LL IS WELL
Sound bathing, the healing power of iendship and the rst events of fall
A LIMITED OFFERING OF ELEGANTLY REFINED HOMESITES SITUATED ON THE QUIET PERIMETER OF BRENTWOOD, TENNESSEE.
As
The
Warner
The
Sushi | Bar, Nashville’s first omakase-only restaurant, opens in
TheraPaint Studio offers creative ways to relieve
parties
49 Show Time
Broadway Brunch Patrons Party jumps, jives and wails
50 Full Moon Patrons Party
Patrons and politicos mingle for the Tennessee State Museum
53 For the Love of Song
Even the sparrows were singing in tune for the Nashville Rep’s Broadway Brunch
56 River of Dreams
The River Swing Patrons Party celebrates 25 years of the Harpeth Conservancy
59 Giving Grace
Community leaders share poignant advice at the Nashville Post’s Most Powerful Women luncheon
62 Save My Place
The Heritage Ball Patrons Party builds anticipation for the main event
The
The
Sunset
Kayce Laine practices sound healing.
Photographed by Eric England. For more on sound bathing, turn to page 38.
Be Well
An exploration of the many faces of wellness
WELLNESS IS SOMETHING that can be both tangible and intangible — often at the same time. “Be well” can mean a variety of things to different people, be it clearing our minds on a walk through the park, laughing until we ugly cry or putting ourselves in the hands of experts at wellness retreats and experiences. Despite the spectrum of potential meanings, we still wish each other well.
This month, we explore the many faces of well-being with features that get to the heart of health and happiness. Margaret Littman visits with three Thistle Farms program graduates to discuss the healing power of friendship. She also travels to Southern California to explore Four Seasons Hotel Westlake Village’s Center for Health & Wellbeing. Carrington Fox gets us outside for a walk through Clare’s Meadow — a Warner Parks grasslands initiative. We explore the world of sound bathing and the therapeutic role it plays for many in the community. For those who think of food as therapy, Whitney Clay steps inside Fancypants, a new concept from the creative team at Honest to Goodness Hospitality, who are behind local favorites Butcher & Bee and Redheaded Stranger. Nancy Vienneau brings us a taste of the elegant new omakase-style hot spot Sushi | Bar.
The fall event season has returned, so naturally, we are eager to take you inside some incredible autumn parties. We kick things off with the Nashville Repertory Theatre’s Broadway Brunch and Harpeth Conservancy’s River Swing Patrons Party. Then after Labor Day, we start events in earnest with the Heritage Ball Patrons Party, Chukkers for Charity and Mad Hatter. As happens more and more now, we attend two delightful luncheons on the same day — the Goodwill Industries Impact Awards and the Girl Scout Luncheon — both of which we’re honored to cover. Finally, we go behind the scenes with Ascension Saint Thomas president and CEO Fahad Tahir to highlight the vital role health care plays in our community.
As the fall season revs up with social engagements, football games, family trips and more, it is easy to lose sight of the importance of health and wellness. But amid the days growing shorter and the temperatures beginning their slow descent, we might find an opportunity to give pause and appreciate the day. To all of our amazing readers, be well.
BY JANET KURTZ
Janet moved to Nashville 26 years ago. She is an avid reader, traveler and collector of fountain pens, and she lives in downtown Nashville with her husband, Ron, and their dog, Julep. Email her at jkurtz@nfocusmagazine.com or follow her on Instagram @musiccitytraveler
Editorial
founding editor
Herbert Fox Jr.
editor-in-chief
Janet Kurtz
contributing editors
Lindsey Lanquist, Jack Silverman
social correspondent
Gloria Houghland
contributors
Beth Alexander, Emily Bache, Jeanette Barker, Abigail Breslin, Bentley Caldwell, Chris Chamberlain, Whitney Clay, Melissa Corbin, Carrington Fox, Hannah Herner, Margaret Littman, Carson Love, Hamilton Matthew Masters, Nicolle Praino, Nancy Vienneau
Art
art director
Christie Passarello
senior photographer
Eric England
staff photographer
Angelina Castillo
contributing photographers
Michael Scott Evans, Tausha Dickinson, Lorenzo Huerta, Hamilton Matthew Masters
graphic designers
Sandi Harrison, Mary Louise Meadors, Tracey Starck
Marketing
events and marketing director
Robin Fomusa
brand partnerships & event manager
Alissa Wetzel
events coordinator
Maddy Fraiche
Advertising
publisher
Olivia Moye Britton
advertising solutions consultants
Teresa Birdsong, Maddy Fraiche, Michael Jezewski, Carla Mathis, Allie Muirhead, Heather Cantrell Mullins, Niki Tyree, Alissa Wetzel
associate account executive
Kailey Idziak, Rena Ivanov
sales operations manager
Chelon Hasty
advertising solutions associates
Audry Houle, Jack Stejskal
Circulation
circulation manager
Gary Minnis
Business
president
Mike Smith
chief financial officer
Todd Patton
IT director
John Schaeffer
Owner FW Publishing, LLC
Bill Freeman
Incredible Purpose
Behind the scenes with Ascension Saint Thomas president and CEO Fahad Tahir
GROWING UP IN INDIA, Fahad Tahir, president and CEO of Ascension Saint Thomas, dreamed of ways he could make a meaningful impact on the world. After earning his bachelor’s degree in finance from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Fahad went on to get a master’s degree from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and an MBA from Loyola University Chicago.
Prior to joining Ascension Saint Thomas, Fahad held leadership roles in Washington, D.C., and Milwaukee, where he oversaw medical groups and value-based care and earned three Health Care Innovation Awards from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. He joined Saint Thomas in April 2014 as the president and CEO of Saint Thomas Medical Partners. In 2018, Fahad became the president and CEO of Ascension Saint Thomas Hospital, Midtown and West, and he now oversees the system’s 16 hospitals. His greatest passion is serving others.
What did you want to be when you grew up? I was less focused on a specific career and more driven by a desire to make a meaningful impact on people’s lives. In India, I was deeply influenced by the universal aspirations we all share for our families — a safe, healthy life filled with opportunity. This desire to help others and serve the greater good naturally drew me toward health care and ultimately to Ascension Saint Thomas.
What brings you joy in your work? The future. I’m surrounded every day by passionate and energetic people. Seeing them light up and brimming with purpose brings me joy. We have incredible physicians and leaders who have such wide-eyed optimism about the future of health care and the future of Nashville. I’ve seen some incredible, awe-inspiring examples of creativity, energy and purpose. I am constantly motivated by our team’s vision for the future and our collective effort to think bigger and aim higher in what’s possible.
What’s the best advice you’ve received? The best advice I’ve ever received is to listen first and seek to understand. Trust is foundational in all relationships, and this advice has guided me to focus on building and maintaining trust in every interaction. It’s also taught me to respect the complexity of the decisions we face daily, ensuring that they are made with a deep understanding of their impact on the people we serve.
What’s surprised you most about what you do? I am a student of history. I love learning the connections and interwoven memories that have made Nashville
THE BASICS
Hometown: Mumbai, India, and Milwaukee
Years in Nashville: 10
who we are today — and seeing the interwoven connections to Ascension Saint Thomas. The women who founded Saint Thomas came to Nashville with hearts of service, and [the organization] has grown alongside the city and region over generations.
As our community has experienced milestones, so have our hospitals and health systems, whether those are industry milestones or stories of serving families. I am constantly amazed by the stories people share — whether it’s a cherished memory of the care a loved one received or the strength they found during a challenging health battle.
What changes do you hope to see in the future of health care? Modern health care has incredible bright spots of technology, innovation and life-saving care. While these bright spots are essential and we can be proud of this progress, we have more to do to make health care more accessible and affordable
Favorite thing about your work: Making a difference for individuals and families when they need it most
for everyone in our community. I hope to see a closer alignment between health care costs and outcomes in the U.S. Currently, health care consumes nearly 18% of our GDP, yet our health outcomes, like life expectancy, lag behind many developed nations. This disconnect shows we’re not getting the best value for our investment.
Health care is a community-driven process. By breaking down silos and prioritizing partnerships — especially in a health care hub like Nashville — our city can lead the way in modeling how care is delivered.
BY JANET KURTZ
PHOTOGRAPH BY ANGELINA CASTILLO
Name: Fahad Tahir
Fancypants Has Fun With Fine Dining
The team behind Butcher & Bee and Redheaded Stranger opens its newest venture
UPON ENTERING THE newly opened Fancypants restaurant in East Nashville, it’s clear this is not a traditional, staid fine-dining establishment. The walls are painted a bold red orange, and draperies in the same hue separate the entryway from the dining room. As guests arrive, they’re offered an apéritif perched on a vintage silver tray — then whisked away to their table through a shimmering gold curtain.
The “maximalist” décor, beginning in the entryway, “is just fun,” says Katie Vance, partner and chief creative officer at Powell architecture and design firm, which helped bring the team’s vision to life. “I think the fabrics are another extension of that [vision], where you have some really fun florals that are unique and maybe a bit different for a fine-dining atmosphere, as well as a lot of different textures — between the caning and the almost tie-dye crushed velvet.”
Fancypants diverges from traditional fine dining. There’s no maître d’ and not a white tablecloth in sight. “The whole point is, who gets to say what fine dining is?” says Jake Mogelson, creative director and partner at Honest to Goodness Hospitality Group, the team behind Fancypants. “There is a special attention to all the details, in service, in the food and in the space. That, to me, is fine
dining — something that has had an extensive amount of attention paid to it.”
Michael Shemtov and chef Bryan Lee Weaver are the other principals at Honest to Goodness, which includes Butcher & Bee and Redheaded Stranger. The “vegetable-focused” Fancypants, occupying a Dickerson Pike space that formerly housed a Piggly Wiggly, is the group’s latest venture. Jake says that when opening a restaurant, it’s important for the concept to fit the location. It’s not just about what the owner wants to open — but about what’s needed in the neighborhood.
“So we knew, because of its proximity to Redheaded Stranger and the Bee … we had an opportunity to do something different,” says Jake, noting Redheaded Stranger’s casual counter service and Butcher & Bee’s neighborhood bistro vibe. “We didn’t have any place that was dedicated to be special-occasion and celebratory, luxurious and high-end.”
Luxurious and high-end without taking themselves too seriously — as evidenced by the catchphrase, “No dress code. Please wear pants.” Fancypants is open for dinner from 5 to 10 p.m. Thursday through Sunday.
BY WHITNEY CLAY PHOTOGRAPHS BY EMILY DORIO
DESIGN FORWARD
The restaurant’s bold signature look is accented by distinctive accessories — many the owners have collected on their global travels. Think an art piece from Turkey or pottery brought back from Morocco. A large ceramic cheetah was found closer to home — at an antiques store on Thompson Lane. The placement of the accessories has an organic feel to it and, at the same time, seems very purposeful. No detail has been overlooked. In the beautifully appointed bathrooms, which retain an industrial vibe, there are AM/FM radios and custom candles.
IN THE BOX
While the décor is certainly out of the box, the menu is literally inside one. Based on a grid of nine dishes — like avocado and smoked banana, grilled heirloom eggplant, and turnip noodle lasagna — the prix fixe menu starts at $70 per person for three courses. There are also bonus o erings, like a 34-ounce cowboy steak or Hackleback caviar served with Ru es potato chips and sour cream-and-onion dip. There is a craft cocktail menu that includes seasonal o erings and a California-focused wine list.
THE VERANDA
The 2,200-square-foot restaurant seats 45 inside and 35 outside on the veranda. “Don’t call it a patio,” says Jake, good-naturedly. Makes sense. In an area with its own personality, the veranda has a spring-green pergola decorated with elaborate faux flowers, which will change seasonally. The luxe fabrics, floral arrangements and cane-backed chairs give the veranda an “otherworldly” feel, says Katie. “I think it really complements the space well, and yet makes you feel like you’re not sitting right on the street of Dickerson Pike.”
HER STYLE
Have these closet classics reached their expiration date?
I LIKE TO VIEW each client’s closet as an arsenal that should be stocked and ready for them. To achieve this, I find it’s helpful to use each season as an opportunity to reevaluate: Which pieces did you wear the most, which ones aren’t serving you, and which items could use a refresh?
Now that we’re in the thick of fall, there are some items in your closet that probably need replacing — like the summer staples you wore nonstop and the fall favorites you’ll rely on for the next few months. Give these go-to items a good once-over. Do they look like they’ve reached their expiration date?
The Boring Basics
Shopping for basic T-shirts and tank tops may sound as exciting as watching paint dry, but these wardrobe workhorses create the foundation for so many different outfits. They’re especially vital during fall and winter, when we need the right basics to layer under blazers and jackets. T-shirts and tank tops tend to have shorter lifespans — especially if you wear
them a lot. So go through your collection, and if a tee looks stained, worn or tired, edit it out.
Tip: There’s no universal “perfect T-shirt.” With T-shirt styles — as with everything in fashion — personal preference comes into play. My advice? Keep several styles stocked in your closet. It’s nice to have a looser tee to wear on its own — and a more fitted style to layer under jackets and blazers.
Your Most-Loved Shoes
Whether it’s the heels on your go-to booties, the tips on your favorite pumps, or the soles on your mostloved loafers, your shoes will also “expire” at some point. Sometimes, you can extend their lifespan by taking them to a cobbler and having them refurbished. But often, you need to invest in a new pair.
Reminder: If a shoe is visibly worn and distressed, it’s likely lost a lot of its support and structure — which is no good for your feet and joints. Thank the shoes for their service, and find a new pair to fall in love with.
BY CARSON LOVE
Carson Love is a wardrobe and personal stylist based in Nashville. Her main goal is to help clients present as and feel like their best selves, so they are ready for whatever life
brings them. Find her online: CarsonLove.com or follow her on Instagram @carsonmlove.
HIS STYLE
Color me stylish
HAPPY OCTOBER, GENTS! The leaves are changing. The temperature is perfect. Fall has fallen. It’s time to bust out our forgotten sweaters, hoodies, boots and jackets. For those of us in the sartorial world, fall is the equivalent of the start of college football season in the SEC — the most wonderful time of the year.
As any college football fan knows, color plays a very important role in your wardrobe. (That said, you will never see this well-dressed man from Kentucky donning gaudy Tennessee orange. I digress.)
When working with clients, I’m often asked: Does this color look good on me? I like to answer this question using color analysis — a process that helps you identify colors that look great on you.
What Is Color Analysis?
Color analysis helps you figure out which colors best complement your skin tone and features. There are four palettes (or “color seasons”): spring, summer, autumn and winter. And each color season has three subcategories — like soft, true and dark autumn, or light, true and soft summer.
Once you identify your color season, you’ll have a smattering of colors that complement your complexion. For example, I’m a deep winter, thanks to my black hair, dark eyes and cooler brown skin tone. Very mysterious, I know — like the lost Addams Family kid.
Why Color Analysis Matters
I like to say, “Your wardrobe speaks for you before you open your mouth.” Color is no different. Wearing the right colors can enhance your natural features, making you look more vibrant, healthier and, in some cases, younger. Yes — the right color palette can take you from looking like you’ve never seen the sun, to looking like you’ve taken every multivitamin under the sun.
If you’re interested in learning more about color analysis, there are numerous apps, online tests and inperson consultations that can help you find your perfect palette. (Fair warning: UT orange does not appear in any color season.) Be well, my friends.
BY BENTLEY CALDWELL
Bentley Caldwell is a Nashville-based men’s personal stylist who helps guys up their style and confidence and take the guesswork out of dressing themselves. Have a fashion or styling question? Visit his website: BentleyCaldwellStyling.com or follow him on Instagram @bentleycaldwell.
INSIDER’S GUIDE TO AESTHETICS
FEATURING
What can you tell us about your Glow Club program?
The Hatef Aesthetics Glow Club is a three-tiered membership program. Tier one lets you choose between one monthly Hydrafacial treatment or two monthly laser treatments (either Laser Genesis or IPL). Tier two includes both a monthly Hydrafacial and a monthly laser treatment. Our top-tier option includes a Hydrafacial and two laser treatments every month.
Our Glow Club memberships include exclusive discounts on additional treatments and products. With a focus on both immediate results and long-term benefits, these memberships are perfect for those committed to maintaining a radiant, youthful complexion year-round.
What advice do you have for clients considering a Glow Club membership?
Having great skin is a lifelong commitment, and a Glow Club membership offers consistent expert care that adapts to seasonal changes and specific concerns. Lifestyle change is of the utmost importance, and an effective daily skincare routine — overseen by one of our licensed medical aestheticians — is key to getting that healthy-skin glow.
Our goal is to ensure each Glow Club membership aligns with the patient’s specific skin care needs — something we achieve through a consultation with a medically trained aesthetician. When you invest in a Glow Club membership, you get a personalized skin care plan, discounts on treatments and products, and access to experts who can tailor treatments to meet your skin’s evolving needs.
What other services do you offer at Hatef Aesthetics?
We offer the complete spectrum of aesthetic services, from noninvasive skin care treatments — like Hydrafacials, chemical peels and ZO products — to injectables, like Botox and fillers. Bioregenerative fillers, thread lifting and eyelid surgery are some of our more popular procedures.
What can a client expect when they schedule an appointment?
When a client schedules an appointment with Hatef Aesthetics, they can expect a luxurious and personalized experience. Our highly-trained and professional staff will perform a thorough consultation to understand their needs and goals. Our team delivers expert care designed to enhance each client’s natural beauty, while leaving each client feeling refreshed and completely satisfied with their experience.
Dr. Hatef, can you tell us a little about yourself?
I came to Nashville 10 years ago after completing one of the most rigorous and thorough plastic surgery training programs at two of the most prestigious centers in the country — one in Dallas, one in Houston. Since then, I have focused on delivering the best aesthetic surgery results in an environment that is completely focused on patient safety. Rhinoplasty, facelift and aesthetic breast surgery are some of our most popular procedures — and some of my favorites to perform.
What makes R+R Wellness Spa special?
We have the ultimate set-up for group events, including a VIP suite for up to 10 guests. The suite is filled with amenities and offers a private relaxation space complete with refreshments. You can enhance your VIP visit with food and beverage packages or fitness, yoga and sound bath meditation experiences. We also have a Locals Wellness Membership program that gives you access to this private space when it isn’t booked, offering a nice change of pace from the commotion of a busy weekend.
What kinds of services and treatments do you offer?
R+R Wellness Spa is the ideal spot for well-rounded relaxation and wellness. Incorporating sensorial experiences to help our guests heal from the inside out, we offer traditional massage, facials, hydrafacials and more — all with opportunities to enhance your spa experience. One of our more popular treatments is our CBD Wellness Journey, which includes the R+R massage, CBD Dead Sea salt scrub, CBD detox mud wrap, CBD scalp treatment and a wellness shot.
What advice would you give someone considering a visit to R+R Wellness?
This is the best spa in downtown Nashville for any occasion — from the customizable services to the amenities, plus the space to accommodate groups or individual members.
What can guests expect when they schedule an appointment?
Clients can expect friendly and professional customer service with elevated experiences with top-of-the-line products.
What excites you most about your spa?
Sometimes locals overlook a hotel spa. We want to shout it from our rooftop pool how much we love and appreciate the locals who come to Grand Hyatt Nashville to see us. Whether it’s a staycation or a quick drivein, your relaxation is our top priority. Our locals-only specials rotate monthly, and we proudly offer $10 off per treatment Monday-Thursday.
What sets your spa apart from competitors?
We have 10 treatment rooms including touchless services and a couple’s suite with a connected bath soak room, multiple relaxation spaces and a day pass that includes spa, fitness center, and heated rooftop pool access. We’re also the only spa to offer locals wellness membership packages for three months, six months and 12 months.
What services do you offer?
For over 20 years, we have offered our stateand QUAD A-accredited on-site operating room for the privacy and comfort of our patients. In addition to a thorough consultation with the doctor, we also offer technology, like Vectra breast imaging. Our welltrained nurses also function as educators and navigators to guide clients through the aesthetic process.
We are excited to announce the addition of a Sciton laser to DeLozier Aesthetics, which improves complexion and dyspigmentation. This platform supports Moxi and BBL technology. DeLozier Plastic Surgery services also include body contouring (like liposuction and tummy tucks), breast augmentation and facelifts, with nonsurgical options ranging from injectables and threads to facials and lasers. Our highly skilled injectors and aestheticians work together to provide complete treatment plans to every patient.
What advice do you have for clients considering an aesthetic procedure?
If you’re considering a cosmetic procedure, we’re approaching the perfect time of year to get it done. Some procedures require downtime and reduced sun exposure, and the shorter, chillier days in fall and winter can help patients cozy up for at-home healing. We are also happy to offer extended hours for consultations to accommodate busy work schedules.
What can a client expect when they schedule an appointment?
The first step is to book a consultation with our team. Our goal is to educate our clients so you can make the best, most informed decision. We believe in a collaborative consultation, and we welcome all your questions. We will help you examine procedure possibilities and work with you to outline a complete treatment plan.
What’s new at DeLozier Plastic Surgery?
We are thrilled to announce the addition of our newest physician, Dr. Meg Ferguson. Following in the footsteps of her father, Meg is a Nashville native who completed her general surgery residency at the University of Tennessee in Memphis. She went on to complete her plastic surgery residency at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas. During both residencies, Meg’s peers honored her with the Chief Resident Teaching award. She is thrilled to return home and join her father’s respected practice.
What other services do you offer at Kumar Aesthetics?
Kumar Aesthetics is proud to offer Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy (BHRT), but our full scope of services goes beyond that. We offer traditional medical spa treatments, like Botox, filler, facials, lasers and microneedling. We also offer concierge medicine, including physician-assisted weight loss, and direct medicine, which is a unique primary care model.
What can you tell us about the hormone replacement therapy services you offer?
We provide a comprehensive approach to hormone replacement for men and women that is not constrained by the limits of insurance or the narrow approach of most physicians. We utilize laboratory testing well beyond the traditional — like DUTCH Test and ZRT — to determine what is truly going on within a person’s body. He then works to optimize the patient’s hormones, rather than just focusing on one aspect of the patient’s hormonal balance.
We work to find the right program for each individual patient — offering oral hormones, injectables, pellets, creams and more — to ensure they enjoy the greatest return on their investment into their health.
What benefits does hormone replacement therapy at Kumar Aesthetics offer?
Our patients, men and women, are often surprised by the energy, vigor and stamina they’re able to recover when correcting their hormones with us. We find that patients often spend less and see better results with Kumar Aesthetics replacement therapy treatments than they do with endocrinology or other insurance-backed options.
What advice do you have for clients considering hormone replacement therapy?
Men and women naturally lose their hormones throughout their 30s, 40s and 50s, but we want people to know that they don’t have to live without them. Feeling your best is extremely valuable and allows you to enjoy, rather than just tolerate, your life. We’re here to help patients revitalize their lives by optimizing their hormones. Our experts can educate you on the process and help you determine what is right for you.
What sets your practice apart?
Dr. Kumar is a trainer with Empire Medical Training and has educated several injectors and aesthetic practitioners in the Middle Tennessee area. We have been in business at our Franklin location for just over two years, and Dr. Kumar has been doing aesthetic services for nearly 15 years. We truly care about our patients and work to provide service that is second to none. We invite people to read our reviews and compare them to your experience here. We always aim to live up to our reputation and provide an amazing experience for our patients.
THE BONDS OF CHOSEN SISTERHOOD
As housemates, coworkers and friends, three women show how trust and friendship can heal
WHEN RITA ARRIVED at Thistle Farms, the two-year residential program that helps women heal from systems of prostitution and exploitation, she didn’t expect to like the other women who were there.
When working on the streets, other women were the competition, she says. She was nervous about living with other women in a house as part of her recovery, which is the Thistle Farms residential model.
“I’ve got to go live with a lot of other women?” Rita remembers thinking.
“How is that supposed to work?”
But 15 years later, three women — Dorris, Jennifer and Rita — are the best of friends, finishing each other’s sentences, loving each other’s families
and showing up with chocolate when needed. They’ve supported each other through recovery and relapses, been there through the loss of parents, and stood in each other’s weddings.
They’ve seen each other through rebuilding their lives, from graduating and moving out on their own to getting promotions while working at Thistle Farms. (To participate in the free program, women commit to two years of communal residential living, as well as going to therapy, getting a job at Thistle Farms and working toward personal goals.) They shared pride when they got their first paychecks, bank accounts and house keys, at a time when they weren’t used to people trusting them with such responsibility.
The Golden Girls
THE TRIO CALLS themselves “The Golden Girls,” because at ages ranging from 45-53, they were older than other women in their Thistle Farms house. And their long, close friendship has helped not only them — it’s become a role model for other, younger women who are looking to quit working on the streets but are skeptical of trusting others.
“When I came in, I had serious trust issues and I was seriously pissed off at the world,” Jennifer says. “I just needed to laugh more than anything, and these two were the funniest in that ding-dang place. We have gotten kinder and a lot softer (over the years).”
“Sisters for life” is one of Thistle Farms’ mottos.
“But that doesn’t mean we have to always get along,” Dorris says, laughing. Like people who have been friends for years, they also gently rib one another, laughing at past mistakes — be they big life decisions or awkward fashion choices.
A conversation with all three of them in the same room is a roller coaster of emotion. They laugh and talk about good times, and they also get teary or silently pull back when talking about tough times. Sometimes, the conversation even gets a little bit raunchy.
Like the best of friends, they’ll tell each other when they think someone’s wrong or has made a mistake. And thanks to what they’ve experienced at Thistle Farms, they now forgive themselves and each other.
Most of all, they’ve learned to trust again, which is one of the hardest lessons of recovery — and something they’re teaching other women at Thistle Farms.
Sisters for Life
WHEN DORRIS’ MOTHER died, she didn’t want to leave the house. Her friends tried to get her to come spend time with them. “It was crazy, because I would say, ‘No, I can’t go nowhere, because my mom might come,’” Dorris says. “I wanted to sit still so I could feel her presence.”
Her friends honored that, but they also made sure Dorris knew she wasn’t alone, particularly during holidays. On Easter, Dorris’ mom’s favorite holiday, Rita gave Dorris praying hands made of chocolate inscribed with the Serenity Prayer — a mantra that’s essential to the Thistle Farms way. Dorris was struck by how pretty the chocolate was. Eventually though, she admits, she did eat it, because many people enjoy eating more sugar after they stop drinking alcohol or doing drugs.
The friends got a DVD player so they could watch movies (no scary movies, please), and they focused on playing cards (mostly spades) and spending time together on Friday nights. Friday nights were the
hardest, Dorris says, because that’s the crucial night when working on the streets. Many people get paid on Fridays and have extra cash. Staying home on a Friday and not having to hustle was an adjustment, and Rita and Jennifer made it easier.
While the women wanted to change their lives, Jennifer concedes it was a hard decision. “I was addicted to that wild, fast-paced, high-risk life I was living,” she says. When she decided to enter Thistle Farms, she thought, “Oh man, my life’s gonna slow down. It’s gonna be boring as hell.”
But things change. “When you just start transforming, you are happy for real,” she says. “We laugh together because there are genuinely funny things — and it’s not at the expense of somebody else, and it’s not induced by drugs.”
BY MARGARET LITTMAN PHOTOGRAPHS BY ANGELINA CASTILLO
WELL TRAVELED
The Center for Health & Wellbeing teaches lifestyle changes
THE CENTER FOR Health & Wellbeing — the name makes it sound like it could be anywhere. But this is The Center for Health & Wellbeing at the Four Seasons Westlake Village. So while the name may be nondescript, the experience is unlike what you’ll find anywhere else.
I joined a cohort of seven people — from New York, Florida, Tennessee, Arizona and California — the first weekend of January to jump-start my new year and find out firsthand how a Four Seasons wellness retreat differed from others. We signed up for four days and three nights together and didn’t really know what we were in for. Our ages ranged from a recent college graduate to a retiree. (And don’t make assumptions — the retiree was a former athlete who out-hiked us all.)
We met at The Center for Health & Wellbeing, a retreat center inside
the Four Seasons Westlake Village hotel with its own kitchen, a patio with access to fresh herbs and vegetables, a yoga and meditation room, communal space and offices.
We arrived at the hotel, which is nestled between the Santa Monica Mountains and Malibu beaches in one of the most affluent communities in California, ready to push our bodies and our minds. Many, if not most, of us had attended other fitness retreats. But we soon discovered this wasn’t the kind of retreat where you extremely restrict calories, exercise all day, and drop pounds quickly — only to get home and wonder how to maintain your progress. Instead, the focus at The Center for Health & Wellbeing is on lifestyle changes and creating habits for longevity — habits that will last.
Choose Your Adventure
AFTER INTRODUCTIONS AND a warm-up outdoor yoga class, we cooked dinner together — with the help of the center’s chefs, who laid out ingredients for their recipes, mise en place. As we started chopping, we learned that food at the retreat would be healthy, but also flavorful and abundant. Cooking together and teaching each other new techniques — from emulsifying salad dressings to charring broccoli — would be a bonding exercise to last the weekend and beyond. “I really didn’t know how involved the program would be,” says Missy Funk, who signed up to spend the weekend with a friend who wanted to celebrate his birthday.
To get started, we selected one of three tracks: sustainable weight management, optimum performance, or spa and beauty. Then we completed questionnaires about our habits and goals and had a pre-retreat phone call to review it all. I’ve been working on increasing strength and recovering from a torn meniscus, so I chose optimum performance, which included VO2 max testing and consultations with trainers and nutritionists.
The all-inclusive retreat includes lectures, workshops and meals. There are group hikes in the Santa Monica Mountains, indoor and outdoor yoga classes, and group meditation sessions. There is also one-on-one programming based on each track. Experts include registered dietitians, clinical psychologists, sleep specialists, fitness trainers and more.
Missy, who is no stranger to healthy eating or cooking, was pleasantly surprised by what she learned over the weekend, particularly at a dinner with Dr. Sam A. Kashani, a UCLA boardcertified sleep medicine specialist. Missy has suffered from insomnia for years (globe-trotting and a work schedule that requires international travel really messes with your circadian rhythms), and having a conversation with an expert outside of a clinical environment helped her think about the problem differently.
After dinner, we went back to our rooms at the Four Seasons, which were made up for an optimum night’s sleep. There were no little red lights to distract us from getting shut-eye. Each room had blackout curtains, drawn during turn-down service. A copy of Marc Milstein’s book, The AgeProof Brain: New Strategies to Improve Memory, Protect Immunity, and Fight Off Dementia was on the bed, opened to the sleep chapter. We also received some lavender spray to use on the sheets and a custom tea blend to sip before bed.
Step by Step
I FOUND THE APPROACHES to nutrition and fitness similarly useful. The advice from Diane Grabowski-Nepa, a registered dietician, was easily adapted for grocery shopping back home. For example, instead of encouraging me to memorize formulas for calculating appropriate sodium content (which I know I won’t do), she offered a shortcut — determining if food is “too salty” (for someone with an average diet) if it has more than 1 milligram of sodium per calorie. I can do that math on the fly while browsing shelves at the Turnip Truck. The nutrition advice was focused on aging healthy, fighting disease, and working around personal limitations (such as dietary restrictions, preferences and time constraints), rather than fads.
Everyone in our group loved our breakfast talk from exercise physiologist Scott Silveira. He addressed the issue of loss of muscle mass, which can start as early as age 35, and encouraged us to look at exercise holistically, with its effect on the brain as well as the body. He offered advice on exercise frequency, intensity, length and styles, breaking down reps and number of sets for weightlifting. He shared how to add in exercise if you’ve been sedentary, or if you’ve only been doing cardio or strength and need to diversify.
The 12-acre property has gardens — with a waterfall — and I thought I’d be going on long walks there during our free time. But even as the certified introvert that I am, I found myself dining with my cohort for every single meal — and even hanging out in our private hot tub after the retreat ended. Missy and I appreciated the camaraderie of our cohort. We not only ate together, but we also stayed connected postretreat through group texts and chats to support each other back home.
We laughed our way through art therapy, learning to create without editing, and shared our diverse experiences and backgrounds, from training for downwind ocean paddle races (not me) to organizing our fridges so healthy foods are frontand-center (also not me).
Lightbulb Moments
THE 308-ROOM Four Seasons Westlake Village hotel is, of course, open to other guests and events, with its multiple restaurants, bars, pools and workout facilities available while the retreat is in session. And we weren’t relegated solely to the Center for Health & Wellbeing. We worked out in the gym, which is known for attracting high-profile celebrities as members. The hotel has three pools, each with a different vibe — fit for outdoor frolicking, sneaking privacy in a cabana, or lap swimming in a sunny, glass-ceiling-topped indoor pool. And I already mentioned the private hot tubs, which come with drink and meal delivery services.
At 40,000 square feet, the spa is the largest in the Four Seasons chain, with private treatment rooms, an orchid-filled lounge, a private relaxation spa, and large locker rooms with ample amenities. The spa offers traditional spa and salon services, plus acupuncture, hypnotherapy and body and posture work.
Once called the California Health & Longevity Institute (founded by David Murdock, former chairman of Dole Food Company), The Center for Health & Wellbeing uses the design and landscape of the resort wisely. We had our last dinner in the poolside greenhouse, enveloped by the fragrances of the herbs growing around us.
Our post-retreat follow-up included recipes used in the center’s kitchen during our stay, plus a copy of The Wellness Kitchen: Fresh, Flavorful Recipes for a Healthier You cookbook.
“Watching other people have their lightbulb moments was really gratifying,” Missy says. “We were complete strangers who left happier and healthier. Watching the journey of everyone was super uplifting.”
BY MARGARET LITTMAN PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF FOUR SEASONS HOTEL WESTLAKE VILLAGE
CLARITY OF PURPOSE
Warner Parks’ meadow restoration project supports grassland habitats and honors a beloved champion
ON A STEAMY SUMMER MORNING, as mist rises from dewy fields and forests around the sprawling Iroquois Steeplechase grounds, an athletic ecosystem comes to life in Warner Parks. If you listen, you might hear a limber group of early risers unfurling yoga mats at a trailhead, or the gentle tromp of hikers pacing through a waking thicket, or the ticking of bicycles descending a paved road bordering the open field known as the Bread Tray.
But as still as you stand and as hard as you listen in this sanctuary of wildness, there are sounds you likely won’t hear: the songs of birds whose numbers have faded with their dwindling habitats, as native grasslands have become an endangered ecosystem in North America.
Take the eastern meadowlark, for example. Once regularly observed in Warner Parks, the species decreased by 75% between 1970 and 2019, according to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. And that’s not the only vanishing bird. The loggerhead shrike and the American woodcock have also dropped significantly in numbers, reflecting a broad loss of grassy habitats — in Warner Parks and across the country. Tennessee, in particular, has lost almost 95% of its native grasslands.
The nonprofit Friends of Warner Parks is working to combat that decline of habitat and wildlife, restoring native flora to support the fauna that roamed the land before Edwin and Percy Warner Parks were established almost a century ago.
In 2022, Friends of Warner Parks announced a long-term meadow restoration project — in collaboration with Warner Park Nature Center, the Metro Parks Natural Areas division, the Metro Parks Maintenance division, The Nature Conservancy in Tennessee, Invasive Plant Control Inc., Southeastern Grasslands Institute and Davey Resource Group — to restore native grasses to as many as 100 eligible acres throughout the 3,200-acre park system.
“We were thrilled to see a project take off so quickly,” Molly Elkins, Friends of Warner Parks’ senior director of advancement, says of the meadow restoration project, which was announced at Sunday in the Park in November 2022. That speed could be attributed to the widespread love and admiration for Friends of Warner Parks founder Clare Armistead, who died that year and whose family seeded the project to honor her devotion to the natural beauty of Warner Parks.
In the fall of 2023, crews began clearing non-native grasses and invasive species from Nature Center Meadow, a 4.2-acre field near the nature-play children’s area, and from Clare’s Meadow, a 6-acre heart-shaped field behind Steeplechase. Eventually, a palette of native plants — such as sedges, asters, Joe Pye weed, milkweed, coneflowers and more — will replace the more manicured non-native turf.
PHOTOGRAPH BY TERRY COOK
PHOTOGRAPH BY TERRY COOK
“We’re coming back to the idea that lawns and mowed grasses don’t support the native population,” Molly says, adding that many of Warner Parks’ open spaces have been arbitrarily sown with non-native grasses and mowed regularly, eliminating habitats for native species. Restoring native species to Clare’s Meadow and Nature Center Meadow will provide a model for other potential meadow restorations throughout Edwin and Percy Warner Parks and the adjacent Burch Reserve and Hill Forest. So Friends of Warner Parks executive director Jenny Hannon and the meadow restoration team — including Clare’s landscape architect daughterin-law, Tara Armistead — are “listening to the land” to determine which areas would most benefit from the next phase of grassland restoration.
A campaign to restore native plant species in the park’s open areas dovetails with another long-term initiative of Friends of Warner Parks: As the park system approaches its 100th anniversary in 2027, Friends has set the goal of eradicating non-native invasive plant species. Since 2019, Friends, with the help of Invasive Plant Control Inc., has treated 800
acres — approximately one-quarter of the parkland — clearing out nonnative invasive species, such as privet, euonymus and tree of heaven. Next time you’re hiking in the park woods, if you can see daylight through the trees rather than an impenetrable tangle of honeysuckle and understory, chances are the IPC crew has been there. It’s ambitious work that will likely continue long past the centennial celebration.
Meanwhile, the restoration of the Nature Center Meadow and Clare’s Meadow will take several cycles of weeding and seeding before the native grasses and wildflowers take root and flourish. Maybe then the eastern meadowlark, loggerhead shrike and American woodcock will follow.
“We’re hoping their visitation and breeding will increase when the meadows are restored,” Molly says. “To see these birds come back would be incredible.”
BY CARRINGTON FOX
PHOTOGRAPHS
BY
TERRY COOK AND GRAHAM GERDEMAN
SOUND OFF!
The healing practice of sound bathing
MANY ANCIENT CULTURES believed that sound had the power to heal the body from within. Evidence of sound baths — meditative experiences where the body is immersed in sound and vibration — can be found in ancient Egypt, Greece and India. Today, the practice has seen a resurgence, as many look for alternative healing therapies in a tech-weary and anxiety-ridden world.
Sound Bathing
WHILE SOUND THERAPY has been used for centuries for healing and meditation, modern sound bathing derives from the work of Swiss scientist Hans Jenny, who researched the effects of sound waves on physical matter. His discoveries led to the use of sound therapy in modern medicine, as well as the development of ultrasounds and sonography. The 1960s and ’70s saw an uptick in the practice of sound bathing. Today, the practice has grown even more popular — with sound baths available throughout the world.
During a sound bath, healers use a variety of instruments to immerse (or “bathe”) the body in sound. While each sound healer may use different instruments — like Tibetan singing bowls, crystal bowls, gongs, tuning forks and more — they create sounds and vibrations that connect the body and mind while helping to calm the central nervous system. “You can feel the frequencies from instruments, like crystal bowls and gongs, in your body as much as you can hear them in your ears,” says Kayce Laine, a musician, sound healer and teacher at The Sound Healing Academy.
The Experience
WHILE EACH SOUND bathing experience is different, the goal is relaxation. Practitioners wear comfortable clothing and sometimes bring a yoga mat, pillow and blanket. Kayce uses crystal bowls as a focus in her practice and weaves in additional instruments. She also likes to ensure her sound fits the setting. “Louder does not mean more healing, so the experience does not need to be super loud to be effective,” she says. A room with heavy fabrics will absorb more sound than a room with more hard surfaces, she adds, and practiced healers know to adjust the sound accordingly.
Beginners to the practice often experience a wide range of sensations. During one of Kayce’s sound baths, a woman with arthritis reported feeling pain-free for the first time in years. Another client, a veteran, had booked one-on-one sessions to help reduce the tinnitus she’d experienced since a nearly fatal explosion. “After the first session, she told me that her tinnitus was completely gone,” Kayce says. “It turns out, one of the frequencies from one of my bowls seemed to cancel out the ringing in her ears, and she had no ringing in her ears for around 10 days after.”
Where to Find a Sound Bath
KAYCE OFFERS PUBLIC and private sound bath experiences. She’ll soon host a public sound bath at the Frist Art Museum, and she regularly hosts sound baths for SoHo House members and guests.
Kayce notes that many yoga studios in town have occasional soundbathing events. Group and private sessions are also available at HAUM Sound Bath Speakeasy, where practitioners are asked to meditate before the practice and journal about their feelings after the experience.
BY JANET KURTZ
ERIC ENGLAND
BY
PHOTOGRAPHS
I LE AVE IT UP TO YOU
Sushi | Bar, Nashville’s first omakase-only restaurant, opens in the Gulch
OMAKASE — THIS JAPANESE word translates to “I leave it up to you.” In the realm of sushi bars, it has come to describe an intimate dining experience, its numerous varied courses curated by a head sushi chef and meticulously executed by their team. In a meal that is more of an event, a small group of diners surrenders to the expertise of the sushi master — from the select cuts of fish, to the creative fish-rice-toppings combinations, to the interplay between chef and guest. Indeed it begins, at its heart, as a directive to the chef: I leave it up to you.
Following the success of its omakase restaurants in Miami and Austin, Texas, Sushi | Bar Hospitality introduces its concept of this special — and highly specialized — experience to Nashville. Established inside the former Golden Sound recording studio in the Gulch, Sushi | Bar immerses its guests in a speakeasy setting for an impeccable dining adventure.
Before You Begin
AS EACH SEATING is limited to 12 guests, reservations are essential. There are three seatings nightly, each lasting two hours. Once you secure your time, relax and rest assured that all the details will be handled for you.
You’ll receive a text (or email) asking for potential allergies and dietary restrictions, along with instructions to arrive 15 minutes prior to the reservation for your welcome cocktail. Come to the side door marked “SB” on Mansion Street. You’ll step into the small lounge, furnished with mid-century sofas, coffee tables and upholstered chairs. You’ll be greeted by a host, who’ll invite you to make yourself comfortable as they prepare your drink. They’ll also double-check on allergies and ask if you’d like to add supplementals: truffles for the snow crab tasting, caviar for the wagyu. Excitement builds.
A nod to its recording studio roots, the dimly lit room has a Gibson guitar and Fender amp in one corner, iconic black-and-white photographs of Bob Dylan and Keith Richards on the wall, shelves of LPs, and a turntable by the small reception area and bar. Sip your proseccobased drink, and take in the vintage tunes playing in the background. “How does it feel / To be on your own / With no direction home / A complete unknown / Like a rolling stone?”
At the Hands of Masters
WHEN IT’S TIME, you’ll be escorted through the curtains, past a raucous bar, down a hallway to an unmarked room. Inside is the serene world of the omakase sushi masters: three of them, who preside over the immaculate white-marble counter laden with wooden boxes holding a pristine array of fish, along with crocks and bowls of sauces, zests and spice blends. Surrounding on three sides is the dining counter, which seats 12 guests. Look for your nameplate — another nice detail handled in advance — and nestle in. Each place setting includes a beverage menu, a hand towel holder, a bowl of Japanese pickles (marvelous bites between tastings) and a small black stone plate — this is where each course will be placed.
Curiously, there are no chopsticks or utensils. “Everything, with the exception of the blue tuna wrapped in nori, is nigiri: fish over hand-formed sushi rice and toppings,” chef Anthony Martin explains. “We hand-present each nigiri onto the black plate. You take and eat by hand.” On the wall behind the lead chef is a board listing one-word descriptors for each of the tastings. Don’t be daunted by words like “shima-aji,” “kanpachi” or “Sawara” — the chefs explain in detail each preparation, the protein featured and its enhancements.
Beverage director Daniel Fish meets with each guest to go over drink options. There’s a sake pairing, Champagne pairing, wine pairing, whiskey flight, and a selection of wines by the bottle or glass. Bubbly, he notes, goes exceptionally well with sushi. A progression of five primarily French wines — Champagne, Sancerre, Chablis, rosé, pinot noir — is a well-conceived series, as the tasting builds.
It’s important to note that the design of the 16 savory tastings, each constructed as a single bite — although it might be two bites for some — relies on what pristine fish the restaurant can procure from the finest sources around the world in the moment. Hence, the tastings change week to week. Regardless, the beauty of each tasting lies in how it is orchestrated. Each bite builds to the next, as the three chefs deftly carve fish, form rice, brush or drip sauces, and place delicate embellishments or garnishes. Like a conducted symphony or choreographed dance, it is a marvel to behold.
And a pleasure to eat.
T. Lewis Real Estate & Design LLC
Dining Adventure
WHILE WE CAN’T carry you through all of the omakase courses, we can share a few that highlight technique and originality.
Hotate: Scallops sourced from Japan’s Hokkaido region are considered to be the world’s finest. Grown in plankton-rich waters, they are nutrient-packed and have a suppleness that readily accepts the chef’s seasoning of clarified soy sauce, salt and a sprinkle of Australian black winter truffles.
Madai: Red ribbon sorrel — and pearls of encapsulated ponzu that pleasantly burst in your mouth — distinguish this exceptional cut of Japanese red snapper.
Ora King: Impossibly tender, almost melt-away in mouthfeel, and rich in taste, this New Zealand salmon lives up to its kingly title. Before your eyes, the team smokes the filets under a dome. Finishing touches include applewood smoked salt, Granny Smith apple and daikon radish.
Toro: Revered for its texture and flavor, bluefin tuna belly is highly sought-after. The chefs keep this preparation straightforward, lightly torching then seasoning the fish with boutique tamari sauce and a dot of wasabi to best honor the cut.
Zuwaigani: Inherently sweet Japanese snow crab leg is poached in dashi butter, further magnifying its flavor, then draped over rice, and sparked with togarashi spices. This is a time-sensitive dish — best to savor while it’s still warm.
Unagi: Your eyes widen as you watch chef Anthony torching bone marrow, skillfully drizzling the melted fat over freshwater eel. A crown of caramelized shallots deepens the umami, a finale in the series.
Dessert: The 17th tasting is sweet — a luscious and icy concoction of shaved musk melon, ginger, cherry blossom juice and mint. A fitting finish, it counters the richness of the savories that preceded while refreshing the palate.
At the end of the adventure, you feel buoyant — not just from the exceptional food and drink, but from the camaraderie engendered by the collective experience.
“I am honored to be a part of bringing the Sushi | Bar concept to Nashville,” executive chef Francis Arguilla says, summing up the magic of the concept. “We take the traditional sushi counter and infuse it with a unique, fresh perspective — it’s approachable, lively and fun. Our guests begin as strangers, and oftentimes leave having made new friends.”
BY NANCY VIENNEAU PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF DANIELLE ATKINS AND SUSHI | BAR HOSPITALITY
NEW CO AT OF P A INT
TheraPaint Studio offers creative ways to relieve stress
SO OFTEN WE hear the phrase, “Take whatever life throws at you.” Well, the newly opened TheraPaint Studio gives you the chance to throw a little paint back at life. In June, husband-wife duo Jake and Jackie Laurian Long opened a first-of-its-kind paint-throwing studio in Nashville. The idea, born from a particularly stressful time in the couple’s life, began in a home studio, where Jackie invited friends to relieve stress by throwing paint. TheraPaint Studio has since grown into a fun business that invites clients to unwind, release tension and even improve range of motion — all by throwing paint.
At TheraPaint Studio, paint throwing is a luxurious and surprisingly clean experience. Guests dress head-to-toe in protective gear and spend 45 minutes throwing bright, milk-based paint on a compostable canvas. The exercise makes the most of the mind-body connection, helping guests produce endorphins — happy hormones — and release pent-up emotions. After the session, guests can take a moment for private reflection in the Zen Den or the meditation garden, which is grown with compost made from the used canvases. They also leave with a keepsake — a photo of their paint-throwing masterpiece.
Jackie and Jake thoughtfully laid out the studio, embracing luxury, sustainability and calm. The design came alive under Jackie’s direction.
She furnished the space with secondhand pieces and favored eco-friendly paints and materials — all while maintaining some of the historic site’s original elements. After each session, the milk-based paint, paint containers and canvases are composted; the paintbrushes and protective glasses are washed for reuse; and clients are encouraged to save their paintthrowing suits for future visits.
Jackie and Jake have seen clients embrace the experience — even if they were skeptical before giving paint throwing a try. “I have become such a firm believer in traditional and adjunct therapies, especially for men who tend to shy away from such practices,” says Jake, studio co-owner and a former All-Pro NFL player. “Since our opening, we have seen firsthand the positive impact paint throwing has on our clients, and are thrilled to have concrete evidence that it really works.”
TheraPaint Studio is located at 1613 17th Ave. S., Nashville.
BY JANET KURTZ
PHOTOGRAPHS BY ERIC ENGLAND
Show Time
Broadway Brunch Patrons Party jumps, jives and wails
Nashville Repertory Theatre celebrated the ninth annual Broadway Brunch by bringing the event to the Music City Center for the first time. At the patrons party, the 24th floor of the AllianceBernstein campus offered the perfect vantage point of the new venue — and a sprawling downtown view — inviting patrons to imagine all the fun they’d have at the upcoming brunch.
Since its inception in 2021, the Broadway Brunch Patrons Party has always been held at a patron’s house. For the event’s first foray outside the home, dynamic board member Pamela Carter and her husband Michael transformed AllianceBernstein’s gorgeous modern offices into a lounge with speakeasy sensibilities.
Guests enjoyed effervescent purple cocktails and 1920s-style jump, jazz and swing music from The Willies. While the hosts saved the musical theater numbers for Sunday brunch, the decidedly un-shy theater crowd happily chimed in during “Oh When The Saints Go Marching In.”
The AllianceBernstein venue comes with a stellar in-house chef in Eddie Baida, who served passed appetizers of glazed lollipop lamb with garlic mashed potatoes, tuna wontons, and finely cut filet mignon and horseradish sauce on a crostini — not to mention, a well-rounded charcuterie and veggie spread. Fresh, colorful arrangements from Rose Hill Flowers brightened the tables.
Borrowing the mic from The Willies, Rep executive director Drew Ogle, artistic director Micah-Shane Brewer, and co-chairs Kim Hewell and Holli Harrison gave short remarks recognizing event patrons and sponsors.
The hosts sent attendees home with a small bottle of Grey Goose and a voucher for one free ticket to Waitress, which opened at TPAC’s James K. Polk Theater in September. Though Broadway Brunch is something guests always look forward to, the main event is the Rep’s upcoming season. Five fresh shows during the 2024-25 season will keep audiences on their toes, underpinning the patron commitment that money spent at the Rep is money well spent.
BY HANNAH HERNER
PHOTOGRAPHS BY ANGELINA CASTILLO
Danielle Spence, co-chair Holli Harrison, Sithanda Ntuka
Devin Mueller, Samantha Breske Magee
Morel Enoch, Nancy Peacock, Laura and TK Kimbrell
Mary Cavarra, co-chair Kim Hewell
Bob Deal, Jason Bradshaw
CeCe DeCorte, Brooke Ferguson, Jakholbi Murry
Drew Ogle, Micah-Shane Brewer
Full Moon Ptrons Prty
Patrons and politicos mingle for the Tennessee State Museum
s patrons climbed the carpeted steps of The Hermitage Hotel for the annual A Tennessee Waltz Patrons Party, their first impression might have been of lovely co-chair Liz Sillay at the top of the stairs, welcoming each person with a warm smile. Her dapper co-chair Spencer Bowers also circulated, holding court with guests around the lobby.
Several guests had traveled miles to be there. Ashley and Douglas Henry had just come from checking younger son Middleton into his dorm at The University of North Carolina. Austin Pennington had flown in from New York to accompany his mother Anne Cain, who had arranged all the centerpieces for dinner. Busy people make a priority of this annual event, nibbling on such hors d’oeuvres as divine deviled eggs, crab cakes with romesco sauce and crisp tomato pastries.
The flowers brought sunshine inside under a moon-filled sky — bright yellow lilies, fanciful orchids and sunflowers aplenty. Fashions were breezy too — cool trapeze dresses or flowing jackets on several attendees, notably co-chair Liz and Tennessee State Museum executive director Ashley Howell, whose organization benefited from all the festivities.
Hot pink dresses matched the August climate and brought fun to a diverse crowd peppered with state VIPs — among them, Judge Lynda Jones, Sen. Marsha Blackburn and Secretary of State Tre Hargett, one of the co-chairs of A Tennessee Waltz along with his wife Dawn. “Our State Museum goes well beyond its walls,” said Tre. “Our rich history is made available to children without boundaries.”
While the Collectors Council relished cocktails and nibbles on the Veranda , patrons enjoyed dinner, choreographed by the skilled and able staff at The Hermitage Hotel, a venue perfect for this party. Tables were topped with pale-blue velvet cloths — think Versailles. The menu was perfection: kale and quinoa salad with candied pecans, braised short ribs over grits and vegetables, and decadent tiramisu.
It felt fitting to close an elegant evening with music by the Modern Mozarts, named for the composer who died five years before John Sevier was appointed our first governor. Want the full story? Visit the Tennessee State Museum.
BY BETH C. ALEXANDER PHOTOGRAPHS BY ERIC ENGLAND
Elizabeth and Wes Scott, Christina Temple, co-chair Liz Sillay
Bob and Susan Falk
Caitlin Adgent, Anne Cain, John Adgent, Nancy Russell, Katie Adgent, Libby Daughdrill
Tony and Donna Bowers, co-chair Spencer Bowers
Thomas Barrett, Belinda Berry
Sabrina and John Hooper
Melinda Welton, Ashley Howell, John Noel
Anne Goetze, Dianne Neal, Lynda Jones
For the Love of Son
Even the sparrows were singing in tune for the Nashville Rep’s Broadway Brunch
During the moments before the curtain rises at a performance, excitement is palpable — just as it was for the 400 guests who attended the Nashville Repertory Theatre’s Broadway Brunch at the Music City Center. As guests enjoyed mimosas and bloody marys, many jockeyed for hugs from Rep co-founder Mac Pirkle. He and fellow co-founder Martha Ingram — represented by her lovely granddaughters — were Broadway Brunch’s Ovation Award recipients in the event’s ninth year of delivering energy and music to an enthusiastic crowd.
Co-chairs Kim Hewell and Holli Harrison planned a yummy brunch. Highlights included a piping-hot cheese soufflé that appeared as the first number began — with clever lyrics reworked for Piper Jones and the Broadway Brunch performers, all favorites of Rep regulars.
For this year’s performance, artistic director Micah-Shane Brewer sandwiched songs from musicals — classic, groundbreaking, rousing or reflective — between business items of the day. Nashville Rep executive director Drew Ogle highlighted bits of the live auction, offered a tantalizing preview of the upcoming 40th season, and presented this year’s Ovation Awards.
This year, the Rep is celebrating 40 years of musical theater in Nashville. “Theater connects us,” Mac said. “We sit in the dark and all experience the same thing together. Through theater, we get to know each other.” Mac produced more than 65 productions during his 15-year tenure as the Rep’s executive director, and his influence and legacy have only grown more significant since.
“The ethereal nature of what we do vibrates with the audience,” he continued, “then melts away like a dream.” A table full of Rep originals reminisced, applauded and were no doubt moved by his reflections on their contributions to theater brought to vibrant life at the Rep.
Martha’s hard work to upgrade the cultural landscape of Music City over decades, starting with the campaign to create TPAC, included plans for four resident arts companies, outgrowths of her love for the arts. Mac called her “the undisputed power behind the renaissance of the arts in Nashville.” She’s brought theater — not just to her children — but to half a million Nashville children since the Rep began. To hear Martha enunciate “theateh” in her elegant Charlestonian vernacular is to hear the culture she knew and imagined for us all.
BY BETH C. ALEXANDER PHOTOGRAPHS BY ERIC ENGLAND AND MICHAEL SCOTT EVANS Co-chairs
Libby Riggins, Emily Humphreys
Sue Fort White, Mac and Karen Pirkle
Kim Hewell, Holli Harrison
Amos Glass, Fidela Werner, Lenai Augustine, Brooke Ferguson
Laurie Eskind, Vicki Horne, Katie Crumbo
Mac Pirkle
Revi Ferrer, Denise Cummins
Jason Bradshaw, Micah-Shane Brewer, Keri McInnis, Bob Deal
Vic and Kat Balch, co-chair Kim Hewell and Norm Scarborough
Rob Turner and Jay Jones, Anna Page, Jacob Tudor
Howard Snyder, Hayley and Jacob Kupin
Jeanette Barker, Kayla Counts
Carol Penterman, John Hoomes
Adam Sansiveri, Kendall Brown
Joycelyn Stevenson, April Knox
Nancy Allen and Marc Goldstone, Douglas Waterbury-Tieman and Annabelle Fox Tieman
River of Drems
The River Swing Patrons Party celebrates 25 years of the Harpeth Conservancy
Dozens of donors, sponsors and supporters came together on a beautiful August evening for the Harpeth Conservancy’s annual River Swing Patrons Party. Guests gathered at The Bedford and enjoyed hors d’oeuvres from Martin’s Bar-B-Que Joint, Kvell Vodka drinks and Melograno Cocktails from Lipman Brothers, a silent auction and live music from Collins Horton.
“Our patron party is our opportunity to give back to you and say thank you for all of the support that you give us,” CEO Grace Stranch said. “You know our vision is healthy rivers, clean water and healthy rivers and Tennessee … and all of you are some of our biggest champions who make our work possible.”
2024 marks Harpeth Conservancy’s 25th year, an anniversary that saw the group launch its Tennessee Water Watch river advisory system to monitor and publicly report E. coli levels at “select, highly recreated river access points in Middle Tennessee.”
It also marks the 21st anniversary of Harpeth Conservancy’s annual River Swing fundraiser, featuring live performances from The Revivalists, JB Strauss and DJ Marissa Sardar. The party is a fan favorite — one Nfocus readers have named Best Event two years in a row. “It really does take a tremendous amount of volunteers to pull off River Swing,” president and founder Dorie Bolze said. “It also takes a tremendously creative, dedicated staff.”
The Patrons Party, sponsored by Harpeth Architects and Whitestone Enterprises, culminated in a toast led by board chair Courtney Laginess. “We are the river,” he said. “United, we are the solution.”
BY HAMILTON MATTHEW MASTERS PHOTOGRAPHS BY HAMILTON MATTHEW MASTERS
Marilynn and Michael Mitchell
Jeremy and Lee Ann Cox, Leslie and Judd Sandstrom
John Guider, Grace Stranch
Dorie Bolze
Madalyn Bradley, Kayla Walker
Courtney Laginess
Maggie and Matt Kuyper
Anna Barnes, Carrie DuRard
Givin Grce
Community leaders share poignant advice at the Nashville Post’s Most Powerful Women luncheon
It was a stunning summer day when guests arrived at City Winery for the Nashville Post’s Most Powerful Women luncheon presented by PNC Bank. The annual event also featured the most recent class of Nfocus Model Behavior honorees. As friends visited in the lobby before the luncheon, they admired a series of Nfocus covers featuring the honorees, and many of the honorees took selfies or posed beside their cover. A balloon-festooned selfie studio offered the perfect backdrop for fun group photos, adding to the already high energy of the day.
When the doors opened, guests streamed into the main venue for lunch and an incredibly engaging panel discussion. Gift bags decorated each chair, greeting guests as they sat down to enjoy a delicious meal of grilled chicken on a bed of quinoa and kale.
After welcome remarks and thank-yous to sponsors, I recognized this year’s Model Behavior honorees and introduced panel moderator Janet Miller, CEO of Colliers International Nashville. Joining her onstage were the Nashville Post’s 2024 Most Powerful Women honorees: Danielle Barnes, CEO and president of Girl Scouts of Middle Tennessee; Katina Beard, CEO of Matthew Walker Comprehensive Health Center; Michelle Kennedy, president and alternate governor of the Nashville Predators; and Candice McQueen, president of Lipscomb University.
Janet masterfully guided the conversation, prompting the leaders to reflect on their career paths, advice they’ve been given and other heartfelt sentiments — like how they use humor to lead more effectively. Danielle talked about how a card from her daughter inspired her to change career paths. Michelle noted that great leaders often put others first — a trait all of 2024’s Most Powerful Women embody. “I don’t think you can be a good leader without thinking of other people,” she said.
BY JANET KURTZ
PHOTOGRAPHS BY ERIC ENGLAND AND HAMILTON MATTHEW MASTERS
Model Behavior honorees Char Dennis, Natalie Clements, Marianne Byrd, Torrey Barnhill, Nancy Peterson Hearn, Arnita Ozgener, Liz Sillay, Gail Alexander, Jade Sampson
Erin Tao, Judith McCoy, Model Behavior honoree Janie Busbee, Denise Anderson
Nancy Russell, Model Behavior honoree Liz Sillay
Michelle Kennedy
Susie Long, Valerie Hart, Wendy Timmons
Janet Miller with Most Powerful Women honorees Danielle Barnes, Katina Beard, Michelle Kennedy, Candice McQueen
Michael Draper, Katie Richards, Molly Haynes
Nancy Peterson Hearn, Ruthie Keene, Model Behavior honoree Marianne Byrd
Anna-Vija, Isabel Tipton-Krispin, Virginia Ezell Briley
Ronda Webb-Stewart, Sonja Mallery
Arnita and Tim Ozgener
Amy Keith, Mayra Lehman-Grimes, George Clements
Model Behavior honoree Jade Sampson, Tanya Washington
Danielle Barnes
Catie Lane Bailey, Laura Merritt
Sabrina Miller, Sharon Roberson Yvette Boyd
Felicia Paul
Sve My Plce
The Heritage Ball Patrons Party builds anticipation for the main event
On a sunny September evening, guests arrived at Janis and Perry Schonfeld’s stunning home for the Heritage Ball Patrons Party. The annual event creates excitement and energy around the forthcoming Heritage Ball, supporting the Heritage Foundation of Williamson County. Celebrating 51 years, the Heritage Ball is the longest-running black-tie event in Williamson County. Co-chairs Kaye and Steve George — decades-long supporters of the organization — were on hand to visit with guests and donors.
The preservation-minded crowd mixed and mingled as they enjoyed a range of beautiful and delicious hors d’oeuvres. Servers ferried plump bacon-wrapped dates through each room, tempting anyone who hadn’t already had their fill from the impressive buffet. Guests enjoyed wines and cocktails — including an inventive signature drink.
As guests gathered on the patio, Bari Beasley, Heritage Foundation president and CEO, reminded everyone why they were there. “As many of you already know, we’re a 57-year-old organization that’s in the business of saving places and stories that matter,” she said, before thanking the many patrons and supporters in the crowd. After sincere welcomes from Perry and a thank-you from Steve, Bari introduced Chuck McDowell, who — with his wife Jo Ellen — owns Medical House Calls, the presenting sponsor for the evening.
Bari closed the night’s remarks with a beautiful sentiment: “It’s about saving historic buildings and just creating a quality of life that makes this community so special.”
BY JANET KURTZ
PHOTOGRAPHS BY ERIC ENGLAND
David Garrett, Janis and Perry Schonfeld
Co-chairs Kaye and Steve George
Carol Watson, Lauren Bradford, Dallas Wilson, Heather Kantor
Kay Heller, Bari Beasley, Rod Heller
Jamey and Jennifer Parker with Kelsy
Trent and Bethni Hemphill
Larry and Leiyan Keele
Chuck McDowell
5
4
A Leendry
Dy
Chukkers for Charity celebrates its 28th year with polo legends
On a stunning Saturday in September, polo fans and supporters of the Rochelle Center and Saddle Up! arrived at Riverview Farm for the 28th annual Chukkers for Charity. The Rochelle Center offers services to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, while Saddle Up! provides children and youth with disabilities the opportunity to grow and develop through therapeutic, educational and recreational activities with horses. This year’s match was particularly special, as polo legends Adam Snow and Nic Roldan headlined the teams competing. Adam is one of America’s greatest polo players, while Nic made history as the youngest player to win the U.S. Open Polo Championship at just 15 years old.
With two top-tier polo players leading the teams, this year’s Chukkers theme was, aptly, Legends of the Fall. Spectators filled the cabanas and tailgate tents, donning their Prohibition-era Montana finery as they cheered on the players. Vintage boots, waistcoats, wire-frame spectacles and long skirts dotted the crowd. Co-chairs Falon Veit Scott and Brittany Haugh, avid Chukkers volunteers and nonprofit supporters, visited with guests throughout the rousing event.
Players and their horses raced up and down the field, and the competition was fierce. Midway through the match, spectators made their way onto the field for the traditional divot stomping. While on the field, guests interacted with two sweet miniature horses — therapy animals in training. Children in the audience enjoyed a heartwarming stick horse race.
Once halftime concluded, everyone found their way back to their spots to watch the second half of the match. As the thrilling competition continued, spectators enjoyed a delicious picnic lunch in the comfortable shade of their tents and cabanas. In the end, Ironhorse Farms (helmed by Nic) eked out a victory over Lifepoint Health (helmed by Adam) with a final score of 7-6.
Chukkers for Charity is Tennessee’s largest and highest-grossing charity polo match, having raised more than $2.8 million since 1996.
BY JANET KURTZ PHOTOGRAPHS BY ANGELINA CASTILLO
Kate and Hank Ingram with Ford
Dana Burke, John Menefee, Amy Renda
Saddle Up! rider taking the field
Joseph Cuchetto, Nina Lindley, Courtney Laginess
Co-chair Brittany Haugh, Chuck McDowell, co-chair Falon Veit Scott
Audrey Kidd, Debbie Chadwick
Cody and Josie Horchak, Janet and Earl Bentz
David Andrews, Lance Gruner
Matt Paco, Blair Bego Saddle Up! and Rochelle Center team
Polo players Adam Snow and Nic Roldan
Jennifer Parker, Jennifer Riskevich, Jamey Parker
Eric Ellis Sarah Pickens, Liz Jewell
Hts Off
The Sexual Assault Center celebrates its 32nd annual Mad Hatter gala
On a beautiful September evening, guests gathered at the Four Seasons Hotel Nashville for the 32nd annual Mad Hatter gala. The Sexual Assault Center’s signature event raised record-breaking funds for the organization and drew several-hundred attendees.
“The generous and giving spirit of the Nashville community is truly unmatched,” said SAC president Rachel Freeman. “This year’s Mad Hatter gala raised record funds to grow SAC’s impact across Middle Tennessee.” Funds raised at the event cover services like rape kits, crisis support, therapy, emergency relief and safe bar training — which helps local bar owners and staff members identify and intervene in situations where there’s a risk of sexual assault. “Thank you to this incredible community for supporting our mission to end sexual assault and support survivors,” Rachel added.
Evoking the spirit of imagination, guests came in their most creative hats, with ensembles to match. Immersive experiences throughout the event brought the SAC’s work to life. One video experience, SEEN, featured the triumphant stories of six survivors alongside powerful images by Nashville photographer Dan Heller. The SAC also celebrated recent accomplishments, like the passage of Danielle’s Law, which extends the statute of limitations for some sexual assault cases.
“Sexual Assault Center supported and advocated for me throughout the most challenging period of my life,” said survivor Danielle Pyle, for whom the law is named. “They were integral to the passage of Danielle’s Law, which will allow countless survivors in Tennessee, like me, to bring their attackers to justice.” On behalf of everyone who’s been impacted by the SAC’s work, Danielle offered heartfelt thanks to the organization and its supporters.
Guests perused the silent auction while enjoying signature cocktails, passed hors d’oeuvres and an expansive charcuterie spread. Dinner featured a pasta station and brisket carving station, all prepared by the Four Seasons Hotel Nashville. After an inspiring program and Danielle’s poignant testimony, a lively dance party broke out — wrapping up the evening on a high note.
BY MELISSA CORBIN PHOTOGRAPHS BY ERIC ENGLAND
Earnest Morgan, Toni Thomas
Natalie and Darden Copeland, Chris and Stefany Bonfield
Bob and Rachel Freeman, Erin Schorn, Mavis Schorn
Maria and Rob Beckham, Dave and Christine Longwill
Danielle Pyle, Lorraine McGuire
Co-chairs Katie Marchetti, Monique Villa Capra
Alex Nelson, Erin Di Fiore
NASHVILLE SYMPHONY
Mkin n Impct
Goodwill Impact Awards honor tales of transformation
“Iapplied for a job, and Goodwill gave me a life,” said Byron Sheffield, one of three honorees at the Goodwill Impact Awards. Byron’s story of growing from addiction on the streets to employment and leadership was one of three touching “Tales of Transformation” at the annual celebration of Goodwill Industries of Middle Tennessee.
A relatively new fixture on the autumn calendar, the 4-yearold Impact Awards have helped share the story of the nonprofit, which has quietly served the region for a century. Success stories include Impact Award recipient Tanisha Johnson, who found her way from a life surrounded by violence to a career-coaching program and a client-facing job at Goodwill’s corporate offices in Germantown, and Achiever of the Year Robbie Chandler, who overcame addiction, received construction training and became a maintenance technician.
Synonymous with closet clean-outs and upcycling, Goodwill provides many more services than collecting and reselling items through its retail outlets and e-commerce platform. With free classes and curricula in technology, construction and other high-demand job skills, like forklift operation, Goodwill seeks to change lives through education, training and employment. Event chairs Mary Lindley Hubbard and Patti Smallwood conveyed that message eloquently from the podium, while dressed elegantly in outfits they purchased from Goodwill’s online store.
Goodwill is currently in the process of consolidating corporate offices and education programs at a new MetroCenter location, president and CEO Matthew Bourlakas announced to a luncheon audience of almost 700 guests. The new Opportunity Campus will house job-training programs, including the construction course and a four-week solar-panel-installation class that prepares participants for jobs in the high-growth clean energy sector.
In addition to workforce development training programs, the Opportunity Campus, due to open in 2025, will house a high school program for adults who want to earn a secondary school diploma but need flexible scheduling to accommodate work and other demands.
BY CARRINGTON FOX PHOTOGRAPHS BY ANGELINA CASTILLO
Co-chairs Patti Smallwood, Mary Lindley Hubbard
Courtney Ross, Tammy Johnston
Matthew Bourlakas
Tanisha Johnson, Neal Brad Thomason
Rhori Johnston
Deborah Taylor Tate, David Topping
Byron Sheffield, Danny Rhodes
4404 Shys Hill Road
Force for Good
The annual Girl Scout Luncheon addresses the challenges girls face today
It was a full house at the Grand Hyatt Nashville for the annual Girl Scouts of Middle Tennessee luncheon. As is tradition, a troop of Girl Scouts handled the flag ceremony and led the crowd in the Pledge of Allegiance, the Girl Scout Promise and Law and a moment of silence for quiet personal reflection.
As guests returned to their seats and began lunch, Danielle Barnes, president and CEO of Girl Scouts of Middle Tennessee, addressed the room. She opened her comments with stories of Juliette Gordon Low, the founder of Girl Scouts of the USA, who had the vision and tenacity to create a movement where girls could come together, support each other and reach their full potential. Danielle noted that when Girl Scouts began in 1912, the United States was on the eve of momentous events, like World War I and the Great Depression. “Juliet allowed our girls to know their own individual power, to do what some said was impossible — to form friendships and engage in activities and recognize their individual collective power and to literally, quite literally, change the world,” she said.
Then, board member Jeremy Swartz introduced the keynote speaker: Crissy Haslam, former first lady of Tennessee. As she opened her speech, Crissy discussed the times she encouraged her husband — who had already spoken to the Boy Scouts of America in Tennessee twice — to engage with the Girl Scouts and speak at their luncheons as well, which he did. Crissy also discussed the unique difficulties girls face today, noting that isolation and anxiety are on the rise among teenage girls. She spoke about the bonds of friendship created through Girl Scouts: Participation helps girls meet new people, feel part of something bigger and develop their potential.
BY JANET KURTZ
PHOTOGRAPHS BY ERIC ENGLAND
Danielle Barnes
Adrienne Battle, Laura Encalade
Crissy Haslam
Courtney Tate, Ashley Edwards
Clint Story, Michelle Gaskin Brown
Grace, Makaylyn, Emilee, Sarah, Hunter, Paige
Jeremy Swartz
Strliht Express
The Store turns the spotlight on Nashville’s professional stars
For the first time, Nashville professionals took to the stage to showcase their talents in the competition fundraiser Nashville’s Got Talent to support The Store — a nonprofit organization addressing food insecurity founded by Kimberly Williams-Paisley and Brad Paisley.
Bands of doctors and brokers, a clogging duo, a stand-up comic, a ballet dancer and several singers all competed for the celebrity judges’ approval. Actress Melissa Joan Hart, five-time Grammy winner Steven Curtis Chapman, and songwriters Chuck Harmony and Claude Kelly (together known as Louis York) sat together to watch the performances — and didn’t hesitate to share their praise for the talent onstage.
Ultimately, they awarded the Most Inspired Performance to Judge Sheila Calloway for her rendition of “I Will Survive,” which had everyone jumping to their feet, clapping and singing along. Olivia Copeland, from the Hutton Hotel, was named the audience favorite for her smooth jazz vocals. Wesley Belden, Raise Financial CEO — and stand-up comic for the night — was recognized as the evening’s biggest fundraiser.
The band Soul Incision closed out the show with a passionate final performance, and The Store CEO Collen Mayer took a moment to spotlight the nonprofit’s mission. Nashville’s Got Talent supports The Store’s “Doubling Our Difference” initiative, which seeks to double the number of families the organization serves. With the funds raised from the show, The Store can provide 250 families with food and support services for an entire year.
“It’s just so cool to see the community really rallying for The Store,” Kimberly told Nfocus. “It’s really nice for us to see the boat take off on its own … It means the world for us to see people come out and support this nonprofit.”
BY NICOLLE PRAINO PHOTOGRAPHS BY ANGELINA CASTILLO
John Nefflen, David Rosselli
Ryan and Sarah Armstrong
Chuck Harmony, Claude Kelly, Melissa Joan Hart, Steven Curtis Chapman
Kimberly Williams-Paisley
Bill Buckley, Kimberly Williams-Paisley
Hal Cato, Tom Ozburn
Sinin in the Rin
Sunset Safari offers epicurean delights between raindrops
s guests arrived for the Nashville Zoo’s annual Sunset Safari, the skies darkened and the rain that had been threatening to come finally arrived. But the brief downpour didn’t dampen the spirits of the conservation enthusiasts and food lovers. In fact, it left behind a blanket of mist that created an ethereal glow throughout the zoo.
Patrons and supporters of the Nashville Zoo gathered early in the VIP tent. Trays of hors d’oeuvres made their way through the crowd, and many guests enjoyed the beautiful cheese-and-charcuterie display in the center of the tent. Co-chairs Chip Wilkison and Maggie Finn mingled with attendees throughout the evening.
Outside the tent, in Festival Field, guests enjoyed performances by The Music City Sound, Jonny Gray and circus company Beyond Wings. Adventurous guests got tarot card readings from The Emerald Eye. Epicurean delights were on full display, as some of Nashville’s best eateries peppered the zoo’s trail. Joe Muer Seafood, Kayne Prime, Elliston Place Soda Shop, and Curry and Tikka were just a few of the establishments offering up culinary bliss. Some chose to forget calorie counting for the evening and enjoyed one (or two) of Puckett’s Restaurant’s “Piggy Macs” — smoked, pulled pork topped with delicious mac and cheese. Tiff’s Treats Cookie Delivery, Tempered Fine Chocolate and more were strategically positioned to tempt anyone with a sweet tooth.
The stars of the night were the animal ambassadors that greeted guests throughout the event. On arrival, guests met Branch and his best friend Poppy — both Juliana pigs, which are some of the smallest around. Along the path to the VIP tent, hyacinth macaws called out as guests walked by. These animal encounters brought home the important work the Nashville Zoo does every day. With over 350 species, 100 of which are in a species survival program, the zoo works tirelessly to help protect and preserve the biodiversity of our planet.
BY JANET KURTZ
PHOTOGRAPHS BY ANGELINA CASTILLO
Gerry Finkelston, Alli Lindroth
Paul Jones, Joe and Mollie Lacher, Cameron Jones
George and Lydia Armistead
Co-chairs Chip Wilkison, Maggie Finn
Anne Sanford, Christine and Chris Kaddaras
Margaret Stone, Denis Tamas
Kelly and Jacob Unger
Will Finn, John White, David Best
Matt and Sandra Morgan
IN 1898, the Daughters of Charity — at the request of Bishop Thomas S. Byrne — opened a hospital in the former mansion of Judge J.M. Dickinson at the corner of Hayes Street and 20th Avenue. Taking the name of the bishop’s patron saint, Saint Thomas Hospital became known as a refuge for the sick, but the 26-bed facility was quickly outgrown. In 1902, the Daughters of Charity opened a new 333-bed hospital near the old site to accommodate more patients. In 1972, Saint Thomas Hospital West moved to its current campus on Harding Road.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF ASCENSION SAINT THOMAS
