RSVP Magazine June 2015

June 2015

ONE Night Gala Gift of Life Gala Taste of Jubilee FedExFamilyHouse Gala Wild World of Wine and Beer Q&A with Brenda Joysmith

CONTENTS

Contents June 2015

From the Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 Signature Memphis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 Pat Brown of T Clifton Art and Broad Ave. cheerleader, talks bikes and art with RSVP. Argus, Brown’s 160 lb Saint Bernard, wasn’t shy about jumping in the spotlight either!

Wild World of Wine and Beer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 The Memphis Zoo gave locals the chance to go wild for exotic wines, craft brews and unique original art created by some furry Zoo residents.

12 WILD WORLD OF WINE AND BEER Stephanie White and Gwin Sain

StreetSeens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 & 20 This team of Memphians is lending their creative and unique talents to one of the most recognized award shows on television. He is taking his final bow at The Orpheum Theatre, but don’t despair. He’s just moving next-door. StreetSeens highlight Brandon Bell and Sarah Rossi and Pat Halloran.

34 GIFT OF LIFE GALA Heather and Christopher Williams

Vox Popular . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22 Q&A with Brenda Joysmith, nationally and internationally renowned artist.

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FedExFamilyHouse Gala . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26 Guests raised support and funds for Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital’s “home away from home.”

Ambassador Series . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30 Jack Kenner’s Wild Safari Contributing writer Emily Adams Keplinger details the fascinating work of photographer and Memphian Jack Kenner, his newest safari photo shoot and the group of school children tagging along for the adventure of a lifetime.

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22 VOX POPULAR Brenda Joysmith

Gift of Life Gala . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34 The Peabody Hotel was host to a crowd of supporters celebrating the life-saving work of the National Kidney Foundation of West Tennessee.

Onsites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40, 54, 55, 57 & 58

42 ONE NIGHT GALA Carolyn and Walter Bailey

Gathering that have earned an honorable mention.

ONE Night Gala . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42 Regional One Health Foundation held its annual popular fund-raiser. New party name, same big heart and soul.

Taste of Jubilee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48 Nothing makes a party like good food, good drinks and good people. Taste of Jubilee had all three and more as attendees raised money for the Blue Streak Scholarship Fund.

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Be Nice or Pay the Price Dennis Phillippi questions the benefits of being rude as he recalls a summer when he was on the receiving end of telemarketer abuse as a young man simply trying to earn beer money.

FEDEXFAMILYHOUSE GALA Dr. Stephen and Kristy Gipson

48 TASTE OF JUBILEE Emily Van Epps and Natalie Martin

Cover Photo Jenny and Justin Fuente at FedExFamilyHouse Gala Photo by Don Perry

R SV P S TA F F Volume XX

Number IX

June 2015 PUBLISHER

Roy Haithcock EDITOR

R achel Warren CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Emily Ander son Ruth Cassin Emily Adams Keplinger Dennis Phillippi Suzanne Thompson Lesley Young ART DIRECTOR

Patrick Aker s PHOTOGRAPHERS

Daniel Frederick Patrick L antrip Don Perry Steve Roberts

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ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES

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Chris Pugh Robin Morgan ACCOUNTING

Ruth Cassin

CHRIS PUGH, ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE 901.276.7787, EXT. 103 chris@rsvpmagazine.com

Chris has been exercising his talent in the advertising world since 1999. He joined the RSVP team in 2009 and brought with him a love for laughter and creativity.

Originally from New Albany, Mississippi, Chris has settled in Memphis and enjoys being active in the fashion community.

RSVP Memphis is published monthly by Haithcock Communications, Inc. First class subscriptions are available for $55.00 per year.

Send name and address with a check to: Haithcock Communications, Inc. 2282 Central Avenue Memphis, TN 38104 For advertising information contact Roy Haithcock Phone (901) 276-7787, ext. 101 Fax (901) 276-7785 e-mail publisher@rsvpmagazine.com WEB

www.rsvpmagazine.com For editorial information or to request coverage of an event, please contact RSVP Magazine one month prior to the event.

Call 901-276-7787, ext. 105 or fax to 901-276-7785. e-mail editor@rsvpmagazine.com Follow us on

RSVP Memphis Magazine

Copyright 2015 Haithcock Communications, Inc.

ROBIN MORGAN, ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE 901.276.7787, EXT. 104 robin@rsvpmagazine.com

Having worked in advertising for 13 years, Robin is most passionate about magazine print. Her energy is contagious, and she counts as her hobbies running, shopping and spending time with her girlfriends. Robin's "bright spot" is her daughter Emily Anne.

Robin loves living in downtown Memphis, which affords her the opportunity to run down Riverside Drive anytime!

From the Editor

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emphis is well known for its music, but I think many people forget that Memphis has a lot more to offer than just music. We are a city bursting with art, and that fact sometimes gets overlooked. From art walks to art-centered festivals from museums to galleries and even rail underpasses and buildings, there is no end to the eclectic selection of artwork to view and experience in the city. And not just fine art, but the performing arts in Memphis has gained significant steam with places like Hattiloo Theatre and Crosstown Arts cropping up and with familiar faces like The Orpheum Theatre, Playhouse on the Square and Ballet Memphis doing better than ever. We almost have an entire block dedicated to theatres in Overton Square! This month our features share the stories of some creative Memphians who are contributing to the arts both in the city and outside it. Our Vox Popular (page 22) features artist Brenda Joysmith whose vibrant paintings have been acclaimed nationally and internationally, featured on shows like “The Cosby Show” and collected by celebrities such as Oprah Winfrey. We also tracked down Brandon Bell and Sarah Rossi (page 18) before they flew off to New York City to create the virtual backdrops for the Tony Awards. Pat Halloran (page 20) says goodbye to 35 wonderful years as The Orpheum Theatre’s president and CEO and says hello to a new journey as he moves over to a new role at The Orpheum’s new Centre for Performing Arts & Education. This issue we are also taking a new turn with our Ambassador Series as contributing writer Emily Adams Keplinger reports how local photographer Jack Kenner is working to save rhinos with Memphis school children as they spread some Memphis love in Africa. The arts are strong and alive in Memphis, helping us build stronger bonds here at home and across the world. Marcel Proust once said, “Thanks to art, instead of seeing one world only, our own, we see that world multiply itself and we have at our disposal as many worlds as there are original artists, worlds more different one from the other than those which revolve in infinite space, worlds which, centuries after the extinction of the fire from which their light first emanated, whether it is called Rembrandt or Vermeer, send us still each one its special radiance.” Keep shining Memphis!

Rachel Warren editor@rsvpmagazine.com

Co-owner T Clifton Art and Broad Avenue Cheerleader

Favorite Memphis “Thang”: Its soul.

Best Biking/Walking Spot: Overton Park or the Riverfront.

Your Most Annoying Habit: Hijacking other people’s sentences.

Your Favorite Song: During Grizzlies season, it’s “All I Do is Win” by DJ Khaled.

Your Lucky Charm: Positive attitude and my best friend and business partner.

Most Memorable Bicycle You’ve Owned: Schwinn Banana Seat early 1970s model.

Best Memphis Hangout: Screened porch during spring or fall, visiting with friends.

Best Spot to Hear Great Music: Lindenwood Christian Church’s special music events are transformative.

Your Favorite Piece Hanging in the Gallery Right Now: That’s like asking parents to choose which child they love most.

Hometown: Born in San Francisco. Grew up in Huntingdon, Tennessee, but Memphis has been home for more than 30 years.

The Highlight of Your Day: Seeing our fellow Broad Avenue business owners opening shop each day. It feels like a true neighborhood main street.

An Optimal Day on Broad Ave. Includes: Busy day with clients at the gallery, followed by an evening of “Dance on Broad” at the Water Tower Pavilion.

One Goal You’d Still Like to Accomplish: Helping Broad Avenue develop its bridge for sustainability as well as further reconnecting with the greater Binghampton neighborhood.

A Nonliving Celebrity/Role Model You Would Invite to Dinner: Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. King is an amazing example of a leader with a timeless message. Each of us can make a difference if we seek win/win situations by thinking beyond ourselves.

Proudest Moment of Your Life: Last year when members of President Obama’s Cabinet visited Broad Avenue and our gallery. When the Administrator of the EPA nuzzled on Argus (our 160 pound Saint Bernard), I thought that might be as good as a professional life gets.

Photo by Steve Roberts

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Pat Brown

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WILD WORLD OF WINE AND BEER

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Wild World of Wine and Beer Going Wild for Animal Conservation

M Amy Beth Husley and Chandler Yonge

Kyle and Haley Knox

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emphians tapped into their wild side for the Memphis Zoo’s 18th annual Wild World of Wine and Beer. Sporting animal prints and spring colors, guests lined up outside of their favorite childhood spot for some after hours fun in the name of animal conservation. Offering Zoo supporters over 50 varieties of wines and select local craft beer, this annual fund-raiser for the Memphis Zoo’s Conservation Action Network (CAN) supports endangered species and their habitats.

The Kathryn Stallins Band got the party started with some classic dance tunes as attendees were given their tasting glasses and sent off into a wild night of exotic wines and animals. Wine tables were labeled with the names of various birds. The Penguin table offered selections such as Coppola Sofia Blanc D Blanc and St. Jean Robert Young Chardonnay. At the Hummingbird table guests filled their glasses with the likes of Rex Hill Pinot Noir, Hess Collection Cabernet Sauvignon and Wind Racer Russian River Chardonnay. For those looking for earth-friendly beverage, there was also an Organic/Sustainable table where bottles such as Cline Cashmere Red and North Berkeley Mt Olivet CDR were a hit. Memphis Made Brewing Co., Wiseacre Brewing Co. and High Cotton Brewing Co. were on hand to introduce the crowd to some local craft brews.

While the majority of the Zoo animals were tucked away for the night, a red-tailed boa constrictor made an appearance with the help of a Zoo professional.

A silent auction also had attendees going wild for items only found at the Memphis Zoo. In the market for a lamp adorned with porcupine quills? Or how about original abstract art made by resident animals? This unique silent auction had it all covered from rare behind-the-scenes tours of the Zoo to special sea lion training sessions. In particular, attendees clamored at the chance to take home one of the original animal art pieces like the footprints by elephant Tyranza and the colorful painting by giraffe Akili. Zoo packages included breakfast with elephant keepers, exclusive behind-the-scenes tour of the Nutrition Center and Hospital, as well as the chance to be one of the first few to preview the brand new Zambezi River Hippo Camp.

As the night wound down, partygoers pulled out some wild moves on the dance floor and munched on heavy hors d’oeuvres.

Over 700 people attended this year’s Wild World of Wine and Beer and approximately $18,000 was raised to support the mission of CAN.

Jillian Payne and Hillary Spain

Brandon Bell and Ava Jett

Story by Rachel Warren Photos by Patrick Lantrip See all the party photos at rsvpmagazine.com Password: RSVP Michelle Lewis and Marty Brooks

Robert Whitehead and Rebekah Heslin

James and Jacinta Richards

Rachael O’Dea, Rachel Doerr, Brittany Kellum and Melissa Young

Anthony Smith and Andreana Brown

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Josh Medlin and Shannon Clubb

Kevin Hawkins and Kristen Hunter

Denyse and John Bean

Matthew Hikade and Kelley Willis

Angela and Rob Bell

Juan Matamoros and Megan Davies

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Colette Williams and Cammie Jones

Kim and Rick Thornton with Lori Denton and Carolyn Carter

Brendan and Kayla Lawton

Michelle and Jay Campbell

Charla Folsom, Erick Callahan and Tracey Raynor

EVENT Jesse James Johnson and Renee Basham

Kerri and Jodie Smith

WILD WORLD OF WINE AND BEER

Daniel Benson, Michael Zepatos, and Chelsea Peeler

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Abby, Jeff and Robin Pohlman

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Mattie Johnson and Terrence Walton

Katie Recker, Allison Buchanan and Rachel Booker

Elinor and Chris Few

Matthew and Terry Magbee

Jan Ingram, Diane Henry and Deedra Crafton

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Terrance and Makesha Mitchell

Mallory Harvey and Morgan Harrell

Sara Hasenstab and Amy Misner

Christy and David Moore

Ginny and Eric Alter

Anne Marie Nollner and Christen Scott

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Cristal and Mike Hame

Melissa Jackson and Jess Simonson

Sam and Ann Dino

Mike and Ann Francis

Kenny Krzyzkowski and Mattie Caulder

Abbey Wilson and Cecilia Langhorne

Ryan McKenzie and Molly Riley

EVENT Wendy and Tim Dalton

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Stacey Avery and Terry Brown

WILD WORLD OF WINE AND BEER

Patrick Foley, Dustin Keith, Kim Williams, Maritza Anderson and Randall Audrain

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Joanna Rodriguez with Teddy and Tameika Stansberry

Janie and Ricky Monroe

Patrick Anderson and Amelia Robinson

STREETSEEN

Brandon Bell and Sarah Rossi Memphis in the Big Apple

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he Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards have come and gone, and now it is time again for the Tony Awards, whigh will be June 7 this year. Held in New York City, the Tony Awards recognizes achievements in live Broadway theatre. But, every year, the Big Apple gets some crucial Southern flair as Memphians Brandon Bell of K Brandon Bell Creative and Sarah Rossi of Sarah Rossi Photography team up to create the virtual sets for the Tony Awards. The duo’s talent and work on the Tony Award virtual sets have been recognized with an Emmy Award, an Art Directors Guild Award and an Addy Award.

A virtual set you say? Why yes, the dramatic and brilliant sets viewers of the live Tony Awards are actually 50-foot-wide by 20-foot tall LED backdrops that create the illusion of physical scenery behind the actors. In fact, the viewer is witnessing thousands of photographed images of physical onsite sets captured by Rossi and layered and edited by Bell, then fed into a Media Server computer and, finally, projected onto the giant LED screens, controlled by a programmer the night of the awards. Rossi and Bell have only one month to capture images of painstakingly planned theatrical sets and various backdrops, documenting meticulous lighting and prop changes to create a seamless, virtual set that accurately reproduces the physical set from a scene of the nominee’s production. All said and done, the nominee will then perform the chosen scene in front of the virtual set for the live broadcast of the Tony Awards.

Boston-based photographer Dallas Cambridge Raleigh and Dan Baker, Memphian and video designer, complete the team. Bell lived in NYC for 13 years prior to his move to Memphis and describes how he got involved with the awards show, saying that the friend and art director for the Tony Awards lived in his NYC neighborhood.

“In 2010, when the Tony Awards moved from Radio City to the Beacon Theatre, a much smaller venue, the organizers realized they were going to have trouble with sets because they couldn’t build as many. They would hide them off stage and move them back in. They came up with this idea to kind of fake it with screens. My friend and I started talking about it, and we figured out we could do that,” Bell explains. Rossi, who was also a NYC resident, joined him on this project in 2011 and from there the two have worked every year together building the Tony Award virtual sets.

In addition to shooting theatre sets, Rossi is sometimes asked to capture a variety of backgrounds. One of her favorites, she mentions, was shooting theatre marquees at night. Bell and Rossi note that one of the challenges of their many photo shoots is that, because of union laws, they are not allowed to actually touch anything, not even a light switch, in the theatre.

Bell says, “You have to direct other people to do these things. We just sit in the theatre and say, ‘Can you turn off all the lights and just turn on that one light? Bring in that one wall in.’ Then we will shoot that wall. Then we will shoot the same things with different lighting.”

Of the entire experience Rossi says, “For me, it is cool to take pictures of the interior and the stage. I don’t have to even edit them because I give the pictures to Brandon. I enjoy that. I like the process of discovering the show and seeing which scene they will pick.”

Bell says his favorite moment is, appropriately, the actual broadcast, saying, “It’s all working. No one is yelling anymore, and it has all kind of calmed down. It is still stressful watching because you know that at any minute everything can just blow up. It could, it’s live. Anything could happen. It’s kind of scary. It is nice to see everything happen and see everything come together in that one moment.”

Catch the hard work of these creative Memphians June 7 as the Tony Awards are broadcast live.

Story by Rachel Warren Photo by Steve Roberts

STREETSEEN

Pat Halloran A Final Bow and A New Journey

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at Halloran is making his final curtain call at the “South’s Finest Theatre” as he retires from his longtime role as CEO and president of The Orpheum Theatre on December 31 of this year. Don’t worry; he’s not going far. In fact, Halloran is just moving right next-door to the theatre’s newest addition, the Centre for Performing Arts & Education. Halloran will begin his new role working as a consultant at the Centre, entering a new journey of inspiring young minds and helping kids realize their potential, not just in the performing arts, but also their life’s trajectory.

Slated to be completed this August and supported by the theatre’s nonprofit Memphis Development Foundation, the two-story, 39,000 square foot, $15 million Centre will include a multi-use rehearsal hall, a state-of-theart stage, a 356-seat theatre, and a large boardroom. The space, located next door of the theatre, will continue The Orpheum Theatre’s educational performing arts programming that has seen in excess of 66,000 school children come through their doors annually and has extended this programing by offering children and young adults additional curriculum in the Centre focused on all facets of the performing arts community as well as budgeting, communications, career paths, school help and educational decisions.

“That is what we are really talking about. Taking kids from preschool through college and providing an array of experiences so that these kids will think the Orpheum’s new Centre and the theatre itself is the place where they really got motivated, where a light went off and something registered,” says Halloran.

He explains that the Centre will be a place where kids are encouraged to reach their fullest potential, build confidence and enjoy themselves in a mentoring environment. Children and young adults will also get the opportunity to “meet Memphis” notes Halloran, describing how many of the programs will take children to various cultural locations such as the Brooks Museum of Art, The National Civil Rights Museum and Stax Museum of American Soul Music. The Centre will help students with high school and college decisions, having recently partnered with the University of Memphis president, Dr. David Rudd, offering the assistance of college university counselors and board members.

Halloran along with Alice Donohoe Roberts, Orpheum vice president of programming and educational programs, have worked tirelessly to make sure the Centre not only incorporates state-of-the-art technology and programming, but they have also worked hard to make sure the Centre is aesthetically astounding as well.

“What you will see unveiled in August is going to be an absolutely phenomenally gorgeous building. It is going to look like the must beautiful hotel you have ever been in when you walk into it. It is going to sparkle.

Everything has been done first class,” Halloran exclaims, adding that he and Roberts have also incorporated a million-dollar sound system in the Centre’s theatre, called a constellation sound system, that allows the actors to be picked up on the system without a microphone. Roberts notes that the closest cities to Memphis that use this new technology are Dallas and Orlando.

The Centre will also include programs for local nonprofits to enhance their marketing and development skills through large seminars. Additionally, the Centre will provide programs for senior citizens and, when the facility is not being used for educational programming, event space for weddings and corporate meetings.

Halloran has always been interested in education, citing a time before his Orpheum days when he was an Assistant Dean of Men at the University of Miami. He says education and youth mentorship has been a life-long passion of his, noting that, although he is sad to leave his role at The Orpheum, he is excited to begin a new journey into inspiring the youth of the city head-on.

“I really feel emotional and excited about this new thing for me. I have carried this with me for a long time, and I want to see this meet its fullest potential because there is so much to do,” he comments, adding that it because of the Memphis community and the wonderful Orpheum volunteers and staff that have made the Centre possible. He says he is the “conduit,” happy to begin the new journey into education together with the people of Memphis.

The Centre for Performing Arts & Education is $800,000 short of completing their $15 million dollar goal of opening debt free. They are still accepting donations and are conducting a Brick Campaign where business and individuals can donate either $1,000 or $2,500 that will allow a name to be etched on a brick and placed in the Centre’s plaza entry. Support the Orpheum and Memphis education and get ready for the big unveil this August!

Story by Rachel Warren Photo by Steve Roberts

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Vox Popular Q&A with Brenda Joysmith

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RSVP: How would you describe your work?

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Joysmith: I mainly work in pastels. I have drawn my entire life. I wanted to be an artist before I had any sense of the reality of an art career. I had a wonderful instructor in junior high school who introduced me to a formal approach of portraiture and introduced me to pastel as well. Since then, I have always done portraits. Years ago I did them all the time, in malls, in Oakland, California where I lived before moving back to Memphis, up in the wine country, etc. I don’t do, certainly, as many as I did as a young artist, but I still enjoy them.

RSVP: What do you enjoy about portraits?

Joysmith: I don’t segment any portion of style. In other words, what I typically do is scenes of “genre,” everyday life scenes. It is the African-American experience that is has been of interest to me in my artwork. It is the mundane moments, what I see in my peripheral vision, more or less, that catches my attention. I have spent a significant portion of my career trying to figure out those stories, thinking about how to put that narrative and visual on paper. For example, with my piece “He Ain’t Heavy (He’s My Brother.)” I posed 10 or 12 different kids in a piggybacked pose, looking for the quintessential story that would talk about how children raise each other. They are heavy, but it is a labor of love. That was the beginning of an idea. At this stage in my art, I don’t spend a lot of time struggling with the narrative anymore. I feel like, with an individual piece, I am going to work with shapes, texture, lines, and then there is that individual calligraphy that makes it my signature. I am using the word “calligraphy” with the intent of explaining that those lines that are the unique signature of every artist that

goes on top of the work. Developing that understanding of my work, my signature and my calligraphy is exciting.

Photos by Don Perry

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or more than 40 years, artist and Memphian Brenda Joysmith has been creating national and international sensations with her paintings that depict the African-American community. Her work has earned numerous awards throughout the years, has appeared in countless prestigious galleries and museums, and has been portrayed on the sets of several network television shows like “The Cosby Show” and feature films such as “Love & Basketball.” Housed in the collections of influential individuals such as Oprah Winfrey, Joysmith’s work depicts the quiet moments of life, children at play, a game of checkers, with lively and energetic vibrancy, often with her chosen medium of pastel. She also runs the Joysmith Gallery on Huling Ave. along with her husband, Robert Bain, curator and director of the gallery, which is dedicated to showcasing African and African Diaspora works of art. RSVP editor Rachel Warren got the chance to speak with Joysmith in her studio and home above the gallery about her significant career, artwork, inspirations and move back to Memphis in 1999.

RSVP: You were raised in Memphis, but lived in California for many years as an artist. Can you tell us about your journey back to Memphis?

Joysmith: I am from Memphis. I went to the University of Chicago and graduated in 1974, after which I moved to Oakland, San Francisco, where I had family. I lived there until 1999 and as a young artist, worked part time as an insurance agent. I was so fortunate to work as an insurance agent because I learned not to internalize rejection.

You really have to count your hits in the market.

This allowed me to view it with an objectivity that did not hurt because to get 10 interviews, there had to be 90 rejections. I got to the point with that insurance job when I was actually doing better with my artwork.

One of the interesting things that I learned that has made all the difference in the world in selling my art was that if I could control my productivity, the hours everyday that I could put in, all of the uncertainty and variability of being self-employed with no guarantees were in fact controllable. Back then, if I was consistent with what I did, I was able to budget and make a living as an artist. I could work, and I had a very elementary formula of raising my prices. In other words, if I couldn’t keep up the demand, I would raise my prices and things slowed down. That cycle is really how I came to increase my prices as opposed to an outside advisor/deal-

RSVP: Has there been a shift in your focus as far as how you develop or sell your art?

Joysmith: In the 80s, I was focused on selling reproductions of my original works. I created originals, but I wouldn’t focus on selling them or exhibiting those originals. I focused on selling thousands of prints. We developed the Joysmith Gallery with a roster of, at any point, what might have approached a thousand galleries with the important coda that 80 percent of your volume came from 20 percent of those customers. We sold a tremendous volume in those images aided by great exposure on TV and sitcoms, “The Cosby Show” being most

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er/art consultant. It is a process I have thought about often now, recently, with the economic downturn. Then I was diagnosed with a brain tumor. In 1997, I really began to fall apart. My balance was off, and my younger sister, an oncologist, saw me and told me I was a virtual zombie. I found that I couldn’t sign artworks. I couldn’t sign checks and couldn’t write my signature.

Eventually a meningioma tumor was removed from the front of my brain. The recuperative process was scarier than the removal. After that, the notion of being closer to my market this side of the Mississippi made sense. It was the development of downtown Memphis in 1999 that made it seem like a good opportunity.

Moving here, I was working with Northern California figurine company, creating a line of figurines. It seemed like a good balance of significantly reduced expenses that would allow me to recover. After the tumor, things like whether or not I would have a signature were in question. It quickly went away, but initially it was an unknown. So the uncertainty was just part of the entire experience. It was a journey. I had a neurosurgeon who told me it would all become a distant memory, and I thought he was really crazy then. In fact, it has become a distant memory.

be art or not. Years ago, I might have thought about my creative process as being like a camera, recording an experience. Now I do not perceive it that way. I can sketch them out, or I can explore by way of software program. All of that informs whatever statement I am going to ultimately make and sign. Basically, I want cause, the substance of it, and caliber, the result of the skill you bring. “Cause and caliber” is my husband’s phrase for work that is substantive. I think of it as content well executed by some standard and as of just being a bigger narrative world.

RSVP: How has all this changed how you perceive your work?

RSVP: What is on your horizon now?

Joysmith: It is really about the experience of being in Memphis for 15 years, where I am not

Joysmith: At this point, I am really interested in developing my narrative. I want to craft a statement, one that explains this sense of adding my

being driven by a business that wants more and more. I wore out the metaphor of the little shop of horrors in California where the more you feed the demand, it responds in a louder voice with greater demands. My feeling at times then, and this is now a pleasant memory, was if this is success, I can’t take any more. There was a pressure, and I wasn’t really exploring because I had to produce. I have begun to see that my frame of mind about my work is that it is not just about pictures but it is also concepts or words. I would simply like the work to speak for itself. I get to take myself seriously or frivolously or however at my easel. I sign it, and the work goes on. It finds its own place given the exposure and the opportunity. Today, I am interested in the signature. The lines that show the thirty or forty years that have gone before. Today’s audience, I am thinking of the American culture, is just inundated with images at every scale, whether they are deemed to

signature, my “calligraphy,” my many years of experience, to my artwork. What is important is that it applies to a still life, a landscape, a portrait, a genre, etc. Cause, the metaphor, and caliber, being the quality of the work, is my focus. It is a return to these things, and it is also how a question of, “How can I inspire other artists and other broader audiences?” Via the Internet, I was excited to see how newer artists are working. I’d like to continue to draw from my experience, which is an African-American experience, and ambitiously appreciate its universal appeal and its universal aspect. That can be done through simplification as opposed to complexity. Also, I am trying to feel comfortable about my intent. I am just amazed how younger artists are working with technology. They don’t think of selling but, rather, of placement of their work. I am amused and amazed and very appreciative just to see that evolution.

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prominent among them. These placements in TV gave us exposure. That was a part of the 90s. My focus today is on original work. I had to go back to that process of focusing on consistent original work as I was as a new artist. Now I have an interest in exploring. That is one of the things I have been looking at, and going back to, I see it as all coming full circle. I wasn’t selling as a young artist. It was really about the love of the work. I am focusing on originals and have been spending a lot of time in the role of gallery owner with my husband.

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FEDEXFAMILYHOUSE GALA

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FedExFamilyHouse Gala “Help Us Make Our Home Their Home”

T Emily and Tony Cuccia

Debbie Long and John Dunavant

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he Peabody Hotel was the setting for the FedExFamilyHouse “Help Us Make Our House Their Home” Gala. The evening opened with a cocktail reception and silent auction in the Continental Ballroom, with deejay Janet Wilson, known as “DJ Space Girl,” providing musical ambience. Guests moved into the Grand Ballroom for a dinner buffet featuring Cobb salad and beef tenderloin. Desserts included fresh fruit, chocolate mousse with berries, chocolate dipped strawberries and crème brûlée. Local musician Pat Register provided the accompanying dinner music.

FedEx Corporation Executive Vice President and CFO Alan Graf welcomed guests to the fifth annual event and introduced the event’s honorary chairmen, University of Memphis Head Football Coach Justin Fuente and his wife, Jenny. Susan Vielhaber Graf presented the Volunteer of the Year, recognizing the efforts of the 2015 Event Chairman Vicki Carayiannis. A video presentation from Wayne Drash brought home the message of the mission of the FedExFamilyHouse as he described the role that it had played for his family as they sought treatment for son, Billy, at Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital. He expressed gratitude on behalf of their family, as well as for all of the families, who have been given a “home away from home” while their children are being treated at Le Bonheur.

During the evening’s live auction, guests bid on items that offered experiences such as a Memphis Grizzlies Practice Court package, a Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade experience, a Blackberry Farm getaway, and a NASCAR package at Bristol Motor Speedway. Next, the “Light Up the House!” campaign invited guests to make donations ranging from $100 to $10,000. As participants raised their bid cards, spotters in the room gave each bidder a red beaded necklace with a light-up heart pendant. By the end of the campaign, the room glowed with the light from hundreds of hearts.

Kevin and Bethany Paige brought the dance tunes, and partygoers didn’t hesitate to answer the dance call. As a sweet ending to the Gala, cookies by Whimsy Cookie Company were given as parting gifts. The cookies were iced with University of Memphis colors and packaged in a bag that featured a Save the Date message for next year’s FedExFamilyHouse Gala on April 9.

FedExFamilyHouse opened its doors in December 2010 and is the first home of its kind for families at Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital in Memphis. Financial support for construction of FedExFamilyHouse came from a $6 million donation from FedEx Corporation and personal donations from Fred Smith, chairman and CEO, and his wife Diane, and Alan and Susan Graf. Over $600,000 was raised to continue the mission of the FedExFamilyHouse.

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Tracy Long and Melinda Pigors

Story by Emily Adams Keplinger Photos by Don Perry

Galen and Tashawna Scott

Kevin Kane and Romeo Khazen

Courtney and Hal Stansbury

LaTonya Washington and Garrick Florence

Cary Pappas and Peggy Cleary with Susan and Alan Graf

Sharri and Bill Jones

EVENT Julie and Kevin Todd

Jim and Stephanie Bearden

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Tom and Christine Shelton

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Jacque Hayes-Fennell and Stephanie Myers

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Mike and Jane Lenz with Robert and Kristina King

Joanna and Matt Crangle

Kristi Emmons and Gary Jones

EVENT FEDEXFAMILYHOUSE GALA

Brent and Dawn Bush

Jeanine and Bill Watts

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Jose and Jennifer Velazquez

Joe and Jlynn Gleason

Ryan and Michele Ehrhart

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Heather Michalek and Erika Cash

Wendy and Matt Riddenhour

Asim Choudhri and Lauren Ditta

Carolyn and Marino Hardy

Tim and Teresa Wright

Rebecca and Dr. Michael Ugwueke

EVENT FEDEXFAMILYHOUSE GALA Bill and Danna Segel

Donnie Thaxton and Clare Myers

Phil and Ramona Blum

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Emily and John Adams

Lori and Don Davis

Jo Lynn and Bob Edwards RSVP

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Jerry and Cheryl Page

Kaye Redus, Mark Pender and Retha Moore

Cindy and Perk Perkins

Tim and Diana Barnette

J.W. and Kelly Mayberry with Patricia Elias and Kirk Fascio

THE AMBASSADOR SERIES

The Ambassador Series

By Emily Adams Keplinger

JACK KENNER’S WILD SAFARI

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t’s no surprise that Jack Kenner is looking for a new focus for his photography.

The well-known local photographer has been making a name for himself since the 1980s when he began working with special effects in the field of advertising in New York City. After he paid off his student loans from The Brooks Institute of Photography in Santa Barbara, California, he saved enough money to buy his own studio and make a solo trip to Africa, tenting across Kenya and Tanzania. That was the ticket Kenner needed to actualize his life-long desire to photograph endangered animals.

In 1989, the year that the Memphis in May International Festival honored Kenya, Kenner made his first trip to Africa to photograph rhinos. Even at that time he found armed guards providing 24-hour protection for a rhino and her baby in Kenya.

When Kenner returned from that safari, the Memphis Zoo saw his work and asked him to photograph some of their animals. Kenner created “Take a Closer Look,” an exhibit that was displayed at the Nikon House in Rockefeller Center for three years. Those photographs were turned into a calendar. That calendar and the photographs from that trip were what launched the public’s awareness of Kenner’s photography.

Kenner has not been back to Africa since that initial trip – not until this year.

In early May, Kenner signed on as a photo safari guide with Intrepid Expeditions and set out for his second African photo safari, and this time he had company. Five students from Christ Methodist Day School (CMDS), and their parents, boarded a plane with Kenner for the 17-hour journey to Johannesburg. Student Samantha Boals, 7, as well as students Will Boals, Will Crosby, Ethan Bearman, and Madeline Sisk, all age 11, knew they were in for the trip of their lifetime. A trip designed with more than photos in mind, this safari also had an Eco-orientation intended to help bring home the message about the need for conservation and better animal management.

Bryan Williams, head of school at CMDS, and the school’s art teacher, Shelley Bolton, were also among those who made the trip. They took school supplies to an elementary school in South Africa as they began building a student partnership to foster contact throughout the year. Also,

they gathered first-hand knowledge of how aspects of the trip could be woven back into their school’s curriculum.

“Christ Methodist Day School has a STEAM (Science Technology Engineering Arts and Math) curriculum. This trip is a pilot for an ongoing program they hope to launch next year. It will be open to each successive class of sixth-graders. We can incorporate a lot of science and technology from this experience into their curriculum,” Kenner explained. “The art component of the curriculum will be enhanced by the students’ photography and video journals. The school has planned a show of their work. Beyond that, we want to use

their work to inspire art projects for the rest of the school. Their art will help connect the other students to the need for conservation.”

During their weeklong stay, Kenner and crew were based at a Rhino Conservation Camp that was just outside of Johannesburg. Kenner schooled the students in basic photography techniques.

Additionally, a veteran wildlife specialist taught the group about animal, bird, and plant identification, dangerous game behavior and how to read a trail for animal tracking. Their new-found knowledge was put to the test as the group ventured outside of the camp’s confines for a one-day safari in Kruger National Park. Their treks included several “night game drives” under the full moon in the Moholoholo Mountain View Reserve, as well as daily bush walks with wildlife and wilderness specialists.

The field trips, led by members of the Conservation Center, offered opportunities for the group to test their tracking and survival skills. They tried their hands at “bush cuisine,” making a South African barbecue called “braai” as they dined on wild African hog under the stars by an

open fire pit. They developed their photography skills, ranging from cell phones to 35mm digital cameras with telephoto lenses, testing their ability to capture animals in their natural habitats. Being out in the wild, in the absence of light pollution, offered the unique opportunity for these city dwellers to learn astronomy and astrophotography, a specialized type of photography that records the night sky.

Additionally, the group gathered other images that changed the way they looked at the world. Lessons in conservation were ever-present, and techniques in animal management were being taught to the children and adults alike. During the week they were on their photo safari, seven rhinos were poached nearby.

“Statistics show that there is a rhino poached every 7.5 hours in Africa. At this rate there will be no rhinos in the wild by 2022, and elephants will be extinct by 2025,” explained Kenner.

Kenner’s own education about conservation began when he was hired by corporations to document their conservation work. He hopes that by working with schoolchildren, the next generation, and getting their hearts and minds focused on the need for conservation of wild species, that the trend towards extinction can be reversed. He believes the days of hunters could soon be over.

“I believe that a small voice has the potential to make a huge change,” said Kenner. “The United States is the second largest consumer of ivory in the world. We can start by making changes at the local level. We want to educate and inform children about the need to ban ivory products.

From the local level, we hope our voices will rise to the state level. If we can get each state to ban ivory, then it will be much easier to take our cause to the federal level. If we succeed with a national ban, we believe that other countries will follow.

We hope to decrease the need to poach ivory by decreasing the demand for it.”

For Kenner, his love of photography began with a single photograph. He is hopeful that the need that he sees for conservation will come into focus for others as they join him in his Eco-oriented photographic safaris. He has already begun planning a trip in the fall for adults, as well as more trips for schoolchildren next May and June.

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EVENT

Gift of Life Gala

GIFT OF LIFE GALA

Benefiting the National kidney Foundation of West Tennessee

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Janice Epps and Justin Harrison

Drs. Lakisha and Willis Davis

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he tiered recessed lighting that encircles the ceiling of The Peabody Hotel’s Skyway cast an almost heavenly glow over the round room, the perfect setting to honor the real-life angels who have donated a kidney and the physicians who perform the life-saving procedures. The National Kidney Foundation of West Tennessee’s (NKF) Gift of Life Gala was held again this year at the “South’s Grand Hotel” and began with a cocktail reception. Servers with hot hors d’oeuvres of spinach and artichoke spanakopita and southern-style fried chicken passed through the crowd that included Dr. James and Laura Eason, Tom Price, Alice Mantia Price, Sabrina Tiller and Tanesha Jackson.

Guests bid on upscale items, which comprised the silent auction, including a ladies watch from Mednikow, a chocolate pearl necklace and other jewelry from King Furs & Fine Jewelry. The auction included several gift certificate pairings, such as a dinner at Folk’s Folly with wine and a bottle of Woodford Reserve bourbon whiskey.

There were also collectibles like a Beatles record album signed by Paul McCartney, an autographed album of Johnny Cash and a Memphis Grizzlies signed portfolio.

Ben Millrany, board president of the NKF of West Tennessee, gave kudos to Mable Barringer, NKF of West Tennessee executive director, who works quietly behind the scenes. Millrany welcomed the guests, encouraging them to enjoy dinner before the 2015 Gift of Life honorees were announced.

Dinner service began with a salad of mixed greens, followed by filet mignon and filet of cod served with grits soufflé and asparagus. A lavish dessert of strawberry shortcake served with torched meringue and Marscapone garnished with edible flowers completed the meal.

As guests finished dessert, Susan O. Smith, Gala chair, called Dr. Scott Morris, founder of the Church Health Center, to the podium. He shared a story about one of his patients whose life was saved by this year’s Gift of Life Award recipient, Dr. Marc Stegman. “On behalf of this patient and thousands of others, we are honored to give you this award tonight,” Morris said as the room filled with applause.

“My goal in my office is to try to improve the quality of life for my patients,” Stegman said as he accepted the award.

The second honoree of the evening, Emmett Forte, received the 2015 Volunteer of the Year. Forte, who battled with kidney disease, emphasized the importance of keeping a positive outlook. “Life is what you make it,” he remarked.

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Leland Burress and Erica Augusto

Story by Suzanne Thompson Photos by Patrick Lantrip

Dr. Marc and Elaine Stegman

Michele and Jorge Salazar

Nezakat Goo and Vida Zare

Dr. James and Laura Eason

Nicole Dunlap, Dr. Scott Morris and Janis Bass

Adam and Karen Hamburger

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EVENT GIFT OF LIFE GALA

Don and Shelley Levy

Nick and Kimberly Sowell

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Joyce and Gordon Fykes

Nikki and Eric Gardner

Nicole Ivory and Vanity Bardley

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Sabrina and Dr. Tyrone D. Davis

Hazel and Venciel Marsh

Chris Tracey and Kasey Gunnels

Surjit and Nimmi Kamra

Carole Hinley and Jim Fegley

Kathy Ison and Delora Smith-Edwards

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EVENT GIFT OF LIFE GALA

Shirley and Leland Burress

Drs. Aida Gosmanov and Elvira Gosmanova

Tara and Pat O’Brien

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Drs. Wesam and Lama Ballouk

Anthony and Natalia Siebert

Tammie Haymer and Brittney Downs

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Dean and Laura Barger

Susan Bridger, Geeta Gyamlani, Angie Wallick and Kim Huch

Brittany Cole and Jason Forte

Ventor and Latasha Noel

Bert and Corraine Wolf with Alla and Nathan Lubin

EVENT GIFT OF LIFE GALA Tom Price and Alyce Mantia Price

Steve Simpson and Nataly Nucci

Cynthia and Terry Lawrence

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Regina and Harry Cash

Willie and Deshunda Henry

Corinna and Dr. Luis Campos RSVP

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Shirley Tate and Felicia Reynolds

Colleen and Reverend Eric Richardson

Jessica Freiden, Wesley Freiden, Carmen Kam and Ryan Freiden

Marketa Wright and Mary Sanders

Greimel Parenas, Dr. Fadi Daher, Joan Belingon and Shana Fulwood

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NAACP Freedom Fund Gala

Steak n’Burger Dinner

The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) Memphis Branch hosted its 39th annual Freedom Fund Gala at the Memphis Cook Convention Center. The black-tie affair was complete with an appetizer buffet and pre-ceremony wine, a four-course dinner, several musical acts, and many honored speakers. Guests representing some of the city’s most noble establishments were there to support the Memphis chapter of the NAACP including St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital and the Memphis Theological Seminary. The keynote speaker, NAACP President and CEO Cornell William Brooks gave moving remarks. Other speakers included Mayor Mark Luttrell Jr. and Mayor A C Wharton Jr. Musical act, Bella, opened with the “Star-Spangled Banner,” singing the traditional song with a distinct and unique harmony.

Performer King Ellis played popular songs from the 60s and 70s with a little funk added to each.

The first NAACP chapter in Tennessee was started in Memphis in 1917 and serves to enhance and protect civil rights.

Each year the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Memphis (BGCGM) helps more than 3,000 area youth achieve their potential by offering academic and recreational programs so that they have opportunities to learn fundamental skills and values to achieve future success. The club held its annual Steak n’Burger Dinner to help raise funds for the organization. The Steak n’Burger Dinner is the BGCGM’s largest fund-raiser, an event which celebrated its 44th year and which has proved so successful that it has been reproduced nationwide. “It’s very interactive and family-friendly,” the club’s development director Mandy Powell said. The Memphis Grizzlies and First Tennessee Bank provided a game room for the kids, while Grizz and the Grizzlies Claw Crew made the rounds. Frito-Lay Executive Richard Montanez treated everyone to his tale of rising from the ranks to become one of the top Latino executives at the corporation when he invented Flamin’ Hot Cheetos. In the past, the club offered steaks to the kids and burgers to the adults with the option of trading, but this year they decided to mix it up and offered both buffet-style. Sonic Drive-In provided the burgers while Napa Café served the steaks, and the club’s culinary students served the salad and appetizers.

Story and Photos by Lesley Young

Spring for Forrest Cocktail Party and Auction The Spring for Forrest Cocktail Party and Auction was a leap into spring for Memphis.

Located at the picturesque and freshly blooming Memphis Botanic Garden, the party had an air of hope and compassion as well as entertainment. The Forrest Spence Fund offers nonmedical support to families with chronically or critically ill children in the Mid-South. David Spence, founder of the organization in honor of his son Robert Forrest Spence, remembered how he felt when given consolation during his difficult struggle, and said, “It was meaningful to have someone else that understood my angst and to have someone walk that road with me.” All proceeds from the party and auction, which included artwork from 2nd through 5th graders in Memphis, benefited this encouraging organization.

There was no shortage of delicious food from local restaurants: Andrew Michael Italian Kitchen, Babalu, Local Gastropub and Frost Bake Shop.

Josh Threlkeld provided the musical entertainment.

Story and Photos by Emily Anderson

Story and Photos by Emily Anderson

Brook Lester and Andrew Lester

Jordan Richmond, Akoye Brown, Larrun Neder and Joyce Brown

Leslie Rhodes and Alaina Ward

Ben Chaney and Jaqueline Graves

Shayne Jernigan, Alana Hu, John Gillespie and Paul Boyd Malaysia Harris and LaVonea Harris

Beverly Davis and Ruby Holloway

Debra Matthews and Dr. Roderick Lewis

William Martin and Ron Spence

Willette Thomas and Evan Thomas

Patriana Jackson, Jessica Davis and Ebony Reed

Kelley Cunningham and Avery Gardner

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ONE Night Gala

ONE NIGHT GALA

Body and Soul

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Kim and John Brewer

Kontji Anthony and Patrick Hendricks

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or the past four years, the Regional One Health Foundation (formerly the MED Foundation) has put together a party to raise funds called MED Night: A Soul Celebration. This year the foundation decided to do something a little different. For the first time, the philanthropic organization hosted the ONE Night Gala. Presented by BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee, Orion Federal Credit Union and Susan and Damon Arney/The Hohenberg Foundation, the illustrious event was held at the Memphis Cook Convention Center.

Clad in cocktail attire and formal wear, close to 1,000 guests showed up downtown ready to party. The evening did not disappoint.

Festivities kicked off with a cocktail reception held in the lobby of the convention center. There, former patients and relatives mingled with dignitaries and shopped during the silent auction. An inviting dinner followed, during which everyone geared up for the main attraction.

Guests were entertained by informative videos, a presentation by Regional One’s President and CEO Dr. Reginald Coopwood, and the expert emceeing of Michael Detroit from Playhouse on the Square.

Next up was the live auction, which was followed by one of the best musical performances of the year. The Bar-Kays got everyone up and out of their seats while the Pointer Sisters got the crowd jumping and the O’Jays drove it home. It was truly ONE soulful Night.

Regional One Health is a healthcare system that includes the Regional Medical Center, the Elvis Presley Trauma Center, the Sheldon B. Korones Newborn Center, the Firefighters Burn Center, and the High-Risk Obstetrics. It serves as one of the largest medical and surgical teaching sites for the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, with which it recently formed the UT Regional One Physicians. The Regional One Health Foundation serves as the philanthropic arm of the healthcare organization, securing funds through personal donations, an employee giving campaign, grant writing and special events. The ONE Night Gala is the organization’s largest fundraiser of the year and helps to purchase state-of-the-art medical technology, provide advanced medical training, and launch clinical programs focused on community health issues. ONE Night was co-founded and co-chaired by Susan Scheidt Arney and co-chaired by Sally Pace, Alison Barton and Nikki McVean.

Lekha George and Sanihosh Koshy

Lawson and Julie Arney

Story by Lesley Young Photos by Daniel Frederick See all the party photos at rsvpmagazine.com Password: RSVP

Darby Farmer and Shea Lackie

Briana Pompei and Andre Fowlkes

Kelly Frommel and Lydia Hart

Nikki McVean, Alison Barton, Dr. Reginald Coopwood, Susan Arney and Sally Pace

Leslie Dunavant and Trip Trippeer

EVENT ONE NIGHT GALA Diane and Daniel Weickemand

Karen and Kirk Johnston

Hilary and Bruce Harrison

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LaTina and Darrell Thomas

Dean and Lisa White with Ruby and Mayor A C Wharton Jr.

Kimberly and Elliot Perry

Andrew Herndon and Taylor Mitchell

Brandon Herrington, Carrie Foley and Drew Eaton

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Janice Chambers and Mackenzie Chambers

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Jamie and John Paul Carpenter

NOVEMBER 2002

Alan and Kristin Richmond

EVENT ONE NIGHT GALA

Kemp and Anne Conrad

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Hilary and Andy Jones

Tripp and Tamara Turner with Tara and Shawn Cage RSVP

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Brad and Dianne Champlin with Dr. Frank and Sharrel McGrew

Bob and Sarah Black

EVENT ONE NIGHT GALA Suzan and Robert Dockery

Bobby and J. J. Krauch

Megan Mayo and Brendan Healy

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Denise and Bob Pugh

Lee and Cassie Henson

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Bruce McMullen, Jennifer Sink and Buck Wellford

Erin D. H. and David Williams

Justina Blackett, M. P. Carter and Dr. Melrose Blackett

Ricky Wilkins and Cynthia Audain

Sean Healy and Tess Smith

EVENT ONE NIGHT GALA

Dorothy Sisnett and Latarsia Johnson

Stuart and Randi Harrington

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Karen Garner and Lisa Driver

Kelli and Gary Howard

Helen Scheidt Gronauer and Margo Gronauer

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Meg Crosby and Kirby Floyd

Vernon and Barbara Stafford

Samantha Tran and Mary He

Ron and Jan Coleman

Alex Collier and Michael Kelly

Dr. Shirley Hilliard and Herbert Hilliard

EVENT

ONE NIGHT GALA John and Molly Weinlein

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Oona Mitchel, Trey Carter III and Kemba Ford

Matt and Nicole Seltzer

Curtis and Barbara Person RSVP

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Donya and Jason Fitzwater

Jennifer Weeks with Christy and Jason Yarbro

Will and Robin Webb

Jim Dockery and Vanessa Warden

Joel and Emily Thomas

EVENT

Taste of Jubilee

TASTE OF JUBILEE

Benefiting the Blue Streak Scholarship Fund

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Father Dexter Noblefanca and Dan Wilson

Sophia Runer and Alexander Folk

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lthough dark clouds threatened rain most of the day, they disappeared just in time for Blue Streak Scholarship Fund’s 11th Annual Taste of Jubilee. Traditionally held at the Pink Palace Family of Museums, this rollicking good party always attracts a large crowd in support of the city’s Jubilee Schools. Guests, attired in everything from jeans to cocktail wear, ranged in age from 21 to 91, and their camaraderie in coming together for this fabulous food tasting was contagious.

Presenting Sponsors FedEx and ReTrans, along with a dedicated event committee, pulled out all the stops this night to ensure everyone had an enjoyable evening. A VIP room, sponsored by Palazola Produce, The Callahan Family, Buster’s Liquors & Wines and The Mighty Olive was elegant and a perfect “pre-party.” With the stunning backdrop of the Palace and its grounds, local eateries turned out their best culinary efforts. Among the sumptuous offerings were Amerigo Italian Restaurant’s artichoke cheese dip with focaccia chips, Jim’s Place Grille’s pork tenderloin and Souflima and Boscos Restaurant’s Ahi Tuna wontons. The Butcher Shop beef tenderloin, Slider Inn’s Memphis Burger sliders and Half Shell lobster bruschetta were also among crowd favorites. Not to be outdone, Patrick’s Steaks & Spirits contributed its Cajun Prime Rib sliders, Erling Jensen’s meatballs delighted tasters and the Folk’s Folly beef tenderloin bites with Maker’s Mark Bourbon sauce were a huge hit.

Bari Ristorante provided an impressive array of imported meats and cheeses and Grove Grill, Café Society and Frost Bake Shop all tickled the taste buds with a superb selection of desserts.

Libations flowed freely, thanks to donors AS Barboro, Budweiser of Memphis, Delta Wholesale, Ghost River Brewing, Pyramid Vodka and Stellar Cellar, some of whom also contributed to an extensive wine and liquor pull. As folks perused a roomful of silent auction items that had them bidding quickly and often, they were encouraged by Christian Brother Joel McGraw, who regaled them with his awesome piano abilities. Artwork by Jason Williamson, a Perfect Party gift certificate, a Memphis gift basket, Dinner for eight at University of Memphis Holiday Inn with Bishop Terry Steib, a plethora of fine wines and gift baskets donated by Christian Brothers High School, St. Agnes Academy and St. Benedict High School were just a few of the many items up for grabs.

Topping off the evening, G3: The Garry Goin Group, one of Memphis’ most popular dance bands, took to the stage in an outdoor tent and had the dance floor full in no time flat and it stayed that way until the last encore.

Cody Giovannetti and Liz Mills were co-chairpersons of Taste of Jubilee, which gets bigger and better each year. Close to $70,000 (which will be enhanced by matching donations) was raised in scholarship funds to provide parochial educations for children in our urban neighborhoods.

Story by Ruth Cassin Photos by Patrick Lantrip See all the party photos at rsvpmagazine.com Password: RSVP

Greg and Amy Crone

Hannah Zaleski and Simon Hill

Trey Lawson and Lauren Loeb

Kevin and Haden Kane

Leslie and Darrell Harden

Allison Smith, Liz Wohrman and Lauren Lee

Tanya and Keith Crump

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Beth and Bob Spencer

Paula and Hal Griggs

Rebecca and Chris Fears

Jeanette Alexander and Norma McDowell

Michael and Tina Niclosi

Emily Bailey and Jeff Fioranelli

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Erika Hansen and Cory York

Liz Mills, Cody Giovannetti and Mary Molinski

Forrest and Denise Dunn

Cory Mills and Carter Giovanetti

Nick Pesce, Sister Rose Marten Glenn and Kristi Pesce

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S I N C E 1995

Advertising in RSVP Magazine places your message before an active, affluent market of Mid-Southerners who desire the best in quality and service.

More Than 120,000 Readers Average Household Income . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $184,500 per year Average Net Worth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $1,250,000 Male Readers . . . . . . 40.8% Female Readers . . . . . . . . 59.2% Marital Status . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62.2% married Home Owners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81.3% Education: Attended/Graduated College plus . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83.0% Have Post graduate degree . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21.6% 88.6% . . . . Purchased a Product or Visited a Store due to Advertising in RSVP. 42.6% . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Traveled Abroad during the past year.

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EVENT TASTE OF JUBILEE Jacqueline and Robert Enfield with Ted Schreck

Michele Riolo

Emily Pratt and Mike Schoenberger

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Cathy Palazola, Caitlin Knowles and Mark Palazola

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Tunia and Steven Sangster

Lauren and Jack Stimac with Johnna and Reid Strange

Mike and Joyce Nussbaum

George and Bena Cates

Chris Reid with Francis and Carolyn Ginski and Ashley and Daniel Salvaggio

ONSITE

Onsite II

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Vine to Wine at the Garden: A Taste of Germany

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Memphis Botanic Garden celebrated its Vine to Wine at the Garden series, and this time it celebrated all things German with A Taste of Germany wine tasting. The Yoshino cherry trees lining Cherry Road were in full bloom, providing a stunning backdrop as guests dined al fresco in the Memphis Garden Club Sculpture Garden. The folk rock band Short in the Sleeve provided musical entertainment. A Germanic menu was catered by Fratelli’s Café, Eclectic Catering and Schweinehaus. Featured foods included German meatballs with capers in a heavy cream sauce, bacon-wrapped asparagus and smoked salmon ebelskivers. The foods were offered with a selection of German wines provided by Star Distributors. The tastings included Becker Pinot Noir, Loosen Red Slate Dry Riesling, Mosel River Riesling, Valkenberg Dornfelder, Villa Wolf Gewürztraminer and Villa Wolf Pinot Grigio. Open to the public, the themed wine tastings are held the last Tuesday of each month through October.

Proceeds benefit the youth education and horticulture programs at Memphis Botanic Garden.

Story and Photos by Emily Adams Keplinger

Grahamwood Gala Families from Grahamwood Elementary School recently gathered with friends and other school supporters for the third annual Grahamwood Gala. The event was held at Propcellar, an event planning and vintage rental facility on Summer Ave. Ginny Burbank, Grahamwood PTO president, was joined by Mary Kate Brandon, Liz Ferguson and Juli Hurdle as event co-chairmen. Over 200 guests attended the school fund-raiser. The evening included a dinner buffet catered by Liz Ferguson, a Grahamwood parent and former professional caterer. The menu included tomato basil soup shooters with chives, barbecue pork sliders with Creole slaw, and carnitas tacos.

Local musical talent Travis Roman performed while attendees made their way around the room, circulating among themed tables featuring silent auction items. The Grahamwood table offered some of the most unique auction items, including a campout with fifth-grade teacher Brett Emerson and his family. Burbank said, “In addition to our fund-raising efforts, the other goal was to ‘FUN-raise.’ Our committee wanted this event to provide a special night for our wonderful Grahamwood community. The setting at Propcellar is a fabulous new venue and our supporters turned out en masse to make this gala a night to remember. Proceeds from this event will benefit a variety of Grahamwood programs and offerings.”

Story and Photos by Emily Adams Keplinger

Brad Silver, Pam Branham and Andy Branham Ginny Burbank, Peggy Turley, Thomas Robinson and Kat Gordon

Christian Brothers High School Carnival Celebration Strands of jazz filled event venue Stop 345 as Walnut Groove, the Christian Brothers High School (CBHS) jazz band led by Bill McKee, performed on stage for the school’s annual Carnival Celebration. More than 150 people turned out to show their support for the “Oldest High School Band in America.” For the 10th year, the party raised money to provide financial aid for CBHS band members.

Patrick Bolton, CBHS Band Director, explained, “The proceeds from this event will be used to help pay for private lessons and for road trips, like when the full band travels with the football team during the fall season.” Parents of band members provided a variety of appetizers and desserts. Kate Pera of Automatic Slims, Alfred’s on Beale and Cafe Olé catered the event. Guests dined on carnivalthemed noshes such as sausage gumbo served with rice. A silent auction, chaired by Angela Stembridge, contributed to the fund-raising efforts. A live auction featured a custom-made, guitar-shaped, fabric “Lucille” bag from Kindred Spirit Style (named in honor of B.B. King’s beloved guitar). The school donated a customized CBHS locker that instigated a rousing round of bidding. The band, Snapdragon, played the last set and brought people onto the dance floor to close out the night.

Story and Photos by Emily Adams Keplinger

Jan Dickey, Pat Dickey and Bill Farrell

Mary Kate Brandon, Juli Hurdle and Liz Ferguson

Susan Turner-Hill with Dana and Gary Daly Donna Rains, Angela Stembridge, Scott Wright and Tonya Ervin

Sandi Tucker, Pat Holt and Selby Horton

Jim Sharpe, Barbara Dooley and Barb Frantonius

Stephen King, Thomas Henze, Emily Burnette and John Pellicciotti

Shannon Whitmire and J. D. Gentry

Branden Canepa and Denise Johnson

Through the years, the Ave Maria Foundation has brought such top-level talent as Dixie Carter, Crystal Gayle, Deana Martin, daughter of Dean Martin, to the Memphis area in an effort to raise money to support their services for seniors. This year was no exception. Two-time Grammy-award-winning Rita Coolidge brought her genre-crossing music to the stage for the second time to benefit the foundation. The Ave Maria Foundation is a non-profit which helps raise funds for the Ave Maria Home. The home offers inpatient and outpatient programs, including assisted living apartments, a nursing home, an adult day center for seniors living with Alzheimer’s and dementia and homemaker services. In addition to the concert, guests were treated to a buffet-style dinner and cocktails, as well as the opportunity to bid on more than 200 items in the silent and live auction. This year marked the 14th year for the foundation’s concert and auction, which was held at the Sally Hook Performing Arts Center at St. Agnes Academy/St. Dominic School. “The most important focus is that of our seniors,” Frank Gattuso, Ave Maria Home director, said.

The Church Health Center Wellness facility hosted the Canvases Art Auction, which benefited MidSouth Sober Living (MSL). Close to 100 artists donated their handicrafts to help raise money for MSL, and its mission of providing housing for individuals working to maintain an alcohol-free and drug-free lifestyle outside of a rehabilitation program. From paintings to sculptures to photographs, there was plenty to choose from during the silent auction. The live auction had guests bidding for four works of art by local artists Maggie Russell, Jay Etkin, Anna Branham and George Hunt. Mac Edwards of The Farmer (formerly The Elegant Farmer) and Just for Lunch also donated their craftsmanship with a spread of lox, chicken and pork and plenty of sweets to snack on while browsing and mingling. More than $13,000 was raised during the event, a $6,000 increase from last year.

Story and Photos by Lesley Young

Salvation Army Women’s Auxiliary Founders’ Day Luncheon In November 1986, a handful of Memphis women got together and chartered a group to supplement the work the Salvation Army had been administering for the past 100-plus years, the Salvation Army Women’s Auxiliary. Now each year the group of women, which today numbers more than 600, get together to celebrate that genesis with a Founders’ Day Luncheon.

This year they hosted that special day at the two-year-old Salvation Army’s Ray and Joan Kroc Community Center. Congressman Steve Cohen helped kick off the luncheon after dignitaries, including representatives from both Memphis Mayor A C Wharton Jr.’s and Shelby County Mayor Mark Luttrell’s offices, recognized the work of the Salvation Army and many of its agents. One such agent is Major Leisa Hall, who served as the featured speaker for the luncheon.

Major Hall travels the country to help fight against human trafficking and is a founding member of the Oklahoma Human Trafficking Task Force. Just for Lunch catered the luncheon and Debbie Kines and Cheryl Maccarino provided music.

Taste of Compassion For the third year, supporters and friends of the Compassion Neighborhood Clinic (CNC) showed up at Bangkok Alley on Brookhaven Circle to bid on auction items and enjoy small plates of food prepared by restaurant staff at their annual Taste of Compassion fund-raiser. Dr. John and Judy Lang created CNC in 2009 to provide Memphians who are not able to afford health care free medical care. “We provide medical care to those with no insurance, usually people who are not eligible for the Affordable Care Act, those who are too sick to work, or those who have lost their job,” John, also the associate medical director of United Healthcare, explained. Word spread and help increased, and now the Langs lead a team of two fellow doctors, eight nurses, a dentist and an optometrist to help those without health care out of Caritas Village in Binghamton one night a week.

One of the dedicated nurses is Dottie Burana, also co-owner of Bangkok Alley. She also saw a need with the clinic, and decided to do something about it by creating the clinic’s annual fund-raiser at her restaurant.

Story and Photos by Lesley Young

Story and Photos by Lesley Young

Story and Photos by Lesley Young

George Larrimore and Willy Bearden

Judy and Dr. John Lang Mary Ellen Chase, Hilda Mullen and Carol Wolf

Lisa Bell and Rick Jones Carol Buchman and Roy Tamboli Christina Roberts and Stacey Newman

Frank and Jami Gattuso

Tony Maticks and Grace Thomas

Betsy Peck and Penny Aviotti

John Burks and Olga Zavala

Sue Turner and Debra Goodnight

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Wesberry Golf Classic

Christian Brothers High School was filled, not with students, but with partiers at the Passport to the South Pacific event. Benefiting Birthright of Memphis, Inc., the only thing missing was the smell of the salty air, because signs of the tropics were present everywhere.

From the “Island Sunset,” specialty drinks in brightly colored glasses topped with umbrellas, to the buffet, which consisted of Jamaican jerk pork with mango relish, coconut-lime rice, apple-sweet potato medley and an island vegetable mix, it was all about the tropics. Tiki mask signs marked table numbers where pieces of coconut cake sat at each place. Former International Auctioneer Champion Terri Walker had bids rolling through the sea-loving bunch of guests. The auction ended with a “Gift of Grace,” which raised nearly $14,000.

Three tables of silent auction items, as well as a jewelry table provided by James Gattas Jewelers, gave guests plenty of opportunities to support Birthright’s mission of providing free services for women with unplanned pregnancies and helping them plan their futures.

During the awards presentation, Diane Guiliano was recognized as Volunteer of the Year, Scott and Roberta Hamblen received the Peter Drott Friend for Life Award, and The Heart and Soul award was presented to Diversified Conveyers, Inc.

More than 23 teams comprised of a 4-person scramble hit the links for SRVS on at Spring Creek Ranch for the third annual Wesberry Golf Classic.

Proceeds from the tournament benefit SRVS and more than 1,000 children and adults with disabilities. Including sponsorships, the players’ fees, and contests, SRVS grossed more than $39,000 from the event. Anne Wesberry welcomed the golfers as they headed out to the exclusive golf course in Collierville, Tennessee. The tournament is named in memory of her husband, Dr. Fred Wesberry, who was a long-time supporter of SRVS and who treated persons supported at SRVS through his dental practice. Chef Ernie Mellor from Hog Wild provided a barbecue fiesta for lunch, and an awards reception was held at the clubhouse. Two flights of three place teams were organized. The First Place, First Flight Champions are Charlie Shoaf, Brian Rimer, Timmy Hooper and Ryan Finches. SRVS is a United Way of the MidSouth partner and Tennessee’s largest comprehensive service provider for people with disabilities, offering a wide range of programs including community living, employment, family support, elder care, children’s services and a learning center.

Story and Photos by Suzanne Thompson

Story Submitted Photos by Lisa Haguewood

Story Submitted Photos by Courtney Howard

Patricia Massey and Vicki Hardesty

Caroline Schratz and Terri Walker

Tom and Beth Phillips with Beth and Mike Ogg

Gary Meyer, Father Gary Lamb and Ann Meyer

Jimmy Griffith and Anne Wesberry with Tammy and Dr. Kevin Doring

Dr. John and Kathleen Pender, Jr.

Scott and Roberta Hamblen with Bill and Lynn Lifsey

Brian Rimer, Timmy Hooper, Ryan Finches and Charlie Shoaf

Peggy Lovell, Sally Perry, Lauren Barnett, Nancy Holcomb and Maureen O'Connor

Tamera Tielens, Ian Yarwood and Caroline Yarwood

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Region’s Bank and Laurelwood Shopping Center hosted a festive Kick-Off Party to celebrate the upcoming Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital Ball on June 20th. Held in the lobby of Region’s Bank at 6200 Poplar Ave., the kick-off party garnered excitement for the Ball, which is one of the Le Bonheur Club’s major fund-raisers for the hospital. Le Bonheur Club members, the Ball’s honorary chairmen, Nancy and Hamp Holcomb, and sponsors heavily attended. The night provided the guests with a selection of wines and champagne, as well as heavy hors d’oeuvres generously provided by Owen Brennan’s, Central BBQ, Aldos Pizza Pies, Chiwawa, Mosa Asian Bistro, and Alyssa “Your Redheaded Chef.” A fur jacket from Bella Viaggia was modeled, and will be auctioned at the Ball. The Ball itself will be held at the elegant Peabody Hotel and will include live and silent auctions, dinner, program, and dancing to music by the SoulSations. The Le Bonheur Club is a nonprofit organization that supports Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital through fund-raising and volunteer service. Le Bonheur Club volunteers contribute more than 1,200 service hours each year at the hospital.

Passport to the South Pacific

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Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital Ball Kick-Off Party

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Onsite V Suit & Salad Fundraising Luncheon

Memphis BrewFest

“That’s the Spirit!” Wine Tasting

Memphis women pulled out their fancy hats, pearl necklaces and sharp suits for Dress for Sucess® Memphis’ eighth annual Suit & Salad Fundraising Luncheon. Held at the HiltonMemphis, this event raised funds for Dress for Success® Memphis, which provides “interview and work appropriate attire, confidence boosts and career development to lowincome women making the transition into the workplace.”

Dominique Anderson, founder of VIDA Communications Group, was the afternoon’s mistress of ceremony. Anderson introduced the luncheon’s honored women who were accepting their Women of Courage Award, including Shirley Wexner, CEO of Wexner Companies and Beverly Robertson, former president of The National Civil Rights Museum. Anderson commented that Dress for Success® Memphis “gives women the power and confidence to pursue their dreams and professional goals.”

The sixth annual Memphis BrewFest was held in AutoZone Park.

Memphians came out to celebrate American brews as well as beers from all around the globe in the name of supporting the Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy (PPMD). Part of the Memphis Beer Week, this event was one of 12 events, spanning eight days, that showcased the city’s best establishments and unique Bluff city brews, doing double duty by supporting PPMD. Beer lovers came out in full force to this popular downtown beer tasting, and, with 2,000 tickets sold out, that is no exaggeration! As the gates to the park were opened, attendees received their tasting glasses and poured in to taste beer from all over the world. Tasters enjoyed a range of beers from over 35 stations and tried varieties such as Asahi, Czechvar, Tsingtao and Gulden Draak. There were also selections from Schlafly Beer, Blue Pants Brewery, Oskar Blues Brewery, and Chimay. Also present were local craft brewers such as Bluff City Homebrewers, Wiseacre Brewing, Boscos Brewing Company, Memphis Made Brewing, Memphis Brewers Association and Tennessee Brew Works.

PPMD is the largest nonprofit organization in the nation focused on finding the cure for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.

The Hospitality Hub in Memphis wants to do more than just offer food and a place to sleep to the homeless population. They want to connect with each person who comes through their door and get to the heart of the matter. “We work with each person to assess their needs and determine the root cause of homelessness for them,” Hub board member Mary Morris said. “People have such different needs.” The Hub serves as an entry point for men and women in Memphis who are experiencing homelessness, providing a place where they can go, determine what their needs are, and gain access to the many other programs available to them throughout Memphis. For the past two years, the organization and its supporters have offered a wine tasting as a way to raise funds for its programs.

This year the “That’s the Spirit!” Wine Tasting event was held at the Robinson Gallery and Archive in the South Main Arts District downtown. Guests were encouraged to try six different wines, including two reds, two whites and two Proseccos, provided by Kimbrough Towers Fine Wine. A generous spread of noshes and nibbles were laid out in the upstairs portion of the gallery, where Loveland Duren performed.

Story and Photos by Rachel Warren

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Ciara Small and Cassie Berry

Marie Stevenson and Lacey Hall

Story and Photos by Lesley Young

Amanda Eckersley and Yevette Hughes

Tre’ Scruggs and Bobby Mitchell

Jeff Kilzner and Sydney Ashby

Jennifer Hagerman and Mary Morris Yvonne Jones and Sarah Jones

Felisha Stanley and Masheta Oden

Marcus Gilmour, Clarissa Garcia and Christy Gilmour

Sharon Bailey, Lori Stewart and Damon Brider

AFTER HOURS

After Hours A photo collage of the latest business happenings

Eclectic Eye Eunika Rogers Art Opening Reception

George Higgs with Gay and Hall Prewitt

Rebecca Allen and Kristina Woo

Cayce Pappas, Sheri Gaines and Susan Schwartz

Amber Ragland and Susan Satar

Lisa Sloan with John and Jennie Fields

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Bluff City Jaguar Land Rover Launch Party

Tina Drewry and Farrar Vaughan

Virgil Edwards, Betsy Szulewski and Deb Naylor

Dennis Fry, Chad Henze and John Adams

Redefine Aesthetics Girls Night Out

Jane Hyde Sheally, Dr. Christopher Hall and Ashlee Frazier

Anny Raines and Terra Hall

Yvonne Baker and Nicole Conner

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For underwriting information, call 901-678-2560 Visit us online at wumr wumr.memphis.edu .memphis.edu

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RSV PHILLIPPI

By Dennis Phillippi

sively unhelpful, which leads to just about any government employee he encounters being rude, impatient and aggressively unhelpful. On the other hand, when I visit the DMV or the Post Office, I make every effort to be nice to whomever I encounter.

In general, a person is much more likely to make an effort if they receive a smile and maybe a compliment on their hair, nails, or picture of some child they have sitting there. Sure, it sounds counter-intu-

Working in phone sales is a miserable, thankless job with virtually no reward other than a paltry paycheck.

Yes, I was calling people in their homes, and, yes, I was using a false name, and, yes, I was interrupting their dinner, but is that any reason to postulate about the likelihood that my mother had made a living in a less than honorable profession, leading to my own unfortunate existence? itive, but if you treat a person as a human being, they’re often prone to return the favor. When you come stomping up to the glass enclosed cage they are forced to endure all day to prevent someone from shooting them, frowning and braced for their uncooperativeness, that’s exactly what you’re going to get.

Recently, a reporter for a sports network was caught on video berating a tow truck company employee for only doing her job. This reporter also insulted the woman’s dentiture, probable education, and weight. Understand, even if the reporter hadn’t gone on such an irrational and sadistic tirade, she still would’ve been in the wrong. This poor woman, who simply had the misfortune of only being able to land this particular job, should have never been attacked for doing it. She was, in the simplest terms, just doing her job.

Sadly, the reporter was only given a week off of doing her job to contemplate her

behavior. By the way, I have seen plenty of sports reporters berated by players, coaches, and fans for just doing their job, but I imagine this never dawned on this reporter when she felt wronged.

One of the most surprising examples of this type of temper tantrum is people who yell at cops. I have a lot of cop friends, and they’re always complaining that someone verbally assaulted them during the course of their day. While it’s true that police officers are often called upon to do things that civilians might find infuriating, you know, when they’re not protecting your life and property at great risk, and I’m sure the temptation to express your displeasure may be difficult to resist, but in the grand scheme of things, it’s just a bad idea to yell at someone who is carrying a gun, baton, and pepper spray.

Honestly, it’s a bad idea to yell at someone who just has one of those three. I have even talked with firefighters and EMTs who have been berated for not being able to bend time and space to arrive at an emergency more quickly. If someone is charged with saving your life, you might want to keep your anger in check.

Every once in a while, I’ll encounter someone who read this column without being able to scare up their sense of humor or even someone who has been mentally sharpening their knives for me since I made fun of them from a comedy club stage decades ago. For one thing, let it go. For another, it’s not my fault you went to see comedians while sporting a mullet and wearing a Members Only jacket.

The point of all of this is obvious, it benefits you nothing to be rude. There are very few instances when bullying someone at their work place is going to garner you anything other than the same treatment in return. People with children spend so much time dealing with the whole bullying issue among kids that it’s astonishing that they can’t recognize the same behavior in themselves. Very few employees start out their work every day planning to be difficult to contend with.

We force them into that position and then feel outrage when we reap what we have sown.

Just be nice. Or someone might punch you in the neck. Which you deserve.

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few nights ago, I was talking to a bartender friend of mine, or at least a bartender who pretends to be my friend for tipping purposes, and the topic of Telephone Salespeople came up. We were speculating that caller ID has probably pretty much killed that industry, and he said it was a real shame because he “loved messing with those guys.” This was a bartender who not five minutes before had been verbally assaulted by a middle-aged woman for checking her ID, which he is required to do by law and the rules of his job require him to do.

Plus, it’s kind of funny. The point is, he had just been hassled by someone for doing his job and then expressed his great pleasure in doing the same thing to other people.

There was a time when I probably would’ve thought his giving the business to a phone sales guy was pretty amusing, but that time would’ve been before I spent a year one summer selling magazine subscriptions over the phone. I was around eighteen, needed beer money because you could drink at eighteen back then, and the only job I could get was calling people at dinner time in their mobile homes to convince them they could not refuse the incredible bargain I was offering.

Understand, it was not an even marginal bargain, but it was my job to convince them otherwise. Much of my time was spent listening to blistering indictments of my profession, me personally, and, not unusually, my family’s probable history.

Working in phone sales is a miserable, thankless job with virtually no reward other than a paltry paycheck. Yes, I was calling people in their homes, and, yes, I was using a false name, and, yes, I was interrupting their dinner, but is that any reason to postulate about the likelihood that my mother had made a living in a less than honorable profession, leading to my own unfortunate existence?

Another friend of mine is always, always, prepared for anyone in a government job to be rude, impatient and aggres-

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BE NICE OR PAY THE PRICE

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Graduation Anticipation

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chool’s almost out for the high school seniors of Miss Hutchison’s School pictured here in 1939 celebrating “Kid Day.” These young women smile for the camera in their best “kid” costumes. Most likely taken at the school’s former location of 1925 Union Ave., these students look forward to the days ahead of them outside of high school. Later, the school formally changed its name to Hutchison School and relocated to its present campus of 1740 Ridgeway Road.

This photo is courtesy of Marcia W. Daniel-Tyler, whose mother, Margaret Wardaw Daniel was a member of the class of ’39.

If you have a past photo you would like to share with RSVP readers, please contact Rachel Warren at 276-7787 ext. 105 or e-mail the photo and caption to editor@rsvpmagazine.com All photos will be returned promptly.