Central New York Magazine - March/April 2022 preview

HAPPY TRAILS 8 OUTINGS THAT’LL WARM YOU IN ANY WEATHER

HOUSE PLANTY AREA PLANT SHOPS’ FAVORITE WAYS TO USHER IN SPRING

+ 6 BUSINESS OWNERS WHO PIVOTED AND PROSPERED MIX UP YOUR OWN NATURAL SPRING CLEANERS

ON THE COVER

PRESIDENT Tim Kennedy ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER OF THE GOOD LIFE Annette Peters 315-282-8527 apeters@advancemediany.com SENIOR DIRECTOR OF MARKETING Lindsay Marlenga lmarlenga@ advancemediany.com

EDITOR MJ Kravec 315-766-7833 mkravec@advancemediany.com CONTENT EDITOR Amy Bleier Long 315-282-8553 ableierlong@advancemediany.com DESIGNERS David Lafata dlafata@advancelocal.com Susan Santola ssantola@advancelocal.com

CIRCULATION DIRECTOR Thomas H. Brown 315-470-2053 tbrown@acssyr.com

CUSTOMER SERVICE 315-282-8622

MAGAZINE/EVENTS SALES MANAGER Jennifer K. Queri 315-282-8622 jqueri@advancemediany.com

We’re all clover it.

Oxalis tetraphylla at Ballantyne Gardens in Liverpool. Photo

by Alaina Potrikus.

Cover design by Susan Santola. See story page 44.

SUBSCRIPTIONS Contact Jennifer Queri or visit readcnymagazine.com

The Good Life, Central New York Magazine (ISSN 1931-194X) is published six times a year by Advance Media New York, 220 S. Warren St., Syracuse, New York 13202. The Post-Standard © 2022. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic/digital, mechanical photocopying, recording or otherwise, without written permission.

All material submitted to Central New York Magazine becomes the property of Advance Media New York, publisher of The Post-Standard and Central New York Magazine. It will not be returned. Such a submission, to name a few examples, may be a letter to the editor, a cartoon, a picture, a poem and the like. Any such material may be excerpted, edited for length or content, and may be published or used in any other way.

For example, on Syracuse.com or in The Post-Standard.

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OVER 280 PAGES SHOWCASING OUR FINEST LUXURY HOMES IN THE HANNA LUXURY HOMES OF DISTINCTION MAGAZINE.

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TAKE A LOOK INSIDE THE ISSUE

Editor ’s letter Want more?

Check out our website at readcnymagazine.com for seasonal features, stories, recipes, past issues and more.

And don’t forget to drop us a line at info@readcnymagazine. com. And now a word from our contributors.

This bud’s for you by cafés and eateries. To coincide with

“April is the cruelest month,

the season of renewal, we profile six area

breeding Lilacs out of the dead

businesses and individuals who found

land, mixing Memory and

fresh purpose during COVID. We also

Becca Taurisano

desire, stirring Dull roots with

spotlight Narratio, which gives local for-

spring rain.”

mer refugees a creative voice, and the

“Every person I spoke to emphasized the need for connection with other human beings. It was exciting to learn how people are meeting the needs of their customers in new and creative ways.”

I don’t think March is too far behind.

CNY Chapter of the National League of

These two months out of the year, so in-

American Pen Women, which celebrates

decisive. With winter storms and pushy

more than 95 years.

crocuses, blown out umbrellas and sunny

In other departments, we check in

breaks through the clouds, spring’s swing

with the new BeSure Juicery, which of-

between cold and dark and warm and

fers healthy smoothies and more, offer

light is a test of patience.

a spring-y recipe from Saint Urban and

But we’re used to it, aren’t we? And

show you how to mix natural products

when those first buds appear on the trees,

for spring cleaning. We also talk to an in-

they make the wait worthwhile.

dependent, Syracuse-based fashion de-

Doesn’t mean we couldn’t use a little

signer who embraces sustainability in

consoling until the warmth comes. We

the fashion world. Finally, catch up with

hope this issue brings you some cheer

newspaper columnist Sean Kirst, grand

during this in-between season with fea-

marshal of this year’s St. Patrick’s Parade.

tures that focus on growth and renewal. For those who need spring now, area plant shops and greenhouses offer some

All good things that make springtime just a bit warmer in CNY. Cheers.

Katherine Keissling

creative ideas for houseplants. To get you outside (in all kinds of weather), we high-

MJ

light eight local trails to take you into na-

mkravec@advancemediany.com

ture and allow you to warm up with near-

315-766-7833

Corrections In our January/February Caught Doing Good, we mistakenly said Anju Varshney has twin grandsons born out of state; she has twin grandchildren born downstate, and one grandchild born out of state. Also, her husband’s first name is spelled Pramod. In addition, The Seen incorrectly identified Robert Wilson of Henry Wilson Jewelers as Henry Wilson; Henry was Robert’s grandfather. We regret the errors.

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On writing about CNY businesses and individuals who pivoted during the COVID crisis

“Behind the glamour of fashion lies a complex industry intersecting not only with culture but also critical humanitarian and ecological issues. Profiling Chloe Schnell provided an intimate look into how an artist can also be a changemaker.”

On writing about Syracuse fashion designer Chloe Schnell

PHOTOS BY SHUTTERSTOCK, MONICA BROWNING

I

n the words of T.S. Eliot

Contents

52 Happy Trails

8

44

62

70

78

House of Planty

Raising Voices

Embracing Change

Write On

Area plant shops and greenhouses show us their favorite ways to ring in spring.

Narratio offers former refugees an artistic outlet to tell their stories.

These CNY businesses pivoted during the pandemic — and found new purpose.

CNY Chapter of American Pen Women celebrates more than 95 years of supporting artists.

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PHOTOS BY DAVID LASSMAN

Eight nature walks with nearby eateries that’ll put a spring in your step — in all kinds of weather.

Departments

In every issue

11

6 Editor's letter 96 Galleries 98 Flashback with OHA

It’s All Good

99 Last Word: With St. Patrick’s Parade Grand Marshal Sean Kirst

11 Ways to embrace the season 14 Positive Vibes: Mindful dishwashing 16 Our Town: Tipperary Hill 19 Market Trends: Set your style ahead

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31 Good News 31 The Compound opens second location 32 Behind the Scenes: Syracuse Poster Project 34 Caught Doing Good: RISE Tutor Denise Magny 38 The Seen: A pictorial review of CNY’s social gatherings

32

92

83 Making good 83 A Skaneateles crafter’s heartfelt creations

PHOTOS BY ALAINA POTRIKUS, KATHERINE KIESSLING, SOPHIE TASHKOVSKI

84 CNY Scout: All Things BeSure 87 Farm to Table: Saint Urban’s Watercress Purée 90 Down to Earth: DIY natural spring cleaning 92 Art Profile: Syracuse Fashion Designer Chloe Schnell

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It ’s all good POSITIVE VIBES • OUR TOWN • MARKET TRENDS

CAN WE GET IT TO GO?

BY M J K RAV EC

What’s that purple emerging from the snow?

Could it be winter’s time to go?

A patch of grass, wet and flat.

Birds a-twitter.

Wind at your back.

It’s early spring, or late winter.

A fickle time this so-called sprinter.

Here’s how to make the most of this in-between

PHOTOS BY SHUTTERSTOCK

season now.

It ’s all good

MARKET TRENDS

GETTING WARMER

BY AMY BLEIER LONG PHOTOS BY AMELIA BEAMISH

Set your style ahead with trends for this transitional season: home fragrances to evoke spring scents, a graphic take on insects and an update for your timekeepers. Plus, spring clean your makeup bag and renew your efforts to make choices that benefit the planet and yourself.

HERE COMES THE SUN: Terra cotta-look 26-inch metal sun, $134, The Station 603, 603 E. Seneca Street, Manlius, 315-682-8741.

Good news

BEHIND THE SCENES

POETIC PROMENADE The Syracuse Poster Project persists, brightens and evolves

BY CHRISTINE DUNNE

Local creatives Syracuse Poster Project Civic pride displays When the poster kiosks installed in Syracuse in the early 1990s fell into disuse a few years later, Jim Emmons was frustrated. Back then he was a Post-Standard reporter, and he had always been interested in poster art, graphic design and advertising from early 20th-century Europe. This led him in 2001 to approach then-Syracuse University illustration professor Roger DeMuth about enlisting DeMuth’s students to illustrate posters based on haiku. The inspiration for using the three-line poems came from the Syracuse New Times Syr-Haiku Contest popular at the time. They pitched the endeavor as a way to liven up

A large-format poster illustrated by Tong “Amy” Su hangs outside the Erie Canal Museum.

the city to the Downtown Committee, which controls the kiosks, and it approved. duction and basic operational costs.

review the submissions, then allot each participating artist —

The project has also introduced a traveling electronic flatscreen

only 30 percent of whom are professional artists — four poems

that presents a rotating selection of posters at different businesses.

from the winnowed-down selection. Each artist then chooses

“It’s a way to distribute the art more broadly and try to make

and illustrates their preferred haiku. From this pool, 16 final-

more money for it,” Emmons says, noting the businesses pay to

ists are honored with recognition and large-format production.

show the art temporarily. Businesses with existing flatscreens

This year, other short forms of poetry were welcomed in an ef-

can have content uploaded and displayed on those, as well.

fort to appeal to more potential participants.

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mons’ full-time work. Proceeds received go toward poster pro-

Another challenge has been a reduction in available display

A new set of posters is released each April. The winning posters

space, with panels out of commission due to car crashes and area

decorate double-sided panels on Salina and Warren streets for

construction; some of the remaining kiosks have been reclaimed

one year and are displayed in different downtown exhibit spaces.

by the Downtown Committee for advertising campaigns. This

The designs are also sold as 11- by 17-inch prints and note cards.

prompted Emmons and his staff to apply for Tomorrow’s Neigh-

While the nonprofit does receive charitable grants, corporate

borhoods Today (TNT) funding for permanent poster installa-

sponsorships and funds from the sale of prints, it is not making

tions downtown. There are now permanent displays that show-

enough to cover nominal pay for two part-time workers or Em-

case artwork outside the Erie Canal Museum, inside the Central

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PHOTOS COURTESY OF SYRACUSE POSTER PROECT

Each year, community members submit verses about the city or its surroundings. Led by co-founder Emmons, coordinators

“

THERE’S JUST SOMETHING ABOUT ADDING COLOR AND LITTLE BITS OF ART AROUND THE CITY THAT MAKES IT MORE INTERESTING.” Ali Grant, poster illustrator

Library and along the Creekwalk between the Nancy Cantor Warehouse and the Courtyard Marriott hotel.

Syracuse University graduate Ali Grant was pleased to have her 2019 Erie Canalthemed poster chosen for the Creekwalk installation. She describes the work as being influenced

by Art Nouveau and stained-glass, evident in the flower bed depicted at the bottom of the piece. Shari Hemsley is the author of the haiku she chose.

“There’s just something about adding color and little bits of art around the city that makes it more interesting,” Grant says. “It’s almost like an Easter egg hunt.” Though Grant now lives Above, past poster designs from 2018 and 2016 adorn the music section of downtown’s Central Library. Left, a bird’s-eye-view canalthemed triptych was installed at the Erie Canal Museum in 2018.

in Vermont, she continues to submit art to the poster project and feel a connection to the Syracuse community.

For Syracuse resident R. Paul Lilly, participating in the Syracuse Poster Project is a way for him to connect to his inner artist and help others link with Syracuse’s history and essence — in all its complexity. His 2021 illustration depicts the abandoned freight train platform next to Interstate 690, as well as the diverse people who settle here.

“There was a lot of contrast between the past and the present in this poem,” Lilly says of the source material by Timothy Muir. “It was calling up a lot of our history as a city, which I love.”

As Emmons thinks about the future of the Syracuse Poster Project, his priority is to develop a succession plan. Handing off the project to another director will involve developing new revenue streams to ensure the next leader is paid and not an unpaid volunteer like he has been all these years. He also wants to make sure the project evolves with the times.

“Another goal would just be to think more broadly of how to keep the project relevant, how to keep it fresh and how to keep it appealing

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For more information or to buy a poster print: visit posterproject.org.

to diverse corners of the community,” he says.

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HOUSE OF PLANTY Area plant shops show us their favorite houseplant displays

BY M J K RAV EC PHOTOS BY ALAINA POTRIKUS

You can use a variety of plants to make Kokedama (Japanese moss balls), shown here at Ballantyne Gardens in Liverpool.

Sweet, sweet spring. She certainly takes her time coming into CNY, doesn’t she? For winter-weary Central New Yorkers, it can be a long wait. For those anxious to put some (you know what) in their step, an indoor garden project is just the kind of therapy we all need.

“It’s such a long season here in CNY, so having that life and greenery indoors with us really makes such a big difference,” says Sarah Hardy-Czornig, owner of Found Things in Eastwood.

Here are some suggestions from CNY plant pros on how to get your vernal fix.

Off the wall Hardy-Czornig’s version of a living plant wall offers an easy solution for DIY. “This will really give people the ability to create a lush living wall in their home but on a smaller, affordable and doable scale,” she says. The project can take anywhere from an afternoon to a week or more to complete, depending on scale, but it’s an ideal way to spotlight growth and life inside the home while the weather’s still cold. “A living wall project is perfect for this time a year, as most of us are spending more time indoors. Then when spring emerges, we can celebrate by adding to it, or even switching out a few plants for a refreshing new look,” she says. “This wall will be ever growing and changing. Not only is it a huge visual impact on any space, but it’s mentally stimulating as well, and we all need that this time of year. It’s a whole vibe in itself.”

ITEMS NEEDED: power drill, wall pot holders, potted

plants and your imagination. Start with a vision or inspiration. Each plant will grow a certain way, so it helps to keep that in mind, Hardy-Czornig says.

TO MAKE: Start with one plant holder. Mark your drill points

on the wall with a pencil, then drill in screws. (You may need a stud finder to avoid damaging walls.) Repeat with remaining pot holders. Attach pot holders, positioning trailing plants higher and climbing plants lower.

Grow up For climbing plants such as Monstera and Pothos, Hardy-Czornig likes moss poles that support and guide new growth. “I have a couple very mature plants that are attached to moss poles in the shop to really showcase what this can do in a space visually, and also what a plant can mature into,” she says. Moss poles allow you to shape your plant and train it to grow vertically, rather than haphazardly.

ITEMS NEEDED: Moss pole, twine, yarn or plant Velcro, climbing plant.

TO MAKE: Simply insert the moss pole as close to the stem as possible.

Secure stems to pole with twine being careful not to tie too tightly.

As the plant grows, continue attaching new stems to pole.

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Found Things, 111 S. Collingwood Ave., Syracuse, 315-726-4018, foundthingsco.com

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H A P PY T R A I L S Eight nature walks with nearby eateries that’ll put a spring in your step — in all kinds of weather.

STORY AND PHOTOS BY ALAINA POTRIKUS

Still cold. Still snowy. Bundle up the kids anyway for a late winter walk or early spring hike and warm up after with a hot drink or cheery fire. Smiles guaranteed.

RAISING VO I C E S The Narratio Fellowship elevates former refugees’ stories to works of art B Y S A R A H T I E TJ E - M I E T Z

E M B R AC I N G CHANGE Six local businesses adapted their models due to COVID and thrived B Y B E C C A TA U R I S A N O

March 2020 ushered in a time of uncertainty for everyone. Two years after COVID-19 began, we wondered how Central New Yorkers have adapted their business practices and what those changes mean for their future plans and goals. These six innovative business owners pivoted in ways they may never have if it weren’t for the pandemic, and in doing so found new opportuni-

PHOTOS BY

ties to connect with their customers and build a stronger way forward for their businesses and our community.

Also in this issue: Ways to bring in spring Live like a local in Tipperary Hill All Things BeSure smoothies, juices and athleisure A seasonal recipe from Saint Urban Wine Bar & Restaurant Mix up your own natural cleaners Syracuse-based fashion designer Chloe Schnell and more!