MADE IN C-VILLE
Yes, yum Sauces, salt, granola, and more for locavores Southern staple Virginia-made swings update a classic DIY darling Joshua Farnsworth's TV-ready wood school
2018–2019
A hand-crafted satchel from Brother John Leather completes the look
WHO, WHAT, WEAR! From urban streetwear to artful accessories, local clothiers are bolstering Charlottesville's growing fashion scene
Stony Point Design Build artfully crafts homes, townhomes, and condos that offer innovative architecture that enhances the lives of families. Single Family EarthCraft Builder of the Year 2017
2
MADE IN C-VILLE
• Great opportunity to own a mixed use property • Office suite on the 1st floor (2 offices,reception area,bathroom)and a 1 bedroom apartment on the 2nd floor • New roof,wall heat/ac units • Great front porch, private fenced yard and off-street parking.
mls ??????? mls 499612
$Price
backsplash • Huge dining room for entertaining, plus a bright and open family room • First floor master suite and a finished terrace level • Quiet country living, great mountain views • 25 minutes to the heart of Charlottesville
mls ??????? mls 496870
$Price $495,000
real estate partners
434.220.5656 3688 Green Creek Road
sloanmanis.com
5763 St George Ave Charming 3 BD, 1 BA ranch on just over 2 acres in southern Albemarle county. Home has been well maintained and upgraded with Pella windows, water filtration system, newer HVAC and stainless kitchen appliances. Shed has running water and electricity as well as dog kennel. Large yard with ample room for a garden that backs up to woods for privacy. Enjoy the quiet of the country in the evenings from your deck.
MLS #576164
$164,900
467 Rolling Valley Court
This charming historic 5 bedroom/ 3 bathroom home was built in 1890 in the heart of Crozet on a large, almost half acre lot that is a unique find in Crozet. The farmhouse style home has 2,757 finished square on 2 floors. On the 1st floor, there is an open kitchen with ample counter space & cabinets & walk-in pantry, DR with a wood stove insert, formal LR, master bedroom, and spacious family room, all have hardwood floors, plus there is a full bathroom, and entrance foyer. The 2nd floor features 3 generous bedrooms with ceiling fans, a full bathroom, and pull down stairs to a sizable attic space for storage. A 1-BR basement has a kitchen, large family room and separate entrance. The detached garage and office space have electricity.
$444,900
MLS #578674 1303 Auburn Drive
Charming well kept home convenient to Pantops, Martha Jeff hospital and more! The current owners have done a number of upgrades, including finishing the interior of the storage shed into what is currently being used as a home office. Set on .67 of an acre, this 3 BD, 2.5 BA home has an open kitchen, gas fireplace in the living room, large deck and so much more.
Located on the end of a private cul-de-sac in the convenient Foxcroft neighborhood, this 4 BR/2-1/12 bath home is in terrific condition. The first floor offers a large, open kitchen, breakfast nook/sitting area & family room as well as a study/den & half bath. Upstairs you will find a large Master Suite, full bath with a double vanity & 3 additional bedrooms. Pull down attic offers storage along with the large 2 car garage. Private patio in the rear of the house and a generous private side yard with a wooded view & easy access to the neighborhood walking trail. Neighborhood offers a pool & clubhouse. Located just minutes from Downtown Charlottesville, 5th St. Station(Wegmans!)for shopping, I-64 for easy commuting & UVA Hospital & Grounds!
$410,000
MLS #579946
6959 Blackwells Hollow Road
618 Elizabeth Ave County taxes but city convenience! Located just over the city/county line, this charming home has been owned by the same family for 50 years. Featuring new carpet, fresh paint, a new roof, new bathroom flooring, recently refinished hardwood floors, this home has wonderful indoor and outdoor living spaces!
$374,900
MLS #581989 53 Newcomb Mountain Road
MLS #530362
$374,900
MLS #581802
MLS #581727
Western Albemarle location set in the beautiful mountains. 288 acres of mostly wooded land with a pond, mountain views and potential galore! Fish off the front porch of the old farm house, explore the mountain terrain or build your dream house on the the property! Wildlife abounds on this private retreat. Several potential building sites with wonderful Blue Ridge Mountain views. 30 minutes to Charlottesville. Nothing like it on the market!
$1,150,000
Lot 31 Thomas Ridge Lane
Own your special retreat at the top of the Ragged Mountains with unparalleled views of the Blue Ridge and Southwest mountains and Central Virginia countryside. This is a completely unique opportunity to build the custom home you have always wanted in a mountaintop setting in one of Albemarle County’s most desirable, upscale estate communities, Rosemont. Just minutes from the UVA Grounds, UVA Hospital and downtown Charlottesville. Who says you can’t have it all?
$995,000
The Farms at Turkey Run are a unique enclave of 40 private country estates within an 800 acre haven surrounded by 5000 acres of protected rural area that is Mount Ida Reserve. With spectacular views of the Blue Ridge Mountains, streams, ponds, rolling pasture and wooded areas, Turkey Run is within minutes of area attractions like Monticello, wineries and more while being just under 20 minutes from Charlottesville. This 21.80 acre lot is mostly pasture and frontage along Turkey Run Stream with full perimeter 3 board fencing.
MLS # 558414
434.220.5656 | sloanmanis.com
$375,000
415 Fourth Street N.E. Charlottesville, VA 22902
MADE IN C-VILLE
3
12 PASSENGER TRANSIT LIMOUSINE
The Transit Limousine has all the luxury you havecome to expect from a standard limousine, but with enough room for everyone. This is the perfect vehicle to enjoy Charlottesville’s many wineries and breweries with friends and family.
Summer Camps on Sale Dec 3 Call Us at:
SummerAtLiveArts.org
(434) 973-5466 • (888) 725-5466 (LIMO) www.ambassadorlimos.com
Where you’ll find excellent service — before, during, and after the sale, advice you can trust, and a great selection of jewelry at the very best prices. First Place: Best Jewelry Store Cville Weekly, Best of Cville 2018 First Place: Best Wedding Jewelry Cville Weekly, Best of Cville 2018 andrewmintonjewelers.com | 434-979-7672 | Seminole Square Shopping Center
4
MADE IN C-VILLE
No one can predict when an emergency will happen. But when it does it’s nice to know Sentara Martha Jefferson’s emergency departments are there to give you personal, quality care so you can get back to your life. At Sentara Martha Jefferson we’ve reengineered our processes so you get to see a doctor faster. And faster time to treatment means less time in the ER – 35 minutes less on average!
Sentara Martha Jefferson Hospital Emergency Department 500 Martha Jefferson Dr., Charlottesville, VA
434.654.7150 Sentara Martha Jefferson Freestanding Emergency Department 3263 Proffit Rd., Charlottesville, VA
4 34.654.8500
With two easily accessible locations, getting care is always convenient.
Sentara Martha Jefferson. Feel better. Faster. Sentara.com/Emergency
OPEN 24 HOURS A DAY, SE V EN DAYS A W EEK
MJH-5673 ER AD 8.375X10.875 Mech REV 1.indd 1
4/2/18 MADE IN C-VILLE
5
10:46 AM
Visit Grand Home Furnishings to get your home ready for the holidays. Special savings and doorbusters on Black Friday - November 23.
CHARLOTTESVILLE 1801 Seminole Trail • 434-974-6480 • Open Every Day
Electronic Graphics/Andrew Berry, 48 Parsons St., Brighton, MA 370SWZ-KG FireIce FollowingYrHeart C-Ville7-5x4-75 Publication: Bleed: C-Ville Weekly NA Pub. Contact: Delivery Route: Jennifer Dahl cvilleads@gmail.com or FTP
02135-2739 USA Vox: 617.987.8256, Fax: 619.789.6520 November 5, 2018 11:10 AM Trim: Live: NA 7.5" x 4.75" Halftone Freq: Materials: Insertion Date: 150 lpi PDF 11/28/2018
1149 Millmont Street, Charlottesville 434-293-5011 • kellerandgeorge.com
6
MADE IN C-VILLE
WHAT’S INSIDE
FEATURE
SKETCHBOOK 13 13 Push and pull
An heirloom piece for fun and function.
14 Cozying up
A longtime weaver fosters her craft.
17 Sparkle and shine
Five jewelry makers worth adorning.
18 Crafted corners
Josh Farnsworth’s Wood and Shop on top.
20 Maker space
The Hive Cville gives crafters a haven.
22 Eat it up
Local treats, from sauce to sweets.
24 Hidden messages
Laurel Smith’s empowering bracelets.
27 Hides to seek
Leather goods upping the accessory game.
BY HAND 46
Corry Blanc is heating up handmade.
30 Wear local
Locally designed and, in many cases, locally made clothing is a booming, burgeoning industry in our area, from reimagined vintage patterns to urban accessories to wedding gowns. These seven designers are making a name for themselves—and for Charlottesville’s place in the fashion world.
Made in C-VILLE, a supplement to C-VILLE Weekly, is distributed in Charlottesville, Albemarle County and the Shenandoah Valley. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the written permission of the publisher. Editor Laura Longhine. Made in C-VILLE Editor Caite Hamilton. Copy Editor Susan Sorensen. Creative Director Bill LeSueur. Graphic Designers Tracy Federico, Max March, Lorena Perez. Account Executives Erica Gentile, Theressa Leak, Alex Patterson, Kyle Robinson, Cindy Simmons, Beth Wood. Production Coordinator Faith Gibson. Publisher Aimee Atteberry. Chief Financial Officer Debbie Miller. Marketing Manager Anna Harrison. A/R Specialist Nanci Winter. Circulation Manager Billy Dempsey. ©2018 C-VILLE Weekly.
308 E. Main St. Charlottesville, VA 22902 (434) 817-2749 n c-ville.com c-ville.com/madeincville
MADE IN C-VILLE
7
It's The Season of Giving!
Give Hope this year - you can make the difference to a home bound neighbor. Donate today.
Charlottesville’s N s D ewest hoppiNg
istrict
COMING SOON Primary Eyecare I Extreme Pizza I Zabb I Basil Mediterranean Ifixt I Great Clips I The Yard
www.cvillemeals.org
149 5 th Street Station Parkway Charlottesville, VA 22904 5thststation.com The Ultim ate Shop ping and Dining E xperienc e
Alamo Drafthouse Cinema I Panera Bread I Fuzzy’s Taco Shop Jersey Mike’s I Red Mango I Timberwood Tap House I Krispy Kreme ABC Liquor I Mattress Warehouse I PetSmart I A.C. Moore and Crafts I GNC Dollar Tree I Wegmans I Dick’s Sporting Goods I Field and Stream I Havertys Hair Cuttery I Mailbox Express I Sentara Family Medicine I Lee Nails Sally’s Beauty I Sprint I Primary Eyecare I Great Clips I Bank of the James Verizon I Select Medical I Hand & Stone Massage and Facial Spa I Planet Fitness I iFixt I Royal Nails Spa I Verizon
Now open at
Chimm Restaurant and Extreme Pizza Coming Soon Basil and more!
Coming Soon: Trend Salon and Mathnasium
8
MADE IN C-VILLE
COURTESY JOSHUA FARNSWORTH
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
MERRY MAKING! There was a meme recently trending on the internet: “When you support a small business, an actual person does a happy dance,” it says. The same, we reckon, can be said of makers. And in a time when even Amy Poehler is championing the handmade (see NBC’s “Making It”), there’s no better season to celebrate those artisans, crafters, and creatives than this one. Consider Made in C-VILLE, our first-ever magazine dedicated to the defenders of the “buy local” movement, the “1, 2, 3, 4” for all of those celebratory jigs. Beyond this page, meet the jewelers, leather workers, designers, and woodworkers setting the standard for beautiful work in our area, and get a feel for what makes locally made goods sing louder than store-bought.—Caite Hamilton
MADE IN C-VILLE
9
C-VILLE CAREERS
CHARLOTTESVILLE
READY FOR THE NEXT STEP?
From the Boardroom to the factory floor, careers are made right here in Charlottesville. Find great employment opportunities here.
Join our Culinary Team • Work with the highest quality ingredients • Time-and-a-half on Sundays and holidays • Flexible scheduling in a fast-paced environment • Competitive pay and industry-leading benefits
wegmans.com/careers
FORTUNE and FORTUNE 100 Best Companies to Work For are registered trademarks of Time Inc. and are used under license. From FORTUNE Magazine, March 1, 2018 ©2018 Time Inc. Used under license. FORTUNE and Time Inc. are not affiliated with, and do not endorse products or services of, Wegmans Food Markets Inc.
10
MADE IN C-VILLE
WHY WORK AT FARMINGTON? Simply put, Farmington Country Club is a great place to work! CURRENT OPPORTUNITIES: Culinary Cooks, Pastry Cooks, General Kitchen Workers Stewarding Supervisor
City of Charlottesville The City of Charlottesville is seeking qualified individuals to join our team who are highly motivated and who strive for success by demonstrating Charlottesville's Core Values of Leadership, Trust, Creativity, Respect, and Excellence.
Fitness Group Exercise Instructors, Massage Therapists Personal Trainers Food and Beverage Banquet and Restaurant Servers, Hosts
Now accepting applications for full-time, temporary, and seasonal positions. The City employs Maintenance Workers, Police Officers, Administrative Professionals, Bus Operators, Recreation and Fitness Instructors, and much more who are dedicated to public service. Be part of our team and make a difference in the community!
Tennis Shop Attendants
To view a complete list of current opportunities and to apply, visit:
For a complete list of employment opportunities at Farmington, visit the “About” section of our website, www.farmingtoncc.com.
Questions? Contact the HR Office: 434-970-3490
www.charlottesville.org/jobs
The City of Charlottesville is an Equal Opportunity Employer and Values Diversity at All Level of its Workforce.
A Charlottesville job with a world of possibilities.
Of course you can move to NYC, or L.A., or Chicago… Or you can stay right here in Charlottesville and work in a place with a view and a really contemporary viewpoint. We’re WorldStrides, and we’ve been at home here for fifty years. In fact, today we’re 500 employees strong! This is where great work is done and friends are made. This is where careers take flight—right from the Downtown Mall.
worldstrides.com/careers
MADE IN C-VILLE
11
DOWN IN
FRONT
ARE YOU AN EXPERIENCED PLUMBER WITH AN ENTREPRENUER SPIRIT AND DREAMS OF RUNNING YOUR OWN TEAM?
Do you own a small plumbing business today, but want to focus on the trade and being a trusted advisor to your customers? Or, maybe you’re just looking join a great team that takes care of its people. If this is you, then we are waiting to talk. If this is NOT you, but you know someone who fits, refer them to us and we will pay you $500 if we hire that person.
CALL OR TEXT (434)365-0505 WWW.COLONIALWEBB.COM @COLONIALWEBB
PHOTO: TOM DALY
ColonialWebb’s excited to announce the expansion of its successful Commercial Plumbing Services to Charlottesville! We are seeking individuals ready to join this growing team.
Showcasing the famous and almost famous since 1989. A weekly events calendar, reviews, expert picks, and choice insight on the local music scene. Highbrow to lowbrow.
This is our town.
NOW HIRING MANAGERS & FLOOR STAFF
12
MADE IN C-VILLE
.com
SKETCH
IN FULL SWING
CHRIS CONKLIN BUILDS HEIRLOOM SWINGS FOR THE FUN OF IT hris Conklin grew up in a family that liked to figure things out. He learned at an early age how to restore old cars and farmhouses, and he loved to make things from scratch. So when his photographer wife, Jen Fariello, came home one day from a photo shoot in Ivy and asked him to make her an old-fashioned swing like the wooden one she’d used as a prop at the shoot, he immediately began his research. “I came up with my own design,” says Conklin. “I wanted nice wood and nice ropes, something that looked good and lasted a long time.” He built a swing and hung it from one of the 200-year-old oak trees in the island of their driveway, and an interesting thing happened. “Everyone who came over would gravitate toward the swing,” he says. “A lot of people don’t have a swing, and it turns out they really like the feeling.” So Conklin, whose day job is art director at the Daily Progress, developed a prototype and made a jig, and began constructing swings in batches of a dozen. They take two to three weeks to make from start to finish (given time-consuming steps like varnishing, which takes one day per side per coat), but the end result is smooth, strong, and gorgeous. He offers single and toddler versions plus a tire swing, and sells
PHOTOS: JEN FARIELLO
C
BY LISA MARTIN
them on his own website as well as on Etsy under the name Vintage Swings. Conklin’s swings feature some unique elements, starting with their length. “Modern swings are very short,” he says, “but the ones I sell have really long ropes [he has had customers special-order 100-foot lengths], so you can swing high.” The wood is white oak, double-planked for strength, and the rope, which resembles old-fashioned Manila but is synthetic to resist weather and rot, is hand-spliced. Conklin’s 9-year-old can attest to the enduring joy of a great swing. “My son loves giant pushes,” he says. “I run at top speed and time it so I can push him up over my head, and he goes so high.” Conklin and his son will never forget those moments, and neither will those Ivy homeowners, whose original swing rotted away two years after Conklin’s wife spotted it. “They called me and I made a new one for them,” he says. This time, it’ll be an heirloom.
Chris Conklin’s Vintage Swings are made from double-planed white oak and hand-spliced rope. In other words, they’re handmade to last.
MADE IN C-VILLE
13
SKETCHBOOK TEXTILES
WOVEN IN
ANDREA KOROTKY NURTURES A LIFELONG PASSION FOR HER CRAFT BY ERIKA HOWSARE
T
14
MADE IN C-VILLE
Though Andrea Korotky has worked with her hands her whole life, it was weaving that satisfied her desire to “work really big.”
PHOTOS: SANJAY SUCHAK
he eight-harness loom that Andrea Korotky bought in mid-1970s New York is still a daily companion, standing in the corner of her Charlottesville studio. When the weaver sits down to the loom—which is roughly the size of an upright piano—her more than 40 years of experience are obvious in the fluidity and confidence of her movements. It’s hard to imagine a time when this energetic woman was unfamiliar with her craft. “I’ve worked with my hands all my life,” she says. Originally a knitter, she began exploring weaving to satisfy an urge to “work really big.” At the time, the native New Yorker was working at Newsweek magazine, and took weaving classes on the side, eventually studying industrial textiles at Parsons and the Fashion Institute of Technology. She bought her loom and had it shipped to her New York apartment. Next, she remembers, “I dreamed of a studio.” A move to Long Island came with a non-winterized studio in a converted barn, but when Korotky and her husband came to Charlottesville in 2002, she finally had the chance to create a year-round studio and a full-time business—teaching, weaving, and selling looms. A. Korotky Studio occupies a ground-level space at the back of Korotky’s Charlottesville home: a wall of windows, bamboo floors, and jazz on the radio. And, of course, there is Korotky’s work and materials and tools. Shawls, scarves, and other pieces hang on racks and drape over mannequins. The large loom holds a work in progress, and conical spools of yarn stand on shelves. “It’s physical work, and I love that,” she says—and indeed, the act of weaving is a full-body activity, like the playing of a pipe
“ALWAYS, TWO THINGS COME TOGETHER IN WEAVING. YOU’RE BUILDING A PALETTE ON WHICH YOU WILL THEN PLACE OTHER COLOR. YOU’RE DESIGNING ALL THE TIME.” ANDREA KOROTKY
organ: rhythmic movements that involve feet along with hands. Yet she acknowledges that before the actual weaving can begin, there are many hours of planning, designing, and setup. That’s one reason she keeps several projects going at a time (on a recent day, a black-and-white houndstooth piece was taking shape on a small tabletop loom, while nearby, a tiny hand loom held Korotky’s experiment with adding raffia to a weaving). Another reason is her sheer love for yarn. “The materials are glorious,” she says, then launches into a detailed discussion of the business of sourcing yarn, which has changed considerably since her early days as a weaver. After years of being
able to buy only imported yarns, she says, “American cotton and wool have come back.” She’s also interested in newly available hemp yarn, and even the equipment has gotten better. “Portable looms have come a long way. It makes it possible to get people hooked.” Indeed, as a teacher, Korotky has shepherded many students into a long-term relationship with weaving, starting them on smaller looms. “Always, two things come together in weaving,” she says of the basic warp-and-weft structure of her craft. “You’re building a palette on which you will then place other color. You’re designing all the time.”
The freshest spices, organic teas, grains, oils, vinegars and much more!
410 West Main Street Charlottesville, VA 22903 www.thespicediva.com 434-218-DIVA (3482)
COURTESY ANDREA KOROTKY
Recent projects include a table-runner-and-placemat set commissioned by a customer in Brooklyn, and the preparation of short courses on color and weave. Korotky teaches at the public library and oneon-one in her studio. She continually develops new ideas about color and pattern, which come to her from sources including dreams and odd glimpses of the world, like faded newspaper boxes at a bus stop. She says weaving, for her, holds a lifetime of interest, beginning with its most basic quality: “the element of transformation. It is extremely interesting to me that I can take yarn and transform it into cloth…to make something you want to touch and use.”
This piece, titled “Red Talisman,” is a miniature tapestry (2 1/2 inches wide and 4 inches tall) in a series of pieces designed to be used as a cloth to carry in your pocket.
MADE IN C-VILLE
15
HomeCare For The Holidays. This holiday season, let Miele do the cleaning for you.
CHARLOTTESVILLE SANITARY SUPPLY CORPORATION
Lunch menu items available eat-in or take to-go
Sandwiches, soups, salads & pizza made daily! 1327 E. High Street 296-8131 8cssvac.com Mon.-Fri., 8am-5:30pm
We host Cooking Classes - Call us to find out about the next class. 921 Preston Avenue, Charlottesville, VA 22903
monalisapasta.com
16
MADE IN C-VILLE
SKETCHBOOK JEWELRY
HEART IN HAND
HANDMADE ACCESSORIES LEND A PERSONAL TOUCH BY CAITE HAMILTON
What’s not to love about a handmade piece of jewelry? Here are five local gems worth wearing.
Jen Deibert Jewelry Shell necklace
Thicket Necklace and stud earrings
DIRECT FROM NATURE
As a kid, Rebecca Perea-Kane would play with Fimo clay, sculpting tiny animals with her sister (“we must have made hundreds of them,” she says). No surprise, then, that her line of delicate jewelry celebrates the little things. More specifically, the little things found in nature. Each piece is cast directly from a natural element—lemon seeds, blackberry thorns, skipping stones—through a process of lost-wax casting. “I love how many natural objects look like abstract shapes from a distance,” Perea-Kane says. “On closer inspection you can see so much texture and detail.” Thicket shopthicket.com
ONE OF A KIND
Having collected vintage odds, ends, and doodads since childhood (“I grew up lagging behind my parents in all the antique malls, thrift shops, and junk stores, sometimes states away, following their lead and noticing every little thing”), Jen Deibert amassed quite a collection by the time she started making jewelry. Consequently, each of her pieces is unique, and sourced from wherever she goes. “It’s always been about the hunt for me,” she says. “I don’t think I love anything more than walking into an antique store for the first time and looking for treasure.” Jen Deibert Jewelry jendeibertjewelry.etsy.com
THIS ONE’S FOR THE GIRLS
Amy Bauer had always dabbled in the handmade, finding ways to create jewelry, clothing, and home décor for herself that she couldn’t find in shops. Then, after years of creating jewelry for herself, friends, and her daughters as a hobby, the selftaught designer launched Girls Day Out. “I started
Girls Day Out Bracelets Relica Design Keyplate necklace
off making mothers’ bracelets with mixed stones and sterling silver block letters with children’s names on them,” she says. “One of my most popular designs is still the personalized line of bracelets and necklaces in mixed metals and birthstones from my Heirloom collection.” Girls Day Out girlsdayout.etsy.com
THIS BEADING HEART
A pro bead-stringer and pearl-knotter by day, Jann White (aka this writer’s mom) started making her
own jewelry to sell on the side 30 years ago. “I’ve had an unnatural obsession with beads since I saw my first tiny glass bead so many years ago,” White says. “I started by beading T-shirts (hey, it was the ’60s), and then started stringing them and buying more and more, even skipping a meal or two so I could afford the more expensive ones.” Her only rule for creating her pieces—which often feature semi-precious stones in bold colors with a statement pendant—is that she doesn’t design anything she wouldn’t wear herself. Relica Design relicadesign.etsy.com
MADE IN C-VILLE
17
SKETCHBOOK LEARN
CARVING OUT COMMUNITY WOODWORKING ENTHUSIAST TEACHES TRADITIONAL TECHNIQUE
tepping into Joshua Farnsworth’s Wood and Shop schoolhouse is like wrenching open a time capsule. Traditional woodworking instruments, including saws and handheld shaving tools, dangle from pegs and hug the surrounding white walls. Walking among the homemade workbenches and rustling up a rush of sawdust, you slip back a few centuries. Farnsworth began to home in on his handyman identity as a kid. The youngest of 10 raised on a farm in rural Utah, he learned to program resourcefulness into his daily routine (an inclination that persists). In fact, he repurposed the very room he teaches craft courses in, remodeling an old RV garage into a vast makerspace boasting soaring ceilings and brimming with natural light. This Earlysville lodge, an addendum to the lot he lives on with his wife and four children, backs up to the front porch, where he often shares conversation with students over supper. The Wood and Shop experience is homegrown in more ways than one. Farnsworth’s fascination with traditional woodworking sprang from youthful admiration: He calls his brother-in-law, also an artisan, his “childhood hero.” Farnsworth, too, was propelled by a calling to create, later tinkering with woodworking in secondary school vocational classes (“That’s what I loved about growing up in the ’80s and ’90s,” he says). Even then, though, he couldn’t imagine this passion blossoming into a profession. Fast forward past college and into the middle years of a real estate career. “The economy crashed out West, and I still had a company that I’d started with some people [in Virginia],” he says. After returning East, the other business buckled under similar pressures, nudging him back toward carpentry. “I think I was glad because it pushed me back into what I love doing,” he says. But Farnsworth didn’t set out to make money from woodworking exactly. His inherent enthusiasm and thirst for intellectual exploration naturally propelled him to the peak of the niche scene. He accrued introductory materials, assembled a site, launched a YouTube channel, and recorded tours of renowned furniture makers’ and tool collectors’ workshops. The money followed.
18
MADE IN C-VILLE
SANJAY SUCHAK
S
BY CAROLINE HOCKENBURY
GAINING GROUND Farnsworth has amassed an international following, drawing in emails from fans dotting the globe. One eager student even jetted cross-country from Colorado to take a class with him in person. Farnsworth eventually found himself in the same space as his second childhood hero, Roy Underhill of PBS’ “The Woodwright’s Shop.” Despite his indisputable celebrity, Farnsworth oozes humility. He credits his entrepreneurial spirit and situation in the present media moment as the primary factors driving his success. “When I first started getting really interested in hand tools,
Joshua Farnsworth’s Earlysville woodworking school, Wood and Shop, is the result of a reignited childhood passion.
PHOTOS: COURTESY JOSHUA FARNSWORTH
there weren’t a lot of resources available, especially online,” he says. “I jumped in at the right time.” He also uses his platform to shine a light on other talented artisans who lack marketing and/or digital media skills. He offers other experts teaching slots at his school, features them on his site, and is expanding a digital marketplace to connect them with potential customers. “There are a lot of unsung heroes out there,” he says. Farnsworth reflects on how his professional journey—though at times turbulent—resulted in this gorgeously unexpected outcome. “I guess everybody over time is kind of making a tapestry,” he says. “There [are] some dark threads—hard times in your life or struggles—but then
at the end, I hope you look back and say, ‘The tapestry wouldn’t have been this beautiful without those times.’” He underscores the joy of teaching—of pushing people past fears of failure and granting them temporary refuge from the dizziness of the digitized world. To Farnsworth, artistic integrity means simplicity, and beauty equals imperfection. He mainly focuses on Shaker furniture, highlighting how neutral designs transcend time and constantly oscillating trends. It is this trade he works to sustain, an act of cultural and environmental influence. Although only one man, he recognizes his ability to have an enduring influence—to usher in continued artistry, in-craft connectivity, and furniture functionality for years to come.
MADE IN C-VILLE
19
SKETCHBOOK DIY
CREATING A BUZZ
LOCAL ARTISTS ARE READY TO COLLABORATE AT THE HIVE BY MARY SHEA WATSON
20
MADE IN C-VILLE
MARTYN KYLE
W
hat happens when two artists walk in to a bar? Ask textile artist Tobiah Mundt and painter Kim Anderson and you’ll get the same answer: It’s an immediate connection. Both women relocated to Charlottesville with their families, Mundt from northern Virginia and Anderson from Nebraska, and sought a stronger connection to the arts community. In January of 2018, Mundt was looking for a studio and felt the space where she created her wool sculptures shouldn’t be “quiet and lonely.” After her children started attending school, Anderson reached a similar conclusion: When surrounded by people, she became a better artist. The two connected during Craft Cville’s Galentine’s Day pop-up over their shared vision for a creative and collaborative maker space. Eight months and one big renovation later, that vision became reality. In early October 2018, Mundt and Anderson opened The Hive, an art-andcraft lounge in McIntire Plaza where visitors can order up an art project along with coffee, small bites, beer, or wine. Coffee and treats come from Milli Coffee Roasters and Paradox Pastry. “The art bar is 16 feet long,” Mundt says. “The [project] tray comes with instructions and everything you need. You’ll be able to order from a seasonal menu that will change.” For Anderson, what makes the space unique is that visitors can walk in anytime the lounge is open and create a tangible work of art. The price of each art project on The Hive’s menu ranges from $1 to $20. “You’re engaging with the arts without having to invest,” Anderson says. The lounge’s décor also celebrates the work of local artists and entrepreneurs. Sculptor Lily Erb created The Hive’s sign and a fence surrounding an interior play area for children, and Wade Cotton of Timber Made Company created the lounge’s bar out of wood from fallen trees. Four art studios for rent inside the lounge are named after African Ameri-
Co-owners Tobiah Mundt and Kim Anderson will offer art projects, maker workshops, and more at their new art-and-craft lounge, The Hive.
can-owned businesses demolished in the razing of Vinegar Hill. So far, two of the four studios have been named after Carr’s and Bell’s, Vinegar Hill businesses Mundt identified with the help of Tanesha Hudson, an activist and executive producer of the forthcoming documen-
tary A Legacy Unbroken: The Story of Black Charlottesville. “When my husband told me we were moving here, I Googled Charlottesville,” Mundt remembers. She says the history of Vinegar Hill was the first thing she found. “I had to ask myself, ‘How can I raise my
family here? How can I build my business “IF YOU DON’T HAVE THE to honor what happened here?’” WORDS, YOU PUT IT IN In addition to hosting maker workshops that range from bows and arrows SCULPTURE OR DRAW IT. to bath bombs, Mundt says there will be WE WANT TO MAKE ART more programming at The Hive that celIN ALTERNATIVE WAYS.” ebrates African American artists and professionals who have contributed to TOBIAH MUNDT the Charlottesville community. UVA English professor and seamstress Lisa Woolfork will lead evening sewing classes in the lounge’s mezzanine workshop area. Mundt discovered Woolfork and her work by following the Instagram hashtag #cvilleart, which led her to Woolfork’s account @blackwomenstitch. “I was like, ‘Is she in Charlottesville? There are black women in Charlottesville sewing?’ So I contacted Lisa,” says Mundt. “She keeps sending me project ideas. The number-one thing people have asked for is sewing classes.” Anderson and Mundt will serve as craft-tenders behind the bar to provide tools and fuel for visitors purchasing an art project. When they’re not helping with a workshop or hosting a private party, Mundt and Anderson hope to find time for their own artistic pursuits. Anderson wants to continue teaching custom chalk painting and stenciling classes. Mundt plans to sculpt her wool creatures when the space isn’t busy. She says it will be an interesting artistic challenge, as much of Mundt’s work is deeply personal. Her needle-felted creations are simultaneously haunting and child-like, akin to the stuff of science-fiction monsters or a child’s nightmare. “I think a lot of people make assumptions about my work and about me,” Mundt says. “The Hive is an open place. I want people to ask about [my work]. What’s scary about it? Not all of our artists are sugary sweet artists. …Everyone has many sides to them.” Two artists with studios in The Hive are multimedia printmaker Emily Vanderlinden and jewelry maker Kelly Cline. Anderson and Mundt will rent the studios on a yearly basis and hope to add more artists and studios in the future. They also plan to take The Hive on the road by hosting workshops for children in the hospital. “If you don’t have the words, you put it in sculpture or draw it,” says Mundt. “We want to make art in alternative ways.” On any given day, Mundt says kids visiting the lounge might get to paint on the wall with their feet, or they might use “loads and loads” of what Anderson and Mundt cite as most parents’ least favorite art material: glitter. “It will become a beautiful patina on our floor,” Anderson says.
Everyone Deserves a Slice of the Pie • Albemarle Fire & Rescue • Shelter for Help in Emergency • Blue Ridge Area Food Bank • Thomas Jefferson Food Bank • Ronald McDonald House • UVA Cancer Center • Make a Wish Foundation • Wildlife Center of Virginia • Caring for Creatures • Music Resource Center • ARC of the Piedmont • Habitat for Humanity • Salvation Army • Special Olympics • Mosby Foundation Free Kindness • Live Arts with Every Order! • SPCA • SARA • SOCA • H.O.W.S.
FreshNever Frozen Dough
o et ad r M rde O Locally owned Fresh Toppings
Ray Sellers
Owner of Your Local Domino’s Pizza
MADE IN C-VILLE
21
SKETCHBOOK FOOD
TASTES JUST LIKE HOMEMADE (BECAUSE IT IS)
FROM SAUCES TO SWEET SNACKS, CHARLOTTESVILLE MAKERS GET COOKIN’ BY CAITE HAMILTON Nona’s Italian Cucina Classic Tomato Sauce
Gaona Granola Co. Chocolate & Chia Granola and Abuela Isabella's Granola
Catbird Kitchen Double Chocolate Caramel Sauce and Vahotcha Sriracha Hot Sauce
One Creative Cookie Vanilla almond sugar cookies
Peg’s Salt Pink salt
Maybe our eyes are bigger than our stomachs, but these five cooks, bakers, and concocters make an extra helping hard to resist.
IT’S ALL GRAVY
No one knows the phrase “food is an international language” more than Yvonne Cunningham. The sauce-maker developed the recipe for her “Italian gravy” (so-called because it’s so thick) while living in Naples during her husband’s tour in the Navy. It was there that she met a 78-year-old grandma (“nonna” in Italian) who didn’t speak English. Cunningham
22
MADE IN C-VILLE
didn’t speak Italian, but together they cooked and developed what Cunningham calls “a beautiful relationship through food.” The red sauce, which Cunningham has been making for 30 years, is just like they prepared it back then, with authentic ingredients (including San Marzano tomatoes imported from Naples) and produce from the summer garden. She recommends spooning it over cavatappi pasta with a pile of grated Parmigiano Reggiano on top.
telo decided to take matters into her own hands, producing small-batch granola with no artificial flavors or preservatives. Her artisanal treats draw on her Mexican heritage, utilizing the same ancient grains that were used by the Aztecs and Mayans. And each flavor’s all-natural ingredients—like amaranth and cacao—come directly from small farms in Mexico, which she is proud to support.
Nona’s Italian Cucina red sauce Charlottesville City Market
Gaona Granola Integral Yoga, ACAC Downtown, Blue Ridge Country Store, Rocket Coffee (Crozet)
THE REAL DEAL
After reaching for healthy snacks for her three young daughters and coming up short, Coco So-
JUST A SPRINKLE
The best recipes have been developed over decades—and Cass Cannon’s Peg’s Salt blend is no
IT’S ROCKY’S
exception. “My mother, Peg, was an amazing cook,” Cannon says. “She came up with a blend of salt and spices in the 1970s and gave it to friends and family throughout her life. Because it made pretty much everything you put it on taste just perfect, people couldn’t live without it.” After much nagging, Cannon finally got her mom to write the recipe down and, after Peg passed away, Cannon took over the work of preaching the Peg’s Salt gospel. The recipe’s 25 spices are sourced from all over—The Spice Diva, Old Mansion in Petersburg, SaltWorks in California—and can be enjoyed in dozens of ways: “Sprinkled on steak before grilling, scrambled eggs, in a high-quality olive oil with bread for dipping. Everything, really.” Peg’s Salt Foods of All Nations, The Spice Diva, Keevil & Keevil Grocery and Kitchen, Market Street Market, Greenwood Gourmet Grocery
DECKED-OUT DESSERT
If we’re judging by sheer numbers alone, One Creative Cookie takes the cake on buzzworthy sweets. Kelly Trout estimates that, in the eight years since she’s turned her hobby into a business, she’s baked more than 40,000 cookies out of her home kitchen. The treats range from classic drop cookies like chocolate chip to more elaborate creations such as vanilla almond sugar cookies with edible photos on top, which take 10 hours to dry “after the last touch of the decoration,” Trout says. The baker got a taste of the sweet life as a kid, when her mother, a piano teacher, would allow each student to decorate two cookies for their guests before the holiday recital. “I loved the fun of that group decorating session,” Trout says. “And I really enjoyed working on the leftover cookies after everyone else had gone home.”
BIGGEST SALE OF THE YEAR!
NEW AND ESTATE STERLING JEWELRY UP TO 70% OFF ESTATE GOLD, PLATINUM, DIAMOND JEWELRY UP TO 30% OFF! GET MORE DIAMOND FOR YOUR MONEY AT ROCKY’S!
2018 GOLD AND SILVER COINS IN STOCK! AND OLD SILVER DOLLARS ARE AS LOW AS $18 PRICE SUBJECT TO CHANGE DEPENDING ON THE MARKET
LARGEST SELECTION OF ESTATE JEWELRY IN THE SHENANDOAH VALLEY, AT LOW PRICES, COME IN AND SEE WHY DEALERS FROM GERMANY, NEW YORK AND FLORIDA BUY FROM ROCKY! HE’S BUYING .999 SILVER AND PAYING $1.00 AND UP OVER SPOT FOR SILVER EAGLES. HE WANTS OLD HIGH JEWELED POCKET & WRIST WATCHES LIKE PATEK PHILIPPE, AVDEMARS, ROLEX, OMEGA, LE COULTRE, BERGUET, HAMILTON, MOVADO & MORE –JEWELRY REPAIR DONE ON THE PREMISES
WE BUY GOLD Paying Cash On The Spot
WE PAY EXTRA FOR TIFFANY & DAVID YURMAN JEWELRY.
One Creative Cookie onecreative cookie.com
SPECIAL SAUCE
With homegrown habañeros, jalapeños, and heirloom tomatoes, Catbird Kitchen’s Vahotcha BBQ and sriracha sauces are a farm-to-table dream for those who love to kick everything from salmon to soup up a notch. That’s the secret to Bridget Meagher’s line of artisanal sauces (Vahotcha mayo and Double Chocolate Caramel Sauce included): The ingredient list comes straight from the dirt of her orchard and gardens west of Ivy, and what she can’t grow, the career chef and restaurateur sources responsibly. Keep an eye out for the company’s aged (vegan!) Worcestershire and roasted tomato conserve, two new additions to the lineup. Catbird Kitchen sauces Feast! and Greenwood Gourmet Grocery
DIAMOND SOLITAIRES AS LARGE AS 3 CARATS AND A GOOD SELECTION OF DIAMOND EARRINGS.
Rocky’s Gold & Silver 3287 Lee Hwy • Weyers Cave, VA 1-800-296-8676
wwwrockysgoldandsilver.com OPEN TUESDAY – SATURDAY 9-5, ANTIQUES OPEN AT 9AM
MADE IN C-VILLE
23
Discover small town charm, unique shopping and dining in Historic
GORDONSVILLE
The Laurie Holladay Shop
Raindrops In Virginia
Stokes of England
Colonial Florist
Cavallo Gallery Custom Framing
Sugarbritches Children’s Boutique & Salon
Annie Gould Gallery
Gordonsville Antiques and Flea Market
Painted at Poplar Haven Sara’s Jewel Box The Alpaca Boutique Trésors Posh Krecek Kakes Bakery & Coffeeshop
The Old American Barn Annette La Velle Antiques De Estheticienne European Skin & Body Salon. Brushwood School of Dance The Exchange Hotel Civil War Medical Museum
The Garden Cottage Weddings & Events - Now Booking Holiday Parties. www.Gardencottageevents.com
is now open!
Mark Your Calendars!
CHRISTMAS TREE LIGHTING December 2nd at 5:45 pm
With performances by Brushwood School of Dance
HORSE DRAWN WAGON RIDES December 22nd from 1 pm-4 pm
www.visitgordonsville.com 24
MADE IN C-VILLE
COMFORT IN CALLIGRAPHY LOCAL ARTIST DISSEMINATES HOPE WITH ENGRAVED JEWELRY
O
BY CAROLINE HOCKENBURY
ne night when artist Laurel Smith was sleeping, her mind projected her future onto the backs of her eyes. She dreamt up a whirring dremel tool, a jewelry-making instrument then somewhat unfamiliar to her, and awoke with a newfound sense of purpose. A D.C.-based event planner in her 20s at the time, Smith sensed she was on the cusp of a major career breakthrough. Smith is a Charlottesvillian through and through, from the maternity wing of Martha Jefferson hospital to the halls of Albemarle High School. She graduated from James Madison University with a degree in studio art, then relocated briefly to Washington, D.C., and Hoboken, New Jersey, before returning home. Just as Smith cannot divorce her hometown from her story, art is integral to her existence. Creating has always pointed her toward comfort and confidence—a happy mashup of emotions she first remembers experiencing as a young Spectrum summer camper at Tandem Friends School. In fact, this is where her fascination with calligraphy first sprouted. Decades later, Smith is the frontwoman of a celebrated, selflaunched jewelry brand, “laurel denise,” which features bracelets incorporating inspirational messages engraved in beautiful calligraphy. She leads a fully female staff—including her full-time assistant, Nancy Cronauer, and a map-scattered crew of bracelet makers (aka “Mama Elves”)—in the quest toward artistic
PHOTOS: COURTESY LAUREL SMITH
SKETCHBOOK ART+BUSINESS
“EVEN IF [MY JEWELRY] IS JUST EMPOWERING WOMEN, ALL THE WOMEN I KNOW ARE EMPOWERING EVERYBODY ELSE AROUND THEM,” SHE SAYS. “WE’RE THE DOERS.”
excellence. Smith is two women in one: She With her delicate jokes that she’s “40 percent artist and 60 calligraphied bracelets, percent business.” Her online shop offers jewelry-maker Laurel a sweeping array of accessories and home Smith taps into the bigger picture. goods, including options for product customization, and her pieces put multiple mediums into conversation, including leather, metal, and glass. A mother of two, Smith cites “time” as the most pressing part of this gig. Between caring for and carting around her kids, she hunches over worktables in her home, where her makeshift studio is based. Although her team attends two large wholesale events in New York City each year, most of her sales are shipped directly from her home address. These large-scale trade shows, while excellent opportunities to showcase new work and make human connections with customers, take a toll timewise and financially. “My lights alone cost $2k to rent,” Smith says. “I find that I reach more people through the internet.” Smith sees her career as a calling to serve others. Her handwritten messages adorn the wrists of assault survivors (“Be you bravely”), breast cancer battlers (“She walks in beauty”), mothers enduring miscarriages (“Dwell in hope”), missionaries (“Be strong and courageous”), and general accessory-lovers alike. Although her curling calligraphy and dainty bracelets may be geared more toward women than men, she points to the drip-down effect of her art’s influence: The messaging behind it all unfurls like a song, and everyone will want to sing along. “Even if [my jewelry] is just empowering women, all the women I know are empowering everybody else around them. We’re the doers. We lift up our husbands. We help shape our kids,” Laurel says. “It trickles down to empowering people in general.”
MADE IN C-VILLE
25
Photograph by Gene Runion
2050 James Monroe Parkway, Charlottesville, Virginia 22902 434.293.8000 | HIGHLAND.ORG
HOLIDAY SEASON DECEMBER 4TH - 30
A CHRISTMAS CAROL
Tickets start as low as $29
by Charles Dickens
EVERY CHRISTMAS STORY EVER TOLD (AND THEN SOME!) by John K. Alvarez, Michael Carleton, James FitzGerald
26
MADE IN C-VILLE
Patrick Earl. Photo by Michael Bailey.
Blackfriars Playhouse 10 South Market Street Staunton, VA 1.877.MUCH.ADO americanshakespearecenter.com
SKETCHBOOK LEATHER
MATERIAL POSSESSIONS
INSTANT HEIRLOOMS FROM THREE LOCAL LEATHERCRAFTERS BY CAITE HAMILTON
Trouble & Trace Octopus toy
RSVP Handcrafted Belt, flask
Brother John Leather Day bag
There’s just something about leather: It’s at once rugged and polished. And always cool. Plus, it’s a material that’s easy to source in our area, thanks to local saddle shops and nearby tanneries. Here are three handcrafters making your next favorite accessory.
STAMP OF APPROVAL
Siberia native Daniel Foytik became fascinated with leather as a kid, when he’d make his own toys from leather found in his grandfather’s saddlery. Today,
his work still has a playful touch—patterns handstamped on dyed leather flasks, sunglasses cases, and iPhone covers—but with a high-end polish, sophistication, and confidence. Says Foytik, “There is nothing that we can’t make.” RSVP Handcrafted Foytik.com
NO TROUBLE HERE
Known best for his furniture pulls—loops of leather that give drawers and cabinets an especially modern-rustic touch—Aaron Baker has been branching out of late. “I’m working on a line of small furniture, a line of toy kits, and laced dog products,” says the Pratt Institute grad. “I think with my art and sculpture background I can manipulate the leather well in 3-D forms. I enjoy molding the leather and pushing to its limits to
see what I can make it do.” Last year, he worked on a line of leather slug toys with his two sons, which they launched on Kickstarter. Trouble & Trace troubleandtrace.com
SOMETHING FROM NOTHING
If John Coles had to name the thing that he feels sets him apart from other leather workers, it’s his hand-stitching. “Even though it is time-consuming,” Coles says, “it’s my favorite part of the leather-working process.” Having thrown “tens of thousands” of stitches since the first time he experimented with leather work five years ago, Coles’ line of leather rucksacks, duffels, totes, and wallets is built to last, from leather sourced in Pennsylvania, Maine, and down the road in Richmond. Brother John Leather brotherjohnleather.com
MADE IN C-VILLE
27
You’ve been thinking about it, why not pamper yourself this Holiday Season laser hair removal • microneedling • lash lift • laser tattoo removal • lash & brow tinting • custom facials • micro-peel • waxing • gift certificates Call for a free consultation
28
MADE IN C-VILLE
SAUNDERS BROTHERS FARM MARKET SINCE 1915
This is our town.
Celebrate the Holidays With Us! 11/23: Choose & Cut Tree Farm opens 11/24: Select a hand-made wreath
12/1: Cookie Decorating with the Elves 12/7&8: Art Show with Pat Saunders
.com
12/15: Last Day of the Season! saundersbrothersfarmmarket.com bring this ad in for 10% off CWK
Watercolor & basics beyond!
expires 12.15.18
John A. Hancock
Tuesdays @ McGuffey Art Ctr. Winter session starts Jan. 15th
Painting Watercolor from Photos (starts Jan. 26th) , Non-Traditional/Experimental Watercolor (starts March 16th), Sketching Charlottesville, Sketching Staunton, Watercolor Sketching, and Summer Drawing Camps for Teens @ Crozet Arts: Open Studio (starts Jan. 16th), and Glorious Color! (starts March 31st) johnahancock.com, johnahancock@ntelos.net, 434.939.7445
Your Place. Our Purpose. MONTAGUEMILLER.COM | 800.793.5393 CHARLOTTESVILLE | AMHERST | MADISON | CULPEPER | ORANGE
John A. Hancock, a 1/4 page “branding” advertisement for possible use November 13th (in ...Village?)
Montague Miller & Co would like to thank our customers and clients for continuing to place your confidence and trust in our real estate professionals. May songs of joy fill your homes with warmth and happiness throughout the Holiday Season!
MADE IN C-VILLE
29
30
MADE IN C-VILLE
THE OTHER THREE P E R CE N T
LOCAL CLOTHES MAKE THE TOWN BY ERIKA HOWSARE
COURTESY VINEGAR HILL VINTAGE
Here’s the next level, folks. You might be eating local and shopping local, but are you wearing local? The garments we don often come from very faraway places and seem to just appear out of nowhere; an oft-reported statistic from the American Apparel & Footwear Association states that 97 percent of the clothes sold in the U.S. were made overseas. “We’re so alienated from our clothes,” is how Sarah Tremaine, an Albemarle clothing maker, puts it. But there is an antidote—locally designed and, in many cases, locally crafted clothing. It comes as no surprise that creative Charlottesville is home to a bunch of clothiers, peddling everything from streetwear to high-end handbags. Read on to meet seven of these companies. MADE IN C-VILLE
31
CHARLOTTESVILLE DRESS COMPANY
32
MADE IN C-VILLE
AMY JACKSON SMITH
COURTESY CHARLOTTESVILLE DRESS COMPANY
A
shared love of vintage styles and unusual fabrics was the genesis of Charlottesville Dress Company, founded by Susan Stimart and Carla Quenneville. In May 2017, Stimart approached Quenneville, the former owner of Les Fabriques, to ask if she could repair Stimart’s vintage silk/wool blend suit. The two got to talking about vintage patterns (Quenneville had a collection) and African wax-print cottons (Stimart had just brought some home from Paris). “I said, ‘What if we started a company?’” remembers Stimart. A year and a half later, CDC has developed a line of women’s styles (and men’s bow ties) plus the capacity to custom-design dresses, coats, and other garments. “We’ve had a great time with customers,” says Stimart—like the time a mother of a bride ordered a sari blouse to match a sari she already owned, to be worn at her daughter’s Sri Lanka wedding. The company promises stunning fabrics, expert design, and all-local manufacturing (CDC is partnering with the International Rescue Committee to employ refugees as sewers). With Beth Pizzichemi working the media side, CDC sells online and at pop-up events and fashion shows. Their designs will hit the runway at a D.C. fashion show December 12.
COURTESY VINEGAR HILL VINTAGE
VINEGAR HILL VINTAGE CLOTHING S
arad Davenport started a clothing line two years ago and named it Vinegar Hill Vintage Clothing after the Charlottesville neighborhood that was razed in the 1960s. The name is also a tribute to Vinegar Hill Magazine, which is produced by Davenport’s friend Eddie Harris: all in all, a gesture of love and respect to the local African American community and the neighborhood where Davenport has family roots. “I have oral history about Vinegar Hill that was told to me all my life,” he says. In creating his line of T-shirts, hats, and other items, he hopes not only to create a “bridge to the younger generation,” opening conversations about the important local history embodied in the Vinegar Hill name, but also to begin recreating a culture of black entrepreneurship that was damaged when Vinegar Hill was destroyed. “We want people to know there’s precedent for [African American business ownership],” he says. “We’re normalizing that; we want people to own their economic state.” It’s still a family affair for Davenport to produce his garments with their clean, classic logos; he gets help from his mother and children, and sells online and through the Jefferson School African American Heritage Center. But he hopes the business will grow. “One day, my hope is we could have a full-fledged factory in downtown Charlottesville,” he says.
MADE IN C-VILLE
33
For more information visit www.charlottesville.org/parksandrec
This Holiday Season give the
Gift of Dance
PRIVATE LESSONS • GROUP CLASSES • KIDS
Gift Certificates available at Smooth Sailing Ballroom Seminole Square Shopping Center 396 Hillsdale Drive Charlottesville VA 22901
smoothsailingballroom@gmail.com (434)996-2942 34
MADE IN C-VILLE
COURTESY CFK DESIGNS
CFK DESIGNS
W
hen Charlotte Friese was a student at the Savannah College of Art and Design, she did a project she calls “micro-scapes”: small wall sculptures with laser-cut plywood frames encircling abstract compositions of silk, organza, stones, and glass. Now, two years out of school, she’s pushed the micro-scape idea in another direction: a line of high-end handbags. With laser-cut plywood bodies and hand-felted flaps, the bags are a study in contrasts. “I love the combination of something hard with something soft,” she says. “Nature is a huge inspiration. I love moss and lichen and wood grain.” She also aims to source her materials ethically, sustainably, and, when possible, locally. Handbag designs start with sketches, then be-
come CAD files that go to a local laser-cutting shop. Friese assembles the wooden bodies, sands and oils the wood to make it friendly to the touch, and adds a lining made of European machined felt for durability. Then she hand-felts the outer flap, a swirl of color inspired by a specific landscape (like “Painted Desert” or “Sedona”) that makes each piece unique. CFK Designs, her company, is just getting off the ground; Friese has three juried craft shows on her calendar and hopes to work with local boutiques to sell her bags. She’s also developing a line of clothing. “I’m working with a natural dye company in Pennsylvania, so I can have multiple natural dye colors,” she says. “I’m thinking about expanding to other accessories, and hopefully a wider range of prices.”
MADE IN C-VILLE
35
n 2007, when Gohar Ayvazyan Beaver moved from Armenia to Charlottesville to be with her new American husband, Hovhannes, she wasn’t sure that she’d be able to put her fashion design education to work here. “Is this the right place for my business?” she wondered. But she managed to produce a casual clothing line that was sold in a couple of local boutiques. Meanwhile, the couple noticed the burgeoning wedding industry in Charlottesville. Having made a handful of custom wedding gowns, Beaver began to think about focusing her company, Ayvazyan & de Beauvoir, on bridal fashion. That was about two years ago, and her home studio is now geared up for
36
MADE IN C-VILLE
brides—full of white and ivory silk and lace, and featuring a rack of sample gowns in a variety of styles from boho to modern. Brides often come with photos of a gown they like, Beaver says, and then she takes them through the process of choosing fabrics, customizing the fit, and adjusting all the details of the design. “It’s fun to see the women’s reactions when they see it being custom made,” says her husband. Word-of-mouth, and being a featured vendor on The Knot, have helped the Beavers grow the business, and they see themselves on an upward trend. Someday, says Gohar, “It’s my dream to make high-end couture wedding gowns.”
COURTESY AYVAZYAN & DE BEAUVOIR
AYVAZYAN & DE BEAUVOIR I
DREAMIN’ DIAMONDS
COURTESY DREAMIN' DIAMONDS
AMY JACKSON SMITH
L
ocal streetwear brand Dreamin’ Diamonds first said “Hello, world” inside the sneaker boutique 89Till back in 2016. Rob Gray, co-owner of the now-defunct shop, is the brains behind Dreamin’. He sees his line of T-shirts, hoodies, hats, and jackets as a way to inspire people, especially at-risk youth, to reach for the stars. “The dream represents the abstract,” he explains, “and the diamond represents the dream manifested.” He enjoyed a taste of success himself when one of the company’s hat designs, featuring an altered version of the “Rugrats” character Susie Carmichael,
caught on online. Dreamin’ Diamonds sold more than 2,000 of that particular hat, with Susie sporting rubies for eyes. Other designs feature a black panther with the words “Free Huey,” or the logo of a certain national donut chain tweaked to read, of course, Dreamin’ Diamonds. Gray, an Albemarle native, handles design and every other aspect of the budding company. He sells through his website, and hopes to gain a retail presence to give his products wider exposure. “I’ve always been into fashion,” he says. “Your clothes kind of speak to your identity.”
MADE IN C-VILLE
37
Charlottesville Municipal Band The Soundtrack of the Community Since 1922 96th SeCason Holiday oncert
HOLIDAY CONCERT
Guest Artists: DMR Adventures And Singers From The Oratorio Society.
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 9TH
at MLKPAC at CHS, 3:30 pm - FREE admission with a canned good for the Emergency Food Bank
BREADWORKS BAKERY & DELI
Great food - great mission since 1994. Newly renovated space since 2017!
Mention this ad and get a free Cookie of the Month! Opened in September of 1994, BreadWorks Bakery & Deli is owned and operated by WorkSource Enterprises – a local nonprofit organization that has provided job training, employment and support services to area residents with disabilities since 1967. Persons with disabilities are involved in all facets of BreadWorks and almost all products are made from scratch using the best ingredients available. Products include breads, rolls, Focaccia, muffins, scones, granola, cookies, pies, desserts, quiche, cakes, soups, salads, sandwiches, subs and much more. Party platters, bag/box lunches and catering services are available. Recent renovations at BreadWorks provide for a warm and inviting shopping experience. Limited seating is available for those want to savor the aromas of freshly-baked goods and freshly-brewed BreadWorks Blend coffee from Shenandoah Joe! BreadWorks is a division of WorkSource Enterprises which has provided job training, employment and support services for people with disabilities since 1967.
923 Preston Avenue ❖ Charlottesville, VA ❖ 434-296-4663 Monday-Friday 7:30 AM - 6 PM ❖ Saturday 8:30 AM - 2:30 PM www.breadworks.org
38
MADE IN C-VILLE
WORKSOURCE ENTERPRISES
AMY JACKSON SMITH
ROSALBA COUTURE
COURTESY ROSALBA COUTURE
R
osalba Valentino learned to sew at her mother’s knee and, in high school, started taking old clothes apart and putting them back together just to figure out how they were constructed. By the time she finished college at VCU, she was skilled enough at clothing design and sewing that she was selling her pieces in a Richmond boutique. “I was experimenting a lot,” she says. Today, she has at least 15 years of professional sewing behind her and, between making alterations to wedding gowns (her bread and butter), she continues to create original clothing pieces under her own label, Rosalba Couture, out of her Nelson County studio. She makes handbags, accessories, jewelry—and lots of dresses. “I have a penchant for dresses that are not formal but are fancy,” she says, adding that she sees a need especially for mother-of-the-bride or -groom dresses that aren’t “too old” in style. Wanting to bring a bit of badly needed eco-consciousness to the fashion industry, she specializes in custom reuse and updating of vintage clothing. “Most of my things are a combination of recycled or found clothing and new elements,” she says. “That collaging is my specialty.”
MADE IN C-VILLE
39
Charlottesville's BEST Specialty FOOD Store
lunch cafe . wine & cheese . coffee shop 40
MADE IN C-VILLE
PHOTOS: COURTESY SUNSET FARM STUDIO
SUNSET FARM STUDIO
S
arah Tremaine worked for years as an environmental consultant, helping to remediate a Superfund site. But on the side, she was a serious crafter— knitting, quilting, basket-weaving, and painting. She began selling her work at craft shows a dozen years ago and, more recently, “decided to buckle down and make it a real business, not just a hobby,” she says. “Now I’m into it 24/7.” As Sunset Farm Studio, she focuses on two main techniques to create artful clothing. One is Nuno felting, which results in seamless garments made of a blend of wool and silk: tops, tunics, and dresses. The other is botanical printing:
laying plant materials onto silk and using a steaming process to print the shapes of leaves and stems right onto the fabric. Tremaine’s earlier career informs her new one—she tries to source natural U.S. fabrics when she can, and uses almost exclusively natural dyes. Those include bark dyes sourced from a local woodworker, walnuts she collects herself, and goldenrod from her garden. Having sold through The Barn Swallow for some time, she’s now trying to expand through more craft shows and into the boutique realm. “I do a lot of custom work,” she says. “People like the idea of being able to buy something from the person who made it.”
MADE IN C-VILLE
41
Downtown
FOR THE
H o l i da y s
QUATTRO TIZI BRINGS A CURATED SELECTION OF UPSCALE, URBAN CONTEMPORARY MEN’S FASHION TO CHARLOTTESVILLE, VIRGINIA. vince - rag & bone - corridor - faherty smathers & branson - moore & giles corkcicle - oliver spencer - druthers jean shop - ag - caputo & co. - goorin bros. 109 1ST STREET S CVILLE 22902 HOURS - MONDAY - SATURDAY 10-6 SUNDAY 12-4
We’re passionate about supporting local + handmade.
PHOTO CREDIT: LAUREN STONESTREET
Over 40 local artisans call Darling home.
Follow @sh o
pat
da
rli
n
g
on
Ins tagr am
105 S 1st Street, Charlottesville, VA | 434-202-0664 www.shopatdarling.com 42
MADE IN C-VILLE
Downtown
FOR THE
H o l i da y s
Shop Local this Holiday Season WE DIDN’T NEED A C AT E G ORY TO T E L L CHARLOTTESVILLE WE’RE THE BEST
&
411-413 4 east 1 1main st,4 charlottesville, 1 3 E . M A va I N(434)293-8400 ST
a 1975
New look–same local art! Visit C’ville Arts for unique gifts & holiday decor – all locally made
winterfest eholiday
market
SATURDAY, DEC. 8TH 10AM - 2PM
FREE
KID’S ACTIVITIES • LIVE MUSIC CASH & CARRY AFFORDABLE ART ORNAMENT MAKING & MORE! 201 Second Street, NW | Charlottesville VA 22902 www.mcguffeyartcenter.com | (434) 295-7973 tues-sat 10-6, sun 1-5
open daily at 118 E. Main Street on the Downtown Mall | 434-972-9500 like us on Facebook or visit our virtual gallery at www.cvillearts.org
MADE IN C-VILLE
43
Downtown
FOR THE
H o l i da y s
Are you a self-published author looking to share your work with the Charlottesville community? Consider donating a copy of your book to the library's Local Voices Collection. For more info, please visit:
jmrl.org/localvoices
LONG LIST OF GIFTS TO BUY? NO PROB-LLAMA!
plus cards, boxed sets, gift wrap, bags, and ribbon for all of your holiday needs.
custom invitations 321 east main street
.
.
downtown mall
stationery .
.
434.979.6366
paper goods & gifts .
www.thinkrockpaperscissors.com
WALLACE & SEWELL SCARVES, CHARLES FARRIS CANDLES, CASHMERE PONCHOS WALLACE DELECTABLE & SEWELL SCARVES, CHARLES FARRIS CANDLES, DELECTABLE CASHMERE PONCHOS
MORE THAN JUST FIBERS — THE PERFECT GIFTS, TOO.
MORE THAN JUST FIBERS — THE PERFECT GIFTS, TOO.
MagpieKnits MagpieKnits
111 WEST MAIN STREET, ON THE DOWNTOWN MALL 434.296.4625 MAGPIEKNITS.COM
44
MADE IN C-VILLE
111 WEST MAIN STREET, ON THE DOWNTOWN MALL 434.296.4625 MAGPIEKNITS.COM
Downtown
FOR THE
H o l i da y s
“I like on the table, When we’re speaking, The light of a bottle Of intelligent wine.”
give a
–Pablo Neruda
bit of yoga
whimsy
Let us help you find the perfect intelligent wine or beer for your food and conversation. Over forty years of experience.
Fair h black friday
Buy One, Get One
FRI, NOV 23 - SUN, NOV 25
50% OFF
Jewelry + Ornaments
105 W Main St, Charlottesville Artisans have been paid in full. Discount applied to item of equal or lesser value. Valid at participating stores.Not valid with other offers or discounts.
311 E MARKET STREET | CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA 22902
�m�m�m�m�m�m�m�m�m�m�m i
�i FREE ENGRAVING
I
I November and December ONLY J �Narne or Inttt . 'al ' or D ate will be engraved on any I :� :
i
� !1!ll
��
��
I
item purchased at Tuel Jewelers from now until Christmas! :
�. 1
Accutron, Bulova, & Caravelle Precisionist Watches
: Silverplated ;� Christmas Bell 'i;;\ $25 .00
ges
\:��-a:,;;
Lockets Diamonds Wedding Band s
_,.i,>
! '
;
J I
if l'ewt]r j Jefferson : .
�
i<' Cup
'\�..
1. ;/ '0
$30.00
�
:; :
r�
_____ , "Never Too Late To Have I le Magazine due date 11/12/18 Any Item Engraved If iJ ressa Leak downtown@c-ville.com run date PurchasedAtTuels!" I 5”x4.75” iJ i I lissa.anderson@tenthousandvillages.com - ON THE DOWNTOWN MALLI i OTTESVILLE C-VILLE MAGAZINE DUE 11/16 319 EAST MAIN STREET I � Permission to use this resource as it appears. Any alterations or use of graphic elements apart from this design must be approved 434-295-4258 "Your Friendly Jewelry Store Since 1945" I es Marketing Department, 717-859-8170. wi ;w 'W :;c :;c :;c !IC :;c �c �c �c � iJ i
The finest hand-selected clothing and accessories from across the globe, with an eye towards the modern without forgetting the traditions of the past. 107 East Main Street
|
434-293-GRIS
|
� Virginia Cups in Five �. r...� Different Sizes � ....______.....,
� TUEL JEWELERS
verdigrisclothing.com
MADE IN C-VILLE
45
BY HAND
SIGNE CLAYTON
HOT ITEM Corry Blanc’s popular line of
hand-forged cook pans (and a stint working in the restaurant business) has given him plenty of access to the culinary world. And while more and more restaurants were utilizing trendy wood-fired ovens, no one was making a version that included a convenient raising and lowering mechanism. So when the owners of steakhouse Prime 109 approached Blanc—whose Blanc Creatives steel cookware they’d been using in their Belmont restaurant, Lampo, for years—to fabricate something similar, he thought, “I could make that.” “The challenge I was trying to solve was how to have a grill system that can be raised and lowered over the fire using only one hand,”
46
MADE IN C-VILLE
Blanc says. “I was able to do so with a series of gears that took several months of trial and error and a few prototypes.” The resulting product—which measures 9 feet long and almost 3 feet deep, was fabricated from stainless steel with brass accents. The center, a wood-fired oven, is flanked on both sides with grills that can be adjusted in height over the fire below. The whole project, Blanc says, took nearly 10 months of designing, prototyping, and testing proofs of concept. “It was a great opportunity to work with those guys again and if all goes well with the system, I can see it being a new product to add to the Blanc Creatives line,” he says.—Caite Hamilton
DECK THE HALLS SATURDAY & SUNDAY NOV 24 & 25 | 12 - 5 PM HOLIDAY ENTERTAINMENT & ACTIVITIES FOR ADULTS AND KIDS • HOLIDAY MUSIC SANTA’S VILLAGE • HAY RIDES • SPECIAL MENU OF EMV HOLIDAY FARE & WINES Peruse wares from a wide variety of local artisans and makers for all your unique holiday gifts.
6109 Wolftown-Hood Road, Madison, VA 22727 earlymountain.com
MADE IN C-VILLE
47
Happy Holidays