Showcase Magazine May 2023

showcase showcase

MAY 2023

CEO Andrew Scott Brooks scott@showcasemagazine.com

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR

Paul Seiple | paul@showcasemagazine.com

GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Kim Demont | demontdesign@verizon.net

FINANCE MANAGER Cindy Astin | cindy@showcasemagazine.com

ADVERTISING Lee Vogler | Director of Sales and Marketing lee@showcasemagazine.com | 434.548.5335

Emily Wilkerson | Executive Assistant emily@showcasemagazine.com

753 Main Street #3, Danville, VA 24541 Phone 434.709.7349 info@showcasemagazine.com www.showcasemagazine.com

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Paulette Dean | Victoria Scarce

Paul Seiple | Lee Vogler

CONTRIBUTING

PHOTOGRAPHERS

Laurel Lane Photography | The Stallions Band Paul Seiple | Lee Vogler

COVER Laura Chaleby, photo by Laurel Lane Photography Scan with your smart phone for EXCLUSIVE ONLINE CONTENT at showcasemagazine.com

My Passion

Your Forever Memories

BY PAUL SEIPLE PHOTOS BY LAUREL LANE PHOTOGRAPHY

Laura Chaleby isn’t a native southerner. She grew up in Michigan where, she said, the Great Lakes help to offset the cold. She got a taste of the south seven years ago after her husband’s career as a chemical engineer brought them, and their daughter, to Danville. Speaking about her husband, Chaleby said, “What they say about opposites attracting is true—one of us is an intellect and the other is a creative.”

Her creative eye led to Chaleby starting Laura Mae Photography. But the road to becoming a photographer wasn’t a point A to point B path. She spent over a decade as a master’s prepared social worker before giving a career in photography a thought. “I decided it was time to take a break from serving children and families and stay at home with Evelyn. I knew I would never regret the time I had with her as a baby and small child.”

Chaleby’s love for photography stems from her childhood. “As is true for so many people, the things that interested me in childhood are the things that still captivate me as an adult. There are two things I loved and still do–horses and photography.” After the birth of her daughter, she focused on learning the ins-and-outs of a professional camera to capture special moments. “What is better than photos of the cutest baby you have ever seen? Local and on-line classes taught me the basics, and the more photos I took of her, the more I longed to photograph others,” Chaleby added.

Her love for horses matched the internal craving to catch a perfect moment on camera. Chaleby purchased her first horse while in her thirties. “What started off as taking pictures of family and friends slowly led to a professional, profitable business. I wish I could say the same of my money-eating horse.”

When not riding, Chaleby is capturing special memories for families through her creativity. “Considering my professional education, and the reasons why I began my

photography career, it is easy to understand that I chose to specialize in family photography. My ‘why’ or what keeps me motivated, has been and will continue to be providing a meaningful service to families. I like to say, ‘My passion, your forever memories.’” She understands photos are more than just images. They are reminders of landmark moments in life.

Interacting with families and familiar faces brings immense joy to Chaleby. “If you are a people person, then you understand. I simply love meeting and getting to know you, even if you are a total stranger,” she added.

Chaleby is a creative at heart. “For me, creativity in photography means using my love for people to make them feel comfortable, finding the dreamy light, and combining the two together to capture those sought-after images,” she said. Making people feel at ease is just as much of a winning shot as is great light and the perfect location. “People remember the way a photograph makes them feel. So, I work with my camera and my heart to blend beauty with happiness.” It only takes one click for Chaleby to catch a great shot. She encourages families to enjoy themselves during a shoot. “With kids, I am not worried about the goofiness, running, and half listening. In fact, it’s often in those moments where we find the best smiles.” Her clients appreciate the effort she puts into her work and often refer to her as a magician.

Finding the perfect photo is always a quest for photographers. For Chaleby, it boils down to creating something that feels positive, brings back memories, and evokes a smile. “All the technical aspects of a photo are secondary to those things.” Gorgeous backlighting and crisp greens with people enjoying themselves are what she looks for aesthetically. “It is the artistic side of me that appreciates photos as genuine works of art.” Chaleby cherishes that she can create work that is meaningful to others.

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“Any creative will tell you it is impossible not to produce ideas as inspiration comes fast and is free flowing,” Chaleby said. She uses theses ideas to grow her business. “Many of my business ideas come from listening to audio books and from other like-minded business owners who freely share their successes, as well as their failures.”

Being a mother and a full-time business owner can be taxing on time. “The reason I pursued photography instead of a 9-5 job was it enabled me to have a sense of self by working outside the home, yet still prioritizing my role as a mother.” As Chaleby’s business grows, juggling the two has been a challenge at times. “I work from home, so I feel constantly torn between office work and what to cook for dinner and the laundry

piles. Although I have not found the perfect solution, I have learned to set boundaries. One useful boundary is to block off family or personal days on my calendar, ensuring I have some time to fill my cup. If you need me, I’ll be at the barn.” She added, having a “supportive spouse and a rock-star babysitter,” is invaluable.

Chaleby hopes people remember her work by treasuring the memories she helped them to capture. “When I look at photos taken of my daughter as a baby I am taken back to those days and all the little things that I often don’t naturally think about—such as her squishy little wrists or the way she wobbled when she was learning to walk. I hope the same for anyone who I have had the privilege of working for and call friends.”

All Our Rowdy Friends

BY VICTORIA SCARCE PHOTO COURTESY OF THE STALLIONS BAND

The Stallions Band, including lead singer and guitarist Butch James, singer and guitarist Daryl Wright, drummer Jackie Robertson, bassist Tony Thomas, and singer Terri Clay, have been performing music for the better part of the last fifty years. They have been a local staple for the country music crowd for a long time. In a recent interview with them, they mentioned that some of their current fans are the children of their original fan base.

Although the lineup has changed throughout the years, members of The Stallions have always stayed in touch

and kept their love of music at the heart of everything they’ve done. That’s why now, almost fifty years from the start of it all, they are still enjoying doing what they love. Butch and Jackie mention beginning at the ages of 14 and 15 with previous band members, practicing in the basement of Jackie’s father’s church. Jackie reminisces of The Stallions having performed in the past with the likes of Alabama, George Jones, Hank Williams Jr., and Tanya Tucker. They all state musical tastes like Elvis, Hank Williams Sr., Loretta Lynn, John Bonham, and Keith Moon.

Each of the band members discuss a certain family member that introduced them to music, whether that is a parent or grandparent, and most of them state that growing up in a church band or choir was a big influencer in their love for music. Singer and guitarist, Daryl, mentions that his father kept a guitar under his bed and fondly remembers that “he’d let me sit there and strum on it, even when I was too small to see over the guitar. He never told me to put it up. I could play it as long as I wanted to. And then I got into the church choir and learned how to sing.” A couple of band members even tout having had accomplished musicians in the family.

When asked what the most important part of the creative process is for them, a few have their own individual reasons, like playing with top-level musicians and the feeling of getting a song right from beginning to end. But they all agreed that the biggest motivator is keeping traditional country music alive, and to see the crowd’s reaction to their performance. Singer, Terri Clay, mentions that “the crowd’s reaction, watching them live, laugh, dance, and have fun while listening to good music is a huge motivator for us.”

All the Stallions agree that practice is one of the most important rituals that a band can have, passionately discussing the amount of work that goes into preparing for performances and learning a piece of music. They also agree that you must have a heart for music, especially in order to stick with it for as long as they have. Jackie states that he’s “seen people try to learn instruments, but they didn’t have the heart for it. They’ll pick up a guitar and strum for a couple of weeks, then give up on it. You have to be born with music in your heart for you to truly be motivated to stick with it.”

As far as advice for aspiring musicians, this band is a wealth of wisdom. Butch says, “You’ve got to be dedicated and you’ve got to work hard to be successful.”

Daryl mentions that musicians “need to be comfortable in intimate atmospheres if you’re going to play locally. Big clubs and stuff aren’t around anymore, so you’ve got to be more comfortable with places like wineries and breweries, and places that seat fewer people.” Jackie

quips lightly, “If you’re in it for the money, don’t get into it,” and then adds to that on a more serious note: “you have to do it because you love it.” Tony brings more wisdom with, “You need to follow your own path. Don’t just play what everyone else is playing. Play what you want to play.” And singer Terri sums it all up by expressing, “Just keep living your dream. Whether you make it big or not doesn’t matter. All that matters is if it makes you happy.”

This band’s love for traditional country music shines through in just about everything they do, from discussing local radio stations that play classic country and bluegrass, to humming–or outright singing–any country tune that pops into their heads.

Their biggest supporters have been their family members, and as they jokingly state, “all our rowdy friends.” The Stallions Band definitely won’t be needing our rocking chair any time soon.

MAGAZINE EXCERPT

My Ultimate Goal

is to Inspire Millions of People All Over the World

BY PAUL SEIPLE PHOTOS& ARTWORK BY JENNA RICE

Jenna Rice was born in Maine and raised in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. “Basically, I’m from New England,” she said. Now, Rice calls Greensboro, North Carolina home. She is a full-time street artist and spray-paint muralist. “You can find my work all over North Carolina and in other states such as Indiana and Florida,” Rice added.

She cites her parents as major influences in her path to becoming an artist. “My dad worked for Hasbro when I was a kid. He used to hand-draw the package designs for the toys (before graphic design was a ‘thing’), so I was exposed to some pretty amazing drawings at a very young age.” Rice’s mother introduced her to arts and

crafts. “I tried all sorts of hands-on projects as a child. If it weren’t for my artsy parents, I likely wouldn’t be where I am today,” she said.

Even with the exposure at an early age, Rice didn’t imagine she would make a career out of her art. She changed majors in college three times before settling on art. She continued, “I was recruited to be an art major in my third year of college. That semester, I took a drawing class as an elective and was spotted by the Chair of the Department of Art and Art History, master oil painter, and painting professor, William Otremsky.”

Rice “dabbled” with a variety of mediums early on during her art journey but focused on oil painting in college. I loved oil painting, yet I just didn’t see a logical way that I could turn it into a full-time career. “Upon moving to Greensboro in 2015, the blossoming mural scene inspired me. I thought to myself, I can do that in oil paint… I wonder if I could do that in spray?”

Rice began watching how-to videos on YouTube focusing on spray painting. She added, “I realized there was true potential to make a full-time career out of this kind of

mural painting. Spray painting was so much faster than other mediums I’ve used—practically the opposite of oil paint. I loved the idea of it, yet continued watching others paint for an entire year.”

When she felt ready to tackle spray painting, Rice practiced on plyboard and cardboard. “It was a frustrating medium to learn on my own, but with the help of the internet and a few friends, I successfully figured it out and became a full-time artist a little over three years ago.”

Rice approaches a new mural by creating a design on her iPad. “If it were up to me, every mural would include a portrait or some form of the human figure, as those are my favorite subjects to paint. Either way, I am careful to pay attention to the fundamentals of design while creating my work—balance, alignment, proximity, repetition, and contrast.”

Rice, then, takes the initial design and scales it to the wall using the “doodle grid” method. “After the wall is properly cleaned and primed, I scribble random

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numbers, letters, and symbols all over the wall. Then, I take a photo of the wall with the scribbles and put it into my iPad.” She uses the app Procreate to layer the design over the image of the wall. “I lower the design’s opacity so I can see through it just enough to see the symbols. This way, I can scale my small design to the large wall and keep accurate proportions.”

Most of Rice’s work is commission-based. This can put a cap on her creative freedom. But she finds ways to express her creativity in the art. “The images I paint are carefully chosen based on composition and the fundamentals of design. I prefer to work with figurative images—anything with the human body fascinates me,” she said. When an opportunity arises that brings more creative freedom, Rice chooses figurative photographs. “Sometimes, I take photos myself or hire a professional to take even better photographs for my work. I love to paint realism.”

Rice soaks up inspiration from every artist and artwork

she encounters. “I am always inspired by the beauty in nature and classical 17th century Baroque artworks by Caravaggio, Rembrandt, and Velazquez. I like to take their techniques and styles and create my own artwork with a modern-day twist.” She wants people to take the same approach with her art. “I hope that viewers take in every detail and come up with their own interpretations of my work.”

Rice sees her future being full of striking imagery and bold colors. “I hope to awe and motivate… my ultimate goal is to inspire millions of people all over the world.”

Rice’s murals can be viewed indoors and outdoors throughout Greensboro, Winston-Salem, Asheboro, High Point, and Eden, North Carolina. She also has pieces in Lakeland and Miami, Florida and Marion, Indiana.

To see a larger collection of Rice’s work, visit her website www.jennariceart.com and on Instagram @jennariceart

Stillness

BY PAUL SEIPLE

Until last year, I spent most of my life reacting instead of responding. I think back on those times and nothing good ever came from being impulsive. It’s natural to go on the defensive when someone says something negative to you or is rude. Human interaction isn’t a simple a math equation where a negative multiplied by a negative equal a positive outcome. The ego doesn’t work that way. If you react negatively to a negative situation, it’s going to get worse. The absolute best thing you can do is be still and breath.

Here’s an example from my personal life. Last year, I woke up one Saturday morning to a scathing email about a project I was working on. There were several instances questioning my dedication and just as many assumptions in the sender’s words. My initial reaction was to defend myself and prove those words wrong. I spent the next hour dissecting every slight I felt.

After feeling I had thoroughly made my case, I read the email several times, but didn’t hit send.

I dropped my reply into the Drafts folder

There was no remorse at spending that time drafting a rebuttal. It felt really good to get it out if my mind, but sending it would have been bad. I’m pretty sure there would have been irreversible damage from arguing my points. After a moment of stillness, the response lived in my Drafts folder, where it sat for about a month before I deleted it. Taking a moment to think of the ramifications that would pop up because of my harsh response gave me the clarity to figure out how to respond without inciting more negativity.

I checked my ego and replied positively. I sent examples of how the project was progressing and with reassurances; we were still on track to meet deadline.

In Meditations, Marcus Aurelius said, “To be the rock that waves keep crashing over. It stands unmoved, and the raging of the sea still around it.” It’s an instinct to react in defense to a negative situation. Things turn out so much better if you become the rock and let the negativity wash over you. Be still, think clearly, and breath before you respond. And sometimes, you’ll find the best response is to channel the old Genesis song and send “no reply at all.”

A prime example of this is social media. Negativity on social media is rampant. It’s just like those annoying chain-type messages that find their way into your direct messages. Ignore them, and the chain is broken. If someone says something rude to you on social media, be the rock. Ignore them.

In Ryan Holiday’s book Stillness is the Key, he gives probably the best real-world example of how stillness can affect everyone. Holiday cites JFK’s leadership during the Cuban Missile Crisis. JFK’s ability to remain calm during one of the most tense-filled moments in history helped to diffuse the situation. By not reacting and giving Khrushchev the time to think about the consequences of war, the world avoided irreversible damage.

Stillness takes patience. Think back on the outcome of a negative situation. Would it have been different if you stole a line from Guns N Roses and showed a little patience? Probably so.

Control plays a role in the ability to be still too. In The Discourses, Epictetus said, “Some things are in our control and others are not. Things in our control

are opinion, pursuit, desire, aversion, and, in a word, whatever are our own actions. Things not in our control are body, property, reputation, command, and, in one word, whatever are not our actions.”

Your response to something is an action that you can control. As Holiday said of JFK during the crisis, he wasn’t concerned about the next step. JFK weighed the next course of action and looked ahead at how that would affect future steps. I took this approach with the above-mentioned email, envisioning the sender’s reaction to my less than pleasant response. I would have received another scathing email. And the cycle would have continued.

I’m not saying it didn’t feel good to dissect the email. It was cathartic to get it out of my system. I’m saying by practicing stillness after the fact I saved a relationship. I realized the person was more concerned that I hadn’t kept them up-to-date with the progress of the project.

Communication is work-in-progress. I am still trying to figure that one out.

Confessions of a 30 Something The Boys (And Girls) Of Summer

BY LEE VOGLER PHOTO BY LEE VOGLER

“You got a beat-up glove, a homemade bat And a brand-new pair of shoes You know I think it’s time to give this game a ride Just to hit the ball an’ touch ‘em all a moment in the sun It’s-a gone, and you can tell that one goodbye”

– John Fogerty - Centerfield

I was a little younger than my son Kingston when I can first remember hearing that John Fogerty classic, but it has stuck with me all these years. As most of you know, I love baseball. I played it for over 15 years growing up and I’m still playing a version of it (slow-pitch softball) now. But as I’ve gotten older and have kids of my own, I’ve started to get more joy out of passing on what I’ve learned to the next generation more so than playing the game itself. Don’t get me wrong, if I make a diving catch in centerfield it still pumps me up, but watching

Kingston get a line-drive base hit or strike a batter out from the mound is on another level.

I’ve been talking about the need for youth sports to have a major revival in the City of Danville for a few years now, but this year I decided to stop talking about it, and start being about it. So, as I write this, I’m coaching my daughter Ava’s tee-ball team, as well as Kingston’s baseball team. Both have been a blast so far. Even if I’ve had a long day at work and I feel run down, I’m instantly uplifted by being around these young people and watching them learn the game that has meant so much to me in my life.

And that’s what I really hope to pass on to them: life lessons. Sports can be a great conduit for so many of life’s own way. We will undoubtedly win

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Paws for a Cause

WRITTEN BY PAULETTE DEAN, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR DANVILLE HUMANE SOCIETY

In May, we celebrate Mother’s Day. The very word “mother” brings to mind safety, warmth, care, and love. There are bad mothers, to be sure, but the vast majority offer unconditional love. In fact, all nature values mothers. There is a reason our planet is called Mother Earth.

At the shelter, we dread the times when obviously nursing dogs and cats are brought in as strays without their babies. If we know where the animal came from, we go and attempt to find the babies. Many times, we have put a mother dog on a leash, and she has led us to her puppies so we can rescue them.

Puppies and kittens adjust easily and quickly to shelter life if they come in with their mother. As long as they have her, all is right with their world.

MEET SANDY

People know to exercise caution approaching a mother animal that has her babies with her. Even some very trusting dogs and cats become nervous when a human picks up their young.

In the wild, most fights with a female are caused by a protective mother. Wild animal poachers and collectors know that in order to capture a baby or a young animal, the mother first has to be killed.

There are many documented stories about the care animal

mothers give. In 1988, several female elephants brought one of their babies to a park ranger’s office for help. When the baby was hurt, they walked two miles to the ranger’s office, where the baby would be safe from other animals.

Cows are very maternal, and sadly, that leads to sorrow for them. Dairy calves are immediately taken from their mothers after birth, and the cows look for the babies and try to get to them as they hear the calves’ cries.

Mother chickens can recognize their chicks’ peeps, and sheep and goat mothers make sure their offspring play with others in their own age group.

Even some species of insects are raised by their mothers!

How grateful the earth and its creatures should be for the institution of motherhood. I know I am grateful for my mother.

DANVILLE HUMANE SOCIETY

This four-month-old boy came to us as a stray. He is handsome and sweet. He also is adept at finding soft napping spots!