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When my kids were little, I was all in on Halloween. I got crafty and made hand-painted tombstones from wood scraps I found in the garage. I stuffed little treat bags for the neighborhood kids — no Tootsie Rolls or Mary Janes, only the good stuff — and neatly tied them up with black and orange satin ribbon. I don’t sew, but I tried to help my kids come up with original costumes. Our outdoor setup grew each year to include a pirate’s treasure chest, a fog machine and a makeshift “zipline” — crafted by my son from fishing line — for cheesecloth ghosts to glide across the yard.
Every year, on Oct. 1 — the earliest I would allow anyone to “spookify” the house — we’d pull out the Halloween stuff in anticipation of the big day. Eventually, as the kids grew older, October would roll around with barely a mention of Halloween. I began to dread dragging out all the stuff. The homemade tombstones started falling apart and were thrown away. Instead of making carefully curated treat bags for trick-or-treaters, I found myself making a last-minute run to Harris Teeter to grab whatever candy was left. Then for a few years, I quit the holiday altogether — we’d go out to dinner just like any other day, returning home after the youngest revelers were safely home and tucked in their beds.
Now coming off a two-year hoopla hiatus, I’ll welcome any occasion to celebrate, even if it’s just at home with my crew watching scary movies on Netflix. And the Halloween cocktails created by mixologist and distiller Mena Killough on page 102 are a good place to start.
Happy haunting!
Tricks aside, October also marks the season when annual fundraisers and galas are in full swing. For the second year, SouthPark is honored to serve as the media sponsor for Furnished, a virtual event that supports Furnish For Good, a nonprofit that provides furniture and other home goods for people transitioning out of poverty. Started just three years ago, Furnish For Good is already making a big impact in the community. Read more about Furnished and how you can support Furnish For Good’s mission on page 60.
IN THIS ISSUE:
1 - From the 2022 It List: Frankie Fashionable, Roman Harper and Pape Ndiaye Bailey photographed by Richard Israel, page 84
2 - Herbalist and distiller Mena Killough photographed by Justin Driscoll, page 102
3 - Artist and musician Scott Avett photographed by Mallory Cash, page 108
EDITOR editor@southparkmagazine.com
4 - Sketch of the billiard room featured on page 38 by Jackie Rae Studios
Peggy
BLVD.
24 | givers
Your Farms Your Table delivers healthy food to those in recovery.
30 | arts
Seven seniors turn their life stories into a theatrical work of art.
34 | music
Through a new charitable initiative, Ben Folds is creating opportunity for aspiring musicians.
38 | interiors
Designer Wendy Fennell creates a chic billiard room in SouthPark.
42 | milestones
Lingerie retailer I.C. London celebrates 30 years in business.
46 | weddings
Charlotte couples tie the knot.
50 | cuisine
Where to grab dinner or drinks before the show
54 | around town
What’s new and coming soon in Charlotte
56 | happenings
October calendar of events
65 | art of the state
Cristina Córdova sculpts soulful, fantastical people from clay.
69 | gardening
How to take your garden design to the next level
75 | simple life
The road less traveled to authordom
81 | bookshelf
Notable new releases
143 | swirl
Parties, galas and events around Charlotte
152 | gallery
The Tyndale Skeletons provide a daily dose of Halloween humor.
Dexter Benoit, Emily Oliver, April Chittick and Hilary Burt from The IT List (page 84) photographed by Richard Israel, produced by Whitley Adkins, hair and makeup by Josiah Reed
84 | The IT List produced by Whitley Adkins photographs by Richard Israel Our annual class of Charlotte style setters
102 | Spooky spirits photographs by Justin Driscoll Scary good Halloween cocktails
108 | A purpose-driven art by Wiley Cash photographs by Mallory Cash Scott Avett follows the mystery.
116 | Treasure chest by Cathy Martin photographs by Dustin Peck
An antique-filled Eastover home with a resplendent garden is updated with a serene aesthetic.
137 | Twin-town double down by Michael J. Solender Bristol delivers plenty of weekend fun, whichever side of the street you’re on.
PHOTO
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Alyssa Kennedy Art Director alyssamagazines@gmail.com
Whitley Adkins Style Editor
Contributing Editor David Mildenberg
Contributing Writers
Wiley Cash, Jim Dodson, Allison Futterman, Amanda Lea, Page Leggett, David Menconi, Liza Roberts, Jay Sifford, Michael J. Solender
Contributing Photographers
Mallory Cash, Daniel Coston, Justin Driscoll, Richard Israel, Amy Kolo, Dustin Peck
Contributing Illustrator
Gerry O’Neill
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Published by Old North State Magazines LLC. ©Copyright 2022. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. Volume 26, Issue 10
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Ballantyne | Gaston | Huntersville | Matthews | Pineville | SouthPark | Steele Creek | Uptown | Waverly
represented by LAUREN ALEXANDER AND JESSICA GRIER
The newest exhibition at Mint Museum Uptown, American Made: Paintings and Sculpture from the DeMell Jacobsen Collection, features more than 100 works by American artists spanning two centu ries. While works from the private collection have been on view at other museums, this is the first time a large group of the collection’s finest pieces have been shown together. From mid-19th-century landscapes to 20th-century modernism, a variety of artistic styles are represented. This painting by Allan Rohan Crite, a Boston artist known for his religious illustrations, is an example of the artist’s early works depicting ordinary daily life in Boston’s African American community. SP
Allan Rohan Crite (American, 1910–2007) Play at Dark, 1935, oil on canvas board
For many of us, after a hard day or difficult stretch, having a good meal does more than just fill the belly. It’s comforting and often sustaining. It’s why during times of crisis or grief, neighbors bring casseroles and pound cakes — or deliver a hearty takeout meal. Food may not fix the problem, but it sure helps nourish the body, and sometimes the soul.
Chef Sam Diminich knows every bit of that to be true. Talk with him for just a moment and you quickly learn that food is part of his story. He’s committed to “live sober out loud.” In his 30-year addiction journey, Diminich experienced homelessness and bounced around several treatment and detox centers. Healthy food was always an afterthought, even though his body needed fuel to aid his recovery.
So when a friend forwarded Diminich an email about the search for a chef at McLeod Addictive Disease Center in southwest Charlotte, he couldn’t hit delete. He wanted to know more and had a hunch he could help. “They are not a shiny Malibu clinic. They need all the sunshine they can get,” Diminich says.
“You’re experiencing the most challenging time of your life,” he says, speaking about recovery. There’s heartache and isolation. “Sometimes you just need a hot [expletive] meal. You can taste the compassion. It’s there. You taste it in the ingredients and how it’s prepared.”
That’s why he is so passionate about partnering with McLeod, which has served adults with substance-abuse disorders in the Charlotte region since 1969. Just a few weeks into the agreement, Diminich and his team are preparing and delivering healthy, protein-packed meals for in-house clients three times a day, seven days a week.
It’s not that Diminich needed more on his
CHEF SAM DIMINICH DELIVERS THE POWER OF HEALTHY FOOD TO THOSE IN RECOVERY FROM ADDICTION. by Sharon Smith photographs by Justin Driscoll Chef and YFYT owner Sam Diminich
already full plate. He owns and operates Your Farms Your Table, a busy catering and meal-delivery service. He’s also the personal chef to Carolina Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey. This summer, Diminich rolled out a line of sauces and vinaigrettes, a response to what he calls a consistent request from customers. To top it off, he’s set to open Restaurant Constance, named after his daughter, in Wesley Heights this December.
Yet, because of who he is and where he’s been, Diminich wanted to make the McLeod partnership work. Logistically, it’s not easy to plan, prep, create and deliver hundreds of meals each week. He hired Tommy Bordsen, a chef with a corporate background, to solely manage the partnership. Each week, their team gets a patient headcount and details on dietary restrictions, then develops a meal plan based on seasonal availability.
An average breakfast, for example, is locally sourced eggs, bacon and fruit. Lunch may be a power-packed salad or rice bowl. Recently, a smoked chicken soup with vidalia onions and peak tomatoes was on the dinner menu. “It’s the same ingredients we use at Your Farms Your Table, but simply prepared,” Diminich says.
Veronica Moeller, director of treatment services at McLeod, works with Diminich on the meal program and says the response from clients has been positive. “The partnership is a good fit because of his and the company’s commitment
to recovery and the community at large,” she says. It also provides patients with farm-fresh food and meals that they may not get elsewhere.
Beyond that, Moeller says there’s an added, intangible benefit to the Diminich partnership. “It is also an opportuni ty for people in the early stages of recovery to see someone in long-term recovery. They get to see that recovery is possible and people get well,” she says.
As someone who’s been through it, Diminich says part of his healing process involved putting service before self. The shift in thinking helps break a harmful cycle of isolation and forces the person in recovery to embrace community.
Diminich says building that community connection is just part of how he does business, which includes supporting people in recovery, whether through employment or chef-prepared meals.
YFYT General Manager Jill Vande Woude; chef and owner Sam Diminich; Tommy Bordsen, chef of the Institutional Meals Division
“Our message to the people out there eating our breakfast after a long night of difficulty or heartache, is that we care about you. We love you,” he says.
For Diminich, the fascination with working in the kitchen started as a young boy in his uncle’s Italian restaurant in Myrtle Beach. As an adult, he loves the connection to local farmers, the creativity and the energizing atmosphere of a commercial kitchen. He’s been behind the hustle and bustle of some of Charlotte’s most popular restaurants the past 15 years, including Upstream, Cantina 1511, Fran’s Filling Station and a slew of others.
None of the success he’s achieved felt possible in the depths of his addiction to drugs and alcohol. He vividly recalls receiv ing outpatient services at McLeod eight years ago. At that time, he wasn’t ready to fully claim his sobriety, but there were still meaningful takeaways. “Their messages of support and how important they were then — in many ways they planted a lot of seeds,” he says.
It wasn’t until after they worked out all the details that Diminich shared his own McLeod story with his new business partners. They’d been so focused on the task before them, Diminich says it got lost. Now, it adds a nice punctuation mark to the partnership. “The relationship became tighter,” he says. “I think it’s super special.” SP
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When Deborah Langsam, a Jewish woman raised in Brooklyn and the Bronx, was starting grad school in the early 1970s, she took a bus from New York to Duke University’s Marine Lab in Beaufort, N.C. She thought she’d just hail a cab from the bus station — until the bus driver told her there were no cabs in Beaufort.
“That began her journey,” says theater director/producer Steve Umberger, whose Playworks Group production company is creating an entirely new Acting Our Age, a theatrical event that premiered at McGlohon Theater in 2019.
Acting Our Age 2022: Using Our Voices is a new edition of a unique live stage/film event that traces the lives of seven elders — residents of Aldersgate Life Plan Community in Charlotte — from childhood to the present.
After that initial rude awakening, “Deborah made her home in the South,” Umberger says. “Throughout her life story, there are cultural comparisons between the North and the South.”
Langsam’s story is among those to be shared at the Booth Playhouse Nov. 2 and 3. “The impulse to honor elders and their life experiences is what drove this in the beginning,” says Umberger, who in 1976 founded the now-defunct Charlotte Repertory Theater, the region’s first professional theater. “Then, so many people responded to it.”
Ranging in age from 72 to 82, these seven Charlotteans demonstrate how the “silent generation” used their voices to cre ate a revitalized, post-World War II America and pave the way for baby boomers. (Langsam, 72, is the only boomer in the group; the other six are of the silent generation.)
Aldersgate commissioned Umberger and Lyndall Hare, a Ph.D. gerontologist, to create the original Acting Our Age. The new edition is the result of an intensive 10-month exploration. The script was created from the life stories of this group of residents gathered through interviews, writing exercises and group discussions.
“Each edition of the Acting Our Age series reflects the life and times of the people in it,” Umberger says. “We can trace the changes the world has seen over the years through their life stories. It gives you a very personal, authentic, close-up view of the events of their history — and ours.”
Acting Our Age 2022 features Langsam, Joal Fischer, Kathy Habel, Dick Metzler, Lou Mitchell, Molly Mitchell and Brenda Schleunes. Schleunes, 83, spent her early years in a small town in Ohio. She lived in an area settled by Mennonites. Her family was extremely religious, “which never quite took for her,” Umberger says. “In college, she was put on academic probation after her first year. She was discovering theater, and that turned out to be her life’s passion.”
After college, she lived in Chicago and Fort Wayne, Ind. One
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SARA ROCHE TEAM LINDSAY REDFERN
MARY BETH SNYDER
LEIGH C. CORSO
KAREN WAGNER
TUCK TEAM
BECKY MCGRATH TEAM
LUCY BUTLER
CAY CRAIG
LISA WARREN
HEATHER MONTGOMERY
NADIA MEREDITH
LINDA HENLEY
CHIP JETTON
HUNEYCUTT TEAM
LISA RUPP
of her jobs was working for the Yellow Pages; she was the only woman in a group of traveling salesmen. She encountered a lot of sexism in those days, which activated her feminism.
“We never know quite what the content is going to be until we know the group,” Umberger says. “And this group turned out to be largely the silent generation, that postwar generation. These peo ple were born in the early to mid-1940s. Life wasn’t always easy, and they grew up with a great work ethic and thriftiness. They just kept their heads down and didn’t complain. They achieved a lot through elbow grease and persistence.
“You’ll hear lots of stories about hard work, about community,” he continues. “Several of [our performers] had very humble beginnings. They compare their childhoods to those of kids today, and there’s a general feeling that today’s children have more automatically given to them.”
One person in the group majored in home economics. “That was her passion,” Umberger says. “She calls herself a ‘dinosaur teacher.’ The home ec major became obsolete, but the need for it is not obsolete.”
Umberger is accustomed to working with professional actors, and he wondered in 2019 how people with little to no acting experience might fare on stage.
“When we did the first one, I put money for actors in the budget,” he says. “I wasn’t sure what was going to happen. But, when you get to be a certain age, you’ve got a story to tell, and you want to tell it.
“This is a long process,” he adds. “It’s complex. And it requires commitment from the elders. We spend many months in preparation. By the time we get to the later stages, they have become an ensemble. And they are ready to perform.”
These seven seniors have a lot to say on what it is like to be part of the silent generation, to be part of the early women’s move ment, the joys and pains of aging, and the rewards of hard work. Their stories are funny, poignant, illuminating.
“Lyndall always says: A stranger is someone whose story you haven’t heard yet,” Umberger says. “The people in this show have dif ferent upbringings, different political beliefs, different religious beliefs — but when you hear their stories, you cannot be a stranger.” SP
Acting Our Age 2022 will be staged at the Booth Playhouse at the Blumenthal Performing Arts Center (130 N. Tryon St.) on Nov. 2 and 3 at 7 p.m. Tickets are $15 in advance, $20 at the door and are available through carolinatix.org.
Lyndall Hare and Steve Umberger
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THROUGH THE CHARITABLE INITIATIVE KEYS FOR KIDS, BEN FOLDS IS CREATING OPPORTUNITY FOR ASPIRING NORTH CAROLINA MUSICIANS.
by David Menconi
“Most rock musicians of my era would be doing a great service to admit where they got help along the way,” Ben Folds says. “I was lucky with the music teachers I had. They were great at encouragement, validation and teaching the right thing at the right time.”
It’s for that reason that Folds — a platinum-level pop star — started a charitable initiative called Keys For Kids this past May, using his fame to raise funds in support of arts education programs across North Carolina that provide instruments and lessons to young students who need them. Charlotte-based Arts+ is one of the first seven nonprofits to partner with Key For Kids. The local organization offers private lessons, summer camps and other community arts programs.
Folds has charted a highly unconventional course since his late1990s peak, when Ben Folds Five were Chapel Hill’s biggest hitmak-
ers. Since then, Folds has performed and recorded with everything from symphony orchestras to a cappella vocal groups, and even served as a celebrity judge on NBC’s The Sing-Off contest show.
Folds thinks enough of teachers that he dedicated a chapter of his bestselling 2019 memoir, A Dream About Lightning Bugs: A Life of Music and Cheap Lessons, to remembering the best ones he had growing up in Winston-Salem. Of particular note was the legendary John “Chick” Shelton at Wiley Magnet Middle School. Shelton taught generations of Winston’s finest aspiring musicians over the years, including Folds and members of bands like The dB’s and Let’s Active, and now the middle school’s band room is named after him.
“He could play any instrument in the band better than anyone, so he could show everyone in class how to do it right,” The dB’s co-leader Peter Holsapple remembers of Shelton. “He’s one of the three people who made me feel I could pursue music as a career and a life.”
BY JOE VAUGHN
ALEXANDER JENKINS
MEGHAN CONNOR-SHLETON
AMY LOTHROP ASHLEE DURRANCE ASHLEY SMITH BETH LEWIS BETH PARKER
DAWN FRANCHINA
DEIA FOLEY HEATHER MACKEY
JENNIFER OTIS
JOHANA TROUTMAN
KAITLIN MACBAIN
MARY SORIA
MISSY HIGHSMITH
NATALIE AMALONG NOLA LINKER PAIGE MOODY TORI JONES
LINDSEY MYERS CAROLINE GRARD CHRIS CAREY KATHRYN THIGPEN MARY SIMPSON
BRIAN HOSEY LINDSEY MYERS CHRISTINA PROVETT
After high school, Folds went on to the University of Miami’s Frost School of Music on a drums/percussion scholarship, where he encountered a harder-edged class of teacher. (After seeing the 2014 film Whiplash, for which actor J.K. Simmons won an Oscar for his performance as a hot-headed jazz-drumming teacher, Folds even made inquiries to see if the character was based on one of his old Miami professors. The reply: “No, but a few people have asked that about him.”) College was a high-pressure environment that ended with Folds throwing his drum kit in a lake after he had to perform his final with a broken hand. He flunked out.
“It was not the most positive experience, but I wouldn’t trade it, either,” Folds says of his brief college career. “They would turn students against each other, try to make you so uncomfortable that you’d push beyond what you’d normally do. In retrospect, I’m glad I got some scars to toughen me up.”
Within a few years, Folds was back in North Carolina playing in bands, eventually landing in Chapel Hill with the piano-pop trio Ben Folds Five. They caught on fast and had a hit single with “Brick,” plus a million-selling album with 1997’s Whatever and Ever Amen.
Folds is still keeping busy, with current projects, including a recurring role on the TV drama series The Wilds (in which he plays
himself in hallucination form) and working on his first new album since 2015. But arts advocacy, especially Keys For Kids, is taking up a lot of his bandwidth. On July 11, Folds played a livestream concert from Osceola Recording Studios in Raleigh, raising money in partnership with the North Carolina Arts Council and the North Carolina Arts Foundation. They, in turn, will distribute the money to local nonprofits that offer both instruments and instruction of piano and keyboard to students who can’t afford them.
“It’s fantastic to have a musician with his track record and visibility wanting to help students,” says Wayne Martin, interim director of the North Carolina Arts Foundation, a Keys For Kids co-sponsor. “I do not know of anybody else at his level doing any thing like this. Ben really remembers the teachers and mentors who inspired him, and he’s a deep thinker who wants to make the world a better place. I feel privileged to be his partner in this.”
For Folds, it’s less about creating future rock stars than the challenge, practice and joy of learning an instrument.
“I’m not trying to get kids to become musicians, necessarily,” Folds says. “But the discipline of learning to play music makes them better scientists, communicators, parents. The earlier you get kids playing music, the better it is.” SP
“I'm not trying to get kids to become musicians, necessarily. But the discipline of learning to play music makes them better scientists, communicators, parents.”
— Ben Folds
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Who uses a formal dining room anymore? That was the question on Wendy Fennell’s mind when her clients asked her to design a billiard room in the (previously unused) dining room of their SouthPark home.
The homeowners had already purchased a Pharoah custom pool table — they brought in Fennell, lead designer at Bohemian Bungalow Design, to transform the rest of the space.
Since the pool table was made specially for the room, it took up a lot of space. “There wasn’t room left for additional furniture pieces, so anything else I brought in had to be special and intentional,” the designer says.
“The room just screamed Rat Pack to me, and I could envision Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr. shooting pool and sipping martinis — so that was my design inspiration for the space.”
For the walls, Fennell chose a Phillip Jeffries wood-veneer pattern wallpaper. The dramatic floorto-ceiling fireplace surround was fashioned from pieces of black slab porcelain from Palmetto Tile. The abstract rug is from Jaipur Living.
With so few design elements in the space, lighting was key. “It was very important to honor the
beautiful craftsmanship of the pool table, so the new chande lier had to be a showstopper,” Fennell says. The midcentury modern fixture with glass orbs is from Visual Comfort’s Tech Lighting. Wall sconces from Visual Comfort’s Kelly Wearstler collection flank a wide mirror from Uttermost. The fireplace sconces are by Regina Andrew. SP
IN THE ERA OF ONLINE SHOPPING, I.C. LONDON IS AN ANOMALY — A COMPLETELY IN-PERSON RETAIL EXPERIENCE, NOW CELEBRATING 30 YEARS.
by Allison Futterman | photographs by Amy KoloGetting fitted for a bra is a very personal and hands-on (yes, literally) experience. But considering that as many as 80% of women are wearing the wrong bra size, getting properly fitted can have a big impact on a woman’s life. Someone who knows this better than most is Shelly Domenech, owner of I.C. London Lingerie located at The Village at SouthPark. This October marks the store’s 30th year in business.
After she took over her parents’ lingerie store in Hendersonville, Domenech moved the business to Charlotte in 1992 and renamed it I.C. London, a nod to a children’s rhyme. After years in Dilworth and Ballantyne, she moved the store to SouthPark in 2013. Since relocating to the 1,263-square-foot space, I.C. London has continued to serve its loyal longtime clientele while gaining new customers. With band sizes ranging from 28 to 54 and cup sizes from A to P, the store draws customers from well beyond the Charlotte area. Many of Domenech’s patrons are searching for larger sizes that are difficult, if not impossible, to find elsewhere.
When you step into I.C. London, you won’t be shown a catalog or a website to browse. Instead, you’ll find drawers brimming with well-crafted bras in different colors and styles. And while I.C. London does offer some pricier options, the
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More than 100 paintings and sculptures presenting two centuries of American creativity, from elegant portraits and striking landscapes to fascinating scenes of everyday life.
On view through December 24, 2022 Mint Museum Uptown at Levine Center for the ArtsAmerican Made: Paintings and Sculpture from the DeMell Jacobsen Collection is generously presented in Charlotte by PNC Bank. Additional generous support is provided by The Dowd Foundation, Windgate Foundation, and U.S. Bank Private Wealth Management. The national tour of American Made is made possible by Bonhams, Christie’s, Doyle, Schoelkopf Gallery, and Sotheby’s. The Mint Museum is supported, in part, by the Infusion Fund and its generous donors. IMAGE: Edward Moran (1829-1901). Summer Morning, New York Bay (detail), 1873, oil on canvas. Courtesy of the Thomas H. and Diane DeMell Jacobsen PhD Foundation.
boutique also sells a surprising number of bras that cost no more than a typical upscale department store. While I.C. London is known for its bra selection, the store also sells beautiful lingerie, functional shapewear and foundation garments, and comfy sleepwear. Each month, Domenech offers various promotions so that the store is accessible to as many women as possible.
In an age of online shopping, I.C. London is an anomaly — a completely in-person retail experience. As a service-driven business, Domenech has connected with women at many different phases of their lives. Sometimes it’s someone newly pregnant, or a teenager getting their first bra. It may be a woman who has gone through a divorce and is now doing something just for herself.
Some of her most memorable clients have been women who have lost weight and are feeling better about themselves, but they’re left with a lot of loose skin. When they are fitted with the right bra, their body instantly reflects the progress they’ve made, Domenech says. They feel more confident and comfortable in their body and their clothes.
“Your bra fitter is there and is listening and wants you to feel better about yourself,” Domenech says. “It’s a special thing, and I don’t take that lightly.” SP
January 15, 2022 | The Design Center
Atrium & Byron’s South End
A spectacular celebration that combined the couple’s Catholic and Hindu traditions photograph by Amy Kolo
From microweddings (still a thing) to great gatherings, our special publication Weddings by SouthPark keeps up with all the trends. The fall issue will be on stands later this month — in the meantime, here’s a sneak peek at a few of the couples featured inside.
May 14, 2022 | Grand Bohemian Charlotte An uptown affair that blended Persian and American customs photograph by Richard Israel
June 18, 2022 | Providence Cotton Mill, Maiden
Two times the fun: an intimate backyard ceremony and, a year later, a big bash photograph by Stephanie Welch, Indigo Photography
March 19, 2022 | Vail, Colo.
A destination wedding with a magical backdrop photograph by Nate and Jenny Agnini
October 23, 2021 | North Corner Haven
A fall-themed affair with a relaxed feel photograph by Click Away Photography
For more wedding inspiration, head to southparkmagazine. com/weddings or scan the QR code. Follow on Instagram @ weddings_by_southpark SP
LOVE
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LOVE the
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For the first time in years (yes, years, thanks to the pan demic), Queen City theaters and concert venues are once again filled with eager fans. Here are a few suggestions for where to grab a bite or drinks before or after the show.
This uptown eatery from the owners of Dogwood Southern Table and Dressler’s has a seafood-focused menu and serious-but-fun cocktails. Can’t decide what to order? Get “The Treatment” — for $65, let the chef prepare a tasting menu just for you, and $5 per guest goes to a local charity. 135 Levine Avenue of the Arts, Ste. 100., 704-800-5680, finandfino.com
With a menu inspired by North African and Mediterranean cuisine, sharing is encouraged here. The Mariposa Mezze board — a platter of tzatziki, hummus, olives, roasted eggplant and more — is a great starter. Headed to a matinee? Mariposa also serves brunch Saturdays and Sundays from 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. 500 S. Tryon St., 704910-0865, mariposaclt.com
The Venetian wine bar (sibling to Pierre Bader’s Aria) adja cent to Founders Hall is just steps from the theater. Expect cheese boards, antipasti, bruschetta, polpette and more, along with classic
cocktails and an extensive wine selection. 100 N. Tryon St., 980299-0039, cicchetticlt.com
Both Buho Bar and Mico, the lobby-level restaurant at Grand Bohemian Charlotte, bring a taste of Argentina and glamorous vibes to uptown. With a small selection of tapas, flatbreads and desserts, rooftop Buho Bar is ideal for pre- or post-theater cocktails. 201 W. Trade St., 980-999-5510, buhobar.com
Nosh on Asian-inspired small plates along with American classic dishes and take in the skyline views atop the Skye Condominiums. 222 S. Caldwell St., (980) 237-6718
For a casual meal, glass of wine or coffee, pop into Charlotte’s uptown food hall before a concert. Vendors include the Assorted Table Wine & Shop, Jimmy Pearls, Geno D’s Pizza and Not Just Coffee. 224 E. 7th St., 704-230-4346, themarketat7thstreet.com
FARENHEIT BY PETER TAYLOR Farenheit Cicchetti
This under-the-radar Myers Park mainstay has a Californiainspired menu and a covered patio, perfect for fall evenings. Napa also serves brunch Saturdays and Sundays till 3 p.m. 110 Perrin Pl., 704-900-8535, napaonprovidence.com
“Italian fare meets French flair” is the tagline at this pizzeria and pastaria in Myers Park. 2839 Selwyn Ave., (704) 979-4242, thejimmyclt.com
Bruce Moffett’s cozy Italian spot in the Villa features seasonal takes on traditional Italian fare and some of the best wood-fired pizza in town. 715 Providence Rd., 704-372-8110, stagioniclt.com
More than 20 specialty pizzas plus pastas, salads and sandwiches in a bright, casual setting at Metropolitan Charlotte. 1055 Metropolitan Ave., Ste. 130, 704-370-0777, pizzeriaomaggio.com
Partner and head chef Andres Kaifer recently took the helm at this 15-year-old Elizabeth restaurant with a weekly menu of seasonal dishes, from shareable small plates to pastas and mains. 1601 Elizabeth Ave., 704-333-3396, customshopfood.com
The classic cocktail bar also has an elevated food menu of appetizers, hand-helds (burgers, sandwiches and tacos) and heartier fare. Go with a group and splurge on the 42-ounce Tomahawk for the table. 1957 E. 7th St., 704-919-0104, thecrunkleton.com
Oakhurst’s first brewery, located in a former bank branch, is a skip and jump from this concert venue. Check their Instagram @vaultedoakbrewing for the food truck schedule. 3726 Monroe Rd., 980-209-0309
This casual neighborhood spot tucked away on the edge of Plaza Midwood offers a menu heavy on shareable tapas, salads, bowls and tacos. 1109 Morningside Dr., 704-393-3939, grinningmule.org
From innovative Southern fare at Greg and Subrina Collier’s acclaimed Leah & Louise to food stalls for a casual meal (La Caseta, Plant Joy, Saru Ramen and others), Camp North End has something for every taste. NoDa Company Canteen — an offshoot of the popular NoDa Company Store serving local beer, wine, sangrias and slushies — is the newest addition. 300 Camp Rd., 980-337-4600, camp.nc SP
Customshop The Crunkleton Leah Louise LEAH & LOUISE PHOTOGRAPH BY PETER TAYLOR
Feel and look amazing every day with safe, innovative restorative and aesthetic dentistry. Dr. Frederick M. Joubert, of Arboretum Dentistry, is the only certified dentist of the American Academy of Oral Systemic Health in the Charlotte area. Dr. Joubert and his professional team provide individually tailored treatments to help clients feel healthier and happier for years to come.
Actual patient of Dr. Joubert
Rhino Market & Deli is coming to SouthPark in 2023. The 5,877-square-foot space at Capitol Towers, previously home to SouthPark Grill, will be Rhino’s fifth and largest location. “I think SouthPark is under served in the neighborhood market category,” owner Rob Rondelez said in a press release. “Rhino Market & Deli will be another casual meetup space for neighborhoods like Beverly Woods, Foxcroft and Cotswold.”
The new market will have patio seating, and parking will be available in the adjacent covered deck. Rhino serves sandwiches and salads in a counter-service format and also sells beer, wine, snacks and grab-and-go items from local food artisans. The first Rhino Market opened in Wesley Heights in 2014.
Beaumonde Ventures opened The Ruth, an event venue in Wesley Heights. Owned by Marysue Boyle, Beaumonde also operates The Collector’s Room and Circle M Farm.
BAR One is expanding at Phillips Place, adding 80 seats, additional bar seating and a private dining room. The bar will remain open during construction.
The Teal Turnip will open in Oakhurst in 2023. The restaurant from the team behind Tayste Catering will offer a seasonal menu of small plates, wine and cocktails. The 2,500-square-foot space will seat 32, with additional seating for 40 on an outdoor patio.
Waterbean Coffee’s newest location is open at Quail Corners.
Leave it to a national media outlet to confirm what Charlotte already knew: In September, Bon Appetit named Supperland among its 10 Best New Restaurants in the U.S. for 2022. The food and entertaining publication writes: “In a rebuttal to the trend of ‘small plates, meant for sharing,’ Supperland is a grand, big-spirited restaurant where you’ll need the assistance of your entire friend group just to clear the table. They’ll be more than happy to help.” Supperland is the only Carolinas restaurant on the list.
PHOTOGRAPH BY JUSTIN DRISCOLL
The first phase of The Colony Apartments is open in SouthPark. The Colony is part of the redevelopment of 27 acres along Colony Road between Sharon and Roxborough roads. The first phase will feature 340 apartments, with rent starting in the $1,500s. Amenities include a pool, rooftop club and lounge, 24-hour fitness center, spa with dry saunas, golf simulator, pet spa, and pet park. The property is managed by developer SYNCO Properties.
Travis Kirkley is the new executive chef at Indaco, the Italian restaurant at Atherton Mill in South End. Kirkley has worked for Indigo Road Hospitality Group for five years, most recently at Colletta and Oak Steakhouse in Atlanta. He’s looking to bring his love of Italian cuisine to Charlotte. “I believe you can always be inspired by those around you,” Kirkley said in a news release. “I look forward to the fresh new energy from the Indaco team and Charlotte community, which will help me to create and enhance new dishes with my own personal touch.”
BY HEIDI HARRIS
Indaco Chef Travis Kirkley’s flounder Milanese, served with summer vegetable ragu, lemon beurre blanc, wilted greens and crispy capers
54 | SOUTHPARK blvd. | around town CHEF PHOTOGRAPH Pictured: Supperland’s wagyu pot roast, slow-cooked and served with vegetable gravy and pickled vegetables.
Pink Cupcake Walk Presented by Truist
Oct. 1 | 10 a.m.
Taste of Charlotte’s annual breast cancer walk is back at Truist Field. Enjoy mini cupcakes from four bakeries while walk ing laps around the home of the Charlotte Knights. runsignup.com/Race/NC/Charlotte/ TasteofCharlotteCupcakeWalk
Oct. 1-Nov. 20
Feast like royalty, cheer for the knights on horseback, laugh along with the acrobatics’ antics and shop the artisan market. Huzzah! New this year: Tickets are date-specific and will be sold online and on-site, pending availability. $32 for adults and ages 13 and up, $20 for children ages 5-12, and free for children 4 and under. Parking is free. carolina.renfestinfo.com
Oct. 1
Enjoy unlimited samples of beers from local, regional and national breweries, and join in on the fun as 15 Queen City restau
rants compete for burger bragging rights and the “Best Burger Trophy.” Performers include Chris Lane, Jon Langston, DJ Overcash and Oceanic. Tickets are $30-55. mooandbrewfest. com
HEARTest Yard FitFest at the Atrium Health Dome at Bank of America Stadium
Oct. 6 | 5:30-9:30 p.m.
Come for Fitness on the Field with instruc tors from some of Charlottes top fitness stu dios. Stay for the block party which includes a live DJ, food trucks, pop-up shops and more. Tickets are $30. r4r.org
Charlotte Dragon Boat Festival Race and Asian Festival at Ramsey Creek Park on Lake Norman
Oct. 8
Honor Asian culture and traditions at this annual event with live performances and sig nature dishes. The adrenaline of the Dragon Boat race is palpable, with the rhythm of the drum keeping rowers on beat. Free to attend. charlottedragonboat.com
Bank of America ROVAL 400 NASCAR Cup Series at Charlotte Motor Speedway
Oct. 9 | 2 p.m.
Cruise up to Concord for this annual showcase packed with championship drama and white-knuckle excitement. Tickets include
admission to concerts featuring Nelly, Bret Michaels and 3 Doors Down. Tickets start at $49 for adults; $10 for kids 12 and under. charlottemotorspeedway.com
Charlotte Ballet: Fall Works at Knight Theater
Oct. 13-15
The curtain rises on Charlotte Ballet’s new season with a trio of performances both new and familiar. Tickets start at $30. charlottebal let.org
Oct. 14-16
Watch as a sea of colorful hot air balloons take flight while enjoying beer tastings, food vendors, live music and an artisan market place on solid ground. Bring some chairs and make a day of it. Admission and parking prices vary; children 12 and under are free. 260 Hangar Dr., Statesville, carolinaballoon fest.com
Hola Charlotte Festival
Oct. 15 | Noon-6 p.m.
This Hispanic heritage celebration in uptown Charlotte highlights Latin American culture with musical and dance performances, plus a variety of family-friendly activities. Free to attend. holacharlottefestival.com
BY SETH RODDEYA beautiful fall day. A group of friends gathered at the coast for an epic Friendsgiving feast. Sea bass instead of turkey. It was indeed a bold move, but Byron never had a doubt. Thanks to the zesty marinade, an attentive eye, and open-minded friends, it all worked out deliciously.
Discover seasonal offers on vacation rentals & more at CrystalCoastNC.org
Oct. 15
With everything from hayrides to hard cider, the festival marks the end of apple-picking season and the beginning of all the fall feels. Tickets (required) can be purchased online at windyhillorchard.com.
Nearly 100 Black chefs and mixologists will be on hand for this year’s BayHaven Food & Wine Festival, which will take place at multiple venues across Charlotte. The lineup includes Ricky Moore, 2022 James Beard Award winner for Best Chef: Southeast; Top Chef alums Nick Wallace and Ashleigh Shanti; and Charleston chef BJ Dennis. Plenty of local talent will be there as well, including Jimmy Pearls’ Oscar Johnson and Daryl Cooper; vegan chef Adjoa Courtney of Cooking With Joya; and Jamie Barnes of What The Fries.
The festival, inspired by the culture of HBCU homecomings, kicks off Wednesday, Oct. 19 with a farm dinner at Nebadaye Farms in Indian Trail and wraps up Sunday, Oct. 23 with a tailgate-style cookout at Camp North End.
The festival was started by Leah & Louise co-founders Gregory and Subrina Collier to honor the culinary practices of Black culture chefs, food artisans and mixologists who are redefining American cuisine. Ticket prices vary and can be purchased at bayhavenfoodandwine.com.
Oct. 20-23
The popular shopping event offers rare access to Le Creuset’s premium cookware, including limited-edition colors and items not typically sold in the U.S. A portion of proceeds benefits Meals on Wheels America. Tickets start at $10 and must be purchased online in advance. Parking is $10 at the gate. lecreuset.ticketspice.com/ fttevent-clt
Oct. 20 | 8 p.m.
It’s “About Damn Time” to see the three-time Grammy Awardwinning artist perform some of her top hits, with support from special guest, Atlanta rapper Latto. Ticket prices vary. spectrumcenterchar lotte.com
Walk to End Alzheimer’s
Oct. 22 | 10:00 a.m.
Walk the half-mile or 2-mile route through uptown Charlotte along side others supporting the fight against Alzheimer’s. All funds raised further the care, support and research efforts of the Alzheimers Association. Registration costs vary. act.alz.org
Stevie Nicks at PNC Music Pavilion
Oct. 22 | 8 p.m.
Enjoy a stellar evening with the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer and multiplatinum Grammy Award-winning solo artist, joined by special guest the Pretenders. Ticket prices vary. concerts.livenation.com
Oct. 23 | 3 p.m.
Following the release of his newest book, Happy Go Lucky, the bestselling humorist will offer a selection of new readings and recol lections, plus a Q&A session and book signing. Tickets start at $40. boplex.com
Oct. 25-30
Watch the story unfold as Evan Hansen – an anxious, isolated
Daughters of the Diaspora: On Thursday, Oct. 20, an all-woman dinner led by British chef and cookbook author Zoe Adjonyoh will include six courses and three cocktail pairings. The event will be held at The Ruth, a new venue in Wesley Heights. Tickets for the dinner are $275 and include a signed copy of Adjonyoh’s book, Zoe’s Ghana Kitchen.
Pep Rally Tasting Tent: More than 75 chefs, winemakers and mixologists from across the country will offer small bites, samples and more on Saturday, Oct. 22 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tickets are $150.
British writer and chef Zoe Adjonyoh
BY SARAH CROWDER
high-school student – tries to fit amid the chaos and cruelty of his peers. This deeply personal and profoundly contemporary mu sical has struck a chord with audiences and critics everywhere. Tickets start at $34.50. blumenthalarts.org
Through Nov. 18
The exhibition brings together a diverse group of 12 artists to explore the relation ship between the New York City borough of Brooklyn and the historical Brooklyn neigh borhood in uptown Charlotte. Experience this unique collaboration of artists from two distinct cities as they tell a story of mutual respect. 229 S Brevard St., brooklyncollec tiveclt.org
Through Nov. 2
In his art, Avett draws inspiration from literature as well as his familial, spiritual and musical roots. This solo exhibition presents new medium and large-scale oil paintings and prints created from early 2020 through today. 412 Providence Rd., socogallery.com
Pop to Now: Warhol and His Legacy at Bechtler Museum of Modern Art
Through Jan. 2
This exhibition of select works by Andy Warhol, Jean-Michel Basquiat and Keith Haring follows their influence on pop culture, music, fashion and art. Pop to Now includes works on canvas, along with objects and memorabilia from the Pop Art movement to today’s cultural landscape of NFTs, digital and data-driven art. 420 S. Tryon St., becht ler.org
Opening Oct. 7
In this solo exhibition, the Miami-based Venezuelan artist will display several largescale abstract paintings emphasizing the power of emotion, expression and gesture. 1520 S. Tryon St., eldergalleryclt.com
— compiled by Amanda Lea
Scan the QR code on your mobile device to view our online events calendar — updated weekly — at southparkmagazine.com.
OCT. 30 - NOV. 6
Furnish For Good is a volunteer-run nonprofit started in 2019 by Priscilla Chapman, Mary Beth Hollett and Lesley Faulkner. In its nearly 4,000-square-foot showroom near uptown, donated items are staged into vignettes — dining rooms, living rooms and other spaces — and clients who are transitioning out of homelessness and poverty into permanent housing can choose furnishings for their homes. Since its inception three years ago, the organization has expanded its reach into the community and now has 28 partner agencies, including the Salvation Army, CMS, Roof Above and Communities in Schools.
One of the organization’s newest partners is Carolina Refugee Resettlement Agency, a public-private nonprofit that helps refugees find housing and employment opportunities, enroll children in school, and more. “Many of our clients are just coming with what they have, what they can carry,” says Annsley Banks, the agency’s volunteer and donations coordinator. Since the agency doesn’t have movers or a truck, Furnish For Good helps not only by providing furnishings for clients but also with the physical aspect of delivering furniture to their new homes. “We’re incredibly grateful for the partnership,” Banks says.
From Oct. 30-Nov. 6, Furnish For Good will hold Furnished, its annual fundraiser. Local interior designers will create vignettes for the virtual event, and members of the community are invited to vote for their favorite design. There will also be an online silent auction of items donated by the designers. This year, nine designers and one team of interior architecture and design students from Queens University of Charlotte will participate in the fundraiser.
In 2021, FFG served 351 neighbors in need and delivered more than 6,000 furnishings and household goods. The need for its services is so great, the organization will move this fall to a new facility that’s more than double the space of its current home.
“Furnished is so much more than a competition of voting or making a bid on a silent auction item,” says Chapman, executive director of FFG. “This event is a game changer for our mission. It is a true testament to the heart and commitment of our designers, our supporters and our friends to ensure that every person in Charlotte has a dignified, functional and beautiful home.”
SouthPark Magazine is the media sponsor for Furnished, which takes place online Oct. 30 - Nov. 6 at ffgfurnished.com. Learn more about Furnish For Good at furnishforgood.org and follow on Instagram @furnishforgoodorg.
BY Pictured: The 2021 Furnished winning design by R&R Interior Design 365
BY ROBIN DREYER; IAN HENDERSON
“Iwas always very creatively inclined, and very restless,” says sculptor Cristina Córdova as she moves — glides, really, with ease and focus — around a massive head she’s shaping out of clay in her Penland studio.
She molds it with elegant hands — quickly, decisively, certain about what she wants this clay to be. Like the work that has made her name, it will become real, it will be soulful, thoughtful, disarm ing, alive. Its eyes will be hollow, but they will express sadness; its face will be impassive, but it will express stoicism.
Known for her remarkably lifelike figurative sculptures in clay, which typically range from diminutive to life-size, Córdova grew up in Puerto Rico and earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Puerto Rico and an MFA in ceramics from the New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University before
moving to Penland in 2002 for a residency, subsequently making the campus her home. Her award-winning work is now in the permanent collections of The Mint Museum, the Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the Museum of Contemporary Art of Puerto Rico and many others.
Córdova credits her mother with nurturing her creativity from an early age, steering her toward the career that has made her one of the most respected sculptors in North Carolina and a pillar of the Penland community. She credits a ceramics teacher with first showing her the potential of clay, the possibility that it could go beyond representation to “embody any idea.” At that point, she says, “the material revealed itself to me in this really exciting way. And I never looked back.”
Still, she took some time to settle on her subject. Gradually, she says, “I started to become a little bit more excited, more empowered
La persistence del verdor PHOTOGRAPHS Cosmología Isleña
to start specifically to focus on the figure.” It was a focus borne in part by her heritage. Growing up Catholic in Puerto Rico, she says, in a house with literally hundreds of depictions of saints all around her, the idea of using a figurative work of art “as a way of harnessing your emotional energy and pulling it into something sacred” was a mechanism she’d internalized. Though her current work is not religious, Córdova finds that it’s understood “at a different level” in Puerto Rico, where “Catholicism is not a choice, it’s woven into the culture, so people come to the work with a shared insight.”
Her subject may come naturally, but that doesn’t make it easy. Depicting the figure in clay is a challenge. Early in her career, Córdova found herself stuck in between two worlds: the sculptural tradition of working in the round with a live model and the more organic ceramic tradition. Eventually, she settled on a hybrid approach, one that includes not a live model but a series of blueprints that provide her with the measurements she needs to create a sculpted three-dimensional figure.
The head before her on this particular day — not necessarily a man nor a woman, as is sometimes the case with her figures — is imagined instead of representational, and so its blueprints are designed merely to keep her to scale, leaving room for improvisation. In other instances, she uses a series of photographs to help her create more precise blueprints.
Córdova gestures to the head before her, saying “I’m called right now to do things that are big, almost monolithic. I think it has something to do with what we are experiencing [with the pandem ic]. I’m not interested in intimate or narrative-oriented work. I’m interested in big statements.”
Big statements seem called for by the importance and enormity of our internal worlds in a situation like the pandemic, she says. “The isolation, the uncertainty, the newness — to have to take all this in without being able to respond in our normal ways …
Vestigios PHOTOGRAPH BY STEVE MANN
recourse is very limited. So you’re holding this inside of you, and that’s all you can do, is hold it, and witness it, and be with it. We need a big container for that right now. So I’m making big containers.”
It’s not a simple process. Beginning with a large, doughnut-shaped piece of clay that’s laced with sand and paper pulp for stability and structure, Córdova then patches in a perpendicular slab, then another, and then adds rings of clay, providing “the basic topography.” From there, she more fully fleshes out and articulates the shape of the head and face.
Having worked “all over the place in terms of scale” over the course of her career, the process of working in such large dimensions now excites her. “This to me is a starting point. I really want to get bigger. I have no idea how I’m going to do that.” SP
This is an excerpt from the forthcoming book Art of the State: Celebrating the Art of North Carolina, to be published by UNC Press this fall.
PHOTOGRAPHS El ReyDel balcón
Have you ever visited a garden in which everything was coordinated and well tended, yet left you feeling rather flat, underwhelmed and unengaged? Worse yet, perhaps your own garden reads this way. Maybe everything matches, like a suite of furniture purchased from a big-box store in a single afternoon. Perhaps it’s time to shake things up by introducing some thoughtful juxtaposition, which can be viewed as eclecticism with a strong common thread.
If you think about it, you’ll realize that everything, whether animate or inanimate, has four variables or parameters: size, shape, color and texture. These variables are tools we can use to take our gardens to the next level.
If all four of these variables match, the garden reads as uninteresting, predictable and mundane. If none of these variables match, the garden appears as haphazard, unplanned and chaotic. Many gardens read this way, whether they are curated by plant collectors or clearance shoppers.
A good starting point is to match two of these parameters and vary the other two. Doing so will give the garden enough continuity to hold together but will introduce enough diversity to create interest and keep the mind engaged. From this point, you can tweak up or down.
In this photo, a diverse collection of plants are sited around a large ceramic pot. The vignette offers many varied elements yet holds together well. The large pink flower heads on the Joe-Pye weed (top left) mimic the shape of the ripening sedum flower heads (bottom center) and form a dialogue with the terra cotta lip and glaze pattern of the container. The blue conifer (bottom right) relates to the container in color and texture. Additionally, the conifer mimics the texture of the sedum. Here, the container holds the vignette together with color and texture.
Most people would consider it a bold move to site an industrial sculpture, forged from machine parts, in a natural woodland garden. This one works because the sculpture repeats the shape and color of the beech tree trunks while the size and texture are different. Additionally, the face of the sculpture speaks to the fact that owls inhabit this forest. Here, the parameters of juxtaposition transcend style.
1 This blown-glass installation mimics the shape and texture of the dark green Aspidistra (cast iron plant) leaves in the center of the grouping, as well as the ostrich ferns in the background, satisfying the match two/vary two concept. Still, the installation looks abruptly out of place in this woodland garden, even though red and green are complementary colors on the color wheel. More continuity is needed, as a
Here is a step-by-step example of how to use juxtaposition to your advantage:
Pick up a Tour Guide & Map at the Henderson County Visitor Center (201 S. Main St., Hendersonville) or scan the QR code for a download able version. Questions? contact us at studiotourHVL@gmail.com
Marketing assistance from the Henderson County Tourism Development Authority.
Take a free self-guided tour and meet dozens of talented artists at work. Fall in love with a piece to take home.Alice Greko
On-site painting demonstrations will take place each day throughout the Tour at Marked Tree Vineyard.
Enjoy the landscape that inspires artists while tasting the award-winning wines.
Visit charming Hendersonville and Flat Rock where you will discover an eclectic mix of restaurants, galleries and unique shops.
league henderson county , nc www.ArtLeagueHVL.org
Not long ago, following a speech to a historical organization in Georgia, I was asked by a woman in the audience how I became a “successful author.”
Anyone fortunate enough to publish a bestseller is likely to get some version of this question from time to time. That’s because almost everyone has a story to tell, a desire to have their voice heard in some form or another.
For years my response was to quip, “Because I couldn’t make a living out of mowing lawns in the neighborhood forever,” or, “The Baltimore Orioles already had a decent shortstop.”
The truth is, writing books is a lonely enterprise, and the vast majority of folks who are good at it invariably find their way to the craft via some other pathway.
Before literary success arrived, Charles Dickens worked in a factory putting labels on tins of boot polish. Harper Lee was an airline ticket clerk. William Faulkner served as a postmaster. Nicholas Sparks, a dental equipment salesman.
We were all, in other words, something else before we became writers. But dreamers all.
Why we choose to become writers and storytellers is perhaps the more interesting question — an age-old one, and a highly personal mystery that begs a more nuanced response.
In a famous essay titled “Why I Write,” George Orwell, of Animal Farm and 1984 fame, said writers put pen to paper out of “sheer egoism, aesthetic enthusiasm, historical impulse, and political purpose.”
Joan Didion claimed she wrote simply to discover what she was thinking — and feared — at the moment.
The allure of writing a success ful novel that makes its author a household name is a dream of untold millions of struggling writers. “Everybody does have a book in them,” the late Christopher Hitchens sniffed, “but in most cases that’s where it should stay.”
The truth is, writing anything is work that takes time, discipline, imagination, constant revision, false starts, new beginnings and plenty of patience. Hemingway called it the “loneliest, hardest art.” Though I suppose every artist in any medium can pretty much make the same claim.
One of my favorite writers, novelist Graham Greene, actually published a book called Why I Write in which he explains that good storytelling takes place in the unconscious before the first word is written on the page. “We remember the details of our story, we do not invent them,” he said — noting that ideas often come unbidden during unexpected moments of ordinary life — while dropping off your laundry, running errands, or (as in my case) mowing the lawn or working in the garden. This is why, regardless of how grubby I get in the flower beds, a pen and small notebook are always on my person. Everyone’s long journey to writing is different.
As the youngest son of a veteran newspaper man who hauled his family all over the South in the 1950s, I learned to read chapter books around age 4, in part because I never had time to make real playmates in the sleepy towns where we lived before moving again. From my parents’ bookshelf (both were dedicated readers), I was drawn early to adventure storytelling, particularly the short stories of Rudyard Kipling, Greek myths, and any tale that involved ani
Nestled in the foothills of the Yadkin Valley with majestic views of Pilot Mountain, JOLO Winery & Vineyards represents a new standard in the wine and hospitality industry.
Named one of the top seven U.S. wineries outside of California and one of the top 10% of attractions worldwide by Trip Advisor, JOLO offers traditional and reserve wine tastings, as well as Cuvee Experiences, which include a six-wine flight artfully paired with five courses of exceptional food. Dine on delicious fare at JOLO’s End Posts Restaurant –open for lunch, dinner or appetizers – and recognized by Open Table as one of the top 100 best brunch spots in the
country. Soak in nature’s surroundings with indoor and outdoor seating for dining and tastings. JOLO’s newly renovated Event Center provides an idyllic space for rehearsal dinners, holiday parties and other special events, and a Newlywed Chateau blends charm and modern luxuries for a romantic, overnight getaway.
Founder JW Ray’s commitment to creating superior wines and delivering an exceptional experience is evident in every bottle. The name JOLO combines his two sons’ names –Joey and Logan – with the hope of creating a legacy that will be passed down for years to come.
To provide the best experience possible, reservations are required for dining and tastings. Purchase tickets for the fall Cuvee Experiences at shop.jolovineyards.com/special-events.
mals and magical places. Fables and folktales ranked high. Absent a flying carpet, I often read books sitting in a large cardboard moving box on the porches of our old houses. And sometimes in the shady, cool dirt beneath the porch.
Inevitably, I grew up imagining someday becoming a journalist like my father, traveling all over the world to find such magical places. When he eventually introduced me to the essays of E.B. White — this was after reading Stuart Little and Charlotte’s Web — I even pictured myself someday living on a farm on the coast of Maine.
When I look back, I see a clear pattern of how I became a writer, including an unlikely pair of school teachers who changed my life.
In a faraway October of 1969, I was a junior underclassman who landed in the American literature class of an aging spinster named Elizabeth Smith and, to my dismay, math class with a newbie teach er named Larry Saunders.
English lit and I were natural companions. But I detested algebra and was probably the slowest student in “Coach” Saunders’ class, a nickname we teenage geniuses were inspired to give him due his skinny, geeky frame and nonathletic orientation. By design, I rarely took my algebra book home and only occasionally did my homework.
I don’t know what Miss Smith saw in me. She was short, round and half deaf. Her unflattering moniker was “Bull” Smith. This was her final year of a long teaching career that stretched back to the mid-1930s. I eventually learned that my father had been her student the year she graduated from UNC Greensboro — then called Woman’s College — and began teaching.
Out of the blue, Miss Smith pulled me aside one day to urge me to enter the Gate City’s annual O.Henry short story contest, which had been running since the 1920s — so named in honor of hometown boy William Sydney Porter. So, on a lark, I did. My simple tale was about visiting my quiet grandfather on his farm for several weeks one summer, not long before he passed away.
The story won first place, deeply shocking my sports pals. I dropped by Miss Smith’s classroom at the end of the term just to say thanks and wish her happy retirement. She gave me a copy of Robert Frost’s Complete Poems, and, in return, wished me a long and happy career writing books. I think I laughed. I was mowing lawns and playing pony league baseball that summer.
Larry Saunders was an even bigger surprise. Early on he realized that I would never a mathematician be — and proposed a remark able compromise. If I never missed class, agreed to pay attention and try my best, he would agree to giving me a C-minus or better. I made the deal. Saunders was famous for writing daily inspiration al quotes on the chalkboard. Once, the jokester in me managed to alter one of his quotes. “Familiarity breeds contempt” became “Familiarity breeds.” Even Coach had a chuckle. “Mr. Dodson is our budding literary genius,” he told the class, shaking his head. He was true to his word, however, when he could easily have submarined my GPA.
During my senior year, good fortune found me in Larry Saunders’ class again for geometry — which, shockingly, I found to my liking. Geometry became very useful when, decades later, I became an amateur carpenter like my father and grandfather, and I built my post-and-beam house on the coast of Maine with
Just 30 minutes from Charlotte and set in the shadows of Crowders Mountain, Veronét Vineyards & Winery offers an easy, enchanting escape. With stunning vineyards, miles of beautiful views and acres of towering pines, the 70-acre, ever-expanding estate features indoor and outdoor seating for tasting flights or wine by the glass or bottle. Charcuterie picnic boxes or boards, along with seasonal N.C. craft beer and nonalcoholic beverages, are available, as well as delicious bites from rotating food trucks.
To celebrate life’s most cherished events, Veronét provides the perfect backdrop. A variety of spaces with stunning views can be transformed to fit every need. A new winery production facility with a separate patio and lawn area can
accommodate large gatherings and will host tasting tours soon. In coming months, Veronét will host weddings as well, offering an unforgettable venue to begin a couple’s new chapter.
Family-owned, sustainably farmed and carefully tended to by a team passionate about people and wine, Veronét’s expansion allows visitors to enjoy new experiences each time they visit. “We want people to feel a part of every step we take,” says Founder Monique Sullivan. “Veronét is a place to enjoy, where you can learn as much or as little about wine as you want, without it being intimidating or difficult. Wine is an experience that’s meant to be shared.”
All indoor and outdoor seating is first come, first served. Guests are welcome to bring chairs or blankets to enjoy the lawn area. Service at Veronét is bar-style.
my own hands. I couldn’t have done it without geometry and Coach Larry. About the same time, I published my first book, which turned out to be an international bestseller. I always meant to write Larry and thank him.
In 1983 on my way to a job interview at The Washington Post from Atlanta, where I was the youngest senior writer at the oldest Sunday magazine in the nation, I stopped by the Greensboro Public Library to do some research and spotted — of all people — Miss Smith paging through a dusty travel atlas in the reference room.
“Miss Smith,” I quietly interrupted her work. “I don’t know if you remember me …”
She looked up and chortled. “Of course I do, Mr. Dodson. I have followed your career with great interest. I am very pleased that you are writing. I imagine fine things are ahead of you.”
I was at a loss for words but thanked her and wondered what she was up to these days. “I’m off to the dusts of ancient Egypt!” she trilled. “One of those faraway places I always wished to see!”
Before we parted, I also thanked her for seeing something in me — and for the volume of Robert Frost. Within weeks, I would withdraw from the Post offer in favor of a senior writer position at Yankee Magazine, a job that shaped my career and life.
Sadly, I never got to say thank you to Larry Saunders, who passed away in January 2021. “He loved teaching, playing the piano, and his nieces and nephews. He had a huge sense of humor,” notes his considerable obituary. He spent almost four decades teaching math, rose to head of the department and would inspire the creation of the annual Larry Saunders Excellence in Teaching Award dedicated in his honor.
A good coach — like a great teacher — recognizes a young person’s strengths and weaknesses, and strives to help them find the right path in life.
Larry Saunders was both. Thanks to his wisdom, I built a beautiful house, found my way to writing books and even fell in love with inspiring quotes.
Which is why I think of “The Bull” and “Coach” every October. SP Jim Dodson is a New York Times bestselling author in Greensboro.
Tucked in the beautiful Tryon foothills of western North Carolina and minutes from the Tryon International Equestrian Center sits Mountain Brook Vineyards, a family-owned winery with premium award-winning wines and extraordinary service.
The 75-acre vineyard offers one of the largest outdoor tasting areas in the state to sip wine, savor the views and enjoy a cozy fire. There’s also indoor areas for tastings or private gatherings, and a 7,200-square-foot, two-story Winery & Events Center, where visitors can witness winemaking at its best or host events of all sizes. Plan a dream wedding or special celebra tion in the intimate Victoria Meadows, nestled in the vineyard among a wall of trees and featuring a soaring, custom-made arbor. Or tour the vineyard and winery during business days.
Weekends are filled with much more than wine tastings at Mountain Brook. Featured food trucks and live music from local and regional artists line the landscape, and special events include educational classes and tastings, food and wine pairing dinners, seasonal galas, winemaker dinners, festivals, Sip & Shop vendor weekends, and Saturday night “Movie in the Vines” during fall and summer.
Enjoy a case of Mountain Brook wine and other events throughout the year with Club Cooper, Mountain Brook’s wine club. “At Mountain Brook, we are passionate about producing outstanding wines, creating a ‘wine community’ and providing an extraordinary experience from the vine to the glass,” says General Manager Tim Smith.
Demon Copperhead is set in the mountains of southern Appalachia. It’s the story of a boy born to a teenage single mother in a single-wide trailer, with no assets beyond his dead father’s good looks and copper-colored hair, a caustic wit and a fierce talent for survival. In a plot that never pauses for breath, relayed in his own unsparing voice, he braves the modern perils of foster care, child labor, derelict schools, athletic success, addiction, disastrous loves and crushing losses. Through all of it, he reckons with his own invisibility in a popular culture where even the superheroes have abandoned rural people in favor of cities. Many generations ago, Charles Dickens wrote David Copperfield from his experience as a survivor of institutional poverty and its damages to children in his society. Dickens is not a prerequisite for readers of this novel, but he provided its inspiration. In transposing a Victorian epic novel to the contemporary American South, Barbara Kingsolver enlists Dickens’ anger and compassion, and above all, his faith in the transformative powers of a good story.
Based on a real-life event, The Night Ship is an epic historical novel that illuminates the lives of two characters: a girl shipwrecked on an island off western Australia and, 300 years later, a boy finding a home with his grandfather on the very same island. In 1629, a newly orphaned young girl named Mayken is bound for the Dutch East Indies on the Batavia, one of the greatest ships of the Dutch Golden Age. Curious and mischievous, Mayken spends the long journey going on misadventures above and below deck, searching for a mythical monster. But the true monsters might be closer than she thinks. In 1989, a lonely boy named Gil is sent to live off the coast of western Australia among the seasonal fishing community where his late mother once resided. There, on the tiny reef-shrouded island, he discovers the story of an infamous shipwreck.
Twelve-year-old Bird Gardner lives a quiet existence with his loving but broken father, a former linguist who now shelves books in a university library. Bird knows to not ask too many questions, stand out too much, or stray too far. For a decade, their lives have been governed by laws written to preserve “American culture” in the wake of years of economic instability and violence. To keep the peace and restore prosperity, the authorities are now allowed to relocate children of dissidents, especially those
of Asian origin, and libraries have been forced to remove books seen as unpatriotic — including the work of Bird’s mother, Margaret, a Chinese American poet who left the family when he was 9 years old. Bird has grown up disavowing his mother and her poems; he doesn’t know her work or what happened to her, and he knows he shouldn’t wonder. But when he receives a mysterious letter containing only a cryptic drawing, he is pulled into a quest to find her. His journey will take him back to the many folktales she poured into his head as a child, through the ranks of an underground network of librarians, into the lives of the children who have been taken, and finally to New York City, where a new act of defiance may be the beginning of much-needed change. Our Missing Hearts is an old story made new, of the ways supposedly civilized communities can ignore the most searing injustice. It’s a story about the power — and limitations — of art to create change, the lessons and legacies we pass on to our children, and how any of us can survive a broken world with our hearts intact.
The Women of Rothschild: The Untold Story of the World’s Most Famous Dynasty, by Natalie Livingstone From the East End of London to the Eastern seaboard of the United States, from Spitalfields to Scottish castles, from Bletchley Park to Buchenwald, and from the Vatican to Palestine, Natalie Livingstone follows the extraordinary lives of the Rothschild women from the dawn of the 19th century to the early years of the 21st. As Jews in a Christian society and women in a deeply patriarchal family, they were outsiders. Excluded from the family bank, they forged their own distinct dynasty of daughters and nieces, mothers and aunts. They became influential hostesses and talented diplomats, choreographing electoral campaigns, advising prime ministers, advocating for social reform and trading on the stock exchange. Misfits and conformists, conservatives and idealists, performers and introverts, they mixed with everyone from Queen Victoria to Chaim Weizmann, Rossini to Isaiah Berlin, and the Duke of Wellington to Alec Guinness, as well as with amphetamine dealers, suffragists and avant-garde artists. Rothschild women helped bring down ghetto walls in early 19-century Frankfurt, inspired some of the most remarkable cultural movements of the Victorian period, and in the mid-20th century burst into America, where they patronized Thelonious Monk and drag-raced through Manhattan with Miles Davis. SP
Sally Brewster is the proprietor of Park Road Books. 4139 Park Rd., parkroadbooks.com.
AND BESS is presented by arrangement with
2022~23 *PORGYConcord Theatricals on behalf of Tams-Witmark LLC.
Charlotte Mecklenburg Library Foundation’s signature annual fundraiser Verse & Vino celebration of reading, writing and the joy of libraries – shared with a community of readers and New York Times best-selling authors – has become one of our region’s most anticipated events.
DAVID
SARAH
JAVIER
Stephanie Bissell, Dexter Benoit, Emily Oliver, Hilary Burt, April Chittick
20 OF CHARLOTTE’S MOST STYLISH MEN AND WOMEN created and produced by Whitley Adkins photographs by Richard Israel on-site makeup touch-ups by Josiah Reed On location at the Tipsy Burro Saloon & Cantina, 2711 Monroe Rd.
Terry Greenwood, Heather Harper, Mia Heaston Benoit, Michlene Daoud Healy
Frankie Fashionable, Holly Ham, Pape Ndiaye Bailey, Christi Pringle, Roman Harper
This marks the sixth year of the It List, and each fall this carefully curated group proves to be just as exciting as the last. When I first produced this feature for SouthPark as a means of celebrating our city’s incredible growing powerhouse style community, I had no idea how talked about and celebrated the list would become — not to mention fun.
In line with my never-ending pursuit to create tension by juxtaposing subject matter, outfit and location, I could not have dreamed of a more magical or apropos location for this year’s feature than the Tipsy Burro Saloon & Cantina. It’s every bit as quirky as its sister establishment, Thirsty Beaver Saloon, from kitschy thermoses and stuffed animals to miniature caricatures — even the stylized waste cans show a creative flair. The Tipsy Burro is home to an impressive collection of all things vintage and nostalgic.
As in previous years, photographer Richard Israel captures all the stylish participants in the most commanding light, while veteran makeup artist Josiah Reed rounds out the on-set crew, making sure everyone is camera ready — a most fashionable feast for any set of eyes. Enjoy the show from our team at SouthPark magazine!
— WhitleyComments have been edited for length and clarity.
TJ Franklin, aka Frankie Fashionable 39, stylist, model and influencer“Style is what you make of it. My style showcases my personality and my ability to be vulnerable. Growing up, my mother taught me to be comfortable wearing whatever I wanted to wear, no matter what others’ opinions were.”
Years in Charlotte: Five
His definition of style: My definition of style is placing clothing together in a unique way that speaks to you and showcases who you are without having to speak.
Fashion era: Although I love the style of the 1940s because I have an appreciation for suits, I would have to say that the current time is my favorite.
Currently coveting: Hats
On Charlotte style: Forever growing — mainly due to the city becoming a melting pot
What he’s wearing: Look 1: Otto trucker hat, H&M Keith Haring sweater and pants, Comme des Garcons shoes; Look 2: Morreton hat, RORI denim shirt, Metallica T-shirt, H&M pants, Nike Travis Scott shoes
39, college football analyst, retired NFL player
“I love colors. I love fashion. There is no better feeling than to come into a room and it lights up because of a fresh look that you personally put together.”
Years in Charlotte: Eight, on and off
His definition of style: Personality or a sense of confidence that you can see through the clothing a person wears. Anything goes in fashion, with the right body type, color or fit.
Favorite piece of clothing or accessory: Almost any of my three-piece suits
Never goes out of style: A fresh pair of shoes; Jordans
What he’s wearing: New Orleans menswear brand Fellow
51, co-owner, FOUND Collection
“Dressing, for me, is a happy creative game I play, putting pieces together differently each time I wear them — twist a dress backwards, swap out the laces, add a brooch to a belt, wear patterned tights under trousers to peek out. I rarely stay in one lane with regard to style…”
Years in Charlotte: 29
Her definition of style: It’s like cooking — there is always a secret ingredient that is added beyond the written recipe that stops you in your tracks.
Favorite piece of clothing or accessory: My poetry bomber from FOUND collection. The designer works with an NGO (non-governmental organization) in India that employs women who are widowed or HIV positive to create the embroidery. They are on salary and can take time off as needed. It is 100% a feelgood piece.
Fashion era: The ’60s — Twiggy dresses and exaggerated collars
Never goes out of style: Massive cuffs and pointy-toe ballet flats
On Charlotte style: A fantastic combination of evolved Southern and cosmopolitan chic
What she’s wearing: Look 1: FOUND collection Kleed lounge pants and Lingua Nigra necklace, J.Crew oxford; Look 2: FOUND collection TRK bodysuit/wrap skirt, Karein Belle poetry bomber and Bisjoux cuff
Roman Harper
“My style is a reflection of being born and raised in California. I’m known as a ‘jean girl’ — my favorite look is a pair of jeans, a simple, sexy top, and fabulous heels.”
Years in Charlotte: 28
Her definition of style: Style is an expression of your attitude, actions and character. It is a reflection of who you are and gives people a glimpse into your unique personality.
Fashion era: The ’70s — my biggest influence was Studio 54 and Halston fashions such as bell-bottom pants, halter tops and the solid wrap dress.
Never goes out of style: A simple, fitted sexy black dress, paired with a timeless black pump/stiletto
Currently coveting: I am forever coveting the black calfskin boy bag by Chanel
On Charlotte style: I love that every occasion is a chance to dress up. From a baby shower to a Hornets or Panthers game, men and women alike love to dress the part.
What she’s wearing: Look 1: Joe’s jeans, Cara Cara blouse, Bottega Veneta heels; Look 2: The Vampire’s Wife dress, Prada wedges
“If you can’t get to Africa, I will bring Africa to you.”
Years in Charlotte: 26
Favorite piece of clothing or accessory: Three pieces of clothing given to me by my late mother
Never goes out of style: African clothes
On Charlotte style: Diverse, simple, classic What he’s wearing: BAC Fashion, Senegal
71, wardrobe specialist, Paul Simon Women
“Each day, I like to have a special outfit that befits my mood for who I am seeing that day.”
Years in Charlotte: 50
Her definition of style: Style reflects who you are.
Favorite piece of clothing or accessory: Pink Tartan collection
Fashion era: Now is great
Never goes out of style: Classic clothes and a little black dress
Currently coveting: All of my new Lafayette 148 pieces
What she’s wearing: Lafayette 148, Kinross, 212 Goods
46, wife and mother; SVP talent acquisition executive, Bank of America
“I love a traditional silhouette in an unexpected color or fabric, always with a hint of glamour. I am inspired by my late father, who wore beautifully colored dress shirts — I have a quilt made of his shirts that I treasure — and my mother, who taught me a little sparkle and the right accessory finish the look …”
Years in Charlotte: 20
Her definition of style: People I know with exceptional style dress to express themselves and pay attention to what makes them feel confident and happy.
Favorite piece of clothing or accessory: My first luxury purchase 25 years ago was a small, red patent leather quilted Chanel bag. The style is traditional, but the color and fabric are what makes it fun and modern. I used the bonus from my first job to purchase the bag in New York City. Oh the stories that bag could tell!
Fashion era: 18th century Versailles — if I could wear a corseted, jewel-encrusted gown with a nipped-in waist and full skirt with layers of diamond jewelry every day, I would!
Never goes out of style: Modesty, good manners and animal print
What she’s wearing: Look 1: pink dress and belt by Carolina Herrera, shoes by Marion Parke, Legally Blonde clutch by Olympia Le-Tan; Look 2: chain-metal dress by Paco Rabanne, shoes by Marion Parke
48, managing director of SOCO Gallery, co-founder of Sphere Series
“I tend to gravitate towards the simple and the timeless, and I like the sentiment behind the ‘Before you leave the house, look in the mirror and take one thing off’ line that gets attributed to Coco Chanel.”
Years in Charlotte: 11
Favorite piece of clothing or accessory: My late grandmother’s channel-set ruby eternity band. She had a matching diamond ring as well as an emerald one and wore the three in a stack. She left the three rings to her three granddaughters, and now we each wear one.
Fashion era: The 1920s — flapper bobs, feminine suits, cham pagne and parties!
Never goes out of style: Jumpsuits by Toronto-based brand Horses Atelier, white Chuck Taylor hightops and anything from the French brand A.P.C. I have been a faithful A.P.C. customer since the ’90s when I first bought a pair of their jeans. I still have and wear nearly every item I’ve ever bought there.
On Charlotte style: Bright, bold and finding its stride.
What she’s wearing: Look 1: Erdem dress; Look 2: E.M Reitz shirt from the inaugural line by Charleston-based Erin Reitz, (Brooklyn-based brand) Caron Callahan skirt and shoes
43, founder and owner of Benoit Law Firm
“Put it on, wear it with confidence and walk out the door.”
Years in Charlotte: 13
His definition of style: Doing and wearing what makes you feel good — without apology
Favorite piece of clothing or accessory: I’m a blazer guy. I can wear them with just about anything … and I have. The one I’m wearing in this shoot is my current favorite.
Fashion era: Gotta love the Roaring ’20s/Great Gatsby vibe — clean all around
Never goes out of style: Confidence and an Old Fashioned On Charlotte style: Ever-changing, like our growing skyline. The vibe is different depending on what part of the city you happen to be passing through.
What he’s wearing: OMJ blazer and pants; shoes from Black Sheep in Plaza Midwood
68, founder, Sporting Life Holdings and Hunter Holdings Ventures; co-founder, Mountain Khakis
“Don’t be afraid of being different, be afraid of being the same as everyone else!”
Years in Charlotte: 30
His definition of style: Fashion is what you buy, style is what you do with it … that represents you.
Favorite piece of clothing or accessory: A Save the Duck light grey puffer blazer — I can dress it up or down — and Billy Reid suede brogue boots
Never goes out of style: Tees + denim or khakis + boots
Currently coveting: A Todd Snyder cashmere hoodie and Todd Snyder Alden suede Indy boots in milkshake
What he’s wearing: Look 1: Billy Reid, Hugo Boss, Chaco; Look 2: Relentless Betrayal lid, J.Crew T-shirt, vintage Levi’s custom painted by Michel Van Devender, Billy Reid oxfords, The Sporting Gent belt
Stephanie Bissell
53, co-founder of the Edit Sale, community leader
“My personal style includes being comfortable in what you are wearing, both physically and mentally. There is nothing worse than wearing a dress or outfit that you don’t feel your best in.”
Years in Charlotte: 49
Her definition of style: To me, style is an expression of art. I believe much of fashion is art, and what you choose to wear and how you put it together represents what is beautiful to you.
Favorite piece of clothing or accessory: Probably anything of my mom’s. She passed last fall, so anytime I can wear something of hers it makes me feel like she is still with me.
Never goes out of style: A smile
Currently coveting: A gorgeous green embroidered bomber jacket that Gucci did some years back. I am still hoping it finds its way to our Edit Sale one day!
What she’s wearing: Look 1: Dolce & Gabbana floral dress from Capitol; Look 2: Maison Rabih Kayrouz metallic dress from Bergdorf Goodman, Gucci shoes from Capitol
38, mother, writer, philanthropist, art enthusiast
“I’d equate my personal style to that of a chameleon: I can be glam, grunge, bohemian, business, street, athleisure or whatever style I am feeling.”
Years in Charlotte: Seven
Her definition of style: I feel that style is communicated best when the wearer has an unwavering confidence about themselves. I can really appreciate someone who chooses their style based on how they feel and what they love as opposed to only wearing what is on trend or what costs the most.
Favorite piece of clothing or accessory: A pair of Nike sweatpants. They are extremely soft — I love how they make me feel relaxed and cozy after a long day.
Fashion era: The 1920s
Never goes out of style: A great blazer or tailored suit
Currently coveting: Opera gloves, lace gloves, embellished gloves, mesh gloves — just wearing gloves with whatever and whenever!
On Charlotte style: My favorite style moments in Charlotte happen around the holidays or at events, when people are not afraid to step out in statement-making, glamorous clothing and accessories in order to have a great time.
What she’s wearing: Look 1: L’Agence dress; Look 2: House of Jade Sky sequin tuxedo
Heather Harper41, senior oncology business manager, wife and mom, community leader
“Keep it classy, never flashy.”
Years in Charlotte: 13
Her definition of style: Style is one’s ability to pull together colors and silhouettes that complement your overall look. The old saying, “
When you look good, you feel good,” goes hand in hand with style.
Favorite piece of clothing or accessory: The one-of-a-kind crown ring that I received as a contestant in the Miss USA 2007 pageant. I was the first Black woman to win the Miss Illinois USA pageant, so that ring reminds me of the determination, dedication and consistency that it took to accomplish one of my lifelong goals. It’s also a great conversation starter.
Fashion era: The 1960s, because of its chic and elegant lines of fashion
Never goes out of style: Class
Currently coveting: A vintage pair of Chanel drop earrings
What she’s wearing: Look 1: Aje pink dress and shoes from Zara; Look 2: Elliatt black multicolored cutout dress and Saint Laurent shoes
43, community leader, trainer at Hilliard Studio Method
“Wear everything in your closet whenever you want. When in doubt, when you feel good, you look good — confidence is your greatest accessory.”
Years in Charlotte: 16
Her definition of style: Style is an outward interpretation of oneself. It allows you to share your story through so many different mediums, whether it is through a ring, gown or a wonderful pair of worn denim. Style allows you to express parts of yourself and hopefully will evoke joy and confidence.
Favorite piece of clothing or accessory: My mother’s fur coat. It was the first item my father bought her in the early 1970s. I feel her energy and zest for life everytime I wear it. My favorite accessory is my grandmother’s ruby and diamond ring. She gave it to my mother on her wedding day, and my mother passed it on to me when I got married. I wore it on my wedding day so she could be with me.
Never goes out of style: Vintage of all kinds — shoes, handbags, clothing, accessories!
Currently coveting: Any and all Alexander McQueen
What she’s wearing: Look 1: Isabel Marant shirt, Hong Kong
Vintage sequin skirt, Alexander McQueen handbag, vintage necklace from Italy, bracelet and ring from Greece, Of Rare Origin earrings from Capitol, shoes from Elston; Look 2: Roksanda dress from Capitol, Christian Louboutin shoes from Neiman Marcus
Shelly Landau, Jenn Waugh, Marjorie Serralles-Russell, Veronica Landers, Jess Sidhom, Janine Lu
“My personal style is a celebration of being me … It expresses who I am and my life experiences. It translates to everyday habits, being authentic and having the self-confidence to be who I feel I am regardless of what may be trending.”
Years in Charlotte: 23
Her definition of style: Style goes way beyond how one dress es. Style is how we integrate what makes us “who we are” into all aspects of our life.
Fashion era: I am happy with the freedom and versatility of choices we have today, however, I lean into more classic looks that tend to not have a specific time period.
On Charlotte style: Our community offers a wide array of individual styles, reflecting the people coming from many distinct areas. It exemplifies vibrant Southern urban living!
What she’s wearing: Look 1: Luis Machicao evening gown; Look 2: A’Mare Sol leather jacket, Carolina Herrera pants and camisole
“I personally love to mix it up and keep it unexpected, always with a bit of edge. … Part of the fun is the surprise, and I especially love it when people surprise me.”
Years in Charlotte: 10
Her definition of style: It is not about labels or succumbing to the latest trend. Style is not something that defines you unless you let it. It should always be fun and should never be taken too seriously. Confident style never goes out of style.
Favorite piece of clothing or accessory: My maternal grandmother’s wedding band — I haven’t taken it off since it was given to me on my wedding day.
Never goes out of style: A crisp, white collared button-down. I have so many in my closet, I should probably stop buying them, but I simply cannot help myself.
On Charlotte style: [Charlotte is a] city that continues to “up its game” and rise to the occasion. I was so impressed and inspired by the use of color and patterns when first moving here a decade ago. It truly opened my eyes to a whole new way to style pieces.
What she’s wearing: Look 1: Le Superbe dress from Five One Five, Olympia Le-Tan clutch from Capitol, Shutz heels; Look 2: Marissa Webb pants, Loeffler Randall heels, Significant Other top, Meredith Jackson earrings
Jess Sidhom 39, managing director, consumer and retail corporate and investment banking, Truist Securities; community leader; owner of Coco Leto, a children’s apparel store
54, design consultant and former owner-editor of The Scout Guide Charlotte
Years in Charlotte: almost 20
Her definition of style: Two words: Harry STYLES
Favorite piece of clothing or accessory: A lilac mushroom cape dress that I wore to the Mint Gala. It hides a lot of sins.
Fashion era: The early ’60s. That seemed like a very chic and glamorous time, from the pictures of my parents in NYC.
Never goes out of style: Color! Pink! Green! (But not together)
Currently coveting: Anything mushroom print. Or a jumpsuit.
On Charlotte style: Sophisticated — people try here. Thank you to Laura Vinroot Poole for dragging us out of our Lululemons.
What she’s wearing: Look 1: Alice + Olivia jacket, top and skirt, Etro belt, Tory Burch shoes; Look 2: Gucci dress, Loeffler Randall shoes
39, cosmetic dentist, community leader
“If it moves your spirit, then wear it.”
Years in Charlotte: 13
Her definition of style: Style is something that you’re born with. It is an expression of one’s identity. Style is taking a risk and sticking to it, not caring about who gets it or not.
Favorite piece of clothing or accessory: My plum woven Bottega bag with gold and silver hardware. It’s literally a walk ing piece of art that goes with everything, and she always steals the show!
Fashion era: 1970s: Studio 54, Diana Ross, Bianca Jagger, Grace Jones — an iconic era
Never goes out of style: Accessories, in the sense of jewelry, a hat, bag etc. Accessories will keep your style elevated, always.
On Charlotte style: Refreshing — it’s a breath of fresh air. So many style expressions are coming into Charlotte from the restaurants, the hotels, the night life.
What she’s wearing: Look 1: Burberry blazer, Skims top, Natasha Zinko pants, Zara boots, Bottega Veneta purse; Look
2: Alice + Olivia top, Express pants, Gianvito Rossi shoes, Bottega Veneta purse
36, co-owner BAKU, Yama Asian Cuisine, Yama Waverly, Yama LoSo (coming soon); travel blogger
“I like to dress effortlessly chic. It might look like I just threw something on, but the truth is I went through like three outfits already. I love food, so it has to be comfortable yet pretty without looking overdone — sometimes less is more.”
Years in Charlotte: 10
Her definition of style: I believe your style should be an extension of your personality. Being fashionable doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice comfort or your bank account. I can shop anywhere and everywhere — it is whatever you’re comfortable with.
Favorite pieces of clothing or accessories: All my Burberry jackets, St.John basic pieces I’ve had for years, Hermes belts, and lastly, all my comfy loungewear
Fashion era: The present
Never goes out of style: Elegance, kindness and honesty
What she’s wearing: BCBG dresses, Hermes belt and ban gle, Roberto Coin necklace, Cartier and Tiffany bracelets
Shelly Landau 50, co-founder of the Edit Sale
“COLOR — it makes me happy! I also try to dress for the occasion.”
Years in Charlotte: 28
Her definition of style: Wearing what suits your personality. Stay true to your look and don’t always follow the trends.
Favorite piece of clothing or accessory: Beautiful embroidered Yaser Shaw shawls and cashmere Bajra wraps. I use them all the time. They pull an outfit together, keep you warm in the cold and are wonderful lap blankets for travel on a plane. They go with me everywhere.
Fashion era: Definitely 1950s … a glammed up version of June Cleaver!
Never goes out of style: The perfect shirtwaist dress for everyday and a chic fit-and-flare for evening
Currently coveting: Pre-loved designer handbags On Charlotte style: Very eclectic.
What she’s wearing: Outfits from Capitol and Edit Sale SP
Who says the kids should have all the fun? Mixologist, herbalist and distiller Mena Killough shares a few potent potions for the 21-and-up crowd to celebrate the spooky holiday. You might know Killough from Unknown Brewing, where she was head distiller before the business sold to Rocky Mount’s HopFly Brewing Co. In 2021, she won Discovery Channel’s Moonshiners: Master Distillers, Absinthe Edition. Before her work in distilling, Killough studied at Blue Ridge School of Herbal Medicine, with a focus on holistic medicine. Her passion for herbalism spills over into her spirit and cocktail creations. Today, she works as a freelancer for distillers and cocktail bars.
SCARY-GOOD HALLOWEEN COCKTAILS FOR A GHOULISH GET-TOGETHER photographs by Justin Driscoll recipes by Mena Killough
(pictured on previous page)
2 ounces bourbon
1/4 ounce spiced pumpkin syrup (see recipe below)
2-3 dashes of Angostura bitters orange peel for garnish
Add spiced pumpkin syrup, bitters and bourbon to a rocks glass, then fill with ice. Gently stir well. Twist orange peel to express the oils, then drop into glass.
Spiced pumpkin syrup
2 cups sugar
1 cup boiling water
2 tablespoons canned or fresh pumpkin puree
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin spice
Combine sugar and spice in a heat proof mixing bowl. Add hot water, followed by the pumpkin puree. Mix well and pour into a bottle or Mason jar. Refrigerate for up to two weeks.
1 1/2 ounces vodka or gin
1 1/2 ounces dry vermouth
1/4 ounce black cherry juice pinch of activated charcoal 2 blackberries, plus additional for garnish
Muddle blackberries and charcoal in a mixing glass. Add black cherry juice, vermouth, and your spirit of choice.
Fill glass with ice, and stir. Strain into a cocktail glass and add a blackberry garnish.
1 750 ml bottle of silver rum 10 ounces Montenegro amaro 32 ounces blood orange soda 20 ounces black tea 4 ounces orange juice 6 ounces lime juice 1 1/2 ounces amaretto 10 ounces apple cider 4 ounces water 2-3 ounces spiced pumpkin syrup (see recipe on page 104)
1 Honeycrisp apple for garnish star anise for garnish
Mix all ingredients except spiced pumpkin syrup. Then, add syrup to taste. Chill until ready to serve. For the punch garnish: Cut the apple horizontally and dunk in lime juice. Add apple and star anise to punch before service. SP
SCOTT AVETT FOLLOWS THE MYSTERY.
by Wiley Cash | photographs by Mallory Cash
For a man whose music I’ve been listening to for almost two decades and whose face I’ve seen everywhere from the Grammy Awards to the Today show to the 2017 documentary May It Last: A Portrait of the Avett Brothers by Judd Apatow, Scott Avett was surprisingly easy to reach. After a couple of calls and texts to mutual friends, my wife, Mallory, and I arrived to interview him one day in early August. He met us in the driveway of the small house he’d converted into an art studio in the country about 15 minutes outside of downtown Concord.
Most North Carolinians, as well as music lovers around the world, know Scott as one of the Avett Brothers, who, along with his younger brother Seth, bassist Bob Crawford and cellist Joe Kwon, have sold millions of records. A two-decade career has carried the band from small stages in college towns to the Grand Ole Opry to Madison Square Garden and beyond. But Scott knows himself best as a man whose purpose is to create, and painting is as much a part of his creative life as songwriting.
While his visual art has rarely been
exhibited publicly aside from a 2019 show at the North Carolina Museum of Art, Scott has been a working artist since graduating from East Carolina University in 2000 with a bachelor’s in fine arts in studio art. His paintings and drawings most often speak to family life and the natural world in rural North Carolina, but his work is in conversation with the many cultural and artistic influences he encounters on the road and in his reading life.
In our time together, Scott rattles off quotes from French Impressionist artist Edgar Degas and the Trappist monk and mystic poet Thomas Merton the way some of us might causally discuss Monday Night Football or the day’s headlines. While his work portrays what one might see and hear spending time with Scott during his daily life around Concord, there is a deeper spiritual mystery residing in the work that speaks to the same unseen hand that guides emotions and ideas like love, duty, purpose and one’s role in them all.
This mystery is perhaps what Scott refers to as “the revelation of meaning beyond the physical act of making” that informs his
exhibition After the Fact, which is running through October at the Greenville Museum of Art in Greenville, North Carolina. This exhibit will run concurrently with Purpose at Random, Scott’s show at SOCO Gallery, which began in September and will run through November 2. The show in Charlotte features new oil paintings that Scott began working on in the early months of 2020, when the pandemic prevented him from touring with the band. In a press release for the show, Scott says, “I’m not sure that it was easier to paint during the pandemic, but it was certainly more available than playing concerts. Painting is a solitary activity. The more time alone the better, I think. The pandemic provided space.”
On the day we meet him, the only calendar space Scott has is a two-week break from touring, and so he’s at work completing a painting that will be featured in one of the upcoming shows. Inside, his studio reveals itself to be a place in creative flux. Paintings either hang on the walls or lean against them, some in various stages of completion. Hiding amongst them — and he will show it to us just before we leave in a few hours — is an early draft of a painting of singer/songwriter Brandi Carlile, the final version of which appeared on the cover of her 2018 multi-Gram
my Award-winning album, By the Way, I Forgive You.
We follow Scott into an open space, past a low counter where his kids’ works-in-progress are waiting for their return. The studio is bright and airy. Morning light pours through the windows on the east side of the house. Scott stands in the middle of the room with a cup of coffee brewed by the Concord coffeehouse Verb in hand.
As Mallory unpacks her camera gear, I tell Scott that I grew up in Gastonia, which is on the west side of Charlotte, while Concord sits on its east. We talk about what it was like to be raised so close to Charlotte in the 1980s and ’90s without much awareness of what went on in what seemed to us to be “the big city.” We joked that the only time we went into Charlotte was to go Christmas shopping at SouthPark.
“That was the fancy mall,” Scott says, smiling. I tell him that once, when I was young, I spotted NASCAR legend Jeff Gordon with his first wife at SouthPark. That leads us to a conversation about race car drivers, as Sunday races served as the backdrop of our North Carolina childhoods, especially for Scott, given that Charlotte Motor Speedway sits just a few miles away from the place where he was raised. I ask Scott how he and his family
ended up on this expanse of land where he has remained despite his world travels, his parents still living just a few miles down the road, and his own family’s home tucked into the woods behind his studio.
Scott’s father was born in North Carolina and grew up the son of a Methodist minister, whose calling took the family around the state. Scott’s mother was an Army kid born on a base in Germany before being raised in Kansas and Virginia. Just before Scott was born, his parents and older sister moved to Alaska, where his father hoped to get work as a pipeline welder, but the job fell through, and on the way back south the family lived in Cheyenne, Wyo., for about a year. That’s where Scott was born. But they eventually found their way back to North Carolina and to the landscape where Scott’s grandfather had touched so many lives. When the family decided to settle outside Concord — his father traveled as a welder and his mother taught school — they were gifted 2 acres and an old house by an elderly couple who had long admired Scott’s grandfather. His father renovated the home, and Scott’s parents lived there until the house burned down last year. But fire can’t burn roots, and Scott’s parents rebuilt. They continue to reside just down the road from him.
When Scott and his two siblings, Seth and his sister Bonnie, were growing up, his parents made certain that education was available to them, especially if the kids were hungry for it. “They were intent on that,” he says. “They said, ‘We will see to it that you have an opportunity to go to school. If we’re broke, we’ll rob a bank to pay for it. If you are interested in education, you will get
the opportunity.’” All three children went to college.
It’s clear that Scott values his children’s education as well, especially in the arts. Aside from the makeshift studio set up for them alongside his own work, his daughter regularly participates in af ter-school tutoring sessions in creative writing led by the owner of the local bookstore, Goldberry Books, in downtown Concord. It’s easy to imagine a holistic education in art and outdoor experienc es unfolding for children in a landscape like this. If I sound wistful when imagining such a childhood, it’s because I am.
But our conversation turns toward what could be considered the more practical matters of being a creator, namely, what happens when your hobby — whether it’s painting or songwriting or writing novels — becomes your job. Is the mystery of creation compromised?
“As soon as you’re doing something to pay bills, I don’t know that you’re really following your heart,” Scott says. “We’re called to have a purpose, but you can slip off that purpose really quickly, and all of a sudden, the purpose becomes to pay the bills more easily. I want to avoid that. There’s a mystery in creating. I want to follow the mystery and get as close to it as I can. But when I’m caught up in success or anything else, it has nothing to do with getting close to the mystery. It just distracts from it.”
Jeff Gordon and NASCAR are still lingering in the corners of my mind, and I mention that Gordon retired from driving at the age of 44, and both Scott and I are now in our mid-40s. I tell him that I doubt Gordon’s physical skills were diminished at that age, but perhaps his awareness of the risks he was taking
“We’re called to have a purpose, but you can slip off that purpose really quickly, and all of a sudden, the purpose becomes to pay the bills more easily. I want to avoid that. There’s a mystery in creating. I want to follow the mystery and get as close to it as I can.”
became more apparent the older and wiser he got. I ask Scott if he’s more aware of the choices he’s making at this stage of his career and if his skills are continuing to sharpen.
“I feel like I’m in the sweet spot, ability-wise,” he says about both performing music and painting. “Physically, I can do it, and mentally my tools have accumulated quite a bit. I see evidence of that when I can make plans about what project I am going to execute. Ten years ago, I might say, ‘I hope I can do this. I hope I don’t flub it and get stuck on something.’” He pauses for a moment. “I think I hold it all a little looser than I ever did, and I’m not going to be blown away by whether it hits or doesn’t hit. I don’t know why, but there’s now a barometer, and some times it says, ‘Hey, enough, you have enough. Now, with enough, can you lean into your purpose?’”
I ask him how it feels to let go of a painting after someone buys it. After all, when he writes a song, he can always perform it whether it’s on a record or in front of a live audience. “It rips pretty hard,” he says. “It really does. I see painting as me telling my life story, and as I do that, it’s kind of tough to imagine that some of it’s in Colorado, some of it’s in New York, some of it’s in Texas. But I haven’t gotten too attached to any of them so far. There are only three I won’t let go of. One of my wife and two of our kids that I painted in bathing suits. They’re just portraits of them, but I’ve said those aren’t for sale.”
I ask him if his art is a result of his being anchored to this land, given his family’s history on it. He pauses as if painting an answer in his mind.
“We’re all bigger than our place,” he finally says. “I am in North Carolina, and I am making the things I’m meant to make. When you can settle that and not think that New York is better than North Carolina, then you can start getting to your work.
“You have to find a corner of the world,” he says. “I truly believe that on these 80 acres there is more to explore than I can do in a lifetime. There is so much work to be done here, and by work I mean purpose. To me, my purpose is realized here. My purpose is to create. There are a lot of leaves to peel back here, and there are a lot of experiences happening.”
He pulls his phone from his pocket and flips through his photos, landing on a picture he took the night before of his 7-year-old son just after he’d fallen asleep. “There’s nothing not timeless about this,” he says. “If my purpose is to recognize relationships and see things, this is a good place to be.” He laughs and puts his phone away. “But where’s not?” SP
Purpose at Random, a solo exhibition by Scott Avett, is on view at SOCO Gallery through Nov. 2. It is Avett’s second exhibition with the gallery. The gallery will host a conversation with Avett and artist Eric Fischl on Instagram Live on Oct. 4 at 11 a.m.
Wiley Cash is the Alumni Author-in-Residence at UNC Asheville. His new novel, When Ghosts Come Home, is available wherever books are sold.
In the breakfast area, an antique English white pine table is accompanied by original Philippe Starck ghost chairs — the homeowner had two, and interior designer Ed Starr helped her source two more. A new large leaded-glass window replaced an old plate-glass one and offers a view into the garden. The window seat is a favorite spot for the homeowner to enjoy morning coffee. Two wine coolers — one holds red, the other white — replaced a pair of arched bookcases that were removed in the renovation.
In the heart of Eastover, behind a stucco-walled border, lies a peaceful backyard sanctuary where Japanese snowbells, countless hydrangeas and a weeping cherry tree share space with lush ferns and vigorous hostas. Stepping through the wrought-iron gate, along an arborway of fragrant Confederate jasmine, a path lined with boxwoods leads to a walled bluestone terrace. Beyond that is a loggia that connects to the home’s kitchen, a comfortable space that blurs the lines between indoor and outdoor living.
Here is where the redesign started, in this elegant, clean-lined space that, prior to the renovation, the home owner found so unsightly she often positioned a folding screen in the doorway to hide it from view.
Built in the mid-1980s, the home had great bones and a floor plan that flowed well, according to Ed Starr, the interior designer involved in the renovation. “Through the years, portions of the home had become a little outdated, especially the kitchen,” says Starr, who is based in Gastonia. “This heart of the home, a very large, lightfilled space, was in need of an update, both functionally and aesthetically.”
Having admired the kitchen of close friend Dick Klingman, former president of office furniture business Klingman Williams (now Alfred Williams & Co), the homeowners tapped him to develop the initial space-plan concepts. Soon after, he brought in Starr and local craftsman Pete Pappas to see the project through. “It was such a team effort,” the homeowner says.
“As often happens, the redesign of the kitchen overflowed in other areas of the home,” Starr adds, eventually leading to updates throughout the entire house. The homeowner had amassed a wonderful collection of antiques, art and family heirlooms, so many of the existing furnishings were repurposed, simply moved from one space to another. The designer even “shopped” in the homeowners’ attic to find some items, like a Chinese screen that’s now a focal point alongside a grand piano in the living room.
Perhaps the biggest update, according to Starr, was the lighting. “Lighting is the most important single element in the design of any space,” the designer says. “Task lighting, accent lights and indirect lighting were all evaluated and adjusted to meet the functional and aesthetic needs” throughout the home.
The result is a comfortable, refined and functional space that combines cherished heirlooms and treasured belongings with a fresh, new look. SP
Ed Starr and Pete Pappas collaborated to design and build the two 8-foot-square ceiling panels with subtle art deco detailing. The panels define the two areas of the room — the island workspace and the breakfast area. The marble countertops with understated veining inspired the neutral color palette that extends throughout the home. Subtle details that might not be apparent at first glance are significant in the overall design, Starr says. For example, three different shades of neutral paint were applied to the kitchen cabinetry. The homeowner chose solid glass lamps — previously used in a bedroom and refreshed with new black shades — instead of a ceiling fixture over the island. The lamps, combined with downlights in the ceiling and recessed uplights installed atop the tower cabinets, can be used to achieve a variety of ambient effects.
The cabinet in the entry hall was purchased from John Gibson Antiques in Charleston, S.C. “It was the first antique I ever bought,” the homeowner says. The Eiffel Tower, a gift from a friend before a trip to Paris, became an impromptu receptacle for Champagne corks.
In the living room, two abstract paintings by artist Virginia Sendral flank the fireplace. “With seating for two, it is the perfect spot for morning coffee and the paper, or a quiet drink at the end of the day,” Starr says. The circa-1900 Biedermeier chest was bought at an estate sale.
In the large family room, palm leaf sconces flank the doorway to the kitchen. Khaki-colored, wood-paneled walls were painted a glossy, neutral aubergine. “Every person who ever walked in this house assumed I would paint it light,” the homeowner says. “It does not bother me having this dark, because this is our nighttime room.” Above the green velvet sofa is a framed scarf purchased at the Veuve Clicquot winery in France. The coffee table has a particular sentimental value. “This was the coffee table my mother designed back in the ’60s,” the homeowner says. The stone slab originally sat atop a breakfast-room table when her parents were newlyweds. Her mother made butter mints on the table. “And when she wasn’t making candy, we’d always have a puzzle on it.”
The covered terrace was designed to be an extension of the indoor space, Starr says, and is used much of the year. The ceiling was painted in the same dark neutral color as the doors leading from the kitchen to provide continuity and avoid distraction from the gardens beyond, the designer says. “It kind of disappears — the whole structure,” the homeowner says. “It just goes away and it shows the yard.”
Extensive hardscaping was in place when the homeowners moved in more than a decade ago. The original landscaping plan was developed by the late John Byrd, who suggested moving arbors from the back of the lot to the side yard, where Confederate jasmine was planted to create a fragrant canopy.
hen choosing a private school in the Charlotte area, parents are fortunate to have plenty of options. Deciding which one is the best fit for their child is an important one, both educationally and financially. In Mecklenburg County, more than 19,500 students were enrolled in its 96 private schools in the 2021-22 school year*. We’ve partnered with several private schools to share helpful information and tips when considering a private-school choice.
*Source: The N.C. Department of Administration, July 2022
Finding the right private school for your child requires research. Start by looking at schools’ websites and social-me dia accounts. Talk with people whose children attend private schools. Consider each school’s mission and key values and whether those align with your family’s.
Weigh other factors, such as tuition and size, keeping in mind that smaller and larger schools each have benefits. Private school is an investment in your child’s future, so it’s necessary to factor in value as well as cost. Does the school offer different payment plans or financial assistance? Learn logistically what’s available, in terms of transportation and before- and after-school programs. How does the school foster an inclusive, welcoming environment for all students? Gather basic facts about history, leadership and enrollment. Consider faculty-to-student ratios, faculty experience and retention rates for staff and students.
Calvary Christian Academy, for example, leverages a 14:2 student-to-teacher ratio to deliver a Christ-centered and relationship-driven academic experience. “Our students are routinely challenged through experiential curriculum and individualized instruction to inspire academic excellence and a love of learning,” says Head of School Troy Moore.
Charlotte Latin’s spacious campus includes 128 acres of green grass, covered walkways and first-class facilities. “We use every bit of it as a part of a student’s complete educational experience,” says Susan Carpenter, director of marketing and communications. The school’s mission is to encourage individual development and civility in students by inspiring them to learn and serve others and by offering growth-promoting opportunities. “While Latin has high expectations for our students, we believe in educating the whole child and in providing a balanced learning environment that promotes the growth of each student’s mind, body and spirit,” she says.
Private schools offer strong academics, which is often a top priority for parents. Schools have varied approaches to curriculums and instructional models and a wide array of resources to support students along their educational journey. Learn how technology is used and more about STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics) programs. Global studies and international travel opportunities, college counseling and advisory systems for students offer tremendous paths for growth and success. Consider what your child needs to succeed and whether the school can support this.
“Charlotte Prep is a school where students can stay children a little longer and become leaders a little sooner,” says Head of School Chris Marblo. The curriculum inspires creative problem-solving and instills vigorous critical thought, he says. Teachers know students not only by name, but by personal narrative, and connect learning to their own lives, interests and strengths to the world. “Prep left me incredibly ready for the next step into high school,” says one former student. “And later, I was so thankful for that transition from Charlotte Prep to high school because it equipped me to handle the process of applying to and picking a college. I already had that experience handling choices and change.”
Students at Palisades Episcopal School enjoy hands-on STEAM learning opportunities in and out of the classroom, with over 85 off-campus experiences offered annually across all grades. “As an Episcopal school, we believe in challenging minds, inspiring individuality and creativity, building character and creating community,” says Head of School Kerin Hughes. “A Palisades Episcopal education ensures that students of all ages experience learning by visiting aquariums, equestrian centers, botanical gardens, nature preserves, museums, libraries, performing arts and cultural centers, gleaning farms, historic sites, local businesses and various community-service organizations, creating graduates who are not only academically prepared for high school and beyond but also lifelong learners who know how to connect their heads to their hearts.”
You’ll find vibrant arts programs in private schools, inspiring students to stretch their imaginations and tap into creativity. Discover what’s available in visual and digital arts, music, theater, and dance, as well as other extracurricular opportunities.
The British International School has a performing-arts collaboration with the renowned Juilliard School, offering students first-class learning experiences and instruction in music, dance and drama. It also provides teachers with high-level professional training and personal-development opportunities. More than 60 different extracurricular and after-school activities are available to students.
Athletic teams and programs extend learning beyond the classroom and allow students to experience teamwork, sportsmanship, competition and school spirit. Find out what teams, clubs and classes are available at each school. Approximately 85% of Charlotte Latin students in grades 7-12 participate in at least one sport. The school offers 66 sports at the varsity, junior varsity, middle school and club levels.
Many private school campuses are like those you might see when touring a small college: There’s a buzz of activity, and students and staff dot the landscape. In addition to important factors such as safety and dining options, ask about parent involvement, summer programs and community-service opportunities. Private schools often excel in this area by facilitating service hours and projects that help students understand, appreciate and support their community and the world around them.
A quarterly seminar program at Saint Mary’s School, an all-girls, college-preparatory high school in Raleigh, provides real-world opportunities to partner with area organizations and learn more about themes like social impact and health and wellness.
At Carmel Christian, service is emphasized at every grade level, with high school students required to partici pate in a January Term experience, spending up to a week exploring their passions through local and global missions, internships, college tours, and trips with a language-immersion or academic focus. “As a Christian school, we strive to live out the commandment in Matthew 22 stating ‘Love your neighbor as yourself,’” says Gwen Bennett, executive director of advancement. “We prioritize service to those nearest, our neighbors and the nations.”
One of the best ways to get to know a school is by visiting. Schedule a tour and interview and attend information sessions. Have your child spend the day at the school. Some questions to consider on a visit:
What’s a typical day like?
What innovative programs and amenities differentiate the school? What is the school most proud of?
How does the school help new students transition to the school?
How does the institution foster school spirit and a sense of community?
What does the school do to prepare students for the next chapter after they graduate?
How does the school teach students to embrace differences and respect the stories of others?
What are the school’s memberships and affiliations (such as the National Association of Independent Schools), and what is its accreditation status?
At Carmel Christian School we offer an excellent education built on biblical truth, which equips students to reflect Christ to the world. Our students participate in a challenging college preparatory curriculum taught through the lens of a biblical worldview. We are a community in which academic excellence, artistic expression and athletic distinction are marked by intentional discipleship. We partner with Christian parents to nurture and challenge the potential of each student.
We’ve compiled a list of private Charlotte-area schools with enrollments of 50 or more students. This list was compiled using the most recent data from The North Carolina Department of Administration for the 2021-22 school year.
2021-22:
Median class size: 14 to 16, preschool-12th
Average enrollment: 563
Source: The National Association of Independent Schools
We all want a school with dedicated teachers who bring learning to life and stretch our children’s minds to achieve their full potential. At Latin, crafting an education that is individualized and personal is important to our faculty. We want our students to grow up with strong character and to be confident leaders. Leadership, honor, work ethic, friendship, teamwork, inclusivity, empathy, and compassion are taught not only in the classroom, but also on the athletic field, on the stage, and in clubs and organizations.
Charlotte Latin is a community that is intentionally designed to capture every teachable moment as each year builds on the next, pedagogically and personally. Our 128 contiguous acres provide a setting with plenty of space for children to explore. State-of-the art facilities like our new Inlustrate Orbem Building, world-class Performing Arts Center, nationally-known Fab Lab, and Beck Student Activities Center, as well as eight athletic fields, an outdoor challenge course, and Lake Latin, provide spaces for children that enhance their educational setting.
Charlotte Latin School has more than 1,500 students. Kindergarten, sixth grade, and ninth grade are the primary entrance points.
SouthPark Partners listed in bold
ALC Mosaic
6100 Monroe Road Charlotte, NC 28212
British International School 7000 Endhaven Lane Charlotte, NC 28277
Brookstone Schools 301 S. Davidson Street Charlotte, NC 28202
Calvary Christian Academy 5801 Pineville-Matthews Road Charlotte, NC 28226
Carmel Christian School 1145 Pineville-Matthews Road Matthews, NC 28105
Charlotte Catholic High School 7702 Pineville-Matthews Road Charlotte, NC 28226
Charlotte Christian School 7301 Sardis Road Charlotte, NC 28270
Charlotte Country Day School
1440 Carmel Road Charlotte, NC 28226
Charlotte Islamic Academy 8301 Harrisburg Road Charlotte, NC 28215
Charlotte Jewish Day School 5007 Providence Road Charlotte, NC 28226
Charlotte Latin School 9502 Providence Road Charlotte, NC 28277
Charlotte Leadership Academy 2800 N. Graham Street Charlotte, NC 28206
Charlotte Preparatory School 212 Boyce Road Charlotte, NC 28211
Christ Classical Academy of Charlotte 10132-A Harrisburg Road Charlotte, NC 28215
Christ the King Catholic High
2011 Crusader Way
Huntersville, NC 28078
Covenant Day School
800 Fullwood Lane Matthews, NC 28105
Davidson Day School 750 Jetton Street Davidson, NC 28036
Fletcher School 8500 Sardis Road Charlotte, NC 28270
Friendship Day School for the Sciences & Arts 3400 Beatties Ford Road Charlotte, NC 28216
Grace Covenant Academy 17301 Statesville Road Cornelius, NC 28031
Hickory Grove Christian School 7200 E. W.T. Harris Boulevard Charlotte, NC 28215
Holy Trinity Catholic Middle 3100 Park Road Charlotte, NC 28209
Intellicor International Academy
4301 Shamrock Drive Charlotte, NC 28215
Lake Norman Christian School 14813 N. Old Statesville Road Huntersville, NC 28078
Manus Academy 6203 Carmel Road Charlotte, NC 28226
Matthews Christian Academy 2724 Margaret Wallace Road Matthews, NC 28105
New Life Christian Academy 1337 Samuel Street Charlotte, NC 28206
Northside Christian Academy 333 Jeremiah Boulevard Charlotte, NC 28262
Omni Montessori School 9536 Blakeney-Heath Road Charlotte, NC 28277
Our Lady of Assumption Catholic School 4225 Shamrock Drive Charlotte, NC 28215
Palisades Episcopal School 13120 Grand Palisades Parkway Charlotte, NC 28278
Phoenix Montessori Academy 12340 Mt. Holly-Huntersville Road Huntersville, NC 28078
Prosperity Guidepost Montessori 4755 Prosperity Church Road Charlotte, NC 28269
Providence Day School 5800 Sardis Road Charlotte, NC 28270
Sedgefield School 2830 Dorchester Place Charlotte, NC 28209
Southlake Christian Academy 13820 Hagers Ferry Road Huntersville, NC 28078
St. Ann Catholic School 600 Hillside Avenue Charlotte, NC 28209
St. Gabriel Catholic School 3028 Providence Road Charlotte, NC 28211
St. Mark Catholic School
14750 Stumptown Road Huntersville, NC 28078
St. Matthew Catholic School 11525 Elm Lane Charlotte, NC 28277
St. Patrick Catholic School 1125 Buchanan Street Charlotte, NC 28203
The John Crosland School 5146 Parkway Plaza Boulevard Charlotte, NC 28217
Trinity Christian Preparatory 7516 East Independence Boulevard Charlotte, NC 28227
Trinity Episcopal School 750 East 9th Street Charlotte, NC 28202
United Faith Christian Academy 8617 Providence Road Charlotte, NC 28277
Victory Christian Center School 1501 Carrier Drive Charlotte, NC 28216
Palisades Episcopal School (PES) is a school honoring Christ and committed to providing a classical education challenging the mind, body and spirit. Serving students in Junior Kindergarten – 8th grade, PES offers intimate class sizes and low teacher-student ratios which allow for differentiated instruction across every grade.
PES students find real joy in learning through hands-on opportunities of STEAM integrated study, with a focus on scientific, technological, mathematical, cultural, historical, and literary investigations. With over 85 off-campus learning experiences offered annually across all grades,
a PES education ensures that students of all ages experience learning by visiting aquariums, equestrian centers, botanical gardens, nature preserves, museums, libraries, performing arts theaters, cultural centers, gleaning farms, historic sites, and various community service organizations.
In addition, our service integration helps students develop citizenship skills and fosters values of integrity, courage, responsibility, compassion, and hard work. PES students graduate knowing how to connect their heads to their hearts and are academically prepared for high school and beyond.
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Bobby Wildermuth, robertbobbyart.comSmall-town hospitality is so big and welcoming in the foothills community of Bristol, two states lay claim to the storied burg perched smack along the Virginia-Tennessee border. Historic State Street slices right between the two states, and in case anyone doubts the harmonious nature of the side-by-side communities, there’s a brightly lit, billboard-sized sign with a pair of arrows
proclaiming Bristol as a “good place to live.”
Like twin sons of different mothers, the forever-paired Bristol combines to offer visitors a surprising variety of dining, entertainment and adventure. Getting there is a breeze, an easy three-hour drive northwest from Charlotte. Here’s a sampler of what to put on the itinerary.
Bristol’s rich musical heritage is enshrined and celebrated at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum, an affiliate of Washington D.C.’s Smithsonian Institute. Opened in 2014, the 24,000-square-foot museum is a window into country music’s legacy rooted in this region. Visitors learn about the hillbilly, gospel and mountain music of the early 20th century and about the Bristol Sessions — one week in 1927 when legendary locals like Earnest Stoneman, Jimmie Rogers and Mother Maybelle Carter recorded their music here. These storied recordings catapulted the regional sound into mainstream America and became the foundation from which the country music genre would explode. The museum showcases the backstories, music, instruments and ephemera of early legends and traces their influence on later greats like Hank Williams, Johnny Cash and Trace Adkins through recordings, videos and interactive exhibits.
The historic Paramount Bristol is a glimmering 1931 theater anchoring State Street and the city’s grande dame performing-arts center. The first commercial building in the region to have “refrigerated air,” the art-deco theater hosts touring Broadway shows, local theatrical productions, films and concerts. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the venue boasts an original Mighty Wurlitzer organ and has hosted the likes of Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey, Charlie Spivak, and Harry James, along with Grand Ole Opry stars Tex Ritter, Ernest Tubb, Marty Stuart, Ronnie Milsap and Charles Esten. Scheduled to perform this fall: The Wallflowers, Lindsey Buckingham, the Glenn Miller Orchestra and Blackberry Smoke.
Lost State Distilling is a tiny family-owned craft distillery that blends small-batch spirits including Tennessee whiskey, rum and gin. Owner/distiller Nick Bianchi leads tours and tastings, sharing insight on the slightly magical alchemy where grain, botanicals and water become spirited elixirs. Try Shelby’s Reserve Whiskey, a high
wheat bourbon with a mellow, smooth taste.
The Southern Churn is a vintage novelty candy, ice cream and fudge shop that’s just what’s needed for a midday treat. A Bristol staple, Southern Churn slays sweet-tooth cravings with hand-scooped classic cones, sundaes and shakes. Southern goodness is enveloped in the homemade fudge, with specialties like red velvet whoopie pie, orange crème and chocolate caramel peanut. Grab a seat by the window and people-watch as Bristol bustles outside.
Bristol Motor Speedway is the NASCAR short track with the big reputation. Beyond race day, the track hosts tours, yearround camping, festivals and even an ice rink from mid-November through mid-January.
Just a 15-minute drive from downtown Bristol, South Holston Lake & Dam delivers big fun for hikers, fly-fishing enthusiasts and boaters. Connect with local outfitters to get on the water, or venture out for a hike on Osceola Island (a well-marked 1.6-mile loop) or the Spillway Trail (3.5 miles out and back) for a day of outdoor fun and fresh mountain air.
Birthplace of Country Music Museum
Lost State Distilling
South Holston Lake & Dam
PHOTOGRAPH BY JOHNSON CITY AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY
Opened in 2018, The Bristol Hotel provides access to many of the town’s entertainment and dining options just steps from historic State Street. Sixtyfive comfy rooms shine in this lovingly reclaimed architectural gem. Built as a hotel in 1925 by Hardin Reynolds, the nephew of tobacco mogul R.J. Reynolds, the property later was converted to professional offices and was known as the Executive Building.
There’s a retro feel here, with nods to the building’s history in design elements
such as the Revival-style Roman arched entryway, textured stucco exterior, oversized street-facing display windows and original polished concrete floor in the lobby bar. A large art installation in the lobby was inspired by Bristol’s bustling leather industry in the early 1900s.
Contemporary cool is the vibe greeting guests at the Bristol, named among the top 10 U.S. city hotels in a 2020 Travel + Leisure poll. The pet-friendly hotel offers plentiful offstreet parking and a thoughtful and accommodating staff.
At the Bristol Hotel, head upstairs to Lumac Rooftop Bar for a cocktail, barrel-aged whiskey or local beer. Guests here enjoy live music and dramatic 360-degree views of the Appalachian Mountains at Bristol’s first — and finest — rooftop bar. Savory bites like fried green tomato caprese, smoked wings and spicy pimento cheese are on the menu. A quick elevator ride downstairs takes visitors to Vivian’s Table — a Southern bistro with an unfussy vibe and a menu with something for everyone. Grilled street corn with queso fresco is a great sharable starter and nice lead into the chimichurri sirloin or bacon-wrapped Appalachian stuffed chicken oozing with spinach and Parmesan. Save room for housemade banana bread pudding, rich and creamy with a brown-butter caramel sauce.
Blues, brews and ’cue is the order of the day at Delta Blues, a State Street eatery where brisket, pulled pork, smoked chicken and smoked sausage star alongside a stellar supporting lineup of sides including fried okra, collards and Southern fried corn. Visit on Cajun Tuesdays and get the popcorn crawfish, fried alligator, catfish or shrimp platter or po’boy. Eat inside or on the back porch — the blues are always playing on the jukebox.
Blackbird Bakery is a breakfast institution in these parts, with good reason. Blackbird’s pastries, doughnuts, specialty coffee cakes and treats are legendary. Grab a cappuccino or espresso and start the day in style. Two doors down, the Blended Pedaler offers a healthy selection of smoothies, superfood acai bowls and fresh juices, along with hourly e-Bike rentals for self-guided tours around town. Bloom on State Street is a glorious brunch cafe with daily quiche, waffles, biscuits and gravy, and endless mugs of coffee. On weekends, Bloom is also open for dinner, serving classic Southern fare with modern preparations, from pork belly lettuce wraps to sweet potato ricotta gnocchi.
The Original Burger Bar in downtown Bristol is widely known as the last place Hank Williams Sr. was seen alive before succumb ing in the car ride on his way from Knoxville to perform a gig in Canton, Ohio, in 1953. This classic diner has served up tasty burg ers, chili-cheese fries and more since 1942.
Appalachian flavors are on the menu at Bistro on 6th. Owner and Executive Chef Marc McDaniel offers his own take on classics like baked white cheddar mac ’n cheese, chicken and waffles, and fish and chips, along with Champagne pork and horseradish-encrusted salmon. SP
Blackbird Bakery
Vivian’s Table
Divine Barrel Brewing June 29
WFAE wrapped up its 40th anniversary celebration with an evening of talk and trivia. Patrons chatted with WFAE luminaries and other public-radio fans while enjoying food and drink.
A monthly guide to Charlotte’s parties and galas
Dr. Will Stetler and Dr. Erin Cook
Doug Handy
Marshall Terry and Anita Overcash
Bryn and Forrest Wilson
BY DANIEL COSTON
guide to
parties
Patrons danced to the music of the John Dillard Band while also enjoying food and bidding on silent auction items. Proceeds help fund efforts to support human trafficking survivors.
Meg Pfeiffer and Amanda Newhouse
Dianne Chase and Tom Reda
The John Dillard Band
Maria Howell and Gail Smith
PHOTOGRAPHS
BY DANIEL COSTON
Howard and Fredricka Yellets
JACOB
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Knight Theater and Parr Center at CPCC July 22-23
John Tosco and the Tosco Music Party returned with its largest celebration to date of all things Beatles. Stars such as Micky Dolenz of The Monkees, The Cyrkle and The Fab Four rocked alongside local musicians and artists.
Becky and Russell Helms
Candy Leonard and Sean Gaillard
The Fab Four
Pat and Wayne Kool
Micky Dolenz
PHOTOGRAPHS
BY DANIEL COSTON
Betsy Deupree and Carrie Teixeira
John Tosco and friends
A monthly guide to Charlotte’s parties and galas
UNC Charlotte Center City June 28
Care Ring honored its medical director, Kaaren Sailer, with a surprise party to celebrate her 20 years of service to the nonprofit. Tributes included a proclamation from the Mecklenburg County Commission and the former Duke Energy building being lit up in her honor.
Paula Culp and Marcela Orozco
Ron and Andrea Wages
Dr. John Klimas and Jay Kenney
Dr. Sailer and family
Drew Bradshaw and George Dunlap
Dr. Kaaren Sailer and Tchernavia Montgomery
PHOTOGRAPHS
BY DANIEL COSTON
Katie Benston and Don Jonas
swirlA monthly guide to Charlotte’s parties and galas
Charlotte Ballet August 4-6
In its 30th year, the annual short film festival raises money and awareness for pediatric cancer research while keeping the memory of Joe Restaino alive.
Board members
Ellison Clary and Linda Gallehugh
Roman Rivera and Dr. Jennifer PopeMike and Diane Restaino
Chip White, Diane Restaino, Nicole Boone and Watts Huckabee
Bryan Frank and Lacey Caroline
PHOTOGRAPHS
BY DANIEL COSTON
Austin Smith and Clarke Phillips, award winners
For Halloween, most of us just try to get our costumes ready for the big day itself. Not so for one family on Tyndale Avenue in SouthPark. Beth Guynn and her husband, Brian Tarkington, plan for Halloween months in advance so they can delight neighbors with a new, good-natured fright each day of the month.
Their skeleton crew, Glenda and Dale, gets a daily wardrobe or theme change starting Oct. 1. “I try to avoid duplicating themes, so in the last two years, we’ve created 60 unique themes and had two encores of the most popular themes of 2020,” Beth says.
It all began as a way to meet neighbors during the heart of the pandemic, when they were new to Beverly Woods. “We were inspired from boredom during quarantine and started the idea just to entertain ourselves,” Beth says. She had two skeletons from Costco and thought, Wouldn’t it be fun to dress these guys up and put them on the lawn?
It was so well received, they kept going.
Beth jots down ideas and builds themes around what she has at home. “Find a pizza dog toy? It’s pizza night. Broken vacuum and TV? They’re doing chores and watching Netflix,” she says.
Last year, their favorite vignettes centered around a weeklong theme: Time of Our Lives - Meet Glenda and Dale. Each vignette told a story, starting with the first day of school to their engagement, marriage and starting a family.
Now the Tyndale Skeletons have a following beyond Beverly Woods with their own Instagram account, which Beth initially started to keep neighbors updated on all the fun. “Some neighbors have even started contributing props and ideas, so it’s become more of a neighborhood project. That’s the main reason I keep doing it.”
Beth says people have asked if they are artists. They’re not. She and Brian both work in tech. “We just have a unique sense of humor.” SP
You can keep track of Dale and Glenda’s daily antics during October by following @tyndaleskeletons
