Madeworthy Sep/Oct 2018

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FOR THE HEART, NOT ONLY THE STOMACH. The kitchen is the heart of your home—the source of life for your family. It fuels your day with early morning coffee, and makes homework better with after-school snacks.

From loud family dinners to late night conversations, your kitchen is your faithful hub.

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madeworthy CONTRIBUTERS’

PUBLISHER Victoria Wise

Who is your favorite artist?

EDITOR Lee Virden Geurkink

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Sarah Angle Lyle Brooks Edward Brown Danika Franks Jennifer Kieta Christie Ortiz Julie Rhodes Tricia Schniederjan Shilo Urban

A: Charley Harper A: Rogier van der Weyden - Victoria Wise

- Lee Virden Geurkink

A: Kehinde Wiley

A: Arturo Mallman

- Danika Franks

- Jennifer Kieta

A: Alphonse Mucha

A: Frank Lloyd Wright

- Shilo Urban

- Kim Burnstad

A: Mary Oliver - Sarah Angle

A: Paul Klee - Lyle Brooks

A: James Talambas

A: Johannes Vermeer

A: Claude Monet - Tricia Schniederjan

- Edward Brown

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Amanda Marie Lackey, Amanda Marie Creative Jodie Miears, Reverie Photo Co. Kim Burnstad, KBB Photography

A:

Claude Monet - Christy Ortiz

- Julie Rhodes

ILLUSTRATOR Trish Wise

LEAD DESIGN Sovic Designs

COVER ART Lauren Foster Madeworthy Magazine is an extension of Tanglewood Moms, LLC., and serves to tell community stories for a family audience. For website and magazine advertising opportunities, please contact: Victoria@MadeworthyMedia.com

A: Jenessa Wait A: Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky - Amanda Marie Lackey - Jodie Miears

A: John Singer Sargent - Trish Wise

by Lyle Brooks

Sincere reflection and depth extend personally from Jake Paleschic just as they are portrayed potently throughout his songwriting and musicianship. Immediately following his graduation from high school, he headed to Nashville for two years, where amongst a creative cadre in Music City, Paleschic tuned his ear and began developing his artistic voice. Since returning to Fort Worth in 2011, he has stayed busy, first with his band Patriot, briefly with one-off rockers The Longshots, and finally building a band to perform under his own name on 2015’s “Cowboy Songs” EP and the sensational full-player “Again, At Last.” On the strength of that work, his friend Leon Bridges, who is well on his way to international stardom, took Jake on the road in the spring as his opener for a set of dates up through Chicago, Toronto, and Boston, before ending up back in Nashville.

Married shortly before the summer began, Paleschic has settled into himself since his earliest compositions, exemplified by the richness of the songs assembled on his new collection of songs, “Wrongdoer.” Working with the gentlemen of Niles City Sound (Austin Jenkins, Chris Vivion, and Josh Block), the studio based out of the old Supreme Golf Warehouse where Jake also lives, was conducive to a thoroughly natural energy.

He adds that building owner Eddie Vanston has also been incredibly supportive. “When the space is open, he lets us rehearse. It is really great to be able to live and record here and then play a show outside.” This environment allowed the songs to germinate over the course of a year without the urgency of previous recording endeavors. “Skipping college, I’ve never had a period where I didn’t feel pressure to write.”

On the record, Jake plays harmonica, piano, bass, lead guitar, and 12-string, and producer Austin Jenkins pops up with tasteful lead and rhythm playing on many tunes, just as engineer Josh Block provides the lion share of drums. Jake explained how they utilized local talent like Andrew Skates, Justin Pate, Matt Tedder, and Burton Lee, in addition to his standard bandmates Trevor Powell and Austin Lee Kroll: “Often we were just grabbing folks on the fly that fit what we were doing.

We weren’t strict about having a specific band.” The product is a stylish album without pretense, pairing

daringly insightful songwriting and inventive vocals that burn with authenticity.

Putting the album together, he described his overriding sensibility: “I never think about the number of songs, I’m more concerned with the listening time.”

An immersive musical landscape, “Wrongdoer” voices narratives without trying to flesh out stories. Though initiated from an autobiographical space, Paleschic’s creative intuition is fueled to some degree by an internal resistance to making obvious choices or blindly following the patterns of genre. “If it feels too easy, I’ll wriggle out of it. I don’t always have a clear idea of what I want to do but I know for certain many of the things I do not want to do.”

The incredible slow burn “Some Days” is already available online, and listeners can look forward to other tunes like “The Light,” which showcases Paleschic’s evolving craftsmanship; with a dynamic, rejoiceful sound, it builds to a powerfully ascendant old school breakdown. Inspired by membership in Country Legends cover band Honky Tonk Country Club, “Get You Off My Mind” is a Saturday Night Special ala Gary Stewart, featuring pedal steel from Burton Lee that sounds like distilled honey. “Sunshine and Clover” depicts the songwriter’s inner life with the dimensionality of a storyteller growing into the bones of his voice. Recorded with warmth you can sink your teeth into, the album remains skillfully taut throughout and rewards multiple listens.

After not writing new songs for nearly a year, Jake wrote the final three songs in quick succession to wrap up the record.

“The process forces you to think about it constantly and helped me understand the whole project more clearly. The only thing you can do to accomplish something is to think about it enough, and you’ll start naturally giving yourself over to it.” As feedback from publishers and labels comes in, Paleschic will begin plotting a game plan for his future.

Until then, his band, which recently added pedal steel pro Chris Schlotzhauer to the mix, continues tightening around the tunes, and he and his wife Kyndra are enjoying the opportunity to be newlyweds this summer.

He acceptingly admits, “A lot of that other stuff feels out of my hands right now.” photo by Kyndra Paleschic

Issue7 | Sept / Oct 2018

by Lee Virden Geurkink It was not until he was building a house in the Oakhurst/Charleston neighborhood of Fort Worth with his wife Brittany that Stephen Rivers became a furniture designer. The owners of Trinity Uptown Custom Window Treatments, Stephen and Brittany could not find furniture to fit their design aesthetic. Searching for what Stephen calls “mid-century modern pieces with a 21st century feel,” the Rivers kept encountering either inexpensive pieces which would not last or custom pieces which cost more than they were willing to pay. An entrepreneur at heart, Stephen decided to take matters into his own hands.

Born in Ludwigsburg, Germany, and raised in Dallas and Fort Worth, young Stephen did not dream of being a furniture designer. However, when he was confronted with a lack of good, quality furniture at an affordable price point, he did not hesitate to step up to the challenge. Thus was born Jovili, a furniture company that makes high quality, high-concept furniture for an affordable price.

As Stephen began to learn about the furniture design business, all the pieces started to almost miraculously click into place. On his first visit to Vietnam to find a company to manufacture the furniture he had designed, Stephen says, “It was almost like a divine intervention. I met all the right people on the first visit. I hit the nail on the head right out of the gate… incredible!” Once the manufacturer was in place, the rest of the pieces clicked into place: financing, logistics, the online store. Jovili launched in March of 2017.

Originally, Stephen felt that Jovili would be a Fort Worth company designing furniture that appealed to millennials and serving the North Texas area. He aimed his products at twenty-something professionals who had graduated from the do-it-

yourself furniture of IKEA and wanted something a little more polished. What he did not realize was that his furniture would appeal to older families with children and pets who wanted nice furniture pieces that did not cost more than their teenager’s braces.

He also did not expect that he would start shipping his furniture across the country. He had, it seems, found a sweet spot, and Jovili flourished.

What, however, would a success story be without some sort of adversity to overcome? In the beginning of 2018, Stephen was told by his furniture manufacturer that they were having to drop his line.

It seems a large Canadian furniture company who used the same manufacturer in Vietnam was growing uncomfortable with Jovili’s success. A generous man, Stephen does not fault the manufacturer.

“It was an economic decision on their part. I completely understand why they did it,” he said.

Lacking a manufacturer for his designs, Stephen was faced with a decision. He could liquidate his remaining stock and close Jovili. After all, the window

treatment business was flourishing. Or he could find a new furniture manufacturer and re-launch Jovili.

“I believe in the brand, the designs, and the customers,” Stephen said. So he set out to recreate Jovili.

This time around, Stephen met with a furniture manufacturer on the West Coast, and as they had before, the pieces started clicking into place. This was Stephen’s sign that Jovili could be reborn.

Jovili’s first iteration offered several models of furniture (sofas, chairs, and tables) in a limited number of finishes.

With the new manufacturer on board, not only will the sofas and chairs be made in the U.S., they will be available in 50 different fabrics and 5 different finishes.

Each piece will be custom-made to the customer’s exact specifications.

While this customization benefits the customer who can create the perfect piece of furniture for their space, it also benefits Stephen. He does not have to stock multiple pieces; each piece is made as it is ordered and shipped when it is finished.

Whereas Jovili 1.0 hosted pop-ups in places like Waterside and on Camp Bowie, Stephen said that Jovili 2.0 will be almost exclusively virtual. “The orders are coming from online, not pop-ups,” he said. “We debated showrooms versus virtual,” and virtual won. So now, he is knee-deep in re-designing the website. “We’ve got a lot of new technology…

360° views of the pieces [that are] almost VR!” Stephen reflected on the journey to launch and then re-launch Jovili. It takes “a lot of work and heart to bring a product to life that you’re proud of,” he said, but at the same time, he is a big believer in, for lack of a better word, fate. “I believe in letting things happen as they need to happen.”

Jovili will re-launch in the fall of 2018.

Fort Worth Children’s Dentistry Dr. Drew Jamison - Dr. Jack Morrow - Dr. R. Nelson Beville III

Doctor I don‛t feel so well

I think a little cleaning and you should feel all better

This should make you feel better Thank you I feel all better now

Just remember to brush and floss everyday

www.fwkids.com 5521 Bellaire Dr. South - Suite 210 - Fort Worth, TX 76109 - (817) 569-6633

illustrations by Trish Wise

KAT’S AVOCADO-BANANA-KALE MUFFINS, LETTUCE COOK Todd and Kat from Lettuce Cook shared this recipe for healthy muffins. Not only are they completely vegan, they are completely delicious! ingredients 2 ripe bananas, mashed 1 ripe avocado, mashed 1 c. (packed) raw kale leaves, tough veins removed

FROM FOR T WOR TH'S FOOD MASTERS

¼ c. virgin coconut oil 1 c. sugar

SOUS VIDE BONE-IN PORK CHOP FOR 2, KIMBELL AR T MUSEUM

2 c. flour ½ tsp. cinnamon

Chef Peter Kreidler’s dish is perfect for late summer and early fall. It also is a great excuse to fire up your grill.

½ tsp. sea salt

for the pork chop

1 tsp. baking soda

1 2 lb. to 2 1/3 lb. 2-bone pork rib chop

directions

2 tsp. Kosher salt

Preheat the oven to 350°.

2 tsp. fresh ground black pepper

Process the kale in a food processor to break down the leaves. In a medium bowl, combine the mashed bananas, mashed avocado, processed kale, and coconut oil and stir to combine. In a large bowl, combine the sugar, flour, cinnamon, sea salt, and baking soda and stir to combine. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and gently combine. You do not want to over-mix; lumps are fine.

1 sprig of rosemary 3 sprigs of thyme 2 garlic cloves, crushed 2 T. champagne or white wine vinaigrette

Portion into muffin tins and bake for approximately 20 minutes, rotating after 10 minutes, or until a knife or skewer inserted into the middle of a muffin comes out clean. Cool slightly and enjoy!

for the succotash 1 c. haricort vert (green beans), blanched, shocked, and trimmed

Yields 12 muffins

½ c. corn kernels (fresh, preferably, or frozen) ½ c. lima beans (fresh, preferably, or frozen)

PASTA WITH ROMESCO SAUCE, RIGHTEOUS FOODS

½ c. tomatoes, chopped (Chef Kreidler uses heirloom cherry tomatoes) This dish from Chef Lanny Lanacarte is on Righteous Foods’ children’s menu, but it is so delicious and easy, it’s the perfect dish for a busy family!

1 ½ T. butter ¼ c. chicken stock

ingredients

Salt and pepper, to taste

14 ½ oz-can roasted tomatoes

Fresh herbs, to taste (Chef Kreidler uses a blend of ¾ chopped parsley to ¼ chopped

½ head roasted garlic*

thyme leaves)

1/3 c. toasted almonds

directions

2 ½ T. white wine vinegar

Set up your water bath with your immersion circulator set to 135°F. If you do not have an immersion circulator for sous vide, you can simply grill or pan sear the pork chop. Season the pork chop with salt and pepper and rub the champagne or white wine vinaigrette all over it. Place the pork chop and the remaining ingredients into the bag. Seal it up and drop it in the water bath for 2 hours. If you are not using an immersion circulator, marinate the pork chop for approximately two hours in a zippered plastic bag.

2 roasted red bell peppers, peeled and seeded** 1 slice toasted bread 1/3 c. caramelized onions*** ½ c. extra-virgin olive oil Salt and pepper to taste

Once the pork chop has finished, sear in a pan or on a grill. Pull the pork chops out of the bag.

You can either save the juice in the bag and make a gravy (test for saltiness) or discard it.

Pat the chop dry with paper towels and set aside. Start your pan or grill on mediumhigh heat. Once the pan is hot, add 2 tablespoons oil and place the dry chop in the pan. Give it a nice hard sear or grill for 3 to 4 minutes on each side to get a nice golden color. If you are not doing a sous vide treatment, pan sear each pork chop for approximately 7 to 8 minutes a side. To grill, heat your grill to medium-high heat and grill for approximately 7 to 8 minutes a side. Let the chop rest on a plate for 10 minutes or so before you slice it.

While the pork is resting, make the succotash. Heat a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add in the butter; once it has melted, pour in your chicken stock. Whisk together to create a loose emulsion. Once it starts to boil, add in all your vegetables. Toss the pan or stir the vegetables constantly to make sure all the stock and butter coat the vegetables. Once you have a nice sauce, check for seasoning, adjust if necessary, and finish with your herbs. To serve, divide the succotash into two entrée bowls or onto two plates and lay the sliced pork over the top of the succotash. Garnish with more of the chopped herbs.

directions Puree the tomatoes, garlic, almonds, vinegar, bell peppers, bread, and onions in a blender. With the blender running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil until it is incorporated. Season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste. To serve, Righteous Foods tosses rice noodle in the sauce and serves them with steamed broccoli, but you can use any pasta of your choice. This is good with almost any steamed, sautéed, or roasted green vegetable or simply with a green salad dressed in a vinaigrette. *To roast the garlic, cut off the top third of the garlic head, drizzle it with olive oil, wrap it tightly in foil, and roast in a 375° oven for about 45 minutes.

Check to see if the garlic is ready; a knife will pierce the cloves easily. This can be done several days in advance and kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator. **To roast the bell peppers, either broil at full heat under a broiler or place the pepper over a gas stove eye, turning frequently – you want the skin to blister but the flesh to stay fresh. Let the pepper sit in a bowl covered with a towel for 10 minutes before peeling. This can be done several days in advance and kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator. ***To caramelize onions, thinly slice 2 sweet onions. Heat 2 tablespoons canola oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the onions and toss to coat them evenly in the hot oil. As the onions wilt, stir occasionally.

You want the onions to be golden brown and almost syrupy; this will take at least 30 minutes. This can be done several days in advance and kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

6

EV EN TS

T WO VACAT I O N S .

ONE A M A ZING JOURNE Y.

ACTIVITIE S

Tricia Schniederjan, TanglewoodMoms.com Fun in the Fort contributor, brings you the top Fort Worth experiences. You do not want to miss these!

Sept 8 | 11 am Superhero Soundtrack, Jr., A Family Concert: Bass Hall | fwsymphony.org

Sept 8 | 6 pm Art Tooth and Regan Hall Art Present This Is America: WestBend | westbendfw.com

Oct 11 to 14 Christmas in Cowtown: Will Rogers Memorial Center | juniorleaguefw.org

Oct 12 Monster Mash: Omni Hotel | womenscentertc.org

Oct 12 to 14 Super Diamond, A Tribute to Neil Diamond: Bass Hall | fwsymphony.org

Oct 13 fwFLAVOR: The Shops at Clearfork | fwFLAVOR.com

Oct 13 to 14 Brian Hutson Photography

Wings of Blue at Fort Worth Alliance Air Show: Fort Worth Alliance Airport | allianceairshow.com

Sept 8 | 4 pm

YOU’RE A THRILL CHASING, SE AFARING VALUE VENTURER This is not a cruise. This is the ultimate land meets sea, double the fun adventure. Royal Caribbean ® has teamed up with Universal Orlando Resor t TM for an exclusive vacation package you won’t find on any other cruise line.

Explore three imaginative Universal Orlando parks plus two Royal Caribbean fan favorites — the bold and innovative Oasis of the Seas ® and the recently refreshed Majesty of the Seas ® .

Gulliver’s Travel • Let’s start planning today!

Call (817) 924-7766 or visit www.Gullivers.com

Gallery Night pARTy Bus: FWBlackhouse | arttooth.com

Sept 8 to 16 Hello Dolly: Casa Mañana | casamañana.org

Sept 12 | 7 pm Sunset Goat Yoga: Fort Worth Stockyards | Eventbrite.com

Sept 16 to 17 Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour: The Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth | backwoods.com

Sept 19 | 6 pm Plants and Pints on the Patio: Flying Saucer | ephemeratx.com

2800 South Hulen Street, Suite 110 For t Wor th, Texas 76109

photo courtesy of Glenn Watson/ Mach Point One Aviation Photography.

Oct 15 2018 Texas Country Music Awards: Will Rogers Auditorium | texascountrymusicassociation.org

Oct 17 to 20 Macbeth: The Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth | amphibianstage.com

Oct 18 | 10 am Legacy of Women Luncheon: Fort Worth Convention Center | safehaventc.org

Oct 19 to 20

Features vary by ship. All itineraries are subject to change without notice. ©2018 Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. Ships’ registry: The Bahamas. 18063528 • 7/26/2018

The Illusionists: Bass Hall | basshall.com

Oct 20, TCU Homecoming, TCU vs. OU: Amon Carter Stadium | homecoming.tcu.edu

Sept 20 The Next Big: The 4Eleven, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tarrant County | bbbstx.org/tarrant

Sept 22 Ben Folds: Bass Hall | fwsymphony.org

Sept 26 | 11:30 am Heart of Gold Awards Luncheon: The Fort Worth Club | artsfortworth.org

Sept 27 to 29 OktoberFest Fort Worth: Panther Island Pavilion | pantherislandpavilion.com

October 20 | 12 pm Arts Goggle 2018: Near Southside | nearsouthsidefw.org

Oct 25 to Nov 25 Sept 28 | 8:30 pm Chris Kattan: Hyenas Comedy Club | hyenascomedynightclub.com

Sept 28 to 30 Cleopatra: Bass Hall | texasballettheater.org

A Doll’s House, Part 2: Stage West Theatre | stagewest.org

Oct 26 to 28 Boo at the Zoo: Fort Worth Zoo | fortworthzoo.org

Sept 29 Chalk Art Festival: Crockett Row | crockettrow.com

October 27 | 11am Oct 5 to 21 The Big Bad Musical, A Howling Courtroom Comedy: Casa Mañana | casamañana.org

3rd Annual Fort Worth Firefighters Chili Cook-off: General Worth Square | fortworthtexas.gov

Design vs. Kids

by Danika Franks

I remember walking into a popular baby store while pregnant with my first child almost a decade ago. I kept looking for the chic, minimalist, and modern section, but I was surrounded by monkeys, nautical motifs, and floral prints in bright colors that had nothing to do with the design of my home. I knew what I wanted for our nursery, and it was nowhere in that store.

I learned very quickly that chic, minimalist, and modern in the baby industry amounted to big bucks and a lot of online shopping. I will never forget my husband’s face when I showed him the stroller that I had to have all the way from Australia, along with a price tag that totaled more than everything we had bought for the entire nursery. I am thankful that he laughed in my face.

That reality check, that parenthood is taking care of actual children who care nothing about design or cost, kept me humble.

Years later and three kids in, my favorite spaces in our home are my children’s, which is to say all of them. There is not a room in our house where my children are uninvited or where I have not curated a special place for them. When I grew tired of fighting the colorful toys and animal motifs that clashed with my design aesthetic, I chose to regroup and realign my vision for our home and my sanity.

I have wrestled with what inspires my design. I have realized that my greatest joy in designing is centered around how we gather with our family and our friends. Our home serves as an anchor for how we engage with our world. It is the place where we retire to relax and rethink our strategies.

It is the place where we invite others to do the same. I wanted the design of our home to inform how we gather together. Here, then, is what I have learned while designing our home.

I have hit some extremely low points in parenting as it relates to my home and how it looks. At the root of so many of my mental breakdowns was the reality that our kids have too much stuff. Half of the battle is just having a place to put everything. You can be the most organized person in the whole world, but if you have more stuff than storage space, your house will quickly start to look like an episode of “Hoarders.” Any seasoned parent knows that when you get rid of your kids’ stuff, you had better do it when they are not conscious or not at home. We did what any experienced parent would do: waited until they were asleep and got to work. For weeks, we feigned our way through house-wide search parties looking for Iron Man and Rainbow Dash. Eventually, most toys were forgotten, and our lesson was that less is certainly more when it comes to toys.

Declutter

Be selective The act of decluttering our toys brought a few things to my attention. The toys that we kept were the open-ended, creative toys. The simple blocks, dollhouses, marble runs, magnetic blocks, dress-up clothes, lightbox, and kitchen set entertain my kids for hours. When they use these toys for their play, their imaginations are engaged and stretched.

Interestingly, these toys are eye-catching. Displayed on shelves and in open storage, these toys are bright and beautiful, and they inspire my kids’ daily play. I do not mind (much) when these toys are strewn across the floor. It is one of those rare win-win situations.

When you have kids, it can be hard to craft a home that fits your style personality and theirs. For me, the solution is found in the fact that I am profoundly inspired by their work of play. I was reminded of this when I spent an entire day telling my kids to clean up their rooms in a very loud voice, only to discover that they would start to clean, find something inspiring, and engage in full-on creative play. Frustrated, I asked my daughter why they had not cleaned up. She looked up at me and said, “But Mom, we just need to play.” This statement could not be truer. As parents, acknowledging, accepting, celebrating, and even emulating this playful behavior can really go a long way when you need a sanity check.

Celebrate play

A few years ago, I was asked by a popular blog what my advice is for “making a home”. My reply was simple. Make your home YOURS. Unapologetically. To which I now add, let your children inspire your design.

photos by Connie Meinhardt of Connie Meinhardt Lifestyle Photography

ON WORK & MOTHERHOOD INDEPENDENT FILMMAKER

LAURA SOMERS

by Jen Kieta

photos by Rich Kids Productions movie stills shot by Eun-ah Lee

I have a confession. One of my lifelong dreams is to be in a movie. I do not have to be one of the main characters; make me an extra anytime! I have always been fascinated by how movies come together. There are so many moving parts managed by the talented people who bring everything together. I know next to nothing about the process, except that it is cool. A successful movie has the power to pull you in emotionally to connect to the story, the characters, and the set, and independent films achieve this beautifully. They distinguish themselves by the way in which the filmmakers’ personal artistic vision is realized.

I had the privilege of interviewing independent film-maker Laura Somers, who just directed her first film, “Rich Kids,” which was chosen for this year’s Lone Star Film Festival. Laura also co-produced and co-wrote the film with her long-time friend, David Saldaña. The film is about a group of Latino and Afro-Latino American teens from a low-income area who, by breaking into the local mansion, try to experience "what life is like on the other side." The story came from a personal experience in Laura’s life. The house shown in the movie is her childhood home.

The characters are inspired by people she and David grew up with. Laura says that the title “… signifies the wealth of love, talent, intelligence, and emotional resilience that the characters have in spite of their economic challenges while living in a world that views them with skepticism and indifference.”

While writing and directing her first film, Laura also became a first-time mother. As we spoke over the phone about her film, she was driving her three-year-old son in the car to spend a day at the zoo. Working parents can identify with that situation; trying to give 100% in all areas of your life is not easy. When Laura embarked on “Rich Kids,” her son was only six months old.

Laura had always wanted to direct a film, but she had also always wanted to be a mother.

The two just so happened to fall into place at the same time. Laura says her thought at the time was, “’This is now or never. My life dream is to make a movie. If I don’t do it now, I never will.’

I felt empowered becoming a mother. It really made me feel invincible, like I can do anything now that I have had a kid!”

I asked her how she managed a full-time job and motherhood. We all need tips to help manage our lives and commitments. She willingly shared her strategy: “I had to really organize my time because I do not have childcare or family in Los Angeles, and my husband also works a full-time job that is very demanding. So when I knew I was going to have some time by myself, I would work on the movie. When my son was taking naps, I was writing the script, planning a shoot, or raising money for the film. I would get up early before he got up, and when he went to bed, I would be working. I would say to myself, ‘This is just a limited amount of time that I’m going to be doing this, it won’t last forever.’ If there were days where I just didn’t feel like I could work on it, I would show kindness to myself and just not do anything that day, or I would take one small step every day at a time. If that meant only writing one page or five pages that day and then do nothing else, that was okay because I was still moving forward.”

As she has toured around the country to various film festivals with “Rich Kids,” Laura stated she has been so encouraged by the The Lone Star Film Festival responses to the film. As an artist, she is reaping the benefits of takes place November 7 to her labor of love. She is seeing the impact of the story she brought 11, 2018. You can go to to life on the screen, all the while loving the journey she is taking richkidsthemovie.com to in pursuing her career while experiencing her greatest and most read more about the film. important role as a mother.

Grossology & Animal Grossology Word Find See how many words you can find from the list below!

CRUSTY DIGESTION DOOKIES GAS MUSHY OOZY SCALY SLIME STINKY SURGERY VOMIT WART

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photo by Tribe Alive

Alive crafted an employment model that is holistic, based upon the core needs of its employees.

“Most of the women we work with have no education,” said Burson. “They lack basic skills.

And they’re not given the opportunity to raise their children well.” Tribe Alive works to change that by teaching women how to be artisans.

When women earn money, they reinvest that money back into their families.

empowering her

photos by Amanda Marie Creative

“Women pay it forward,” Burson said. “We see the employment of women as a way to affect poverty on a global scale. People think poverty is complicated and hard to break, but it’s not. Invest in women and they will invest in the education of their kids.”

Burson knows fashion.

Her personal style is simple, elegant, functional, and timeless. She developed that aesthetic while working as a store designer for major brands like Ann Taylor and J. Crew.

by Sarah Angle

A C O N V E R S AT I O N

W I T H C A R LY B U R S O N I almost miss Carly Burson when I walk into Avoca Coffee off Magnolia Avenue. The petite entrepreneur is typing away—her face partially hidden under the wide brim of a summer hat.

When she looks up, her blue eyes dazzle with passion and purpose. This 35-year-old mother is leading a fashion movement in Fort Worth and changing the world by empowering women with education, employment, and confidence.

Immediately, I am taken with her sleek gold “Continuum Cuff” bracelet. In fashion terms, it is a “statement piece.” For Burson, it is a statement about life, family, and her business, Tribe Alive. The women’s fashion brand started four years ago as an e-commerce company, but the support and interest in her products were so strong that she opened a store on Magnolia Avenue. The store beckons buyers with its clean design and highlycurated product line, but it is the stories behind the products and the Tribe Alive mission that never fall out of fashion.

“We work with artisans in countries like Honduras, Guatemala, and India where women don’t really have access to opportunities and aren’t valued; we pay those women living wages,” said Burson.

Paying a living wage is lifechanging in a country like Honduras, which has the same cost of living as Fort Worth, but its minimum wage is only $5 a day. People live in extreme poverty to compensate, Burson explains.

photo by Amanda Marie Creative

By understanding the labor system in the developing world and the cycle of poverty it perpetuates, Tribe

This is the first time Benitez, 38, has ever made more than $2 a day or had a full-time job. With that money, she is sending her three boys to school in Honduras. “She puts 70 percent of her salary into her boys’ education,” said Burson. In addition, she is supporting 17 family members who live together in the same communal space.

“For Benitez, a full-time job changed her entire family’s life,” said Burson.

The mother of three went from poverty to provider because of opportunity and a lot of hard work.

photo by Tribe Alive

However, the birth of Tribe Alive had little to do with what was happening on the runways of Paris or New York City and everything to do with Ethiopia.

That’s where Burson adopted her first child, Elie, and became a mother. Her second child, Pricila, and grandchild, Flory, came years later.

While in Ethiopia, Burson and her husband Kyle spent time observing life in the orphanage where Elie was living. That is where Burson had a startling realization. These children were not in an orphanage because their parents did not want them.

They were in an orphanage because their parents could not feed them.

“It’s probably the greatest injustice I’ve ever witnessed,” Burson said. “Poverty should not be the reason for families to be split apart.”

Burson went back to work, but her heart had changed. She quickly decided to use her skills in fashion to give women an opportunity to get out of poverty and provide better lives for their families.

Soon after they brought home Elie, she started Tribe Alive as a hobby, creating jewelry in Honduras and employing five female artisans.

Two months after the company started, her hobby project got an order for 4,000 bracelets.

She told Kyle: “If I take this order, I’ll have to quit my job and go to Honduras for two months with Elie.” Kyle said: “Let’s do it.”

Burson hired 60 women to create the first bracelet order, and she says it was like Elie had 60 mothers surrounding her. “We live very isolated lives here [in the U.S.],” said Burson. “The women we employee, if they are eating, their village is eating. In the U.S., we hold on so tight to what we have.

It’s not like that in most of the communities we work with around the world.”

Based in Santa Ana, Honduras, Sulema Benitez is the jewelry production manager for Tribe Alive. She did not start in that job. She did not start with any job.

In a country with the highest economic inequality in Latin America and a poverty rate of over 60 percent, according to the World Bank, jobs are scarce. Jobs for women are nearly nonexistent. Benitez was just another number.

10

Then a miracle happened. Burnson hired Benitez to help with her first big bracelet order. “She just shined,” Burson said. “She’d never made jewelry before, but she just picked it up.” Later, Benitez was promoted production manager for an 80,000-item order.

Giving opportunity to women and investing in the lives of her employees is how Burson wanted to run her company. But she did not want to limit her product line or production capabilities. Today, Tribe Alive partners with companies across the world with similar missions, selling those products in the shop and online.

Historically, the garment industry has exploited workers across the world while paying wages far below any measure of sustainability. “Fast fashion” is one of the leading environmental polluters, and it is now the norm. The quick and inexpensive production of trendy clothing, which most Americans are guilty of purchasing, makes getting a cool new jacket from Zara affordable. The downside is that the cool new jacket is not going to last more than a year, and cheap production means the garment workers behind that jacket make just pennies in the process.

Burson says that when people photo by Tribe Alive brag about getting a dress for $19.99 at Zara, they need to know that the average markup is eight times what it costs to produce the piece.

“The only thing that can be squeezed in fast fashion is the human,” said Burson. “They get less money.

The other prices are fixed.”

Tribe Alive’s social enterprise model flips that on its head and uses the way it employs and empowers a small number of women to help solve many of the social problems created by fashion. The best part?

Tribe Alive is making money and making the world a better place in the process.

“A lot of die-hard capitalists out there think you have to compromise ethics to make a profit,” Burson said.

“We’re showing that you don’t.”

That said, Tribe Alive makes a much lower margin on the goods it sells. Like most social enterprises, profitability is secondary to its mission, and a big part of Burson’s overall mission is education. “We never want women to feel ashamed of what they are buying,” said Burson. “We hope that it might change some of the choices women make, but if doesn’t, that’s okay.”

Nobody is perfect. Burson says it took her a long time to get to the point where she thought about everything she bought. Even today, she admits, she might buy her daughter a dress from Old

Visit tribealive.com or stop by the store at 1455 W. Magnolia Ave. to create your capsule collection today and start empowering women around the world.

Kari Crowe, Owner of Melt Ice Creams

Robbie Werner, Owner of Stir Crazy Baked Goods

Carolyn Phillips, Owner of Alchemy Pops

Esther Miller, Owner of Gifted

Kara Phillips, Owner of High Street

Amanda Marie Lackey, Owner of

Faith Geiger, Owner of

Tareka Lofton, Owner of

Sarah Castillo, Owner of

Homes / Phillips House Co.

Amanda Marie Creative

Collective Growth Designs

Loft22 Cakes

Taco Heads

photos by Amanda Marie Creative

Sarah Hall, Owner of The Daily Method

Navy. “I never want to come across as somebody who makes all the right choices, but I’m definitely trying to,” Burson said. “Most women just don’t know; every single thing we buy has a human life behind it.”

Less really is more, especially when it comes to buying clothing. An easy way to get started and scale back or quit fast fashion altogether is to embrace the idea of a capsule collection, in which a handful of pieces work interchangeably across seasons and trends. A capsule collection from Tribe Alive means women design a wardrobe that empowers other women and their families.

It also looks good. Just look at the pictures of some incredible Fort Worth entrepreneurs who are modeling Tribe Alive’s new fall collection, which includes easy silhouettes and styles that complement all sizes, ages, and body types. “It’s about longevity and inclusivity. We want to stay rooted in neutrals and have life in a wardrobe forever,” Burson said.

The company’s goal is to become a destination for women to buy that one special handbag they use for years and years — or that hat they cannot live without. The hat will also last for years and years.

would realize.”

When Pricila, now 18, got to the U.S. border, she knew no English and had no education. Through a team of social workers, lawyers, educators, and the constant love and patience of the Bursons, Pricila is a mother, a senior in high school, and a fullycontributing member of their household.

Inside the Burson’s historic home in Near Southside, which shines with the same clean and minimal design as Tribe Alive, my daughter Amelia, 6, has a tea party with Elie. They serve us at the dining room table and patiently listen to our menu requests.

“Becoming a mother is hard, regardless,” said Burson. “[Pricila’s journey] is just a different kind of hard.”

“My child was that kid in the detention center on the border four years ago,” said Burson. “She was 14 and she was pregnant; she fled a life that wasn’t safe

“Women are women everywhere,” said Burson.

“They want to be independent. But to really empower women, it has to start with girls and education. That’s the missing piece.”

Adoption is taking a leap into the unknown, just like quitting your job and starting a business that puts mission over money are leaps into the unknown.

For Burson’s family, adoption has proven to be perfectly imperfect, untraditional, and absolutely beautiful.

“I feel like people are buried in the problems of the world right now, and sometimes it’s hard to see how we can ever make a difference,” Burson said.

“But it’s not hard to help; that’s what I wish people

Setting The Loom

1

Total Production Time

photo by Tribe Alive

The girls run back to the kitchen, laughing and squealing. It is the sound of happiness, free from worry and full of love.

“Pricila moves through life like a little superhero,” Burson said. Her three-year-old daughter, Flory, is just so happy, says Burson.

Before a design gets started, it takes one hour for a woman to set the loom.

At the end of 2015, when the Bursons decided to adopt another child, they worked with International Foster Care and Catholic Charities of Fort Worth.

During that time, Burson learned about the crisis of unaccompanied minors and how many children needed placement.

or secure to make a better life for her unborn child.”

4

From start to finish, the process takes four hours to complete.

Weave Time

2.5

Each pouch is hand-woven by backstrap weavers in Guatemala for two and a half hours.

Cost To Consumer

68

Sixty-Eight Dollars

The Life Behind the Design:

HALF MOON POUCH

Outcome For Artisan:

Sustainable hourly wage.

Ongoing education.

Access to community health program.

Sponsored quality education for children.

ADVERTISEMENT

BRIGHT IDEAS

An exclusive concierge service, Go Cowtown helps Fort Worthians manage their hectic lives. Founded

by Rendee Bullard, who has 20 years’ experience in providing personal assistance to high profile and high net worth individuals, Go Cowtown offers everyone the personal assistance experience usually reserved for the rich and famous. Go Cowtown’s personal assistants, aka Go-Gos, provide expert support for every aspect of life. From the simple (shopping and running errands) to the complex (estate management and multi-party global travel arrangements), GoGos are trained to operate efficiently in high-stress situations, ensuring their clients' every need is anticipated and met. www.gogome.me

A GUIDE TO PEOPLE, PLACES AND THINGS

Marty and Pat of Marty & Pat’s Frame Shoppe have been helping Fort Worthians display and protect their art and memories for 32 years. Marty & Pat’s is not just a nationally award-winning frame shop. As a full-service framer, Pat makes house calls to carefully measure the space and help clients with frame selections. Their decades-long experience ensures the ability to expertly handle any framing need. Marty and Pat also offer acrylic and shadow boxes to highlight cherished memories and achievements, as well as archival framing of fine art and photography. Until September 15th, Madeworthy readers receive a 20% discount.

For the 40th Fort Worth Art Dealers Association’s Fall Gallery Night, Artspace111 presents two new solo exhibitions. The main gallery will feature Devon Nowlin’s Familiar Strangers, a new series of paintings combining complex elements into surreal figurative compositions. In the studio, Layla Luna will present her series Desert: Over and Over, which explores the idea of home versus the vastness of the West Texas desert, and the comfort each provides.

Live music will be provided by Clint Niosi and Rage Out Arkestra. Fall Gallery Night is a collaborative effort of the Fort Worth Art Dealers Association.

Visit FWADA.com for more details.

Randomized Memory Overlay, Devon Nowlin, Oil on canvas, 40 x 30”, 2017

More than a mere camera store, Fort Worth Camera is a photography resource unparalleled in Fort Worth. They carry new and used equipment and gear to fit every budget from a wide selection of well-known brands like Nikon, Canon, and Sony.

While they offer the largest line of cameras, lenses, and photography accessories available in our city, as well as expert print and creative services, Fort Worth Camera also offers something equally valuable to the photographer: education. Whether one is a novice or expert, the staff at Fort Worth Camera are always eager to help. For more info visit www.FortWorthCamera.com.

Tucked under the shady comfort of a huge pecan tree, Meso Maya has quickly become a go-to favorite in Fort Worth. This trendy restaurant with fresh takes on authentic Mexican dishes and a vast selection of killer margaritas is doing it right. Even though it still feels like summer, the Meso Maya patio is a great place to enjoy those margaritas.

When you visit Meso Maya through October 31 and mention Madeworthy, you will receive a complimentary house margarita with your purchase of an entrée. Limit one per person per visit. You must be 21 or older.

For 12 years, The Lone Star Film Festival has been bringing “the world of cinema to Fort Worth” and creating an atmosphere of unparalleled access to filmmakers. Attendees of LSFF can meet and talk to the writers, directors, producers, and actors of many of the films screened throughout the festival. This year’s festival runs from November 7th through the 11th, with the annual Lone Star Film Festival Ball taking place on the 8th. Films are being selected now, and the full line-up will be announced soon.

More information and tickets can be purchased on the LSFF website, www.LoneStarFilmFestival.com.

Kim Burnstad of KBB Photography has made quite a name for herself in the wedding photography market throughout North Texas, as well as on the pages of Madeworthy. With a 15-year background in photography ranging from photojournalism to studio portraits, Kim’s experience shines through her candidly-shot wedding and engagement photos.

In paying close attention to each bride and her style, Kim creates a custom wedding photography experience. She works with natural and studio light, from outdoor weddings to studio portrait sessions with the couple’s families. Weddings booked for 2019 come with a free engagement session. Request more information at www.kbbphotography.com.

Photo by Jeffrey Wooten Creative

With over two decades of experience as an aesthetician, Shannon Moon of Skin Therapies, Inc., has seen it all and has treated it all. Her goal is to “help people live happy and healthy lives by looking and feeling their best”. She does this by establishing individualized treatment programs based on each client’s lifestyle, skincare needs, and treatment goals. She has a wide variety of treatments that range from basic skincare products to the almost magical Lutronic Infini laser, which provides facelift-like results with minimal downtime.

It is the only laser of its kind in Fort Worth. Visit www. SkinTherapiesInc.com or us.aesthetic.lutronic. com/us/. For free consultations call (817)731-5303.

Having a baby really takes its toll on the body. It can affect you for months, if not years. FIT4MOM, the nation's leading prenatal and postnatal fitness program, helps moms get back on track by providing fitness classes and a community of moms to support every stage of motherhood. The best part is you and your baby can participate together. The Stroller Strides and Stroller Barre programs, for example, utilize your baby’s stroller with your baby in it. From pregnancy through postpartum and beyond, the FIT4MOM fitness and wellness programs help moms regain strength in body, mind, and spirit. fortworth.fit4mom.com

Photo by Meredith Green Photography

Being a mom is hard enough without having to navigate the fourth trimester on your own. Often women have so many questions, wondering when their bodies will recover, what physical activities can be ok with a diastasis, or if something can be done about urinary leakage. Woerner Physical Therapy has developed a protocol individualized to each patient’s goals, to help them return to old hobbies and a new life. Specializing in pelvic floor muscle function and how these muscles work with the rest of the body, they help patients regain optimum funtion. Call 682-235-3816 or schedule an evaluation at www.woernerphysicaltherapy.com A retro-futuristic machine is landing in Burnett Park! Loop is a cross between a zoetrope, railway handcar, and a music box, operated by members of the public. Flickering black and white images give the illusion of movement, recalling the earliest motion pictures. The speed at which the images fly by and the rhythm of the audio are directly set by the participants. Loop is an amazing experience! Conception and execution of Loop are by Olivier Girouard, Jonathan Villeneuve, and Ottoblix, and production is by Ekumen and Quartier des Spectacles Partnership, Montreal, Canada.

September 28 through October 27th. www.dfwi.org

Photo by Ulysse Lemerise

A rte Au tént ic a P a ra Niños Authentic Art for Children

by Christy Ortiz

Todos los días, nuestros hijos siguen una rutina que consiste en tareas escolares, deportes, clases de baile o música y citas para jugar con otros niños. Cada tarea es meticulosamente planificada para ellos. En algunos casos, vivir la vida en piloto automático impide el desarrollo de la imaginación de un niño. Entonces, ¿cómo logramos enseñar a nuestros hijos a crear sus propias obras de arte auténticas?

Ejercicios o Arte Auténtico En primer lugar, es importante saber la diferencia entre el arte auténtico y otros tipos de arte. La mayoría de las obras de arte que nuestros hijos hacen en la escuela no son originales. Por ejemplo, un maestro puede mostrar a los alumnos una serie de obras que demuestran varias técnicas de sombreado. Luego, puede señalar a una manzana sobre la mesa y asignar a los alumnos que dibujen su propio boceto, imitando estas técnicas. Este tipo de obra de arte tiene un propósito muy importante. Son ejercicios que enseñan habilidades esenciales. El arte auténtico se base en el pensamiento creativo. Es auto dirigido e individualista.

Es la expresión original de un artista que aplica esas habilidades aprendidas en ejercicios replicados.

Observe Obras de Otros Artistas Exponga a su hijo a una variedad de arte, ya sea en persona o mediante la literatura. Observar las obras de otros artistas en museos o muestras de arte y hojear libros de arte puede ser una excelente manera de descubrir lo que le interesa a su hijo. ¿Gravitan hacia un estilo, o un medio en particular? Tal vez se pregunte ¿cómo puede el estudio de arte inspirar la originalidad de mi hijo?

Acuérdese que hay pocos artistas que no haya sido influenciado o inspirado por el arte de otra persona.

Proporcione un Espacio Seguro y Dedicado No todos pueden inscribir a sus hijos en una escuela de arte, y aun menos pueden tener un estudio profesional en casa. Sin embargo, la mayoría de nosotros puede encontrar un lugar en nuestro hogar para crear arte. Debe ser un espacio con mucha luz natural donde los niños puedan tener acceso libre a los materiales.

Es importante proveer materiales de buena calidad, sus pigmentos son más concentrados, duran más y no tienen que ser costosos. Además, evita el desorden de espacio con demasiadas cosas. Mantenga una cantidad limitada de materiales a mano y rótelos si su espacio es pequeño. Si tiene niños pequeños, no tenga miedo de agregar al espacio algunos juguetes de plástico fáciles de limpiar. Si

Spanish Vocabulary for Kids!

Pintura (Painting), Pincel (Paint Brush), Dibujo (Drawing), Arcilla (Clay), Medio (Medium), Arte (Art), Lienzo (Canvas) find the english translation on tanglewoodmoms.com

realmente no tiene espacio para dedicar exclusivamente a la creación del arte, considere convertir un rincón de la habitación de su hijo. Organice los materiales verticalmente en la pared o emplee un carrito con ruedas para llevar a la mesa del comedor.

Practiquen Destrezas Básicas ¿Le angustia el arte? No se preocupe, estoy hablando del tipo de arte que es divertida y significativa y completamente deletreada para usted paso a paso.

Acceda al sitio web de The Art Pantry y descargue el documento 9 Days of easy Art Prompts o Family Canvas Challenge de forma gratuita. Otra opción puede ser el Museo de Arte Kimbell que tiene numerosas opciones entretenidas que incluyen Kids Drop-In Studio, Children's Workshop y Kimbell Campamentos de verano.

A leer Los niños a menudo se frustran cuando intentan crear una obra de arte. La mayoría de las veces es porque sienten que carecen de las habilidades para lograr el producto final deseado. Por ejemplo, tal vez su hijo quiera dibujar un caballo, pero se da por vencido en su primer intento y declara "¡No puedo hacerlo!" Aquí es donde los ejercicios de arte se vuelven tan importantes. Enseñe al niño a dividir la forma que quiere crear en formas básicas. Un libro de ejercicios que explica paso a paso como dibujar animales puede ayudar con este reto. Es cierto que muchos artistas nacen con talento natural, sin embargo, todos los artistas trabajan duro y practican para perfeccionar su técnica. Practica el dibujar, mezclar colores, cortar, pegar, y hacer modelos con plastilina o arcilla. Ejecutar ejercicios básicos puede brindarle a un niño las habilidades y la confianza que necesita para sentirse exitoso e inspirado para crear su propia obra de arte auténtica.

Relájese Por último, enséñeles a sus hijos a valorar el proceso de creación artística, mas que el resultado. Recuerde, el arte auténtico es auto dirigido, no dirigido por el maestro, así que, retírese por un rato. Por ejemplo, coloque una bandeja de tres a seis materiales variados en el centro de una mesa e invite a los niños a crear lo primero que les llegue a la mente, sin dirección. Si al principio se les hace difícil pensar en una idea y necesitan orientación, proporcione un tema para su pieza. Con un poco de práctica trabajando en proyectos abiertos, usted y sus hijos aprenderán a amar el proceso de creación de arte auténtico.

the greenhouse 817 designs

by Sarah Angle

BRING ANY SPACE TO LIFE Deryk Poynor, 26, knows you cannot buy happiness, but you can buy plants. Surrounding yourself with living greens brings people closer to something we have lost in this industrialized world and the concrete jungles of the big city. She says there is an innate connection between plants and people. Her passion to share that connection is why she started The Greenhouse 817 five years ago. At first, it was just a hobby, but as the orders started rolling in, Poynor opened a warehouse space to create botanical designs that are pieces of living art.

Today, she has a new storefront off South Main in Near Southside and a growing business that is anything but ordinary.

Madeworthy sat down with the green-eyed beauty to talk shop, life, art, and xeriscaping ideas for the Texas heat.

MADEWORTHY: How did you learn about plants?

DERYK POYNOR: I grew up in the country off Jacksboro Highway; I was surrounded by plants and animals. My mom still lives out there, and I bring home a lot of stuff from her garden.

MW: How does the power of design affect your process and work with plants?

DP: Design is at the core of all aspects of my business. It’s everything and deeply rooted in my brand. I’m thinking of design concepts and inspirations while I’m picking out plants, and while I’m growing them at home in my greenhouse for special projects. I even prune with design possibilities in mind. If I’m selecting fresh florals, designs are flooding my mind for the project and the client.

I think in color palettes and draw from architectural inspiration and other designers whom I admire.

I visit The Modern Museum of Art in Fort Worth and a lot of our lovely little local galleries as often as I can; I spend a lot of time outdoors foraging for plant cuttings around Fort Worth to use, too.

MW: Where do your designs go to live?

DP: We create alternative designs for people who are looking for something that’s not typical — something they couldn’t ordinarily find here in

Fort Worth. Those clients include restaurants, businesses, and home décor for regular folks. We have stuff everywhere, including the new Tribe Alive store off Magnolia Avenue — retailers really love it.

DP: The community we’ve built online is full of support and trust. I’m not really trying to sell anybody on anything. I’m just trying to make really beautiful things for people. I’ve never had anyone disappointed.

MW: Tell us about your big break.

Ninety percent of our Instagram followers are from Fort Worth, and the majority are women.

We’re trying to get more interest from men; plants are for everybody.

DP: Righteous Foods owner, Lanny Lancarte, gave us our start when he was finishing out the restaurant off West 7th Street.

That was our first install and our first commercial client. I remember thinking: This is when we’re going to do it for real.

MW: What’s the biggest challenge you’ve faced as a business owner?

DP: We’re really lucky to be in Near Southside where people are supporting small businesses.

We have our slow times getting people in, and coming over to new uncharted territory off South Main was kind of a risky jump.

But, we’re getting there.

Being a young business owner sometimes makes people doubt your abilities, and they get scared to trust you with something big like a wedding.

But we never let our clients down. There are a lot of fly by night people in the event industry. We’re here to stay.

MW: You’ve got a really impressive Instagram presence with nearly 7,000 followers.

How did you cultivate that?

MW: Gosh, it’s been so hot.

Talk to us about xeriscaping.

DP: Yeah, in Texas it’s 100 degrees. We should all have xeriscape yards. Potted succulents are a great way to start. You can plant succulents in the ground, but they require a different type of soil. Agaves are also a smart move. Use rocks in your yard instead of grass.

It conserves a lot of water, and rocks look good, rain or shine.

MW: What’s a good housewarming gift idea?

DP: I love jade. It’s a succulent, and it’s really low maintenance.

Bonsai succulents are cool, too. Plus, we carry plenty of interesting coffee table books.

People usually buy a plant and a book to give together.

Order your own unique botanical design at thegreenhouse817.com or visit the shop at 411 S. Main St.

Join us for an admissions event!

RSVP at tvs.org/admissions KINDERGARTEN COFFEE: Tuesday, October 9, 9:30 a.m.

KINDERGARTEN RACCOON AFTERNOON: October 18 or November 27, 4 p.m.

KINDERGARTEN INFO SESSION: Monday, October 29, 5:30 p.m.

K-12 OPEN HOUSE: Sunday, November 4, 2-4 p.m.

Partners in Learning.

Experts in Education.

TrinityValley School

TVS

K-12, Coed, Independent School | tvs.org

photos by Jodie Miears, Reverie Photo Co.

worthy DESIGNS

by Edward Brown “I spend a lot of time on the trails,” she said.

“I appreciate that we have such a fantastic trail system here in Fort Worth. I love the fact that we’re from Cowtown.”

After seeing how past Madeworthy illustrators featured Fort Worth’s skyline, Kruemcke knew she needed a different tack. The longhorn, an integral part of Fort Worth’s identity, makes a whimsical appearance. The bull also provides a humorous foil for the education-themed issue.

While Madeworthy’s writers work to celebrate Fort Worth’s influencers and small business owners in prose, a team of dedicated designers works toward a similar aim — encompassing the essence of our city through captivating cover illustrations. For each issue, Madeworthy commissions an original cover image from our city’s leading graphic artists. Here are their stories.

“I wanted to be different,” Kruemcke said. “I always approach things by solving the problem differently than those before me... When I’m doing something on my own, I’m drawn to layers and textures.”

“I drew a really cool picture in class,” he recalled. “My teacher was so impressed that she took me around to the other classes to show everyone… From then on, I was always creating things.”

Kruemcke is a self-described “voracious reader of periodicals, blogs, and websites.”

Jones is now a partner at Sovic Designs. For the inaugural issue of Madeworthy, Jones worked closely with publisher Victoria Wise.

“She had a few examples” of what she liked, Jones said. “We were on a short deadline.

I applied a style that I could execute in that timeframe... I created all of it on an iPad.”

Cassie Kruemcke’s love of running shines through in her cover for Issue 4.

The final design elements were the colors.

Wise wanted hues that suggested an “off and retro-y” feel.

Relying on skills honed since kindergarten, Jones snuggly layered landmarks familiar to Fort Worthians.

August 27–December 31, 2017 August 27–December 31, 2017 #KimbellCasanova #KimbellCasanova

“I’m constantly looking for visual inspiration.

I’m inspired by the most random of things. If I see a color on a piece of tile, neon designs, animals, or blades of grass, I try to jot them down.”

When the creative juices run low, Kruemcke has a time-tested solution.

“First, I get a cup of coffee,” she said.

“Then, I change my [work] environment and [look through my collection of ideas.]

Something always hits me.”

Did launching the inaugural cover illustration leave Jones feeling pressured?

kimbellart.org kimbellart.org Promotional support is provided by Promotional support is provided by

Unexpected praise from a kindergarten teacher sent Corey Jones toward his career in the visual arts.

This exhibition is organized by the Kimbell Art Museum, the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Mannequins provided by Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Loring Gallery Textile Exhibition Fund. Image: Jean-Marc Nattier, Thalia, Muse of Comedy (detail), 1739, oil on canvas. Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, Mildred Anna Williams Collection This exhibition is organized by the Kimbell Art Museum, the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Mannequins provided by Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Loring Gallery Textile Exhibition Fund. Image: Jean-Marc Nattier, Thalia, Muse of Comedy (detail), 1739, oil on canvas. Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, Mildred Anna Williams Collection

“There’s always a little pressure,” he said. “But it wasn’t overwhelming... I’m confident in my ability to produce… I was proud to be able to set the bar. Now, I’m excited to see what other artists” do with it.

“Growing up, I remember summer road trips with my family and seeing the city skyline disappear on the horizon as we embarked on our journey,” she recalled.

“The decision to use a flat graphic approach consisted of familiarity with the illustration style, royalty-free resources, and print quality control.”

For Issue 2, Foster focused on “pretty and bright” colors that exude optimism. The Trinity River and downtown skyline firmly ground the illustration in Fort Worth.

The theme of exploration resonated with Aguilar. She is an avid lover of outdoor photography and is happy for any excuse to get outside and capture something unique with her camera. She describes her work, which runs the gamut from digital advertising campaigns and corporate branding to social media campaigns, as “visual puzzles.”

“I wanted something that would catch people’s eyes,” she said. “I wanted something that represented the best parts of Fort Worth.”

An artist at heart, Foster’s intention was to create a work that could stand alone if framed. All her works are created with that possibility in mind. After a start designing wedding invitations, Foster consults on marketing projects, brands product lines, drafts original illustrations, and designs her own t-shirt line.

Her soon-to-be-launched “Icebreaker” line of shirts is intended to reflect the wearer’s ethos. The idea is to “break the ice in the sense that people will stop to talk about it,” she said.

Foster offers this and designers.

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to

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artists

“I tell young artists that [despite the trope of the ‘starving artist’] … so much of the world relies on good design,” she said. “Everyone has a creative bone. You just have to find it.”

The end goal of any project is to “see a great concept come to life,” she said.

Architecture, clothing, nature — all are inspirations for Lauren Foster.

Any image that catches her imagination are stored in a “vault” where they wait to help Foster work through creative roadblocks.

“I think illustrations are most compelling when they convey the most with the least,” she said, referring to her appreciation of monoline illustrations and tight-knit color palettes.

“Our theme was rejuvenation,” he said. “We wanted to showcase all the progress being made in our city.”

Those elements came to the fore in her cover illustration for Issue 6. She kept the color scheme minimal with five hues. After viewing past issues, she was pleased that, stylistically, the magazine cover designs invited creativity and uniqueness.

The color scheme reflects hues more common in sunrises than sunsets. Bodvidson credits Paul Reid (who has moved on to another company) and art director Mary Daniels with flushing out the final design.

“I wanted [my cover] to convey summertime with warm and cool tones,” she said. “For me, water says summer in Texas.”

Daniels said the ideas soon converged on the omnipresent construction near Dickies’ Arena, downtown, and Panther Island.

The illustration work was a fun project, but branding remains her passion. Branding is a company’s “visual story,” she said.

“On top, you see construction,” she said. “It’s a pain… but it is creating something new and beautiful in our community. The reflection [on the water] is the vision of what that construction is to become.”

Projects at Ascend Concepts are team driven. When Chris Bodvidson received the assignment for Issue 3, his group began collectively brainstorming.

Holly Aguilar lives for that “aha” moment that occurs when she is working on a design problem. The senior art director at the Balcom Agency drew on 20 years of professional experience for the creation of her cover for Madeworthy’ Issue 5.

Her task was to create a travel-themed cover from the perspective of a Fort Worthian.

Graphic designers steer between trends and timeless elements.

Sam Fleming, a partner at Evangalist, follows established artists on Instagram for insight and inspiration.

The initial rough sketch was refined and then illustrated digitally before the final product was brought to life via Photoshop. Ascend Concepts’ website design and branding handiwork have shaped local businesses such as TCU’s Neeley School of Business, Joe T. Garcia’s, and Panther Island Brewing.

“Our mission is to help our clients succeed,” Bodvidson said. “We do that by energizing people’s brands. We have a strong commitment to creativity and the creative process. That’s our driving force.”

16

The process of distilling a company into a single message can be daunting. First, Fleming discusses the company’s vision with employees. Countless hours of research, mood boards, and color palettes later, the efforts manifest as rough drafts, which are then whittled down to several finalists. The final three are further flushed out before a winner is chosen.

“People define themselves every day,” she said. “We define companies that are made up of people. Putting visual identity to that and giving it life, it’s a rewarding element of my life.”

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Art H opping

Through Fort Worth’s Fall Gallery Night

by Shilo Urban

Fort Worth’s Fall Gallery Night celebrates its 40th anniversary on September 8, and it is the perfect opportunity to plunge into Fort Worth’s thriving yet intimate art scene.

Fusing people with pixelated patterns and abstract ideas, Matthew Bourbon’s art speaks to the modern blurring of the digital and physical worlds. His works blend disparate modes of representation with finesse. Bright geometrics play off impressions of daily life, submerging reality into an unnerving abyss that feels frighteningly accessible. A professor at the University of North Texas, Bourbon shares the gallery in a concurrent exhibition with Richard Armendariz; the artists’ work mirrors one another using patterns, human figures, and a flat aesthetic. The Gallery at UTA, 502 S. Cooper Street, Arlington, TX 76019

Many Fort Worth galleries will stay open late until 9:00 p.m. with special exhibitions and live performances. You will also find wine tastings and food trucks to fuel your adventures. Chat with accomplished local sculptors, up-and-coming talent, and acclaimed painters from around the world.

Whether floating in water or slathered with mud, Reisha Perlmutter’s realistic female forms evoke a sense of freedom, transformation, and self-realization. Enjoy the opening reception for Undercurrents, a powerful collection that explores the feminine journey of self-acceptance. Intimate and textural, each oil painting embraces the imperfections of artistic creation. Having shown at some of the most prestigious galleries in New York, Perlmutter brings her art to Fort Worth with this nuanced exhibition. Find light refreshments on Fall Gallery Night along with beats from local DJ Ronnie Heart. Fort Works Art, 2100 Montgomery Street, Fort Worth, TX 76107

Start your Fall Gallery Night at one of the only photography exhibitions, the This Is America pop up at WestBend. Madeworthy is excited to be partnering with Art Tooth and Regan Hall Art to present this pop-up gallery. See brave new works by local photographers, including Grace Pham, Penny Halcyon, Chip Tompkins, Jay Wilkinson, Roy Rivera, Jordan Ricaurte, Brian Hutson, Julio Cedillo, and Regan Hall. This Is America will be open from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. and is a stop on Art Tooth’s (in)famous pARTy bus. WestBend 1701 River Run, Suite 151 Fort Worth, TX 76107 As you continue on your Gallery Night journey, be sure to keep an eye out for these artists and their works!

Soon Warren’s shimmering colors pop off the canvas, a riot of ebullient energy and instant appeal. Her paintings are drenched in Explore the hybrid female figure through the dynamic hues that transform natural subjects colorful, collage-like sculptures of Alicia Paz. with larger-than-life theatrics. Known for Her plywood silhouettes are enrobed in baroque vivid waterscapes and landscapes, along costumes with intricate detailing. Each figure with photorealistic images of crystal vases strikes a dramatic pose, powerful performers and flowers, she is also a renowned teacher in their stories. Born in Mexico and based in and author. Warren will be exhibiting in and London, Paz’s work celebrates the multifaceted curating the Fall Gallery Night show of her He Rushed the Pony by Frederic Remington feminine identity. Paz joins six more international associates’ works. Be sure to check out the artists for the gallery’s group exhibition Flâneuse, live watercolor demonstrations. Atrium Gallery at UNTHSC, 3500 Camp Bowie which considers the contemporary experiences of female flâneurs: aesthetes, Boulevard, Fort Worth, TX 76107 wanderers, and passionate observers. Fort Worth Contemporary Arts, 2900 W. Berry Street, Fort Worth, TX 76109 Over the last 25 years, Willie Baronet has purchased more than 1,300 signs made by the homeless. The long-term art project comes together in his installation We Are All Homeless. Designed to raise awareness about homelessness, this exhibition is a poignant contemplation of compassion and the meaning of home.

Baronet, a professor at SMU, has previously showcased his collection across the U.S. and the UK and has been featured on NPR, Huffington Post, and Yahoo. Visit his installation in Fort Worth to meditate on the humanity expressed in these signs.

Rebecca Lowe Gallery, 7608 Camp Bowie West, Fort Worth TX 76116

Wood meets glass meets fire on Fall Gallery Night at SiNaCa Studios on Magnolia Avenue. Brandon Pederson works with wood, not glass, creating large-scale sculptures, which will serve as inspiration for SiNaCa’s glassblowers to reimagine the sculptures in glass on Fall Gallery Night. Multiple pieces of glass will be blown in the hot shop and assembled into an entirely new work of art. Watch the process unfold to discover what the experiment will reveal. SiNaCa Studios, 1013 W. Magnolia Avenue, Fort Worth, TX 76104 Celebrate the opening reception for Familiar Strangers, Devon Nowlin’s surreal new exhibition of photo compositions. Nowlin is a Fort Worth native and one of the city’s most talented artists, with public art installations throughout the city.

Saturated with color, her new series inspires questions of modernity, progress, and nostalgic aspirations. Meet Nowlin at Artspace111 on Fall Gallery Night, which also hosts the opening of another solo exhibition: Layla Luna’s Desert: Over and Over.

There will also be a food truck and live entertainment from Clint Niosi and Rage Out Arkestra. Artspace111, 111 Hampton Street, Fort Worth, TX 76102 Take a stroll down Chicano Ave to ponder street culture and self-awareness the new exhibition by Fort Worth artist Eric Villarreal. Villareal contemplates influences on the Chicano identity, poking at social and political themes with a hint of humor – and a profound admiration of Nuestra Cultura. Sip wine and nibble on cheese while chatting with Villarreal about his magnetic imagery and thought-provoking content.

Artes de la Rosa, 1440 N Main Street, Fort Worth, TX 76164 Frederic Remington is one of the most gifted artists of the Old West. His works are some of the most popular images of the era – and some of the most faked.

Frederic Remington: Altered States examines the issue of counterfeit artwork through a collection of Remington paintings and sculptures that have been altered in some way, either by the artist himself or by others. Discover how science and scholarship are working together to reveal the truth about the art world’s “fake news.” Docents will be present on Fall Gallery Night from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

The Sid Richardson Museum, 309 Main Street, Fort Worth, TX 76102 Gloria Sepp’s passionate, polychromatic abstract art infuses the canvas with a sense of energy and movement. Each piece feels like a celebration, a riot of intense hues that communicate the glow of strong emotion. Chat with Sepp on Fall Gallery Night, along with several other artists in the group exhibition including Jennifer Stufflebeam, Gale Johnston, Clara Williams, Loretta LaMothe, Bruce Love, and Bob Fox. Browse unframed artwork to buy and enjoy drinks and light appetizers. Art on the Boulevard, 4919 Camp Bowie Boulevard, Suite B, Fort Worth, TX 76107 See the latest creations by one of Fort Worth’s most famous artists, JT Grant, whose new exhibition opens on Fall Gallery Night. walking the horizon displays the artist’s talent for creating extraordinary skyscapes and flawless figures. Grant’s works highlight the social, economic, and political discord experienced while living in a rich land. Drift off into a dreamland at Grant’s new exhibit, an otherworldly opus of multi-chromatic clouds, dark yet delicate tulips, and figurative meditations. William Campbell Contemporary Art, 4935 Byers Avenue, Fort Worth, TX 76107 From black-and-white images of dusty young cowboys to colorful Texas riverscapes, Luther Smith’s photographs capture a profound emotional vibrancy. Discover glimpses of the artist’s 35-year career at this retrospective exhibition, which celebrates the professor’s retirement from the TCU School of Art. My Time at TCU: Photographs will feature images from three of the artist’s key series: High School Rodeo, The Trinity River, and The American South. Smith’s works speak to the complexity of nature and the connection with land and home. Meet the artist in person on Fall Gallery Night.

Moudy Gallery, 2805 South University Drive, Fort Worth, TX 76129

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M O M S TALK PARENT I NG W HIL E P E RF ORM I NG

by Julie Rhodes

When I first met Cara, she was sitting in the Casa Mañana dressing room wearing a giant pink gown as Glenda the Good Witch. I was struggling to put on some vintage pants that Tammy, Casa’s costume designer, had picked out for me to wear in an upcoming show. Small talk is funny when one of you is dressed like a cream puff and the other is hopping on one foot to catch the pants leg.

When I first met Sherry, she was sitting on a stage pretending to be someone else opposite my own version of someone else, and we were both hoping to be hired to play these someone elses in a show about the conundrums of love.

When I first met Lisa, we spent the first few hours of our relationship speaking to one another in a British accent. It was at a rehearsal; I was playing her daughter, and I suspected she might actually BE British, which made me woefully self-conscious. She is not, though. She is just really, really talented.

When I first met Lauren, I was hoping she would give me a part in a play. The second time I worked with Lauren, we were playing best friends in a play where we both had to part our hair severely down the middle.

The theater is a funny place to find friends. One minute you do not know someone from Adam, and the next you are pretending to hate this person deeply or pretending to share a secret as your organs compress within 17th-century corsets. Despite all the someone elses that Cara, Sherry, Lisa, and Lauren have been over the years, I do know this about each of them: they are all incredible mothers.

I wanted to talk about being a mom in theater with them, maybe because I need therapy, but mostly because I want to know what I could do better. We all could do better as a community of mommas who support each other, whether we are actors or real estate attorneys or homemakers. For me, it is the therapy thing. There are no support groups for Mothers Who Act or for Actors Who Mother.

I asked the girls to lunch.

Cara could not make it, ironically, for reasons related to motherhood; her kids are Libby, 13, and Allie, 9. Sherry told us she almost came dressed exactly like our waiter — white button-down shirt, green tie. (She has gotten into ties lately.) How unfortunate she had not followed her instincts! we said. We sat down and ordered versions of salads.

Between the five of us, we have nine children between the ages of five and early twenties. Between the five of us, we have been acting over a hundred years. I quickly realized this lunch might last well into the year 2024. Since actor-moms do not get a lot of time to pow-wow, getting together felt like a congregation of unicorns. Tired, tired unicorns.

I launched right in. Had they all known they wanted to be both mothers AND actors?

The short answer? Yes. (My answer, incidentally, is also an emphatic yes.) Lisa had been a slightly older momma, who had her daughter Tierney when she

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there's no script!

was 35. Sherry’s clock started ticking at 28. Cara, who emailed me later, told me she had wanted to be an actor since she was seven, but never knew a time she did not think she would be a mom. Same with Lauren. The only difference is how we have all gone about it.

Lisa talked about the fog of early motherhood, the loneliness, the colic. Her husband, actor Kim Titus, was working in theater, and she was at home with baby, getting increasingly jealous. She felt a lot of pressure NOT to go back to the theater and did not go back full-time for years. Around Tierney’s fourth birthday, the phone rang. It was a director offering her the role in “Sylvia” to replace an actress whose husband had suddenly passed away. “I said, ‘We have a four-year-old and she will have to come with me,’” said Lisa. “He asked, ‘What do you need?’ I said, ‘I need a nanny.’ He said, ‘We’ll get you one.’”

With that, Lisa was back to work.

“My first show back, I felt a lot of pressure to be really, really good — so people wouldn’t think they let me have [the role] because I was desperate. Or that I had lost my edge,” said Lisa. Fortunately, the show ran a whopping 16 weeks, having been extended three times. Lisa was back in full force, but still she struggled with what it would mean for her daughter. Was this really the best for Tierney?

“One person who thought it was best for my child was Tierney’s pediatrician,” said Lisa. “You are so much happier, and Tierney is happier, when you’re in a play,” the doctor had said. The rest, more or less, was history.

Sherry’s time as a new mom was also hard. Also married to an actor, Sherry had been the primary bread-winner until she had her oldest, Christopher, and stayed home with baby. “I honestly got bored and lonely,” she said. She had gone to school for an MFA in Theater Management because she wanted to have a stable income and a lifestyle where she could stay home with kids. As it turned out, you can take the actor off the stage, but you cannot take the stage out of the actor. Or something like that. It proved hard to stay away. Right now, Sherry is touring her one-woman show “Stiff”— about her life living with the very rare neuromuscular stiff person syndrome — which has reaped accolades and awards.

Lauren’s mash-up of motherhood and theater was exactly that: a head-on collision. Lauren and her husband Jason founded Stolen Shakespeare Guild in 2006 as a nonprofit theater dedicated to providing affordable, classic theater to modern audiences. It just so happened that its first production coincided with Lauren’s due date with oldest son Wesley (now 11 years old). She was directing and sewing costumes when she was “like, HUGE,” she laughed, remembering being about to pop on opening night.

She gave birth a week after opening and was back costuming SSG’s second show a month later.

“You gave birth to a theater and a baby in the same week!” exclaimed Lisa, across the table.

“That was our life. That is our life,” Lauren mused.

She currently homeschools both her kids Wesley and Claire (5) and finds rehearsal a needed outlet.

“I get SO MUCH quality time [with the kids]; maybe sometimes too much quality time.”

Sherry will also be homeschooling next year. Now that she is traveling more with “Stiff,” she wants to be able to spend time with them, especially with her oldest son Christopher (13), who has autism. After she was in St. Louis for a couple of weeks last year, Christopher asked Sherry’s mother-in-law, “Is Mom getting rich doing this?” (HUGE LAUGHTER from all of us.) He said, “I’m hoping she’s making enough money so she doesn’t have to do this again.”

Cue the mom guilt. Or maybe not.

When I asked Cara later about mom guilt and theater, her answer was delightful and bold: “I definitely have it, and mostly because I feel guilty for not feeling guilty. I need to do theatre. It is my outlet and my therapy. I went back to work six weeks after Libby was born, and I think I was supposed to feel guilty about it, but I was SO happy to have something that was MINE. Motherhood is so consuming, and I need to have those moments of joy in rehearsal and with my friends to feel recharged for my family.”

There are many contrasts in the theater — lightsup and blackouts, curtains rising and curtain calls, comedy and tragedy. Perhaps we actor-moms need contrast in our lives, too, to make the whole machine work better. But that does not mean we are not angsty.

“A lot of [the angst] has to do with hours,” said Sherry. “A lot of working moms are working when kids are in school, but when you’re an actor, the kids come home from school and you’re like, ‘OK bye.’”

“True guilt comes when I can't attend one of their performances or activities because of my schedule,” Cara said. “I have missed special events of the girls, or events with my husband because of the crazy hours we keep.”

I can relate to this. My kids Drew (10) and Madeline (8) have frequently had sports games with no mom on the sidelines; my husband Gordon has gone to so many parties and work conferences solo that people have wondered if I am, in fact, a made-up character, much like those I play on stage. However, as with my friends sitting around the table, the strange bedfellows of theater/motherhood in my life do not seem to be splitting up any time soon. “The serenity to accept the things you cannot change” seems like a good mantra.

As lunch was wrapping up, we dug our spoons into the gooey bread pudding at the center of the table.

I thought I knew the answer to my next question, but I asked it anyway: do you feel more confident as an actor or as a mother?

Four out of the five of us agreed: ACTOR. “I definitely feel more confident as an actor,” said Sherry. “There’s a script!”

“Oh...I am a sea of lack of confidence,” Cara said later. “I feel like I should give some empowering, positive answer, but the truth is, I feel like I am whiteknuckling it through both aspects of my life. I think I am more comfortable being an actor because it is inherent in me, and motherhood is infinitely harder than I ever imagined.”

“I don’t know that I feel particularly confident in EITHER role,” said Lauren. “I think it’s always a work in progress, always trying to figure out how to do [both] better.”

I suspect versions of these answers might be equally true of mommas who find themselves to be doctors, lawyers, jewelry designers or any other career. We are all gifted in certain ways, trying to be better in all the ways.

My last question felt sweeter than the nowconsumed bread pudding: what brings you the most joy?

“Those moments when [your kids] get to see your work and understand, ‘Oh THIS is why you’ve been gone so many nights!’” said Sherry. “And just the idea that [my son] likes the idea of being an actor himself. That when someone asks what job you want when you grow up, and he says ‘Actor, that it’s a legit job.’” Then she laughed, bringing us full-circle, “And that he will also have to work in a restaurant!”

The waiter, in his white shirt and green tie, dropped off the check.

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