quarantine, I decided to get funky with some colors. What draws you to the neotraditional style? I fall in a weird in-between. Sometimes I fall into a more neotraditional, other times a more traditional. I call it more of a cutesy traditional. There are a lot of rules in traditional tattooing that make total sense, but at the same time I didn’t like that it is so heavily rule-based, and I don’t exactly like rules per say. There are a million amazing tattooers in town, but I felt like I haven’t seen a lot of artists in town doing some of the weird cutesy type of stuff that I like to do. I draw stuff that I like and I post it. That is probably the coolest part of being a tattooer. A random idea that appears in my head will be on someone’s body because they like it so much. What is some advice that you have for people who want to pursue a career as a tattoo artist? You need to admire who you apprentice for. You need to admire them as a person and their work. Tattoo artists want an apprentice who is someone that is committed to the lifestyle and has a love for tattooing. You have to show that you want to learn and admire what they are doing on a day-to-day basis before you begin to learn what they do. DOWNTOWNCROWD.COM | 7
SOUTHERN FRIED GHOST STORIES by Fiama Mastrangelo
8 | DOWNTOWNCROWD.COM
photo by Guy Stevens
H
er name is Ashley McGlothren, and she’s going to tell you a scary story. Local podcaster, non-profit founder and selfproclaimed stage mom, McGlothren delivers spinechilling tales of horror and true crime from south of the Mason-Dixon line to listeners across the nation. The podcast just surpassed 50,000 downloads, proving that “spooky season” is year-round.
Southern Haunts is the brainchild of McGlothren, who is also the co-host of The Stage Moms podcast and president and founder of Arrant Knavery, a local theatre company. Originally from Panama City, McGlothren has spent her entire life in the South and wanted to explore the spookier side of Southern history. With her background in theatre and experience in the world of podcasting, McGlothren decided to start up Southern Haunts as a way to pass the time during nationwide lockdowns in June 2020. The idea for Southern Haunts began when McGlothren recorded “The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman
for The Stage Moms’ Storyteller Series. Written from the perspective of a woman descending into madness, “The Yellow Wallpaper” is a chilling tale with plenty of potential for haunting readings. “That episode is really sort of what got my wheels spinning about Southern Haunts. I was like ‘Oh, I could do this on a podcast,’” McGlothren said. As an established figure in the Pensacola arts community, McGlothren expressed her deep appreciation for the beauty of Southern living and the community that it inspires. She’s no stranger to hauntings,
either. McGlothren is the Director of Marketing at Pensacola Little Theatre, one of the oldest operating theatres in Southern America. As many locals are aware, PLT has seen its fair share of hauntings and has been visited in the past by paranormal investigators. One of the leading reasons that McGlothren decided to focus her scary stories South of the Mason-Dixon line, however, is the rich tradition of storytelling that is a staple of Southern culture. Perhaps it’s the imagery of dripping Spanish Moss, or the murky waters of alligator-infested swamps that add a certain vivacity to the campfire stories of Southern people. Or perhaps it’s the national headlines of “Florida Man Throws Baby Alligator into Drive-Thru Window” that intrigues listeners and popularizes the legends of bizarre creatures such as the Swamp Ape. “Honestly, the weird stuff that gets made up in the South is crazy. I mean like, from creatures to ghost stories and all that kind of stuff, the South just has really weird ones,” McGlothren said. Southern Haunts has covered some of our most infamous cryptids, including The Bunnyman, The Donkey Lady and even Mothman himself. In addition to the goofier stories of boogeymen and monsters, Southern Haunts also tackles the darker stories of true crime. Given the complicated history of racism and violence that has plagued Southern America, McGlothren aims to tell these stories accurately and responsibly, while reclaiming the lore championed by people of color. “I wanted people to know about things that happened in the South. I wanted to see a change in the way that stories in the South are told,” she said. “We have the lore that we have in the South because it comes from all the different types of people that are here. And those are the stories that I want to focus on in this show.”
“WE HAVE THE LORE THAT WE HAVE IN THE SOUTH BECAUSE IT COMES FROM ALL THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF PEOPLE THAT ARE HERE. AND THOSE ARE THE STORIES THAT I WANT TO FOCUS ON IN THIS SHOW.” The love for Southern charm and the passion to reclaim its stories has propelled McGlothren into the national spotlight for her storytelling. Each episode is a fun-sized adventure into the strange and unusual history and haunts of the South. While spooky stories are typically limited to campfires and Halloween programming, something about our local ghouls keeps audiences captivated year-round.
down lore for future generations. As the founder of a non-profit and leader in local theatre, McGlothren knows a thing or two about community. “Once things are a little bit safer, I would love to partner with other podcasters in the area and do a full performance of a night of podcast episodes,” she said. Live readings are just some of the ideas McGlothren has cooking up for the future. Other show ideas have been considered, and Southern Haunts frequently collaborates with similar shows, such as Let’s Not Meet and Two Drinks and a Haunting. There’s a lot to look forward to if you can’t get enough of Southern Haunts. Stay tuned for new projects and subscribe to the Patreon at patreon.com/southernhauntspodcast for bonus content, early access to episodes, and ad-free listening. Southern Haunts can be found on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or anywhere else you listen from. Follow @southernhauntspodcast on Instagram for behind-the-scenes content and previews for upcoming episodes.
Southern Haunts retains a certain charm that listeners crave. “A lot of people have told me it’s relaxing, which is strange,” McGlothren laughed. “I just want to keep creating a time for people to escape the weirdness that is our world. I like the idea of creating a community where people feel comfortable talking about paranormal stuff and sharing their stories.” Southern Haunts regularly features listener stories to bring the spooks that much closer to home and continues the tradition of passing
Scan the Spotify URI to check out the podcast.
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Snow White This ballet will feature the usual characters, such as Snow White, the evil queen, the prince, huntsman and, of course, the seven dwarfs. But with a twist. Snow White won’t be saved this time by true love’s first kiss. Instead, it’s up to her trusty friends, the seven dwarfs, to save her. The evil queen has a new henchman doing her bidding in this production. A dark, mysterious creature will be causing trouble for Snow White and her friends. Fortunately, another kind, helpful creature will be added to balance this battle between the good and the bad. “Our entire professional company will be in the show. Our upper level academy students will be in it. They’ll be all of our creatures, critters in the woods and our happy little animals,” director of this production, Debi Janea said. “I’m really excited because our dwarfs are a set of our younger students in the academy. They have a big task on their hands because they are a very big part of the story. The dwarfs are the ones that end up saving the day.”
THE BALLET
by Gina Castro
f you’ve seen Disney’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, you may think you know everything there is to know about this tale. However, Ballet Pensacola found there is much more to this fairytale classic. Blending the Grimm brothers’ version of Snow White with the ballet’s original ideas, Ballet Pensacola created a spellbinding performance: Snow White: The Ballet.
Ballet Pensacola is excited to have former dancer and Interim Artistic Director, Janea leading this production. As Janea explained, the seven dwarfs will be played by some of the ballet’s youngest dancers. The dwarfs’ ages range from just 10 years old to 13 years old. “Our dwarfs are very excited. They get to be big characters, be goofy, silly and just all over the place,” Janea said. “I think it’s a challenge for the kids to be such a character, but they’re definitely having fun with it.” Principal dancer Hannah Holtzclaw will be dancing the role of Snow White in this hourlong performance. Although COVID-19 has been a challenge for Ballet Pensacola, the pandemic hasn’t made it impossible to put a show together. Janea explained that Ballet Pensacola has been very careful during this time. Dancers are required to wear masks throughout practice and while backstage, unless they are applying makeup. During performances on stage, the dancers don’t wear face masks.
stand how significant that is right now,” Janea said. “I think our kids are really looking forward to being on stage and being able to get creative.”
Snow White: The Ballet will be performed at the historic downtown Cultural Arts Center on April 9 & 16, and April 10 & 17 at 7 pm with matinee performances on April 11 & 18 at 2:30 pm. For more information visit balletpensacola. org or call 850-432-9546. Tickets are available for purchase for as low as $28, plus applicable facility fees, through the BalletPensacola website at balletpensacola. org/performances/ticket-information or by calling the Ballet Pensacola offices at 850.432.9546. Tickets are also available through Pensacola Little Theatre box office at 850-432-2042. Financial support is also provided in part by the Florida Division of Cultural Affairs and ACE.
“Our professionals all just feel so lucky that we are still employed, still dancing and able to perform on a stage because we under-
DOWNTOWNCROWD.COM | 11
Rebekah Lee Fitting Wood, paint marker, wall spackle, nails and scrap paper
CITIZENS: RHETORIC, RESPONSE,
REPRESENTATION EXHIBIT OPENS AT PMA by Dakota Parks
rt has the power to connect, inspire and spark critical discourse through historical and social movements. When more than 20 classes at the University of West Florida set out on a common read of poet Claudia Rankine’s book Citizen: An American Lyric, students began responding to the work in a wide variety of mediums. More than 700 students and community members tuned in to Rankine’s virtual lecture and visit in February hosted by the UWF Downtown Lecture series. Rankine’s book intertwines poetry, lyrical essay and visual art to create a collective portrayal of racial relations in the U.S. and day-to-day microaggressions experienced by African Americans. The Citizens: Rhetoric, Response, Representation exhibit at the Pensacola Museum of Art (PMA) opens on April 17 and will display an interdisciplinary display of student responses. 12 | DOWNTOWNCROWD.COM
I think Rankine’s work is a really compelling study of the daily experiences of being an African American in this country and the sheer banality of racism that is constant.” “The common read of Citizen emerged as a response to the events of last summer,” Dr. Robin Blyn, English professor at The University of West Florida explained. “In particular, to the number of people out in the streets protesting the deaths of African Americans at the hands of police. There was an overwhelming sense that there were conversations that needed to be had about race. A lot of students at UWF wanted to talk about it and needed to talk about it. Artwork and literature both provide us with
the room to talk about things that we couldn’t otherwise talk about in depth without feeling threatened.” As Dr. Blyn explained, more than 20 classes collaborated at UWF from composition courses, creative writing, literature, feminist theory and several art classes such as 3D design and a BFA seminar course to read, teach and respond to Rankine’s book. The English Department collaborated with the Art Department to host an exhibit of student work at the PMA that
Jordan N. Weddington Self-Portrait with Flowers Suminagashi and pen and ink on rice paper
Nickolas A. Newkirk Homage to the Wounded Naturally-dyed printed paper
grapples with responses to the common read. Just as Citizen artfully genre-busts conventions of poetry, the student responses varied from prose poetry, verbal and written response, video, 3D design and sculpture.
Many students responded to concepts of implicit bias, complicity, microaggressions and police brutality, which Rankine’s work underscores, as well as the subject of empathy. As Carrie Fonder, an assistant professor in the art department at UWF explained, teaching Rankine’s work brought up a critical conversation of appropriation and allyship.
“I have a lot of students that are not people of color. Many of my students expressed concerns of cultural appropriation and navigating a space in which they didn’t feel like it was appropriate for them to respond to Black Lives Matter and some of the bigger political repercussions exposed in Rankine’s work,” Fonder explained. “When Rankine visited via Zoom, she talked about the word ‘ally’ and how she is really opposed to the word. She discussed how being an ‘ally’ can be used to further benefit yourself and not necessarily benefit other people. So, that conversation provided an
“So many of the direct responses students wrote were expressing personal experiences with race, and I think that’s a kind of oral history that we need,” Dr. Blyn said. “That includes the experiences of African American and POC students, but also white students reflecting on their own complicity to racism. And, what I mean by complicity is not that you mean to be racist, but that you have been treading on grounds laid before you that have racist implications. I think Rankine’s work is a really compelling study of the daily experiences of being an African American in this country and the sheer banality of racism that is constant.”
went as far as incorporating lines and photocopied pages from the book in their sculptures and art pieces.
Allyanna Haddock They Still Remain Charcoal pencils
Rachel Gibbs Seeing Glass Digital illustration
entry into the vantage point of empathy. I shared a Yoko Ono piece about mending a broken cup. The idea is that while you mend the broken cup, to think about mending the world, community and your relationships at the same time.” Many of Fonder’s students were drawn to the formal qualities of Citizen and the way Rankine pairs artwork and poetry together, as Rankine describes, “to make the words tremble.” These responses bridged sculpture and found objects together in a similar way the artwork in the book is utilized. Some students
“I wanted to give my students as much flexibility as possible to find their space conceptually and formally,” Fonder explained. “One of my favorite parts about mentoring these students for the exhibit is that I got to work closely with the students on their projects, but I didn’t have to actually judge the work for exhibition. The PMA selected the final pieces for the exhibit to make sure the artwork, text and videobased projects would work cohesively together. I think these interdisciplinary common read projects really allow professors the potential to expand programming, opportunities and resources for students.” The Citizens: Rhetoric, Response, Representation exhibit at the Pensacola Museum of Art opens on April 17 to the public and will be on display through the month of July. Stay tuned to PMA social media platforms for a later announcement for a closing round table event with an artist talk and reading. To learn more about current exhibits on display, visit: pensacolamuseum.org. DOWNTOWNCROWD.COM | 13
CUBED
ARTISTS REVITALIZE DOWNTOWN MURALS by Gina Castro | photos by Garrett Hallbauer It’s no secret that the CUBED murals raised the bar of public art in Pensacola. The murals quickly became a popular spot for taking photos, and it was featured as one of Downtown Crowd’s Instagrammable locations in 2018. Since 2017, the CUBED murals have been repainted by local artists each year. The pandemic caused Pensacola Museum of Art to put this tradition on hold in 2020. Hurricane Sally also damaged the murals. The lone surviving mural after the hurricane is Ophelia, painted by Krista Bennett. PMA Director, Nicholas Croghan explained that since the PMA wasn’t sure when they’d be able to feature another set of new murals, they added an enlarged photo from the Antarctica Seasons of Water and Ice show to one side of the cubes. The show’s photographs were taken by UWF biology professor Dr. Wade Jeffrey and will be featured at the museum until April 4. The PMA also hopes to cover one side of a cube with a map of the historic trust. Fortunately, the PMA was able to bring back a fresh set of murals in March. The PMA selected five new murals from local artists. STOA Architects sponsored each artist. “We really tried to find a good balance between different types of work. So the artists that were selected are going to be doing paintings that range from kind of more impressionistic landscapes, photorealistic portraits, some more kind of street art graffiti style, all the way to kind of a fun, more cartoony like illustration,” Croghan said back in February. The five new murals are now finished and ready for viewing. Downtown Crowd spoke with the artists behind each mural.
14 | DOWNTOWNCROWD.COM
The Sand Sculptor by Loren Miller & Dave Ham
Although Miller and Ham grew up on different sides of the world, they share a similar background in art. Miller was born and raised in Jay. He attended both Savannah College of Art and Design and Florida State University, where he apprenticed one of the founders of the Portrait Society of America. That apprenticeship led to his interest in classical painting and sculpting. Miller then moved back to the area, worked for PMA, taught at a middle school and then began a tattoo apprenticeship. Miller now owns Three Fates Tattoo. Miller and Ham met at Three Fates Tattoo. Ham grew up in Brisbane, Australia. Ham moved to the area to attend Pensacola Christian College, where he studied under Brian Jekel. Ham’s time with Jekel sparked his interest in classical painting. After completing his master’s, Ham be-
gan a tattoo apprenticeship at Three Fates Tattoo. “Apart from here at the tattoo shop, this will be the first kind of big project we’ve worked on together,” Miller said. “We both speak a very similar language when it comes to painting because we both trained in a very similar way.” Miller and Ham’s mural The Sand Sculptor was inspired by their friend and client who is a local professional sand sculptor. Miller explained that they wanted the mural to tie in local talent and the beachy element that Pensacola is known for. “Our goal is to make it look like a classical painting but with a modern subject,” Miller explained. To see more of Miller’s art, visit lorenmillerart.com. To see more of Ham’s work, visit daveham.art.
Morrison Springs Squirrel Tribute by Lilly Stark
Growing up in North Dakota, Stark watched her mom paint murals and signs all over Stark’s hometown. As she got older, Stark began helping her mom with these projects. Stark moved to the Pensacola area to study marine biology, but she changed gears to art after taking some art classes at Pensacola State College. Stark fell deeper into Pensacola’s art scene through cosplay. She builds her own costumes. Although she isn’t studying marine biology anymore, Stark’s passion for the water and environment hasn’t changed. Stark spends her free time diving into the area’s springs. Among her favorites is Morrison Spring, located in Ponce De Leon. “I dived there right after the hurricane. All the fallen dead leaves were on top of the water and the water
was crystal clear,” Stark said. “That was one of my favorite photos, and that’s actually my favorite time to dive out there, too.” This trip to Morrison Spring is Stark’s inspiration for the mural. The mural is a painting of the photo she took of the spring. The mural is also an homage to Bernard, a Southern flying squirrel. Six years ago, Stark rescued Bernard, who fell out of a tree after a hurricane and couldn’t return to the wild. These squirrels are native to Florida and the areas surrounding the springs. So keep an eye out for Southern flying squirrels in her mural Morrison Springs Squirrel Tribute. Stark hid a couple throughout the painting. To see more of Stark’s art, find her on Instagram @pitskitsuy.fart. DOWNTOWNCROWD.COM | 15
Great Place To Be A Dog
by Emily Woodson and Nathan Dillaha Artists and proud dog owners, Woodson and Dillaha agree that Pensacola is definitely something to bark about, especially if you’re a dog. Woodson and Dillaha met at Levin Rinke Realty, where they currently work. Woodson is a marketing associate at Levin Rinke. Ever since Woodson moved back to the area after receiving a degree in illustration, she’s been set on painting her first mural in Pensacola. Dillaha began a career in graphic design through the music industry. He’s a member of the local band Panzacola and frequently found himself designing t-shirts and flyers for the band. Later, he was hired as a graphic designer for Levin Rinke. Dillaha has painted a few murals in the area but not one quite like Great Place To Be A Dog. “What I’ve noticed more than anything in Pensacola is public art and
Great Job!
by Jaime Diffee
Diffee is a Pensacola native who has a thing for possums. “They just kind of stick to themselves and look scary, but they really just have a small brain and want food. They’re really cute,” Diffee explained. Diffee has been an artist since as early as she can remember-- a gift passed to her from her father. Diffee always felt drawn to nature and enjoyed playing in the dirt. Initially, she went to UWF for archeology, but eventually, she found her way to studio art. Nature continues to be an inspiration for her art. In 2017, Diffee and her friend Olga Silva painted a mural as part of CUBED’s first iterations. The two did another mural near UWF’s art studio 16 | DOWNTOWNCROWD.COM
of a banana and a possum. After receiving a Bachelor of Fine Arts and BA in Art History from UWF, Diffee became the Preparator & Assistant Registrar at the PMA. “She [Olga] is known for bananas, and I’m known for possums. Olga had to move back to Brazil after she graduated, so in honor of her, there’s a little banana in the corner,” Diffee said. Diffee’s mural Great Job! features her classic possum and also a banana peel in honor of her longtime friend, Olga. To enjoy more of Diffee’s work, follow her on IG @heyletscommunicate.
pet accessibility, and that’s definitely what inspired our mural design,” Woodson said. “I can bring my dog downtown and I know that I’ll be able to get a bite, a drink, go down to the farmers market and have my furry friend with me the whole time.” This mural celebrates the city’s love for dogs and art. “When in doubt, go with what you love. And we love our pets,” Dillaha said.
Great Place To Be A Dog features a pile of adorable dogs in a Pensacola centric color palette. To make the painting even more heartwarming, Woodson and Dillaha included their own pups in the mural along with their friend’s dogs, too. For more of Woodson’s art, go to @emilywoodsonillustration on Facebook. To keep up with Dillaha, follow him on IG @nathandillaha.
Lonesome/Crowded Garcia describes himself as a selftaught artist. Since his family is comprised of musicians, painters and hair stylists, Garcia grew up surrounded by the arts. He recalls painting as early as age seven. He and his brothers painted the murals at Salon San Carlos, which their parents own. Garcia is especially interested in surrealism. “I grew up being really interested in Salvador Dali and a lot of contemporary surrealism artists who are doing
by Aidan Garcia really weird stuff that you don’t see anywhere else,” Garcia said. “Growing up in a place like Pensacola, it’s pretty conservative. So I’ve always been interested in breaking that mold. Trying to do something that provokes people to think and maybe make them uncomfortable.” Garcia said that his brother, Austin, is always encouraging him to keep creating art. The message behind Garcia’s mural speaks to individuality and loneliness but it’s also optimistic.
There are some characters that Garcia describes as ancestral and a tortoise character to remind the viewer to take it slow. “All of my work, as of recently, is very personal. It speaks to my individual experience,” Garcia said. “I wanted to do something to speak about the emotional experience of the individual.” To see more of Garcia’s artwork, follow him on IG @aidangonzalezgarcia.
DOWNTOWNCROWD.COM | 17
Spin on Recycling
The Illustrated Garden: Val Webb’s Art Studio
Put a
As the daughter of a writer, Webb spent her life surrounded by books. She’s always treasured books no matter the wear or age. Webb is a studio artist and illustrator who specializes in wildlife and botanical subjects. While on the hunt for the perfect sketchbook, she realized she could bind a sketchbook from her old books. Now, Webb visits yard sales and old book stores to collect unwanted or damaged books from 1904 to 1940 or later. Her sketchbooks include antique original pages and illustrations so that no two are ever the same. “It’s really important to remind people that you can think about objects you use every day in a different way and make them even more special,” Webb said. You can find Webb on Facebook and Instagram @IllustratedGarden.
LOCALS WHO UPCYCLE
by Gina Castro id you know that the average person generates more than four pounds of trash each day? Talk about a dumpster fire. The EPA estimates that 75 percent of American waste is recyclable but only 30 percent of it is recycled. Items that aren’t recyclable contribute to the growing landfills. Fortunately, the City of Pensacola offers curbside recycling. For a list of recyclable items, visit cityofpensacola.com/228/Recyclable-Items. However, recycling isn’t the only way you can reduce landfill waste. Upcycling is a creative way to reuse unwanted materials. First City Art Center (FCAC) is hosting Upcycled Art Bazaar, April 17 from 10 am to 3 pm, to inspire the community to reuse unwanted items creatively. “With Earth Day and Arbor Day falling in April, it’s important to remind people that the things that are around you—you can’t just throw them away,” FCAC Events Manager, Kelly Leitermann said. “Instead, think about what you can do with them. Think, can you donate them, who else could use them, before just throwing them in the dumpster and sending them to a landfill.” The community is able to donate certain unwanted items to FCAC, and FCAC will sell the items during the event to fundraise for their Youth Art Program Scholarship Fund. For a complete list of items FCAC will accept or to learn more about the event, visit firstcityart.org/product/artbazaar/. The Upcycled Art Bazaar will also feature vendors who create products or art from upcycled materials. Downtown Crowd spoke with artists in the area who use upcycled materials to create something new. 18 | DOWNTOWNCROWD.COM
Can-dles by Joe Local dad, Joe Snyder started a sustainable hobby just before COVID set in. Snyder and his wife love candles. One day, when Snyder was drinking a beer as he searched the web for more candles, he was struck with an idea: What if he turned his can of beer into a candle? On his first try, he was able to remove the top of the beer can with a can opener. He’s been pouring 100 percent soy based candles into upcycled containers ever since. “I feel good that, in a little over a year, there have been no cans or bottles that have left my house without there being a nice high-quality soy wax in them,” Snyder said. Customers can donate old bottles of wine, vintage beer cans or favorite containers, and Snyder can transform it into a candle. Some customers use it as decor, too. Can-dles by Joe offers dozens of scents. Some scents are made to smell like the container it is in, such as the whiskey scented candle in the Jack Daniels bottle. Snyder is interested in helping local businesses be more sustainable by upcycling their bottles and containers. Visit candlesbyjoe.com for more information.
Diane Collins Collins is a local painter and mixed media artist. Her artwork has been displayed in Gallery 1060 and Artel Gallery, among others. Whenever Collins is in need of a brain break, she pieces together sculptures with household items like spoons, a glue bottle cap and paintbrushes and even bones and an old flip phone. “It’s a really nice break. It frees your brain a little bit. You start playing with them and see that this kind of fits against this and kind of looks like that, and just start putting things together,” Collins said. Collins’ solo exhibition at Artel Gallery, Shadowland featured sculptures of beetles and birds, such as Flip Phone Beetle and Hook Billed Sparrow. To see more of her work, visit gallery1060.com/diane-collins.
Candace Hilton Rob Wacker Growing up on a dairy farm in Minnesota, Wacker took art classes in school and describes himself as an imaginative child. He came to the area after serving in the military. It wasn’t until later in his adult life that he began selling his art and participating in local art shows. Wacker uses scrap metal, motorcycle and car parts to piece together metal sculptures. His art is permanently displayed in the Pensacola Library collection, and he is Blue Morning Gallery’s newest artist. Each piece in his sculptures are welded together. “The sculptures might be the same animal, but the parts will never be put together the same. I limit any cutting or bending. I just let the pieces go together,” Wacker said. You can find Wacker on Instagram @robwacker.
Jennifer Fleming
The fashion industry is notorious for its pollution. 85 percent of textiles go to the dump each year, and the number of garments people buy only continues to grow. This issue motivated Candice Hilton to create sustainable fashion. Since she was a young girl, Hilton has dreamed of being a fashion designer. She would experiment with her style and taught herself how to use a sewing machine. In recent years, she launched her fashion line: Peaceful Threads. Hilton creates bralettes, shorts, shirts and more uses hemp and bamboo fabric, rather than cotton, which requires large amounts of water and pesticides. Hemp and Bamboo, on the other hand, don’t require nearly as much water or pesticides as cotton, and these fabrics have a longer lifespan. “I'm definitely aware of how wasteful the fashion industry is,” Hilton said. “So I wanted to make sure Peaceful Threads would be all geared around sustainable materials and upcycled materials. It started building from there.” Hilton also incorporates upcycled clothing from thrift stores in her clothes. To see more of her Peaceful Threads, follow them on IG @peacefulthreads_.
Fleming credits her former career as a city planner for the City of Pensacola for her interest in upcycling. As a city planner, she spent her days finding ways to spruce up old streetscapes and making the area pedestrian friendly. Once she retired, she honed in on her creative side. Fleming has taken classes around the country to learn skills like silk dying and how to recycle fabrics. She even went to Japan, where she learned about cultural patchwork called Boro. Boro is hand stitching patches to cover holes and tears, and it’s quite fashionable. Fleming creates sustainable fashion like purses and jean jackets from upcycled fabrics. “If an item is not perfect, you can make it even more interesting by patching it with something beautiful. That just gives it a better story,” Fleming said. To see more of her art, visit jenniferflemingart.com. DOWNTOWNCROWD.COM | 19
ICE FLYERS ADJUST TO
photo by C. F. Easton Photography
NEW
NORMAL by Jesse Gann
T
he Pensacola Ice Flyers have had quite the season so far among the changes and upgrades that have taken place this year. The team has been coming together well since signing over players from teams that weren’t eligible to play due to COVID-19 restrictions in their city or state. There has been great chemistry among the players this season. Three players are coming back from injuries and two players, who had season-ending injuries, are out for the remainder of the year. The Ice Flyers have a pretty good chance to make the playoffs this year, after the end of the season. Playoffs will be two rounds, best of three for each round, creating a championship game. Four out of five teams will be eligible for the playoffs. “The competition is really close, the talent level has been crazy, so every game has been like a playoff game,” Marketing Director Brenden Arney said. The playoffs will be for two weeks. One week will host the best of three for the semifinals, and then the best of three for the finals the week after. The two winners of the best of three games will play in the championship this year. The expectations at the beginning of the season, other than to win, were low. The main reason: uncertainty. “My focus was to get through the season, with as few cases as possible while doing everything in our power to have the players, staff and the fans be safe and still be provide a live sporting event outlet,” Greg Harris, owner of the Pensacola Ice Flyers said. The management and business teams have been super focused on taking care of the players, sponsors and fans on and off the ice. The attendance number this season has between 2,400 to 2,800 on average. The management did not want to get ahead of the game simply because of the unknown territory surrounding COVID, and attendance expectations were low to begin with but after seeing 2,821 people attend the first game, management found 20 | DOWNTOWNCROWD.COM
their footing. “As far as how many people we were going to have come, we had no idea and there was just no way of knowing until we got in the season, and that was the tricky part,” Harris said.
adding new video boards this season, it has been a game changer for the fan experience. With the addition of the new video board, it has hosted funny movie clips and fan cams.
With the decision to allow players from other teams to play, it has created a whole new environment for the Southern Professional Hockey League. “It actually made the league much better, because now you basically have five all star teams in the league,” Harris said. Six players from this year’s roster have been from other teams, out of a 20 player roster.
The Ice Flyers have placed third out of five teams regarding their stats so far this season and are expected to make it to the playoffs this year. One of the best in game highlights this season was on Jan. 30 against the Macon Mayhem at home when Forward Darren McCormick scored four out of four goals during a shootout, which does not happen often. “TJ Oshie did it in the Olympics, and it blew up,” Harris said. The first win of the season was against the Huntsville Havoc on Jan. 2 with the Ice Flyers scoring five goals vs. the Havoc’s one goal.
Another big win for the Ice Flyers has been themed nights for their home games. They have had a Marvel night, where the teams sported Spider-man jerseys, and even throwback to some old Ice Pilots jerseys this season. It was a night of nostalgia, and there were videos of former players from their time with the Ice Pilots showing off some of their key highlights. The fans have been super supportive, and the team couldn’t have done it without them either. The management has been really focused on engaging with the fans this season. There are lots of sing-a-longs, fun cams, Simba cams and dancing during the games. “You know, we’re just creating more fun and engaging content for people to experience,” Arney said. After
For next season, the expectations for the league are to hopefully play like a normal season. “Our goals are to play a full 56 game schedule and start on time,” Harris said. The league is hoping for all 10 teams to play with arenas at full capacity. While there is no guarantee that will be the case, that is the process the SPHL is planning for. On top of the regular season for next year, the SPHL is expanding and adding another team to the league from Danville, Illinois, pushing the number of teams in the Southern Professional Hockey League from 10 to 11.
APRIL CALENDAR Constant Coffee Poetry Night April 6, 13, 20 & 27
Join Pensacola Poetry at the longest running open mic in Pensacola at Constant Coffee & Tea. Every Tuesday of the week poets and creatives come to flex their voices through poetry, rap and spoken word. Come out and support the local arts community and hear a beautiful bricolage of words. Doors open at 6:00 pm and mic starts at 6:30. Follow Pensacola Poetry on Facebook for updates and information.
The Gordon Open Mic April 8
Come out and flex your artistic muscles at the newest open mic in town at The Gordon Community Art Center in Belmont DeVilliers. Every second Thursday of the month from 7–10 pm is an open mic rich with musicians, poets, writers, comedians and a diverse crowd of performers and listeners. Whether you want to bare your heart or lend your ears, this is just the spot. The Gordon is following social distance protocol with mask usage at events.
Opera After Dark April 9
Join Pensacola Opera for music, food trucks, local vendors, glow sticks and a night to remember. Opera After Dark is a unique, free outdoor concert like no other, featuring professional singers in an exciting performance under the stars. Guests will receive free glow sticks and be able to purchase refreshments from local food trucks and vendors. The Pensacola Opera’s 2021 Artists in Residence will perform a program of arias, duets, and popular tunes on stage at the UWF Historic Trust Museum Plaza from 8-9 pm. Guests are asked to wear masks and remain socially distanced throughout the event.
Artist Mingle and Q&A at The Gordon April 10
Come out and join The Gordon for their monthly artist mingle and Q&A with their featured artist of the month, Gloria Barousse. The event is free to attend and features a display of the featured artist’s work available for purchase.
2021 Spring Food Truck Fest April 11
Tempt your taste buds and come hungry at this year’s 2021 Spring Food Truck Fest. The fest will feature a number of the city’s finest food trucks and vendors with gifts,
crafts, jewelry and more. The event is family-friendly and will be held at Community Maritime Park. A portion of the proceeds goes to Feeding the Gulf Coast.
Gulf Coast Half Marathon & 5k April 11
Join Run Pensacola in welcoming the 12th annual Gulf Coast Half Marathon at Pensacola Beach. This run will feature a 13.1 mile run and a 5K option too and scenic white sand and Gulf-front views. The race has two starting points for the half marathon run at Gulfside Pavilion at Casino Beach and for the 5k run at the Santa Rosa Island Authority. For more info and registration, visit runpensacola.com.
Paws, Pints & Putts April 11
Join World of Beer in its annual Paws and Pints events. From 2–6 pm, the event will feature local charities with pups up for adoption and local vendors selling all things puppy related including: Farm to Treat with dog treats, Shore Dog with dog accessories, Jordan’s Custom Wood Working with handmade dog bowls and dog beds and BobbiCakes with dog treats and dog cupcakes.
Healthcare Workers Night Pensacola Ice Flyers vs Birmingham Bulls April 14
The Pensacola Ice Flyers are hosting the Birmingham Bulls for Healthcare Workers Night at the Pensacola Bay Center! Join the fun as the Ice Flyers celebrate healthcare workers for their hard work and service. Tickets can be purchased online via Ticket Master or in-person at the box office. Game starts at 7:05 pm.
Crawfish 5K April 17
Join Run Pensacola at the Crawfish 5K to kick off the amazing Crawfish Festival on Pensacola Beach! The Course is flat and will feature the scenic Beach 5K route on the streets of Pensacola Beach and will be extremely well marked with cones/police/ arrows/and volunteers. Post-race party & awards ceremony will be at Bamboo Willies with live music and great food. For more info and registration, visit runpensacola.com.
Pensacola VegFest2021 April 17
Come out to the annual Pensacola VegFest at the Community Maritime Park at 11:30
am to eat and shop some delicious vegan treats. The festival features Vegan food vendors, guided meditation, food samples, cooking demonstrations, live music, face painting, free yoga and guest speakers.
Autism Awareness Night Pensacola Ice Flyers vs Huntsville Havoc April 23
The Pensacola Ice Flyers are hosting the Huntsville Havoc for Autism Awareness Night at the Pensacola Bay Center! Tickets can be purchased online on Ticket Master or in-person at the box office. Game starts at 7:35 pm.
Fan Appreciation Night Pensacola Ice Flyers vs Knoxville Ice Bears April 24
The Pensacola Ice Flyers are hosting the Knoxville Ice Bears for Fan Appreciation Night at the Pensacola Bay Center! Join the Ice Flyers as they celebrate the season and their favorite fans. Tickets can be purchased online via Ticket Master or in-person at the box office. Game starts at 7:05 pm.
with audience participation, the 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee causes audiences to fall in love, both with the show itself and its “perspicacious,” “jocular,” and “effervescent” spellers. Music by William Finn, book by Rachel Sheinkin. Directed by Jay Bixler.
Emerald Coast Review Opens Submissions April 30
The West Florida Literary Federation (WFLF)’s Emerald Coast Review (ECR) Board has opened creative writing submissions for their 21st annual anthology. The Emerald Coast Review is collecting quality fiction, nonfiction, poetry, contemporary, emerging, and experimental works along with the best of art, graphic design and photography. Residents from the following counties are encouraged to submit: Escambia, Santa Rosa, Walton, Okaloosa and Bay (Florida); Mobile, Escambia and Baldwin (Alabama). To view guidelines and submit work, visit wflf.org/ecr. Submissions close April 30, 2021.
Pensacola Crawfish Festival April 30–May 2
Cajun or not, here we come! The Pensacola Crawfish Festival located at Seville Square features 16,000 pounds of boiled crawfish, fresh from Louisiana, brought to you by Pensacola locals, Cordova Crawfish Company. Cajun fare features include: boudin, jambalaya, etouffee, fresh and fried seafood, gumbo, and many more! Traditional festival options are also available, such as: chicken baskets, bloomin’ onions hot dogs, po’boys and more. Save room for dessert too, because the festival has the best fried Oreos, ice cream and funnel cakes! Admission: Adult $5, Kids ages 6–12 $2, Kids 5 and under Free ( all per day).
Pensacola Little Theatre performs Putnam County Spelling Bee April 30–May 16
Join Pensacola Little Theatre for this musical comedy. An eclectic group of six midpubescents vie for the spelling championship of a lifetime. While candidly disclosing hilarious and touching stories from their home lives, the tweens spell their way through a series of words, hoping never to hear the soul-crushing, pout-inducing, life un-affirming “ding” of the bell that signals a spelling mistake. A riotous ride, complete
DOWNTOWNCROWD.COM | 21
MILITARYMATTERS
MILITARYMATTERS
AN ARMED FORCES NEWS SECTION
TRAINING SQUADRON 86 CHANGES COMMAND AT NAS PENSACOLA by Lt. Elizabeth Elrod, VT-86 unit public affairs representative
T
he “Sabrehawks” of Training Squadron (VT) 86 held a change-of-command ceremony at Naval Air Station (NAS) Pensacola, March 4. Cmdr. George “COB” Zintak relieved Cmdr. Eric “Cheese” Reeves as commanding officer during an aerial ceremony that followed a groundbased segment. Reeves, a native of Baldwinsville, New York, assumed command of VT86 in November 2019 after serving as executive officer since June 2018. During his tenure, Reeves oversaw a cadre of around 60 instructors dedicated to training Navy and Marine Corps, and international military naval flight officers (NFO). More than 347 NFOs received their Wings of Gold under his leadership, together accumulating more than 19,300 hours in T-45C Goshawk jet trainer aircraft. Due to his leadership and safety consciousness, the command was awarded the CNO 2019 Naval Aviation Safety Award. “This tour has without a doubt been the most fulfilling and rewarding of my naval career,” Reeves said. “It has been an honor and a privilege to serve with such a professional team as the Sabrehawks. The instructors, civilians, 22 | DOWNTOWNCROWD.COM
and contractors do a phenomenal job every day ensuring the success of the future generation of naval flight officers. Having the opportunity to shape the future of Naval Aviation is something I will always cherish and I look forward to seeing many of our students as they continue to hone their warfighting skills in the fleet.” Commodore, Training Air Wing 6, Capt. Scott “Mongo” Janik presided over the ceremony, attended by immediate family members and a limited number of instructors. “Cmdr. Eric Reeves, you will be missed as Skipper of VT-86,” Janik said. “ROCKET 1 is a special title that the skippers of VT-86 carry on with them for life. Well done in your tour “Cheese” with ensuring all the NFO fleet seats for the VAQ (electronic attack) and VFA (strike fighter) communities were filled. Great job improving the training our NFOs receive in advanced jet training. Cmdr. Zintak, welcome to command. Keep leading from the front, “COB,” and enjoy your tour.” The ceremony began in VT-86’s hangar and transitioned to the flight line. Three T-45C Goshawks took to the air with Reeves, Zintak, and TW-6 Chief Staff Officer Cmdr. Brett “Dingle” Hudspeth in the backseats.
Cmdr. Eric Reeves (blue aircraft) relinquishes command of the “Sabrehawks” of Training Squadron (VT) 86 to Cmdr. George Zintak during an aerial change of command ceremony. (U.S. Navy photo by Capt. Scott Janik/Released)
During the flight, Zintak’s aircraft took lead of the formation, signifying the transfer of leadership. Reeves, a graduate of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, earned his Wings of Gold in May 2003. He served with various fleet squadrons including the “Screwbirds” of Sea Control Squadron (VS) 33, transitioned to the EA-6B Prowler and, ultimately, the EA-18G Growler with the “Vikings” of Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 129. He reported to Carrier Air Wing 3 in 2014, where he deployed as an electronic warfare officer. In 2016, Reeves reported for his Joint Tour at U.S. Africa Command in Stuttgart, Germany. During this tour, he worked as the electronic warfare officer and then as an operations officer in the Joint Operations Center. Over the course of his career, Reeves has accumulated more than 2,300 flight hours and 400 carrier-arrested landings in the S-3 Viking, EA-6B Prowler, and EA-18G Growler. Zintak is a native of Chicago. A graduate of Embry-Riddle University,
he earned his commission through Officer Candidate School at NAS Pensacola, Florida. He earned his Wings of Gold in 2005 as a naval flight officer. He has accumulated more than 2,500 flight hours and 700 carrier-arrested landings in the F/A-18F Super Hornet. Cmdr. Nicholas “RABBIT” Alfano, a native of Long Island, New York, assumed the role of executive officer. Alfano, a Naval Academy graduate, earned his Wings of Gold in 2006 as a naval flight officer. He has accumulated over 2,000 flight hours and 300 carrier-arrested landings, including 80 combat missions. VT-86, located at NAS Pensacola, trains the world’s finest combat-quality naval flight officers, committed to global security and prosperity, and projecting naval air power worldwide. Graduates complete follow-on training with fleet replacement squadrons to prepare them for future fleet aircraft including the F/A-18 Hornet/ Super Hornet and E/A-18G Growler.
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