B-metro November by Fergus Media

Remembering Sadie: A Life Too Brief Captured in Art

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Metro Birmingham Living

Being Frank

Energy, love and care: the magic of great restaurants

Frank Stitt, winner of the first Frank Stitt Award for Industry Excellence presented by FOOD+ Culutre

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ct 23 $4.99

Issue #135

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Frank and Pardis Stitt (page 78) (PHOTO BY CALEB CHANCY)

FEATURES

Lane Harper’s Power of Life (page 8)

8.Officer Harper’s Power of Life Lane Harper has dedicated more than 15 years to helping people facing difficult times in the Birmingham area. Harper is a Birmingham Police Officer, executive director of a nonprofit, a self-defense trainer, martial arts expert and an actor. Photography By Beau Gustafson 74. It’s Barbie’s World Apparently we are just living in it. Photography by Chuck St. John

86. Remembering Sadie Artist Gary Chapman memorializes in art the too-brief life of his daughter Sadie. 94. A Brand of His Own For two decades Rush Garner has made wine his life’s work. 102. Heroes & Villains A Disney costume extravaganza comes to the BMA. Partner Content

13. Faces of Birmingham A showcase of innovative, 78. Being Frank successful Birmingham “The magic of restaurants is when businesses and organizations. they become more than the sum of their parts. It’s the energy, and love; it’s the care.” Photography By Beau Gustafson

Cover Photo by Beau Gustafson Volume 13 Number 3

N0.—136

B–Metro is published from offices at 712 47th Street South Birmingham, AL 35222 (205) 427-6583

83. Food + The inaugural FOOD+Culture Festival will be held October 1215 will share the unique flavors and cultural vibrancy of the community. A memory in art. (page 86)

Her cure happened

14..Cahaba Dermatology & Skin Health Center 18..Andrews Sports Medicine 20..Alabama Ballet 22..Alabama Roofing 24..Birmingham Jefferson Convention Complex 26..Campbell Partners LLC 28..Christopher Architecture & Interiors 30..Creative Cabinets and Design 32..Diamond Studios 34..CCR Architecture and Interiors 36..Farris Riley & Pitt 38..Southern Med Law 40..Go Pro Event Solutions 40..Denise Koch Events 42..Glenda Cochran Associates 44..Chad Thomas Hagwood, Lument 46..Premier Air 48..The Prewitt Group 50..The Rose Law Firm 52..Southern Sky Aviation 54..Superior Automotive 56..Two Men and A Truck 58..Medical West Emergency Dept 60..Alabama Holocaust Center 61..Baker Camp Arnold Capital Management 62..Birmingham-Southern College 63..Birmingham Breast Care Center 64..Dog Days of Birmingham 65..The Fish Market-Southside 66..The Fred Smith Group, RealtySouth 67..Jimmie Hale Mission 68..Fine Art Services 69..Northwestern Mutual, McKinley Wiggins 70..Southern Bath & Kitchens 71..Swag Home Staging & Design 72..Virginia Samford Theatre 73..Weigh to Wellness

Kennedi is cured of sickle cell disease thanks to a life-changing bone marrow transplant she received from her sister at Children’s of Alabama. The amazing treatments, discoveries and innovations for pediatric blood disorders and cancer happening here are helping change lives for the children of Alabama, across the country and around the world.

ChildrensAL.org

eat It’s all for the love of biscuits at this Cahaba Heights breakfast and brunch spot. Biscuit Love’s menu offers breakfast and lunch favorites with a twist centered around biscuits, baked with love. Fan favorites include Bonuts, fried biscuit dough tossed in sugar and topped with lemon mascarpone and served with blueberry compote, and the East Nasty, a buttermilk biscuit topped with fried boneless chicken thigh, aged cheddar, and sausage gravy that was named the best sandwich in the country by Bon Appétit editors in 2015. Other biscuit-centric standouts include the B-Roll–a biscuit cinnamon roll topped with pecan sticky bun sauce and cream cheese icing, the Princess, a buttermilk biscuit topped with Nashville-style spicy boneless “hot chicken” thigh, pickles, mustard, and honey, The Gertie, a buttermilk biscuit topped with peanut butter frosting, fresh bananas, and pretzel crunch

COMMEMORATIVE GLASS

13 oz Belgian. See website for 2023 Design.

presented by

served on top of chocolate gravy, and the Southern Benny–an open-faced buttermilk biscuit topped with shaved country ham, two over-easy eggs, and sausage gravy. Biscuit-less menu items include the Lindstrom, a salad of shaved Brussels sprouts, hazelnuts, parmesan, lemon vinaigrette, and two poached eggs, Hungry Hash Bowl with fried potatoes topped in sausage gravy, bacon, two over-easy eggs, and garnished with green onions, Chronic Bacon sweet and spicy thick-cut bacon, and stone-ground Cheese Grits. This Nashville-founded brunch concept opened in 2012 by Karl and Sarah Worley, is located at 4317 Dolly Ridge Road and serves a menu with a variety of brunch items made from scratch with ingredients sourced from trusted local and regional purveyors.

CALIFORNIA ARCHITECTURE. INTERNATIONAL FLAVOR.

Alabama Char m . 1930 c a h a b a roa d | e n g l i s h v i l l ag e v i n ob i r m i n g h a m . c o m | 205.870.8 4 0 4

18th year

November 4-5, 2023 Hoover Met Complex Nature. Smart Living. Art + Design. T h e Ye a r o f A L B i r d i n g . +

www.mossrockfestival.com SPONSORS: Kinetic Communications • Kroger Delivery • Storyteller Overland • Joe Piper, Inc. • City of Hoover • Hoover Metropolitan Complex • Red Diamond Coffee & Tea • EventWorks Rentals • The Beer Hog • Coca Cola United • LeaFilter Gutter Protection • Birmingham Auto Dealers Association • Cutco MEDIA: Babypalooza • Bham Now • Birmingham Mountain Radio 107.3fm • B-Metro • EXCURSIONSgo.com • High Level Marketing • Hoover’s Magazine • Over the Mountain Journal • Starnes Media • The Birmingham Lede • WBHM 90.3fm ART: DEBO GROOVER, DEBORTINA STUDIO

Lane Harper has dedicated more than 15 years of helping people facing difficult times in the Birmingham area. Harper is a Birmingham Police Officer, Executive Director of a nonprofit, a Self-Defense Trainer, Martial-Arts Expert and an Actor.

Officer Harper’s Power Of Life Photography by Beau Gustafson

B-METRO.COM

Birmingham Police Officer Lane Harper Sees the Worst and Believes in the Best.

B-METRO.COM

Officer Harper provides security services to I3 Academy, a public charter school located in the the Woodlawn community.

B-METRO.COM

Officer Lane Harper has seen the vastness of the human spectrum of experience. He has seen the good, the bad and the ugly in not only the community where he works every day, but in his own life. Born in New Haven, Connecticut to a lawyer father and teacher mother, the family suffered a divorce, and he and three siblings were raised by a single mother. In Michigan, the famed football coach Bo Schembechler aided the family with coats and shoes, and odd jobs picking up cans at the stadium after the game. “We had a shift in fortune; we called it a pivot. Our family had pivoted from being comfortable to not. I’ve been on all sides of the spectrum. That is what builds the passion to help out others. “If you can just bring one smile to one child in one home; that is everything. “You have to understand your personal journey. A lot of people think people just have it made, but there is no idea about the struggle that went behind it. A lot of other people who are in wealthy positions, sometimes forget where they came from “I understand both sides and remain humble with everything God has allowed me to do,” Harper says. To aid in his personal mission, Harper created The Power of Life Foundation’, whose mission is to help an under-served population to empower themselves economically and socially, enhance their health and well-being, and assist them in overcoming hardships. This population includes serving those living at or below the poverty level, women/children, senior citizens, veterans, transients and at-risk youth. To provide an under-served population facing difficult times with daily basis needs nationwide.

These needs include assistance with utilities, temporary housing, providing nutritious food, clothing, employment resources, promoting health and wellness, and youth mentoring. The Power of Life Foundation has successfully distributed more than 7 million face masks and over 5 million pounds of food across the United States in Alabama, Florida, Georgia and Michigan. In 2023, the Power of Life Foundation was selected as the Protective Life Champion of the Alabama State University’s football game for its work in the community. “The needs are great.. giving people words of affirmation and letting them know everything will be okay is vital. You never know what someone is going through,” Harper says. His job as a police officer give his philanthropy a real edge. “My police work is not personal. I will take you to jail today and get you a job tomorrow “Getting out of my patrol car and interacting with these children and interacting with their parents. I build relationships If anything transpires they are willing to talk to me because they trust me. When they feel they can trust you they will speak to you. Power of Life allows me to take care of the community as well because I see the needs,” he says. The foundation has created programs to fund the distribution of everything from coats to masks to aid in the battle against Covid 19. A Mile in My Shoes provides new footwear to under-served communities, veterans, first responders, and people returning to work. Hearth and Soul helps keep under-served communities warm during the winter months. There’s more in the foundation’s storehouse of programs. As Harper says, “the needs are great.”

B-METRO.COM

Faces of Birmingham Index 16..Cahaba Dermatology & Skin Health Center The Face of Dermatology

32..Diamond Studios The Face of 41 Years of Personalized Video Production

20..Alabama Ballet The Face if dance

34..CCR Architecture and Interiors The Face of Architecture

22..Alabama Roofing The Face of Roofing

36..Farris Riley & Pitt The Face of Justice

24..Birmingham Jefferson Convention Complex The Face of Entertainment and Events

38..Southern Med Law The Face of Forever Pursuing Justice

26..Campbell Partners LLC The Face of Business and Securities Litigation 28..Christopher Architecture & Interiors The Face of Timeless Intentional Design 30..Creative Cabinets and Design The Face of Creative Cabinets and Design

40..Go Pro Event Solutions/ Denise Koch Events The Face of Extraordinary Events 42..Glenda Cochran Associates The Face of Truth and Justice for Personal Injury Victims and Their Families 44..Chad Thomas Hagwood, Lument Face of Commercial Real Estate Finance

46..Premier Air The Face of Aviation

65..The Fish Market-Southside The Face of Fish

48..The Prewitt Group The Face of the Power to Mitigate Risk

66..The Fred Smith Group, RealtySouth The Face of Real Estate

50..The Rose Law Firm The Face of Family Law

67..Jimmie Hale Mission The Face of Philanthropy and Transformation

52..Southern Sky Aviation The Face of Flight 54..Superior Automotive The Face of Auto Repair 56..Two Men and A Truck The Face of Moving 58..Medical West Free Standing Emergency Department The Face of Emergency Care

68..Fine Art Services The Face of Match Making in the Art World 69..Northwestern Mutual, McKinley Wiggins The Face of Creating a Financial Plan that Works for You 70..Southern Bath & Kitchens The Face of Baths and Kitchens

60..Alabama Holocaust Center The Face of Holocaust Remembrance

71..Swag Home Staging & Design The Face of Home Staging and Design

61..Baker Camp Arnold Capital Management The Face of Financial Planning

72..Virginia Samford Theatre The Face of Theatre

62..Birmingham-Southern College The Faces of Birmingham-Southern’s Next Chapter 63..Birmingham Breast Care Center The Face of Breast Care 64..Dog Days of Birmingham The Face of Dog Daycare and Boarding

73..Weigh to Wellness The Face of Weight Loss Simplified

Special Promotion

Vlada Groysman, M.D. is a Board Certified Dermatologist and a diplomat of the American Board of Dermatology. Dr. Groysman specializes in medical, surgical, cosmetic, and laser dermatology for adults, adolescents, and children. She has a special passion for women’s health dermatology and proud to be the only Vulvar Dermatologist within the state of Alabama

The Face of Dermatology Dr. Vlada Groysman, founder and medical director of Cahaba Dermatology, imparts her vision of total patient care into every aspect of her practice. The team of highly trained providers, clinical staff and administrative professionals at Cahaba Dermatology pride themselves on being the complete dermatological solution for their patients. With the addition of Spa Cahaba, patients are able to enjoy an expanded menu of services including massage therapy and Birmingham’s only salt water float pool.

Cahaba Dermatology & Skin Health Center 2279 Valleydale Rd #100 | Birmingham, AL 35244 | (205) 214-7546 www.cahabaderm.com

Special Promotion

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“From the beginning, our mission has been to advance the highest level of

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individualized patient care

and pursue total excellence in dermatology, aesthetic

treatments and individualized patient care; because healthy skin is beautiful skin” –Dr. Vlada Groysman

The skin is an incredibly important and complex organ, and skin health has an enormous impact on people’s wellbeing, according to the American Academy of Dermatology. “Skin conditions can impact our sense of self, seriously hinder our ability to be productive and achieve our goals, and sometimes signal a significant underlying problem.” A dermatologist has an immediate impact on the lives of patients, easing discomfort, restoring confidence in appearance, administering life-saving treatments for serious conditions like cancer. From the very young to the very old, dermatologists can

Dr. Vlada Groysman Bio • Three year residency in dermatology, University of Alabama at Birmingham • Board Certified in Dermatology by the American Board of Dermatology. • Assistant Professor of Dermatology at the University of Alabama where she served as Director of the Women’s Health Clinic • Currently Clinical Assistant Professor of Dermatology at UAB • Enjoys spending time with her husband and two children, traveling, reading, and cooking.

build a lifelong connection to patients and their families as they work to make beautiful and healthy the skin they are in. The professional staff at Cahaba Dermatology and Skin health Center specialize in medical, surgical, cosmetic and laser dermatology. They bring to bear on skin conditions from acne to skin cancer expert physician care combined with first class service amid beautiful, tranquil surroundings. The practice's years of dermatological experience allows for successful best in class laser technology and injectable expertise that result in beautiful, age-defying skin.

Life-Saving Surgical Procedures When more complex or surgical solutions are necessary, the training and experience of Cahaba Dermatology's physicians come into play. Mohs surgical procedures maximize the chance of removing all of the abnormal cells while still preserving as much of the normal skin tissue as possible. Cure rates for skin cancer using Mohs surgery can reach up to 99 percent, and the chances of lasting, disfiguring scars are minimal. Cahaba's Dr. Malia Downing is a board-certified dermatologist and fellowship trained Mohs and Cosmetic surgeon. She was raised in Hawaii and received her undergraduate degree from the College of Saint Scholastica in Duluth, MN where she played collegiate soccer and

SPA SERVICES Chemical peels Body Sculpting {CoolSculpting, Vanquish, EMSculpt),

Dermaplaning Laser Hair Removal Massage Therapy Diamondglow Microdermabrasion

graduated Summa Cum Laude. She was awarded her medical doctorate from the University of North Dakota, graduating second in her class. She received advanced training in the management of skin cancers and reconstructive techniques. The practice also offers a variety of innovative, safe, and effective light therapy treatments for various skin conditions such as psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, pruritus, vitiligo, dermatitis and cutaneous T-cell lymphoma.

Clinical Research As part of the awardwinning Cahaba Dermatology Dr. Malia Downing and Skin Health Center, the practice participates in clinical research projects led by Primary Investigator Dr. Vlada Groysman, MD, FAAD. Cahaba Dermatology has enrollment in over 30+ clinical trials. Their mission is to provide exceptional care to all in hopes that the data they provide will help produce the next miracle drug. People choose to participate in a clinical trial for many

Microneedling Mineral Makeup Lash and Brow Waxing Salt Water Float Pool

reasons: Participants may be compensated for time and travel, depending on the study; opportunity to benefit from new treatment options, play an active role in their care, contribute to saving lives in the future; top quality care from top doctors and researchers

Spa Cahaba: The Ultimate Getaway From serious science to comfort, relaxation and rejuvenation at Spa Cahaba, all your bases are covered. Spa Cahaba is the ultimate getaway to unwind with a relaxing massage, a purifying facial, or a refreshing salt water float. Book a romantic couples retreat or spa party for an unforgettable experience. They have so much more to offer than your average day spa. Spa Cahaba is a facial spa, dermatology center, massage suite, and more! From exquisite beauty services to facials that will leave you feeling brand new, they have what you need to unwind, relax, and refresh. The combination of medical services and aesthetic procedures at Cahaba Dermatology is unmatched in the region.

Special Promotion

The Face of Dance: CHRISTOPHER STUART, ARTISTIC DIRECTOR Christopher Stuart joins the Birmingham family as the new Artistic Director of the Alabama Ballet, marking an exciting and promising chapter for the state’s premiere professional ballet company. Christopher joins the company after a career with Charlotte Ballet as Director of Charlotte Ballet II, Rehearsal Director for the main company, and Interim Artistic Director following a 16-year career at Nashville Ballet as a principal dancer and Resident Choreographer. With his extensive experience and remarkable artistic vision, Stuart is poised to lead the Alabama Ballet to new heights in the world of dance. His passion for the art form, coupled with a dedication to nurturing talent and pushing creative boundaries, promises to inspire both dancers and audiences alike.

Alabama Ballet

2726 1st Avenue South | Birmingham, AL 35233 (205) 322-4300 | www.alabamaballet.org

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The Face of Roofing Alabama Roofing Professionals started with one goal in mind: Treating your home as if it was our own. From that beginning, we have become one of the fastest growing roofing companies in the state. Our group of professionals are highly trained and ready to meet all of our customer's needs. Our residential and commercial teams serve the Birmingham market, as well the entire state of Alabama. Don’t trust just anyone to help you choose or install a new roof or make repairs to an existing structure. The roof is one of the most important pieces of your home, and our experts take the time to ensure that you get what you need. We listen; we understand; we help. After all, that is what we are here to do. We know there are many roofing companies you can contact. When you call Alabama Roofing Professionals, you get a professional. Anyone else is just a roofer. At Alabama Roofing Professionals: “We’ve Got You Covered!”

Alabama Roofing Professionals

5508 Eastcliff Industrial Blvd | Birmingham, AL 35210 (205) 579-8405 | www.alroofpros.com

Special Promotion

The Face of Entertainment and Events The Birmingham Jefferson Convention Complex is Alabama's premier entertainment destination. From planning a night out to a world-class convention, The BJCC is more than just an event and entertainment venue–it’s where lasting memories are made. Located in the heart of the Uptown Entertainment District, the BJCC campus includes the brand-new Protective Stadium, a fully-modernized Legacy Arena, concert hall, smaller theatres, and over 220,000 square feet of exhibition and meeting space. With cool restaurants, luxurious hotels, and lively entertainment options, including Topgolf, City Walk BHAM and the underconstruction Star Uptown a $300 million, mixed-use development which includes a new Star Amphitheater, the BJCC offers a one-of-a-kind experience embracing the very best of Birmingham.

Birmingham Jefferson Convention Complex 2100 Richard Arrington Jr Blvd N, Birmingham, Alabama 35203 (205) 458-8400 | www.bjcc.org

Special Promotion

The Face of Business and Securities Litigation Campbell Partners, LLC is a full-service law firm distinguished by its tenacious approach to business and securities litigation and corporate law. The attorneys at Campbell Partners have extensive experience helping businesses and their owners navigate and address complex legal matters and achieve strategic goals. Campbell Partners prides itself on our ability to achieve success while providing extraordinary value for every client. With more than 150 years of combined experience, our team of attorneys blends a thoughtful approach and proven expertise to represent clients across a broad range of industries and business transactions.

Campbell Partners, LLC

505 20th St N #1600 | Birmingham, AL 35203 (205) 224-0750 | campbellpartnerslaw.com

The Face of Timeless, Intentional Design Christopher Architecture & Interiors is a luxury, high-end design firm specializing in Custom Residential, Boutique Commercial and Estate & Land Planning. It is our mission to inspire, create, nourish and stimulate a broader appreciation for excellence in design and its importance to individuals and societies. We seamlessly blend responsive architecture and thoughtful interiors to create a cohesive environment that complements each client’s specific needs. Design projects range from renovations to new construction in locations nationwide from California to New York.

Christopher ArChiteCture & interiors 2601 Highland Ave | Birmingham, AL 35205 | (205) 413-8531 www.christopherai.com

Special Promotion

The Face of Creative Cabinets and Design Since 2012 through hard work, innovation and dedication, Creative Cabinets and Design has earned an excellent reputation for creative design, space planning, quality cabinets, and excellent customer service. Cabinets create a personality for your room through color, shape, storage, and size. Creative Cabinets and Design can turn your kitchen, bathroom, or any other space into a unique and stunning statement of design excellence. Located in Birmingham and now also in Panama City Beach, Creative Cabinets and Design creates the kitchen, laundry room, built-ins and bathroom cabinets of your dreams. With customizable materials, colors, sizes, and even knobs, we will work with you to turn your dream into a reality.

Creative Cabinets and Design

285 Lyon Lane, Birmingham, AL 35211 | (205) 423 - 5510 7829 Front Beach Rd, Panama City Beach, FL, 32407 | (805) 704 - 8328 www.creativecabinetsdesign.com

The Face of 41 Years of Personalized Video Production In Birmingham’s bustling media sector, Diamond Studios stands as a veteran with 41 years of experience, specializing in marketing videos, corporate narratives, digital video ads, and TV commercials. Their longevity is a testament to their ability to adapt and innovate in a fastpaced industry, but it’s their commitment to personalized service that truly sets them apart. From the initial consultation to the final edit, Diamond Studios focuses on providing an extremely personalized experience. Each client’s objectives, target audience, and core messaging are dissected and understood before production begins. It’s this meticulous, client-centered approach that has allowed them to create captivating content that resonates emotionally and strategically with viewers. Technological sophistication also plays a role in their sustained success. The studio harnesses state-of-the-art equipment, from 4K cameras

to cutting-edge editing software. But the technology only serves as a tool for their primary focus: tailoring each video to meet the specific needs and goals of their clients. Despite its impressive history, the studio is not resting on its laurels. Diamond Studios continues to be a driving force in the local industry, both commercially and creatively. They are more than just service providers; they are community builders. Over four decades, they’ve contributed to raising the bar in Birmingham’s creative scene, balancing commercial goals with artistic integrity.

Diamond Studios

265 Riverchase Pkwy E #101 | Birmingham, AL 35244 | (205) 983-8803 | tvstuff.com

Special Promotion

The Face of Architecture CCR Architecture & Interiors has been investing in Birmingham for over 27 years. With innovative design solutions and the support of local business, CCR and The Magic City have flourished together. Despite its growth and diversification of talents over the years, CCR has remained committed to staying a small, responsive firm that focuses on providing unique, customized design solutions. With projects such as 20 Midtown, Lakeview Green, Shipt, BJCC Legacy Arena, and Magic City Acceptance Academy, CCR’s work has been guided by the desire to connect communities and improve Birmingham for the future.

CCR Architecture and Interiors

2920 First Avenue South, Birmingham, Alabama 35233 205.324.8864 | CCRarchitecture.com

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The Face of Justice The Personal Injury Legal Team of Farris Riley & Pitt: One Team | One Goal There’s simply no substitute for a strong team. The legal team at Farris, Riley & Pitt have one goal: To help deliver justice to those who have been injured, and to do it in an honest, fair and ethical way. Our team fights for our clients’ futures while supporting the Birmingham community. We combine our experience with the tireless will to fight and secure life-changing results for our clients and their families. When you need legal help, call your local attorney first. Trust the law firm that other attorneys turn to when their clients have a personal injury case.

Farris, Riley & Pitt Injury Attorneys 1728 3rd Ave N Fifth Floor, Birmingham, Alabama 35203 205-407-1808 | frplegal.com

Special Promotion Special Promotion

No representation is made that the quality of legal services to be performed is greater than the quality of legal services performed by other lawyers.

Special Promotion

The Face of Forever Pursuing Justice Southern Med Law is a national law firm with trial victories across the United States. Although well versed in alternative dispute resolution, Southern Med Law is ready to take a case all the way to trial to ensure our clients receive the best possible outcomes. The firm provides unparalleled and unique service to clients because its founding partner, Dr. François Blaudeau, is not only a skilled trial attorney, but also a practicing obstetrician and gynecological surgeon. Attorney Evan Rosemore joined Southern Med Law in 2016. Much of his practice centers on improving patient safety in the American health system. Evan represents individuals and closely held businesses in litigation, trials, and appeals. His areas of practice include medical negligence, medical device, pharma, appellate law, car crashes, business disputes, tortious interference, trademark, fraud, and insurance bad faith. Marc J. Mandich joined the firm in 2019. Marc specializes in medical negligence, products liability, maritime law, defamation and reputational torts, insurance and insurer bad-faith litigation and appeals. Marc is an accomplished appellate advocate and has argued several cases before the United States Fifth and Ninth Circuit Courts of Appeal. Unlike other law firms, Southern Med Law has embraced the ever changing technological advances available in the legal industry. They are proud partners of several cutting edge litigation technology and software, giving the firm's clients the technological edge over their opponents.

Southern Med Law

2762 BM Montgomery Street, Suite 101 | Birmingham AL 35209 (205) 564-2741 | www.southernmedlaw.com

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Attroney Evan T. Rosemore and Attorney Marc J. Mandich.

Special Promotion

The Faces of Extraordinary Events Denise Koch and Jennifer Gowers

Been to a festival, grand opening, conference, or fundraiser in the last 20 years? Chances are you have, and it’s been organized by one or both event producers as a team who have a passion for their community in the city of Birmingham, and in Jefferson and Shelby Counties. Jennifer E. Gowers, CMP, CSEP, DES, HMCC and Principal Event Producer at GoPro Event Solutions, says, “It’s your event, and yes, everything matters!” From corporate, social, and non-profit events to destination management, GoPro Events makes planning easier. As a destination event planner, GoPro Events provides hotel and venue booking, ground transportation, off-site activities and excursions plus customized historic tours for groups visiting Birmingham for the first time.

GoPro Event Solutions

213 Richard Arrington Jr. Blvd South Birmingham, AL 35233 info@goproeventsolutions.com

Denise Koch, Denise Koch Events, brings 19 years event management expertise and a fun-loving spirit for entertaining, to make your event a memorable one. Denise specializes in large-scale festivals as well as sponsorship, fundraising and grant writing for special events. From flowers to furniture, audio/visual to staging, catering to securing and servicing corporate sponsors – they handle it all. Strong relationships with individuals, organizations, and corporations, paired with a positive, service-oriented attitude, keeps Denise Koch Events at the top of the list for event management firms.

Denise Koch Events

1746 Helen Ridge Drive | Birmingham AL 35242 denise@denisekochevents.com

Special Promotion

No representation is made that the quality of legal services to be performed is greater than the quality of legal services performed by other lawyers.

Special Promotion

The Face of COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE FINANCE Chad Thomas Hagwood is Senior Managing Director and Southeast Regional Director at Lument. Over the course of his career, Chad has closed in excess of $10 billion in commercial real estate transactions and is annually ranked one of the industry’s leading loan originators. He is a pioneer in the manufactured housing community lending space, working on projects throughout the Southeast and the Nation. Chad has been named one of Birmingham’s Executives of Influence, and has been named to “Who’s Who” in commercial real estate for many consecutive years. He has been recognized by the Birmingham Business Journal as one of the 25 Most Innovative Leaders in Banking and Finance. In 2017, Chad was awarded the Honorary Lifetime Membership Award by the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s National Alumni Society. He established the Hagwood Endowed Scholarship in Real Estate in 2007 in honor of his parents, and the Chad Thomas Hagwood Finance Lab at UAB’s Collat School of Business in 2016. The Birmingham native currently serves on the Dean’s Advisory Board for the Collat School of Busines at UAB.

Chad Thomas Hagwood Lument

100 Village Street, Suite 100, Birmingham, Alabama 35242 O: 205-997-2199 | C: 205-902-7827 | lument.com

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Chad Thomas Hagwood, Senior Managing Director and Southeast Regional Director, Lument.

Special Promotion

The Face of Aviation Steven Allen, Jr. understands the legacy, responsibility and thrill of being in the aviation business. His father, Steven Allen, Sr., started the family’s aviation business, Premier Group, Inc., a half century ago. Last year, Steven and wife Heather, purchased this unique family legacy. Heather manages the design aspect of the business, focusing on the look and comfort of the aircraft. Premier Group is Alabama’s only true aircraft dealer, buying, selling and trading all sizes and brand of aircraft using their own funding. They also specialize in complex multiaircraft trades. The company prides itself on its ability to deliver a very simple turn key solution to even the most demanding of clients, and delivering a product in 50 percent less time than their competitors.

Premier Group

(205) 841-6720 | www.premiergroupinc.com

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The Face of The Power to Mitigate Risk The Prewitt Group is a family owned and operated full-service risk management agency, serving Birmingham and surrounding areas since 1974. Over the last 49 years, The Prewitt Group has grown into one of the largest firms in the Southeast. They remain true to their legacy of service excellence through partnerships with a network of top-rated insurance carriers – all aligned to provide clients with the confidence of a custom risk managment plan. This legacy of service defines who the agency is and how they work to bring even more value to their clients and partners. As an agency, they have set the standard in the Southeast for providing clients with the most comprehensive protection from risk, giving them peace of mind. Aligning with award-winning partners, while staying true to personal service, enables The Prewitt Group to provide their clients with an unmatched portfolio of custom risk management solutions to manage any need that may arise.

The Prewitt Group

2146 Highland Avenue South, Birmingham, Alabama 35205 (205) 933-9207 | www.prewitt.group

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The Face of Family Law With well over fifty years of collective experience, the seasoned team at The Rose Law Firm LLC, led by Jennifer Rose, one of the state's few certified family law specialists, is considered by many as the gold standard for family law in Birmingham. The firm houses multiple award-winning attorneys, with Jennifer herself notably being voted as the "top family law attorney" by her peers eight years in a row. Wholly committed to family law, they practice exclusively in matters such as divorce, custody, wills, and adoptions. Their reputation is further acknowledged in recent Al.com polls, where readers have named them as not only the premier family law firm but also the top law firm in the area.

The Rose Law Firm

811 20th Street South, Birmingham, 35205 www.theroselawfirmllc.com 205-323-1124

No representation is made that the quality of legal services to be performed is greater than the quality of legal services performed by other lawyers.

Special Promotion

The Face of Flight Southern Sky Aviation is your own private flight department —and so much more. Our team of highly experienced aviation professionals maximize the safety and enjoyment of your private aircraft. From crewing and maintenance to fleet discounts, our turn-key management program takes care of the details for you. Our complete and transparent fiscal management will help you develop the most cost effective and efficient solution for managing your aircraft. Since launching our company, we have assembled a team of highly experienced personnel that understand our goal of putting customers, their schedules, and their expectations first. We are a Part 135 Charter Operator, a Part 145 Repair Station and own and operate an FBO. We have experts for every aviation need – including avionics, charter, interiors, maintenance, management, and sales. Our maintenance leads have more than 100 years of combined experience working on jet, turbo prop and piston aircraft. We are proud to call Birmingham, Alabama home and have expanded our passion for aviation to airports in Atlanta, Georgia, Pascagoula, Mississippi, and Panama City, Florida. Southern Sky Aviation is a FAA certified Air Carrier, Certificate #365A2510 and an FAA certified Repair Station.

Southern Sky Aviation

(205) 703-9737 | SouthernSkyAviation.com

Special Promotion

The Face of Auto Repair Veteran mechanic Danny Bedgood has owned and operated Superior Automotive in Birmingham for nearly a quarter of a century. Bedgood said he’s built his business on reliability and expertise, as well as a critical third element – honesty. “If you pull all three of those together, it makes for a really good recipe, and you stand out, you stand apart from everyone else,” he said. “I just try to be very genuine,” Bedgood said. “It’s worked. That atmosphere has worked for me.”

Superior Automotive

2501 4th Ave S, Birmingham, AL 35233 (205) 324-7545 • www.superiorlexustoy.com

Execuitve team: Barry Lambert, Jeff Cotton, Bo Andrews, Donald Howell.

Sponsor Content

THE FACE OF MOVING

When you choose TWO MEN AND A TRUCK Birmingham, you're not just hiring movers; you're choosing a company deeply embedded in the community with a proven track record of excellence. For the past 30 years, TWO MEN AND A TRUCK has an unwavering commitment to exceptional service and a genuine care for each customer. With a team of highly trained professionals, they have the expertise to handle any type of move, whether it be moving between local residences or businesses or performing long-distance moves across the country, they handle any moving challenge with ease and efficiency. It's their personalized approach that truly sets them apart. They understand that moving can be a stressful experience, so they go above and beyond to make it as smooth as possible, and it all starts with hiring the best individuals for the job. From the first phone call to the final unpacking, their friendly and dedicated team handles every detail. With a solid reputation built on trust and customer satisfaction, TWO MEN AND A TRUCK in Birmingham, AL has become synonymous with reliability and professionalism. Choose them for your move, and you'll understand why they are the Faces of Moving in our community.

TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® BIRMINGHAM 3021 CRESTWOOD BOULEVARD BIRMINGHAM, AL 35210 205-970-2272 • TWOMENANDATRUCK.COM

Special Promotion

The Face of Emergency Care When minutes count, you can count on Medical West. We know how important it is to have quality, compassionate care close to home. Our specially trained physicians and nurses have the skill, experience and knowledge to handle any emergency. Our emergency services expanded from our main hospital campus in Bessemer into the Hoover area in 2015 with the opening of our Freestanding Emergency Department. Since its opening this facility has had more than 250,000 visits. The Freestanding Emergency Department includes 15 exam rooms, advanced diagnostic imaging, a full-service laboratory, and convenient hospital admitting—ensures high quality care with half the wait time of your typical emergency room. In August 2024 we will proudly be opening our brand new hospital off of I-459/Exit 1. It’s just one more way we can provide state-of-the-art care to the patients in West Jefferson County.

Medical West Freestanding Emergency Department

5300 Medford Drive | Hoover, AL 35244 | 205.820.8416 www.medicalwesthospital.org

The Face of Holocaust Remembrance The Alabama Holocaust Education Center (AHEC) first organized in 2002 by community volunteers, educators, and survivors who recognized the need for more Holocaust education in our community. The organization functioned primarily through outreach, and development was driven by the passion and dedication of its volunteers along with tremendous support from the community. In 2022, the Alabama Holocaust Education Center moved to a permanent location at 2100 Highland Avenue, Suite 101, enabling them to further their mission to teach about the history and lessons of the Holocaust, in order to create a more just and compassionate world that recognizes the dignity, potential, and humanity of every individual. The work of the AHEC is inspired by Alabama’s Holocaust survivors, whose presence in our community makes us mindful of the injustices in their past. “Our mission compels us to use the history and lessons of the Holocaust to recognize the dignity, potential and humanity of every individual,” says Lisa Bachman AHEC executive director. “We do this through storytelling to convey the important learning that comes from Holocaust Survivors, Rescuers and Liberators. We invite you to join our programming and to visit us to learn how the small steps you can take have the potential to result in important changes.”

Alabama Holocaust Center

2100 Highland Avenue South, Suite 101 | Birmingham, AL 35205 | (205) 795-4176 | www.ahecinfo.org

The Face of Financial Planning Baker Camp Arnold Capital Management is a premier, full-service financial advisory firm located in Hoover with a nationwide presence. They offer clients concierge quality advisory and planning services customized for their individual needs and goals. The planning process includes investment, insurance, education, retirement, business and trust services; as well as property and casualty insurance for both personal and business clients. Their approach is to centralize their clients’ diverse financial strategies and life-plans to provide a coordinated, efficient and effective roadmap for financial security—utilizing the most cutting-edge financial planning software. Principal Owner Joshua L. Baker CPFA®, AIF®, CLTC, and Senior Equity Partners, Tyler S. Camp, CFP®, CPFA® and David K. Arnold along with Senior Partners, Mark Lovoy CPFA® and Ginger Baker Issinoff have over 75 years of combined experience in the financial services industry. The firm has satellite offices in downtown Birmingham and in Atlanta. Visit www.bakercamparnold.com or call 205.847.1422 to schedule your financial plan.

Baker Camp Arnold Capital Management 421 Emery Drive | Hoover, AL 35244 | (205) 847-1422 www.bakercamparnold.com

The Faces of Birmingham-Southern’s Next Chapter The story of Birmingham-Southern College contains all the elements of a classic narrative: a noble quest, heroes and heroines, antagonists and foils, conflicts and challenges, plot twists and cliffhangers. Now, after successfully meeting the greatest challenge of its 167-year history, BSC has begun to write the next chapter in its story. The Next Chapter campaign will ensure that Alabama’s best liberal arts college continues to deliver on its mission to prepare young people for lives of significance – lives that make a difference to Birmingham, to Alabama and to the world. Gifts to the campaign from everyone who understands BSC’s value will create an endowment that will make the College financially resilient for the long term. Led by Board of Trustees Chair Rev. Keith Thompson ’83, senior minister at Canterbury United Methodist Church; Daniel B. Coleman, BSC’s 16th president; and Board Vice Chair Joelle James Phillips ’89, president of AT&T Tennessee, BSC will continue its quest to produce lifelong learners, team players, critical thinkers, and problem -solvers who leave the Hilltop ready to serve a world that needs smart people of integrity to lead it through challenging and ever-changing times. For more on BSC’s Next Chapter, visit bsc.edu/campaign.

Birmingham-Southern College

900 Arkadelphia Rd | Birmingham, AL 35254 | (205) 226-4909 | www.bsc.edu

The Face of Breast Care

Dr Maddux and daughter Tricia.

Dr. April Maddux founded the Breast Care Center of Birmingham as a purpose-built facility to provide comprehensive, multidisciplinary breast care services. Their services include a wide range of clinical and support efforts, from screening (risk assessments) and diagnosis to treatment and counseling. Dr. Maddux’s practice has evolved significantly over the years with increasing focus on surgical treatment of breast cancer and preventive/prophylactic surgery for high-risk individuals. Dr. Maddux is a board certified general surgeon and fellowship trained breast oncologist specializing in breast surgery and genetic counseling and testing. She and her staff at the Breast Care Center of Birmingham provide a comprehensive approach to breast care. Dr. Maddux serves patients and operates at Brookwood Medical Center, St. Vincent’s and Grandview Medical Center.

Breast Care Center of Birmingham

2018 Brookwood Medical Center Dr #207 | Birmingham, AL 35209 | 205.877.2987 www.BreastCareCenterOfBirmingham.com

The Face of Dog Daycare and Boarding Jimmy and Sue Johnson are the owners of Dog Days of Birmingham, a full service dog care facility. They offer daycare, boarding, grooming, and training. Dogs attending daycare are assigned a regular classroom with their own human to play with and who takes care of them. Most of the regulars have best dog buddies that they hang out on the playground with! One of the most unique features of Dog Days is that the owners live on site in their own special loft. If they have to go out of town a staff member is paid to sleep at the facility. The boarding dogs are never alone overnight. For the Johnsons, Dog Days is a venture of love for dogs and a way of life. Jimmy serves on the Board of Directors for Hand-in-Paw and both of the Johnsons are active is several charities benefitting dog rescue. Dog Days of Birmingham’s motto is, “It’s ALL about the dogs!”

Dog Days of Birmingham

12 18th St N | Birmingham, AL 35203 | (205) 458-9364 www.dogdaysofbirmingham.com

The Face of Seafood In the end, perhaps more than even preparing the seafood he has made his life’s work, it is the people that matter to George Sarris. “From the first day we opened we made the place welcome, no matter who you are,” says Fish Market owner and Birmingham restaurant icon George Sarris. “I was helped by so many people in Birmingham. I never felt unwelcome, not once, ever since I arrived here on April 1, 1969.” His iconic restaurant, The Fish Market on Southside, embodies this Greek sense of hospitality, food and friendship. That welcoming sensibility extends to the family that has been central to Sarris’ business life. His son, Dino, works side by side with George in their Southside restaurant every day, extending the legendary restaurant’s reputation for quality, friendliness and wonderful food into the next generation.

The Fish Market–Southside

612 22nd St S | Birmingham, AL 35233 | (205) 322-3330 | www.thefishmarket.net

The Face of Real Estate When Fred Smith put together a team of Alabama real estate agents, he made sure that he only associated himself with the best in the business. With over 100 years of combined experience, the team has expertise in every area of greater Birmingham and its outlying communities. The lineup for RealtySouth’s #1 team includes Fred Smith, Ashley Lewis, Langston Hereford, Jen Stinson, Amanda Dabbs, Danza Paulovich, Donna Savage, David Crane, Cindy Hodges, Liza Roitman, Brandy Herschbach, Cole Rudder and Emily Williams. The team is based out of the Crestline branch of RealtySouth. Fred Smith’s team has been representing buyers and sellers since 1995 and have closed over 2500 transactions. The Fred Smith Group employs an aggressive marketing plan unlike any other REALTOR in the area. We believe in marketing beyond the sign, and go the extra mile to help clients achieve their selling goals by constantly researching the market and property values, so their home is priced effectively from day one. After one meeting, our clients will have a plan that highlights what steps will be taken to sell their home or property for the most amount of money in the least amount of time.

The Fred Smith Group–RealtySouth

105 Euclid Avenue | Birmingham, AL 35213 | (205) 368-2280 | www.fredsmithgroup.com

The Face of Philanthropy and Transformation For over 79 years, The Jimmie Hale Mission has turned hope into healing. Often, the men, women and children in our area affected by homelessness and poverty may feel that the desperate circumstances in their lives may never change. However, grounded in our Christian faith, we see the lives of our clients change every day. For those who want the Mission’s help, we provide a proven process of compassion, guidance and accountability that leads to lasting recovery from the root causes of homelessness. We do this each day through counseling, group support, our proven clinical recovery programs, training, education curriculum, and job readiness to secure employment and stable housing. Clients reside at one of our three facilities while in our program–Shepura Men’s Center in downtown Birmingham, our largest campus for 80 men; Jessie’s Place in downtown Birmingham, our safe haven for 30 women and children who are enduring homelessness or unstable crisis situations; or at Royal Pines in Hayden, AL, our rural residential addiction recovery center for 45 men. The Jimmie Hale Mission exists to transform through the love of Christ. We are committed to helping individuals rebuild hope in their lives, in their work and their families for a better tomorrow.

Jimmie Hale Mission

P.O. Box 10472 | Birmingham, AL 35202 | (205) 323-5878 | jimmiehalemission.com

The Face of Matchmaking in the Art World Creating opportunities, connections and experiences for Birmingham with a focus on artists, art collecting, and arts and cultural education for adults and kids is what Fine Art Services, LLC does ...think Magic City Art Connection @ Sloss Furnaces in April, and Moss Rock Festival @ Hoover MET in November. As both an art event production firm, and an art consulting group advising individuals and businesses on art acquisitions, Fine Art Services, LLC attracts and engages curious and interested art enthusiasts, newbies, students, and collectors alike. FAS was founded in 1983 by Eileen Kunzman who is also the President of the Foundation for Arts and Cultural Connections, Inc., the festivals’ 501c3, and continues to direct this non-profit’s cultural efforts in the community for deeper local and national support and longevity. Alex Kunzman joined the firm in 1996 and now leads the festivals as codirector, marketing and branding head, and the passionate foodie behind Corks & Chefs epicurean features and Beer Garden’s tasting extravaganza. This business of creativity never gets old and FAS is about to yield a 42 year dividend for the community. Feels great!

Fine Art Services, LLC 1128 Glen View Road | Birmingham AL 35222 | (205) 595-6306 www.magiccityart.com www.mossrockfestival.com

The Face of Creating a Financial Plan That Works for You McKinley Wiggins, Financial Adviser at Northwestern Mutual, is committed to helping you get closer to your dreams. With McKinley as a partner, you can expect a judgment-free, pressure-free environment with conversations that will be honest and free of buzz words. “I strive to provide you the best experience possible. I believe the starting point of any financial conversation should be with you—your life, your family, your priorities, and your goals. I’ll listen to what’s important to you and design a financial plan from multiple strategies specifically designed to help get you where you want to be,” he says. His team at Northwetsern Mutual includes Associate Financial Representative Belinda G Chappell and Financial Planning Consultant Jackson Tucker.

Northwestern Mutual

1901 6th Ave N Ste 2800 | Birmingham, AL 35203 | (205) 271-7043 | www.northwesternmutual.com

The Face of Baths & Kitchens Southern Bath & Kitchens offer the very best in premium appliances, showers, tubs, faucets, and sinks created by the most innovative manufacturers in the world. Shopping in their well-organized, easy-to-shop showroom of bath and kitchen products opens up a whole world of high quality brands for your home. Along with popular brands like Kohler and Delta, in the showroom you’ll find products from Brizo, Rohl, and Sigma, as well appliances from the increasingly popular Italian maker, Fulgor Milano. Here you’ll find the most extraordinary products on the market for creating the kinds of kitchens and baths that people dream about, and the showroom’s expert consultants lead customers through every step of the process to make those dreams a reality.

Southern Bath & Kitchens

300 35th St N | Birmingham, AL 35222 | (205) 581-8600 www.southernbathandkitchen.com

Photography by Deidre Lackey of Deidre Ruth Photography

The Face of Home Staging & Design Erin Dunavant Barrow founded SWAG Design Studio in 2009, fulfilling a need the Birmingham area lacked. SWAG provides the real estate market an opportunity to visualize vacant spaces through home staging services. The SWAG Team strives to enhance and promote the relationships between realtors and clients and also inspire loyalty and future sales. With an extensive background in residential construction, SWAG Design Studio also provides residential new construction builder services for homebuilders both local and nationally known. Additionally, SWAG provides turnkey model home furnishings and interior design services for residential and commercial projects. Whether clients are looking to customize select items like wallpaper or window treatments, or furnish a home, SWAG has the process and knowledge to help clients create the vision they desire for their home. Creativity and impressive sales statistics have established SWAG Design Studio as one of the most sought after home stagers and designers in the state. SWAG makes a huge positive impact on how homes get sold successfully throughout Alabama. Located in the heart of Homewood, SWAG houses its design studio, offices, and 3,500 square foot branded Home Staging Inventory available by appointment only.

SWAG Home Staging & Design 2780 BM Montgomery Street | Suite 100 | www.swaghomestaging.com

@swagstagedesign

SWAGHomeStagingAndDesign

The Face of Theatre Virginia Samford Theatre is steeped in the theatrical history of Birmingham, yet at the same time it stands as exciting and new as a young actor stepping on a stage for the first time. The magic of the theatre lives on Birmingham’s most storied stage. But there is so much more than history going on at this treasured Birmingham landmark. There are five shows coming to the main stage in the 202324 season. There are three scheduled shows in the VST STARS Series. STARS (Students Take A Role at the Samford) was created to give every child the opportunity to learn and grow in a safe and supportive arts environment. Virginia Samford Theatre remains a singular hub of creative insight and diverse entertainment. So join us for an incredible year of music, comedy and drama!

Virginia Samford Theatre

1116 26th St S | Birmingham, AL 35205 | (205) 251-1228 | www.virginiasamfordtheatre.org

Weigh to Wellness’ Dr. Timothy H. Real and Lesslie Ellison.

The Faces of Medically Supervised Weight Loss The Weigh to Wellness team wants to thank Birmingham for a great ten years, celebrating 100,000 pounds lost! Owner, Leslie Ellison; Timothy Real, MD; and a team of devoted Registered Dietitians work with each patient to customize a treatment plan that is specifically tailored to your lifestyle. Whether you are looking to lose ten pounds or one-hundred, Weigh to Wellness is eager to help!

Weigh to Wellness

4704 Cahaba River Road, Suite A1 | Birmingham AL 35243 | (205) 994-2393 www.weightowellnessllc.com

Photographer Chuck St. John recreates the Barbie phenomenon in Birmingham’s Theatre District/

It’s Barbie’s World... We’re Just Living In It

Barbie just juiced the cultural landscape to jump into a new realm of commercial success. As in more than a billion dollars at the global box office with the new Barbie movie. Nostalgia. Girl power. A bit of pure theatrical magic. So it seemed only appropriate that we should bring our own Barbie to life outside the Lyric and the Alabama theaters. Then turn a beautiful old red corvette startlingly pink. It left the whole crew feeling in the pink, so to speak. After all, its Barbie’s world..we’re just living in it.

Credits

Photographer-Chuck StJohn Barbie Model-Allison Harwell, Red Models & Talent Hair & Make Up-Teresa Boyd Maynor Production Manager-Brooklyn Armstrong

Production Assistant: Alysa Morgan Murkerson Security: Rod Hill, Birmingham PD Corvette Supplied By: Paul Garrison Location assistance: Alabama Theater and Lyric Theater Production Assistance: Create Birmingham

Barbie Behind the Scenes

Being Frank

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The way Pardis and I run these restaurants is that we are here, present with our energy, our spirit, love, excitement. And in that is the Holy Grail. The magic of restaurants is when they become more than the sum of their parts. It’s the energy, and love; it’s the care. “It’s the respect that you almost subconsciously feel when you go into a dining room. And the food is way better than it has to be because somebody really cares. I’ve always been mesmerized by the magic of a great

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restaurant.

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Photography by Beau Gustafson After four decades at the helm of the city and South’s best known restaurants, his biography is probably as well known as anyone in the city. Cullman-born and raised, college years at Tufts and Berkley. Working in the kitchen of Alice Waters Chez Panisse, and as an assistant to author Richard Olney. Working at the Hyatt House in downtown Birmingham and borrowing family money to open his first restaurant in Five Points South in 1982, Highlands Bar & Grill. Frank Stitt took a circuitous but short-lived path before coming home to practice a craft, build a business, and lead a renaissance that brought Birmingham to an exciting level of prominence as a Southern food town. BF (before Frank) the city in most people’s memories had a questionable food culture. But Stitt doesn’t see it that way. “I remember coming to Birmingham as a child and going to Joy Youngs and the Club and Dale’s Cellar, John’s Seafood and The Bright Star. I think about those experiences at Joy Youngs as just being amazingly good and very high quality, both in ingredients and in technique and service. So you know I see it from a different angle. “I think that what really changed things is when some of my former cooks and folks went down and opened on Second

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Avenue, El Barrio. And I think that when that happened, that really changed things about people going back downtown, along with all of the other excitement with Helen and La Fresca, and Avine, I think that really has been a real significant game changer and has brought a lot more energy and life to downtown,” Stitt says. “I started cooking in San Francisco, and to me, San Francisco was a food town—with the markets, Chinatown, The Mexican restaurants, the Asian restaurants, the French restaurants, the German restaurants and so on. And before that, I lived in Boston, and Boston had a wonderful history of restaurants and food and food culture. And so, you know, living in Paris and in Florence and spending a lot of time in Venice and in Barcelona, to me, those cities are where markets and restaurants and cafes and bars are things that are taken with incredible pride and tradition and knowledge in a pursuit of great ingredients,” he says. What has contributed mightily to the cause of food in Birmingham was the creation of the Pepper Place Market. “It was a real game-changer. And I think that places like Jones Valley Teaching Farm have been really great at bringing people together and focusing on food and food culture. And teaching

people where food comes from.“ Origin stories have become a staple for the business media to explore and to become a slice of modern folklore. What was the vision that gave rise to a successful enterprise, or was there a vision at all. “I had a vision of wanting to incorporate my love of country, provincial French food and cooking with restaurants with the excitement of a Tadich Grill from San Francisco or Galatoire’s from New Orleans. And so that was Highlands. And then as I got more and more into the Southern traditions and ingredients and food, you know, Highlands kind of went along those twin paths of the South and of a provincial French restaurant,” Stitt says. “And so that’s all I wanted... just to make that as good as possible.” As a few years went by and Stitt traveled extensively in Italy, he knew he loved and wanted to explore those traditions, but not by mixing it in with the Highlands formula. But it was happenstance that he came upon the building where Bottega is now housed. “This was the architecture i thought that could make a true Italian restaurant and where I could explore the different regions of Italy,” Stitt says. The cafe next door came about when the landlord was looking at renting the space to a nightclub out of Atlanta.

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“And I said no, no, no, don’t do that we’ll take it and we’ll do a casual place based o a wood-burning pizza oven.” Then the landlord at Highlands told me he was thinking about renting out the building next door to an Atlanta night club. “So I said, no, no, no I’ll do a French bistro there. “It was happenstance I certainly did not envision this at the beginning.” Stitt remembers the first major restaurant he worked at all those years ago in California. “Chez Panisse really was the center for artistic and creative people that wanted to share their love of great simple food with the community. And so I do think that our restaurants have that sense that the community has really supported us; and we’ve been a part of the community,” Stitt says. One community the restaurants have engaged with has been the local farming community. “When Cathy Jones and I started the Pepper Place Market, you know, the farmers were going out of business. It was mostly all older farmers. And now the next

generation and the next generation are going into farming. And it’s really encouraging. “We do have to continue to support that because in governmental circles there is still a preference for very large farms, but we need small farms, small slaughterhouses and processing facilities, and government needs to work together on that.” Part of the magic of a great restaurant, Stitt says, lies in the front of the house. That is Pardis’ (Stitt’s spouse and partner) domain. “Every detail about the restaurants, the paint, the fabric, tablecloths, the lighting, the flowers and music, the uniforms; she wakes up in the middle of the night thinking of something she did not do on her infinite list of things to do for the restaurants. “She really has that magic of making people feel special and cared for. That certainly is the magic of the front of the house,” Stitt. In its finest iteration a great restaurant is like theatre. “We create this

image in this world, and Pardis really sprinkles the fairy dust out in the dining room to get our team operating at the highest level. She works tirelessly and is so, so important to our success.” Stitt is concerned about the future of restaurants. But he also has hope. He was recently at the Rane Culinary Center at Auburn, and saw hospitality training with an almost European state of mind of being gracious and proper. “When you are greeted you are welcomed by someone who is articulate in a well-appointed uniform and can make you feel truly welcomed. But so much of the dining world has gone more and more casual. To me when you walk into Bottega dining room there is an elegance and an excitement. You want to put on your nice clothes. There is a certain formality that maybe some people don’t appreciate but when you go to the trouble of getting out of your casual workout clothes, it creates a buzz and energy that this is exciting and fun, and I want to be a part of this.”

Photo by Caleb Chancy 82

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The inaugural FOOD+Culture Festival will be held October 12-15, 2023, bringing together food lovers and food makers, chefs, artisans, beverage professionals, farmers and storytellers, from all walks of life –from Birmingham and beyond – to share the unique flavors and cultural vibrancy of the community. BHAM FOOD+Culture Festival is on a mission to celebrate the Magic City’s dynamic culinary landscape with events that highlight the epicurean accomplishments of our city. FOOD+Culture Fest launched with a reveal party in October 2022 at Pepper Place, and the new food festival promises rapid expansion with a larger F R 3-year E D plan, setting its sights on significant economic impact on the city and solidifying Birmingham as a culinary-tourism destination. The inaugural FOOD+Culture Festival will be held October 12-15, 2023, bringing together food lovers and food makers, chefs, artisans, beverage professionals, farmers and storytellers, from all walks of life –from Birmingham and beyond – to share the unique flavors and cultural vibrancy of the community. This year’s event will feature five signature events over four days, an amplified farmers’ market experience at the Market at Pepper Place, more than ten dinners and over 50 featured chefs, mixologists, brewers and more. “Food has the transformative power of bringing people together, and we look forward to seeing how our vision for FOOD+Culture Fest creates opportunities for connection, celebrating our culinary landscape while also shining a light on topics of deeper cultural significance,” said Rebecca Lemelin Gann, FOOD+Culture Fest Programming Director. “We have events including a lunch featuring all female chefs; a seated dinner celebrating Black chefs, culture and cuisines in honor of the 60th anniversary of the Civil Rights Movement; as well as FOOD+Fire: a Great Southern Tailgate event, presented by Southern Living.” “I’m a big cheerleader for Birmingham and have always recognized we have some of the best food in the country,” said Cathy Sloss Jones, Sloss Real Estate CEO/President. “FOOD+Culture Festival will allow us to share some of our extraordinary culinary traditions and talent with locals and visitors alike. Not only is FOOD+Culture Fest bringing the potential for tremendous economic impact, but also we hope to establish a sense of camaraderie around food, creating opportunities for community growth and a vibrant food economy.” For more information, visit www.bhamfoodplus.com

FOOD+Flair

Changing the Menu, celebrates the iconic women in the food & beverage world that have played a role in our city, our region and our industry’s impressive growth toward positive change. As these women

in the industry make waves to change the landscape of the industry, Southern cuisine has continued to evolve as well. Now a melting pot of flavors, cultural backgrounds and ethnicities, the Southern culinary scene is exceptionally diverse and delicious. During this seated, lunch, we celebrate the talented women who | V multi-course . 6 play a role in this merge of flavors by rewriting what today’s Southern cuisine tastes and looks like, while shining a spotlight on diversity and the unique backgrounds of each. Participating talent include: Host Toni Tipton-Martin, Chefs Kristen Hall, Sophina Uong, Fanoula Gulas, Ashley McMakin, Becky Satterfield, Mary Grace Viado, Mixologists Jessica Bennett and Steva Casey, Sommeliers Alexis Douglas and Kelly Mitchell. Thursday October 12, 11:30 to 2 p.m. at The Haven

FOOD + Frank

This year FOOD+Culture is honoring Frank Stitt and the establishments that helped put Birmingham on the culinary map. Guests for the FOOD+Frank reception will celebrate over a signature cocktail, beer, and wine while speakers present memories and stories about how Mr. Stitt has impacted, grown and helped shape the Magic City’s integrated food system. The Frank Stitt Award for Industry Excellence honors those making a positive impact on their local community and the culinary industry. This ticketed event ($75) is open to the public and includes seven passed hors d’oeuvres from four chefs ( Mauricio Papapietro, Brick & Tin; James Briscione, Angelenas of Pensacola; Brian Somershield, El Barrio; and Jesus Mendez, Adios Bar and Unos Tacos), a signature cocktail and wine and beer selected by Frank Stitt and Scott Jones, wine educator and former Executive Editor of Southern Living. 2023 Honoree Chef Frank Stitt often references an “integrated food system,” referring to the other crucial components of the culinary industry upon which restaurants rely – farmers and producers, servers and sellers, mixologists and makers. It’s all these components that truly make a culinary community work, special, and unique while turning food and the places we eat into an economic engine for a region. This award is named to honor a champion of local communities and local, farm-to-table food. Thursday Oct. 12, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., Birmingham Museum of Art

FOOD + Heritage

Every city has a unique heritage, shaping what they have become today, and Birmingham is no different. FOOD+Heritage will be an annual event celebrating different cultures and communities of our city’s heritage that have played a role in shaping the Magic City’s culinary identity. During the 60th anniversary of the civil rights movement, the inaugural FOOD+Heritage dinner will recognize a period in Birmingham history that shaped the future of our city and our country. The pivotal events of 1963 were a message to the world that helped the fight against segregation and racial injustice. Sixty years later, Black chefs have played a major role in defining the culinary identity of Birmingham, our region, and country. FOOD+Heritage will be a celebration of their talent, creativity, and entrepreneurial spirit. At this seated, multi-course dinner, guests will gather, dining al fresco at Birmingham’s iconic Pepper Place, to recognize local talented Black chefs making an impression on our city – and those making an impression on our country. Participating talent include: Chefs Zebbie Carney, Thyme Randle, Justin Robinson, Jasmine Smith, Gerald Sombright, Mixologist Eric Bennett and Master Sommelier Thomas Price. Friday, October 13, 2023 • 6:00 to 10:00 PM • Pepper Place

FOOD + Farmers

The Market at Pepper Place has been named the best farmers and makers market in Alabama and some say the country. Here, you’ll find food fresh from the field and area kitchens alongside handmade goods from local vendors from all over Alabama. In an amplification of the Market experience, expect surprise chef demos, tasting stations, cookbook sales and signings, storytelling, live performances, butchery demos, and much, much more. Demos on the hour at 9, 10 and 11 a.m. featuring Son of a Butcher, and others. Six pop-up chef tasting stations with complimentary bites including Rita Bernhardt and other notable local chefs. Saturday, October 14, 2023 • 7:00 AM to 12:00 PM • Pepper Place

FOOD+Fire

A walk-around tasting event at Sloss Furnaces celebrating the barbecue community, live-fire cooking, and Southern tailgate culture. The event will feature top regional and national pit masters and acclaimed

chefs putting an open-fire spin on signature bites and tailgate classics. The cornerstone event of the Birmingham Food + Culture Fest, it will also feature a Southern Living demo stage, a music stage with popular bands, local and regional breweries, and screens to watch live SEC football. Included in your ticket: Unlimited tasting bites from 30+ chefs and pit masters Unlimited tasting-sized pours from 10+ breweries and 6+ wines in the Hop City Craft Beer + Wine Garden. Access to all live music performances and cooking demos. There will also be a cash bar on-site. The FOOD + Fire main stage will feature demos from some of the South’s best live-fire and barbecue chefs curated by Southern Living. Chefs featured are Rodney Scott, Rodney Scott’s Whole Hog BBQ (Charleston) ; Erica Blaire, Blue Smoke Blaire’s Competition BBQ (Houston), Adam Evans, Automatic Seafood & Oysters (Birmingham) and Rob McDaniel, Helen (Birmingham). Additional chefs are David Bancroft, Acre, Bow & Arrow; Brandon Cain, Saw’s BBQ; Andrew Lilly, Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q; Rusty Tucker, Rusty’s Bar-B-Q; Woodrow Washington III, Archibald’s and Woodrow’s Bbq; Dreamland Bar-B-Que; Nick Barr, Buxton Hall Barbecue; Pat Martin, Martin’s Bar-B-Que Joint; Jiyeon Lee and Cody Taylor, Heirloom Market bbq; Shuai Wang, King BBQ; Brittanny Anderson, Brenner Pass; Erica Barrett, Southern Kitchen & Oyster Bar; Sedesh Boodram Wilkerson, The Anvil Pub and Grill; Raquel Ervin, Smoke Bistro; Ramon Gonzales, Ovenbird; David Guas, Neutral Ground Bar + Kitchen; Jonathan Harrison, Rob McDaniel, Helen; Steve McHugh, Landrace; Brian Mooney, Tre Luna Bar & Kitchen; Robbie Nicolaisen, The Hound; Misti Norris, Petra and the Beast; Geri-Martha and Ryan O’Hara, Big Spoon Creamery; Lee Pantazis, Gus’s Hot Dogs; Crystal Peterson, Yo’ Mama’s Restaurant; Phillip Powell, Aww Shucks Alabama’s Original Gourmet Street Corn Hero Doughnuts & Buns; April Robinson, Hamilton Cornerstore, MUSIC STAGE J & The Causeways; The Sensational Barnes Brothers; Automatic Slim Saturday, October 14 · 11am - 4pm

FOOD + Funk

Biscuits, Brass and Bloodies: the key ingredients to Sundays in the South. Join us as we kick off the final day of the weekend, one last hurrah for the culinarily-curious. Whether your biscuits are topped with chicken, butter or jam, join top bakers, pastry icons, coffee roasters and mixologists from across the South at this Sunday event. Grammy-award winning Rebirth Brass Band will fill your soul, and we’ll take care of filling your belly. Participating talent include: Chefs Kelsey Barnard Clark, Erika Council, Jonathan Harrison, Brian Morris, Lisa Marie White, Chadwick Boyd, Kristen Hall, Rebecca Masson, Jeni’s Ice Cream. Cocktails crafted by José Medina Camacho (ADIÕS BAR), Joe Phelps (Pilcrow Cocktail Cellar), Allie Phifer (The Collins Bar), Blake Posey (Juniper) and Nicky Vann Tisdale (Tucana Tiki) Sunday, October 15, 2023 • 11:30 AM to 2:00 PM • Sloss Furnaces

FOOD + Friends

Throughout the festival week, local restaurants will be hosting guest chef friends, from near and far, for one-night-only collaborative menu offerings. These dinners will not be ticketed, allowing the entire community to get a taste of FOOD+Culture Fest. Simply make a reservation on the restaurant’s website, or walk-in for restaurants without reservations. FOOD+Friends: Blueprint on 3rd, Tuesday, October 10 Featuring Host Chef James Huckaby + Guest Chef Edward Reese of Owl Cafe, Apalachicola, FL FOOD+Friends: Bottega, Wednesday, October 11 Featuring Host Chef Frank Stitt + Guest Chef James Briscione of Angelena’s Ristorante Italiano, Pensacola, FL FOOD+Friends: Golden Age, Wednesday, October 11 Featuring Hosts Brandon Loper and Trent Stewart + Guest Chef Bryan Stanfield, Trattoria Zaza, Birmingham FOOD+Friends: The Essential, Thursday, October 12 Featuring Host Chef Victor King and Kristen Hall + Guest Chef Rob Newton, New York, NY FOOD+Friends: Hot and Hot Fish Club , Thursday, October 12 Featuring Host Chef Chris Hastings + Guest Chef Austin Sumrall of White Pillars Restaurant & Lounge, Biloxi, MS FOOD+Friends: Pizza Grace, Thursday, October 12 Featuring Host Chef Ryan Westover + Guest Chef Pat Pascarella of The Porchetta Group, Decatur, GA FOOD+Friends: SHU SHOP, Thursday, October 12 Featuring Host Chef Jason Templin + Guest Chef Roscoe Hall, Birmingham FOOD+Friends: Bar La Fete, Saturday, October 14 Featuring Host Chef Victor King and Kristen Hall + Guest Chef Rob Newton, New York, NY

This year’s event will feature five signature events over four days, an amplified farmers’ market experience at the Market at Pepper Place, more than ten dinners and over 50 featured chefs, mixologists, brewers and more.

FOOD+Details FOOD+Flair: Changing the Menu (Thursday, Oct. 12): a seated luncheon celebrating an all-star lineup of women chefs; $85 FOOD+Frank (Thursday, Oct. 12): the presentation of the inaugural Frank Stitt Award for Industry Excellence, this year to the iconic Chef himself, and honoring other recipients in future years; $75 FOOD+Heritage (Friday, Oct. 13): a seated dinner in the streets of Pepper Place, celebrating Black culture, cuisine and the influence the community has had on Alabama’s foodways, with guest chefs and presenters from around the Southeast; $150 FOOD+Farmers (Saturday, Oct. 14): an amplified farmer’s market at Pepper Place, including a book fair featuring cookbook authors and food-focused reads; unticketed and FREE to the public FOOD+Fire: The Great Southern Tailgate (Saturday, Oct. 14)is presented by Southern Living; a walk-around tasting event at Sloss Furnaces celebrating the barbecue community, live-fire cooking, and Southern tailgate culture. Highlights include live music, a Southern Living demo stage, regional and local breweries and giant screens to watch live football; $75 FOOD+Funk Brunch (Sunday, Oct. 15): biscuits, brass and bloodies, featuring pastry chefs, bakers, mixologists and New Orlean’s Grammy-Award winning Rebirth Brass Band; $75 FOOD+Friends (October 12-15): public dinners around Birmingham, featuring surprise pop-up menus from visiting guest chefs in participating restaurants, celebrating comradery in the culinary industry; unticketed.

THE MONSTERS: HE, oil, charcoal and graphite with found objects on aluminum panels, 84”h x 64”w, 2019. SHE, charcoal, oil, mixed media and found objects on aluminum panels, 84”h x 64”w, 2019. 86

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Remembering Sadie

Artist Gary Chapman memorializes the too-brief life of his daughter Sadie in art. B-METRO.COM

Remembering

Sadie “Sadie was a true rebel. She was the most stubborn person I ever met in my life which is why she lived. She was kicked out of three schools. Once for dyeing her hair the wrong color,” Gary Chapman, UAB Art professor and artist, says. “I think Bernadette and I realized that, in Sadie’s mind, she never really thought she was going to live very long. So why not do exactly what you want to do.” Sadie lived the life she wanted to live. “She lived her life on her own terms. After she passed, this bar that she worked at in New Orleans said they wanted to throw a party in her honor so we went down on a Monday night. All the patrons brought bottles and food and I swear there was close to 150 people there. As much as she was a rebel, people knew she was genuine. She was captivating.” Sadie was born with a serious heart defect called Left Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome. Essentially she was born without a left ventricle. She had her first surgery at 9 months, and then a second open-heart surgery at 8 years old. From that point her life was somewhat normal. “Most people didn’t even know; except she wore tops where you could see her scar. She was really proud of it,” Chapman says. As a late teenager she moved to New York to pursue studies in the theatre; that is when her heart began to fail. She came back home to Birmingham and had her heart transplant in 2015 at age 19. She went back to New York to finish the program, then came home and moved to New Orleans to become a bartender. In March of this year, her heart failed again and she died of organ failure. She was 26. A friend posted on Facebook the following thoughts: “A comet shooting across the sky, beautiful and fierce ... Sass, and fire, and drinking down life ... Sadie has been an inspiration to me and will be always. The world will never see the like again. I hold her, Bernadette and Gary, and all who love her in my heart.”

“We had hoped we would have more than seven years. I believed she would grow her own heart one day,” Chapman says. Aside from the sadness of Sadie’s community of friends and family, one of the results of Sadie’s passing was her artist father’s collection of paintings memorializing Sadie’s too brief life. “Although it is deeply important to me personally that Sadie is the model and the narrative of the work deals with Sadie. I also hope that in those paintings it really is more universal about children and young girls in particular. So most of my work is conceptually driven. In an attempt to be personal but also universal. “In all of the Sadie paintings, there is a salamander the most complex living thing that regenerate its own organs, so scientists are studying this. Many animals had ability to regenerate but that was lost through the evolutionary process. “If scientists could figure out how to unlock that it would be the ideal thing for those people who need organs because there would be no rejection,” Chapman says. An additional aspect of the Sadie paintings is the awareness it brings of organ donation for transplantation. “It operates on many different levels. It is cathartic for me in dealing with all of this on a personal level. It is not just Sadie but more global especially in the awareness of organ transplantation. “Some of the paintings are inspired by COTA, the Children’s Organ Transplantation Association. People can give to COTA in Sadie’s name. We raised I think about $45,000. When Sadie passed there was still a good deal of money and it is distributed to the children still living.” The most recent works in the Sadie paintings were inspired by a reading of the original Frankenstein novel. “It is amazing how beautiful the original Frankenstein novel is. That was the impetus,” Chapman says.

ELECTRA, oil and gold leaf on canvas, 56”h x 44”w, 2003. Alabama Power Corporate Collection 88

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SALAMANDRINA, oil and gold leaf on canvas, 59”h x 46”w, 2001. The Salamander is a frequent motif in Chapman’s Sadie paintings since the animal can rejuvenate. The family is forever grateful to a 29-year-old man, who sadly lost his life, but had the forward, selfless and compassionate vision to save another through organ donation. 90

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MOTHER AND DAUGHTER, oil on canvas, inserted into wooden panels with gold leaf, 43”h x 49”w, 2000. THE SWIMMER, oil and gold leaf on canvas, 46”h x 59”w, 2002.

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Opposite: LIFE DURING WARTIME, oil and gold leaf on canvas inserted into wooden panels with mixed media, 84”h x 64”w, 2006. Huntsville Museum of Art, permanent collection. This page: X + Y = Z, oil and gold leaf on canvas inserted into wooden panels, 31”h x 43”w, 2007. GIRL WITH STICK, oil and gold leaf on canvas, 34”h x 80”w, 2001. Jule Collins Smith Museum of Art, permanent collection.

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A Brand of His Own For more than two decades, Rush Garner has made wine his life’s work.

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“Sadie was a true rebel. She was the most stubborn person I ever met in my life which is why she lived. She was kicked out of three schools. Once for dyeing her hair the wrong color,” Gary Chapman, UAB Art professor and artist, says. “I think Bernadette and I realized that, in Sadie’s mind, she never really thought she was going to live very long. So why not do exactly what you want to do.” Sadie lived the life she wanted to live. “She lived her life on her own terms. After she passed, this bar that she worked at in New Orleans said they wanted to throw a party in her honor so we went down on a Monday night. All the patrons brought bottles and food and I swear there was close to 150 people there. As much as she was a rebel, people knew she was genuine. She was captivating.” Sadie was born with a serious heart defect called Left Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome. Essentially she was born

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without a left ventricle. She had her first surgery at 9 months, and then a second open-heart surgery at 8 years old. From that point her life was somewhat normal. “Most people didn’t even know; except she wore tops where you could see her scar. She was really proud of it,” Chapman says. As a late teenager she moved to New York to pursue studies in the theatre; that is when her heart began to fail. She came back home to Birmingham and had her heart transplant in 2015 at age 19. She went back to New York to finish the program, then came home and moved to New Orleans to become a bartender. In March of this year, her heart failed again and she died of organ failure. She was 26. A friend posted on Facebook the following thoughts: “A comet shooting across the sky, beautiful and fierce ... Sass, and fire, and drinking down life ... Sadie has been an inspiration

The success of Rush Garner in the wine business can be boiled down to one simple premise: You need to under promise and over deliver in order for a brand to last as long as this one has. Rush Wines, which has been solely distributed in Alabama for over 18 years and has eclipsed 40,000 cases sold in that time, has kept that famous delivery promise. If these elements are all lined up correctly, you give someone every reason to purchase a bottle and give it a try, and then more importantly, to return and purchase additional bottles in perpetuity. As with many things in life and business Rush Wines came into being almost by pure happenstance. After meandering a bit post-college, Garner says he walked into an opportunity in 1997 with then Tuscaloosa-based Pinnacle Imports. “At Pinnacle I worked at finding retailers for very fine wines. I had a few leads. So over time I made relationships and inroads. “You needed to learn their business model, so you can consider average price point, who are their customers. What are they selling to who and why. You have to have a command of what would make a deal work for everyone; that is how you build a sustainable business. But it was a long process of figuring out these things. “Customers used to say the best thing about working with Rush is that he answers the phone.” Garner soon struck out on his own, focusing on California wineries. “In 2002, I was the right person at the right time with the right amount of energy. I was just fortunate it all lined up so well,” Garner says. In a burst of eponymous entrepreneurship, Rush Wines was born when a California winemaker fell in love with Garner’s hand drawn logo and envisioned something the then-distributor never thought of: a brand of his own. Today Rush Wines distributes a wide variety of limited production wines from independent wineries to 350 active customers in Alabama; and bottles and markets eight different wines—Viognier, Sparkling, a Red California, Bordeaux, Pinot Grigio, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Cabernet Sauvignon—under the Rush label. “As the brand evolved and we added additional items to the original bottlings of Cabernet and Chardonnay the theory that I developed is referred to as the “80-80-80 rule” (representing the B-METRO.COM

percentages of consumer’s most likely taste in wine, food pairing and the setting in which the consumer would experience the product. “This evolution was brought about when expansion opportunities arose for the brand to add an entire lineup of wines. The idea was to create something for all wine consumers, or, at least 80 percent of them.” But the questions became threefold: How should the wines be styled/priced to result in a broad and mass appeal? What do all wine consumers most like eating with the wine? And where are the wine and food items likely to be consumed? “We knew that as far as the taste of the wine was concerned, we would need to limit the amount of alcohol (less than 15 percent)

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Christy and Rush Garner

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and also tweak the winemaking and harvesting methods to lessen the tannin level in the wines. We would also prefer to limit the oak flavor, as all three of these (Alcohol, tannin and oak) are sources for dryness in the taste of wine” Garner says. Limiting these three drying elements was necessary in order to combat part of the probable setting of consumption. Given that eight months out of the average year, Alabama is very warm and humid and also given that during these months, there are plenty of outdoor events centered around football, tailgating parties, summertime wedding receptions, and all sorts of other social gatherings, you must make red wines that are fruit driven and can be cooled down a bit and also white wines that are light and crisp. “This style of wine would make a perfect complement to all of the fresh seafood that comes out of the abundant Gulf of Mexico. Furthermore, it would make a great pairing, no matter where a gathering with wine and food consumption would be held. “Once you have determined all of these factors and consulted with your wine-making partners, you can narrow down a particular style that the brand would become known for. This will help with consumer recognition and brand loyalty 100

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among buyers. The last element that is possibly more crucial than any is price to quality ratio for brand longevity, and growth potential.” Wine has in many ways defined Garner’s life experience. It was a long-ago trip with a beloved grandfather that set Rush Garner up for a career, a longstanding business and a love of wine that has colored his life for more than two decades now. “I remember the trip in 1994, late June. We had two weeks because he had a conference outside of Florence, Italy. So he did the meetings for a few days and then he told me we would take two weeks and drive to Paris. He told me to decide where to stay and where to eat. I knew nothing about any of that. So I just chose the most expensive places. He allowed me at age 23 to make all the decisions. “At lunch and dinner every day we drank wine and I started to understand the food and the wine— not from an academic view— but by tasting the various food and the regional wines that would pair with the meal. It turned me on to a new way of living, a more refined global experience. That is what he showed me,” Garner says. He also showed Rush Garner the keys to a successful career and business.

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Heroes & Villains

The critically acclaimed exhibition Heroes and Villains: The Art of the Disney Costume is created by the Walt Disney Archives and presented by PNC. Comprised of 70 costumes spanning nearly half a century, this captivating show takes visitors on a journey into the enchanting worlds of Disney, highlighting the innovative ways some of the iconic characters are brought to life through the artistry and imagination of their costumes. Premiering February 17, 2024, and running through August 18, 2024, the exhibition features a stunning collection of original works of art, including Captain Jack Sparrow’s pirate garb, Cruella De Vil’s fashionable frock, Cinderella’s glass slipper, and the Sanderson Sisters’ wicked wardrobe. Visitors will discover the craftsmanship behind exquisite ball gowns, majestic capes, intricate uniforms, dazzling tiaras, and more. These remarkable pieces provide a captivating glimpse into the creative process behind some of Disney’s most beloved characters. “The BMA is proud to work with Disney on our first major exhibition in nearly a decade, which will offer Birmingham a rare first-hand look at famous costumes that are a crucial part of Disney’s incomparable storytelling,” says Graham C. Boettcher, R. Hugh Daniel Director of the Birmingham Museum of Art. “We are grateful to our presenting sponsor PNC for making this once-in-a-lifetime show possible for our community.” Heroes and Villains: The Art of the Disney Costume showcases the work of renowned designers from Hollywood past and present, including esteemed Academy Award® winners such as Colleen Atwood, Sandy Powell, and Tony Walton, Emmy® winner Ellen Mirojnick, and Emmy nominees Eduardo Castro and Penny Rose. Within the exhibition, visitors will be immersed in the magical “Cinderella’s Workshop” gallery, where they can admire a variety of dresses worn by the beloved fairy-tale character in different Disney adaptations. From 1997’s Rodgers and Hammerstein’s® Cinderella to 2014’s Into the Woods, the 2015 live-action reimagining of the animated classic, and the popular ABC series Once Upon a Time (TV, 2011–2018), the evolution of Cinderella’s costume is showcased in all its splendor. The main exhibition gallery is organized into three Disney archetypes: heroes, villains, and the spaces between, dedicated to the complex and intriguing antiheroes of Disney storytelling. Alongside the displays, interactive elements allow visitors to fully engage with the enchanting world of Disney costuming. Attendees can marvel at Belle’s ball gown from 2017’s Beauty and the Beast, as well as the enchanting costumes for Giselle, Prince Edward, and Queen Narissa from Enchanted (2007). Visitors can explore the striking dresses of the stepsisters from 2015’s Cinderella and Letha’s unforgettable dress in 1978’s Return from Witch Mountain. Additionally, take in the costumes of the Evil Queen and Hook from Once Upon a Time (TV, 2011–2018) and Mary Poppins’ dress from 2018’s Mary Poppins Returns. Following its successful run at the Museum of Pop Culture in Seattle and the Henry Ford Museum in Detroit, the Birmingham Museum of Art is the third venue to host this extraordinary exhibition. Tickets will go on sale on the museum’s website this October. For updated information on hours, tickets, and more, please visit the museum’s website at artsbma.org.

at the BMA

The Art of Disney Costumes Gaston Beauty and the Beast (2017) (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures), Walt Disney Archives, ©Disney

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