Volume 3 | Issue 1 Spring/Summer 2015
Editor & Publisher Michele Arwood
CREATIVE Director Haile McCollum
Associate Editor Callie Sewell
Production Manager Margret Brinson
Development Manager Mallory Jones
copy Editor Lauren Eberle
Designers Lindsey Strippoli Catherine Westerfield Carolyn Kernodle
Photographers Andrew Cebulka Courtney Chavanell Bill Ellison Gabe Hanway Abby Mims Alicia Osborne Daniel Shippey Cedric Smith
Writers Lauren Eberle Christopher Powell Jones Melanie Bowden SimĂłn Callie Sewell Nadia Watts Jennifer Westfield
thomasvillearts.org 600 E. Washington Street Thomasville, GA 229.226.0588
Cover Photo by Daniel Shippey American Flag hanging in Sturdy Brothers’ Workshop
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contents Spring/Summer 2015 visionary
5 the sweet life Libbie Summers A Food-Inspired Life
CreatorS
11 sturdy Ben Young and Spencer Young Sturdy Brothers
COLLECTORS
17 home is where the art is
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Sarah and Johnny Belenchia
music makers
21 harmonious heathens The Band of Heathens
26 THOM’S GUIDE foodie
83 heR daily bread Carrie Morey Callie’s Charleston Biscuits tastemakerS
89 Tapping Tallahassee Grasslands Brewery
connectors
95 together in good faith Episcopal Development Agency of Thomasville
artist
101 lighting the path John Gleason
MAKER
103 love and beeswax Marina Mertz Anhaica Bag Works
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1 05 Featured Artists
Letter From the Editor
Hardworking. Visionary. Resourceful. Boundlessly Creative. Fearless. For as long as I can remember, and maybe even longer than that, I’ve been fascinated by the creative entrepreneur. In this issue we introduce you to some of our favorites. Friends we’ve met on our travels, friends who have
Even at 12 years old, as I swept the salon floor, I remember thinking “this is the life for me.” Doing what you love, making people feel good, working alongside family and friends, and managing to make a good living. Like all of the creative entrepreneurs I know, her path wasn’t a choice. It was set so deep within her DNA she couldn’t resist the urge to make the leap.
landed in Thomasville, and friends of friends who
It’s my favorite time of year in Thomasville, which
are now our friends for life. They’re the kind of
means lots of porch sitting with friends and “big
people who by simply being who they are push us
thinking.” Perfect blue skies, azaleas blooming,
to think differently and cause us to thoughtfully
and the city buzzing with energy from the new
consider how we spend our days. They’re brilliant,
businesses popping up on Broad Street and in the
talented, down-to-earth kinds of people who have
Creative District. So many interesting people to
a penchant for turning their creative gifts into
meet, so little time! If you’re a Center member, you’ll
thriving businesses. Bakers, musicians, food stylists,
have the chance to get to know some of them at our
brewers, craftsmen, painters, and even a group of
next Members Only event presented by our cover
faithful Episcopalians who are creatively connecting
partner, J’s Wine & Spirits. It’s a salon-style evening
the community. I’m deeply attracted to them, so
of music and lively conversation on the porch of
I’m always eager to hear their stories. Most I’ve met
The Paxton, with some serious art collectors who
have a strong sense of Southern pride and a desire
weave cool tales of their acquisitions from all parts
to preserve what is good and great about America.
of America.
If you engage them long enough, you tend to wind up in a conversation about their grandmother or granddaddy. My Daddy’s mom was a super tall, platinum-blonde, creative businesswoman with
Come see what it’s like to be at the Center of it all in Thomasville!
a killer classic wardrobe and an eye for beautiful Italian shoes. On weekends she was simply “Grandma” cooking a mean fried chicken, but during the week you would find her in her simply Southern beauty parlor pouring her heart into making women
Michele Arwood
look like movie stars with $8 blow-outs and candy
Editor + Publisher
red nail polish.
marwood@thomasvillearts.org
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VISIONARY
Written by Melanie Bowden Simón
Standing on the battered fourth-floor veranda of Alex Raskin Antiques in Savannah, with oak, palm, and European architectural vistas framing Forsyth Park below, Southern import and style maven Libbie Summers asks for any
Photographed by
‘creepy baby’ portraits on hand while she pulls in items for the photo shoot.
Cedric Smith Three in oversized gold frames are delivered from the madness of the store’s Styled by Libbie Summers
cluttered period collections and lined along the floorboards while Libbie carefully bunks one meringue on top of another and ripples them with whipped cream and a top toss of raspberries, crushed pistachios, and mint leaves to form a Pavlova. It’s a sexy sort of dessert and shares a table with a two-tier, lemon yellow cake, decked out with a Japanese kewpie doll. Its twin sits alone, smiling in a bowl full of berries and locally sourced antique plates and silverware is scattered across the table lined with fringed linen napkins. Libbie is wearing a tailor-made, denim blue button-up shirt and a red, kewpie doll skirt from Brooke Atwood’s 2015 fall line. “It’s cool creepy,” says Libbie of the vibrant and slightly zany visuals that create a coordinated color arc. “It’s dramatic and fun.” A peek into the sort of high-drama set styling and entertaining that Libbie is known for, she has just been given a green light to work more of her creative magic as the producer and star of an online food and lifestyle series pilot for Meredith Corporation, the group that gives us Martha Stewart Living and Better Homes & Gardens, among many others. She also recently did a gig for Elle magazine, has been tapped by Oprah Winfrey’s OWN channel to create online content, and as the artistic director of her own lifestyle brand, A Food-Inspired Life, she has done work for Paramount Pictures, Condé Nast Traveler, Bon Appétit, Huffington Post, Vogue, People, and Food Network Magazine. A Wentzville, Missouri, native who has called the South home for the last decade and a half, she is also a three-time cookbook author and has received the Golden Globe of the culinary world twice with International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP) awards for Best Food Blog in 2013 for Salted and Styled, a
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visual feast she co-created with photographer Chia
“I have this weird craziness in my head,” Libbie
Chong three years ago, and Best Single Subject Food
says without a trace of irony. “If I’m looking at a
Video for 20 Creative Pie Crimping Techniques in 120
kumquat, I’ll stand in a grocery store and look at it
Seconds in 2014.
in a weird way. I don’t want to cook it. I see rooms, I see fashion.”
Celebrated is Libbie’s whimsical and captivating use of simple, everyday items — forks, ice-cream scoops,
For this Spring/Summer issue of THOM she was
a string of pearls from her neck — to create stunning
inspired by ‘a pop of red’ in her head that led to
imagery in a flair of both elegance and potty-mouth
raspberries, which carried her to a current obsession
bawdiness while sharing delicious, approachable
with the tomato-raspberry color from Brooke
recipes and personal sentiment.
Atwood’s line. Especially known for baking, she was moved to make a dessert and to think outside the
Libbie, who has a socialite’s good looks downplayed
dining room. “I like to keep people moving around,”
by a tomboy chic all her own, is able to do her work
she notes, suggesting dinner in a main room and
by seeing something that most of us don’t. As with
a follow-up course in the outdoor space where we
all in her life, it is food that inspires.
stand. “How cool would it be to have dessert here?”
Raspberry and Lemon Pavlova Stack
Serves 8
INGREDIENTS:
to high and beat until the meringue is very
8 large egg whites
shiny and holds a stiff peak. Beat in the extracts.
2 cups superfine sugar (pulse sugar in a food
Remove bowl from mixer and gently fold in the
processor for superfine)
vinegar and cornstarch with a spatula. Divide
½ teaspoon lemon extract
the meringue evenly between the two baking
½ teaspoon vanilla paste or extract
sheets with the meringue in the middle of each
2 teaspoons white vinegar
sheet. Using a spatula, spread the meringue out
1 tablespoon corn starch
to an 8-inch circle.
1 cup heavy cream whipped with 2 tablespoons sugar until soft peaks form
Bake until the outside is dry and is a very pale
1 cup raspberry puree (from fresh berries)
cream color (about 65-75 minutes). Turn the
1 cup fresh raspberries
oven off, leave the door slightly ajar, and let the
¼ cup chopped pistachios for garnish (optional)
meringue cool completely in the oven (I let mine
mint leaves for garnish (optional)
cool overnight). The outside will have cracks, but the inside will have a marshmallow consistency.
DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 250º F. Line two baking sheets with parchment and set aside.
TO ASSEMBLE: Place one meringue round on your cake stand.
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In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with
Top with half of the whipped cream and swirl
a whisk attachment, beat the egg whites on
in half of the raspberry puree. Top with the
medium until they hold soft peaks. With the
second meringue and repeat. Finish with fresh
mixer running, begin adding the sugar a little at
raspberries, chopped pistachios and a few fly
a time until it is all incorporated. Increase speed
away mint leaves. Serve immediately.
VISIONARY
And as with any good shoot, whether for print or
meals for those vacationing on the seas. “It’s not just
video, the set-up should always tell a story.
about getting by. Every meal is an event.”
“I want to see the whole scene of the story that is
In the mid-90s she, Josh, and son, Anthony, sailed
being told,” she says. “Everything I choose is for a
the oceans for two years, teaching their young one
reason. I am waving as if guests are coming and I’m
on board and then later settled in North Carolina
wearing the kewpie doll skirt decorating the cake.”
so he could complete school on land. After he graduated, Libbie and her husband wanted to be in
For all of her success, Libbie climbed the ranks
a more cosmopolitan area, but one that is still low-
with little traditional culinary training and thinks
key. Arriving in Savannah in 2003, they found their
of herself as a MacGyver of sorts. “If there’s a good
new home.
yucca plant and a Band-Aid I can make something,” she jokes.
By then Libbie had shot a television pilot about cooking on boats with a producer for Martha
Ingenuity, it appears, is central to her success.
Stewart and subsequently worked on a Christmas
Born in the rural Midwest, just outside of St. Louis,
campaign for the mogul’s show. It was there, toiling
Libbie was raised in a strict, Baptist home with a
over thousands of holiday ornaments, that Libbie
mother who cooked well, but didn’t have much time
heard unending fits of laughter across the room.
for it. There are fond memories standing at the stove in her grandparents’ farmhouse, where she spent summers slopping pigs, collecting eggs, and digging up potatoes. A huge garden on site, they ate what they grew and Libbie loved every minute of it. But it wasn’t until after college when she began to travel the world that cuisine took a distinct hold. “It’s not like I was so cool and so into food,” says Libbie. “Once I stepped outside of myself and outside of the United States, I started experiencing other things. I am intrigued by how people make things.” Moving frequently over the next few years, she talked her way into a job as a chef on a large sailboat through a random meeting. From there, one job led to another. It was on the water where she also met her husband, Josh, who is a yacht captain. For years she worked the small kitchens of private hundred-footers, calling on her creativity and wit to survive harsh weather and sometimes difficult and demanding guests. “You have to be proficient,” she says of making
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VISIONARY
Celebrated is Libbie’s whimsical and captivating use of simple, everyday items to create stunning imagery in a flair of both elegance and potty mouth bawdiness while sharing delicious, approachable recipes and personal sentiment. “All of these people were having a whole lot of fun,”
which she wrote Brown Sugar, with more childhood
Libbie remembers, as she snuck over to see what the
tributes, like that of her grandmother’s ham and
raucous was about. “They were all food stylists.”
brown sugar roasted chickpeas.
Armed with a professional kit she recalls having
Thomasville and Libbie were introduced in 2014, as
no idea how to use, Libbie set off to follow in their
she catered the much buzzed-about Shotgun Supper
footsteps, taking on any and every job she could
Club in May. “If Thomasville was close to water, it
without charging a nickel.
would feel like home,” notes Libbie. “I love going there. I love the people I meet. I have the best time.”
A few years later and a number of solid, paying contracts under her belt, she landed her first book
The showstopper dished up courses like peanut
deal with Rizzoli. With the release of The Whole Hog
soup, massaged kale salad, spring pea bruschetta,
Cookbook in 2011, press was more than kind. The New
and habañero carrot cake, but not before beginning
York Times described it as “aggressively pretty” and
the night with a bowl full of pipe cleaner and pom-
Bon Appétit appreciated it for its “wicked sense of
pom ‘spaghetti and meatballs’ in Libbie’s signature
humor.”
bright colors.
In 2014 Libbie rolled out Sweet & Vicious, baking
“I start off a meal with ‘we’re going to feed our brain
with an attitude, but not a nasty one. It’s all
before we feed our belly,’” she says. “I put in what is
about inciting giggles with recipes like Southern
important to me, but it’s about getting them to think
Sartorialist’s Cookies, salty, smoky, bourbon-laced
about what is important to them.”
oatmeal ones for dudes, and Retired Gingerbread Working Girls with accompanying cookie cut-outs,
As she writes in the forward of Sweet & Vicious, her
as well as a Post-Coital Chocolate Pie, Angry Bird
message continues to be the same: Be inspired,
Hand Pie, and Wascally Wabbit Pot Pie. There are
have fun, be creative, don’t be shy about being
others equally bust-a-gut funny — and delicious
sentimental, and charm everyone, including your
— for breads, pastries, cakes, and even dog treats,
furry friends.
shared through personal stories that you can just as easily curl up to read in bed as you can learn from in the kitchen. In distinct honor last year, Libbie was asked to
Libbie Summers
contribute to the prestigious Short Stack Editions,
A Food-Inspired Life
reserved for America’s great culinary talents, for
libbiesummers.com
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STURDY.
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CREATORS
Written by
You know those people who epitomize cool in your life? It’s hard to say why
Christopher
or what that is, but you know it when you see it. You feel it…that they’re
Powell Jones
genuine. Authentic. And whatever it is they do appears absolutely effortless. The trait is repeated more often in a single family than it is in the general
Photographed by
population, and it just so happens that they’re highly concentrated in our
Daniel Shippey
downtown, with names like McCollum, Little, Foster, and Young. I’ve been wondering what makes Spencer Young one of these guys since meeting him over a poker hand four years ago. I even asked, but he was either too humble to explain or didn’t know himself. Well, when I sat down over
Their products are reminiscent of the rugged men of the early 20th century, and make the bearer feel as if he could kill a grizzly bear with his bare hands, if it didn’t surrender first. coffee with Spencer and his brother Ben, it hit me. We were talking about Sturdy Brothers, their collaboration on quality handmade goods based here in Thomasville. Together they spoke of how they made the things they wanted, and later found that everyone else wanted them, too. The brand has inspired many of us to reflect on our daily dose of waxed canvas and leather, materials the brothers talk about with reverence. Their products are reminiscent of the rugged men of the early 20th century, and make the bearer feel as if he could kill a grizzly bear with his bare hands, if it didn’t surrender first. Their art is functional, intended to be used. Tools that become a part of your identity as you carry and use them, in work and play.
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The brothers promise that the aprons, duffle bags,
photography, style, and design into their products.
and other accessories they make by hand will last
They’re creators, and you become one too “as you
a lifetime reminds me of the traditional Barbour
are inspired by certain things: places you visit,
coats or Russell Moccasins so many in our neck
people you talk to, things you see and taste. Your
of the woods lug around. These are items that are
experiences stick together to make you and make
sturdy enough to stomp through mud puddles
what you create,” explains Spencer. The brothers
and elegant enough to dress up your favorite blue
are curators, not collectors, of cool, reflecting their
jeans.
life’s experiences in their wardrobe and their work.
Ben is the hands-on guy. He makes things work,
Spencer has the vision; he’s the creative director.
and appreciates things that work well, or for
“A lot of inspiration comes from Thomasville. A lot
a long time. You can hear it in his voice as he
of fantastic things roll through this town of 15,000
reflects on the Maytag dryer his grandmother
people.” He starts listing them: “Events like Due
used for 27 years, day in and day out. Because it
South and Plantation Wildlife Arts Festival, people
was made American. It was made sturdy. Spencer
doing interesting things like fringe restaurants
ascends to a higher level of abstraction. “There’s
and famous gun collections, surrounded by the
been this drive to have things made in America
outdoor culture that inspires it all.” They share
that many sturdy brothers have grown out of over
their tastes as they experience them — a picture
the past eight years.”
on Instagram, a shop window display, a nearby city
The two of them have followed this vague group of creative men and women online over the last year. These are folks who incorporate art,
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they visit. The hardworking people and authentic things they encounter have guided them as they’ve developed their own products.
CREATORS
At the beginning of 2013, Spencer and his wife Megan agreed to buy only Americanmade. While they quickly realized how hard and expensive it is to do that, they were inspired by the boutiques and shops doing things that reflected an old, distinctly American ethic of hard, hands-on work. Spencer remembers the maker of a waxed canvas apron in particular, a product he loved but felt was too expensive. So he ordered the materials (12 oz. duck canvas, local beeswax, and leather accents) and made his own. He explains,
totally unique experience that can’t be scaled.
“in the coffee industry, you need an apron. It’s
You know it if you’ve ever walked into Grassroots
hard to find something that is rugged, yet simple
and your one-of-a-kind concoction was waiting
and easy to clean.”
on you when you arrived at the counter, or, as I
During the autumn of 2013, Spencer went to the beach for a week. He says when he sits for a while, his “mind starts to wander” to what he’s going to do next, and it kept coming back to beginning a side project. Specifically, he wondered if a men’s goods store could work in Thomasville, inspired by
experienced this morning, someone brings it to you while you wait in line to pay. Spencer wanted to apply that aesthetic to the production of goods — tools, really — that would be used and loved by people forever, so he called his brother to discuss a collaboration.
When you inspire people at work, they don’t feel chained to their desks for a third of their lives and as a result, spend the other two-thirds reinvesting in the community, with a net effect much greater than the initial economic impact of their wages. an online boutique he’d recently stumbled upon.
The brothers have looked to their roots for
He hoped to have a place where a man could “buy
inspiration as they’ve joined the movement to
things that were made with quality, use them for
“rekindle American craftsmanship,” even naming
years and years, and pass them down to the next
some of their products after family members. One
generation.” Ben calls it “that American spirit of
grandfather grew up in upstate New York tapping
quality.”
maple trees for syrup while another grew up in
The brothers were both in coffee at the time — Spencer at Grassroots in Thomasville and Ben at Jubala in Raleigh — two places where style, design, and cool people blend to create a
Atlanta working factory and construction jobs during the Depression. They wondered, “could you still survive just making stuff with your own two hands and not go work for some big corporation?”
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Their first products were shipped from Raleigh,
Jackson Street. This success has led to some supply
where Ben stayed up at night sewing. Spencer
chain issues, forcing them to think carefully about
received them in Thomasville and waxed after
the ethos that launched their brand. While they’ve
work. But that didn’t last long. In February 2014,
promised never to ship their production offshore,
their Kickstarter campaign goal of $3,500 was met
they’ve grown to the point that their seamstress
in 24 hours, and by the 30-day deadline they’d
can’t handle the demand. The debate is how they
set, they raised $15,000, exceeding their goal by
can remain true to their mission while scaling the
over 300 percent. Reality set in when they had to
local production of these handmade goods. They’re
produce 160 items for their supporters and they
tempted each day to break away from their roots
realized it would be a full-time job for at least one
as they grow.
of them. With the Kickstarter sales as justification, Ben moved to Thomasville, where they purchased proper machines, materials in bulk, and outfitted a
Ben takes a stab at the solution, saying “you can’t make people care as much as you do, but you can
workshop for their next chapter.
give them something to take pride in.” As they
In August they participated in and won “Best in
for creating with others, who are sharing the
Show” of Flaunt, a local pop-up shop competition,
production load. By inspiring their team, they are
which launched their stand-alone store on West
alleviating the supply chain issues big companies
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continue to grow, they’re sharing their passion
CREATORS
sell their souls to solve. Their approach comes
teaching us the difference between collecting and
with some additional benefits to the community.
curating by sharing their passion for leading quiet
When you inspire people at work, they don’t feel
lives of hard work that their tools embody.
chained to their desks for a third of their lives and as a result, spend the other two-thirds reinvesting in the community, with a net effect much greater
This philosophy that drives them, their creative eye, and their eagerness to develop calloused
than the initial economic impact of their wages.
hands doing work that is good is what makes these
Ben quotes Henry David Thoreau, “The mass of
they like the idea of “building a future as a family,
men lead lives of quiet desperation.” He continues,
a legacy that can be passed down.”
men so cool. Expect big things from the brothers —
“people live their lives in pursuit of jobs and degrees that will ultimately give them money. They will buy nice things with the money. But at their desks, behind computers, their souls will wither. Working with our hands, at a trade, to
Sturdy Brothers
produce something of value is our stab at fighting
sturdybrothers.com
the ‘quiet desperation.’” They feel called to lead quiet lives, working with their hands “so that [their] daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that [they] will not be dependent on anybody,” (NIV 1 Thessalonians 4, 11-12). They aren’t just selling tools you can collect in hopes of resembling the cool-ness that they embody, they’re selling the “-ness” itself. You, too, can be genuine, authentic, and make it look effortless. But not by buying their products to dress up in a Young costume. Spencer and Ben are 16
Written by Jennifer Westfield Photographed by Daniel Shippey
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COLLECTORS
Johnny and Sarah Belenchia’s sweet, amethyst-eyed
works were looking at one another. She says the Bill
Maine Coon, Dude, greets most visitors who enter
Mack saxophone player used to be positioned so he
their home off Pinetree Boulevard. A 2,000-year-
could play for the jazz sculpture that is faced in a
old Colima dog, called Sparks, does the same from
different direction now.
atop a high shelf in their living room. While Dude gets most of the physical affection, Sarah speaks of
I went into their home after giving myself a solid
Sparks and the 200-plus pieces of art in their home
crash course in art history, particularly on Chagall,
as things that are just as alive, and loved.
New Orleans art, and certain modern movements, only to find that each piece they owned was about
Johnny and Sarah’s vast collection is about their love
their life together. Their art collection is their story.
of art, travel, and especially each other. They like
To come to know it is to come to know them: where
what they like, and don’t purchase works for any
they were, whom they met, and their many stories of
other reason. “We go,” says Sarah, “we look and we
simply being in the right place at the right time.
choose pieces that speak to us.” When it comes to art history, Johnny and Sarah Freshly moved into their Thomasville home, Sarah
know their stuff, but they don’t make you feel like
talks about how she decided to arrange their pieces
you need to know yours. They are perfectly happy
on the new walls. Several works had been previously
explaining it to you and even happier telling you of
hung next to each other so that the figures in the
how and when they acquired each piece. 18
area where we were visiting, we would try to find a local artist to get something from them. We’ve gotten stuff from Hilton Head; Beaufort, South Carolina; San Francisco; Memphis; and Hattiesburg.” In a long hallway that serves as a gallery downstairs, they have an out-of-this-world Keith Haring piece that they picked up at an estate sale in New Orleans’ Garden District. They were over in Metairie having their car serviced when they heard that the author Anne Rice was having an estate sale and it just happened to be Sarah’s birthday. They especially love telling the story behind the many Dorothy Winslade pieces they’ve acquired. “Winslade was very active in the 1930s and 40s,” Sarah says. “She was born in England, came to the
Their art collection is their story. To come to know it is to come to know them.
United States, went to art school, and made a fairly
Johnny and Sarah are both from Mississippi, Sarah
happened to be an art history major, realized these
from Hernando and Johnny from Shelby, just below
were nice things, and gave them to a gallery owner.
the Delta. Thirty-one years ago, they met at an Ole
They were basically destined for the trash pile.”
good career for herself as an artist. She had sort of lost favor near the end, and when she passed away, someone was hired to clean out her estate and was supposed to take her pieces to the dump. That person
Miss party when Johnny was in medical school and Sarah was studying to be a nurse. The first piece
Despite the fact that the Belenchias and I were all
they bought together was one of an arctic fox at a
living in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, when hurricane
wildlife gallery in New Orleans, a favorite place to
Katrina barreled through — an instant point of
visit while they lived in Memphis from 1986 to 2001.
solidarity if you were there — I left their home filled
They have works by Dalí, Picasso, Miró, Chagall, Léger, Papart, Ferlinghetti, Alexandra Nichita, Alice Mosely, George Rodrigue, Martin LaBorde, Bill Mack, and a Verdura pin that landed Sarah on an episode of Antiques Roadshow. They acquired a good chunk of their collection in New Orleans. “If you go to the French Quarter,” Johnny says, “it’s easy to see so many different artists within the walking distance of a couple of blocks. We started purchasing more in New Orleans and bringing things home to Memphis. If we liked an
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CoLLectorS
Sarah speaks of Sparks and the 200-plus art pieces in their home as things that are alive, and loved with the care they share in taking people through their many rooms and telling how they came to own every work in their collection. I also left with the entire city of New York in my purse after Sarah gave
pulmonary and critical care. Sarah says, “It was a
me more BonBons than I could hold in my hands, 15
fate thing, maybe.” They’d been here before. “One
different mini vials of Bond No. 9 perfumes.
of the times we were driving back from Hilton Head on vacation,” Sarah says, “we decided to take
Johnny chuckled when I got excited about the
a little shortcut through Georgia and wound up
dozens of bottles of Bond No. 9 on the dresser in
going through Thomasville. It’s so funny because I
their bedroom. Sarah said, “Honey, spritz away,” and
remember thinking, this is such a nice town.”
I was on cloud Bond No. 9. We got to the two Chagall pieces over their bed after the perfume-fest and that
They have so many pieces in their home that Sarah
was just fine with them.
says, “We have to love a new piece more than one we currently have if we’re going to buy it.” One of
And not to wax poetic on perfumes, but the
their more recently acquired works is by the late
Bond No. 9 scents are about creating a unique
Thomasville artist Dick Inman, which landed in the
scent experience by mixing these various
foyer to the right. They call the male figure holding
perfumes named after New York City’s inimitable
a glass of wine and a cigar, “Our version of the most
neighborhoods. I tried them all when I got home and
interesting man in the world,” from the Dos Equis
thanks to Sarah, have been wearing a combination
television commercials.
of Chinatown, Astor Place, and Andy Warhol Lexington Avenue. Those perfumes, much like the
Since moving to town, they’ve commissioned Cindy
myriad locations where the Belenchias purchase
Inman to paint a portrait of their two late, beloved
their art, are all
Maine Coons. Of the local arts scene, Johnny says, “It
about individual
feels like everything is evolving here. Especially for a
experience of place
town this size, the arts community and the offerings
and remembering it
are great.”
by putting together something utterly unique. At the beginning of 2014, Johnny took a job in Thomasville at Archbold Memorial Hospital to practice
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Harmonious Written by Lauren Eberle Photographed by Courtney Chavanell and Bill Ellison
You shouldn’t try to put a label on The Band of Heathens. They really aren’t in-the-box kind of guys. Plenty of music writers have given it a try: “Gritty vocals and scything guitars.” “Rootsy country-rock and old time R&B.” “A bluegrassy version of The Band.” “A seamless blending of alt-rockers, folk tales, gutbucket blues, and heartland anthems.” But ask co-founder Gordy Quist, and his answer’s simpler. “We call it rock ‘n’ roll.” And rock they do. So much so that back in late-2012, Kid Rock told Howard Stern that The Band of Heathens was one of his new favorite groups. Since that time, they’ve toured and recorded with Kid (whose real name is Robert James Ritchie) and appeared in a number of tracks on his new record, First Kiss.
21
Heathens
MUSICMAKERS
The Band of Heathens has an impressive arsenal of
In addition to Ed (guitar and keys) and Gordy
chart-climbing albums themselves, many of which
(guitar), today’s Band of Heathens includes Trevor
feature notable collaborators, and all of which rock
Nealon on keys, Richard Millsap on drums, and Scott
with the band’s own blend of multi-part harmonies
Davis on bass. Everyone picks up vocals, which are
and stick-with-you lyrics.
what makes these musicians so memorable as they travel the country entertaining loyal crowds.
Gordy and Ed Jurdi were already seasoned songwriters with solo careers when they first joined
The group’s first recording, “Live from Momo’s,”
forces in Austin, Texas. It started with a series of
earned them national attention and “Best New Band”
Wednesday night jam sessions at an acclaimed
at the 2007 Austin Music Awards. Their first studio
Austin club called Momo’s. A couple of groups
album, released in 2008, featured Patty Griffin and
shared the bill, each performing individual sets.
Gurf Morlix, and reached No. 1 on Americana charts.
Eventually they joined together as The Good Time
“One Foot in the Ether” and “Top Hat Crown & the
Supper Club until a fateful misprint in a local paper
Clapmaster’s Son” followed, both to critical acclaim.
dubbed the group The Heathens. The name stuck, as
And the band’s most recent release, “Sunday
did the collaboration.
Morning Project,” has been called “a love letter to the past and, at the same time, a postcard to the future.” I caught up with Ed and Gordy in the midst of an especially busy season. They were spending time in the studio, and balancing a packed tour schedule.
22
LAUREN: I’m intrigued by the band’s start-up story...
GORDY: Our first couple of albums were live albums,
the merger of separate acts into something truly
and the live show has always been our foundation.
great. How did y’all know it would work?
As we grew to a point where we could afford a crew
ED: I don’t think anybody knew whether it would
member on the road with us, it just made sense
work or not. In the early days of the band, I’m not
to start recording all the shows. It’s a great tool
sure anyone even thought about that question. It
for us to keep each show interesting and different
was more like, “We’re having a great time playing
from each other, and we’ve found a way to get the
music and hanging out, can we get another round to
recording on a USB drive and to the merchandise
the stage please!”
sales table within about five minutes of the show ending.
“The simplest way I can put it is, life is very full. I think we all feel pretty lucky to be able to say that.” – Ed Jurdi LAUREN: You posted a studio shot on Instagram
LAUREN: And then you’re back in the van, and off
recently (@bandofheathens). What do we have to
again. What’s your favorite food on the road?
look forward to?
GORDY: The simple answer is good coffee. The more
ED: We’re working on some new songs. Ultimately
complicated answer is that half of us are omnivores
we’re working towards releasing a new album — I
and half of us are vegans, so keeping everyone happy
hope later this year — but right now it’s getting
on the food front can be interesting. We love good
some ideas down and seeing how they stand up.
soul food, Mexican food, Indian food, barbecue, as well as all things vegan.
LAUREN: BOH has been a pretty rapid success story, and I’m guessing your approach to music sharing
LAUREN: Come April, Thomasville’s Due South
certainly hasn’t hurt. At the end of each concert,
Festival is on the menu as Band of Heathens takes to
your fans can pick up a copy of the performance — a
the stage as the Saturday night headliner. We think
great embracement of the digital age. Tell us more
it’s a great fit. Do you?
about this decision.
GORDY: The South has played an inescapable role in America’s musical heritage, from Ray Charles, Hank Williams, and Otis Redding to the Allman Brothers and Muscle Shoals. We’re honored to be a part of the festival and looking forward to stuffing our faces with some good Southern food! LAUREN: How has the city of Austin influenced your art? GORDY: I think our band is a little microcosm of the Austin spirit. We started as a bunch of guys from different bands hanging out at the same club every Wednesday night. We started sitting in with each others’ bands and here we are 9 years later. Austin is a great place to put a band together because there are a bunch of players, a bunch of music clubs, and
23
MUSICMAKERS
people that support the live music scene. The city has changed a lot over the last decade, but we’re still fighting to keep the spirit of the live music scene alive. LAUREN: Where would BOH be if you’d met somewhere other than Austin? ED: I honestly feel like Austin WAS the reason this band happened. I’m not sure it could have happened like this anywhere else. We were from all over the country, and ultimately Austin is what brought us together. To go a little further with that idea, I think the Austin Sound event series, and the spirit of the city, in terms of how it embraced music — specifically stuff that’s a bit outside of the box — was key in allowing us to develop and create a sound. I mean this band would have never been what it is if it happened in Nashville or LA. Not to take anything away from those places, they’re great and have amazing music, but there was a very specific thing going on in Austin during that time that allowed us to come together in a no-pressure environment with no expectations. If you combine that with some of the most amazing and supportive music fans in the world, you’ve got a recipe for a great scene to develop. LAUREN: In the coming months, travels will take you from Asheville, North Carolina, to Navarro, California, with stops in Louisiana, Kansas, Utah, and more. How do you balance writing, recording, touring, family? ED: It’s always busy. The simplest way I can put it is, life is very full. I think we all feel pretty lucky to be able to say that. We are doing what we love to do and we’re surrounded by people who love us. What more could you ask for?
The Band of Heathens bandofheathens.com
24
It’s an all day, all night kind of party that reminds
South tapped
you how awesome it is to be from the South —
Grassland
even if you are a transplant. Due South celebrates
String Band
what Southerners love most: crave-worthy bites,
(Athens,
cold drinks with an unexpected twist, lawn chairs
Georgia) to be
planted in front of an electric stage, and talent —
the opening
so much talent! — under the spring Thomasville
act for BOH,
sky. Due South has become an arrow-pointing
and Evan
directional destination event, celebrating the
Barber and the Dead Gamblers, The Gatorbone
sights, sounds, and tastes of the new South, while
Band, Grant Peeples and the Peeples Republic, The
nodding to what brought us here in the first place:
Fried Turkeys, and Royce Lovett will take us toe-
a connection between land, family, and tradition.
tapping from day to night.
Join us in our fourth year on April 25th!
MADE IN THE SOUTH CLASS ACTS
This year’s
And made at Studio 209! Guests
can check out the Center for the Arts’ recent
headliner is the Band of
downtown studio renovation, meet the 2015 artists-
Heathens, an Austin, Texas,
in-residence, and purchase their work. The new
group known for being one
residents include Abby Barber, chef and gardener;
of its hometown’s most
Caprice Kelly, ceramicist; Jay Snodgrass, printmaker
vital musical resources.
and poet; and Emily Arwood, Denise Boineau,
The group has racked up
Robert Copper, and Cindy Inman, all painters.
accolades including “New Emerging Artists” and “Best Duo/Group of the
Doors open at 12 p.m. General Admission tickets are $10 and last all day.
Year” nominations by the
And don’t miss the VIP party! Sponsoring is the
Americana Music Honors &
only way to get tickets — pick a level (they begin at
Awards and the Americana
$150) and join us!
Music Association. Recently, BOH collaborated
25
with Kid Rock on his latest
Due South
album, First Kiss, which
Thomasville Center for the Arts Studio 209
dropped at the end of
209 West Remington Avenue, Thomasville, Georgia
February. Additionally, Due
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83
FOODIE
Written by Lauren Eberle
It’s a cold and drizzly day when I interview Carrie Morey about her booming businesses. And although it’s only 9 a.m., the blond-haired belle has dinner on the brain. She doesn’t take these things lightly — Carrie’s menu selections
Photographed by Andrew Cebulka
are usually creative and always intentional. Tomorrow her husband’s making chicken enchiladas (“his are better than mine,” she reveals), so she decides out loud that a hearty soup or a stew is likely in order tonight. This is just one of the many delicious decisions Carrie makes each day. Owner of Callie’s Charleston Biscuits, a Southern-style melt-in-your-mouth biscuit company, and Callie’s Hot Little Biscuit, a counter-service restaurant and retail shop in Charleston, Carrie is also an acclaimed cookbook author, a dedicated wife, and Super Mom to three young daughters.
Rolling Out Her early introduction to the food world came courtesy of her mother, Callie White. A highly accomplished caterer known for “Southern fare and global flair,” Callie wowed crowds with her signature country ham biscuits. In 2005, with a newborn daughter and a bit more time on her hands, Carrie convinced her mother to postpone retirement and join her in the biscuit business. Already a hit among friends, relatives, and Callie’s catering clients, Carrie was certain their buttery recipe was worth serving on tables across the country. Following months of research on freezing, packaging, and shipping
84
small-batch delicacies, the duo launched their
growth. And it’s just in the last two that Carrie says
company and orders began rolling in.
she’s felt like a ‘real’ business. “We’re still very small in the greater scheme of things, but these days I’m
After a decade of business, Carrie reflects on her
stopping to smell the roses and I’m realizing we’re
story with a certain wistfulness. “It feels like 10 years
doing something big here.”
have flown by, but I’m so grateful for our steady, natural growth,” she says. “When we began, I’d bake
I’ll say. Callie’s has appeared in The New York Times,
one day a month and the supply would last us. Now,
Food & Wine, and Oprah, as well as on the Today show,
we’re baking almost daily.”
QVC, and Food Network’s Unwrapped, among others. Carrie was even chosen as one of Martha Stewart’s
The give and take of motherhood and
“Dreamers into Doers.”
entrepreneurship stunted expansion for a time. “I remember wanting to speed things up, and my
What’s the big deal? It’s more than great taste. For
mom kept encouraging me to slow down. The first
many families, Callie’s combines the not-forgotten
five years of business felt like we were just playing
nostalgia of homemade biscuits rising in the oven,
house. I had a vision, but I also needed balance — I
with the certain convenience of online ordering.
was a brand new mom and family was my priority.” These days, seven varieties of buttery biscuits are Carrie’s second five years have seen exponential
85
available at retailers throughout the country or
FOODIE
through mail-order: classic buttermilk, country ham,
she drifts back and forth. Her bakers, shippers, and
cocktail ham, cheese and chive, cinnamon, black
cashiers know that family comes first, and it’s a
pepper bacon, and shortcakes. Shipped biscuits
value Carrie honors, as well: “I never want someone
arrive fully cooked and frozen; simply reheat and
on my team to miss their child’s awards ceremony
serve with a generous pat of butter. Also popular
because they’re working.”
are Callie’s Cheese Crisps and a perfectly spiced Southern staple, Pimento Cheese.
Callie’s Charleston Biscuits is headquartered in a 100-year-old Officer’s Quarters on the old naval
Rising Up
base just five miles from downtown. The estate has
Thanks to an “unbelievable” staff, Carrie divides time
“probably 50 windows,” a roaring fireplace, a grand
between her two ventures. Mondays and Tuesdays
sleeping porch, and a big, open room reserved for
are spent at Callie’s Charleston Biscuits; Wednesday,
baking. Here, the melt-in-your-mouth biscuits are
Thursday, and weekends at Hot Little Biscuit. Fridays
still made as they were originally intended: by hand,
“We’re still very small in the greater scheme of things, but these days I’m stopping to smell the roses and I’m realizing we’re doing something big here.” 86
Last summer, Carrie fulfilled a childhood dream by opening Callie’s Hot Little Biscuit on King Street in Charleston. “Behind my kids and marriage, this was my greatest accomplishment,” she says. with high-quality ingredients and no machinery
Carrie never set out to be an author, she’ll
whatsoever. The result is flaky, slightly crispy, two-
emphasize. But five years into blogging, a friend
bite bliss.
approached her with the idea to pitch a publisher. Once she got the deal, sifting through her hundreds
Last summer, Carrie fulfilled a childhood dream by
of recipes — most hand-penned in careful script
opening Callie’s Hot Little Biscuit on King Street in
on tattered cards — became an emotional process
Charleston. “Behind my kids and marriage, this was
as the baker found herself reconnecting to the
my greatest accomplishment,” she says. Open seven
matriarchs of her family. “Memories came flooding
days a week and late-night on weekends, the shop
back as I pored over those handed-down treasures.
features — of course! — hot biscuits, plus pimento
It became up to me to tell their story well.”
cheese sandwiches, grits, and an array of Southernstyle accoutrements like chopped bacon, roasted
The book begins as you’d expect, with a chapter on
tomatoes, and Carolina honey.
biscuits. But it’s about so much more. “Writing the cookbook became a personal, intimate way for me
Shoppers can also find a full range of culinary
to communicate with my girls.,” Carrie says. “It told
products from Callie’s “The Buttery” line, including
the story of my life, and what made me grow to
cocktail pecans, signature coffee, honey, and jams.
love food.” Released in fall 2013, the cookbook was
And, they can pick up Carrie’s cookbook, Callie’s
accompanied by a 35-city tour.
Biscuits and Southern Traditions, a collection of more than 100 heirloom recipes, as well as tips and
Influence(d)
ruminations on family, cooking, and life in
In the back of the Officer’s Quarters, Carrie hosts
the South.
a small business incubator for newbies in the
87
culinary world. She’s mentoring two right now, one with a dynamite pasta sauce business and another who is creating gluten-free goodies that may help children with ADHD. “These people are dreamers, like me. It’s a joy to build each other up.” Carrie says she didn’t realize until she was an adult how Southern food culture had influenced her. “So much of ourselves is wrapped up in food and its history. My family doesn’t eat traditionally Southern foods every night. Rather, the significance of Southern food culture has inspired me to learn more about Indian foods, about Asian foods, about Mexican foods,” she reveals. “It encourages us to not only eat, but to learn.” And learn they do. Carrie’s daughters, ages 6, 7, and 10, spend two hours daily doing homework in the kitchen. They hang out at Hot Little Biscuit. They snap pictures of their meals. They can even identify a ramekin. These girls are absorbing food culture, whether they know it or not. And it’s Carrie’s hope that perhaps it’ll seep in enough to become their career path, too. But in the meantime, Carrie is the cook in the kitchen. She’s barefoot, rarely in an apron, swaying to Pandora radio with a cup of coffee or glass of wine. She has a comfy dress and leggings on, and Biscuit, her puppy, pounces at her feet. Yes, business is thriving and life is mighty good. Even still, the go-getter won’t rest on her laurels. “I don’t plan to be Pillsbury, but I can’t stop myself from dreaming about what’s next.” Our tastebuds will toast to that.
CALLIE’s BISCUITS calliesbiscuits.com Available locally at Firefly and look for them at Due South.
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89
tasteMAKERS
Written by Callie Sewell Photographed by Gabriel Hanway
“Try this,” Gabe says, passing me a beer in a Grasslands pint glass. “It’s kinda pink?” I blurt out. By no means would I ever consider myself a beer expert — I’m an advanced beginner at best. But even I can see there is a subtle blush color swirling in my glass. “Correct!” he answers with a smile. “It’s raspberry flavored — something we are working on.” I may not know specific scents or hidden flavor notes, but I do know a story when I taste it. When Gabe Grass asked his wife Saralyn if she would go along with his dream of owning and running a craft brewery, she replied, “This will change our lives forever... I will do this only if it is a place where I feel comfortable going on a date.” Gabe laughs as he recalls this, the corners of his eyes turning up behind his black-framed glasses. I laugh too. Not only is it a statement I admire, but also I notice how quickly I feel comfortable with him and his team. As I sit across from Gabe, president and founder of Grasslands Brewery, I already know I want to be a part of what he’s selling. Or pouring, in this case. There is no doubt that Tallahassee’s new brewery, Grasslands, will be a date destination this spring. Gabe shares the Grasslands story is a familiar one in the craft brewing industry, and one that started six years ago. By day, he was a Florida State University Foundation Director of Corporate Development and by night, he was creating beer samples with a home brew kit. Home brewing evolved into a passion, and it is a passion that is evident when he speaks with me today. I’m impressed there is still excitement in his voice as the journey has been a long one, and one that’s not nearly over. But the enthusiasm is
90
genuine and a testament to his patience. I hear it as he talks about all-things-Grasslands, ranging from brewing sour beer to a new sink for the men’s room. Scott Hall is also across from me and admits that the first time he met Gabe in 2011, he didn’t want to. Gabe called on Scott who co-founded (and at the time was working at) Tallahassee’s craft brewery Fermentation Lounge. It was a Friday, a busy day, and the last thing Scott wanted to deal with was a “home-brewer sales pitch” — a pitch he often heard and one he knew would likely end in failure. But they talked. And according to Scott, what Gabe had that no one else had was a realistic understanding of what opening a brewery entailed. Months later, the coin flipped. Scott called on Gabe to check in on the brewery status and offered his experience — a sharp knowledge of history, retail, and distribution. He signed on as Vice President, making three in the Grasslands family. “Grasslands” is a play on Saralyn and Gabe’s last name, but also aligns with their core philosophy. Their slogan — “Earth first ales” — succinctly explains their objective of environmental conservation and sustainability.
91
tasteMAKERS
It is one of the few times Gabe is serious as we
start in two years. The team is proud of their space
chat. “We are doing everything we can to meet
and they should be — it is beautiful.
this mission,” he says. “We source local ingredients and recycle materials whenever and however
Saralyn and Thomasville’s Jackie Johnson made
possible. We are doing our best to reduce our carbon
Grasslands come to life through an inviting blend of
footprint, promote awareness, and give back to our
industrial and rustic elements. Jackie has designed
community.”
interiors for some of Thomasville’s favorite eateries — Jonah’s, Liam’s, and Sweet Grass Dairy Cheese
He candidly shares that the Grasslands journey
Shop — and Saralyn knew she wanted the taproom
has been a combination of “a lot of hard work and
to have a community look and feel, but also be date-
luck.” He credits luck for finding their new location
worthy.
— the address is not only ideal, but feeds into their philosophy.
It will be. The bar tops are made from gorgeous reclaimed red cypress, the bar stools are handmade
Grasslands joined the “Garages on Gaines”
and evoke a retro pub feel, the 12 tap handles are
revitalization movement on Tallahassee’s West
thick wooden tree trunk pulls, and there is a maze-
Gaines Street, becoming the anchor tenant in the
like light fixture with exposed bulbs and piping. The
project. Previously referred to as Tallahassee’s
space is open, clean, and comfortable.
“Warehouse District,” the location was once a dismal, graffiti-covered area that wasn’t helping the economy. Today, Gabe views the spot as a gateway to many parts of the city — two colleges, an arts district, downtown, a park, and more. He hopes Grasslands
“One of the greatest things about this industry is that there is a lot of paying it forward.”
will contribute to the budding area, promote a walker-friendly community, and boost the economy.
And full of family stories. Gabe reflects on each one with a warm sense of pride. There is an ancient
And the guys know their facts. They roll off their
safe positioned between the restrooms that was his
tongues with ease, sharing figures like Florida ranks
grandfather’s, brought down from Maine.
third in overall United States population, but the state is third to last in the number of craft breweries
When asked about Grasslands’ signature brews, he
per million residents.
recalls the back-story of one of their IPAs: “My sister and brother-in-law were expecting and having a
This report isn’t daunting. Rather, Grasslands views
couples’ baby shower. They asked if I would brew an
it as an opportunity and the equation is simple:
IPA for the party, so I created a one-off, with tropical
craft beer boosts tourism and tourism boosts the
notes. We named the brew Rising Embers.” Ember
economy.
is the name of his niece, and now the beer is one of their most popular requests.
The Grasslands space is approximately 5,000 square feet, hosting a taproom and brewery with a 15-barrel
Gabe and Scott make it seem that there is also a
production system and a 2.5-barrel pilot system. The
sense of family within the craft brewing industry. As
lease also allows for future expansion, expected to
it is one of the highest regulated industries in the
92
country, opening a micro-brewery is an uphill battle on many federal and state levels. Microbreweries aim to distribute their own product, putting them in competition with the “big guys.” It is a fight that is frequently compared to David vs. Goliath, and as of recent years, David is making headway. According to the Brewer’s Association, craft labels make up 14 percent of the market space. It’s a minority stake, but it is a percentage that is growing every year. Camaraderie exists among crafters — not competition. Gabe makes this point when he says, “One of the greatest things about this industry is there is a lot of paying it forward.” It initially surprises me on a business level, as most people are territorial about their market space. But what I learn is craft is different. And this gooddeed difference is an almost obvious, perfect fit with Gabe and the Grasslands team. He and Scott name breweries they admire — Bell’s Brewery in Kalamazoo, Michigan; Monday Night Brewery in Atlanta, Georgia; and Cigar City in Tampa, Florida. The Cigar City team met with the guys when Grasslands was just a concept, and has done so for many fledgling breweries — even if they end up down the street. Fermentation Lounge and Proof Brewing will be within one square mile from Grasslands — a fact they welcome. The goal is to be a “mini-Asheville,” according to Scott, and to “pay it forward” with other crafters at all costs. Because together, they take taps away from the non-local, non-domestic giants — not necessarily from each other. “Opening Grasslands is not the finish line,” says Gabe. “It is more like the starting point.” The next looming decisions — even if they are years away — are choosing a distributor and deciding which market to tap next. Their eyes
93
tasteMAKERS
are on Jacksonville, Tampa, and Gainesville —
such good, honest energy in their demeanor that I
but unfortunately, not Georgia. Grasslands will
am already envisioning trips to Tallahassee so I can
continue to support Georgia events, like Due South,
try their Ember brew. Or the raspberry creation I am
as community events played an integral part in
sipping on now.
launching the company. The guys talk over each other, ping-ponging Above all, the team values the interaction
excitement when they speak. I hear it best when
and connection to their fans, which they call
Gabe says, “We want to be a welcoming environment
“Grasshoppers.” The Grasshopper growth is organic,
and engage with the Tallahassee and South Georgia
strong, and loud. When raising funds for the new
community.”
facility via crowdbrewed.com, a crowd funding
Immediately, Scott chimes in, “Beer is just the uniter
method for breweries, they surpassed their goal
of it all.”
of $30,000. The Greater Tallahassee Chamber of Commerce awarded Grasslands “Entrepreneurial
With a nod, Gabe adds, “If we can engage with
Start-up Business of the Year” this past summer,
people, have a fun experience and product to go
before their doors were even open. If you scroll
along with it, all the better.”
through their @grasslandsbrewingco Instagram account, the Grasshoppers chirp comments like,
And that is something we can all say “cheers” to.
“We are so excited for Grasslands to open up!” and “Dude, it’s really coming,” and “Almost there!” The buzz is established and contagious. I feel it
grasslands brewery
when sitting across from Gabe and Scott. There is
grasslandsbrewery.com
94
Together, in GOOD Faith Written by
Sunlight streamed into the sanctuary through the stained-glass window, lighting
Nadia R. Watts
the pulpit with color. An elderly woman in an engine-red suit entered and found a dear friend who was already seated in her pew. They flew together, giving each
Photographed by
other resounding kisses and giggling with the youth they still carried inside. A
Daniel Shippey
grandfather entered this holy place, carrying his sleeping infant grandson in his arms. When the visiting children’s choir tumbled in, the church seemed to fill — not only with congregants, but also with the spirit of the holiday. This was an Advent service at Good Shepherd Episcopal Church, a historically African-American house of worship that has been a Thomasville landmark since 1894. The church is known for its history of service to the wider community: a well respected K-5 Episcopal day school once operated on the church grounds, the first playground for African-American children was built there in 1937, the first African-American Boy Scout troop used Good Shepherd for its meeting space, and Thomasville’s NAACP charter was signed there.
95
In more recent years, however, the church and
project of the city’s three Episcopal churches.
its surrounding community — the Stevens Street
Representatives from All Saints’, St. Thomas, and
historic district — have succumbed to the toll of
Good Shepherd Episcopal churches have united to
time. Some of the houses have been abandoned;
revitalize the historic church and its surrounding
many structures are in dire need of repair. Good
neighborhood. These board members come from
Shepherd’s membership has dwindled, as well. On a
all walks of life and represent multiple cultures
typical Sunday, the sanctuary is likely to see only a
with diverse histories. And they agree that it is this
few of its 18 active members.
diversity of thought that inspires the creativity and caring necessary to succeed.
Good Shepherd’s history is that of giving, and members of the Thomasville community have
In just one year, Good Shepherd’s vicarage, which
recognized that it is time to give back.
sits next door to the church, was renovated to serve as EDAT’s headquarters. A solid foundation of
Founded one year ago, the Episcopal Development
funding was established. An executive director was
Agency of Thomasville (EDAT) is a joint ministry
hired. A community garden was planted. Through
96
a community partnership, an after-school tutoring
uplift the community,” she explains. “You can feel
program got the resources to run five days a week
that people are actually looking out for the church
and to serve dinner to the 42 children who attend.
and making sure that nothing [bad] happens.”
More progress is on the horizon.
Nurturing people often does begin with food, agreed EDAT board member Morrisce Dockett,
Congregants, United Before the Advent service that Sunday, Lauretta Gibbs looked around at her empty sanctuary and explained why church membership has dwindled so precipitously. “Many of our members are in their 80s and 90s and have moved on to live with their children,” she says. Quite a few members have passed away in recent years as well. “If you look around, you might see blight,” she continues. “You may see homeowners that are very proud of their homes and try to keep them up to the best of their ability. And of course, you see houses that are substandard that people are living in.” One positive change, Lauretta says, has been in EDAT’s planting of a community garden, where now winter vegetables — turnips, collards, mustards, and cabbage — are grown to feed members of the community. Neighbors are encouraged to pitch in and to help themselves to their share. A parttime garden supervisor was hired in April to help maintain the garden and to teach youth about health and wellness. This simple vegetable plot has given pride back to the people, Lauretta says. “The garden has helped
97
who has been a member of Good Shepherd for 50 years. Morrisce was instrumental in beginning a feeding program for locals almost eight years ago. With support from EDAT, that program grew and continues today, now Monday through Friday at lunchtime. “At first we started just passing the food out in the neighborhood,” she explains. “Now an average of 50 people attend daily, for food and fellowship.” The people are asked not to leave with their food, but to stay and to connect with others. That fellowship is vital to revitalize relationships in the community, Morrisce says. “We want them to be with each other, to be a part of each other. And
CONNECTORS
“EDAT can only succeed if there’s a level of trust there in the community that will make that possible, and that’s done one relationship at a time.” sometimes, in that, people become friends, when
He promises, “If the community doesn’t embrace it,
they didn’t know they could be friends.”
it’s not going to succeed.”
Community, United
Indeed, Hancock says, their work has only just
As there is no acting vicar at Good Shepherd, Father Paul Hancock, rector at All Saints’ Episcopal Church, and Father Dwayne Varas, rector at St. Thomas, share in the spiritual leadership of the historic church. They also serve on the board at EDAT. In only one year, Hancock says, EDAT has come a long way. “It has emerged,” he explains. “It has a physical location. It has connections to its neighborhood. It is known in parish churches. We have an executive director. We have a solid foundation of funding.” Varas says that another sign that EDAT has already made a positive difference is in the relationships that are forming. “Folks in the neighborhood are not just riding by on their bicycle or walking by and waving, but they’re stopping and wanting to engage with whomever might be out in front of the facility,” he says. “EDAT can only succeed if there’s a level of trust there in the community that will make that possible, and that’s done one relationship at a time.”
begun. “There are very positive signs that we will be able to offer low-cost mental health counseling support [at EDAT], and if we can do that, that will be a second string to our bow.” That work begins with the board and EDAT’s employees. Hancock says the collaboration amongst them, people who come from all walks of life, has “been an easy, natural process.” “It’s sending a message of cooperation to [the three] congregations as well. We’re not in the business of competing against one another,” he explains. “There is work to be done in ministry to the community, and we’re going to be stronger when we unite to do it.” Varas agrees: “It also sends a message to the wider community that churches can look beyond themselves and be a church in a way that’s not limited by their physical location, not limited by their particular nuance in theology.”
98
“This really is about breaking down the walls and living out our Christian vows to love one another. It’s about doing what we’re put on this earth to do.” Varas says he hopes members of the wider
breaking down the walls and living out our Christian
community, despite their faith background, see
vows to love one another. It’s about doing what
the collaboration amongst the three churches as
we’re put on this earth to do.”
an example of what has always been a part of Thomasville — an ecumenical cooperation between
Now, with a year under their belts, they must
denominations.
continue to focus on EDAT’s mission: “To improve lives, provide hope, and to show love. When you
“There’s a strong sense of church, faith, [and]
improve lives, you improve the entire community,”
cooperation in Thomasville,” he says.
she says. “We have moved mountains already. We’re not a one and done. This is going to be a
Leadership, United
long-term program.”
Ask anyone at EDAT, and you’ll be told that the
Keith Jenkins, EDAT’s new executive director,
program simply wouldn’t be where it is today
will oversee its long-term plan; he is tasked with
without the leadership of Alston Watt, board chair.
focusing on health and wellness, youth education,
Through her professional life as a foundation
and professional development of members of the
director, Alston came prepared to do good work,
Stevens Street community. Keith will also work to
having seen programs succeed — and fail.
encourage the revitalization of the built structures in the area. But his primary goal is to bring community
“What creates success [are] the intangibles — the
members in as collaborators, Alston says.
people’s willingness to be involved. Not that they have the best curriculum or the best grant writer.
With degrees in social work and business
It’s because you have folks who are really invested
administration, and with years of experience as a
in making sure that the mission of the program is
youth pastor, Keith says the position was a natural
successful. And that is something that I’ve seen
fit. “When I [came] to this neighborhood, I [saw]
quite clearly [at EDAT] from the beginning.
the neighborhood that I grew up in, in Boston, [GA.] I know the struggles of the African-American
Alston says it has taken time for members of the
community. I understand that some of it is a
board to learn to work together, as their backgrounds
mistrust that they have in some of the system that
are so diverse. “We’re younger and older,” she says.
is in place. I have to empower these individuals to
“We’re retired. We’re full-time workers. We’re white.
understand that [they] can have better and do better
We’re black. We’re single. We’re married.”
if [they] want that.”
She pauses and continues: “I think even just [our]
Keith says it was important for the people in the
learning to work together as a diverse group is a
area to know that EDAT would provide support to
part of the success of this. If we can do it as a board,
them as they took care of themselves. “Nothing
the community can do it, too. This really is about
is more valuable than something that you work
99
for. That’s the concept that we’re taking to the community.” Through that concept, he says, EDAT would be able to attend to the more personal needs of the people living in the area. “We can address some of these social issues, some of these housing issues, some of the parenting issues that they have. As we continue, we’ll go to the spiritual realm,” he says. “The possibilities are unlimited.” Keith explains that as in many other struggling communities, there are issues of drug addiction in the area. “We’re going to point them [in the right direction]. On Wednesday afternoons, there’s an Al-Anon and addiction group that meets here. Every afternoon, we partner with the Thomas County Resource Center [for] the 21st Century Program,” where children are tutored after school and in the summer. And how will he know that EDAT has been successful? When “on Sunday morning, I don’t go this way, and you go that way, but that we all [enjoy] fellowship together,” he says. “When we get the help, we will all be together, black, white, Episcopalians, Baptists, Methodists — we’ll all be together. EDAT is poised to show this whole community that it can work.” What better place than Thomasville?
The Episcopal Development Agency of Thomasville www.edat-oakstreet.org Good Shepherd Episcopal Church 515 Oak Street Thomasville, Georgia 31799
100
Lighting the Path Written by Jennifer Westfield
Above the squat, bare-brick shells of Victorian era fireplaces in the Driptorch space are several deer head mounts. This one is a buck, its antlers painted metallic gold. The artist, Marcus Kenney, has dressed it with a wig of brunette
Photographed by
ringlet curls that fall on either side into bunches of plastic grapes interspersed
Alicia Osborne
with fishing bobbers; its throat is covered in intricate beadwork in the pattern of roses and adorned with a string of smashed-off bottle necks. It is a grey afternoon and from the gallery on the third floor of 110 S. Broad St., all I can see through the building’s original leaded glass panes are the wiry tops of trees and “1885” printed boldly on a nearby structure. Up here, looking through the same glass as the turn-of-the-19th-century shopkeeper who probably lived above his store, I think his view couldn’t have been much different than mine. Turning back to the exotic and utterly postmodern works on the walls, especially the decked out deer mounts, makes them all the more captivating. John Gleason knows that. A longtime local artist, he named this five-artist exhibition — his first — Driptorch after the tool used in prescribed burning: the process of deliberately torching forests to promote germination. He sees Driptorch as a stepping-stone in Thomasville for works like those of Marcus Kenney, Mark Messersmith, Lilian Garcia-Roig, Mary Engel, and Sarah Emerson. Postmodernism is often about deconstructing traditional methods — torching the forest floor, so to speak, and then watching how things are pieced back together in the wake of disintegration. John’s own works often depict danger or absurdity juxtaposed against the cozy, dreamy, or mundane. Many of his recent pieces are comprised of apocalypticlooking, abstract uses of paint next to masterfully rendered scenes of shiny, happy people. His earlier stuff, the portfolio he submitted for admission into the
101
ARTIST
Marcus Kenney makes deer mounts appear almost tribal; Sarah Emerson adorns her sleek acrylic abstracts with rhinestones; Mary Engel’s sculptures of animals derive their contour and detail from the tiny items with which she encrusts them — everything from small metal objects: coins, keys, and broken watches, to entire animal sculptures she covers in hundreds of ceramic miniatures. You have to look closely. You certainly have to look closely at the 15-foot mural John created for FLAUNT. The rules of competition required a black and white mural replicated from
Gleason named this fiveartist exhibition Driptorch after the tool used in prescribed burning: the process of deliberately torching forests to promote germination.
a preselected photo, and allowed for only a single pop of color. John’s assigned image was of an old photo from the Jack Hadley Black History Museum depicting Dr. Alfred Benjamin Dockett, Sr. and his wife in the pharmacy they ran together until 1960. When I first looked at John’s mural, I saw the Docketts and what appeared to be the reflection of a very stern-faced white man, presumably from outside the window, glaring into the pharmacy. Dr. and Mrs. Dockett did appear a tad uncomfortable. “This is powerful social commentary reproduced by
MFA program at Florida State University, is exact and
a masterful artist,” I thought. Then I looked again. It
masterful — a series of acrylic paintings depicting
wasn’t a reflection of racial tension in the Jim Crow
handfuls of nondescript pixels from zoomed-in
South. It was the reflection of the person who was
computer screens with titles like Regaining your
photographing the photo of the Docketts with a cell
self-confidence and youthful appearance and Hair loss
phone camera so that they could e-mail it to John
got you down?
Gleason.
John’s quality of looking into an image and plucking
John’s mural, A Painting from a Photograph of a
out some absurd facet of our digital, postindustrial
Photograph Being Photographed, won Best in Show;
society was a huge factor in the creation of his
soon after he put together the Driptorch exhibition,
mural for the FLAUNT 2014 public art competition.
which was truly unlike anything Thomasville had
That same eye is what guided his selection of the
ever seen.
five Driptorch artists, whose creations are daring, astonishingly nontraditional, and rife with social commentary; many works are collages of impeccable
John Gleason
construction, employing the most unlikely
johngleason.net
combinations of repurposed items.
driptorch.net
102
Love & Beeswax Written by Jennifer Westfield
Life is sweet for Marina Mertz. We sit in the back office of her small workshop and retail space in Tallahassee’s Railroad Square Arts District. An electric sewing machine thrums in the background as Lilian, one of two full-time employees
Photographed by
Marina hired at the beginning of the year, stitches together the hand-waxed
Alicia Osborne
canvas that will eventually be a bag stuffed with gear and thrown on a bike. Marina, the daughter of a carpenter and a horticulturist, named her company Anhaica Bag Works after the Native American word for the area that is now Tallahassee, where she was born and raised and is an avid cyclist, artisan, and small business owner. “A sense of place is really important to me,” she says. “I grew up here and I love this place.” When you understand what drives Marina, you get to thinking bikes could very well save the world. When she left Tallahassee for the University of North Florida, Marina was not allowed to bring a car with her to live on campus. So, she began to bike everywhere. A year later, eight years ago now, she sold her car and hasn’t looked back. “Bike culture is integral to the way I view everything,” she says. “When you slow down to take the time to ride your bike to places, you start taking the time to slow down and live your life in a different way in many other aspects. There’s a definite shift that happens.” Outside of the capsule of a car and exposed to the road and the people and places you pass, Marina says you’re compelled to say hello to your neighbors, to cook your own food, to volunteer. Having a cool bike bag becomes important, too. It was only a matter of time after Marina became a cyclist that she’d fashion her own, and now four years later, she’s selling 50 to 75 of them a month. Before opening her storefront in Railroad Square, though, Marina sold more frequently at maker’s markets like the one at Due South last spring, where she manned a booth and her bags won Maker’s Market Best in Show.
103
MAKER
through a lot and I don’t know if my business would be what it is without his help.” Currently Marina has four machines in her shop, which aid in producing bike bags for locals and customers all over the world through online sales. Apparently her bags are a big hit in Australia. For the last two years she has been developing and testing a line of touring bags Anhaica bags are sturdy, waterproof, and owing to
that she plans to release soon. She and longtime
the waxed canvas, uniquely stylish. “Our bags are
partner Justin Pogge tested the touring bags last
hand-waxed,” Marina says, “which gives them a very
summer on a 1,300-mile, 35-day bike tour through
unique characteristic, and the beeswax makes them
England, Scotland, and the French Pyrenees.
smell really good.” That’s true. In fact, her whole shop smells faintly of honey. The slowing down that has heightened her sense of community went into the care Marina put into choosing her materials, too. She gets her beeswax from a small family farm in Bristol, Florida, and brushes it on USA-made milled canvas, a nontoxic material. “A lot of fabrics out there,” she says, “especially the waterproof ones, have formaldehyde
“When you slow down to take the time to ride your bike to places, you start taking the time to slow down and live your life in a different way.”
and other chemicals. I don’t want to be touching those things all day, and I don’t want the people who
As far as bulk distribution goes, Marina is very
buy my bags to wear those things on their backs.”
selective about where she sends more than one bag
Marina talks about how individuals have played an integral role in the life of her venture. “When you’re a maker,” she says, “sometimes you can feel really disconnected. But there’s this whole community of artisans, makers, and so many others who are willing to give you advice and help if you just reach out and ask.” When I arrived at her shop, it turned out that Marina had just come back from Jimmy’s Sew & Vac in Thomasville, where she frequently takes her equipment to owner Glen Kirkland. “Glen has
on the scant occasion that she does. People see her bags and suggest they’d be great in stores in Seattle or Portland. They even ask her why she doesn’t just relocate to one of those places, especially, she tells me, since the Southeast is one of the least conducive places for bike culture, with some of the highest death rates for cyclists. “I don’t want to move out there,” she says. “I want to change the way that people here think locally about bikes and cyclists, and help people in the Southeast feel confident about getting onto a bike.”
been amazing with sewing help and my machines,” she says. “I can go up there and we can just sit and talk for an hour about my work and he’s always willing to help me. My machines have gone
Marina Mertz Anhaica Bag Works anhaicabagworks.com
104
FEATURED Artists Melanie Bowden Simón
Callie Sewell
Melanie is a longtime freelance
Callie’s writing career began
writer, editor, and publicist based
in the public relations form,
in Savannah, Georgia. Her first
though she vividly remembers
book, a memoir set in Cuba and
writing “books” in elementary
the New York publishing world,
school after her homework
will be released in spring 2016.
was complete. She previously
When she’s not writing, she spends most of her
worked in Atlanta on the PR team for body-
time with her Havana-born husband and their
shaping powerhouse SPANX, but flew south to
three wild and crazy, Spanglish-speaking kids.
Thomasville this past summer with her husband
Her blog, La Americana, trails their Latin American
and English springer spaniel. When not marketing
mash, exploring the good, the bad, the silly, and the
for Thomasville Center for the Arts, Callie likes to
frustrating within their bicultural, bilingual home,
read, write, and wear her grandmother’s jewelry.
which is never, ever dull.
@calliedsewell
melaniebowdensimon.blogspot.com
Cedric Smith Christopher Jones
Cedric is a self-taught painter
Christopher is a writer and
and photographer who draws
entrepreneur from Thomasville,
on a wide range of influences
Georgia. He almost got his third
to express his poignant
grade class out of learning to
observations of life in the South.
write in cursive, and has since led
His critically acclaimed work
a boycott to end its use. He enjoys many things in excess or not at all. His wife, Betsy,
appears in galleries and museums all over the United States and abroad, ranging from France and
and English Cocker, Huckleberry, are doing their best
Los Angeles to back east in New York and Georgia.
to civilize him, but it isn’t looking promising.
cedricsmithphotography.com
@CPJEveryday
Nadia Watts Carolyn Kernodle
Nadia began her career as
Carolyn is a recent graduate of
an editor and reporter in the
SCAD’s BFA Advertising program.
Washington, D.C., area. She
She is a freelance graphic
has been teaching Advanced
designer based in Charlotte,
Placement English, journalism, and public and presentational
North Carolina, and also works for Myers Park Presbyterian
speech courses since 2002, both at the university
Church as a communications specialist. Prior to
and high school levels. About town, you’ll recognize
freelance, Carolyn worked as a graphic designer for
Nadia by spotting her with her favorite company —
BELK. She loves to run, play tennis, and explore her
two Harry Potter look-alikes named Sam and Ben,
passion for painting.
and her beloved, Randy, who may look a little like David Duchovny.
TO BECOME A FEATURED ARTIST Illustrators, Photographers, Writers and Graphic Designers Please contact Thomasville Center for the Arts | 229-226-0588 | csewell@thomasvillearts.org 105
Find your inner writer. Studio 209 Classes | Workshops | Intensives | Residencies thomasvillearts.org/adult
229.226.0588