Spicer Greene Jewelers by Smoky Mountain News

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Bluegrass Boy: Graham Sharp Culinary Delights: Chef Joe SCully helping hanDs: maNNa fooDBaNK

Delightful designs TImeleSS Jewelry ThaT NeVer GoeS ouT of STyle

Désirant. We live life beautifully wi w th yo ou. Désirant. An upscale boutique in downtown Asheville full of unique items — antiques, jewelry, home decor, clothing, local and international art. Enjoy our seasonal sales up to 75% off, daily discounts, and our 10% local discount. Located downtown in the Windsor hotel, next to Mellow Mushroom.

SPICER GREENE

3 4 B ro a d way | A s h ev i l l e , N C 2 8 8 0 1 | 8 2 8 . 2 5 8 . 2 2 5 0 | d e s i ra n to n l i n e .co m

FALL / WINTER 2016

SPICER GREENE

FALL / WINTER 2016

CONTENTS

FEATURES The Great Thaw wNC artist visits Cuba in search of its political and cultural meaning in the 21st century 18

A Diﬀerent Shade of Blue Graham Sharp of The Steep Canyon rangers

Catching the Culinary Wave Chef Joe Scully of Chestnut, Corner Kitchen 40

One Meal at a Time maNNa foodBank makes a difference 44

Putting the pedal down highlands Sports Car Club

The Face in the Mirror ron rash releases latest novel

DEPARTMENTS Spicer Greene Guide New trends in jewelry, wine and outdoor recreation 13 & 15

Q&A wick & Greene transitions into Spicer Greene

Gift Guide fashionable gift ideas from asheville’s finest shops and galleries. 47 Gumuchian for Spicer Greene studs: $3,249; Gumuchian for Spicer Greene tassle necklace $5,749; Henri Daussi ring $4,288

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Delightful designs p.2 8 Choose your favorites from this unique jewelry collection

SOUVEN U NIERS R OF DIS STIN NCTIIVE FLAVOR

C ptture Cap t th flavor the fl or ooff the flav th reegion egii with ith our ha hand-crafted andd crafted ft d spice i blends bl d andd rubbss, naturaally ly infuussed sugarrs & saltltts,s, distincttive seasoninggss, & accessorie es or ess.

Th he Spicce & Tea Exchaange

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46 H Haywood d Street, St t A h ille, NC | 828 828-505-7 505 77348 348 Asheville ash heville@spiceand dtea.com

Spicing It Up

hat a year it has been since we last published a magazine! Wick & Greene closed and in its place, Spicer Greene Jewelers was born. It has been a true privilege to bring this fourth-generation business into the modern age. Thank you for your support and patronage through this change. You will love the new storefront, new product mix (starting at under $50!) and the feel of the new store. It’s your grandmother’s jeweler with a lot more SPICE! We are as committed as ever to our mission to create lasting relationships by providing a warm, welcoming environment where people celebrate life’s moments. It is with true joy that we celebrate these special birthdays, anniversaries, and everyday moments with you. Our continued vision is creating value by taking genuine interest in and care of people, while providing you with products and memories that will last generations. After you explore the pages of the fall/holiday magazine, come see for yourself what makes the new Spicer Greene Jewelers so special. See you soon!

Eva-Michelle and Elliott Spicer

SPICER GREENE

121 PATTON AVENUE ASHEVILLE, N.C. 28801 TUES-FRI: 9:30 AM to 6 PM SAT: 10 AM to 6 PM 828.253.1805

SPICER GREENE Jewelers MAGAZINE editor

Scott McLeod advertising manager

Hylah Birenbaum art Direction

Micah McClure Contributing writer

Garret K. Woodward Contributing photographer

Zaire Kacz Graphics

Travis Bumgardner Emily Moss ON THE COVER Diamond stud earrings: $9,995 Diamond bracelet: $19,995 a. Jaffe wedding set: price upon request Chinchilla Jacket: Kriegsman furs & outerwear photography by: Zaire Kacz ©2016-2017 Spicer Greene Jewelers all rights reserved.

published in association with The Smoky mountain News 144 montgomery Street waynesville, North Carolina 828.452.4251

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115 Hendersonville Rd., Asheville, NC 28803 September 15, 29 ~ October 6, 18, 27 ~ November 3, 11, 15, 29 ~ December 6, 15, 29 Check our Asheville events page at kriegsmanfurs.com for dates and time or call (828)253-2524 Also Made To Measure Coats, Fine Garment Care, Restyling, and Storage.

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From vine to glass Taking a page from the microbrewery boom in this region, the wine industry in western North Carolina has blossomed. with the legendary Biltmore estate winery holding court, an array of local wineries has emerged to compete with the yadkin Valley and beyond, including hendersonville’s Burntshirt and St. paul Vineyards. “The conditions of these mountains is very similar to europe,” said alan ward, owner of St. paul. “we’re trying to be true to this region and grow the best fruit we can. This is agricultural tourism at its best.” ward points to the far south ecosystem that resides in the mountain elevations ranging from 2,300-3,000 feet. with crisp evenings blanketing the area, pleasant temperatures below 90 degrees during the day is key to grape growth. “we’ve studied and done our homework,” he said. “we listen to what people tell us about our wine and it’s been great feedback. we focus on high quality fruit and having a great winemaker.” as connoisseurs are familiar with the Sonoma and Napa Valleys of the west, winegrowers around here know it’ll be an uphill battle to get people to turn their heads south, but the proof is in the wine. “It’s very satisfying to see people drink the wine and enjoy it,” eric Case, manager at Burntshirt. “people aren’t used to us yet, but we’re going to change that. once they try the wine, they’ll be impressed.”

The Gold Standard

terms of current trends, Spicer Greene Jewelers is beginning to see a return to gold. “And not just any gold, chunky gold pieces are coming back,” said EvaMichelle Spicer. “For the last 15 years or so, it was all about white gold. But now, it’s all big gold looks.” Seemingly working well with any type of attire, gold “dresses up really well, and also dresses down very well,” according to Eva-Michelle. “Having it layer with jeans and a button up looks just as good as with a little black dress,” she added. On the bridal side of things, vintage still reigns supreme, where clients are looking for something classic, and yet with a modern touch. “We have a great new vintage line from Kirk Kara,” said Elliott Spicer. “It’s new jewelry, but it’s also very distinct, with a look of pieces from the 1890s. Vintage is a style and trend that will only continue to develop.” Elliott noted a recent popularity in “fancy shape” diamonds. “Our guests are also looking for something different from the traditional round diamonds,” he said. “And with our selection of fancy shape diamonds, we’re able to adhere to their every need.” — By Garret K. Woodward

tim Barnwell’s great smoky Mountains Vistas renowned appalachian photographer, writer and asheville resident Tim Barnwell has published a new book, Great Smoky Mountains Vistas: A Guide, with Mountain Peak Identifications, for What To See and Do In and Around the National Park, that combines panoramic photos from overlooks with useful information about activities near each overlook. The new book is a comprehensive guide that lays out each roadside vista of the park and identifies prominent peaks in east Tennessee and western North Carolina. Identifying marks include compass headings, distances, elevations, roads and waterways. Barnwell intentionally published the book this year to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the creation of the National park System. with this newest work, Barnwell provides a companion to his previously published Blue Ridge Parkway Vistas. one of the most widely published photographers of the South, Barnwell has contributed to dozens of magazines, including Time, Newsweek and house Beautiful. and his work graces the permanent collections of the metropolitan museum of art, the mint museum, the high museum of art and the New orleans museum of art, as well as Bank of america’s corporate collection. Barnwell may be better known, though, for his own titles, The Face of Appalachia: Portraits from the Mountain Farm, On Earth’s Furrowed Brow: The Appalachian Farm in Photographs, Hands in Harmony: Traditional Crafts and Music in Appalachia, and the best-selling Blue Ridge Parkway Vistas: A Comprehensive Identification Guide to What You See from the Many Overlooks. The book is available at regional bookstores and online. FALL / WINTER 2016

shoot for the sky: Biltmore sporting Clays Club Walking along a gravel road, deep in the backwoods of the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, Dale Klug scans the large meadow before him. “When you’re here, and in that moment, you feel nothing — you’re completely focused,” he said. “We don’t do well when we’re stressed and can’t concentrate. But, when you’re shooting, it’s about relaxation, it’s about focus.” Director of Explore Biltmore Estate, Klug is also the head of the Biltmore Sporting Clays Club, a private and premier space that showcases the beauty and fun of the activity. Atop a 360-acre parcel within the enormous estate, the club’s four games — trap, skeet, five stand, and 12-station course — encompass over 10 acres of private, tranquil land. “We all have those hand-eye coordination skills, we develop them at an early age,” Klug said. “But, here, you’re really able to hone in on those skills, ultimately making them into talents.” Within the 12-station game are two separate sixstation courses — the “Vineyard” for beginners, the “Woodland” for more experienced shooters. “Everyone’s shooting skills vary,” Klug said. “And what we do here is to avoid getting frustrated by starting at the ‘Vineyard’ and working your way up to the more difficult ‘Woodland’ course as your skills get better.” With over 300 members, the club hosts a variety of people, from younger shooters to veteran marksmen, retired and corporate enthusiasts, as well as a growing number of women. The main focal point on the club’s property is the Jones House, a once abandoned 1865 farmhouse that’s been renovated into a meeting and event space for the organization. It’s just another piece of the evergrowing puzzle being put together by the Biltmore Estate — a place as vast as it is inviting. “Biltmore is a self-sustaining property, one that is family-owned, with deep values in working hard and making something of yourself,” Klug said. “It’s always changing, always moving ahead.” —GKW

Winter lights at the arboretum The North Carolina arboretum’s annual winter lights has fast become asheville’s brightest holiday tradition. winter lights is an outdoor holiday light exhibit placed throughout the arboretum’s nationally-known gardens. walk through a winter wonderland and enjoy uniquely-lit displays and landscapes composed of nearly 500,000 energy-efficient leD lights. romantic asheville, one of the event’s sponsors, described it this way: “Designed with an artistic aesthetic, The winter lights show enhances the natural beauty of the gardens as you celebrate the holidays.” many of the displays are synchronized to familiar holiday songs, and one of the most popular displays is a 50-foot tree with 8,000 lights. roast delicious s’mores by the fire or enjoy a cup of holidayinspired cocoa, cider or beer. additional food and beverage items are available for purchase and the arboretum’s cafe. The North Carolina arboretum is located within the Bent Creek experimental forest just south of asheville and adjacent to the Blue ridge parkway at milepost 393. Surrounded and crisscrossed by forested coves and meandering creeks in the Winter Lights at the NC Arboretum botanically diverse Southern appalachian mountains, The North Nov. 18, 2016-Jan. 1, 2017 Nightly 6 to 10 p.m. Carolina arboretum is set in one of the most beautiful natural www.ncarboretum.org. settings in america.

tryon international equestrian Center It’s billed as a “game changer.” “It’s about exposure of this sport to the area, and also showcasing beautiful western North Carolina to the equestrian community,” molly oakman said. opened in 2014, the Tryon International equestrian Center is a $100 million state-of-the-art 1,450-acre facility. Community relations manager for the Tryon resort, oakman Shannon Brinkman photo looks at her company’s latest endeavor as something that will become a beacon of culture and entertainment for the region. “for us, it’s about bring together family, horses and entertainment,” oakman said. “we want to expose people to the sport who maybe haven’t been before. This facility is open to everyone. people can come here and appreciate all these beautiful animals, and be able to see worldclass entertainment.” The center features 10 riding arenas, over 1,000 permanent stalls, elevated and shaded viewing decks, restaurants, family activities, boutiques, and more. “with the long and storied equestrian history in Tryon and western North Carolina, it’s truly an honor to have this facility here,” oakman said. FALL / WINTER 2016

Turning the Page wICK & GreeNe TraNSITIoNS INTo SpICer GreeNe

hat do you do when people expect one thing, all the while you’re looking ahead at the horizon? That was the question bouncing around when Eva-Michelle and Elliott Spicer had first entertained the idea of changing Wick & Greene Jewelers to Spicer Greene Jewelers. How do you take a 90-year-old beloved brand and seamlessly bridge it into the 21st century? And what remained was an unknown future for the longtime Asheville business, one where the next generation of clients became a key priority. Alongside their longtime clients and their desired higher end pieces, Spicer Greene wanted to lower the price point, a move that lies in the mere fact they want to create new, lifelong relationships with millennials and those slowly making up the modern day demographics of not only Asheville and greater Western North Carolina, but also consumer trends nationally and internationally. It’s about creating a better educated consumer, and also reimagining what the ambiance, atmosphere and attitude of a jewelry store could — and can be — as today turns into tomorrow, tomorrow turns into the future. It’s the 90th year. This is a big year — celebrating the end of an old era, the beginning of a new era… Elliott: So, what we’ve done is taken a historic business, and a historic building, and spent over a million dollars renovating it. It’s a brand new jewelry store, but still the legacy of our family business, but with a little bit of “spice.” It’s the coming together of two families, with my family’s three stores in Eastern Canada coming into the fold as sister stores to Spicer Greene in Asheville. The goal remains the same — to be the best jewelry store we can possibly be. Eva-Michelle: We’re a locally owned, fourth generation family business right here in Asheville. But now, we’re putting our resources together to make for the best possible shopping experience.

What was the thought behind this, to take a 90-year-old brand and re-launch it? Elliott: The store was dated — it’s as simple as that. We have a great customer base and a loyal following, but we weren’t helping enough people get engaged. We were seeing that

we had a dated look, and it was time for a change. Eva-Michelle: And it’s also keeping up with tradition. Mr. Wick moved here in 1926 and opened the store. Then, he reinvented himself, only to take on a partner later on. And after that, he joined with my grandfather to start Wick & Greene Jewelers, where now we’re reinventing ourselves as the next chapter of the business.

“There are so many new and exciting things happening to the City of Asheville these days, and we’re one of them”

Why is it important to evolve, and not the same ole, same ole? Elliott: You have to get with the times. If you don’t, you stagnate and you die. It’s about changing and innovating. And now, we have things in the store that nobody else has, not even anywhere else in the country. We have this new digital application that can help our customers shop for that perfect diamond, and also become better educated in what they’re looking for. It’s a system that scans every single piece in the store, where you can simply pull each individual piece up on our iPads and see for yourself the differences — in cut and in price. Eva-Michelle: It really is focused on the millennial customer. But, we will still carry those high-end pieces for our longtime guests. It also shows you’re planning ahead for that next generation of lifelong customers. Elliott: Yes, but at the same time we’re really focused on a different customer now. We want to continue to serve our longtime guests, and we will continue to carry those pieces for them. But, we’re not exclusive. Our old starting price point was $2,000 with Wick & Greene, but with Spicer Greene we have pieces that start as low as $50. It’s more about developing the customers that Eva-Michelle and I can grow old with. The people who get engaged now, as they get older, as they want to increase their jewelry collection, we’ll grow with them.

— Eva-Michelle Spicer

It’s about creating that new physical and emotional breathing room in the new store. Eva-Michelle: Absolutely. It’s been our thoughts since the beginning of the renovation, and also this new chapter of the company. Elliott: The philosophy of the old store was to find someone a diamond and get them what they want. The new store is about educating our guests. I’m confident enough with our product that you will buy a diamond here because we will educate you that much more. People don’t want to be “sold to” anymore, they want to know exactly what they’re buying, and if it truly suits them. What’s it like to see that new sign — Spicer Greene — on the façade? Elliott: It’s not Wick & Greene anymore. It’s Spicer Greene. We have the legacy, but we also have a completely new twist. We want to be accessible to everybody instead of a select few. Eva-Michelle: When I see it, it’s fresh. It’s new and exciting, and I think that the city in general will embrace it. There are so many new and exciting things happening to the City of Asheville these days, and we’re one of them. —GKW FALL / WINTER 2016

“It is silly not to hope, he thought…” — Ernest Hemingway

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The Great Thaw wNC arTIST VISITS CuBa IN SearCh of ITS polITICal aND CulTural meaNING IN The 21ST CeNTury

FALL / WINTER 2016

t’s about 855 miles between the quiet mountain town of Waynesville, North Carolina and the urban hustle and bustle of Havana, Cuba. And yet, when Asheville painter Christopher Holt opens up his portfolio one recent morning at a local coffeeshop, that distance gets a lot shorter. One-by-one, Holt leafs through dozens of his watercolor and oil paintings, all of which culminates the vibrant sounds, scents and sights of the foreign country. The island nation and its people flood his thoughts and words when speaking at length over his recent trip there. Born in Asheville and raised in Waynesville, Holt has traversed the globe, in search of not only himself — as an artist and as a human being — but also in hopes of telling the story of mankind. It’s a visual tale, with brush and a blank canvas, which connects the dots of different people, landscapes, cultures, and ways of life. His travels brought him to Cairo, Egypt, last year to paint the city and its history, and Tahrir Square, which was ground zero of the Egyptian Revolution in 2011 during the “Arab Spring” uprising in the Middle East. And next year, he’ll be heading to Jerusalem, Israel, to paint a “good Samaritan” fresco for the Order of St. John humanitarian aid effort in the war-torn country.

But, this year — this past March — Holt jumped on an airplane in Miami and headed 228 miles over the Straits of Florida to Havana. Although the country itself has been off-limits for Americans since the United States government placed a trade and travel embargo on Cuba in 1962 (due to the country falling under communist reign with the revolution led by Fidel Castro and Che Guevara in 1959), the two nations are thawing the last vestige of the Cold War in recent years. Amid the loosening of the embargos and recent visits from President Obama and The Rolling Stones, the third-world country is poised to find itself at the political and economic table of the 21st century, especially in terms of global trade and cultural exchange. And at the center of this next chapter in the history of Cuba comes the endless curiosity and bond of friendship emerging between both sides of the American/Cuban relationship, with Holt having a front row seat on the interaction, one that is seen and felt through his works of art. Spicer Greene: Cuba must be one of those places that the landscape is just as colorful as the people and the culture? Christopher Holt: It’s true. And the Cubans have a high regard for art. There is a lot

of street painting. One of the things I ran into — which was right on the Paseo del Prado, the central walking street in the heart of Havana — was that they had free art classes every Saturday and Sunday. It’s free for the public. They set up artists of all sorts — painters, sculptors — and everyone is there making things. You sign up, pull up a chair, and create. Even during the beginning of the reign of the Castro brothers they put a lot of emphasis on the arts and the culture. SG: What was it like being an artist walking around there? CH: Well, besides the regard given to artists, the Cubans also love Americans. For people living in Cuba, the “American Dream” is very much alive. For those Cubans that made it off the island, they’re succeeding far beyond what’s capable for a regular citizen on the island. SG: Did you have a plan of action before you arrived in Cuba? CH: I wanted to be in Havana and spend a good time there seeing what I could. And I really wanted to, and did, go to the Vuelta regions of the Pinar del Rio, which is the one of the great tobacco growing regions of the world. My grandparents and great-grandparents were tobacco farmers here in Haywood County. I had a

Asheville artist Christopher Holt painting in Cuba. wymaN TaNNehIll phoToS

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desire to see that down there, and it takes place there today just like it was 50 years ago here. There’s a big ox pulling a plow and it’s all small farmers. There are some big plantations, but, for the most part, some of the world’s greatest tobacco is produced one small farm at a time. SG: What’s going through your head during all of this? CH: That this is why I do what I do. Being an artist, and painting life, people when they see you appreciating their place, it doesn’t matter where you are, they respect that and they feel a bit of pride just that you are looking upon where they live with respect. SG: How much does the clock and “time” play into life down there? CH: Well, you’ll have people in the valleys getting up at 4 a.m. and riding their horse across the valley to get to work. Then, you have Havana, which is live action all hours of the day. It never stops in the city. In places like Havana, you’re living room is not in your house, it’s on the street. There’s always something going on, always somebody coming and going. SG: What’s going on around you when you’re working on the streets? CH: The ones on the street, sometimes I have 10 kids leaning over my shoulders for hours, kids with popsicles, and like anywhere else, they like seeing the art going down, happening in front of them. I’m talking while I’m working. I’m getting to know them. I’ll give them a dollar to get a couple sodas because it’s so hot down there. I might be in one spot for three days, and the same people come by, they tell me about their lives, their street corner of the city that’s their home. SG: What do you think about the warming of relations between the United States and Cuba, and what that might mean to the fate of Cuban culture? CH: Well, for one, we have a lot to learn about each other. I don’t think Americans will ruin Cuba. With every first world country, you have to take some good with the bad. But, with our arrival and care and investment in that country, it’s needed. They need what we have. They need money. They need interest in their country. They need modern medicine. And we could use some of their culture, the idea of utilizing what we have without the need for excess. Their idea of community, their reliance upon their neighbors is a way of life. SG: What do you see in your paintings in hindsight, now that you’re back in the States? CH: It’s so hard to capture everything, but the story in the paintings, in Cuba — it’s the people. All of those people I met. Watching Nana meticulously going up and down the rows of the tobacco field, checking everything, where that piece of dirt is his entire life. Those experiences just make me want to tell the story of the world even more. And the story is, is that we’re all related here on Earth, we’re all one big family. In this country right now, in the United States, we can all use the reminder that we’re all brothers and sisters — love and friendship is truly the only way to get by in this world. —GKW Chris’s work can be seen at www.christopherholtfineart.com

BaNJoIST Graham Sharp of The STeep CaNyoN raNGerS

You could hear it from the driveway. Stepping out of the vehicle, the sounds of a fluttering, playful banjo echoed from behind the cozy home in West Asheville on a recent sunny afternoon. Tip-toeing around shrubbery and flowerbeds, a lone figure is spotted on the side patio, feet up with his trusty instrument in hand. “Welcome,” Graham Sharp arose and said, putting down his strings and extending a handshake. Banjoist for renowned bluegrass act The Steep Canyon Rangers, Sharp is at the forefront of a new era in the beloved and tightly held genre of string and mountain music. It’s honoring that high, lonesome sound of Bill Monroe and Flatt & Scruggs, and also putting one foot forward into the natural — and inevitable — progression of a music that’s evolving as fast the notes radiating from those trademark fiery fingers and mesmerizing vocal harmonies. Since their humble beginnings at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill in 2000, the sextet has called Asheville and greater Western North Carolina home for several years now. In their 16 years together, they’ve slowly and steadily climbed the mountain that is bluegrass and string music, putting out 11 albums, garnering a Grammy and backing the legendary Steve Martin — all of which is a testament to their unrelenting work ethic, onstage and in the studio. And yet, as the Rangers found their initial success in bluegrass, the band has always been known for coloring outside the lines, as seen by their “catch me if you can” attitude and addition of a percussionist in recent years. Entering his sunroom in the back of the house, Sharp sits down and relaxes on his couch. He gazes out onto his backyard and smiles, another day in this Southern Appalachian paradise. He’s at ease, and for good reason, seeing as the Rangers are hitting their stride these days — an ensemble as elusive as they are magical.

Spicer Greene: What does the landscape of the Steep Canyon Rangers look like these days? Graham Sharp: You know, I think we’re kind of growing with the music, and with the music scene. It seems like a large segment of the music scene — of our age and our tilt — are really into the world of bluegrass, but it’s not the world of bluegrass we started off in when we said we wanted to be a bluegrass band. That world was festivals like Bass Mountain, that was our home festival in Chapel Hill where we started, the roots of it you can trace back to Bill Monroe and Flatt & Scruggs who all played that same stage decades ago. Traditional festivals like that, that’s what we saw for bluegrass when we started out and were orienting the Rangers. That was our first goal — that we needed to be able to go into these traditional bluegrass festivals and be a hot band. We tailored our sound towards that, because that’s what our favorite bands were doing at the time. Then, I think after climbing that mountain and getting in the top tier of those bands — not the very top, but close enough to see the top — you could go to these shows and you meet these people after those shows, it’s such an accessible genre, where people were so willing to share the knowledge. Back then, we’re these longhaired college kids from Chapel Hill, 20 minutes out of town at this festival, and it was like a whole other world for us. If you had a banjo and knew these songs, you could sit down with anybody and play all night. Bluegrass is about the music. And yet, over the years, it seems to me the divide is as much cultural as it is musical. SG: I remember bluegrass legend Larry Sparks once saying, “you can drive any kind of car you want in bluegrass, but you’ve got to stay within the lines.” And the Rangers are one of the few bands that has been able to straddle both the modern and old school circles of bluegrass, where the International Bluegrass Music Association recognizes you, and the jam festivals still want you, too. GS: Right. And you look back at these festivals, look back at the Camp Springs documentary “Bluegrass Country Soul” — J.D. Crowe, Jimmy Martin, Sam Bush, Tony Rice, Osborne Brothers, Dr. Ralph Stanley, Earl Scruggs. But when you look at the crowd in that old footage, it’s a widely diverse group, hippies and the older folks, and they’re all jamming together. And at some point it changed, that’s not the case so much anymore. In my dream situation, we’d have a place in music where everybody is welcome — it’s part of the challenge for us, which is straddling that line. I couldn’t believe we got an IBMA nomination for “Song of the Year” (for “Radio”). It was a total surprise. I kind of thought our sound was just out of their realm nowadays.

FALL / WINTER 2016

The Steep Canyon Rangers.

“It seems like a large segment of the music scene — of our age and our tilt — are really into the world of bluegrass, but it’s not the world of bluegrass we started off in when we said we wanted to be a bluegrass band.” — Graham Sharp

SG: And when those older folks ask about where all the young people are, they’re told the next generation of bluegrass lovers are at Greensky Bluegrass, Yonder Mountain String Band, The Infamous Stringdusters or Steep Canyon Rangers shows, many of which are bands maybe on the outside of acceptance in traditional bluegrass circles. GS: And I think maybe those bands pushed their music a little farther outside of bluegrass because they weren’t as accepted by those more traditional crowds and festivals. You realize that though they may not be playing those spots, you also had New Grass Revival back in the day

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playing those crowds, and they were playing some really intricate and “out there” stuff. They were still playing a lot of bluegrass. Like people say about Miles Davis, as in if you played Miles to someone from the 1940s they’d say, “that’s not jazz,” but if you’re a jazz person from the 1990s you might say, “well, Miles is the backbone of jazz.” It feels like that divide has become a little more pronounced, but that’s really what we’d like to try and do because bluegrass has been and is still so dear to us — that’s our DNA. SG: How do you straddle that line, between the modern and traditional bluegrass circles?

GS: I think the strengths of our band are still what we love about bluegrass, which is vocals, big harmonies — things of that nature. And as writers, we compose songs in that standard lyrical frame. I think part of it is that we keep coming back to it. We’re not going to leave any of this behind. An organization like IBMA, we could have just pulled out of there a few years ago, but instead we’ve aimed to embrace the IBMA and also embrace those other bands, like The Infamous Stringdusters. Even geographically, we go out and play Colorado and we’re considered a traditional band, and yet when we play around North

Carolina we’re considered progressive and not traditional bluegrass. It just goes to show that bluegrass is just a wide palette of music. There’s just so much music today. I mean, whereas before you might apprentice with some of the older pickers — Doyle Lawson, Peter Rowan, J.D. Crowe, all those schools — we didn’t have the opportunity to go through that. And now there are just so many kids — talented musicians — who maybe 30 years ago would have started a rock or jazz band, they’re deciding they want to play bluegrass or string music. The level of talent is as high as it has ever been in the history of bluegrass. SG: I was curious about the evolution of the Rangers, and not just doing the same thing that people expect… GS: Part of our band from our early days, we’ve had kind of an outsider aura about us, and we’ve identified ourselves in that way. For us, adding a percussionist was a natural move. This is our music, and this is how we feel we can serve it and present it. And when you’ve had a band as long as we have, you need that little shake up, little added injection of some new ideas and sounds. It’s allowed us to stretch out what we do. We’ve always been driven by the songs that we have. I think the songs we were writing, and still are writing, do lend themselves to the drums. SG: I remember you said something once about not forcing a formula onto a particular song, but letting the song guide the musicians into how it should sound… GS: Right. I mean with “Radio,” which got nominated for IBMA “Song of the Year,” the drums are really pushed forward in it. And that’s something we do, which isn’t hide behind the song. Make it all work. It’s fun to find a banjo line that works with a rock-n-roll type of drumbeat. It has freed everybody up being able to incorporate all these new ideas into the sound. SG: What have you learned from working with Steve Martin as the Rangers get higher and higher up in the industry? GS: Watching Steve work, he is just relentless, whether it’s writing or music, performing or acting. He’s endlessly creative, and he always sets aside time everyday to create. Just his work ethic and the amount of effort he puts into anything he does. For Steve, it’s about looking for the next thing, working hard and being creative, not being afraid to take a chance. And then the other side of that is being able to honestly assess how things are going over, how something’s doing. Work on it, put it together, put it out in front of people, then saying if it works or it doesn’t work. SG: What is it about bluegrass that sets it apart from other genres? GS: There’s a group of musicians with their instruments, and there’s no separation. What’s you’re getting is exactly what they’re putting out. It just always felt so honest to me. For us, even as we get outside the lines of bluegrass, it’s about keeping that integrity.

57 Haywood Street · Asheville, North Carolina FALL / WINTER 2016 25 828.225.5751 · DonatelliCakeDesigns.com

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“It always blows my mind, this song, something I wrote in a small room in my house, and now it’s giving people joy.”

SG: Why Asheville, why has this city and region become the home of the Rangers? GS: I’ve been in the Asheville area since around 2000. I think a big part of it is how rooted in tradition it was, and continues to be. There’s so much great bluegrass and string music up here. And the city fits the band so well, it fits tradition, but it’s also wide open and branches out into all kinds of directions. It’s the arts, it’s the people, it’s the mountains — it’s a lifestyle.

— Graham Sharp SG: What has a life immersed in music taught you about what it means to be a human being? GS: That’s a good question. You know, music and performing, also just the life of being away from home and familiar surroundings, it really just encourages you to open up to strangers and other people you don’t know, who have never seen you before, don’t know anything about you.

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And you see that reaction from people, where a song of ours got them through a tough time or a time of celebration. It always blows my mind, this song, something I wrote in a small room in my house, and now it’s giving people joy. It never ceases to surprise me, and that’s what got me into music. You can kind of trace your life — the arch of your life — through songs, what music was important to you at a certain juncture of your life. To be part of that trajectory of people’s experience, well, it’s humbling and inspiring — to keep going, to keep trying. There are hits and there are misses, and that goes for everybody. When you can step back and look at it, I’d never think I’d be in this position today. It’s something we — the Rangers — kind of stumbled into. But, if you take it seriously and really dedicate yourself to it, you just never know where life will take you. —GKW

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FALL / WINTER 2016

Catching the Culinary Wave Chef Joe SCully of CheSTNuT, CorNer KITCheN

Chestnut in downtown Asheville.

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Sitting at a table in a quiet corner of Chestnut, Joe Scully looks out the large bay windows of the restaurant and onto a busy Biltmore Avenue in downtown Asheville. “You know, when I first came here in 1990,” he recalled. “There was nothing in downtown. You could drive down through here and it was almost like a tumbleweed would pass by.” Executive chef and co-owner of Chestnut, Scully has risen to the top of the food scene in Asheville, and greater Southern Appalachia for that matter. With a keen sense of culinary sophistication, the two-way street relationship never seems at arms length to the kitchen maestro or his customers, whether wandering in out of word-of-mouth curiosity or simply longtime loyalists. “When you manifest something of quality — in other words, you create something of quality — it’s not all roses and sweet music, it’s hard work,” Scully said. “But, what ends up happening is that it’s really satisfying to the people you’re serving, which in turn is really satisfying to you on so many levels.” Raised in New Jersey, Scully has been working his way up in the restaurant industry for the better part of the last 40 years. From humble beginnings as a host, he soon found his way into the prestigious Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York. From there, it was stints up and down the East Coast, ultimately finding success as the executive chef at the United Nations in Manhattan. When he first visited Asheville in the early 1990s, Scully came to see the Biltmore Estate, to look at the leatherwork his grandfather did in one of the breakfast rooms for the Vanderbilt family. Coming down from New York in the 1930s, his grandfather repaired the intricate and one-of-a-kind room, something that intrigued Scully. And though he was in New York City for a period, Asheville never really left his thoughts. “The thing to remember is that Asheville has always been a magnet for the arts, for great music and for interesting people — it has always been an attractive place,” Scully said. “And by the time I returned to Asheville in 2000, the city has evolved a lot, it had become a hip place, a place with no food scene — yet — but I could see the potential.” In 2004, Scully opened Corner Kitchen with his business partner, Kevin Westmoreland. Located in Biltmore Village, the southern bistro soon led to Corner Kitchen Catering, a high-end restaurant style experience for events and celebrations. By 2012, Scully and Westmoreland launched Chestnut, a beloved spot in the heart of “Restaurant Row” on Biltmore Avenue.

“By the time I returned to Asheville in 2000, the city has evolved a lot, it had become a hip place, a place with no food scene — yet — but I could see the potential.” — Chef Joe Scully

FALL / WINTER 2015

“There are about two dozen restaurants between Pack Square and The Orange Peel on this street. And if you go into any one of them, you’ll be excited by what they’re doing.” — Chef Joe Scully

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“There are about two dozen restaurants between Pack Square and The Orange Peel on this street,” Scully pointed out the window. “And if you go into any one of them, you’ll be excited by what they’re doing.” Scully will be first to applaud the hard-working efforts of organizations like the Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project (aka: ASAP), businesses like Hickory Nut Gap Farm, and schools like nearby Warren Wilson College, all of which have dug deep — into the ground, into the culture — to ensure that local produce, farmers and residences were all connected. “ASAP created a favorable environment for people that wanted to produce food, and also work with local farmers,” Scully said. “And Warren Wilson keeps churning out people that are into the land, into farming, and into community — they’re friendly, good people that want to live and thrive here in Western North Carolina.” Now looked at as one of the pioneers of the culinary scene in Asheville, a scene that has garnered worldwide attention and admiration in recent years, Scully shook his head in awe of where he and his comrades stand today. “We don’t have competition between restaurants in Asheville — we have collaboration,” he said. “It’s like a surfer catching a wave. Everything comes together, and you’re able to stand up and move through it. Physically, emotionally, and spiritually — everything is working together.” —GKW

FALL / WINTER 2016

One Meal at a Time

Fruitcake toss

maNNa fooDBaNK maKeS a DIffereNCe

Be sure to participate in Spicer Greene’s Fruitcake Toss during the Asheville Christmas Parade, with all proceeds benefitting MANNA FoodBank.

It’s a problem as prevalent as it is invisible. “Hunger is a very invisible issue here,” said Kara Irani. “Unless you’re seeing homeless people in downtown Asheville, you’re not really aware of how much hunger can affect your neighbors, your friends and your family members.” Director of Marketing & Communications at MANNA FoodBank in Asheville, Irani and her organization have made it their mission to eradicate hunger and food waste in the city and greater Western North Carolina. In 2015, with the help of some 7,407 volunteers, MANNA distributed 15.7 million pounds of food to 229 partner agencies in 16 counties around the region. Kara Irani “There is still a stigma associated with hunger, so it can be very tough for us because we want more people to be aware of the issue,” Irani said. “And Western North Carolina is a very unique area, in that we have multiple socio-economical problems that compound into themselves to create poverty cycles, which can be very hard to get out of.” Irani noted the three biggest groups they work with are veterans, seniors and children. With a lack of mass transportation in Western North Carolina, it can be difficult for these segments of the population be able to reach the resources they need. “If you don’t have transportation of your own, it may become difficult to get to the doctor’s office, the grocery store, or even to school,” Irani said. “And when it comes to

poverty, many find themselves deciding if they will choose between getting medication or getting food.” By the numbers, there are 49 million in this country who experience hunger. That’s 1 in every 7 people, with Western North Carolina going even lower at 1 in 6 residents experiencing hunger. In terms of the youth, the national number is 1 in 5 children are at risk for food insecurity. Locally? It’s 1 in 4 children at risk for food insecurity in Western North Carolina, with 1 in 3 in Macon County alone. To mitigate those numbers, MANNA has a program known as “MANNA Packs,” which is a full backpack of food given to children every Friday afternoon when they head home for the weekend. In 2015, they served 4,946 children per week. Even though that seems like a high number, Irani stressed that number is only 10 percent of the kids that are on free or reduced lunches in area schools. “The kids get that backpack at the beginning of the weekend,” Irani said. “And when they go back to school on Monday, they’re focused and ready to learn instead of thinking about an empty stomach. And it’s things like that which keeps MANNA going, just knowing that people need these things.” Irani pointed out that there isn’t a shortage of food, rather there is an abundance, but getting those resources into the mouths of the hungry is where the challenge lies. “There’s plenty food. It’s not a lack of resources, it’s a lack of a system to get these resources to the people,” she said. “All of this food is being thrown away and tossed into landfills instead of ending up in the hands of those who need it.” Of the many grocery store partners of

The Asheville Holiday Parade rolls, dances and marches through downtown Asheville on Saturday, November 19, beginning at 11 a.m. This year’s theme is “Light Up the Holidays — Celebrating 70 Years.” The parade features nearly 100 entries including marching bands, dance and cheer squads, nonprofits and businesses. The Fruitcake Toss will take place in the Spicer Greene parking lot on Patton Avenue.

MANNA, Ingles Markets has been alongside the nonprofit for almost 30 years. Add into that Food Lion, innumerable local farmers and producers, and you have an intricate network of businesses and residents working together for the betterment of their own backyard and all those who inhabit it. Irani encourages those not already involved with MANNA to come and see what the organization is all about. Whether it’s volunteering, donating food or money, any little bit helps. Out of all the thousands of volunteers working for MANNA, every dollar donated can be turned into three meals, with 94 cent per dollar going directly into food programming. “Everything we do here is based on funding. If we have more funding we can add more kids to our back program, and more pounds of food out the door,” Irani said. “The impact is very real and very immediate.” www.mannafoodbank.org or 828.299.FOOD (3663). —GKW

“There is still a stigma associated with hunger, so it can be very tough for us because we want more people to be aware of the issue.” — Kara Irani, MANNA FoodBank director of marketing and communications

Volunteers at MANNA FoodBank help package local and regional produce to be distributed to 16 counties in Western North Carolina. CARLYLE ELLIS PHOTO

FALL / WINTER 2016

{ Celebrating the Southern Appalachians }

Smoky Mountain Living celebrates the mountain regionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s culture, music, art, and special places. We tell our stories for those who are lucky enough to live here and those who

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IloNa TauNToN phoTo · ByIloNaphoToGraphy.Com

ith upwards of 100 members, the Highlands Sports Car Club has become quite the scene for automotive enthusiasts in Asheville and greater Western North Carolina. “Everyone goes out there on the courses and has fun,” said HSCC President Shane Eudy. “Some hit the course and just cruise around, while others are really looking to shave the tenth of a second off their time.” Racing on courses like the Jerry Sutton Public Safety Training Center in Franklin or the WNC Agricultural Center in Fletcher, participants go one at a time along the timed routes, which is known as precision driving or “Autocross.” With over 30 different auto class categories, the vehicles range from tricked out modern rides to classic cruisers and hot rods, both foreign and domestic. “When you’re on that course, you’re not thinking about anything else but how to take each corner,” Eudy said. “It’s hitting the pedal and shifting the clutch, where you’re visualizing the next few sections ahead of you.” With several events throughout the year, all are welcome to come out and see just what the HSCC is, whether they’d like to someday participate or simply be a spectator to the action rushing by them. As long as they are over age 16, spectators are also allowed to jump into the passenger’s seat to experience the racing first-hand. “Climb in and take a ride,” Eudy said. “It’s all about going out there and having a great time.” —GKW

Putting the pedal down HIGHlANDS SpoRTS CAR ClUB “AND SO YOu TOuCH THIS LIMIT, SOMETHING HAPPENS AND YOu SuDDENLY CAN GO A LITTLE BIT FuRTHER. WITH YOuR MIND POWER, YOuR DETERMINATION, YOuR INSTINCT, AND THE ExPERIENCE AS WELL, YOu CAN FLY VERY HIGH.” — Ayrton Senna, Formula One world champion FALL / WINTER 2016

The Face in the Mirror roN raSh releaSeS laTeST NoVel

Can you find redemption within your own consequences? In “The Risen,” the latest work from famed Southern Appalachian writer Ron Rash, the plot focuses on two Jackson County teenage brothers, an out-of-town femme fatale, and a decades-old question of what really happened to her — and also them — in the process. On the surface it seems to be another dark and ominous novel from Rash, the New York Times bestselling author and distinguished professor at Western Carolina University, but, when one digs a little deeper, intricate and vivid truths are revealed. Hailed as one of the finest modern American writers, Rash is truly hitting his literary stride, where readers once again find themselves venturing down a rabbit hole into the internal battlefield of their own moral high ground, or lack thereof. Taking place in Sylva in 1969, “The Risen” encompasses the essence of the counterculture movement, even though many traits and ideologies of that era never really made it to the rural mountains of Western North Carolina. It’s as much about peace, love and understanding as it is about honing in on the darker side of man — something to behold that can either be viewed as a token of gratitude or the weight of the world atop your shoulders. Spicer Greene: I had read that the inspiration for “The Risen” came from a real murder that had occurred some 20 years ago? Ron Rash: It was near where I was living in South Carolina at the time. A young woman had been murdered. There were two suspects. Ultimately, no one was charged, but there was a good bit of suspicion. When that happened, I was just haunted by the idea of how does one live a life after something like that, after perhaps being involved in a murder? And also that someone else knows what really happened, and what if that person for some reason decides to eventually tell what happened? To me, that just was such an interesting premise for a novel. SG: There are a lot of different themes in this novel — the religious aspect of Cain and Abel, sibling rivalry, small town America, and the 1960s counterculture. And also, that idea of two people growing up in the same household, having the same experiences, and yet both turning out completely different. RR: Oh, yes. And I think it’s one of those mysteries of life kind of things — birth order and how that affects children. But, I

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think it’s always interesting how two people raised in the same environment can be so different, and how they react to something, perhaps something terrible, how they can or cannot transcend it. And also that troubling question of personal responsibility versus the environment they grew up in. SG: The brothers, Bill and Eugene. What about their character is similar to who you are, or were at that age, or perhaps you were a little bit of both? RR: Maybe both. I think the most autobiographical thing was growing up in a small town in the 1960s. I grew up in Boiling Springs. In 1969, in this sense of all that was happening in California, the Love Generation, all that change in the world, and yet nothing was happening like that in my town. And in the book, when I talk about the radio and music, that was my experience, as if these songs on the radio were like messages in a bottle. Another goal of the book is that I hope to accurately capture that time, particularly that dark turn in 1969 with Charles Manson and how things changed. It was the Love Generation, but it was also a time of great turmoil. I don’t want that to be viewed at as a nostalgic era — there was the good and the bad. SG: Where you are right now professionally, you’re in a space where it’s the pinnacle for aspiring writers. Now that you’re at or near the top, what do you see? Perhaps other mountains in the distance? RR: It’s about being true to the writing and not being waylaid by other things. And to be grateful. I’m very lucky. Really, I’ve only ever wanted to do three things well. One, was from age 4 to now, I wanted to be a really good trout fisherman. Then, in high school and college, I wanted to be a really good runner. And then, I wanted to be a writer. It’s taken me a long time, and it wasn’t easy. There were years I wasn’t writing well, but I stuck it out. It’s very important to me to always be grateful, because a lot of people don’t get that chance. —GKW

PHOTO BY ASHLEY JONES, CLEMSON WORLD MAGAZINE

“I think it’s always interesting how two people raised in the same environment can be so different, and how they react to something, perhaps something terrible, how they can or cannot transcend it.” — Ron Rash

FALL / WINTER 2016

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