{Cincinnati’s Finest}
July/August 2015 five dollars
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DIGS
DOES
2575 Handasyde Avenue
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We are proud to have represented discerning clients in the purchase of this home who were drawn to its extraordinary architecture, attention to detail, scale/room-flow, prime Hyde Park location and verdant setting. Hyde Park | $2,610,000
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5097 Shattuc Avenue
5-year-new, tax-abated, large, private, single -family, 4 BR/3+1 BA, open floor-plan, 3-story stunner with top-of-the-line finishes, architectural details, “all the toys” and breathtaking high-on-the-hill Lunken Valley views.Walk to Ault Park. Mt Lookout | $657,000 NE
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1137 Fort View Place
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3144 Killington Lane LIS
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Breathtaking John Senhauser-designed contemporary on one of the finest streets on The Hill. 3 BR/3+1 BA. Incredibly bright. Numerous outdoor spaces. 2-car garage. Roof-top deck w/river view. Live an extraordinary life! Mt Adams | $819,000
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One of the finest homes and yards we’ve seen in Ivy Hills.4 BR/4+1 BA.Top-of-the-line renovations & designer finishes.Incredibly bright. Greater -than-Great room. Stunning gourmet kitchen. Spectacular master suite. 3-car garage. Ivy Hills | $670,000
3300 Hardisty Avenue LIS
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Renovated, bright, open-floor-plan 3 BR/3+1 BA home near Kilgour*Ault Park*Hyde Park & Mt Lookout Squares. Spectacular kitchen. Incredible lower level. Large/quiet backyard. Mt Lookout | $549,800
900 Adams Place P-3W This nearly 5,000 sq ft top-floor/full-floor penthouse has an additional 3,000 sq ft of terraces with walk-outs from every room. Interiors boast fine artisan details includinga gourmet eat-in kitchen, 4 fireplaces and a conservatory. Designed for grand entertaining and comfortable living. 4 reserved garagespaces. Full-service building w/ 24/7 door staff, concierge, car service, guest suites, pool,exercise facility, and more. Riverside Drive | $2,830,000
7 Forest Hill Drive
The one you’ve been waiting for. 4 BR/3+1 BA Tudor on one of the finest private lanes in “The 08” set amongst superb homes. Huge 22x15 updated Kitchen. Spectacular Master bath. Architectural details galore. Hyde Park | $873,500 SO
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Lori Wellinghoff
David Wellinghoff Mariza C. Cohen Lisa Williams
President, DIGS Real Estate
Real Estate
Multilingual Relocation Specialist
6980 Knoll Road The Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Gerald B Tonkens House. Nestled in 4 private park-like acres. Impeccably maintained. Sensitivelyupgraded. Includes separate guest cottage. Amberley Village $1,200,000
2481 Grandin Road Delicious digs of a Cincinnati style icon. 3 BR/3+1 BA. Expansive windows/incredible light. Superb attention to detail. Private yard+spectacular deck. Sumptuous baths.Available w/exceptional furnishings. Stroll to Hyde Park Square & CCC. Hyde Park | $996,000
513.979.2685 DIGS@comey.com
Real Estate
ANY OR ALL SERVICES, DIGS DOES IT. Find it. Buy It. Sell It. Plan It. Design It. Decorate It. Renovate It. Add-On-To-It. Landscape It.You Name It. DIGS Does It. Our services can be engaged “ala carte” or in any combination to make your home dreams reality. Contact Lori Wellinghoff today.
Kim Merrell
Brian Gibson
Real Estate
Design
John L. Harrison Tali Bloomfield Design
Design
Annette Askam
Tom Allison
Josh Koch
Alissa Groth
Bridget Henson
Project Manager
Construction
Construction
Controller
Office Manager
Deuce
3524 Edwards Road/Hyde Park Square DIGS-home.com 513.533.DIGS (3447) info@digs-home.com
CINCINNATI OPERA 2015 SEASON
TICKETS ON SALE
NOW!
Ricky Ian Gordon & William M. Hoffman
Morning Star July 2–19 World premiere! In early 20th-century New York, an immigrant family struggles to stay together as they pursue the American Dream.
Gaetano Donizetti
Don Pasquale July 9 & 11 In this clever comedy, an aging fool seeks to woo a beautiful ingénue, but she proves to have romantic plans of her own.
Giacomo Puccini
Turandot July 25, 29 & 31 An exotic love story, dazzling spectacle, and passionate singing, including the stirring aria “Nessun dorma.”
(513) 241-2742 cincinnatiopera.org Season Presenting Sponsor
Season Funder
Preferred Healthcare Provider
Additional Support
The Louise Dieterle Nippert Musical Arts Fund The Corbett Foundation • Patricia A. Corbett Estate and Trust Ohio Arts Council • National Endowment for the Arts
Financial Planning Investment Management Lending Trust Services Investment Banking Insurance Services
We’ve been around for 160 years. So. What.
Sure, it’s good to have more than a century and a half of experience, especially in a world of fckle fnancial markets. But what you really need to know about Hilliard Lyons is that we are always looking forward. That we are always adapting. We are focused on giving you the fnancial advice that will bring success over the next 160 years. Because the past is, well, past.
Cincinnati 513-421-1750 | Ft. Mitchell 859-426-7030 Securities are offered through J.J.B. Hilliard, W.L. Lyons, LLC
| Member NYSE, FINRA, & SIPC
{Cincinnati’s Finest}
July/August 2015
July/August 2015 five dollars
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Rag Time Put the notion of a Sunday drive on steroids behind the wheel of one of these luxury convertibles. Pictured this page, McLaren 650S Spider.
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on the cover: Below Ground, Above Reproach Sotto Restaurant. Photo by Andrew Kung.
Below Ground, Above Reproach OM-azing Savor Fare Bibliotaph Better With Age Curating a Lifestyle: An Interview with Collector Ron Pizzuti Hotel Confidential A Monumental Composition for Piano Rag Time Of Note... Independence Transcendence RockCandy Arts Profile: Evans Mirageas and The Cincinnati Opera Lighthouse Youth Services: Giving Children A Brighter Future Events Spotlight On: All-Star Week Society Calendar YWCA Career Women of Achievement Event Cruisin’ for a Cure Fire & Ice for Josh Cares Go Red For Women Hats off Luncheon Hats, Horses & Hearts JA Guns and Grapes JDRF Cincinnatian of the Year Springer Celebration! The Art of Making Memories Zoo La La
The highest standards of client service. That’s an expectation we share with you. At Johnson Investment Counsel, we embrace our duty to put your goals ahead of our own. Since our founding in 1965, we’ve earned our clients’ trust over generations with personal advisors who know your objectives for today and your plans for tomorrow. 513.661.3100
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EDITOR - IN - CHIEF Matthew Millett ______________________________________________ ASSOCIATE EDITORS Kay Matton CONTRIBUTORS Writers Patti Bailey Dr. Matthew Bessen Ellana Bessen Scott Harper Amelia Jefers Jef Jefers Austin Pembroke Lisa Stephenson Powell Photographers Tony Bailey Chad Henle Andrew Kung COPY EDITOR Jennifer Newton EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Claire Williams ADVERTISING SALES OFFICE 513.205.3300 ______________________________________________ SOPHISTICATED LIVING MEDIA Eric Williams - CEO Bridget Williams - President Michele Beam - Vice President Greg Butrum - General Counsel Jason Yann - Art Director
Are you a tastemaker? Sophisticated Living is now ofering franchise opportunities in select US and international markets. To learn more call 502-582-6563 or eric@slmag.net
Sophisticated Living is published by SLM Cincinnati, LLC, PO Box 1229, Prospect, Kentucky, 40059 USA. All Rights Reserved. Sophisticated Living is published six times a year. All images and editorial are the property of Sophisticated Living, LLC and cannot be reproduced in whole or in part without written permission. Annual subscription fees are $25.00; please add $5 for subscriptions outside the US. Single copies may be purchased for $5 at select fine retail outlets. Address all subscription inquiries to: Sophisticated Living, PO Box 1229, Prospect, KY 40059. To order back issues or reprints of 100 or more, call 502.582.6563.
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INTERIOR DESIGN FOR THE WAY YOU LIVE
www.JENNIFERGBOWEN.com jennifergbowen@yahoo.com 513-290-2063
From the Editor-In-Chief
Hello Cincinnati! I am overjoyed to be bringing you the absolute best luxury lifestyle boutique magazine around as the new publisher of the Cincinnati edition of Sophisticated Living. Whether this is your first time reading the magazine, or you have been a long-standing supporter, I hope you enjoy the publication, editorials, pictures, and information we put forth. We live in a truly phenomenal city! There are continuing changes and developments that we all see on a regular basis, from the new streetcar track being laid, Te Banks project, Smale Park Carousel and re-development of OTR, to the completion of new neighborhoods, ofces, and medical facilities. We also are a thriving cultural city with world-renowned arts and musical venues, fabulous restaurants, educational facilities, sports teams, and social philanthropies. We locals realize all of these amazing aspects of the city, but the world is taking note too. We continually receive interest to host major conventions and markets such as the World Choir Games and the Word Piano Competition, and even the 2015 MLB All-Star Weekend. Cincinnati was recently ranked by Jet Setter as the #10 top city in the World to visit in 2015, beating out other cities in Turkey, East Africa, and France. At the age of nine I remember my older brother Mark and I putting on our mini Coogi multi-colored sweaters, getting herded into dad’s sedan (we are a family of procrastinators), driving downtown on a cold winter night, and seeing the majestic lights of Music Hall; attending the Cincinnati POPS orchestra and listening to Eric Kunzel conduct Puccini’s Nessun Dorma, one of Kunzel’s favorite composers, and one of his most beloved songs. Hearing the moving notes and witnessing Kunzel, in his vibrant red jacket, command the orchestra with each stroke of his baton, planted a seed of interest for music within me. How great to have the Cincinnati Opera continue the wonderful music of Puccini and Nessun Dorma this season with their season fnale, Turandot. We take a closer look at what goes into the Opera, the thriving culture of Cincinnati, and more in this issue (and future issues to come). I hope you enjoy it as much as I frst enjoyed hearing the orchestra, crescendoing to Nessun Dorma.
Matthew Millett
matthew@slmag.net
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BELOW GROUND, ABOVE REPROACH Sotto Restaurant Written by Bridget Williams Photography by Andrew Kung Among the many pleasures of traveling through Italy is the ability to wander of the beaten path, pop into a random rustic trattoria and nearly always be assured a memorable meal. A similar experience can be found at Sotto, located in the basement of Boca on East Sixth Street in Cincinnati. A carefully calculated sensory experience awaits those who make the short trip down the stairs, allowing the mind to envision it’s somewhere other than the heart of downtown while you’re tucking into a plate of soulsoothing Italian comfort food. An artisan’s eye was applied to the entirety of the dining experience, from the decor – candlelit dining rooms and alcoves furnished with custom-made tables given a time-worn patina; walls of either exposed brick with “weeping” grout, reclaimed barn wood or distressed plaster; and a sprinkling of red in its most dramatic degree as an accent on the walls and the heavy velvet drapery – to the letterpress menus, and of course the food. “Te food is an extension of the design: simple and high-quality with an emphasis on hand craftsmanship,” explained Sebastian Hue, director of Marketing and Development for Boca Restaurant Group, parent company of the burgeoning restaurant empire that includes Boca, Sotto and Nada. Depending on where you are seated, you may not notice one of the dining room’s most interesting features: a subterranean keyhole-shaped wine pit that replaced where a freplace was positioned when La Normandie operated in the space. Other notable design details include the pendant lights above the tables in the bar that were fashioned from metal fans by Boca Restaurant Group Partner Jono Fries and vintage bookshelves from a law ofce that were retroftted to comprise the back bar liquor display.
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Te traditional line kitchen is open to the dining room; the end across from the chef’s table is defned by an enormous wood-fred grill that utilizes a proprietary blend of three hardwoods to impart dishes, such as polenta, with a hint of wood smoke favor. Bright lights emanating from a picture window in a long hallway leading to the washrooms and a bank of six walk-in refrigerators draw attention to the pristine Primi room, sheathed in gleaming white subway tiles, where fresh pasta is prepared. A little further on is the Carne, or butchering room, where the meat curing process begins. An ongoing labor of love for the kitchen staf, learning the time and labor-intensive process that ultimately results in the delicately thin slices of house-cured salumi makes one appreciate their nuanced favors that much more. Similar reverence is felt for the Tortano bread crafted for Sotto by Mark Frommeyer’s Blue Oven Bakery that is accompanied by high-quality Cretan olive oil displaying key fragrance notes that underscore its quality. Hue remarked that Frommeyer’s “endless pursuit of perfection” makes Blue Oven’s bread an ideal complement to cuisine with similarly ensconced standards at Sotto. A native Cincinnatian and third generation Italian whose relatives operate Ristorante Paris in Rome, Boca Restaurant Group Chef and CEO David Falk is relentless in his pursuit of perfection and capturing the essence of the simple yet distinct regional cuisine found throughout Italy. The menu composition is an on-going collaboration between Falk, Fries and Chef de Cuisine Danny Combs, who has spent his entire career at restaurants in Greater Cincinnati and was most recently sous chef at Boca in Oakley. Consistent throughout the menu is a focus on limited, high-quality ingredients with succinct manipulation of those ingredients to elicit maximum favor. While it sounds easy in theory, to get it consistently right it takes extreme precision and lots of patience and practice, elements the Sotto team seems to have in spades.
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Combs explained that before any dish appears on the menu it goes through a rigorous program of testing and tasting with the partners rating it on a scale of one-to-10. “Nothing makes the menu until it gets a unanimous 10,” said Combs, who added, “Everything we do is a joint efort. We fully listen to all members of the team, from the executives to the line cooks.” Te most popular item on the menu and the only thing to remain from day one – the short rib cappellacci – interestingly enough, was the last to be added. Described as “pillows of pleasure” by more than one satisfed customer, Combs said the dish evolved organically using the excess from another short rib dinner entree. “It’s really the essence of Italian cooking – starting with great ingredients, making use of what you have and creating something beautiful.” Other pasta dishes on the menu are a celebration of simplicity, from the classic Tonnarelli Cacio e Pepe, which marries the bite of the freshly made squarish spaghetti with the spiciness of cracked black pepper and the sharp and salty taste of pecorino, to the tagliolini with trufes, a dish so decadent I was tempted to lick the bowl clean!
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During a less indulgent visit I made a lovely light meal from the antipasti portion of the menu, enjoying both an escarole and prosciutto salad along with the grilled octopus, served with a white bean shishito ragu and breadcrumbs. Te 35-ounce Bistecca Fiorentina, a wood-grilled Creekstone porterhouse steak, is simply fnished with a drizzle of olive oil and salt and is an ideal cornerstone for a family-style dining experience, which is the best way to enjoy bites from as many of the menu oferings as possible. Executive Pastry Chef Randy Sebastian, a James Beard awardee, oversees the dessert program for the Boca Restaurant Group. His latest creation for Sotto is his interpretation of tiramisu, combining rosewaterscented ladyfngers, house espresso, sweet marsala mascarpone, dark-roasted Piedmont hazelnut paste, frangelico crème anglaise and a cocoa/biscotti crumb crunch, all beautifully crowned by generously proportioned chocolate curls. It tastes every bit as good as it looks, good enough in fact that it may prompt your tablemates to rethink the whole family-style sharing concept (or also order a round of the ricotta doughnuts, which are even more sublime when dunked in the salted caramel sauce)! sl Located at 118 East 6th Street in downtown Cincinnati, Sotto is open for dinner seven days a week. For more information or reservations call 513.977.6886 or visit sottocincinnati.com.
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OM-AZING
Interior designer Brian Gibson of DIGS helms the renovation of a Carl Strauss home near Hyde Park into a Zen retreat for its owners Written by Bridget Williams Photography by Ken Siebenhar
Happily ensconced in a craftsman-style bungalow in Hyde Park, this energetic and entrepreneurial husband and wife team had no intentions of moving, until they got wind of a covetable Carl Strauss-designed home getting ready to hit the market. Offer accepted and deal done, the couple enlisted the services of interior designer Brian Gibson of DIGS to make the residence more conducive to their lifestyle while remaining cognizant of and true to Strauss’ design. Architect Carl Strauss is credited with some 100 contemporary homes (save one traditional example designed for his mother) throughout Greater Cincinnati over the course of his prolifc career, which began in the 1930s (Strauss died in 2002). Tis example, tucked amidst more imposing Gothic and Tudor examples on a bluff above the Ohio River, displays a palpable Frank Lloyd Wright bent (Strauss was a fan of his work), but with distinctive Strauss hallmarks, such as a deep respect for nature that blurs the lines between inside and out, rectilinear forms, the use of striated plywood, oversized sliding doors and ample walls of glass. The home’s pitched roof is cited as being atypical for Strauss. Not entirely original in its present state, the footprint and significant design elements remain largely the same, with subsequent alterations enhancing the livability of the residence in 20 slmag.net
accordance with 21st century standards. Prior owners linked the previously detached garage to the home by enclosing a breezeway at the entry and adding a pyramidal skylight. The resulting atrium creates a feeling of arrival, and for the current owners, the opportunity to introduce their distinct aesthetic. “Te directive from [the homeowners] was to create a feeling of ‘om’ throughout,” explained Gibson, who is touted for his unrivaled ability to weave a worldly perspective throughout his interior designs, often by introducing one-of-a-kind objects sourced far and wide. In the atrium for instance, the feeling of energy exhibited in the lines of a gnarly petrified tree root fashioned into a hall table (one of Gibson’s fnds) are echoed in a large, colorful abstract painting by Atlanta artist Paige Harvey that was acquired through the Miller Gallery. Gibson unified the wall color throughout the home, choosing a shade of taupe to create unity across a varied spectrum of surfaces and to provide a neutral backdrop that highlights the couples’ eclectic art collection. “Te muted base allows the diversity of the art and furnishings – which are all over the map from contemporary to traditional with tribal, Oriental and midcentury accents thrown in the mix – to express the homeowners’ personalities,” said Gibson.
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Te ceruse-stained fnish on the original tight-grain plywood paneling and bookcases throughout the interior was left intact. Wood foors that had been painted black were sanded and stained in Minwax Classic Grey. “You can still pick up some of the red oak hues, which ties in nicely with the tile foor in the atrium,” said Gibson. With the move afording them an additional 600 square-feet to play with, the couple purchased a few key pieces, although a majority of furnishings from their previous residence made the move, either in situ, or were given a facelift and repurposed in another function. When it came time for Gibson and the homeowners to decide where the varied pieces of art would settle, they came up with a novel idea: sharing a few good bottles of wine and Chinese takeout, each person took turns going from room-to-room with a particular piece of art until they found what they thought was a suitable location that was only approved when all parties were in agreement. Te wife is the driving force behind the couple’s collecting, though she is quick to downplay her acquisitions. “My dad was a big art collector; I’m just an appreciator,” she explained, adding that her husband credits her for bringing an awareness of the admirable aspects of both art and dogs into his 24 slmag.net
life. Although they have works from notable artists, provenance is not a motivating factor, evidenced by the fact that some of the couple’s favorite pieces were picked up from amateur street artists for less than $100. Calling the kitchen cabinetry with stained bird’s eye maple inset panels “original-ish,” the wife requested the addition of a pantry and laundry to take advantage of single-story living that would have been negated by trips to the basement laundry room. Not wanting to deprive the kitchen of art but perplexed about how best to hang anything on the stainless steel backsplash, Tom Allison, director of Construction Services for DIGS and a former head of exhibit installations for the Contemporary Art Center, came up with an ingenious solution: Velcro. What appears to be a half-bath between the kitchen and atrium is really a full bath in disguise. Gibson placed a waist-high skirted shelf over the existing tub so that should the current or any future homeowners want a full bath, reverting back will be simple. The walls in the room are decoupaged in New Yorker magazine covers from the 1980s, a design element retained from the previous owners. In a small alcove of of the kitchen that was once a potting room, the wife carved out a small garden view ofce for herself.
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Matching china cabinets on either side of the French doors in the keeping room were built by the custom shop at Bittners. Te rug, purchased from Frances Lee Jasper Oriental Rugs, established the color palette for the three rooms. Te custom kitchen cabinetry is from Downsview Kitchens.
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In the living room, bookcases surround a wood-burning freplace with its original black granite surround. Art pottery vases that comprise a color theme, including examples from Van Briggle, are interspersed with the books, which are grouped by theme. A blackand-white diptych by Stuart Fink is positioned above the freplace; a stone sculpture by the same artist is found near the front door; and an outdoor mosaic bar Fink custom made for the homeowners is positioned near the inground pool. Centered in a wall of glass overlooking the leafy backyard, a Hickory Chair sofa is appropriately upholstered in faux bois fabric. Low end tables on either side of the sofa hold matching ivory Fu Dog lamps, one of many chinoiserie and Asian accessories and furniture pieces discernable in every room. A Ming ceramic garden ornament displayed on a plinth was exempted from the art placing party. “It was the only piece that we knew exactly where it should go,” explained the wife. Formerly a screen porch accessed from either the kitchen or living room, the current homeowners enclosed the space to create 30 slmag.net
a television room and small dining alcove, retaining the original sliding door and retroftting it in a fxed state so that it provides another “wall” on which they can display art. Indiscernible from higher maintenance fabrics, upholstery on the sofa and chairs is durable Donghia Sunbrella. The custom Pucci-esque table was made locally. Of the pendant light hanging above, the wife remarked, “Brian killed it with this light fxture.” Adjacent to the living room, sliding glass doors in the guest bedroom open directly to the rear yard. To increase the room’s functionality, a sofa concealing a queen-sized bed was selected in lieu of a bed. A large landscape painting by Edward Gay (1837 – 1928) hanging above the sofa was a gift from the wife’s father. Tree walls are lined with bookcases; the homeowners’ existing Donghia chair newly reupholstered in a sumptuous printed wool fabric is ideal for selecting a tome and settling in. Anchoring the husband’s office is a Chinese lacquered 18th-century painter’s table topped with a pair of abacus lamps at
either end. Two from a set of six chrome and suede mid-century modern armchairs are positioned in front of the desk; their mates are found in the guest and living rooms. Interspersed amongst the bookshelves laden with mementoes and family photographs is art by Jonathan Queen and Paul Chidlaw. Outside, “Crazy Legs,” a vibrant red painted steel sculpture by Mark Schlachter rises from the garden foor. Hanging above the dresser on the wall opposite the upholstered headboard in the cozy master bedroom is an assemblage of paintings, including one by Tom Bocker executed in iridescent pigments. “It’s really cool at night,” said the wife, who enjoys looking at the soft glow as she drifts of to sleep. In the spacious master bath, a lemon tree fourishes in the doorless walk-in shower, with the wife joking that she’ll be enjoying fresh fruit in short order. Every room in the home provides access to the out-of-doors. As the overgrown landscape was reigned in, the homeowners’
were thrilled to discover they were privy to seasonal city views. Malfunctioning gutters were removed and rainchains, original to Strauss’ design, were reintroduced. The exterior boasts an in-ground plunge pool with paver stone seating areas at either end. Te wife is particularly grateful for the home’s inside-out design as it relates to her relationship with her ever-present canine companion Deuce, an amiable Labrador Retriever. “With so much glass, when he’s outside he always knows where I am in the house and vice-versa,” she said. “The amount of repurposing that took place made this project a fun challenge,” said Gibson, who described the end result as “Kelly Wearstler meets David Kleinberg.” “Although there was a lot of work done inside and out, this project was easy in that the clients are knowledgeable and informed with a clear understanding of what they like, as well as the importance of investment pieces, and are quick decisionmakers,” he added. sl slmag.net
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{Cincinnati’s Finest}
{Cincinnati’s Finest}
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July/August 2015 five dollars
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Savor Fare A Croatian culinary adventure Written by Bridget Williams
Aerial view of Hotel Monte Mulini on Lone Bay.
Glancing down at my feet, which were frmly planted on a foor shod in an expanse of golden glitter under epoxy in the ßber modern spa at Hotel Monte Mulini, I pondered the fact that less than 30 minutes hence, these same soles trod ancient cobblestones slick and glistening from a popup rain shower. This dichotomy, which the Europeans muster and master so well, is one of many charms to be discovered in the seaport of Rovinj, Croatia. Less than a three-hour car ride from the international airport in Venice, Rovinj, part of the Istrian Peninsula, is situated on a hilly promontory punctuated by the Church of St. Euphemia’s 180foot bell tower at its apex. Originally an island before the channel separating it from the mainland was flled in 1763, there are a total of 22 islets that comprise the Rovinj Archipelago. Controlled by the Romans, the Byzantine and Frankish Empires, the Republic of Venice, the Austrian Empire and Italy, among others, over the course of recorded settlement, Croatia gained independence in 1991 but still exhibits palpable Italian cultural characteristics. As viewed across the harbor, particularly at sunset with a plethora of batanas (traditional flat bottom
wooden fshing vessels) bobbing about in the water, the dense cluster of ancient buildings, some dating to medieval times, that populate the small peninsula and are interspersed with steep, twisting and narrow alleyways, as well as a waterfront promenade bustling with bars and restaurants, congeal to create quite a picturesque scene. Headquartered in Rovinj, Maistra Hotels and Resorts, operator of 17 hotels and resorts throughout Croatia, took it upon themselves to raise the profile of Rovinj as a top-drawer destination by opening the frst and only fve-star properties in the city: Hotel Monte Mulini and Hotel Lone. "Te leadership at Maistra wants to make Rovinj the next CĂ´te d'Azur," remarked Tihana Milas, marketing director for Maistra. Located next to one another on Lone Bay and at the edge of the verdant, expansive and centuries-old Zlatni rt forest park and just one mile from the center of the Old Town in Rovinj, each property offers a completely unique experience for the luxuryminded traveler. Hotel Monte Mulini debuted frst in 1999 and still remains the top hotel in Istria, followed by Hotel Lone in 2011. slmag.net
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Restaurant Mediterraneo at Hotel Monte Mulini. Te spa at Hotel Monte Mulini.
Ofering a more boutique experience than its sister property, Hotel Monte Mulini’s roofine mimics a giant wave ready to crash into the blue-green waters of the Adriatic Sea. Ample use of glass in public spaces and the 113-guest rooms, all of which have sea-view balconies, make the most of the enviable environs. Arriving at lunchtime following an overnight flight to Venice, I resisted the urge to take a brief catnap and instead ventured to the Restaurant Mediterraneo to dine alfresco on the covered terrace overlooking the expansive pool area and the bay. Te simple, but delectable cuttlefsh salad would have been the star of my meal if it weren’t for my frst taste of immensely flavorful Croatian olive oil, which I heartily sopped up with slices of warm, crusty bread. With the forest beckoning and reinvigorated by lunch, I set of to explore the parklands, stopping frst to inhale the heady fragrance of lavender and rosemary planted en masse on the hotel grounds. Of-limits to motor vehicles, but well-used by the locals, ample pathways traverse the rocky shoreline and branch of into the depths of the fairy tale-like forest, defned by 10 species of cypress, which lends a distinct Mediterranean 34 slmag.net
Cuttlefsh salad at Restaurant Mediterraneo. Photo by Bridget Williams. Pool terrace at Hotel Monte Mulini.
mien. During summer there are a trio of seaside restaurants near designated swimming beaches. Complimentary bicycles are available from the hotel for exploring the park or the city. Monte Mulini’s intimate Wine Vault restaurant boasts a triumvirate of accolades: Croatia’s top ranked restaurant, the country’s best chef in Tomislav “Tom” Gretić, who was the frst chef in the country to implement the chef ’s table concept, and leading sommelier Emil Perdec. An experience best described as Disney World for gastronomes, the approximately $200 per person charge for the privilege of dining at the chef's table provides access to an unlimited number of fine dining courses specializing in French delicacies with local infuence and complemented by the largest wine list in Croatia – over 600 superior Croatian and international wines. Glasses of Istrian Mavasia wine are served in specialty glasses created by Riedel. The affable Chef Tom noted that guests “eat as long as they feel like eating,” and while the average table savors 15-18 courses, a mind-blowing 30 courses currently holds the record. A three-story wellness center is connected to and partially shared with guests of Hotel Lone. Approximately 2,000 of the 25,833 square feet is reserved exclusively for guests of Hotel
Exterior of Hotel Lone. Photo by Bridget Williams
Chef Tomislav "Tom" Gretić at the Wine Vault Restaurant. Photo by Bridget Williams.
Monte Mulini. To categorize the space simply as a spa would be a gross understatement: it’s more of a temple to health, wellness and self-indulgent pampering. The hyper-modern, dreamlike atmosphere that alternates between tall-ceilinged relaxation zones flooded with natural light to cocoon-like rooms with foating pools is enough to transport you to an alternate state of mind. Treatments for face and body incorporate ecological oils from Croatia, and fully customizable treatment rooms allow you to select the lighting, color, music and temperature. Larger in scale and strikingly modern, the predominantly black and white interior of Hotel Lone is reminiscent of the spiraling walkways found in New York City's Guggenheim Museum. Te frst Design Hotel in Croatia, the property was made a member of the lifestyle brand a full two years before it was even built; as one would expect, the aesthetics are a visual treat for aficionados of contemporary design. The 236-guest rooms and 12 suites boast sea or forest views and dramatic black walls with dark aubergine drapery. Each public space features unique attributes, from the leather drapery in the jazz nightclub to meeting rooms with
Falafel presentation at Restaurant On in Hotel Lone. Photo by Bridget Williams.
Public spaces in Hotel Lone.
mirrored ceiling tiles. Even the smallest detail is executed with an eye for design, such as the frame-worthy artwork on the oversized menus in Restaurant L, known for its “Design Food Menu,” which links food and design and is one of three restaurants on property. A design shop on the ground floor specializes in covetable cutting-edge fashion and home accessories by local designers, along with a selection of locally produced wine and olive oils. During the summer months, guests can luxuriate at the new expansive outdoor pool area or Mulini Beach, a beach club launched in 2014 and reserved for guests of Hotel Lone and Hotel Monte Mulini. “Ofering a beach experience in Rovinj is something we’ve wanted to do for a long time and are excited about the opportunity for travelers to enjoy the destination in a new way,” said Tomislav Popović, Maistra’s CEO. As tempting as it may be to stay put and solely enjoy either hotel’s extensive amenities, there are scores of activities within walking distance or a short car ride away. During our visit, we tended to let our stomachs set the agenda, seeking out the best local food and wine. slmag.net
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Teddy Chiavalon.
Village of Bale
Lunch at Kantinon. Meneghetti Vineyard.
Olive oil at Chiavalon.
View of Rovinj from the Tower of St. Euphemia. All photo this page by Bridget Williams
In Rovinj, the locals joke that the Rio Bar, the oldest in the city, is the place to go if you want to learn to swear in Croatian or Italian. Te top restaurant in town – Kantinon Tavern - is located in a 200-year-old building. Serving Mediterranean-inspired cuisine, the menu pays homage to the bounty of local fsherman and is 100 percent locally sourced. We feasted on marinated sardines, cured meat, fresh tuna and Kumparička goat cheese, made by a local attorney-turned-cheesemonger, and washed it all down with Misal sparkling wine (made less than 15 miles away) and San Servolo beer, brewed in nearby Buje. Prosciutto (or prsut) is a long-standing tradition in the coastal areas of the country. While preparation methods differ slightly from their Italian neighbors across the Adriatic, the end result is every bit as delicious after being aged for eight months in the salty sea air. Many restaurants serve prsut as an appetizer, or you can buy some freshly sliced at the daily market in the old town as the basis for a traditional breakfast (two slices of prsut, bread and a glass of wine) to savor on the waterfront promenade or on the hilltop terrace at the base of the stairs to St. Euphemia. Older city inhabitants in particular still mix wine with their water as a carryover from a time when wine, particularly in summer, 36 slmag.net
was the preferred alternative to bacterialaden cistern water. After breakfast, embark on a harrowing climb up the steep and narrow wooden staircase of the church’s bell tower for a breathtaking panorama of the peninsula. Approximately seven percent of the world's best olive oil hails from coastal Istria, because, as one purveyor remarked, "olive trees love to see the sea." Among the best is Chiavalon (chiavalon.hr), a small family-run operation founded in 1997 when, following the death of his father, Sandy Chiavalon, then a 14-year-old with a passion for olive trees, planted 100 specimens alongside 50 or so existing trees estimated to be hundreds of years old. Two decades later, the family farm encompasses 7000 trees and employs organic farming methods to produce oil highly coveted by connoisseurs and ranked among the world's top 15. A tasting with Sandy’s brother Teddy in Chiavalon’s rustic chic tasting room is a truly special experience, learning to roll the liquid gold around the tongue and allowing it to linger in the back of the throat to feel the spicy bitterness that defnes an Ex Albis-grade olive oil. Be forewarned: you'll leave never wanting to settle for run-of-the-mill olive oil again! "I want our visitors to leave as olive oil sommeliers," said Teddy.
Rovinj at dusk. Photo by Bridget Williams.
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Rovinj at sunset. Photo by Bridget Williams.
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Trufe dogs at work. Freshly dug truffe in Livade.
Other areas of note include the small town of Kringa (population 315) whose claim to fame is Jure Grando, purported to be the frst real person described as a vampire in historical records, and the medieval town of Vrsar, one of Giacomo Casanova’s preferred haunts and home to a summer sculpting school. A little further of the beaten path is Meneghetti winery, restaurant and Relais & Chateaux wine hotel (meneghetti.info). The setting is breathtakingly gorgeous with outstanding cuisine and top-tier wines and olive oils to boot. Trufes are paramount in Istrian cuisine, and trufe season, which runs from the end of October through early December, brings out scores of professional and amateur hunters, who are lured by the $1,300-per-pound bounty. Te undisputed king of the hunt is Giancarlo Zigante, who found a two-pound trufe that entered the Guinness book of records as the biggest example ever found. Zigante’s eponymous restaurant (restaurantzigante.com), set at the edge of Motovun forest in the Livade area, one of the most important sites for harvesting the white trufe, was the frst Croatian restaurant to specialize in an Istrian trufe-based menu. As
Local seafood at dinner in Rovinj. Graftti in Zlatni rt forest park. All photo this page by Bridget Williams
someone absolutely enamored with the pungent fungus, savoring delicate slices of trufe in every course (including dessert) made for a truly memorable meal. Te on-site gourmet shop ofers some 50 trufe-related products, and I stocked up on everything from trufes packed in oil to trufe-infused sausage. The worst part of my trip? Defying the laws of spatial planning in order to fit several bottles of wine, olive oil and truffle-infused products into my suitcase, only to have US Customs in Philadelphia seize my coveted trufe sausage, despite my desperate pleas and an offer of an impromptu picnic so it wouldn’t go to waste. In spite of this unfortunate incident, I managed to extend my trip in sprit when I kicked of summer grilling season a few weeks ago with a juicy steak simply and perfectly seasoned with salt and Croatian olive oil. Open April through October, rates at Hotel Monte Mulini begin at $280 per night including breakfast and VAT. For more information visit montemulinihotel.com. Open year-round, rates at Hotel Lone begin at $120 per night including breakfast and VAT. For more information visit lonehotel.com. sl slmag.net
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Bibliotaph Mark Hutker, founder and principal of Hutker Architects knows a thing or two about coastal living: he has designed more than 300 houses along the New England shore. For this book he selected 13 exceptional examples that pay homage to the landscape, honor traditional architectural styles and are inventive in their approach to sit lightly on the blufs and dunes of Martha's Vineyard and Cape Cod. Mark A. Hutker and Marc Kristal - A Sense of Place: Houses on Martha's Vineyard and Cape Cod - Hardcover, 224 pages, Monacelli Press (monacellipress.com). 2015 marks the 40th year of the Kips Bay Decorator Show House, which has come to be regarded as the benchmark for both timeless and trendsetting topdrawer interior design. Te third book by Stephen Stolman, a former president of ScalamandrĂŠ, the vaunted textiles house, is a must for interior design enthusiasts. Stephen Stolman - 40 Years of Fabulous: Kips Bay Decorator Show House - 280 pages, Hardcover, Gibbs Smith (gibbs-smith.com). Celebrated interior designer Penny Drue Baird is noted for her ability to craft interiors that seamlessly meld elements of past and present. Her francophile-inspired spaces are infused with an American sense of casual comfort to create rooms suitable for formal entertaining and rambunctious family life. Tis book highlights some of her most notable projects, from a Manhattan apartment to a whimsical Bucks County barn. Penny Drue Baird Dreamhouse - Hardcover, 200 pages, Monacelli Press (monacellipress.com). Japanese architects are noted for their ability to deftly tackle nearly any design dilemma, from tiny plots in urban settings to earthquake threats. Tis book highlights 50 recently constructed Japanese residences, including projects by a trio of Pritzker Prize winners, with engaging descriptions, color photography and foor plans. Philip Jodidio - Te Japanese House Reinvented Hardcover, 304 pages, Monacelli Press (monacellipress.com).
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bib 'li' o 'taph, [bib-lee-uhtaf, -tahf ]: a person who caches or hoards books With homes as varied as the cities themselves, this book uses exceptional, inspiring photography to highlight stunning urban homes around the globe. Andreas von Einsiedel & Reto Guntil (photographers) – Living in Style: City – Hardcover, 208 pages, teNeues Publishing Group (teneues.com).
What city dweller – particularly at the height of summer – hasn't dreamt about escaping to the fresh air and quiet of the countryside? Tis book ofers the next best thing: country homes from around the globe boasting interiors inspired by their pristine rural environments. Andreas von Einsiedel (photographer) - Living in Style: Country - Hardcover, 208 pages, Teneues (teneues.com).
Trough purposeful prose and inspiring and lush photography, this book is a narrative of both the collective and individual histories of the people and relationships that make the iconic homes constructed through the joint eforts of JLF & Associates, Inc. and Big-D Signature possible. "Te art is not just the fnished product, but the road map to getting there as well," states Logan Leachman, a Principal at JLF. William Hjortsberg - Te Work of Art: A JLF & Associates and Big-D Signature Collaboration - Hardcover, 256 pages, ORO Editions (theworkofart.is).
Chicago-based architect Howard Van Doren Shaw designed stately homes for leading industrialists in several midwestern states from 1894 to 1926. Although during his lifetime he was highly regarded, his name was largely forgotten after his death. Tis in-depth reexamination of his work pays the architect his due diligence using previously unpublished images from the Shaw Archive in the Burnham and Ryerson Library at the Art Institute of Chicago and the Chicago History Museum, construction drawings, and a catalogue of Shaw’s residential work. Stuart Cohen - Inventing the New American House - Howard Van Doren Shaw, Architect - Hardcover, 256 pages, Monacelli Press (monacellipress.com).
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Better With Age
Written by Scott Harper, Master Sommelier
Bodegas Torres de Anguix in Burgos. Photo by Fernando Fernández.
Located on the eastern edge of northwestern Spain, the Ribero del Duero is named for the Duero River. Situated within the region of Castilla y León or “land of castles,” so named because of the fortifcations that dot the landscape and were built to hold of the Moors in the Middle Ages, the Ribero del Duero is one of Spain’s fnest wine regions and is often mentioned in the same breath as the other notable wine regions of Rioja and Priorat. Tempranillo is the most important quality wine grape in Spain; it makes up the majority of the Ribero del Duero blend and also makes great wine in other regions such as Rioja. As in other countries, the same grape is known by diferent names in diferent regions, and in Ribero del Duero, the Tempranillo grape is called Tinta del País. Up to 25 percent of other grapes such as Malbec, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon may be added and up to fve percent of Garnacha and Albillo Mayor. While Ribero del Duero makes mostly red wine, they also produce rosé, or rosado as the Spaniards call it. Unlike American wines labeled reserve or grand reserve, Spanish law defines the terms Cosecha, Crianza, Reserva and
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Grand Reserva. Cosecha, also known as Vin Joven, is aged the least, with no or less than a year of oak ageing. Crianza must be aged two years: one in an oak barrel and one in the bottle. Reserva must be aged three years with a minimum of one year in oak and two years in the bottle. Gran Reserva, which is dedicated to the winery’s very best wine, must have the character to stand fve years of ageing with two years in oak and three years in the bottle. Tis ageing takes place in oak cask, either in American oak, which the Spaniards love for its favor of vanilla, coconut and dill, or the less assertive French barrels, and even a combination of the two. To drink mature wine from most wine regions, you must age the wine yourself, but the long ageing of Ribero del Duero Reserva and Ribero del Duero Gran Reserva allows the afcionado to purchase mature ready-to-drink Ribero del Duero. For a very interesting tasting, acquire a bottle of each of the ageing levels, preferably from the same producer, and taste side-by-side a Cosecha, Crianza, Reserva and a Gran Reserva. Tis is a brilliant way to see the infuence of oak barrel and bottle ageing of four wines from the same region, same grapes and, in the case of the
Sunfowers in the vineyards at Soria. Photo by Fernando Fernández.
Photo by Fernando Fernández.
Reserve and Gran Reserve, you can even get the same vintage. Te oak ageing adds complexity of favors of baking spices, such as vanilla, toast, cinnamon and nutmeg, as well as cocoa, cofee, coconut and dill, among others. Oak barrel ageing can also change the texture making a wine suppler. Vega Sicilia, Dominio de Pingus or Tinto Pesquera are three of the standard bearers in Ribera del Duero and command high prices. While quality Ribera del Duero is never inexpensive, the below winery ofers a relative value and reasonable availability. Viñedos y Bodegas Gormaz The winery was founded in 1972 and was one of the original wineries when the Ribera del Duero region was officially established in 1982. It is the only winery located in the province of Soria. Linajes, or lineage in English, is the name of the fagship wine of the Viñedos y Bodegas Gormaz. It is a tribute to the 12 Knights of Soria as represented by 12 shields in circular emblems on the label, surrounded by the equestrian fgure of Alfonso VIII, in similar fashion to the Knights of the Round Table.
Barrels in the Bodegas at Villacreces in Valladolid. Photo by Fernando Fernández.
Autumn colors in the Ribera del Duero. Photo by José I. Berdón.
Ribero del Duero Crianza 12 Linajes 2009 Dark red/purple with flavors of strawberry, red and black cherry, vanilla and roasted cofee beans in a medium-bodied wine that can beneft from some breathing to help smooth out its tannins. Made from the Tempranillo grape, it is aged in French and American barrels for 14 months before being aged in the bottle for 12 months. Try with roasted herb-encrusted pork loin. Ribero del Duero Reserva 12 Linajes 2007 Dark red/purple with the flavors of blackberry, strawberry, chocolate and oak-induced baking spices. Excellent Spanish wine with a few years bottle age, exhibiting violets and lavender in a full, silky body with a touch of earth. Made from the Tempranillo grape and aged 24 months in French oak barrels before it is aged for a further 24 months in the bottle. Try with grilled rack of lamb or a grilled bone-in ribeye. sl A Certifed Wine Educator, Harper is one of 140 professionals in North America and 220 worldwide who have earned the title Master Sommelier.
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Curating a Lifestyle: An Interview with Collector Ron Pizzuti Written by Amelia and Jef Jefers
Collector Ron Pizzuti. Image courtesy Pizzuti Collection and Scott Cunningham Photography.
Ron Pizzuti is not easily intimidated. A successful real estate developer, Pizzuti possesses the perfect combination of tenacity and charm, with a straightforward nature that quickly fosters a sense of familiarity; traits that have undoubtedly contributed to the tremendous growth and reach of the company he founded nearly 40 years ago. However, the notoriously tough real estate industry, Pizzuti learned long ago, has nothing on the art world. From his earliest days in development, Pizzuti traveled - a lot. “I got tired of going to bars and cathedrals,” Ron says with a smile. “So, I wandered into a museum while on a trip to Europe.” He loved that frst experience so much, Pizzuti started exploring museums and galleries in every city he visited. “Walking into an art gallery was like nothing I had ever experienced,” he continues. “Gallery owners and their staf would take one look at me, and go back to whatever they were reading. I couldn’t get the time of day. It was incredibly intimidating.” Not too many galleries would make the same mistake today. Recognized as one of the most infuential contemporary art collectors of the 21st Century, Pizzuti is on a first-name basis with the biggest names in the industry. With more than 2,000 works in his collection, Pizzuti has logged countless hours pursuing his passion. Pizzuti attributes his keen eye and depth of knowledge to one thing: research. “I don’t play golf,” he explains. “I go to art fairs, museums and shops.” Pizzuti’s current (and longest-running) passion is 21st Century art specifcally. “We don’t do 20th Century,” he laughs. Researching emerging artists, Pizzuti carefully studies each one before adding works to the collection. What does he consider important? Teir education, background and infuence. Pizzuti takes every opportunity to get to know artists personally, but he adds, “frst and foremost, an artist must be able to draw.”
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When describing why he buys a work of art, Pizzuti uses descriptors that cross any genre of collecting: movement, balance, proportion, color. “I just buy what makes me smile,” he says with a grin. “People often ask, how should I invest in art? And, I always answer - you shouldn’t. Tis isn’t an investment in the fnancial sense. If that’s your motivation, you shouldn’t be buying.” Pizzuti took his interest in art to another level when he decided several years ago to create a nonproft organization aimed at fostering cultural understanding and educational exchange through an exposure to art. The Pizzuti Collection launched in September of 2013 in a historic office building in the Short North Arts District of Columbus, Ohio. Te PC (as it is known to insiders) presents temporary exhibitions of contemporary art from the collection of Ron and his wife, Ann. Tis ambitious project has added to Pizzuti’s track record of success. Adam Weinberg, Director of Te Whitney Museum of American Art, said of the PC, “This singular collection, comprised of renowned masters and emerging talent, is a great gift to the local community and an exciting addition to the national and international art landscape.” His advice to anyone interested in starting a collection? Immerse yourself in the collecting genre that most interests you. See as many examples as you can - in person. Go to galleries, auctions, and shows. Don’t buy at frst - just absorb and experience. Read, then read some more. “Te ads are important as the stories,” Pizzuti says. “I take every art magazine I can fnd, and I read them cover to cover.” The intimidation Ron once felt when beginning this collecting journey is no longer a factor for even the youngest of the now multi-generational Pizzuti clan. Recently one of the Pizzuti grandchildren asked for a spot among the renowned artists on display in the Pizzuti Collection. “Papa, if I made you a picture, would you hang it in the museum?” inquired the 8-year old artist. Te response? “Only if you sign it.” One of the only permanent installations in the PC gallery, young Nathan’s drawing is mounted just outside his Papa’s ofce. As we wrapped up our interview, Ron leaned toward me and, in a moment of magnanimity, almost whispered “you know, we really started our buying at Garth’s when we were young. Ann and I would sit for hours, buying Asian porcelains - and we still have them today. It was entertainment!” Entertainment is visiting with a true collector, whose spirit and enthusiasm is nothing short of infectious. Plan a visit to the Pizzuti Collection: visit pizzuticollection.org or call (614) 280-4004 for a schedule of upcoming exhibits. sl Amelia & Jef Jefers are co-owners of two fne art, antique and bespoke collectibles companies: Garth's of Delaware, Ohio and Selkirk of St. Louis, Missouri.
Derrick Adams, Fun Fabulous Friends, Mixed media collage on paper and mounted on archival museum board, 50 1/16 x 73 inches. Image courtesy of the Pizzuti Collection and Alan Geho.
A view of the NOW-ISM exhibition at the Pizzuti Collection including Untitled by Jacob Hashimoto and Lost in Tought by Tony Cragg. Image courtesy Pizzuti Collection and Alan Geho.
Tomory Dodge, Homestead Ghost, 2014, Oil on Canvas, 84 x 96 inches. Image courtesy of the Artist and CRG Gallery New York.
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Hotel Confdential
Check out the One & Only Ocean Club before checking in Written by Abigail Hamilton Photography by Bridget Williams
Don’t be surprised if you experience a feeling of déjà vu as you pull up to the entrance of the One & Only Ocean Club on Paradise Island in the Bahamas. The picturesque setting has caught the eye of more than one Hollywood director: in the 2006 flm Casino Royale, Daniel Craig as James Bond was shown doing what he does best at various locales on property, and more recently Cameron Diaz, Leslie Mann and Kate Upton sought solace and plotted revenge in the idyllic environs in their respective roles as women scorned in Te Other Woman (2014). Tough just a short walk down the beach from the sprawling Atlantis Resort, the property maintains an enviable level of privacy, the seeds of which were sown in 1939 when Swedish Industrialist Dr. Axel Wenner-Gren purchased a large tract in order to build what he dubbed Shangri-La: an estate-sized vacation home and lavish garden modeled after those at the Château de Versailles. Wenner-Gren sold his Hog Island holdings to Huntington Hartford II (grandson of George Huntington Hartford, founder 46 slmag.net
of the Great Atlantic and Pacifc Tea Company) for $9.5 million in 1961. Hartford successfully petitioned the local government to change the island’s name ofcially to Paradise Island in May 1962 and commenced building the Ocean Club, comprised of a 52-room hotel, four two-bedroom cottages and an 18-hole golf course designed by Dick Wilson. Hartford also expanded the property’s now famous terraced gardens, importing Carrera marble, bronze statues and a 14th-century Augustinian cloister from Europe, with reconstruction of the latter encompassing an entire year. While attracting jet-setting glitterati, many of whom Hartford often allowed to stay for free, Hartford’s less-thanstellar business acumen drained his inheritance and the property changed hands again before being acquired by its current owner – Kerzner International – who invested a total of $100 million by 2000 to restore the resort to its original elegance, add a trio of private villas, and bring the property under the umbrella of the One & Only Club luxury lifestyle brand.
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Private butler service is provided for each of the 105 luxury guest rooms, suites and villas, which are decorated in a contemporary take on the classic British colonial motif: think dark wood, clean-lined furniture, modern art, plantation shutters and marble mosaic baths. Te two-winged section of guest rooms overlooks a sprightly green elevated lawn, separated from the sea by a manicured Azalea hedge. A plethora of two-person hammocks are strung between towering palm trees, whose wind-blown foliage provides a continuous soothing soundtrack. The array of available activities is impressive for a property of this size. Yoga is offered every morning on a dedicated deck overlooking the ocean. The well-equipped ftness center boasts an alfresco free weight area. Tere are two pools on the property: one looking out to the terraced gardens for adults and the other, a zero-entry style with a rock water feature, is provided for families, who can also take advantage of a large and lively Kids Only Club with areas tailored to the interests of children of varying ages. While the kids are away the parents can golf, hop on a complimentary bicycle, go for a jog, stroll along the beach or play tennis, where Leo, the agedefying tennis pro, has been volleying for more than 40 years
and has stood across the net from the likes of the Shah of Iran to Bill Gates. Complimentary shuttle service via black SUV is provided to and from Atlantis, and reciprocating charges are a nice convenience should you wish to sample from the array of restaurants or dip your toes in the waterpark, though a few hours in the bustling megapolis will have you clamoring to return to the peace and quiet at the Ocean Club! There are four restaurants on site: Dune, a French-Asian concept infused with Bahamian tradition by internationally renowned restaurateur Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten; the romantic environs of the Courtyard Terrace, which offers a contemporary interpretation of Mediterranean cuisine; the casual Pool Terrace Cafe; and the elegant Library Lounge, located just of the main lobby and a great place to enjoy complimentary morning cofee, afternoon tea service or evening libations while admiring the paintings of local artist Jane Watrous. An easily accessible sojourn, it’s a snap to settle into island time at the One & Only Ocean Club, where your biggest concern might be getting back to your room in time for your butler’s early evening delivery of champagne and chocolate-covered strawberries! For more information visit oneandonlyoceanclub.com. sl
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Photograph by Nic Lehoux.
A Monumental Composition for Piano Te Whitney Museum of American Art’s New Home Written by Victoria Chase Widely hailed as one of the most significant cultural projects in New York City in the past decade, the Whitney Museum of American Art’s new building in the Meatpacking District on Gansevoort Street between the elevated High Line Park and the Hudson River opened to great fanfare on May 1. Founded in 1930, the Whitney houses the foremost collection of American art from the twentieth and twenty-frst centuries. Doubling the Whitney’s exhibition space, the landmark 220,000-square-foot, nine-story building was designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Renzo Piano. In addition to expanding its special exhibitions, including the Whitney Biennial, the building ofers amplifed potential for artists and their audiences via dedicated space for education programs; a multi-use, 170-seat family theatre; a study center for works on paper; a multi-use gallery for flm, video and performance; a conservation center; and a library. 50 slmag.net
Speaking about the Museum’s striking asymmetry, Renzo Piano commented, “The design of this building emerged from many years of conversations with the Whitney, which took us back to the Museum’s origins. We spoke about the roots of the Whitney in downtown New York, and about this opportunity to enjoy the open space by the Hudson River. Museum experience is about art, and it is also about being connected to this downtown community and to this absolutely extraordinary physical setting.” Piano collaborated with Dutch horticulturalist Piet Oudolf, who was part of the team responsible for the High Line, on the overall landscape design, including an 8,500-square-foot public plaza sheltered by a cantilevered entrance along Gansevoort Street, whose greenscape complements the untamed elegance of the High Line.
Photograph by Nic Lehoux.
View from Gansevoort Street. Photograph by Karin Jobst.
Photograph by Nic Lehoux.
Photograph by Nic Lehoux.
Te interior of the Museum’s four elevators comprise an artwork, Six in Four, created from plastic, laminate, glass and etched stainless steel by Richard Artschwager (1923-2013). The immersive installation is the last major work the artist created before his death. The first floor boasts the largest column-free museum exhibition space in New York, the Untitled restaurant, and the John R. Eckel, Jr. Foundation Gallery, which will be accessible to the public free-of-charge. Galleries on the sixth and seventh foors are dedicated to the permanent collection. An eighthfloor Studio Café complements a special exhibition gallery, while 13,000 square-feet of gallery space is available on the building’s cascading terraces. Open for lunch and dinner, both restaurants will be operated by Danny Meyer’s Union Square Hospitality Group under the direction of Executive Chef
Michael Anthony of Gramercy Tavern and Chef de Cuisine Suzanne Cupps. “Our expansive new permanent collection galleries will be a game changer for the Whitney. Tey will aford a level of space unprecedented in our history to display iconic works and present provocative new narratives of art in the United States,” said Donna De Salvo, Chief Curator and Deputy Director for Programs. Te Whitney’s inaugural exhibition in its new home, America Is Hard to See, aims to reexamine the history of American art from 1900 to today with more than 600 works across all mediums by 400 artists. Drawn entirely from the Whitney’s holdings, the exhibition of pieces both familiar and foreign represents the most extensive display to date of the Whitney’s collection and flls the Museum. Te majority of the exhibition will be on view through September 27, 2015 (whitney.org). sl slmag.net
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Rag Time Put the notion of a Sunday drive on steroids behind the wheel of one of these luxury convertibles. Written by Bridget Williams
Maserati Gran Cabrio MC
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Summer for me has always been synonymous with convertibles. How could I forget jumping in the backseat of my father’s 1965 Mustang after it had been parked with its top down in the hot sun and crying out as the fesh on the back of my legs seemed to melt on contact with the black leather seats, or the intoxicating feeling of freedom aforded by lowering the ragtop on my 1979 MG on the morning I obtained my driver’s license and setting of on a day-long solo drive to nowhere just because I could? Granted, the luxury convertibles highlighted in the following paragraphs offer plenty more bells and whistles and a much better driving experience than the aforementioned rides, but at its core, the thrill of the wind-in-your-hair experience remains the same. MASERATI GRAN CABRIO | Maserati’s new Gran Cabrio was designed to optimize aerodynamic lift and flow. As the
sportiest ofering in the GranTurismo lineup, the GranCabrio MC boasts a new 4.7-liter V8 engine, with the automatic sixspeed ZF transmission with five operating modes delivering 460-horsepower and acceleration from zero-to-60 mph in a closed soft-top configuration in 4.9 seconds. Handsome 20-inch MC Design rims feature Maserati’s traditional trident worked into the double-spokes. Inside, newly designed seats, including a completely carbon-fber version as an option, ofer improved aesthetics and functionality with an increased profile to enhance their wraparound structure and lateral containment. Reworked seats for rear passengers now boast increased legroom. A flattened rim at the top and bottom of the steering wheel allows for greater maneuverability; Trofeo-design steering wheel paddles are standard. Starting MSRP for the Maserati Gran Cabrio is $145,740.
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Aston Martin V8 Vantage GT Roadster
Audi R8 V10 Spyder.
ASTON MARTIN V8 VANTAGE ROADSTER | Racing is in Aston Martin’s DNA, and the Vantage is at the forefront of the brand’s motorsport activity. Recent improvements to the entire Vantage range include an optional new seven-speed Sportshift II – designed and manufactured specifcally for Aston Martin – that provides faster and more precise shifts, optimizes acceleration and delivers a sporting driving experience. Quicker steering, bigger brakes and wider tires also contribute to increased responsiveness. A sports exhaust system delivers an apropos soundtrack for the hand-assembled 4.7-liter naturally aspirated V8 engine that produces 420-horsepower. To keep Sunday drives from inadvertently going into Monday, a fully integrated satellite navigation system developed in conjunction with Garmin is part of the standard equipment, along with Bluetooth and cruise control. A full grain leather interior with piano black facia trim and graphite center console fnish, electrically operated sport seats, a 160-watt sound system with integrated iPod interface and USB connection are other interior accoutrements of note. Starting MSRP for the V8 Vantage Roadster is $99,225. 54 slmag.net
AUDI R8 SPYDER | It takes just 17 seconds for the R8 Spyder to go topless, and the soft top’s lightweight design helps to keep the car’s center of gravity low. Available with either a 340-horsepower V8 engine capable of going zero-to-60 mph in 4.4 seconds with the S-tronic dual-clutch transmission, or a V10 engine with 525-horsepower that shaves nearly a full second of of the zero-to-60 mph sprint, both options have the performance and safety enhancing support of Audi Quattro allwheel drive and carbon fber-reinforced ceramic brakes. Black silk matte decorative inlays and leather/Alacantara 12-way power front sports seats defne the handsomely appointed interior. Even with the top down, the seven speakers that comprise the Audi concert radio deliver solid sound performance. Starting MSRP for the Audi R8 Spyder is $129,400. BENTLEY CONTINENTAL GTC | The four-seater luxury convertible is laden with posh fnishes, encompassing soft-touch leather hides (available in 17 standard colors and six color split combinations), exotic wood veneers, cool-touch metals and plush
Bentley Continental GT Convertible. Photo by James Lipman.
Ferrari 458 Spider
pile carpets. Offering more legroom than its predecessor, the cabin is also equipped with a touch-screen infotainment system and a Bentley-designed neck warmer for comfortable roof-down driving in cooler temperatures. For the frst time, 20-inch wheels are standard and available in four styles and a choice of fnishes. The Continental GTC is powered by a 6.0-liter, twinturbocharged W12 with FlexFuel capability and a new QuickShift transmission that cuts shift times by up to 50 percent and enables double downshifts. With a top speed of 195 mph, the convertible accelerates from zero-to-60 mph in 4.5 seconds. Starting MSRP for the Bentley Continental GTC is $210,025. FERRARI 458 SPIDER | Te Ferrari 458 Spider is the frst car to mate a mid-rear engine with a convertible hardtop, providing the two lucky occupants an unfettered opportunity to listen to the unmistakable sounds of the GDI V8 570-horsepower engine. An impressive feat of engineering, the aluminum retractable hard top functions as speedily as the engine and does not compromise aerodynamics or performance. Te pair of sections that comprise
the top rotate and then fold in such a manner that they take up less space than a conventional soft top. As powerful as the engine is, the engineers at Ferrari took certain steps to ensure that engine noise would not overwhelm passengers by locating air intakes in the rear spoiler and installing a specifcally developed silencer. An adjustable electronic wind stop also allows the driver to further control their desired level of engine noise. Maximum speed is 199 mph, with the zero-to-62 mph sprint clocked at 3.4 seconds. The Formula 1 cockpit-style driver layout in the cabin is designed to minimize the driver’s hand movements for complete focus on the road, but remains comfortable enough for more leisurely driving. A bespoke luggage set is available that features a motif inspired by the six air intakes of the engine cover. Starting MSRP for the Ferrari 458 Spider is $263,553. MCLAREN 650S SPIDER | The 650S is the core model in McLaren’s Super Series, designed and developed to give the enthusiast driver the ultimate in luxury and excitement with
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McLaren 650S Spider
2016 Porsche Boxter Spyder
an award-winning 3.8-litre twin turbo V8 engine producing 610-horsepower. The 650S Spider delivers the same level of performance as its coupe sibling with the added appeal of roofdown driving, able to clock zero-to-60 mph in three seconds and a top speed of 204 mph. An electrically retractable hard top can be automatically raised or lowered on the move in less than 17 seconds and at speeds of up to 19 mph so a popup shower won’t dampen the fun. Te Formula 1-style cockpit boasts a tactile, small-diameter steering wheel with rocker shift paddles for the seven-speed dual clutch gearbox and a driver-centric Active Dynamic Panel that positions buttons and switches in intuitive positions to keep eyes frmly planted on the road ahead. Base price for the McLaren 650S Spider is $283,925. PORSCHE BOXSTER SPYDER | Porsche highlighted the 2015 convertible season with the world premiere of the new Boxster Spyder at the recent New York International Auto Show. Te new top model of the Boxster range retains the unique and unmistakable character of the previous Spyder classic roadster, 56 slmag.net
with a top that is still opened and closed by hand and only available with a manual transmission, benefiting both weight savings and driver enjoyment. Te mid-engine Boxster Spyder delivers a traditional sportscar driving experience with driver and passenger Sports Seats Plus, frm sport suspension, brakes taken from the 911 Carrera S, more direct steering and a 3.8-liter horizontally opposed six-cylinder engine with an output of 375-horsepower. As the lightest model of the current Boxster line, it is also the most powerful, needing only 4.3 seconds to sprint from zero-to-60 mph. Elements such as the pair of prominent streamliners that extend down along the sweeping rear lid behind the headrests pay tribute to the 718 Spyder from the 1960s. In keeping with the model’s traditional roadster character, neither a radio nor an air conditioner is included as standard equipment in order to reduce weight. However, both can be ordered as optional equipment at no cost. Additional creature comforts available as an option include the Porsche Communication Management system with navigation. MSRP for the Boxster Spyder is $82,100. sl
Of Note... Independence Transcendence
Compiled by Claire Williams
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1) From Khouri Guzman Bunce Lininger, the Johansson Cabinet's skin of lacquered aluminum encases a body of walnut burl and sold walnut (to the trade; kgblnyc.com). 2) VELA is the latest addition to Hennepin Made's Parallel Series of modern pendent fxtures crafted of hand-blown glass and spun aluminum. Ofered in seven glass colors, Crystal, Ruby and Sapphire are shown ($270/ each; shop.hennepinmade.com). 3) Ariana napkins in Capri Blue and Newport Red by Company C ($45; companyc.com). 4) Iron Bicyclette napkin ring from Company C ($60; companyc.com). 5) Hancock & Moore Utopia Chair (to the trade; hancockandmoore.com). 6) Lotta Spot dinner and salad plates with Sabre dipped fatware from Waggo Home ($14-$89; waggo.com).
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Of Note... Independence Transcendence
Compiled by Claire Williams
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1) Cheswick chair from Taylor King (to the trade; taylorking.com). 2) Te oversized high-gloss metal tray of the (FATBOY)RED Special Edition Snacklight is equipped with a wireless, rechargeable magnetic lamp with three diferent light settings and a trio of bowls with a non-slip coating. 10% of the proceeds from every (FATBOY)RED purchase go to the Global Fund to fght AIDS. ($129; shop.fatboyusa.com). 3) Frederick Cooper Eden Lamp in White ($735; wildwoodlamps.com). 4) Wildwood Lacquer Swirls Lamp (to the trade; wildwoodlamps.com). 5) Wildwood Edith Lamp in Royal Blue (to the trade; wildwoodlamps.com). 6) Te Yosemite Sofa from Hancock & Moore in fre engine red leather with white embroidery accents and white fringe side detailing (to the trade; handcockandmoore.com). 7) Tree stripe canvas storage bin from Waggo Home ($38; waggo.com).
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8) Modway Alpha Shell Egg Chair and Ottoman (to the trade; modwayfurniture.com). 9) AKDO red stagger tile ($33 per sqft; akdo.com). 10) BlueStar 36" Freestanding natural-gas range is available in red, cobalt, black, white and stainless steel ($6,299; rejuvenation.com). 11) Nest Chair in 'Old Blue' print by Marcel Wanders for Moooi (price upon request; moooi.com). 12) Te Mid-Century Post-Mount Mailbox from Rejuvenation is inspired by those produced in the 1950s and 1960s ($299; rejuvenation.com).
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RockCa RockCandy kC {Indulgent Colored Gems}
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1) Intrigue ring by Karen Karch featuring a one-of-a-kind rose cut 5.87 ct ruby with three sharpened claws, each studded with a Colorless Brilliant Diamond sitting just above a halo of colorless brilliant diamonds at the base ($10,000; karenkarch.com). 2) 18kt rose gold, 12-13mm South Sea pearl and 1.07cts pink sapphires ring from Yoko London ($3,500; yokolondon. com). 3) Regal ring from Karen Karch with a matrix turquoise cabochon surrounded by a halo studded with dark red cognac diamonds and rubies that continue to the front of the blackened 18k white gold band detailed with twining vines ($3,850; karenkarch.com). 4) Te micro-pave' infnity symbol of Karen Karch's Black Swan Infniate ring loops around two ice brilliant diamonds (1.28 ct & 1.13 ct) that nest into 18k Rose Gold settings detailed by twining vines (price upon request; karenkarch.com).
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1) Platinum TWH tension-set with a 3.48ct natural blue sapphire 2) Platinum omega fat tension-set with a 3.08ct orange sapphire 3) Platinum omega round tension-set with a 3.05ct color change purple sapphire with diamond pave accents 4) Platinum HTF tension-set with a 3.81ct natural orange sapphire with diamond pave accents. All from Steven Kretchmer (prices upon request; stevenkretchmer.com).
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1) Arik Kastan pebble stone ring in 14K yellow gold with oval turquoise center stone surrounded by bezel set emeralds ($1,725.00; arikkastan.com). 2) Roberto Coin Art Deco ring in 18K white gold with diamonds, pink sapphires and tanzanite ($9,500). 3) Roberto Coin Art Deco ring in 18K yellow gold with diamonds, citrine and orange sapphires ($9,800). 4) Roberto Coin Art Deco ring in 18K white gold with diamonds, green garnet and green tourmaline ($20,500; robertocoin.com).
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Suzanna Kalan 18K rose gold vitrine ring with 30x17mm pear swiss blue topaz center and 3.75ct. champagne diamond baguettes ($14,250; suzannekalan.com).
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1) Mogul 18kyg large (100 cts plus) rose quartz drop pendant with champagne diamond pave ($4,070) 2) Mogul 18kyg medium (50 cts plus) amethyst drop pendant ($3,300) 3) Mogul 18kyg amethyst (approx 20 cts) drop chain earrings with rubellites ($1,870) 4) Mogul Beads 18kyg limited-edition 60-inch tanzanite, labradorite, amethyst and multi tourmaline bead necklace with 18kyg hourglass rondells ($6,600). All from Syna Jewels (synajewels.com).
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JOIN US FOR A CELEBRATION OF WHEELS & WISHES
Fuelicious will excite the senses by delivering a unique environment, a premium culinary experience, a distinct collection of automobiles and a premier audience of committed automotive enthusiasts that combine to create an exclusive social entertainment experience supporting the work of Indiana Children's Wish Fund. Fuelicious will feature 50 distinct collector cars hosted at the Lucas Estate in Carmel on Friday, August 28th from 7:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. Join us and the Indiana Children’s Wish Fund in August by reserving your table. Visit fuelicious.com or contact our team at 317.313.5200.
W W W . F U E L I C I O U S . C O M
ARTS PROFILE:
Evans Mirageas and Te Cincinnati Opera By Lisa Stephenson Powell Opera has occupied a special place in the canon of cinema. From a romantic comedy (Moonstruck) to a Pygmalion transformation (Pretty Woman), and from a British thriller (Match Point) to a New York psychopath (Fatal Attraction), the strains of Puccini and Verdi have punctuated emotions and advanced plots. In the film The Shawshank Redemption, for example, a duet from The Marriage of Figaro flls the prison walls with Mozart rhapsodies, prompting a convict to refect on its impact. “I had no idea what those ladies were singing about,” he says, “but I like to think it was about something so beautiful that it can’t be expressed in words, and your heart aches because of it. When their voices soared it was like some exquisite bird fapped into our drab little cage, dissolving walls, and making every man feel free.” The days of Evans Mirageas, The Harry T. Wilks Artistic Director of Cincinnati Opera, are flled with similar unbridled joy, surrounded as he is by the music that he loves, artists he respects and colleagues who share a common goal. “Working in Cincinnati has been like riding on a magic carpet because everyone connected with this company wants one thing,” he said. “We want to produce great opera.” As a native of Ann Arbor, Michigan, Mr. Mirageas grew up in a Greek family that he lovingly described as singularly unmusical. He started taking private lessons in grade school, but realized as a teenager that he would never have a career as an instrumentalist. “I was a good clarinetist, but I wasn’t going to be a great clarinetist,” he explained, “so instead, when I went to college, I decided that I would promote classical music. I wasn’t quite certain what that meant, but I knew that I wanted to get people excited about it.” Toward that goal he considered career choices in publishing, broadcasting and teaching. During his frst year at the University of Michigan he worked at the student radio station, and shortly thereafter was hired by the local public radio station.
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Artistic Director Evans Mirageas
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Cincinnati Opera’s Production of Puccini’s Turandot. Photo by David Bachman.
“So, radio rose to the top of the heap and I became a classical music broadcaster,” he said. “My curriculum in school was equal parts history, journalism, art history, history of sport and public speaking. All of them impinge on classical music because it’s written in a political atmosphere, within the social mores of its time and culture.” In the early 1980s Mr. Mirageas moved to Chicago to join WMFT, a radio station that syndicated broadcasts of major orchestras. The program Mr. Mirageas produced, “Lincoln’s Music in America,” was a dream job. Te premise of the show was to answer the question, ‘If time and money were no object, where would you travel to hear classical music?’ To the Met in New York? To the Santa Fe chamber music festival? To Seattle to hear the Ring? Or to Salzburg for an opening night? “For seven years I did that every week,” he said. “I went to a city, interviewed the artists, watched rehearsals and spoke with producers. I was given full entrée to the performers and companies because we ofered them an hour of free national publicity . Ten I few back to Chicago, working like a madman to assemble the program and write the script. It was an incredible experience because I did, for a job, what every music lover does in his, or her, fantasy.” In 1989 Mr. Mirageas joined the Boston Symphony as their artistic administrator and, once again, was thrown into challenges and responsibilities that difered vastly from his previous experience. “My career has been an anomaly,” he began. “When I’m asked by young professionals, ‘How do I get started?’ it’s an impossible question for me to answer because I’m the worst example. My frst job in broadcasting was at one of the fnest radio stations in the country. My frst job with a symphony was with one of the top fve orchestras in the world. And my frst job in the record industry
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Cincinnati Opera’s Production of Puccini’s Turandot. Photo by David Bachman.
was with one of the top three international recording companies. I was always thrown in the middle of something that was intense, exhilarating and exposed. I learned on the job, at warp speed, and had mentors who were willing to help.” Mr. Mirageas worked for Decca Records in London until the industry faced a downturn and suddenly, for the first time, his career paused. Eventually he began freelancing with American and international clients and a consulting engagement brought him to Cincinnati Opera. He was hired permanently in 2005. It takes a village to produce an opera, he said, and during the summer months the number of people involved can swell to 300. Tere are over 70 musicians in the orchestra and an equal number in the chorus. Each of the four casts can have up to 15 principals and then there are those behind the scenes: make-up artists, wardrobe associates, stage managers, production assistants, and stage hands. Casting is done up to two years in advance, especially if it’s a difcult role; smaller roles tend to be flled by singers chosen from the ranks of CCM and Indiana University students. Turandot will be presented on July 25, 29 and 31. At the time Puccini wrote the opera he was on a professional quest. “He wanted to accomplish something that he had never done,” Mr. Mirageas said, “and that was to write a truly grand opera. When you think about his greatest successes, they are very intimate, personal stories. La Bohème is about a group of poor students in Paris; Madame Butterfy is about a Geisha girl who is caught in cross-cultural wars in Japan; and Tosca is simply an epic battle about a woman trapped in a political machine at the hands of a sadist. Tere was none of the pomp and circumstance of Aida, or the grandeur of French operas. Puccini was pushed by his publisher to reclaim his place in the spotlight by writing ‘the big one,’ and Turandot was it.
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Cincinnati Opera’s Production of Puccini’s Turandot. Photo by David Bachman.
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When audiences see this production, which is a glorious combination of fantasy and cartoon, they will realize how close Puccini came to realizing his career goal and, creatively, what an extraordinary leap it was. What we have is so spectacular. I think one of the great tragedies in the history of the opera is that he did not live to write the last scene, which had to be completed by Franco Alfano.” Te plot of the opera has irresistible twists and turns: a princess with an icy heart, a prince in pursuit, bloodshed, riddles, suicide and love. It also hosts “Nessun Dorma,” an aria that was catapulted into the sphere of popular culture when it was sung by Luciano Pavarotti at the 1990 World Cup in Italy. “It spread throughout the world as the anthem of victory because every time a goal was scored the television broadcaster would play the aria, and it gained incredible popularity.” He added, “It’s a great piece.” As the second oldest opera company in the United States (only the Met is older) Cincinnati Opera is thriving between the juxtaposition of longstanding traditions at Music Hall and the progress that surrounds it. Te company is fscally sound; Washington Park, once a depressing plot of urban decay, has become an inviting outdoor space; and Mr. Mirageas promises to advance the diversification of his audience by adhering to a single philosophy: Once they try it, they’re hooked. “I like to say that Cincinnati boxes above its weight and bats above its average,” he said. “Tis is a city that, by the size of its actual population, has no business having a world class symphony, a world class ballet company, world class opera, a thriving theatre scene and wonderful public amenities. We are smaller than people think, but we’re mightier than they would ever guess. I’m so proud of Cincinnati’s determination to create, and to recreate, things of beauty. Tat is one of the greatest assets about living here.” sl
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SURREALISM POP CONTEMPORARY MODERNISM SLEEP W I TH A MASTER. Picasso believed “the purpose of art is washing the dust of daily life of our souls.” The Collection is a truly unique experience that will replenish your spirit and rejuvenate your daily life. Nestled inside the luxury of the Conrad Indianapolis, each of the suites immerses you in an environment of world-renowned art and exquisitely thoughtful details and amenities that will reignite your passion and replenish your soul. collectionsuites.com
Lighthouse Youth Services: Giving Children A Brighter Future By Lisa Stephenson Powell A poster with the haunting quality of a Henri Cartier-Bresson photograph hangs in the ofce of Robert C. Mecum. A young woman, alone at night, sits pensively on a sidewalk, banked by a deserted street and the eerie, blurred light of an oncoming motorcycle. Above the crouched figure is a statement that is not only a potent brand slogan, but encompasses the philosophy and goal of Lighthouse Youth Services: One homeless youth is one too many. Mr. Mecum, President and CEO, confdently stated that the organization (LYS) is determined to terminate homelessness in Cincinnati by 2020. “Tat,” he said, “is our frm, strategic priority, and I think it is an achievable - if ambitious - objective. I want it to be said of our community that we fgured out how to end it.” Mr. Mecum joined LYS in 1976 and it was, by his account, a very diferent place, as was the profession he abandoned. “My career goal from the age of 13 was to be a brand manager at P&G,” he began. A native of West Virginia, Mr. Mecum arrived to attend the University of Cincinnati in 1965 where he majored in business administration and marketing. During his third year of school he faced a dearth of fnancial resources and, out of necessity, began couch surfng. “One day I saw an ad at the student center for a night manager at Talbert House, a newly opened halfway house for men coming out of federal and state prisons. I lived and worked there for two years, and began to realize that many of the men had grown up in the child welfare system, had somehow become adult felons and, ultimately, had been incarcerated for their crimes. It was a terrifcally exciting experience that changed my interest and the entire trajectory of my life. I realized then that if we did a better job with young people in the child welfare system, maybe we could prevent them from becoming a part of a criminal lifestyle as adults. ” After a stint in the Army Mr. Mecum married, returned to Cincinnati and worked at P&G. All the while, however, the Talbert House experience remained a constant. He returned to school to earn a Master’s degree in Corrections thinking that perhaps he could become a volunteer board member at Talbert House. “Te more I learned in graduate school, the more I realized the kind of career I wanted to pursue.” He worked as a probation ofcer and as assistant director of the Butler County Youth Service Bureau before becoming the director of the Lighthouse Runaway Shelter. 74 slmag.net
The Runaway Shelter evolved from an agency that was founded in 1969 by a group of African American women. A court judge wanted to help girls cope with problematic living situations when they returned from juvenile correction institutions. He challenged the women to action, and the frst group home for girls leaving Ohio correctional facilities was established. Cincinnati has embraced LYS, which services children from prenatal age until 24. In addition to 600 employees and several hundred foster parents, the organization is supported by a bevy of volunteers. “The community has poured its heart out to us,” Mr. Mecum said. “We have students who help with community projects; families who bring meals to our shelters; tutors and mentors; and a warehouse stafed by volunteers who get furniture for the apartments that we rent throughout the city for homeless youth and for youth aging out of the child welfare system. We also have two annual fundraisers that have become a major part of our fnancial structure.” Tere are three basic service lines at Lighthouse. Te frst is helping children who have run away or have been forced out of their home. LYS provides both short term shelter and long term housing and helps them learn as much as they can, and as quickly, about how to live on their own, how to get a job and how to achieve a level of permanence. “Every night there are anywhere from 35 to 50 homeless youth living in lighthouse shelters, and another 130 young people living in apartments that we support. We have over 200 children in Lighthouse foster homes in South Western Ohio,” he explained. Te other two primary areas of focus includes work in juvenile justice; LYS operates the State’s only privately owned, and privately operated, state juvenile corrections facility, the Lighthouse Youth Center at Paint Creek. It houses 65 frst and second degree juvenile felony ofenders. Te non-secure open campus sits on 35 acres in Bainbridge, Ohio. LYS ofers a host of nonresidential and juvenile justice programs for youths who are engaged with the Hamilton county juvenile court. There are also behavioral and psychiatric services; every day 1,500 to 2,000 children are seen in their homes or in the Lighthouse ofce facilities. The organization operates two schools. The Lighthouse Community School in Cincinnati concentrates on students who are unable to maintain attendance at a traditional public school, and another is at its juvenile corrections campus in Bainbridge.
Beacon Gala Honorees: Jef Tomas, Shakila Ahmad, Dr. Alvin and Jean Crawford, Jean Sepata, Bob Mecum, and Gala Chair Renee Lemberg
“Living in a world as connected as we are today provides us with the opportunity to use successful evidence-based strategies,” Mr. Mecum said. “We work with mentally ill street kids, using Functional Family Therapy and Assertive Community Treatment that have been successful throughout the country. We didn’t invent them, but we utilize them to achieve results.” Te increase in homelessness, incarcerations and drug use has soared during the past decades. “Tere has been a change in the fabric of our life,” he said. “In the late 1960s our President declared a war on drugs and, as a nation, we attacked the issue of drug addiction by criminalizing it and creating a military paradigm. Tat philosophy spurred the development of one of the largest growth industries in the entire United States, which was the adult correctional institution system. If you go into any penitentiary in the United States of America you’ll find that young African Americans are a disproportionate number of the prison population.” Mecum added that some legislators have realized that the war on crime is making it impossible to balance state budgets. Fiscal conservatives in both parties realize that taxes can’t be increased, so the solution is to cut the massive amount of state
dollars being spent on correctional institutions. In his opinion these legislators have concluded that it’s better to invest state dollars in programs that get results, instead of the penal system, which only makes things worse. Mr. Mecum’s day is typical of most CEOs. He’s an early riser, goes to the gym, and then deals with the familiar onslaught of emails, calendar requests, staf meetings, project reviews, board member updates and business opportunities. “It’s an action packed day,” he said, “but for me it’s nirvana. It’s like a never ending climb up a mountain – adrenaline, excitement, the constant challenge to keep going forward and to engage more people. To continue growth an organization has to keep the faith with their mission, maintain honesty and be willing to adapt to the needs of the community.” And what about the children? “We want them to take away a sense of dignity,” he said gently, “and we want them to feel that they are worthy of being loved. Te loss of the sense of self love is what we try to restore. The values of our agency begin with integrity and end with respect. Our mission, and our promise, is advancing the dignity and welfare of children. Doing it right and doing it efectively takes a lot of time and a lot of people, but I believe that if we work together it can be done.” sl slmag.net
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COME PLAY WITH US Sophisticated Living Polo World Cup Saturday, August 29 @ Oxmoor Farm Gates open at 3pm, frst match at 4pm
Tickets available at slpolo.com
EVENTS SPOTLIGHT ON:
All-Star Week By Lisa Stephenson Powell
COC Co-Chairs: Lauren Bosse, Sharry Addison, Melanie Chavez, Delores Hargrove-Young
As with most game changing moments in life, Melanie Chavez vividly remembers receiving the phone call that led to a meeting with the Cincinnati USA Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB). “It was in January of last year,” Ms. Chavez began, “and it was a dreary day, not much was going on and my calendar looked wide open. I didn’t even know what the meeting was about; when I heard the word ‘baseball’ I thought, ‘Why am I sitting at this table?’” Te topic of discussion, of course, was not just about baseball, but about the 2015 All-Star Game; the opportunity was not just one event, but a fve day, no punches pulled celebration that would encompass the sport, the city and the individual spirit of our communities; and the goal was for Cincinnati to shine in a way that it never has before. Ms. Chavez, petite and engaging, has an infectious laugh and a razor sharp sense of humor which, no doubt, has come in handy during the past 18 months. As one of four co-chairs of the Community Organizing Committee (COO) she said, “I call this my third full time job,” and then added, only half-joking, “I think I have fve or six others.” Te numbers are epic. Approximately 200,000 visitors will be in Cincinnati from the Tursday before the All-Star game, July 9, until the day after the game, July 15. Te COO has 200 members on 11 individual committees; they are shepherding 30 initiatives of events and entertainment that will be executed by 500 volunteers. An estimated $60 million will be added to the region’s revenue. “It’s about more than baseball,” Ms. Chavez explained. “It’s about allowing residents to become a part of the party instead of feeling that it’s happening to them. It’s about giving them 78 slmag.net
something to rally around while extending the experience of the game. We want visitors to have an amazing time, and to think, ‘Wow. .. I had no idea that Cincinnati had all of that to ofer.’” When guests arrive at CVG airport there will be an information desk with hospitality volunteers who know the region well enough to answer an out-of-towner’s queries. Tey will also be positioned at every major hotel on both sides of the River and at locations downtown. Te entertainment schedule will include performances at Washington Park, Fountain Square as well as smaller staged performances by some of the city’s best performing arts organizations. 3CDC, Downtown Cincinnati Incorporated, RTN, the CVB and the Cincinnati Reds have been supportive partners, and the city has alerted taxi cab drivers, the police force and frefghters to be on their best guard during the event. “Everybody who lives and works here will be an ambassador for the city, and that’s how we should look at it,” she said. “We usually don’t like to talk about how great our region is. But this is an amazing opportunity to share a bit of ourselves with the nation.” Strategic planning meetings established the initial requirements: theme and décor signage; raising money; engaging cultural institutions; getting restaurants on board; asking business owners to participate; and rounding up volunteers, which proved to be less of a challenge than anticipated. After the 2012 World Choir Games a database, “Te Welcomers,” was built with the names of local volunteers who chaperoned the children. Its members loved the experience and were eager to sign on with All Star events.
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While the MLB will produce memorable shows at the ballpark and convention center, Ms. Chavez and her co-chairs want to be sure that guests are entertained at every turn and have the opportunity to experience Cincinnati. Tis was not what they found in Minneapolis last year. “We didn’t feel the spirit of the city,” she said. “Outside of the wonderful MLB events, you really had to search for things to do and as a result we left without really getting to know what a great city Minneapolis is. For me, if you’re going through the trouble to host an undertaking like this, then you seize the opportunity and capture the hearts of your visitors.” Baseball Across the Region is one of Ms. Chavez’s initiatives and it started at a crosstown shootout game between UC and Xavier University. An official All Star baseball has been traveling since February to diferent neighborhoods, schools, nonproft institutions and events. It has visited Tomas More College, Union Terminal and Erpenbeck Elementary School, where over 700 school children, many clad in red, participated in a pep rally and ceremony that will remain a vivid All Star memory. On the day of the All Star game the baseball (“Which is getting a little worn at this point,” she laughed) will be placed in the Reds Hall of Fame with a trophy, marking their place in baseball history. “I can’t wait until the end, when we tally how many hands have touched that baseball,” she added. In Ma y t e n A l l St a r n e i g h b o r h o o d s we re n a m e d : Madisonville, East Price Hill, Clifton/Ludlow, West Chester, Walnut Hills, Kennedy Heights/Pleasant Ridge, Green Township, Cheviot, Bellevue and Taylor Mill. Te communities 80 slmag.net
submitted an application citing what they would do if given the chance to bring an All Star experience to their neighborhood. Their responses were creative and many were unique to their diversity. One has a high Hispanic population, so those cultural attributes will be refected, while another wanted to do a vintage baseball game, with people dressed in old fashioned uniforms. Each area will have signage, their own neighborhood celebration and will be given tickets to the FanFest event which will be held at the convention center. Ms. Chavez described the moments of her days as a little dance. Whether it’s juggling partners; being sensitive to the ebb and flow of change; determining priorities; or being tenacious (“If we’re told ‘no,’ instead of saying OK and dropping it, we regroup and say OK, how can we make it work?”) her vision of Cincinnati’s platform during the All Star week never waivers. “The great thing about this effort is that it is truly rooted in community. The Cincinnati Reds and the CVB have been invaluable partners, working alongside us to ensure our eforts are successful. Eyes will be upon us and it’s a huge opportunity to showcase our beautiful city. I would like us to be known as a region that has the want, the desire and the ability to accommodate international events. At the end of the day it’s going to be worth it. We just have to push forward, stay true to our original goals and allow residents to feel involved.” She paused and smiled. “We’ll be fne.” sl
Hope
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Society
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Cincinnati Pops’ Red, White, and Boom! 8PM Riverbend; cincinnatipops.org 4th of July Jam; 3PM Washington Park; washingtonpark.org Zootini; 6:30PM Cincinnati Zoo; cincinnatizoo.org Cincinnati Opera Presents: Don Pasquale: 7:30PM; cincinnatiopera.org MLB All-Star FanFest; 9AM Duke Convention Center; mlb.com 4192: An Evening with Pete Rose; 8PM Taft Theatre; tafttheatre.org MLB All-Star Softball Game; 3PM Great American Ballpark; mlb.com MLB All-Star Home Run Derby; 8PM Great American Ballpark; mlb.com MLB All-Star Game; 7:30PM Great American Ballpark; mlb.com Cincinnati Pops Presents Star Trek Live in Concert; 8PM Taft Theatre; cincinnatipops.org 51st Annual Ohio Valley Regional Emmy Awards; 5:30PM Keeneland Entertainement & Center; ohiovalleyemmy.org Cincinnati Opera Presents: Turandot: 7:30PM; cincinnatiopera,org Summer Sips; 6:30PM Ault Park; aultparkac.org
August 2 5th-10 6 13 15 15 15 15-23 20-22 28-29 29
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Jerry Wuest-Pete Hershberger Parkinson’s Network Dinner Gala; 5PM Receptions Banquet Center; ucneuroscience.com Lumenocity; 8:30PM Washington Park; lumenocity2015.com Melanoma Know More’s Blues Event; 6PM Kenwood Country Club; melanomaknowmore.com Bold Fusion YP Summit; 1:30PM Horseshoe Casino; cincinnatichamber.com Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra’s Opening Night Gala; 5:30PM Music Hall Ballroom; ccocincinnati.org Party in Plaid & Paisley; 6:30PM Masonic Ballroom; caracole.org Hospice Presents Music and Fine Wine; 7PM Mercantile Building; hospiceofcincinnati.org Western and Southern Open; Lindner Family Tennis Center; wsopen.com Brew Ha-Ha; 5PM Sawyer Point; cincybrewhaha.com Beer, Wine, and Food Festival; 5PM 400 Block in Wyoming; beerwinefood.com Taste of OTR; 11AM Washington Park; tindermerciesinc.org
YWCA CAREER WOMEN OF ACHIEVEMENT EVENT
Drawing more than 2,100 attendees, the YWCA hosted its annual luncheon to recognize 8 career women of achievement. Keynote speaker Geena Davis was keynote speaker, while the event also celebrated retiring YWCA President and CEO Charlene Ventura for over 40 years work.
Photography by Tony Bailey
Linda Tracy Gill, Sallie Westheimer, Diane Jordan-Grizzard
Michelle Ventura, Yonne Washington, Gretchen Ventura
Fay Dupuis, Cheryl Meadows, Peg Moertc
Katie Lane, Megan Schwarb, Jesscia Mays
Tina Gray, Kayla McCormick
Teresa Tanner, Ellen Vanderhurst
Andrea Ayers, Kelley Downing, Sally Guitierrez, Michele Hawkins, Candace McGraw, Lisa Smitherman, Lori Stark PHD, Carolyn Tasteo
Ginger Kent, Jessica Yankie, Margeaux Nice, Sarah Cox
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CRUISIN’ FOR A CURE
Photography P to by Tony ny Bailey
Benefitting juvenile arthritis, Cruisin’ for a Cure kicked off downtown at the new Anderson Pavilion in Smale Riverfront Park. As well as a live auction and sit down dinner, guests were some of the first to enjoy the newest addition to the riverfront project, a 46’ wide and 20’ tall carousel representing fgures of the tri-states heritage.
Beth Reichert, Bob Reichert, Larry Brueshaber, Sandy Brueshaber
Jackie Sweeney, Ann Keeling, Nique Swan, Renee Locker
Carol Dunham, Judy Koulias
George Elliott, Jeanne Elliott
Carol and Steven Reubel
Don Paparella, Heather Paparella
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Rocky Corsmeier, Beverly Corsmeier, Tony Scalia
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Certified 100% USDA Organic . Gluten Free . Powered by the Sun Organic Sugar Cane . Deep Ocean Mineral Water . Made on Maui
We welcome you to visit our organic farm, distillery and gif shop, situated on a breathtaking 80-acres on the slopes of Mount Haleakala. Tours ofered daily. Contact us for corporate and private events. To learn more, visit oceanvodka.com.
ONE WORLD . ONE OCEAN . ONE VODKA
Organic Ocean Vodka. Clean, Pure, Award-Winning Vodka from Paradise.
Please drink responsibly. Distributed by Aveníu Brands, Baltimore, MD. 40% ALC/VOL (80 Proof) ©2013.
Wave Photo: Richard Hallman. Drink Photo: Jessica Pearl. Aerial Photo:
Ocean Vodka Organic Farm and Distillery shares the dream with you, educating guests on the importance of organic farming for the conservation of land and ocean, green manufacturing and the production of spirits.
FIRE & ICE FOR JOSH CARES
P to Photography by Moire re Grainger
With a new ‘fare’ this year, Fire & Ice ignited guests’ excitement with the event’s Grand Gatsby Style at the Greenacres Arts Center in Indian Hill. Co-presented by Systems Evolution, Inc. and an Anonymous Donor, the event raised $100,000 for the Josh Cares Child Life Program at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital which is dedicated to providing comfort, support, and companionship to seriously ill children whose families are unable to be by their sides consistently.
Kristin Abbinante with Bill and Karen Conklin
Amy McGrory with Sponsors Gary and Laura Bohn
Brandon Moravek, Megan Dufn, Greg Schweppe, and Kevin and Kathy Dufn
Fire and Ice Committee members Alicia Berlinger and Tracy DiGennaro with husbands Brooks and Larry
Lisa Levine and Robert Grow
Co-Founders Dan and Lynn Pierce with Board President Jim Barney and Wife Wendy
Shari Preston, Allison Shiver Himes, with Michale and Robin Yon
Mike Wentz with Mike Collette
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Presenting:
a Polished collection 25 years in the making
featuring:
720 East Market Street, Louisville, Kentucky 40202 / 502.584.8989 / scoutonmarket.com Featuring: MARSDEN CHAIR in marquee-silver leather, LUCAS BOOKCASE in boulevard-graphite, LINCOLN PULL-UP TABLE in sugar, SHIMMER RUG in quartz, AGATE BOOKENDS in black & white, HURRICANE CANDLE HOLDERS, GLASS VASE hand-blown in the USA, DECAHEDRON OBJETS in polished stainless steel
GO RED FOR WOMEN
Te Duke Energy Convention Center was bustling with all shades of red on May 7th. Te American Heart Association hosted the luncheon geared towards women and the awareness of women with heart disease. Attendees were treated to a whole afternoon of entertainment, educational sessions, screenings, boutique shopping, and capped with red dress fashion show put on by DAAP fashion students.
Photography P to by Tony ny Bailey
Dr. Monica Hunter, Mike Keating, Jill McGruder
Jennifer Hauck, Erin Ascher, Nicole Aiello Sapio
Carol Jackson, Beth Giannetti
Tanh Pham, Nick Seitz, Nga Pham
Cahlin Dattihm, Neal Grode
Jennifer Braun, Krista Farnham
Jenny Scott, Debi Bass, Anita Smith, Stevie Swain, Michele Broadus
Jennifer Miller, Roury Mosby, Christi Nogueira
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Jef & Heather Hurr
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HATS OFF LUNCHEON
Te 9th annual Cincinnati Parks Foundation Hats of Luncheon theme this year was ‘Dream in Green’. While the Smale Riverfront Park is almost complete, the luncheon raised funds to help support the maintenance needed to keep the park ‘Green’ for years to come.
Photography by Tony Bailey
Barbara Gould, Barbara Hahn, Ronna Willis, Joyce Elkus
Cheryl Stamm, Alleen Manning
Fay Dupuis, Deborah Kurak
Joyce Wood, Manal Samy
Joeliene Magoto, Brian Phillips
Hengameh Nassef, Erin Lombardi
Brooke Olson, Danielle Deja, Deanna Sicking
Sherry Hughes
Lindsey & Sam Huttenbauer
Michelle Johnson, Lauren Davis, Diane Favors, Kevin Shibley
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HATS, HORSES & HEARTS
Kindervelt 50’s first Derby Party, “Hats, Horses & Hearts” was a huge success! 285 Kindervelt supporters gathered at a transformed Kenwood Country Club to witness the greatest two minutes in sports. Guests donned their Derby-Chic hats and attire and were treated to traditional mint juleps, sampled bourbons, competed in silent auction and placed bets on their derby favorites, all while enjoying live entertainment late into the night.
Co-Chairs: Jessica Levine, Daphne Jurgensen, Jessica Cicchinelli, and Heather Joseph
MJ Guttman and Holly Wolfson
Lauren Brisben-Hueber, Jennifer Brown & Elizabeth Wiles
Rebecca & Dr. Brion Moran
Elizabeth Lance, Elisa Alspaugh & Lynn Carson
Chris and Dina Taylor
Dr. Cliford and Rita Chin with Buf and Eppa Rixey
Dr. John L. and Shari Jeferies
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JA GUNS AND GRAPES
Over 150 women participated in the annual Guns and Grapes event at Elk Creek Hunt Club & Winery benefitting the OKI chapter for Junior Achievement. Teams of 4 women took shot at 5 targets each, and then were treated to a wine tasting and networking reception.
Nichole Richardson, Laura McCosham, Jim Stewart, Joniskot Nicki, Shuang Han
Photography by Tony Bailey
Gregg Burke. Debbie Adams, Elizabeth Hortor, Jennifer Redlinger, shelley Cooper
Marilyn Coleman, Sally Shott & Patti Wagner
Michelle Frommeyer, Sherry Ems, Briaana ritz, Sandi Hammons, Greg Volz
Cynthia Morin, Ashley Caldwell, Stephanie Turner, Kellie Weckstein with Tom Tompson
Paula Pikus, Suzanne Murray, Patti Brisben, Julie Belton
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JDRF CINCINNATIAN OF THE YEAR
Tis years JDRF annual black tie gala was the most successful to date, raising nearly $1.2 million for research toward juvenile diabetes research. Guests enjoyed a 3-course meal, auction, and live entertainment. Te 2015 Cincinnatian of the Year award was given to Mike Michael for his outstanding support of JDRF.
Photography P to by Tony ny Bailey
Frank Jones, Lori Jones, Brendan Jones
AllĂ Cole, Brad Sweeney
Michael & Lorinda Binzer, Laura & Owen Liske
Greg & Sarah Carmichael, Mary & Bill Moram
Bonnie Mitchell, John Zaring
Julie Jolson, Mara Wold
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Sarah Vester
Shawn & Jessica Niehaus, Nancy & Chris Geratewohl
Brad Johansen, Milissa Newman, Brad Caldwell
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SPRINGER CELEBRATION!
300+ guests came together for Springer’s annual gala held at the Cintas Center. Guests were treated to both silent and live auctions, as well as a variety of hands-on activities to simulate what life might be like living with a learning disability. Alumnus of Springer School and former NFL defensive lineman Michael Wright was the highlight of the event speaking words of wisdom and encouragement to both parents and children alike.
Franco Munda and Rino Munda
Springer Silent Auction Item
Brad Johansen and Michael Wright
Springer Gala
Keynote Speaker Michael Wright
Nick Spadaccini, Kirstin Eisman, Michael Wright, Shelly Weisbacher, Gina Goings
Sara Meale and Sandy Laney
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THE ART OF MAKING MEMORIES
More than 650 guests turned out for this year’s annual Alzheimer’s Associations event located at the horseshoe casino. Guests were treated to tapas-style dinner, live entertainment, raffle, and auction all emceed by local 12’s Bob Herzog. Highlights included fine art made through the associations Memories in the Making Art Program.
Photography by Tony Bailey
Ashley Lauter, Stephen Mueller MD, Niki Caldwell
Barb & Dr. Joseph Hass
Bob Bosse, Pam Smith, Donna Bosse
Darlene Barrett, Jerry Vanden Eynden, Jim Barrett
Susan & Dr. Derek van Amerongen, Kim and Kevin Kline
Tom & Julie Rotz
Libby Lame, Steve Reder
Carna & Bryan Hamilton
Paula Kollstedt, Jim Sullnan, Krista Powers
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ZOO LA LA
Photography P to by Tony ny Bailey
Set in the Zoo’s newest exhibit, Africa, guests were treated to a fun night of luxury cuisine, drinks, and entertainment. Zoo-nique cocktails were a-plenty, as well as up close live animal features including a special cheetah experience. Tis years funds will go to support schools in need for future feld trips and learning experiences at the Zoo.
Reba Dysart, Kelly & Andy Kwiatkowski
Lynette & Tim Donovan
Richard & Giorgia Stabile, Monica & Andy Hess
Craig & Anne Maier, Russ Doyle
Phillip & Tami Lanham
Emily & Ryan Hoskins
Carri Chandler, Maribeth Rahe, Kaush Amin
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Chelsea Kubicki, Michelle Walther
Chris & Noel Ripley
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