SCULPTED CABLE COLLECTION
Earlier this year, a Wells Fargo report ranked North Carolina the second-best state for women entrepreneurs, trailing only New York. While the study didn’t cite Charlotte specifically, it’s no secret this city is home to a slew of dynamic women-owned businesses — and we’ve featured many of them in these pages.
This issue is no exception. On page 22, we share the story behind architect Alison Hall’s personal home, on which she teamed with a woman-led construction firm, a woman interior designer and a female artisan. We also share a story about the evolution of Laura Park Designs as two of Laura’s daughters get involved in her 8-yearold textile and home-decor business (page 26).
And with Mother’s Day just around the corner, we’ve got a lovely essay by Charlotte writer Caroline Langerman (page 84). I’ve always admired Caroline’s writing, not only for her wit and humor but also for her candor and authenticity. Moms, if you’ve ever felt overwhelmed, guilt-stricken about taking even a moment for yourself, or estranged from your pre-mom identity, this one’s for you.
This month also marks the end of an era at Quail Hollow Club, as Wells Fargo steps down as the title sponsor of the annual PGA Tour event held here since 2003. So, what’s next? At press time, there were whispers about a new sponsor, to be announced after this month’s tournament is
over. Given the venue’s strong reputation in golf circles and Charlotte’s steadfast enthusiasm for the event (both for the golf and the socializing), don’t expect much of a pause in professional play. Take our word for it — or read what Adam Sperling, Quail Hollow Club’s director of golf, has to say about the future of pro golf in the Queen City on page 18. Whatever the future holds, we thought it would be only appropriate to reflect on the tournament’s 21 years in Charlotte. Longtime golf writer Ron Green Jr.’s story is on page 104. Finally, this issue also marks my fifth anniversary as editor of SouthPark. As a former business editor, I had no idea what to expect when I came into this role. Sure, I loved art, food and design, but could I write about them? How would I fill the pages each month? Fortunately, I quickly connected with a talented crew of freelancers that would not only get me through those first few months, but many of whom I still rely on today. Then three years ago, Assistant Editor Sharon Smith joined our staff, further lightening my load and bringing her own great ideas and passion for this community and this publication. I don’t say it often enough, but thank you (and you all know who you are), again and again, for making my job so much easier. SP
IN THIS ISSUE:
1 – Wood tones make a comeback in this Longview home (page 88)
2 – Rhino Market & Deli is the site of our SouthPark Sit-down interview with Adam Sperling (page 18)
3 – Jerald Melberg Gallery celebrates 40 years (page 32)
4 & 5 – Behind the scenes at our spring fashion shoot (page 94)
18 | people
SouthPark sit-down at Rhino Market: Quail Hollow Club’s director of golf bets on Charlotte.
22 | interiors
Charlotte architect Alison Hall’s home has plenty of elbow room.
26 | design
Laura Park branches out with new lines that are all in the family.
30 | weddings
Snapshot of our newest bridal guide
32 | art
Jerald Melberg reflects on 40 years of friends, fortune and fine art.
38 | music
The new Avett Brothers album brings it back to its early, stripped-down sound.
42 | my favorite things
Photographer Daniel Coston’s Charlotte picks
46 | around town
What’s new and coming soon in the Queen City
50 | happenings
May calendar of events
54 | givers
Artist Jake Pfeifer creates a permanent art installation representing his cancer journey.
57 | southpark stories
Charlotte Latin puts mental health at the forefront with the hiring of its first wellness director.
60 | creators of N.C.
The music of Mount Holly songwriter David Childers
63 | simple life
Poorman’s guide to domestic bliss
67 | books
New and noteworthy books from Queen City authors
71 | well + wise
Breaking up is hard to do: When friendships end
113 | swirl
Parties, fundraisers and events around Charlotte
120 | gallery
An artsy alleyway in uptown blooms and grows.
ABOUT THE COVER:
The 2023 Wells Fargo Championship at Quail Hollow Club; photograph by Stan Badz Photography courtesy the Wells Fargo Championship
84 | Racoon fur essay by Caroline Langerman | illustrations by Alice Feagan
A mom of three enters an exhilarating new phase of parenting.
88 | New view by Michelle Boudin | photographs by Tiffany Ringwald Designer Jena Bula helps empty nesters settle into their longawaited home with golf-course views.
96 | Style at any age produced by Whitley Adkins | photographs by Olly Yung Young or young at heart, Charlotte women show elegance is ageless — and wearing what you love is empowering.
104 | The place to be by Ron Green Jr.
How the Wells Fargo Championship has become an indelible part of Charlotte’s legacy.
108 | Playing through by Michael J. Solender
From luxe resorts to family-friendly venues, nearby golf destinations offer ample amenities on and off the course.
1230 West Morehead St., Suite 308 Charlotte, NC 28208 704-523-6987
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Ben Kinney Publisher publisher@southparkmagazine.com
Cathy Martin Editor editor@southparkmagazine.com
Sharon Smith Assistant Editor sharon@southparkmagazine.com
Andie Rose Creative Director
Alyssa Kennedy Art Director alyssamagazines@gmail.com
Miranda Glyder Graphic Designer
Whitley Adkins Style Editor
Contributing Editors
David Mildenberg, Michael J. Solender
Contributing Writers
Michelle Boudin, Wiley Cash, Natalie Dick, Jim Dodson, Ken Garfield, Ron Green Jr., J.J. Holshouser, Juliet Lam Kuehnle, Caroline Hamilton Langerman, Amanda Lea, Michael J. Solender
Contributing Photographers
Mallory Cash, Daniel Coston, Richard Israel, Tiffany Ringwald, Olly Yung
Contributing Illustrators
Alice Feagan, Gerry O’Neill
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people, places, things
Each year, the Charlotte Gem Preservation Awards honor exceptional examples of historic preservation in greater Charlotte. It’s also the largest annual fundraising event for the Charlotte Museum of History. Last year’s winners included First Presbyterian Church in uptown, the midcentury Cohen-Fumero House in Coventry Woods and Supperland in Plaza Midwood. This elegant 1921 Dilworth home earned an honorable mention for restoration of a historic residential structure. Whitlock Builders led the renovation. This year’s awards ceremony is May 9 at The Revelry event space in Camp North End, following a cocktail reception and silent auction. Learn more at charlottemuseum.org. SP
SETTLING DOWN IN A SOUTHERN STATE OF MIND: QUAIL HOLLOW CLUB’S DIRECTOR OF GOLF BETS ON CHARLOTTE.
by Natalie Dick | photographs by Richard IsraelIt’s a brisk pre-spring morning when Adam Sperling and I meet at Rhino Market & Deli to catch up over breakfast. A little over a year into his new gig as Quail Hollow Club’s director of professional golf, Sperling spent the previous five years planning and promoting the 2022 Presidents Cup. It took a bit of convincing to get him to share his story. While his job requires networking with big-time athletes, corporate sponsors and community leaders, Sperling prefers to be more low-key in his personal life.
“I love this place,” Sperling tells me as we discuss Rhino’s eclectic vibe. “You look around and there are so many different types of people, the menu has great diversity in offerings — it’s like a reflection of Charlotte.” His analysis is fitting and ironic. When I was considering who to interview this month, Sperling quickly came to mind for much the same reason. A relatively recent transplant, he is the epitome of today’s Charlottean. A great job opportunity brought Sperling and his family here; the qualities that make Charlotte, Charlotte, convinced them to stay.
Originally from a small town in upstate New York, Sperling graduated from Ithaca College with a sports management degree. An avid baseball fan, he dreamed of working for the Yankees, but a college internship led him down a different path.
“I had to have an internship to graduate, and the PGA Championship was coming through Rochester. It was an internship that paid, which was great for a college kid. I had played baseball growing up and didn’t
even own clubs,” he says. “I’m fortunate playing golf was never part of any interview process!”
Before he knew it, Sperling was hooked on the adrenaline that planning and managing professional golf tournaments brings. His tenacious work ethic combined with keen people skills led to a career jump from operations manager for the PGA Tour to operations director of the Monterey Peninsula Foundation, where he oversaw plans for both the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and Walmart First Tee Open (now the PURE Insurance Championship). In 2009, he moved to Las Vegas to lead the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open, where he remained for nearly nine years.
“Golf tournaments provide this blank canvas — it’s this portrait that
the people who are a part of it get to paint,” Sperling says. “I fell in love with the opportunity to create with a bunch of important constituencies and develop a product collectively. I enjoy working with a lot of different people, and I just wanted more and more responsibility.”
Sperling admits he’s not a very patient person. “When challenges become harder to identify, I get restless and find myself searching for more. I need something big to go after. I’m not one to settle into a typical daily routine.”
That was the case in 2018, when his wife, Erin, encouraged him to accept the role as executive director of the Presidents Cup at Quail Hollow Club. He’d contemplated leaving the pro golf industry and settling down in the San Francisco Bay area but then changed his mind.
“It was what I spent my whole career pursuing. I thought, if you’re going to say ‘no,’ after 15 years, to the Presidents Cup — at Quail Hollow, in Charlotte — then why did you get in the industry to begin with?” he asks with a wry smile.
Sperling hit the ground running, immersing himself in all things Charlotte. While he was familiar with Quail Hollow’s stellar reputation in the golf world as host of the Wells Fargo Championship and the 2017 PGA Championship, he wanted to understand the people and the needs of the community. What Sperling didn’t expect was the generosity and warm embrace he, his wife and their children would receive in return, and so quickly.
“I have never been somewhere so welcoming. The first week or so in our new home, one neighbor brought a bird feeder, another a bottle of wine, and another homemade barbecue. The community here is really special. It’s true southern hospitality.”
He found that same level of support from business and civic leaders who were dedicated to making the Presidents Cup at Quail Hollow the most successful yet, even after the pandemic pushed it back a year.
“The ‘can-do spirit’ you hear talked about here is real,” Sperling says. The extra 365 days provided more time to strategize and coordinate with local businesses, vendors and partners. The results of the six-day event in September 2022 were staggering, with some 200,000 fans attending and previous ticket, hospitality and sponsorship sales
records smashed. Charlotte was front and center on the international stage, while the event raised $2 million benefiting dozens of nonprofit organizations, most of them Charlotte-based.
“The team and the community took advantage of that extra time. The stars were all aligned,” Sperling explains. “Had it been anywhere else at any other time, I don’t know that it would have been what it was.
“Community is at the core of golf [tournaments] — it is purpose-driven,” he continues. “The Tour started many years ago with civic-minded leaders, and the same is true of golf in Charlotte. It’s not just about the leaderboard. It’s about what is given back to the community that is so important, that [many find] so fulfilling.”
Sperling is a self-described planner, so it came as somewhat of a surprise when he found himself settling down for good in Charlotte rather than moving on to Chicago, where the next U.S.-hosted Presidents Cup will be held in 2026. Looking back, he says subtle signs were there.
“The girls were loving school. They had friends. We got so lucky with our neighborhood! We had built a life here.” They’d even begun to adopt southern traits like saying “y’all” and developed an affinity for grits and eastern North Carolina barbecue.
“It was a moment of internal honesty. I had been in the industry for 20 years and asked myself, what’s important for the next 20 years? It’s about what matters most: your family, and where and what kind of life you want for them. We decided to focus on the life we’ve built here rather than the industry, the circuit.”
While Sperling no longer works directly for the PGA Tour, golf is still very much a part of his life, and the PGA remains a central part of his new job. His position was created by Quail Hollow to continue to grow the club’s presence in the professional golf world. That includes working with the PGA of America to prepare for the 2025 PGA Championship in Charlotte and this month’s Wells Fargo Championship.
“It marks spring in Charlotte. It’s a tradition,” Sperling
Comments have been edited for length. Favorite course other than Quail Hollow: It’s well established that I’m not a good golfer. I’ve been to Bandon Dunes in Oregon several times. It’s one place where I can have a great day on the course while playing horrible golf.
Handicap:
Mostly my mental state on the course. That’s No. 1. No. 2 is that I swing too hard. I play so infrequently that I like to say I probably have the highest vanity handicap in the golf industry.
Favorite quote:
[Quail Hollow Club President] Johnny Harris shared one that really resonates. It was told to him by Arnold Palmer: “Greatness is always under construction.”
Biggest influence:
says of the Wells Fargo Championship, which has an uncertain future when this year’s tournament ends on May 12. “We in Charlotte have been incredibly fortunate to have had consistency in the title sponsor for over 20 years. That’s not typical,” he says. But the event can continue to be a tradition, he assures me. “Not everything is player-related these days,” Sperling says, referencing the fan experience, partnerships and nonprofit aspect of the Quail Hollow tournament. “Those things won’t change. Those things are present no matter who’s playing or what they’re playing for.”
I grew up watching my great-grandfather, grandfather and dad work hard to provide for their families while also serving their communities. My grandfather used to say, “Autograph your work with quality, because every job is a self-portrait of the person who did it.”
Most frequented SouthPark spot: As a family, probably SouthPark Mall. I have three girls aged 12, 10 and 7. We were there recently for a double ear-piercing — and I can find my way to Sephora with my eyes closed!
At press time, there are rumblings that a potential new title deal is in the works. Let’s hope that’s true. I know Sperling can’t say much publicly about what’s going on behind the scenes, but he makes it clear he’s confident, even bullish, on the future of professional golf at Quail Hollow.
“If you take the unknown and layer that with the evolving landscape of golf, that begs the question of what’s next? If you are going to bet on a city, are you betting on Charlotte? Absolutely. Are you going to bet on Quail Hollow? Absolutely.
“Quail Hollow is a special place. There are courses in the U.S. that are as good as Quail for hosting a professional golf event — not many, but there are some. And there are cities out there that are as passionate about supporting golf as Charlotte — not many, but there are some. I don’t know any that put the club and the city together like Quail Hollow and Charlotte. It’s right at the top, and that’s a testament to everybody in Charlotte, the Carolinas and the club.” SP
Sperling shares how Quail Hollow’s motto, “Good to better, better to best,” aligns with his personal brand, and elaborates on why Oregon’s Bandon Dunes may be his most comfortable spot to play “bad” golf. Scan the QR code to watch.
DISCOVER WHAT’S NEW AT CHARLOTTE’S FINEST OPEN-AIR SHOPPING AND DINING DESTINATION
NEW STORES:
CHARLOTTE ARCHITECT ALISON HALL’S LOSO HOME — DESIGNED BY A WOMAN-LED TEAM — IS LIGHT AND OPEN WITH AMPLE SPACE FOR THREE GROWING BOYS.
by Cathy Martin
Alison Hall founded her residential architecture firm in 2012 with a distinct goal: building spaces for moms and for families.
As a new mom, she lost her job when the firm where she worked wouldn’t allow her to continue in a part-time role.
“My goal was: How do I make this process work for real people — real moms? Because your house can be as beautiful as
you want it to be, but if it’s a pain to bring the groceries in or if the kids’ book bags end up in the middle of the living room, what’s the point?”
A decade later, the mother of three applied that work philosophy to her own home, a new build in Colonial Heights near LoSo. After soliciting quotes from local builders, Hall teamed with Springdale Builders, led by co-founder
and CEO Andrea Seymour, on the project. “Their communication and processes are very organized — and also very thoughtful from a family-mom perspective,” Hall says.
With three growing boys, Hall wanted to make sure the main living areas were spacious and open. “I wanted it a little bit oversized so they feel like they belong in the space.” And like so many homeowners nowadays, she
didn’t see the need for a formal dining room. “We’re not really formal people,” she says. “For us, it was just one big space where all my boys could be with me, cooking or doing homework while I cook.”
For the interior design, Hall tapped Jennifer Felts of Habitude Interiors. “I’m not a girly girl,” says Hall, who was drawn to Felts’ modern, unfussy aesthetic. Hall knew she wanted walnut cabinets for the bar area, kitchen island and built-ins in the living room. “I liked the white cabinets for clean and bright, but I really wanted those natural wood elements to kind of pop and bring the room together.” The sprayed metal range hood was fabricated by Katie Schindler of Fine Grit.
Throughout the process, Hall was intentional about working with women professionals and artisans. “I love working with women, especially in this [male-dominated] industry.”
“It’s all very open and light,” Hall says. “The kitchen is Southern-facing, so even on an overcast day you do not need to turn on any lights.” The family’s previous home was a 1950s ranch that always felt dark. “So for me it was like, how can we open this up to the outside?”
Off the living room, large glass doors open to the backyard and pool. “Family gathering spaces are really important,” Hall says. The kitchen is connected to the garage via a mudroom, which serves as a drop zone for backpacks as the kids come and go.
Seymour at Springdale agrees. “Communication is generally more of a focus for females in our industry. Because communication is so important to us at Springdale, our whole team — both men and women — embrace the high value of thoughtful, thorough communication throughout the project,” she says.
“This is a male industry,” Hall adds. “But we have to remember that a lot of the clients and the decision-makers for these home projects are female.” SP
Laura Park never set out to create a flourishing home-décor brand. Eight years ago, the former schoolteacher and mother of four turned an art hobby into a bona fide business when she began photographing her paintings and transferring the digital designs to pillows, wallpaper, rugs and more.
The pandemic only fueled the business — those long months when everyone was sitting at home thinking, “I could really use some new throw pillows.” Today, along with a flagship store on Providence Road, Laura Park Designs’ textiles and accessories from pet beds to picture frames are found in showrooms and boutiques across the U.S.
Given the family’s penchant for creativity — husband Trip is an artist and illustrator — it’s no surprise that two of Laura’s daughters are now growing the business in new directions. Lawson, 24, is the founder and designer of Brooks Avenue, an apparel offshoot of Laura Park Design. Sumner, 28, curates a line of jewelry, handbags and accessories under the label Pieces by Sumner.
“I’ve always wanted to be in the design space,” says Lawson, 24, a UNC Chapel Hill grad who’s studying for an MFA in fashion design at FIT in New York City. In high school, she started an upcycled clothing business. In college, she heat-pressed graphic designs onto tees and sweatshirts and sold them online. “I’ve always had a little side hustle.”
Soon after graduation, Lawson tagged along with her mom to a networking event for the Southern Coterie, a community of women entrepreneurs. There, she met the founders of BURU, a Los Angeles-based clothing brand. “I was not expecting to get a job or to move to LA,” Lawson says, but that chance meeting led to a yearlong role as a design assistant at BURU. During that time, the seed for Brooks Avenue — her most ambitious side hustle yet — was planted.
Brooks Avenue launched in July 2023 with colorful printed maxi skirts, pajamas and handbags. The prints are a collaborative effort — some were pulled from Laura Park’s archive; others are original to Brooks Avenue. Today, the line — including dresses, blouses and quilted totes — is sold in about 100 boutiques, mostly in the southeast. The idea for the brand is to encourage women of all ages to wear color with confidence, Lawson says. “The age group doesn’t really matter, but [the customer] is a very on-the-go, confident woman who just wants to have fun with her style.”
Lawson isn’t the first Park sibling to dip her toes in the family business. “Sumner’s been with me from the beginning,” Laura says of her eldest daughter. “She went to one of my first market shows with me in New York, and helped me set up the booth. She’s always had fun sourcing and [with] product development.”
“My genuine artistic and business curiosity took off,” adds Sumner, who works full time as a news producer in New York. “Whenever we attended market shows together, I always tried to get her brand out in front of designers, publicists and corporations looking for the next rising star.” Sumner also helped organize Laura Park trunk shows in the Triangle area while she was in college.
Sumner chooses items for her accessories line, which she began as a side gig pre-Covid, to complement Laura Park’s vibrant patterns. Along with stadium bags with punchy patterned straps, Pieces by Sumner includes colorful stone earrings and bright beaded handbags sourced from India and Turkey. Future collections will include accent pillows and home-decor items.
“I love playing off of each other’s ideas and finding ways to work collaboratively,” says Sumner, who enjoys a part-time role in the business as she continues pursuing her media career.
In January 2025, Pieces by Sumner will roll out a collection featuring block prints sourced from India and derived from Laura Park patterns. For Lawson — a dreamer who muses about the someday possibility of New York Fashion Week or even a Laura Park-inspired hotel — the possibilities are endless. “I am so grateful for the years that my mom has dedicated and spent building her business, because it created the opportunity for me to pursue my childhood dream of being a fashion designer,” Lawson says. “Expanding the Laura Park brand into the world of apparel is a new area for both of us, and it’s special that we get to figure it out together.”
She attributes her drive and work ethic to her parents and her experience working for the husband-wife team at BURU. “My role model for what it looks like to start a business is to be working all the time… At dinner conversations, we’re always talking about it. I think [my mom and I are] both just really passionate about it, so it’s a natural part of our daily lives.”
While there was never any master plan for building her brand, Laura is savoring time spent with her daughters, whether through late-night phone calls to discuss work or on sourcing trips to search for new products. “It’s just evolved over time… It’s been really fun to see where it’s going and having both my girls involved now.” SP
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In case you missed it, our special publication, Weddings by SouthPark, is out and it’s filled with chic ceremonies, etiquette dos and don’ts, a honeymoon hot spot, and tips for letting your four-legged friends be part of the ceremony. Six Charlotte couples share their wedding stories, ranging from a magnificent mountainside affair to a golf-course ceremony on the 18th hole.
1 – Hayden + William Hendrix
2 – Bailey + Jake Truman
3 – Anne Howard + Coleman Wright
4 – Maura + Kenny Bitar
5 – Ellen + Gray Davis
6 – Kendra + Hunter Jones
Weddings by SouthPark at south Charlotte retailers or use the
3
GALLERIST JERALD MELBERG REFLECTS ON 40 YEARS OF FRIENDSHIP, FORTUNE AND FINE ART.
by Cathy MartinIn recent years, I’ve had several opportunities to sit down and chat with Jerald Melberg at his Charlotte art gallery. Galleries like this, where some of the finest works can fetch six figures, can be intimidating. Jerald, his wife Mary and their staff have always made me feel at ease.
After several years working as a curator at the Mint Museum in the 1970s, Melberg opened his eponymous gallery uptown in 1983. At the time, Charlotte had no fine art galleries — at least none showcasing artists of the caliber that Melberg’s did — Pablo Picasso, Romare Bearden, Robert Motherwell, Wolf Kahn and Dale Chihuly among them.
This year, the Cotswold gallery is celebrating its 40th anniversary, and again I met with Jerald to talk about the milestone moment. Despite his success over four decades as a gallery owner, Melberg, 75, still seems slightly bewildered by it all.
“Don’t some people have thoughts about what they’ve done and how they’ve done it, and has it been worthwhile?” he ponders. “Are you real — am I real? I get philosophical, and I get a little maudlin,” he chuckles.
Then the confidence returns. “I love what I do. I don’t want to sound or even be braggadocio. But damn it, I like to think in 40 years I’ve contributed something to this community.”
Melberg started his gallery long before the Bechtler or Mint Museum Uptown existed — when the Mint on Randolph Road was the museum. When the Mint was set to close for a yearlong expansion project, a museum patron pointed out the auspicious timing. “She said, Jerald, I think Charlotte is ready for a good gallery,” he recalls. “And I think you’re the one who should do it.”
He started the same way many small business owners did in the pre-internet era. “I went to the chamber of commerce, and I got every pamphlet and book on how to start a small business,” Melberg says.
Over the years, amid much hard work, some things simply fell into place — like the time a friend attending a private gathering at the gallery casually mentioned that his best friend was president of the Dedalus Foundation, the custodian of Robert Motherwell’s art. The connection quickly led to a New York meeting between Melberg and foundation president Richard Rubin.
“I left there, and I got on the elevator, and I am on cloud nine — I have just become the representative of the Robert Motherwell foundation,” Melberg says. “Twelve floors later, when I got off the elevator, I could hardly move my feet… I went from elation to scared to death.”
Given the gallery’s reputation and track record, he needn’t have worried. To mark its 40th anniversary, the gallery will present an exhibition of works by all of the gallery’s 26 artists. The exhibition debuts with a preview and party on the evening of May 3, followed the next day with a Coffee & Conversation, where the artists will interview Melberg about his career. It concludes June 28.
The following are excerpts from my conversation with Jerald Melberg. Comments have been edited for length and clarity.
I came up with the idea. I literally went to people’s homes that I knew. I’d sit there at seven o’clock on a Tuesday night, and I’d say, I have a business plan that I wrote. Here’s what I want to do. Here’s how I want to do it. Can you see a way to give me $20,000 to help me get started? A loan. And at the time, $20,000 was a lot of money — it’s still a lot of money.
My goal was to raise $100,000. And we set it up so that people would put in half of their commitment at the beginning, 25% six months later, and 25% six months later, so the gallery would have two booster shots. I was able to raise $87,000 — and fish or cut bait, we went fishing. I never took a second payment. I never took any of the third payments. Within one year, I had bought everybody out and they made 40 cents on the dollar profit.
I was able to put together the very first Picasso show in North Carolina in 1984. It took a lot of work. Going to Geneva, where [the works were] stored and seeing these racks of paintings was an astonishing experience. When I knew it was all solid, I called [Charlotte Observer art critic] Richard Maschal. I brought him this press release and a whole packet and said, we’re going to do this monster Picasso show — first time in North Carolina. And I’m giving you the scoop. He thought it was fabulous — he was very excited. So the next morning, I went to get a paper. I started paging all the way through to the end of the sports section and found nothing.
I was so crushed; I was so disappointed. And then I put the paper down and realized it was on the front page under the fold.
My proudest moment is the time when I was invited to be the godfather of the first graduating class at the Charlotte school in Arequipa, Peru. If I were to leave a legacy at all, for me, it would be the kids and my work with school. I’ve been to Peru over 30 times. We started with a one-room school that was just concrete brick, tin roof. The kids sat on a concrete block and held a piece of wood in their lap. They went to school in three-hour shifts, three different shifts. The kids had to leave their pencil behind for the next student.
Arequipa is the second largest city in Peru after Lima. It has been Charlotte’s sister city for over 60 years. I was asked by the Charlotte Sister Cities committee to help them organize a show of artists from Arequipa in Charlotte. That’s how I started. I’d never heard of Arequipa — I couldn’t pronounce it. I didn’t know how to spell Arequipa.
I have been so proud to be involved. I’ve done fundraisers at my gallery. We now have a 30-classroom elementary school. We have a technical high school, a cafeteria, a kitchen. A couple of years ago, we installed solar panels on the roof of two of the buildings. We’ve gone from a piece of wood in your lap to a computer lab in 30 years.
I have been most fortunate to be able to mount exhibitions for some enormously important artists. I did a massive Romare Bearden exhibition at The Mint. It was a decade-long retrospective. That was all finished, and I was in New York having lunch with Bearden. And I said, Romie, I need to tell you that I’m going to be leaving the museum. And he said, Well, I’ve already heard. And I said, well then you probably know that I’m planning to open a gallery in your hometown, and Romie, I would be so honored if I could represent you. And he looked across the table, and he said, I was going to be so disappointed if you did not ask. What I love: I make a sale — yes, that’s great. For me, all that does
is give me the opportunity to do what I’m doing again tomorrow. Because I take joy in seeing people’s faces. I take joy in having a client look at me and say, Jerald, I don’t know if I should love you or hate you. I think that’s a great compliment.
I’m so fortunate that I’ve been able to meet so many incredible people. And how many of them — incredible artists, incredible collectors — have become good friends. I have one guy, he comes in here frequently just to kick around to see what’s going on. He doesn’t come to my office to say hello. He comes back here where the liquor cabinet is and makes himself a bourbon. Then he goes to find me. Which is great — I love it.
I have a small group of artists that I believe in and I’ve continued to promote. It’s not, for me, about what they make. What I mean is it doesn’t matter if they’re representational or abstract. If they speak to me, and I think they are terrific artists, that’s what matters. It’s the emotional response. If that’s there for me, then I can convince others and I can sell it.
Recently, about a year ago, we added an artist, a very significant and important artist, Donald Sultan. I’ve always admired his work. I just decided one day I’d call him up. A week later, Mary and I were going to be in New York, so I went to see him. We’re sitting at a table in his studio. I started my pitch about who I am… and he stopped me. He said, Jerald, I’ve known who you are for years. I’ve just been waiting for you to call me. I’m still learning these lessons — that I can reach out, it’s OK. And he’s become an excellent addition to the gallery.
I have never thought of giving it up. I’m still enjoying it. I have things to do. I used to get to the gallery by 7:30 or 7:45, and I’d go all day long. These days, if I decide to have a second cup of coffee and sit on the deck at 9:30 because it’s a beautiful morning, I have a great staff. And I think that maybe, I’ve deserved that. And they think so, too. Sometimes I can’t go the way I used to go, but I’m still in the game. I still want to be in the game. It’s important to me what we’re doing. SP
In the life cycle of most bands, self-titled albums tend to be the first one they release into the world. But if an eponymously titled LP comes later than that, it often represents a transition — a get-back-to-roots move, or a reinvention.
The Avett Brothers (Ramseur/American Recordings), the 11th full-length studio album by Concord’s Avett Brothers, feels like a little of both. Sonically, it’s a reconnection to Scott and Seth Avett’s early stripped-down days as a trio with bassist Bob Crawford. But aside from the jittery-paced first single “Love of a Girl,” most of its songs move at a slower, more stately tempo. And deciding what to call the album took almost as much effort as writing its nine songs.
“We had to do some intense mind-mapping and contemplating to get to that,” says elder brother Scott Avett. “We actually had several other titles that never quite did it. When we’d describe this album to people, a common theme seemed to be ‘less is more.’ And that seemed like the heart of what it was. That untitled area, negative space. People can do what they want with all of it.”
While the new album is the Avetts’ first since 2019’s Closer Than Together, the past five years have been an eventful stretch. Scott, an acclaimed painter whose artwork adorns most Avett Brothers albums (including this one), picked up solid reviews when his first museum show opened at Raleigh’s North Carolina
Museum of Art in fall 2019. (Scott regularly shows at Charlotte’s SOCO Gallery.)
The Avett Brothers battled the shutdown with a series of socially distanced drive-in shows at Charlotte Motor Speedway in their hometown of Concord. The pandemic shutdown also coincided with work on their first theatrical show.
Written by Tony-winning playwright and Avetts fan John Logan, Swept Away is a musical about a shipwrecked crew. And while the brothers themselves don’t appear in it, their songs give the story shape and character. It opened in Washington, D.C., this past November and picked up the sort of raves that should take it to New York — “Swept Away has proved itself worthy of a Broadway christening,” was The Washington Post’s take.
“The biggest misapprehension that theater people have about the Avetts is they do ‘sort of country music,’” says Logan. “No, they’re an Americana band that does pop, rock, funk, country-western, polka and straight-up power ballads. What impresses me about their catalog is the incredible range they have. So much of their writing is character-based, and there’s a theatricality about their music. The most important thing for me is I think their music deserves the widest possible audience.”
Being on the cusp of Broadway is a long way from the Avetts’ scruffy origins more than two decades ago. They started out busking all over the state, often from the back of a pickup truck
with a piano, steadily building up a fan base with a performing style best described as folk music in a key of wild abandonment.
They’ve acquired some fans in high places, among them movie director Judd Apatow, who co-directed the 2017 Avett Brothers documentary May It Last. Another was svengali producer Rick Rubin, who signed the Avetts in time to oversee 2009’s I and Love and You (their first gold record).
Since then, the Avetts have placed three albums in the top
10 of the Billboard 200 while steadily growing into a top-drawing live act playing festival stages from MerleFest to Coachella. The size of their lineup has grown, too, more than doubling to a seven-piece band.
That will actually complicate things a bit when the Avetts get back on the road this year for their most extensive touring since pre-pandemic times. Most of The Avett Brothers is quieter than a large lineup might allow.
“We’ll have the seven-piece show, and it will take our commitment to serve the songs what they need to be,” Avett says. “We’ll have to make sure not to give in to the temptation of overdoing it, with all of us banging away. That would kill the vibe.”
After an opening vocal prelude, the first words on the album-opening “Never Apart” are younger brother Seth Avett crooning, “Life cannot be written, it only can be lived.” That plays into the overall less-is-more theme, in which vibes and emotions take precedence over words. That’s in marked contrast to the preceding Closer Than Together, a wordy album that even came with a sociopolitical “Mission Statement” on the lyric sheet.
“No mission statement this time,” Scott Avett says. “But there are other things in place, symbolism with drawings that accompany each song. I hope the lyrics will be all the mission statement it needs. We wanted to emphasize the negative space, which is a gift to listeners. That unfilled space is where everybody gets to make it their own.” SP
Daniel Coston is perhaps best known to SouthPark readers for his photos capturing the city’s events and galas in our Swirl section ( page 113). But Daniel’s greatest passion is photographing North Carolina’s music scene. Since he moved to Charlotte in 1983, he’s photographed everyone from Johnny Cash and The Avett Brothers to Wilco and The Beach Boys. Daniel, who is originally from upstate New York, is also a music producer, historian and the author of six books, with two more in the works.
“I am sort of a jack of all trades. I grew up thinking I would be a filmmaker or working in television. Along the
BECKY MCGRATH TEAM
way I realized I was a writer who also should be a photographer… I’ve never drawn lines on myself along the way.”
Still, Daniel finds joy in social photography. “Being an event photographer really showed me who was making good things happen in Charlotte. You learn quickly these people are not only fun to be around, but they are doing good things in our community.” Notable events he looks forward to each year include The Heart Ball, Bella Notte, the Bechtler Gala, and the Good Fellows and Good Friends luncheons.
He cites former Charlotte Observer social editor Olivia Fortson as an inspiration. “To this day, I am shooting for Olivia, even if she is not my editor. It is the way Olivia carried herself and presented Charlotte every day. I learned a lot from Olivia”
Comments are edited for length and clarity.
I really like The Evening Muse. Joe Kuhlmann, the owner, has worked really hard to make that venue so special. I’ve seen so many amazing shows there over the last 20-plus years.
CHARLOTTE
If you get to explore The Dunhill, there’s a lot of interesting 1920s architecture there. A few other hotels that I’ve worked in are the Westin, the Marriott (Center City) and the Ritz-Carlton. These venues were not here when I started in Charlotte, and I’m very thankful they are here now. It’s helped the growth of Charlotte’s social scene by giving nonprofits and organizations a regular home to hold their events. When I started in the ’90s, you were either at the convention center or in somebody’s house.
LOCAL CELEBS
I’ve really enjoyed getting to know the various Carolina Panthers players through the years. I photographed several of Cam Newton’s Thanksgiving events, which were always fun. And Scott Avett — I’ve known Scott for close to 25 years now.
Gwyneth Paltrow “I did happen to photograph her at Center City Music Fest when she attended a music festival during the 2001 filming of Shallow Hal. Gwyneth showed up at a concert for Duncan Sheik. She went to see the show and proceeded to sit alongside the stage and sang along to Duncan’s cover of Radiohead’s ‘Fake Plastic Trees.’” Johnny Cash “In the summer of 2003, I was asked by the Carter family to photograph what would be the first tribute show he did to his wife, June Carter Cash, a month after she passed away. To this day, those experiences feel like a dream.” Aretha Franklin “I was photographing Aretha Franklin at the McGlohon Theatre three days after Whitney Houston passed away. She did a 10-minute tribute to Whitney during the show. It got very real, and very gospel.” SP
Lupie’s Café is always a good time. I’ve spent many an afternoon at that place. I usually do a BLT with pimento cheese. There’s been a lot of change in Charlotte, and a lot of the places where I used to hang out are no longer around. I’m really glad that Lupie’s is still there — it’s comfort food on different levels.
As a music photographer, I’ve had a lot of fun in recording studios around Charlotte. I love working at Old House Studio, Sioux Sioux Studio and other smaller studios. I still feel like a kid having fun documenting and watching music being created.
Deep on the west side of Mecklenburg County, WBT’s original radio tower from the 1920s is hiding in plain sight. They are very protective of it — it is surrounded by fencing, and it’s very hard to get to. But when I look at that tower, I am amazed by all the history that has been broadcast from that tower and how far Charlotte has come in 100 years.
The Carl Sandburg Home in Flat Rock, because I love the back-to-nature feel of that area. Sandburg’s brother-in-law, Edward Steichen, was one of my favorite photographers. I love taking a walk in his footsteps. Also, Morrow Mountain State Park near Albemarle for its diverse amount of scenic overlooks, water views and a good place to explore.
Mitchell Kearney, who photographed the music scene in New York in the ’70s before moving to Charlotte. Also Don Sturkey, who was the Observer’s photographer for 40 years. Whenever I grow up, I still want to be Don Sturkey. SP
Dogwood: A Southern Table will reopen at The Westin in uptown as part of a $24 million hotel renovation. Dogwood was located in SouthPark’s Ashley Park from 2014-23. The 140-seat restaurant is expected to open in December. Matt Cabana — a former tennis pro, turned banker, turned baker — opened The Accidental Baker at Metropolitan in midtown. The one-man operation specializes in sourdough and gluten-free baked goods. Noche Bruta, a Mexican dining experience from Hector Gonzalez-Mora, debuted at HEX Coffee, Cocktails & Kitchen at Camp North End. Gonzalez-Mora was previously known for his Chilito taco pop-ups and, later, El Toro Bruto concept at Resident Culture Brewing. Noche Bruta is open Thur. - Sat. from 5-10 p.m. Cakeable Cafe opened in uptown. The nonprofit bakery offers jobs and training for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. What the Fries debuted in its new space in the renovated lobby of City Kitch in Wesley Heights. City Kitch hosts a range of food concepts, from food trucks and ghost kitchens to restaurants under one roof. Cocktail bar Sneak opened at Pecan Point in Elizabeth, with a bar program described as “a fusion of classic and retro cocktail techniques with a unique twist.” Cornelius brewery Lost Worlds Brewing
opened a taproom at Metropolitan. The taproom and terrace are dog-friendly, and guests can order food from a special pub menu from Joan’s Deli. Tap & Vine, a wine bar and restaurant with locations in Ballantyne and Indian Trail, opened in the former Harry’s Grille & Tavern space at Quail Corners. Blue Blaze Brewing in west Charlotte closed. Dreamchaser’s Brewery in Waxhaw closed; Middle James Brewing plans to open in the same location.
Anne Springs Close Greenway debuted two new amenities in April. The Mountain Bike Skills Park offers ramps, rollers, drops and balance features, downhill and uphill rock gardens, and pump, bump and jump lines, suited for beginner to experienced riders. The Crandall Bowles Children’s Farm is a new educational hub that includes a petting zoo, half-mile loop trail, gathering lawn, garden and observation areas for horses, alpacas, cattle, ducks, rabbits and other barnyard animals. The Historic Tack Shed, the greenway’s oldest existing structure dating to 1885, is also part of the farm.
Belk teamed with Society Social on a spring clothing and home-decor collection to celebrate the 10th anniversary of its Crown & Ivy line. North Carolina-based Society Social, started by Roxy Te Owens (a former fashion buyer at the Charlotte-based department store chain), is known for its preppy-chic, grand-millennial style. Dillard’s department store debuted The Coterie Shop, a store-within-a-store featuring four boutique women’s apparel brands: Abbey Glass, BURU, CROSBY by Mollie Burch and Fanm Mon. Coterie Shop styles are available at two dozen Dillard’s locations, including SouthPark Mall, and online at dillards.com. Twenty Two West reopened at 2338 The Plaza. The jewelry and home-decor business was started by Mary Hamby in 2015. The new studio and store also has a “chai window” for house-made tea. The shop is open Wed. - Sat. 11 a.m. - 6 p.m. SP
The Whitewater Center opened Off Leash, its 70-acre dog park, with a 1.5-mile loop trail, a pebble beach and lake access, and plenty of open and wooded areas for frolicking and relaxing. Food and drink offerings (for each dog’s human counterpart) are available at the new Barley House, a timber-framed outpost that incorporates repurposed pine trees from the area. Guests can take in views of the lake on the back deck or cool off steps away under a shaded pavilion. Dogs must have a collar and tag, be at least 4 months old and vaccinated. Guests must purchase an activity pass ($10) for each dog, and there’s a three-dog limit per person.
APRIL 27, 2024–FEBRUARY 16, 2025| MINT MUSEUM
Lovin’ Life Music Fest
May 3-5
This inaugural fest comes to uptown’s First Ward with major headliners performing across three stages. The Avett Brothers, Post Malone, Stevie Nicks, Noah Kahan, DaBaby, Maggie Rogers, Dashboard Confessional, The Chainsmokers and The Fray lead the lineup of 40+ artists. Three-day general admission tickets are $319, with VIP packages available. lovinlifemusicfest.com
Swan Lake
May 3-12
For the first time, Charlotte Ballet presents this famous classical ballet with Tchaikovsky’s hauntingly beautiful score brought to life by the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra. Tickets start at $30. charlotteballet.org
Kings Drive Art Walk
May 4-5
Stroll among art, crafts and music at this free annual spring event along Little Sugar Creek Greenway between East Morehead Street and the Pearl Park Way bridge. festivalinthepark.com
Art in the Garden
May 4-5
Wander through seven private gardens in Eastover, Sedgefield, Kingswood, Ballantyne and Huntcliffe during the Charlotte Garden Club’s annual tour. Artwork by plein-air artists and potters will be available to purchase. Advance tickets are $40, day of tickets are $45 and children under the age of 17 are free. charlottegardenclub.com
Wells Fargo Championship Tee-Off Concerts
May 4 & 11 | 6 p.m.
Yacht Rock Schooner and September in the Park take the stage at Symphony Park as part of the SouthPark After 5 series presented
by SouthPark Community Partners. General admission tickets start at $20, with a two-day package starting at $39. southparkafter5.com
N.C. Sports Hall of Fame Induction Celebration
May 5
The Class of 2024 has quite a roster. Bob McKillop, retired head coach of the Davidson men’s basketball team; Charlotte native and CBS sports broadcaster Jim Nantz; and former Carolina Panthers star wide receiver Steve Smith Sr. are among the 11 inductees. Tickets for the dinner and program at the Charlotte Convention Center start at $175. ncshof.org
Wells Fargo Championship
May 6-12
Rory McIlroy, Max Homa, Rickie Fowler and other top players will compete for a $20 million purse as the tournament returns to Quail Hollow Club. Ticket prices vary. wellsfargochampionship.com
Hadestown
May 7-12
The Tony Award-winning musical is the modern retelling of two mythic love stories (Orpheus and Eurydice, King Hades and wife Persephone) which takes the audience on a hell-raising journey to the underworld and back. Tickets start at $30. blumenthalarts.org
Hats in the Garden
May 15 l 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Raise your champagne glass to toast nature’s wonder at Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden. This annual fundraiser features a luncheon, keynote artist speaker and a legendary hat contest. Individual tickets are $300. dsbg.org/visit/hats-in-the-garden Cheerwine Festival
May 18
This annual festival celebrates all things Cheerwine in the city where it was created
back in 1917, Salisbury. Expect Cheerwineinspired beer, crafts and food from local and regional vendors. cheerwinefest.com
The Secret Gardens of Fourth Ward
May 18-19 | 12 - 4 p.m.
Historic Fourth Ward’s annual self-guided spring tour includes food and cocktail tastings at gardens and restaurants along the way. Day-specific tickets are $30, or a weekend flex ticket is $40. fourthwardclt.org
Meck Mile
May 25
All ages and all experience levels are welcome at this inaugural race, where participants can run, walk, skip or dance their way through Memorial Stadium. The daylong festivities include food, cheer stations, live music and a kids zone. charlottesports.org/ event/meck-mile
Coca-Cola 600
May 26
It’s the 65th running of this Memorial Day weekend tradition at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Expect military appreciation events, a pre-race concert by Matchbox Twenty, plus driver appearances. charlottemotorspeedway.com
Critical Mass Bike Ride
May 31 I 6:45 p.m.
Show solidarity with Charlotte’s biking community in this 2nd annual 7-mile group ride. CLT Urbanists, Sustain Charlotte and CLT Development launched the bike ride in an effort to grow support for enhanced bike lanes and infrastructure citywide. Meet at First Ward Park. SP
Scan the QR code on your mobile device to view our online events calendar — updated weekly — at southparkmagazine.com.
Offering casseroles, fresh entrees and sides, layer cakes, pies, cookies, fresh baked breads, ice cream, sorbet, and appetizers – all made in-house, along with beer and wine. We have indoor and year-round outdoor seating for guests to enjoy an appetizer and a bottle of wine.
In 1993, at just 5 years old, Jake Pfeifer was diagnosed with stage 3 rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare childhood cancer. Doctors discovered an inoperable tumor behind his left eye, penetrating his brain. His parents, Michael and Sonya, were devastated.
“The doctors told my parents I had a 5% chance I would survive three years,” Jake says. His prognosis was so bleak that Jake’s doctors arranged a Make-A-Wish trip for him with his siblings, and, on two occasions, Jake’s parents made funeral preparations.
His treatment plan was intensive, involving a lifetime dose of radiation to his head and three chemotherapy regimens. Jake was in and out of the hospital for 18 months, sometimes staying for weeks at a time.
Reflecting on this challenging chapter of his life, Jake finds it difficult to express the impact of cancer and its treatment. “For some, it is a battle and a war,” Jake says. “For others, it is a journey. For me, although I was very young, it was both.”
Due to the initial severity of his illness, Jake was 15 when he learned his cancer was in remission. Although he grapples with long-term treatment side effects, survivor’s guilt and anxiety about
his cancer recurring, Jake remains determined to embrace life fully after being granted a second chance.
At age 14, a family trip to Bermuda ignited Jake’s love for glass blowing. He spent hours observing an open-air, oceanfront hot shop that revealed both the technical challenges and the artistic potential of glass. During high school, Jake delved into learning and perfecting the craft, and he hasn’t looked back.
Jake earned an art degree and graduated with honors from Rochester Institute of Technology in New York. “We are enormously proud of him,” Sonya says. “Whether it is his health, difficulty with a new piece of artwork, or just navigating life, Jake has turned every stumbling block into a stepping stone.”
Despite his college professor’s suggestion to teach glass blowing at a university, Jake harbored a different dream: to establish his own gallery and studio by the age of 30. In 2018, that dream became a reality when Jake founded Hot Glass Alley, Charlotte’s only glass blowing studio.
Jake parallels glass blowing with his cancer journey, emphasizing
the perseverance that both require. Just as he committed to seeing his treatment through to the end, he applies the same tenacity to his craft. “When blowing glass, a piece undergoes many changes through the process and, at times, can almost be lost,” Jake says. “But like the result of my cancer treatment, fortunately, most of the pieces result in something beautiful.”
Over time, Jake has attempted to push aside the memories of his cancer battle. However, he acknowledges the experience significantly shaped his life, and he wants to offer hope to others facing similar challenges.
One way Jake does this is by working with the Paula Takacs Foundation for Sarcoma Research to create a permanent art installation at Atrium Health Levine Cancer in Charlotte as part of the organiza-
tion’s “Growing Hope Through Art” program. The Charlotte-based foundation funds novel clinical trials and other sarcoma research projects at Levine Cancer and Atrium Health Levine Children’s.
Camine Pappas, a communications consultant working with the foundation, says the organization created the “Growing Hope Through Art” program as a way to elevate its mission. “Our hope is that the nature of this permanent installation at Levine Cancer will bring healing and light to all who experience it,” Pappas says.
Jake is on track to complete the inaugural installation in May. The project titled “Seasons of Life” will be located in a highly traveled corridor at Levine Cancer, connecting buildings one and two on Atrium Health’s midtown campus.
The “Seasons of Life” installation is the first time Jake has interpreted his own cancer journey through glass. The 18-foot-wide by 8-foot-tall permanent art feature centers around a blossoming tree crafted entirely from handblown glass. Viewers traverse the seasons through Jake’s eyes, experiencing the poignant journey through his battle with cancer as a child. The wind-swept branches bear intricate glass blossoms that morph with each season, from greens and ambers (summer and fall) to blues and pinks (winter and spring). Each hue marks time, as cancer and nature intertwine.
For Jake, the summer and spring seasons serve as bookends. “These months are my favorite,” Jake says. “They represent joy, warmth, strength and promise.” He hopes people see and feel these emotions through his piece.
“Cancer is a difficult journey. The environment we are in while going through it has a direct impact on our emotional, psychological and physical well-being,” Jake says. “My purpose is to provide a sculpture that brings happiness and energy, as well as creating a soothing, calming space.” SP
Learn more about the Paula Takacs Foundation for Sarcoma Research and the new art program at growinghopethroughart.org. To learn more about Jake and Hot Glass Alley, visit hotglassalley.com. You can schedule a free tour, sign up for a “date night” glass blowing session, or visit the gallery to shop for one-of-akind handmade pieces.
LINDA HENLEY
KATHRYN PEARSON
CHARLOTTE LATIN PUTS MENTAL HEALTH AT THE FOREFRONT WITH THE HIRING OF THE SCHOOL’S FIRST DIRECTOR OF STUDENT SUPPORT AND WELLNESS.
by Ken GarfieldWhen the school day begins each weekday morning at Charlotte Latin, Michele King and her team get busy. Not so much literally as figuratively, they are looking for the student who has suddenly shed his or her group of friends. The honor roll fixture whose A’s and B’s have fallen to D’s and F’s. The athlete whose energy level isn’t what it used to be.
At schools across the region, where the pressures of modern life prey on adolescents, teachers and staff are constantly seeking out that struggling young soul. As Charlotte Latin’s first director of student support and wellness, it’s more than a full-time job for King. It’s a calling: to look beyond academics to the mental and emotional well-being of the 1,500 students in Grades TK-12. To grow a culture in which students support their friends in seeking help when needed. To hear a cry for help even if a child or teenager is too frightened to cry out loud. “By building in students an understanding that, as humans, we are better able to be our best with support from meaningful relationships around us, then they see that encouraging a friend to get help or walking a friend to the counselor’s office would not seem unusual,” King says.
King, who began work Jan. 3, spent 22 years with Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools. Her focus there was on student wellness. She maintains N.C. licenses in clinical social work, school social work and school counseling. At Charlotte Latin, she is working to bring a holistic approach to what is already being done by counselors, nurses and learning-resources staff, the latter helping with skill-building
for students in areas like executive functioning and dyslexia.
King will coordinate wellness efforts, whether it’s organizing a book study or engaging with student clubs like Project Happiness, which provides uplifting moments such as bringing goats to campus during final exams to lighten the mood. She’ll study statistics and trends, including as it relates to adolescents and suicide. She’ll work with faculty, coaches and other staff, fine-tuning their antenna: The first-grader who visits the school nurse for frequent stomach aches. The 11th-grader who suddenly is eating alone in the cafeteria. It’s up to all of us to see them. And to act.
She will also serve on the independent school’s crisis team. The reality of having to worry about entrances and exits is enough to send a chill up a school’s collective spine. School, now, must be about more than passing chemistry.
“We believe that students thrive when our commitment to academic excellence is matched by the actions we take to support our students’ comprehensive well-being,” Head of School Chuck Baldecchi said when announcing King’s hiring.
We know what weighs heavy upon a student’s mind: Peer pressure. Academic pressure. Bullying. The lure of drugs and alcohol. A broken home. A broken romance that feels like the end of the world, and sometimes is for an emotionally distraught youngster. Not getting in or falling out of the social group of choice. Waking up at 7 on a Monday morning, already overwhelmed by what the day (and the day after) might bring.
Now take all of it and have it exposed to your world on social media. As King puts it, “If everyone knows I’m interested in XYZ Ivy League school and I don’t get in…” Or “My friends were invited to this party and I wasn’t…”
“There is no getting around our students being exposed to and engaged in various digital platforms,” King says. “It’s important that we engage with our students, faculty and parents in educational opportunities and important conversations about how to navigate these experiences in ways that are healthy, balanced and informed.”
Acknowledging the challenge, Charlotte Latin planned to bring author Devorah Heitner to campus in April to talk with parents and students separately about her book, Growing Up in Public: Coming of Age in a Digital World. How can a student grow up safe and sound in a world where nearly every moment of their lives is shared and compared? Heitner poses that question on her website. Upon the answer lies the health of our sons and daughters.
The last word goes to Heather Bonner. Sean and Heather Bonner’s son, Sean Jr., had a positive experience at Charlotte Latin. He was captain of the baseball team. He was named Quiet Leadership Athlete of the Year as a senior. He went off to Denison University in Granville, Ohio, where he majored in economics and pitched on the baseball team. In November 2018 of his junior year, Sean took his life. He was 20. In his memory, the Bonners founded the nonprofit Mission 34 to encourage adolescents to share what’s on their hearts. They hope that what their son’s alma mater has done will help shatter the stigma around mental health.
“We need to teach them at a young age to talk about these things,” Heather says. “I’m glad Charlotte Latin has put somebody in place to oversee well-being.”
At the school of 1,500 students off Providence Road in south Charlotte, the focus is on more than reading, writing and arithmetic. SP
Ken Garfield is a freelance writer and editor in Charlotte who helps families prepare obituaries and charitable causes tell their stories. Reach him at garfieldken3129@gmail.com.
• In the United States, one in six youth ages 6 to 17 experiences a mental-health disorder each year (National Alliance on Mental Illness).
• In 2021 in the United States, suicide was the third leading cause of death for ages 15 to 19 (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention).
• NAMI Charlotte (National Alliance on Mental Illness) offers programs and support for youth, families and caregivers, including on suicide prevention. Speakers are available for faith, business, school and civic groups. Find details at namicharlotte.org
• Heather and Sean Bonner, whose son, Sean Jr., took his life at age 20, founded Mission 34 in his memory. The Charlotte-based nonprofit works to shatter the stigma surrounding mental health. No. 34 was the number on his baseball jersey. Learn more at mission34.org
• If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health emergency, call 911 or 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline) or go to the nearest emergency center.
June 28,
One chilly evening in early March, I parked in front of WiredCoffeeEspress in Kannapolis. I waited in the car for a few moments, wondering if I had the right place. The coffee shop sits in a strip mall between a discount store and a supermercado, and it seemed like a surprising spot to find one of my favorite living musicians on a Tuesday night. But then I remembered that I was there to see Mount Holly native David Childers, a universally beloved songwriter who is equally at home sitting in on an intimate showcase of local musicians in front of a weeknight crowd as he is performing with the Avett Brothers in the Greensboro Coliseum.
Inside I found Childers already seated on the small stage, tuning his acoustic guitar and adjusting the harmonica holder around his neck. He and two other men about his age spent the next hourand-a-half taking turns playing original songs, each performing five or six numbers. I knew most of the songs Childers played, but I couldn’t help but be struck by their beauty and nuance, how he was able to create rich tension between two lines that revealed a
complicated duality that most songwriters aren’t capable of reaching for, much less grasping.
“There are moments of greatness,” he sang during his last song of the evening, “but this ain’t one of those.”
He could’ve fooled me.
By 10p.m. Childers and I were sitting outside in front of the coffee shop as patrons loaded into their cars and trucks to head home for the evening, but not before several of them stopped by our table to say hello. One of them offered Childers condolences on the recent passing of Malcolm Holcombe, a singer-songwriter from western North Carolina whom Childers knew for years and who recently lost a long battle with cancer. Childers had honored his friend that evening by performing one of Holcombe’s songs.
“I’m sorry we lost Malcolm,” the man said.
“Yeah,” Childers responded, “but I think Malcolm’s in a better place.” He smiled a sly smile. “We’ll probably run into him.”
Holcombe and Childers came up together in the North Carolina music scene, two literary singer/songwriters who both seemed haunted by the South, its religious iconography, its mystery, and its hardscrabble economics. Both men released their debut albums in 1999 and spent the years before and after touring incessantly, making regular jaunts across Europe.
“I couldn’t get a gig around here in Charlotte,” Childers said, referring to a time when most bars wanted cover bands, not poets with guitars singing blue collar stories about mill closures and lost souls. “I was pretty much by myself, although I would get these bands together and eventually started getting gigs. One place was Dilworth Brewing. That let me get some experience because I started late.” Childers, in his mid60s now, was around 38 years old when he began performing publicly while he and his wife, Linda, raised a young family, all while Childers worked 50 and 60 hours a week as an attorney in Mount Holly.
In 2007, he looked around and decided that life on the road wasn’t for him, especially when he realized that by the end of November he’d only spent four weekends at home during the entire year. There were things he wanted to do in Mount Holly: spend time with his wife and kids, work in the yard, paint.
“I’d been playing overseas, and there had been some good things, but there was a lot of disappointment, a very mixed bag. And I just realized, I don’t want to be in an airplane all the time or in strange hotels or riding in buses and cars. And Charlotte was changing, North Carolina was changing. The music scene was opening up, and I was getting more of a name, so I had more opportunities. Why fly all over the place if you can stay here and make a living?
“I don’t have the wanderlust anymore,” he continues. “I don’t really want to go anywhere.”
And that makes sense if you listen closely to Childers’ more recent music, almost all of which is firmly grounded in the Mount Holly soil that rests along the Catawba River dividing Gaston and Mecklenburg counties. The songs from The Next Best Thing (2013), Run Skeleton Run (2017), Melancholy Angel (2023) and especially 2020’s Interstate Lullaby play like soundtracks of mill culture, zeroing in on the hope born in the post-war years of the 1950s and the despair felt once the lifeblood of local industries began to seep away.
“It’s there in those songs,” he said. “Those two emotions — hope and despair — they give you a conflict, and that’s a good thing to have in a song.”
A young man was standing nearby, and Childers looked up and saw him.
“Hey, man,” Childers said. He shook the young guy’s hand. “I’m glad you came out. I’ve seen you play.”
The guy seemed surprised and genuinely touched, and before walking toward the parking lot he invited Childers to an upcoming show. Childers promised to try and make it.
“That boy’s a hell of a songwriter,” Childers said.
We talked for a few more minutes, and then it was time for Childers to step inside the coffee shop to pack up his gear. I asked him how long the drive home to Mount Holly would take.
“It’s about 40 minutes,” he said. He stood from his chair and stretched his back.
I apologized for keeping him so long after the show ended.
“It’s OK,” he said. “It was a good show, and it was nice to chat.”
“I hope it was worth the late drive home on dark roads,” I said.
He smiled. “Hope and despair,” he said. SP
Wiley Cash is the executive director of Literary Arts at UNC Asheville and the founder of This Is Working, an online community for writers.
Does your spouse or partner suffer from RRBS, also known as Recurring Refrigerator Blindness Syndrome?
The symptoms are relatively easy to diagnose. Your husband is making himself the first locally-grown tomato sandwich of the season and opens the refrigerator in search of Duke’s mayonnaise. He scans the refrigerator shelves for three full minutes, growing increasingly agitated as he shifts jars of pickles and containers of mystery meat and cottage cheese hither and yon.
Finally, after shifting the contents of the entire refrigerator around and even checking the vegetable and meat bins for the missing mayonnaise, he straightens up and loudly declares one of two things:
“This is ridiculous! I know we have mayonnaise! I saw it in here yesterday!”
Or, alternatively, with a wail of wounded resignation, “Honey, where’s the G#%@* mayonnaise? You said you just bought a brand-new jar this week. Someone must have taken it!”
Commonly, what happens next is the victim’s spouse calmly appears, opens the refrigerator and, within seconds, presents the aggrieved spouse with a fresh new jar of Duke’s mayonnaise. Turns out, the mayonnaise was partially hidden behind a carton of orange juice last used by said victim, apparently in plain view only to the average female person.
If you live in my house, this happens on an almost daily basis. Yes, I suffer from Recurring Refrigerator Blindness Syndrome.
But I am not alone.
There are untold millions of us out here who suffer instantaneous blindness whenever we open the refrigerator in search of condiments, cold pizza, leftover mac-and-cheese or the last piece of chocolate meringue pie.
Moreover, according to the National Association of Endangered Domestic Tranquility, refrigerator blindness isn’t the only condition that strikes the average married American household, placing undue stress on relations with wives, visiting mothers-in-laws and elderly aunts.
Tranquility experts cite a commonly related condition known as DAS, or Dishwasher Avoidance Syndrome, that afflicts an estimated 87% of men married an average of 10 years or more. DAS is defined as a chronic inability to correctly load and unload (much less operate) a Germanbuilt dishwasher without proper supervision by someone familiar with the machine’s standard operating procedures.
Sufferers generally avoid this normal everyday household task by poorly hand-washing dirty dishes and glassware whenever the domestic partner is out of the house, not only resulting in suspiciously spotted dishware, but unnecessary use of precious water. A related inability to operate the average clothes washing machine and reach into a clogged garbage disposal have also been documented in some cases.
In addition, studies conducted on the average suburban American male reveal at least two other common stress-inducing habits that take place outside of the home.
The first is LGLP, or Lost Grocery List Phenomenon, generally affecting mature to elderly husbands who volunteer to go to the store with a list of a dozen essential items and return hours later with chips, salsa, three or more frozen pizzas, a six-pack of craft beer, the wrong dishwasher liquid, a set of half-price blinking Christmas lights, four Tahitian patio sconces, a tub of rainbow sherbet, Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s Guide to Home Auto Repair (sixth edition) and only four of the 12 items on the original list, which was somehow lost in transit to the store. An unsupervised return to the store is sometimes undertaken with a revised shopping list safety pinned to the sufferer’s sweater.
Finally, there is the all-too-common domestic problem of UHIC, better known as Unfinished Home Improvement Complex, an affliction in which various do-ityourself home projects have been sitting idle, unfinished or simply forgotten since the first Obama administration. This includes, but is not limited to, half-tiled bathroom walls; toilets that don’t properly flush; mountains of pricey hardwood mulch left in the backyard so long they’re sprouting young trees; doors that never quite close; suspicious sounds beneath the house; broken doorbells; half-installed home security systems; and driveway sinkholes.
Curiously, in the interest of saving time and money, the typical victim of UHIC routinely stalks the aisles of Lowe’s or Home Depot, dreaming up ambitious new home improvement projects that will make home life easier but don’t stand a chance of ever being completed.
Yes, reader, you know these conditions all too well.
Sadly, there’s no known cure for any of these domestic maladies just yet. But there is hope in the form of a newly created self-help grassroots organization called Building Better Husbands, designed to afford hard-working wives like you the opportunity to network and share creative ideas on how to make their homes happier places and spouses more thoughtful and responsive. Look for chapters forming in your neighborhood soon. BYOB (or two).
A final word to my fellow sufferers: This Mother’s Day, fellas, let’s give the women in our lives a break by picking up the slack on normal domestic duties, finishing those pesky home projects, even reading the appliance operating instructions and learning to go to the grocery store only once without a list pinned to your golf shirt. SP Jim Dodson is a New York Times bestselling author in Greensboro.
Hall: Immediate Landscapes Through May 5
& Bind: Paper & Book in Southern Appalachia Through June 2 The Reading Room: From Seuss to Geisel & Back Again Through June 9
Legendary Charlotte writer Tommy Tomlinson was watching the Westminster Dog Show on television a few years ago when he had a sudden thought: Are those dogs happy? The question sparked a three-year adventure inside the dog-show world in search of a deeper understanding of the relationship between dogs and humans. He describes the experience in his delightful new book, Dogland.
“I didn’t really know anybody in that world when I started,” says Tomlinson, who visited more than 100 dog competitions across the country. “I find that wandering around and looking puzzled is a great tool. People want to explain the world they love.”
Tomlinson’s backstage tour of the dog-show circuit ultimately led him to a Westminster hopeful named Striker, a Samoyed who travels with his handler and entourage in a custom-built RV. Tomlinson chronicles Striker’s journey as he competes for the top prize at the 2022 Westminster Dog Show.
“I didn’t expect how chaotic it is in the early rounds of a show,” Tomlinson says. “There’s a separate round for every breed, and those breeds are often subdivided by age and sex, and so dogs are getting hustled in and out of the ring and there’s no PA announcer to explain it all.”
Moving beyond the dog-show world, Dogland also examines new insights into the bond between dogs and humans, and how that bond has changed over the centuries. Tomlinson admits he formed his own bond with Striker. “He’s full of charisma, even though he’s often very still. I understood why so many were drawn to him.”
Dogland is one of several new or recent releases from Queen City authors. Here are a few others.
Fans of fiction will want to check out bestselling author Joy Callaway’s latest novel, What the Mountains Remember. Set in 1913 against the backdrop of the construction of Asheville’s Grove Park Inn, the novel features Belle Newbold, a young woman forced to leave her mountain home after her father’s death. Seven years later, she returns to reunite with her fiancé, a man she doesn’t love but who can provide the financial security she craves. Belle is unexpectedly thrust into a role researching and writing about the building of the Grove Park Inn, a construction the locals are calling “The Eighth Wonder of the World.” As Belle peels back the façade of the inn, of her fiancé, of the society she’s come to claim as her own, and the truth of her own heart, she begins to see that perhaps her part in Grove Park’s story isn’t a coincidence after all.
Late Fragment: Notes on the Later Stages of Life by Dr. Charles H. Edwards II offers a poignant look at finding meaning and purpose in the last stages of human life. Edwards is a dementia expert and founder of Memory & Movement Charlotte. His new book is a follow-up to Much Abides: A Survival Guide for Aging Lives, Edwards’ first book examining the factors that enhance or undermine successful aging. Late Fragment, based on two years of forming deep connections with people in their twilight years, closely examines the thoughts, fears and hopes of those living in this stage and serves as a guide to maintaining relevance and joy.
Writer Stephen Copeland’s chance visit to the Double Door Inn, Charlotte’s historic music venue, sparked a spiritual journey he recounts in his book In the House of Rising Sounds When Copeland first visited the blues venue, which closed in 2017, he experienced something like what the ancient Celts call “thin places,” where heaven and Earth come strangely close to touching. When he learned that the Double Door Inn was scheduled to close, he made it his home away from home during its final year. Copeland’s soul-searching journey — with the Double Door as his guide — will inspire readers to become more aware of sacred spaces in everyday places.
In Uptime: A Practical Guide to Personal Productivity and Wellbeing, Laura Mae Martin, Google’s executive productivity adviser who happens to be a Charlotte mother of three, outlines the need for a more holistic approach to productivity. From understanding one’s own work patterns to beating procrastination to setting boundaries, the book offers a blueprint to maximize productivity in ways that are energizing instead of exhausting. Drawing from her coaching journey with thousands of Google employees, Martin’s book is designed for business executives, parents, teachers or anyone looking to feel “more on top of it” while getting things done.
Meagan Church’s The Girls We Sent Away is another historical-fiction novel set in North Carolina, this time in the 1960s. It tells the story of Lorraine Delford, a young woman from an upstanding family who dreams of going into space. When Lorraine finds herself pregnant, her parents send her to a maternity home for wayward girls, a place full of secrets and suffocating rules. As Lorraine begins to piece together a new vision for her life, she must decide if she has the power to fight for the future she wants or if she must submit to the rules of a society she once admired. SP
• A round-robin competition for 3.0, 3.5, 4.0 and 4.5+ players, with winners in each division paired with tennis pros for a championship round
• Opportunities to play with wheelchair tennis athletes from Wheel Serve NC
here is much research and literature about attachments and breakups with family members and romantic interests. There’s not a lot, though, about friendship breakups. Like dating, finding a friend to bond with takes time, energy and effort, as does deepening that bond. One report, published in the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, found that it takes roughly 50 hours together to move from mere acquaintance to casual friend, 90 hours to go from casual friend to basic friend status, and more than 200 hours before you can consider someone a close friend. So when a close friendship ends and this bond is broken, it can be devastating.
There are many reasons why friendships end. Sometimes, there are seasons for friendships as people fit into certain stages of our lives. But these stages can shift, values and priorities can change, and two people can find they don’t have as much in common anymore. There can also be breaches in trust or a betrayal of boundaries that can’t be repaired. And sometimes, friendships just fizzle out with no clear catalyst. Perhaps one person feels that the relationship no longer serves them or feels reciprocal in effort.
It takes work to maintain a healthy friendship. It requires a consistent effort to ensure expectations are aligned, that the dynamic isn’t mismatched or one-sided, and that there is mutual respect. Effective communication is key, and so is flexibility. We also have to risk vulnerability and allow ourselves to be truly seen. So when you’ve put in the work and it ends — for whatever reason — it can be jarring. Particularly if you’ve had history with this person, it can be hard to let go. We may question our own
grief process or fail to understand exactly what happened to cause the separation. We might doubt ourselves and have hesitation about trusting ourselves or others.
It’s important to validate your experience when going through a friendship breakup. It’s a loss like any other that can elicit a variety of emotions, including grief. Take time to reflect on the dynamic, perhaps increasing your self-awareness about your role in the relationship and identifying what you can learn from the breakup. You can find gratitude for how the friendship served you in a particular season of life and trust that you will build bonds with others that are fulfilling, as well.
Juliet spoke with Summer Baruth, a human-resources strategist and international speaker. Below are excerpts from their interview, lightly edited.
The conversation about the grief in changing friendships is often left out. It’s really complicated: two people going through their own vulnerabilities and trying to do it alongside each other and maybe it aligns, maybe it doesn’t.
It’s why friendships as adult women are actually very difficult. You may see huge groups of friends on social [media], but I guarantee you they only feel really close to one or two of them. It took me a long time to figure that out.
You hear “quality over quantity,” but people also often wonder why they don’t have that “girl squad” that’s projected on social media. But who in that squad is truly seeing and knowing you, because it is rare to actually have that dynamic.
That’s why it hurts so badly when someone pulls away or they
quit engaging with you. I have a small group of people that I go to when I have a challenge [who] really see me. Otherwise, there tends to be such a mask and a character of who we “need” to be. But we save face and don’t really talk about any of this.
We can start by naming the grief that can result from friendship loss. Grief is the feeling and the response that shows up in loss. There’s so much reflection, which is uncomfortable. It’s okay to grieve. Sometimes this kind of grief is amplified because the people are still alive. It could be the other person, could be you, could be the situation that causes a relationship to end. The world will tell you grief should end and that there’s a time stamp. We don’t talk about it. We just push it down and move on. Even me. I will hold space for everyone’s emotions and often not for my own.
Have you ever been on the side of deciding a friendship has run its course?
Yes, and I always try to flip the mirror on myself and analyze the why of it all. I made the choice based on reasons that made the most sense for me at the time or because certain friendships were more “situationships” and close because of proximity. It can be hard to figure out these attachments and determine what is an actual quality friendship versus a situationship versus trauma bonding, etc.
Relationships are hard, especially with other tendencies like people-pleasing and self-doubt layered on top of it. A lot of my work life is spent thinking about what makes people show up at work every day and what gets them excited and showing up authentically. As a public speaker, I make it sound like I do this every day and do it right, but I’ve learned how to be more vulnerable and honest that I don’t get it right all the time. I want to meet people in their discomfort to help them get comfortable. Shame is why we don’t talk about things, because deep down we sometimes go inward and assume we did something wrong or that we were too much or not enough.
Shame and grief, in my opinion, are the most complicated emotions we have. They are very heavy emotions that take a lot of work to shed.
A lot of times grief can come from shame because you have to sit in the feelings of it. You’ll hear people say “you grieve differently than me” or “you’re further along in your grief journey than I am.” But we all react differently and bring our own trauma and history. SP
Juliet Kuehnle is the owner and a therapist at Sun Counseling and Wellness. The full interview of Kuehnle’s “Who You Callin’ Crazy?!” interview featuring Summer Baruth can be found on Instagram @YepIGoToTherapy or wherever you stream podcasts.
Meet a magnetic group of enterprising, strong women in Charlotte, all dedicated to making a difference in their professions and in our community.
Discover the passions behind their pursuits and what drives them to serve their clients in exceptional ways.
Maren Brisson-Kuester
Corcoran HM Properties
Sonja P. Nichols
Southern Lion
Andrea Seymour Springdale Custom Builders
Tiffany Byrd
Modern Legal
Susan May
Corcoran HM Properties
Faith Morley Counter-
Jaime Alicea Counter-
Christie Boynton Hansen
Cottingham Chalk
DeAlva Wilson Arnold
D. Wilson Agency
CORCORAN HM PROPERTIES
Spend just a few minutes with Maren Brisson-Kuester, and you’ll find her clients’ testimonials are spot-on. “Maren gets the job done. Period,” remarks one. “Professional, smart, driven and an absolute expert on the Charlotte market,” says another.
A fourth-generation Charlotte native, Brisson-Kuester is eager to talk about her hometown, bullish on the real estate market and passionate about making a difference. “Charlotte is the crown jewel of the state,” she says, reflecting on the city’s booming growth. “But we’re not just a pretty place to live, we are a caring community. And I’m proud of that.”
Brisson-Kuester speaks from experience. She started selling real estate 21 years ago, quickly achieving Top Producer status and serving in leadership roles for local, state and national industry organizations. A two-term president of the Charlotte Regional Realtor Association and president of the NC Realtors in 2020, she has always felt compelled to serve and to lead with service.
Organizations related to housing get her attention, particularly the Canopy Housing Foundation and local women’s shelters. “I believe everyone should have a safe place to lay their head at night,” she says.
In 2018, Brisson-Kuester joined Corcoran HM Properties in a newly created role: chief operating officer. Now, in addition to homeowners, she helps advise agents. “It’s been an awesome experience and a true privilege. Who else can say they build communities and careers every single day? I feel very lucky to do what I do.”
The list of accolades for Brisson-Kuester is lengthy, but she is quick to deflect attention from her achievements. What’s most important to her is consensus building and engaging others. “Being able to mediate any situation and have everyone come away feeling like they’ve been heard and understood is what I constantly strive for. I believe everyone should have a seat at the table.”
Maren Brisson-Kuester
704.287.7072
maren@hmproperties.com @marenblk
Starting a retail business wasn’t something Sonja Nichols had planned. But when the philanthropist and civic leader learned that retailer Blacklion Gifts & Home Furnishings Marketplace was closing after 27 years — leaving its longtime merchants and loyal customers (Nichols among them) with no place to go — she stepped in.
Finding a 160,000-square-foot location in the former Sears building at Carolina Place Mall, she launched renovations to the ground level and opened a temporary pop-up shop on the top floor to house 80 merchants. The new name: Southern Lion, combining two of Nichols’ favorite places to shop, the Southern Christmas Show and Blacklion.
Nichols, leveraging her marketing expertise from IBM, finds fulfillment in the retail environment, echoing familial entrepreneurial roots. She credits God, her Southern Lion team and her family for the marketplace’s initial success.
This spring, Southern Lion held its grand opening. The new store features a curated shopping experience on the ground level, with more than 145 vendors in furniture, home décor and more. Upstairs, a Home Remodeling Showroom will showcase more than 50 homebuilding, remodeling and landscape contractors.
Leading others comes naturally to Nichols, whose foundation for community service began at Florida A&M University, where she earned undergraduate and MBA degrees. A past president of Good Friends Charlotte and the Women’s Impact Fund, she currently serves on the UNC System Board of Governors and founded the South Charlotte chapter of Jack and Jill of America.
“I firmly believe that when God presents us with opportunities it’s up to us to embrace them with faith and determination,” Nichols says. “I’m confident Southern Lion will thrive. The positivity and excitement we’ve received only reinforces my belief. Our goal is to firmly establish Southern Lion as a premier destination in the Carolinas.”
Southern Lion
11033 Carolina Place Parkway, Pineville 980.500.8775
@southernlioncharlotte
When it comes to designing, renovating or building a house, there’s one phrase homeowners don’t often expect to hear: “ahead of schedule.”
But at Springdale Custom Builders, that’s often the case. Thanks to a proactive approach that includes detailed estimates, daily communication and exhaustive planning, projects stay on track and on budget.
“We have carefully crafted our processes over time so that our clients are informed every step of the way, and we are as efficient as possible,” says Andrea Seymour, co-founder and CEO. “We deliver a custom home to our clients that is fun to build, functional to live in and led by beautiful design and superior craftsmanship.”
After graduating from Western Michigan University, Andrea spent several years in Scotland, Norway and Denmark before making Charlotte home. Blending her business, rich life experience and people skills with husband Brian’s years of construction expertise, the couple started Springdale Custom Builders eight years ago. Named after their first home on Springdale Avenue, Andrea attributes the company’s success to transparency and solid relationships with clients and industry partners.
Charlotte’s housing market is challenging, with the lack of available land driving home values. “It makes the ‘should I build, sell or renovate’ debate tough for people,” Andrea says. “Hiring a team to help you plan accordingly and guide you through the process is so important.”
It’s a process Andrea finds incredibly rewarding. “Being a trusted adviser to clients is an honor,” she says. Last year, the Charlotte Business Journal named Andrea one of Charlotte’s most admired CEOs. In 2024, she was one of only 50 women selected as a Tory Burch Fellowship Foundation fellow. She and Brian are parents to son Jordan and two rescue pups. She also serves on the advisory board of Foster Village Charlotte and volunteers with the organization, as does the entire Springdale team.
Springdale Custom Builders
springdalecharlotte.com andrea@springdalecharlotte.com @springdalecustombuilders
“In the end, it will always come back to family — the family you are born into and the family you create for yourself,” says family law and estate planning attorney Tiffany Byrd. “They are who you fight for, they are the reason you push to create a better, more secure future.”
Helping those involved in family disputes turn confusion into confidence, helplessness into empowerment and frustration into action is what Byrd and others at Modern Legal work tirelessly for. “Knowledge is needed for you to make the best decisions,” says Byrd. “Making concepts within family law approachable and understandable allows my clients to make better choices and gain confidence that they can do hard things.”
The oldest child of a single-parent divorced household, Byrd knows the importance of having a supportive community. A gymnast at Northern Illinois University, she then pursued a law and master’s degree in social work at the University of South Carolina. The first to enter the unique dual degree program in more than 30 years, Byrd worked with the school to create updated, alternative schedules still used for students today. After spending several years in the victim services field and witnessing the immeasurable impact the law makes in people’s lives, she joined Modern Legal in 2021.
Speaking for those who don’t have a voice and those who are afraid to use it is a passion for Byrd personally and professionally. Pat’s Place, the Council for Children’s Rights, Families Forward Charlotte and Sanctuary Counseling Group are local charities close to her heart.
Married for seven years to wife Alaina, Byrd’s hobbies — cooking, painting, decorating and building — reflect her desire to make the people and places around her better. “I love creating just about anything,” she says. “Especially if it is used to make a space more of a home or invites people to share time together.”
Modern Legal
modernlegalnc.com
tiffany@modernlegalnc.com
704.286.6302
@modernlegalnc
CORCORAN
When Susan May first entered real estate 30 years ago, a sales contract was three pages and there was no internet to scope out the hottest properties. Today, contracts come with 10+ pages and a lengthy list of details to navigate from staging to surveys to new ways of negotiating the ever-changing Charlotte market.
What hasn’t changed is May’s passion for what she does. “When it clicks, and a buyer finds the right house, the excitement is so much fun to watch,” she says. “On the seller’s side, getting a house ready for market is a really fun, creative process.”
A native Charlottean, May lived in San Diego, Seattle and Chapel Hill before coming home to Charlotte with husband Deems (a former NFL player) and their two children. Buying and selling homes for her family throughout the country gives her unique insight into the challenges and opportunities of relocation.
May’s expert knowledge and vast experience in a city she loves, along with her personable, patient style, translates into confidence for clients as they undertake one of life’s largest investments. Those who work with her praise her strong negotiating skills and willingness to go the extra mile.
Excelling in a competitive environment is nothing new for May, a consistent Top Producer for Corcoran HM Properties and multiple Sales Agent of the Year winner.
A former gymnast at UNC Chapel Hill, her heart bleeds Carolina blue. Deems played football there, and son Deems III is on the team now. Daughter Lindsay-Catherine, a UNC grad, played drums for the Marching Tar Heels band.
May thinks often of UNC football coach Mack Brown’s advice to players to pursue a career they are passionate about. “I am grateful that I get to wake up every day and do something I love. It doesn’t feel like work when you love what you are doing.”
Born and raised in New York, Faith Morley ventured south after graduating from The Culinary Institute of America in 2018. Captivated by the area’s rich culinary heritage and vibrant food culture, Morley decided to make Charlotte her home.
Her journey through esteemed establishments Copain Bakery & Provisions and Roosters Uptown led her to Peppervine, where she honed her skills before joining Counter-, an intimate, full sensory restaurant experience, as executive pastry chef.
In 2023, Morley’s talent and dedication were recognized when she was awarded Pastry Chef of the Year for her root vegetable tart featured on Counter-’s Here & Now menu. Praised for its stunning visuals and impeccable flavor, the tart encapsulated Morley’s unwavering commitment to her craft and showcased locally sourced ingredients that were apt to change weekly.
“Although very tedious, it was a fun dish to execute,” she says. “I loved seeing all the different flavor combinations and beautiful ombré colors that came from the various root veggies.”
In a city teeming with culinary talent, Morley shines as a beacon of creativity and innovation, inspiring peers and diners alike. She is always open to learning new techniques and refining her craft.
“Trying to constantly push myself and break out of my comfort zone allows me to not only learn more about myself as a chef but keeps me committed to pushing boundaries and working on getting at least 1% better every day.”
Outside of the restaurant, Morley enjoys quality time with her partner and friends. She is an avid plant enthusiast, dedicating Sundays to caring for her beloved “babies.” Additionally, she finds joy in cleaning her house while listening to classic oldies tunes reminiscent of a jukebox playlist.
Counter-
2001 W. Morehead Street, Suite D, Charlotte counterclt.com
@counterclt
PHOTO: RYAN ALLEN
Jaime Alicea initially pursued a path in culinary arts at Johnson & Wales University, but a serendipitous encounter with Catherine Rabb, former chef-instructor at JWU and respected wine expert, ignited her passion for wine. Rabb passed away in 2021, but her influence inspired Alicea to enroll in JWU’s sommelier program, setting the stage for a remarkable career in the wine industry.
After sharpening her skills at lauded restaurants around North Carolina, Alicea was introduced to Counter-’s executive chef and owner Sam Hart in 2022 and joined the team as sommelier.
For Alicea, the allure of the wine industry lies in the opportunity to connect with people from all walks of life. “The amount of people I meet on a daily basis from around the world is truly amazing,” she says. “Being able to be a part of sharing their story is my favorite part of my job.”
As sommelier, Alicea elevates the dining experience, embodying the spirit of innovation and collaboration. Through intuition and thoughtful selection, she enjoys introducing guests to high-quality wines that may not be on their radar.
For her, community within the hospitality industry is not just a source of strength but a platform for celebrating each other’s successes. “I don’t know where I would be if I didn’t have my industry people that I can count on. It is so important to surround yourself with those who wish you to do great things.”
When not working, Alicea enjoys activities that allow her to decompress. This includes traveling with her husband Alex, hiking, paddle boarding, spending time with her huskies, and discovering new wine bars and coffee shops.
As she continues to make her mark on the city’s culinary landscape, Alicea’s experience is an inspiration to savor each moment and embrace the beauty of discovery.
PHOTO: KENTY CHUNGCounter2001 W. Morehead Street, Suite D, Charlotte counterclt.com @counterclt
Christie Boynton Hansen is a native Charlottean and a second-generation Realtor. Her journey to real estate is preceded by a decade-long tenure as an educator for the American Heart Association, as well as teaching at Tryon Hills Elementary for five years. When it was time to make a career change, Hansen wanted to stay true to her passion for service and desire to make a difference in people’s lives.
She went from shaping young minds to helping families find their dream homes as a Realtor at Cottingham Chalk, where she says she can flourish in the industry thanks to the education and resources the agency provides.
“I feel so blessed to be part of Cottingham Chalk,” Hansen says. “Our leaders keep us current on the latest trends in real estate, ensuring our clients receive nothing but the best service and expertise.”
Hansen is known for her unwavering commitment to her clients and deep-rooted connections across the community. What sets her apart is her ability to tailor each experience to her clients’ unique needs, whether they are first-time buyers or seasoned sellers.
“Relationships are very important to me,” she says. “Not only will I ensure my clients get the best price, but I will also be with them each step of the journey and beyond.”
For fun, Hansen enjoys playing tennis and recharging at the beach. She also volunteers at the Joni and Friends Camp each year and hosts charitable events like unlocked Inc.’s Handbag Bingo Night.
With Hansen, clients embark on a journey guided by expertise, empathy and a shared love for the Charlotte area. “I adore the Queen City and the heartbeat she provides,” Hansen says. “I cherish where I live, and I know it’s exactly where I’m supposed to be.”
Christie Boynton Hansen
704.936.8228
chansen@cottinghamchalk.com
@queencitychristie
DeAlva Wilson Arnold says her journey was more of a calling than a choice. After more than two decades of experience working at Fortune 500 companies, she recognized a prevalent gap: leadership programs that focus on the nuanced needs of culture and social class differences.
Her entrepreneurial spirit led her to establish the D. Wilson Agency (DWA) in 2011, developing innovative programs for leaders aimed at uncovering and addressing the underlying factors of performance and business success that impact organizational culture and results. The firm has grown into a nationally recognized company, advising both public and private organizations on strategy, innovation and leadership development.
Arnold’s forward thinking sets her apart. By integrating community needs, business objectives and data-driven insights, she empowers clients to fulfill their aspirations as well as commitments to social responsibility.
“Watching clients experience those transformative ‘aha’ moments — the kind that shifts paradigms and drives meaningful change — is the truest reward of my work,” she says.
Her determination to affect social change has garnered Arnold numerous accolades. Additionally, she’s an active community leader, serving on multiple boards and advisory councils, including two gubernatorial appointments. “I am very fortunate to have a trifecta in my work: purpose, business results and community impact.”
To aspiring female entrepreneurs, Arnold emphasizes the importance of entering the field with clear intentions and a defined purpose. “Begin with the end in mind, stay focused, be relentless yet flexible in your approach, and prepared for the hard work and sacrifices required for success.”
D. Wilson Agency
101 S. Tryon Street, Suite 2700, Charlotte 888.609.1197
dwilsonagency.com @dwilsonagency
Here’s where we are in the story. After the tempest of having three kids in four years, everyone’s a few years older. The wind is whipping, but I’ve got the ropes. I’ve even wrestled back a small amount of time: Once a week, I make a batch of granola. Let me say that again, to the old me who was so shellacked with kids she couldn’t get to the store: I make granola. And look, in my shower, shaving cream is back in stock. I’ve spent eight years bathing other people, but now I’m putting the personal back in personal hygiene. Last week, I chucked some crib-sized mattress pads into the garbage. Pinch me: I am now a mother of “school-aged” children.
In the afternoon, everyone falls out of the school bus with sauce on their cheeks and blood in their noses and I am the Cat in the Hat, one hand on the wheel, one mitt in the oven, one knee on the ground. Now look what you did! Now look at this house! I’m upstairs holding my nose, picking up dirty nighttime diapers I find stashed behind a chair. I’m scrambling, but even so. So much progress has been made that it’s disorienting. Guilt-inducing.
Over the summer, our 8-year-old went to sleepaway camp and wrote to us in his careful, quasi-cursive, “Dear Family.” He regularly plays nine holes of golf, with a red Gatorade mustache and his little leg hairs blowing around gently over his tube socks. The youngest, who’s self-proclaimed age is “big 3,” buckles her own seat belt and puts on her own swim goggles. “Do you like my eyemuffs?” she asks, and truly, I like them so much I could sing. Even my middle child — the one I needed a parenting book for — has traded in her epic tantrums for epic chapter books. She stops wanting to be a dog and wants, instead, a shiny golden locket she saw in a store. I needed to be softer with her, the book said. But also, I needed to be softer with myself. We were both “good inside.”
There’s one person, though, who is a little ticked off about the perks of my promotion. Not my husband, who pats me on the tennis skirt and cheerfully calls, “Play well!” Not my mom, who says, lovingly, in the past tense, “My girl went away for a while.” The person who resents all this progress is my old, baby-trapped, down-in-the-weeds self. I’m trying to avoid her — which is easy, since I know all her hangouts — but she hears through mutual friends that I’m playing tennis while the kids are in school, and she rolls her eyes. While I’m drinking coffee at my kitchen island, searching for kids’ art projects on the internet, a little message pings in from her, like a text, “Want to meet at the playground?”
I feel terrible, but I admit to her I’ve got no kids home.
“Lucky you! You made it!”
She’s playing it cool, but she’s holding her breath. I want to wrap her in my arms — I remember being her, just yesterday. She’s pregnant while pushing two toddlers in a stroller. It’s a summer day — no preschool to attend, and the day stretches before her, 12 hours. Her husband is traveling and her mother-in-law just died and her parents have bought a house far, far away. She’s made some friends and found a great babysitter, but you can’t be married to your friends or mothered by your sitter. I’m reaching for her, wanting to tell her she’s good inside, but she’s built a wall around herself, and now she’s gone, puffing toward the monkey bars in her workout pants, texting someone else.
I try to get back to what I was doing. Did you know if you slice a piece of okra, you can stamp the cutest little flowers with it? My daughter will love this. I stamp a little bouquet of okra flowers, pink and orange, then draw stems with a green magic marker. But as I start to draw the grass, I bump into a seed Old Me has planted: Was my stay-at-home life still legit? Did I deserve this freedom and space for creativity I’d grown into? What was I doing — sitting around drawing pictures and writing stories? Is this why people sometimes had a fourth baby? Did people working for money also feel they didn’t deserve the perks of their promotions — did they want to crawl back into their junior-level spreadsheets and coffee runs, after they’d earned their seat at the table?
“What color paint is this?” A contractor asks, running a hand down the door of the ancient powder room. It’s a dark color. Not black, but almost — my mom is always mentioning Those Black Doors. Tick-tock. I have no idea what color it is, and I want to get
this over and get back to my Creative Time.
“It looks like Benjamin Moore’s Raccoon Fur.”
Raccoon fur?
Something travels through my body — glee.
What are the chances that this would happen to me? Me who loves detail and whimsy? Me who has no life, but now can call myself The Lady Behind the Raccoon Fur Doors.
“Goodbye!” the contractors said. We’ll come again.
And the little ladies left in the rain. And I’m left with sweet, angry old me who is smugly pointing out that I’m having such an easy moment. Who notes that my hair is washed and I’m dressed, chilling with some vendors. She can’t relate to this iteration of me, whose kids ride school buses and mountain bikes. Me who is writing this essay right now in a house where I could hear a pin drop. If I could only put my hand on her shoulder and tell her it’s impossibly frustrating being little 32, always getting stitched back together from childbirth and starting life over again, like a pawn in the game Sorry.
That night at dinner, the kids and I sat around the island and spooned noodles into our mouths. Their dad is in St. Louis or Kansas City or New York. I used to feel alone when I was alone with the kids, but not anymore, not now that we can speak to each other. Today I had no thorns to report and something even better than a rose:
“Something joyous happened to me today. A lady came to the house and told me the name of this paint color” — I walked to the bathroom and tapped the black door — “is raccoon fur.”
The glee — was it hereditary? — crept across the oldest one’s face.
“And it just made me really happy! It tickled me — do you know what tickled means in that context?”
The boy nodded and the girls looked at me wide-eyed, drinking milk.
“Do you know what context means?”
“Yesh,” he said, slowly.
Gosh, I loved how “yes” had morphed over the years. Yesh and yar and yam and yis and yeah. Just for fun, I’d taught them nil and naw and nay.
“And now I have that! It’s something I have. Do you know what I mean?”
No one did.
“Say raccoon fur,” I instructed, looking at the littlest.
“Raccoon fur,” she said in her chortling racoon voice, and we all clapped and laughed. I was so darn proud of the way they were wolfing down salmon and green beans. Maybe I did have a life. No — I knew I did! I’d had it all along. I’d just had to fold it up and carry it in a diaper bag. It had gotten crumbs all over it and there was sticky residue on the surface, but here it was, thank you very much Old Me for keeping my life tucked right there in the pocket where New Me could find it like an emergency tampon.
I had often been envious of working parents — the way their days were chaotic but varied: hours of grown-up time followed by hours of kid time, repeat. I was seeing that the balance had finally come to me, too, but in longer intervals: years of kid time, followed by years of adult time. Still, it was hard to relax. If I wasn’t suffering, did anything I was doing matter? Could I learn to enjoy this new phase of parenting where the kids were less dependent on me?
“Alright,” I said. “Let’s take our showers.”
And they literally all marched up the stairs and washed their own hair and put on their own pajamas and read to themselves. Next time I talked to her, I was going to give Old Me the hugest gold medal. She was a heroic yeoman, and I was a pathetic lightweight. I was so grateful for her doing this job for me.
Of course, my daughter and her friend had no interest in stamping okra slices. No sooner had they dumped their school bags at my feet and ran upstairs, big brother trotted over to shoot hoops at the neighbor’s house. That’s when the baby grabbed the TV remote with her big panda paws and started tapping her way to Disney+, and who was I to stop such a genius? Tentatively, I tried to enjoy the moment. I made myself a cup of tea. Is this how my husband felt when he decided to get a haircut on a workday, and stepped out onto the city sidewalk?
That weekend, I took my freckle-faced, gap-toothed, good-inside daughter to get her something special. She remembered the center rack where the locket hung. She picked up the little cardboard paper that it was attached to, then waved it in my face. Her sister found a sparkly headband and I OK’d that as well. I tried on a pair of cheap sunglasses.
“Those look great, Mommy!”
We took our loot to the counter and exited the store — one wearing a tiara, one clawing at her cardboard necklace holder. I put the glasses on, feeling sort of like a loser but also a little sexy and realizing that at big 38, it was becoming harder for me to tell the difference. “How do you like my eye-muffs?” I asked, and they chortled.
At home, I put the locket around her neck. “I’m giving it to you just because you’re mine and I’m yours. Because no matter where you go and what you’re doing, you have me.”
She squeezed me right around the belt loops of my out-of-style jeans. “I hope this is not all a dream,” she said. “It seems too good to be true!”
I hope that this is not all a dream! Being able to talk to the kids — really talk to them and chortle with them and teach them — is a locket around my no longer stiff neck. I hope I will not awake with my breasts full of milk in a fluorescent pediatrician’s office, freaking out about viral warts from the towels I haven’t washed, feeling like the only sleep-deprived soul in the world. So let me say it, and not feel like apologizing for it: I’m enjoying this stage. And I know, it too shall pass.
Look, it’s raining right now. Drops on the tin roof of the sunroom. There’s a magnolia blossom opening, and I’m remembering that my daughter once sniffed the white petals and said “mint.” Spring is in the air, and the morning moon looks like a synthetic down feather. My kids love that Tim McGraw song about living like you’re dying. But if I live like I am writing, if I am collecting those daily details like nourishment, then I will always be in a good stage, I will always be where I’m meant to be, I will always have myself. Maybe that will be our dinnertime lesson tonight.
Are you still there, Old Me? Hang in there, sweet baby raccoon mom. You will crawl out of the garbage. And then you can write about it — the way it smelled, the particular shade of dark, the way it felt to be nocturnal while everyone else lived in the light. Your strange, striped tale will make a marvelous stamp. SP
Caroline Hamilton Langerman lives in Charlotte with her husband and three children. Her essays have been published in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Glamour, Salon and Town & Country. Caroline is the winner of Charlotte Lit’s 2024 Lit/South Award for creative nonfiction.
Incorporating regional artisans and vendors is a priority for designer Jena Bula. In the family room, custom chairs are from Coley Home, and the sheer draperies are from Chancery Custom. The pottery pieces in the built-ins were made by the homeowner’s mother.
DESIGNER JENA BULA HELPS EMPTY NESTERS SETTLE INTO THEIR LONG-AWAITED HOME WITH GOLF COURSE VIEWS.
by Michelle Boudinphotographs by Tiffany Ringwald
For Jena Bula of Delphinium Design, her Longview project was the ultimate dream job — designing a home for her clients from start to finish. Situated on the golf course in the picturesque Waxhaw neighborhood, this project was about more than just creating a beautiful space; it was about curating a lifestyle for her clients, who were new empty nesters.
“Arcadia Homes built this beautiful custom home, and we were hired to furnish it so that our clients could move in and immediately enjoy the home they have always dreamt of,” Bula says. The clients were completely open to all ideas, and Bula loved being able to fill the home with locally crafted and sourced items.
With their youngest child in college, the couple wanted to stay in the same part of town but were looking to be on the golf course — something that ultimately prompted a very special place in the house.
“One of my favorite things is the sunroom,” the homeowner says.
The light-filled alcove adjacent to the dining room was created as a sitting area, Bula explains. “We designed this space to include swivel chairs so our clients could swivel around and watch the golfers while enjoying their morning coffee.”
The sunroom is bright and airy, much like the overall aesthetic of the house. Each room is draped in soothing neutrals with pops of blue, creating a calming mood throughout. Though it’s an open layout, Bula and her team made sure each room flows into the next while maintaining its own identity.
“You walk in and it feels like a breath of fresh air — it lifts your spirits,” Bula says. “Sometimes you can go for bright and airy, and it falls flat if you don’t have enough dimension. But this house is bright and airy yet refined.”
That refined elegance is on full display in the entryway, where a stunning crystal chandelier sets the tone for the rest of the house. “It’s a showstopper when you enter the home, and provides a ton of ambience when it’s lit up,” Bula adds.
The main living areas are adorned with locally sourced furnishings and accessories, bearing testimony to Delphinium Design’s commitment to celebrating regional craftsmanship. From custom chairs by Coley Home to throw pillows and sheer curtains by Chancery Custom, each element exudes a sense of authenticity. That’s true for the artwork as well, as paintings from Art House Charlotte are displayed throughout the home. The Charlotte gallery sources original pieces from local artists at an approachable price point “Even the pottery in the built-ins was made by our client’s mother,” Bula says.
In the dining room, a dramatic oversized chandelier hangs over a custom table by Kauffman & Co. The custom ceiling beams
by Ellis Reid, a local millwork company, add warmth to the vaulted space.
“We were really lucky to partner with Arcadia,” Bula says. The homebuilder selected and installed the cabinetry and hard finishes before Bula and her team swooped in to furnish the home. “The ceiling beams and wood built-ins, natural stone on the fireplace with [a reclaimed wood mantel] all add a lot of dimension in this space,” which she describes as transitional with clean lines.
In the primary bedroom, simplicity meets sophistication, echoing the homeowners’ desire for a space that was both inviting and unpretentious.
“It’s soothing and warm and the colors are beautiful, and it’s just relaxing to walk into the bedroom,” the homeowner says. “It’s a little oasis.” SP
The draperies and pillows from Chancery Custom contribute to a
YOUNG OR YOUNG AT HEART, CHARLOTTE WOMEN SHOW THAT ELEGANCE IS AGELESS – AND WEARING WHAT YOU LOVE IS EMPOWERING.
Production: Whitley Adkins
Photography: Olly Yung
Photography assistant: Aaron Cress
Set assistant: Sydney L. Gallagher
Makeup: Lindsey Regan Thorne
Special thanks to Farah Karim
Photographed at the home of interior designer Laura Archibald
Comments have been lightly edited.
50, chief operating officer at SHOWROOM
Sometimes I want to match the vibe, sometimes I want to be the vibe. I’ve always loved fashion. It’s one of the reasons my mom enrolled me in a uniform-required private school, due to me arguing with her every day over what I wanted to wear in kindergarten.
Getting older has given me a great amount of self-confidence that I didn’t have before — not just in how I want to dress, but in life. I’ve learned I’m stronger than I thought, and I don’t worry about how others view me. You really do begin to make your own rules.
86, educator and author
Being from Milano, Italy, I love clothes. My mother told me that the older I got, the more attention I needed to pay to my attire. Her style was conservative: St. John suits. I started with a conservative style but, after meeting [friend Berhan Nebioglu], I became more and more free. I do not have a particular style — I feel very comfortable in Armani but also wearing a pink fluffy miniskirt and patent leather boots. I am careful to dress for the occasion.
In Italy, because of my age, I have to wear Armani-style clothes, but in Charlotte I feel free. I wear things that make me feel good. I wear my age as a badge — I love clothes, I love people, I love life! My idol is Iris Apfel. I cannot copy what she wore, but I do copy her feelings about clothes.
Ashley Martin
35, hype woman of good people, places and things, communications strategist
My style is classically eclectic. As a lover of old things, my closet is a colorful, nostalgic mixture of meaningful mementos. Whether I’m wearing a pair of my grandmother’s clip-ons or a statement blazer that once belonged to my mother, the pieces I wear tell a story.
Over the years, my style has evolved. Experiences and awareness have led me to a more thoughtful and intentional wardrobe, but one tried-and-true staple is a statement earring. I feel polished and empowered in an oversized earring. Tennis shoes are my pragmatic approach to staying comfortable, and being comfortable is the most important aspect of personal style.
25, thrift queen, sales associate at Five One Five boutique, avid creative, fairy in another life
I have been thrifting secondhand clothing since I was 12 years old, when I began to cultivate my own personal style collecting pieces that made me “feel something,” so to speak. I get most of my street-style inspiration from Instagram and Pinterest, but I’d say my style icons are Bella Hadid and Iris Law.
I love mixing prints, textures, and feminine and masculine pieces, but I always stay true to myself with comfort and ease. My style evolves day to day depending on what character I want to play, but thrifting my closet has changed the way I see fashion.
Berhan Nebioglu
76, professional modeling coach, fashion show producer
My style is based on simplicity and elegance with a touch of drama and mystery. I believe a woman should express a sense of aloofness and independence. It was influenced by the fashions of the late ’40s, especially the ’50s, and early ’60s.
While I like to follow fashion trends, I believe each person has to develop their own style. Your style has to reflect you, your personality, identity and values.
Kathi Graves
65, artist and beauty bringer, happy cat and husband herder
Accepting my limitations is a key factor for living with contentment. Creatively expressing myself through personal style is important and very possible, as rigid fashion rules have relaxed and cultural norms around how women of a certain age are “supposed” to present themselves is also changing. Anything goes, and everything goes with everything, which means many stylish options are available as I embrace my aging body.
Today, it’s still a given that I will outdance you at every wedding, even if my feet demand a gentler shoe choice. And I will look good, just in a different way.
Laura Landera
41, business development, country music obsessor, runner and boy mom
My style philosophy has remained the same throughout my life: I choose what I feel fits me best, and even though I love following fashion I don’t choose what’s “in style.” My mother‘s generation always said you need to “dress like a mom,” and there is nothing more confusing. My life changed in my 40s, but my style didn’t — a birthday shouldn’t put us in a muumuu or long flowery skirt.
Having worked in law and, now, medical education, suits and jackets can be a little restrictive. My personal style is more fun, daring and colorful, so I try to throw in some color or accessory that ties in my current vibe, location or season. Our style as women might change, but what remains the same is that we need to feel happy and confident in what we’re wearing. SP
R| by Ron Green Jr.
HOW THE WELLS FARGO CHAMPIONSHIP HAS BECOME AN INDELIBLE PART OF CHARLOTTE’S LEGACY.
ather than think about what is going away as the final Wells Fargo Championship approaches at Quail Hollow Club, let’s take a moment to think about what the past 22 years of professional golf have given the Charlotte area.
To be clear, professional golf is not leaving Charlotte. The PGA Championship, one of the game’s four major tournaments, will be played at Quail Hollow next May, and a new title sponsor is expected to be named soon to take the city’s annual PGA Tour event into the future.
For the moment, though, it’s worth celebrating an event that has helped define the Charlotte sports calendar, created star turns for many of golf’s biggest names and provided more than $30 million in charitable donations.
The Wells Fargo name may be leaving, but the moments and the memories remain.
Monday, May 6, the first day of Wells Fargo Championship week this year, will mark the 22year anniversary of Ken Thompson, the CEO of what was then Wachovia Bank, announcing that
the PGA Tour would be returning to the Queen City in 2003, ending an absence dating back to the city’s final Kemper Open in 1979.
It was a big moment at the time — Wachovia had merged with First Union bank, and the creation of the tournament coincided with the national rollout of the new brand — and it feels even bigger now given professional golf’s expanded role at Quail Hollow and in the region.
Bringing the PGA Tour back to Charlotte — a quest driven by Thompson, developer Johnny Harris, bank executive Mac Everett and others — led to the PGA Championship and the Presidents Cup coming to Charlotte.
When Thompson made the tournament announcement in spring 2002, the city was days away from losing the NBA’s Charlotte Hornets to New Orleans. A referendum for a new uptown arena had failed, and the city was losing one of its most recognizable assets.
FTiger Woods and Michael Jordan at the Wednesday pro-am in 2007
est thing and you do a lot of things. This thing has huge crowds today in the first round, a great course. I think this will be one of the top two except for the World Golf Championships, majors and (the Players Championship). It has a lot going for it.”
It was on its way.
The direction of Harris, Everett and Kym Hougham, the first tournament director, was invaluable given their deep ties and understanding of the game.
“Mac and Johnny were just spectacular,” Thompson says. “We did give them a lot of cash to do it, but both of them know golf so well. If you want to have a (tournament) hall of fame, they would be the first two guys in it.”
or those who ascribe to the notion that the quality of its champions can define the quality of a golf course, Wells Fargo Championship winners at Quail Hollow include Tiger Woods, Vijay Singh, Jim Furyk, Rory McIlroy (three times), Jason Day and Rickie Fowler, with Phil Mickelson nibbling around the edges in multiple visits to Charlotte.
"It was like having a bluebird fly through the window."
“I’m a big believer in golf and how golf and business work together, and the tournament gave us a chance to bring in big customers from around the globe,” says Thompson, who is now retired but stays busy maintaining several board seats. “They loved it. It was a good way to get on television, and having Johnny Harris and (Quail Hollow) stand behind this really de-risked it for us.
— Ken Thompson on Charlotte landing the championship in 2002
“We had people calling to make sure that we did it. Our board liked the idea, and I said it was like having a bluebird fly through the window. It was a good thing for our company and for Charlotte and North Carolina.”
The dream was to bring golf’s best back to Charlotte. The reality, it turns out, has exceeded the dream.
This is what Fred Couples, who shared the first round lead in the inaugural Wachovia Championship, said about what had been created at Quail Hollow:
“For a new tournament, they are not trying so hard, they know what they are doing. Trying is when maybe you don’t have the great-
From the beginning, the tournament has had a flair for the dramatic.
David Toms won the inaugural Wachovia Championship, but it’s how he finished that remains one of the most famous moments in the event’s history.
Leading by six strokes on the final hole, Toms made a quadruple-bogey 8 on the difficult par-4 18th, an inglorious conclusion to an otherwise glorious performance.
“I felt like I was in total control over what was going on, at least for 71 holes,” Toms said.
Four years later, Woods won at Quail Hollow in the same week he and Michael Jordan played together in the Wednesday pro-am, bringing an enormous gallery along with them. An eagle at the par-5 seventh hole on Sunday sent a roar across the property, and when he finished off his 57th career victory, Woods flung his golf ball down the 18th fairway in celebration.
“This one, considering the field and the golf course and the conditions, I’m ecstatic to have won here,” Woods said.
When Rory McIlroy won in 2010, he was two days shy of his 21st birthday, and he became the youngest winner on the PGA Tour since Woods in 1996.
While McIlroy will be remembered for shooting a final-round course-record 62 that ended with a string of six consecutive threes on his scorecard, the magic began on Friday afternoon. McIlroy was outside the 36-hole cut line with three holes to play, but an eagle at the par-5 seventh (his 16th hole in the second round) pushed him
into the weekend, all of it set up by a 206-yard 4-iron second shot into the green guarded by water.
“Most important shot of the year, to be honest,” McIlroy said. It was the start of an enduring relationship between McIlroy and Quail Hollow. He has won the event three times and lost in a playoff to Rickie Fowler in 2012. Additionally, McIlroy has been given an honorary membership to the club.
There have been name changes along the way. After the banking crisis in 2008, the event was renamed the Quail Hollow Championship for two years until it was renamed the Wells Fargo Championship prior to the 2011 tournament.
The memories and moments have accumulated over the years, seasoning the tournament and creating a scrapbook rich with images and feelings.
After a Saturday rain delay in 2007, Woods and Singh went back out and played the 11th and 12th holes — two challenging par-4s — in a combined 5-under par with three birdies and an eagle by Singh at the 12th.
There was Derek Ernst, ranked 1,207 in the world, winning in 2013, the biggest upset in tournament history.
When the tournament moved to Eagle Point in Wilmington in 2017 to accommodate the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow,
Brian Harman outdueled Dustin Johnson.
Covid canceled the 2020 event, McIlroy won in 2021 for the third time on Mother’s Day with his wife and young daughter watching, and Wyndham Clark triggered his breakout 2023 season with his win last year.
The golf course has changed through the years, growing in its role as tournament host while maintaining its natural charm and beauty. The combination of springtime in Charlotte and the relaxed elegance of the setting have created an atmosphere that has elevated it beyond just a golf tournament.
It’s the roar of a gallery late on Sunday afternoon, the hum of conversation around the event lawn behind the clubhouse and the sweeping views across the finishing holes, among the best golf theaters to be found.
It’s not just the place to be in early May, it’s the place people want to be. The Wells Fargo Championship has become a part of Charlotte, helping define and enhance the region since its inception more than two decades ago.
At the end of each tournament, the champion is escorted into a private Champagne toast with members and tournament leaders, where they raise a glass to the winner. This year, they can also toast a 21-year relationship that may be ending but has had an enduring impact on Charlotte and the PGA Tour. SP
2003 David Toms wins the inaugural Wachovia Championship by two strokes despite making a quadruple-bogey 8 on the final hole.
2007 Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods play together in the Wednesday pro-am, drawing an enormous gallery.
2007 Tiger Woods wins the Wachovia Championship for his 57th career PGA Tour victory.
2009 The event is renamed the Quail Hollow Championship.
2010 Rory McIlroy wins his first PGA Tour event, shooting a course-record 62 on Sunday to beat Phil Mickelson by four strokes.
2011 The event is renamed the Wells Fargo Championship.
2012 Rickie Fowler beats McIlroy and D.A. Points in a playoff for his first PGA Tour victory.
2015 Rory McIlroy wins for the second time at Quail Hollow, beating Webb Simpson and Patrick Rodgers by seven strokes.
2017 Brian Harman wins at Eagle Point Golf Club in Wilmington, where the tournament was moved to accommodate the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow.
2020 The tournament is canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
2021 Rory McIlroy wins for the third time.
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FROM LUXE RESORTS TO CASUAL, FAMILY-FRIENDLY VENUES, THESE DRIVING-DISTANCE GOLF
DESTINATIONS OFFER AMPLE AMENITIES BOTH ON AND OFF THE COURSE.
by Michael J. SolenderAs temperatures rise, so do the aspirations of area golfers. This month’s Wells Fargo Championship at Charlotte’s Quail Hollow Club is inspiration enough for golf buddy trips, family escapes and couples’ sojourns. With a variety of golf-focused resorts nearby, it’s easy to set out in the morning and still make your afternoon tee time. We’ve curated a list of six nearby golf venues where even nongolfers will find plenty of recreational fun.
Luxe accommodations with on-site dining and activities
1. Pinehurst Resort, Pinehurst, N.C.
Known as the Cradle of American Golf, Pinehurst Resort builds upon its storied legacy hosting its fourth men’s U.S. Open Championship this June on the fabled Donald Ross-designed No. 2 course, one of the sport’s purest tests. New this spring: The debut of the much-anticipated No. 10 — the resort’s first original new course in nearly 30 years. The Tom Doak-designed track marks a new era of expansion at Pinehurst, now home to 10 18-hole courses, plus Thistle Dhu, a challenging putting course, and the Cradle, an
inventive short course. Distinct accommodations here include the famed Carolina Hotel (the breakfast buffet is a stunner), the century-old Manor and the newly renovated Magnolia Inn.
Golf vibe: While Pinehurst draws plenty of traditionalists and golf historians, families and newcomers to the game are equally welcome. Golf polos and smart resort wear are always in fashion.
Inside scoop: Splurge and get a caddy when available. The caddy program here is second to none, worth several strokes per round, and yields the full enjoyment of walking these hallowed grounds.
Beyond the greens: There’s a rejuvenating spa on-site, and the charming shops and restaurants of Pinehurst Village are steps away. Nearby, the Sandhills Horticultural Gardens offer self-guided tours year-round, tempting gardeners with indigenous flora and unique design.
While you’re there: Pinehurst Brewing Company, a chip shot away from The Manor, delivers craft beer, wood-smoked barbecue, pizzas and sandwiches in a laid-back venue to unwind and settle bets.
Drive time from Charlotte: 2 hours
2. Kiawah Island Golf Resort, Kiawah Island, S.C. Kiawah Island Golf Resort, a luxe golf paradise just outside Charleston, boasts five 18-hole courses, a comprehensive instruction center, ocean views at every turn, tennis, beachcombing and more than a dozen dining venues. Accommodations here include the five-star Sanctuary Hotel, on-course golf villas, private homes and cottages.
Golf vibe: Family-friendly — from multigenerational groups to young parents with little ones — and also ideal for couples, Kiawah is built for recreational golfers. Serious amateurs seeking a true test, however, will discover what made Kiawah Island a Ryder Cup destination: The Ocean Course, a Pete
Dye design, is consistently ranked among the most challenging courses in the world.
Inside scoop: Despite its challenging nature, the Ocean Course — site of the 2021 PGA Championship — is also one of the most scenic U.S. courses, with dramatic vistas at nearly every turn.
Beyond the greens: There’s bicycle rentals, kayaking, archery and on-site kids activities (art programs, reptile roundups, dolphin encounters and day camp) to keep everyone engaged.
While you’re there: Don’t sleep on the daily fishing excursions, including creek and coastal fishing, where guests can bottom fish over offshore wrecks and artificial reefs.
Drive time from Charlotte: 3 hours, 45 minutes
3. Keswick Hall, Charlottesville, Va.
Tucked away in Virginia’s horse and hunt country, the 600-acre Keswick Hall resort’s Full Cry, a Pete Dye-designed course, is ranked No. 3 in Golfweek’s “Best You Can Play in Virginia” and No. 53 among its “Top 200 Resort Courses in the U.S.” Built in 1912, Keswick Hall recently underwent considerable renovations and now houses 80 guest rooms and a new spa emphasizing organic, small-batch products. Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten oversees the culinary program anchored by Marigold by Jean-Georges, with a hyper-local menu and an emphasis on sustainability.
Golf vibe: Quiet. Situated 7 miles east of Charlottesville, Keswick is an understated-yet-elegant resort that is decidedly
This page clockwise from top left: Golf at Palmetto Dunes at Hilton Head Island; a barbecue sandwich at Talamore Golf Resort; Drum & Quill tavern in Pinehurst.
Opposite page: Brunswick Plantation Resort & Golf; Palmetto Dunes Oceanfront Resort
low-key. Full Cry was one of Dye’s personal favorites, however, and there’s more than enough on-course excitement to give players as much golf as they can handle.
Inside scoop: Multiple tee boxes, alternative routings and consistently smooth greens make the course accessible and enjoyable for those with higher handicaps. The visually stunning course beckons all players with a traditional layout that accommodates both aerial and ground-based strategies for achieving par.
Beyond the greens: Joggers and hikers can explore the numerous trails conveniently located near Keswick’s main entrance. There’s a new fitness center with Technogym equipment and Peloton bikes; a new seven-court tennis facility; pickleball; and a year-round heated infinity pool with a cascading waterfall. A concierge helps cyclists map out routes along backcountry roads. While you’re there: Nearby, find Thomas Jefferson’s longtime home of Monticello, a UNESCO World Heritage site that offers tours and living history lessons.
Drive time from Charlotte: 4.5 hours
Family-friendly venues that are all about the game — with off-property dining and extracurricular activities nearby
4. Palmetto Dunes Oceanfront Resort, Hilton Head Island, S.C.
Three championship courses perched alongside the Atlantic at Palmetto Dunes have called to regional golfers for decades. Design legends Robert Trent Jones, George Fazio and Arthur Hills give play-
ers all the challenges they can handle at this mature links trio. Villas and vacation-home rentals deliver tailor-made accommodations for seasonal guests.
Golf vibe: Low-key and relaxed. Want to hang out at the pool in the morning and play nine after lunch? No problem — there’s no pressure to do anything other than enjoy the time away from home.
Inside scoop: Those looking for longer getaways can find bargains with long-term rental homes and condos featuring full kitchens, beach and pool access, and outdoor grills.
Beyond the greens: Pickleball, tennis, boat rentals, fishing and hitting the beach are popular with golfers and nongolfers alike. Savannah, Ga., is only an hour south and a fun afternoon excursion.
While you’re there: Guests at Palmetto Dunes are in the heart of seafood country. Oysters, Atlantic blue crab, shrimp and gumbo are ubiquitous here. The Sea Shack (“Not fancy, just good!”) is a no-frills local favorite offering seafood platters, po boys and peel-and-eat shrimp.
Drive time from Charlotte: 4 hours, 15 minutes
5. Talamore Golf Resort, Southern Pines, N.C.
This stalwart golf getaway has long topped Charlotte lists for golf groups, buddy trips and serious golf-themed family escapes. Talamore features two of the Sandhills area’s finest tracks in the Arnold Palmer-designed Mid South Club and the namesake Rees Jones classic Talamore Golf Club. Villas, condos and cottages — all fully furnished and surrounded by greens — make “stay and play” an easy lay-up.
Golf vibe: Hardcore golf heaven. Players here are known to be on the course at the crack of dawn, enjoy lunch after 18 holes, and then tee-up for another 18 in the afternoon. Very casual, very “bro-some.”
Inside scoop: During peak golf season, there’s a BBQ buffet at the on-site pavilion for overnight guests Mondays through Thursdays. Room-service breakfast is included in most golf pack-
ages, and the hospitality suite features card tables and multiple big screen TVs to catch up on the sports of the day after a round.
Beyond the greens: The 165-acre site is home to a 95-acre lake, nature trails, hiking trails, fishing and boating. The Village of Pinehurst, with shopping, restaurants and pubs, is nearby.
While you’re there: Peruse the shops in idyllic downtown Southern Pines or grab a bite at Drum & Quill, a beloved tavern in the Village of Pinehurst. The “Drum” is named for legendary golf writer Bob Drum, and the “Quill” refers to the pen he used to celebrate Arnold Palmer as they founded Golf’s Professional Grand Slam in 1960. The huge beer selection makes choosing almost as tough as deciding which club to pull for a short shot across the pond fronting the green.
Drive time from Charlotte: 2 hours
6. Brunswick Plantation & Golf Resort, Calabash, N.C. Brunswick Golf Club’s 27 holes of golf are situated on nearly 2,000 acres with studios and one- and two-bedroom villas. Family friendly, this Brunswick Islands favorite boasts a high percentage of repeat visitors year after year.
Golf vibe: Casual —this is a great venue for family foursomes and those more focused on fun in the sun than going low.
Inside scoop: More serious golfers might want to extend their stay to include rounds at other top Brunswick County courses, including Ocean Ridge Plantation, Crow Creek, Thistle and Rivers Edge.
Beyond the greens: Visit nearby Sunset Beach for a low-key day at the beach and discover the storied Kindred Spirit Mailbox filled with hopes, dreams and inspirational messages.
While you’re there: Explore the Brunswick Islands’ burgeoning craft-beer scene with visits to Makai Brewing at Ocean Isle Beach, Brunswick Beer & Cider in Leland and Solar Brewing at Oak Island – each has a unique take with inspiration from the N.C. coast.
Drive time from Charlotte: 3.5 hours SP
benefiting BraveWorks
The Revelry
March 7
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The nonprofit’s second annual gala included personal stories from BraveWorks artisans who have learned new skills through its training programs. BraveWorks assists women who have survived human trafficking, homelessness, addiction and abusive relationships. photographs by Daniel Coston
A monthly guide to Charlotte’s parties and galas
benefiting Charlotte Ballet
March 2
A sell-out crowd cheered on notable Charlotteans during this annual dance competition at Knight Theater that raised more than $1.53 million. Charlotte Wickham took home the People’s Choice Award, and Callie Dobbins won Judge’s Choice. photographs by Daniel Coston
A monthly guide to Charlotte’s parties and galas
benefiting the Allegro Foundation
Quail Hollow Club
March 23
Austrian Ambassador to the United States Petra Schneebauer shared her story as this year’s special guest. The evening, hosted by Felix Sabates, also included dinner, dancing and a performance by Allegro children.
photographs by Daniel Coston
A monthly guide to Charlotte’s parties and galas
benefiting Families Forward Charlotte
March 2
Friends and supporters of FFC had a big time at The Big Chill raising money for the nonprofit, which helps and mentors local parents so they can maintain steady jobs and housing.
photographs courtesy of FFC
A monthly guide to Charlotte’s parties and galas
presented by Social Venture Partners Charlotte March 26
Ten local nonprofit leaders gave their best pitch at CPCC’s Parr Theater during this fun evening for philanthropy. Children’s Attention Home got the most votes and took home the grand prize. photographs by Daniel Coston
Journalist and North Carolina native Katherine Snow Smith will discuss her new memoir, Stepping on the Blender & Other Times Life Gets Messy, with SouthPark Magazine. Enjoy wine and a 20% discount at Laura Park Designs.
Life lessons about forging an unexpected path and navigating
and
Sponsored by:
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benefiting Independent Picture House March 10
The red carpet returned to Independent Picture House for this second annual gala. Patrons celebrated all things film through an evening of food, music and lively discussions. photographs by Daniel Coston
LUMINOUS LANE IS A RAY OF LIGHT IN UPTOWN THANKS TO CHARLOTTE SHOUT!, WHICH GIVES ARTISTS A PLATFORM TO SHARE THEIR TALENTS.
by Sharon SmithNo one ever had reason to notice this little alleyway between 3rd and 4th streets uptown. It was just a dreary sea of asphalt and concrete. Blink, and you’d miss it. But wow. Look what happens when you give artists a wide canvas and lots of paint. At Charlotte SHOUT!, the annual 17-day arts festival which just wrapped up in April, Luminous Lane was a main attraction. Families posed and snapped pictures next to floral murals and bright, colorful collages depicting city scenes and funky designs. Steps away, onlookers also tracked the progress of artists painting three new murals across busy 4th Street, where a bigger and bolder extension of Luminous Lane started taking shape during the festival.
The murals and fiber art first came to Luminous Lane as part
of Charlotte SHOUT!’s Spray Jam in 2023. Charlotte artist Sydney Duarte and Treazy Treaz, an artist from Australia, organized the project and gave it a theme: Bringing Light to Dark Places. Over these past two cycles of SHOUT!, dozens of artists have contributed to this vibrant showcase of largely local talent.
It’s a reminder that SHOUT! is not just a come-and-go festival. It’s an incubator for creatives, plus it gives the city something to keep and enjoy. So if you missed SHOUT!, you’re in luck — Luminous Lane is here for you. SP
