NASHVILLE July/August 2014
ARTHUR KIRKBY PAINTS JACK WHITE
THE ART ISSUE
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LETTER FROM THE
PUBLISHER I’ve always had a close association with art. As a child, I had a fascination with creating. I remember watching the legendary Bob Ross paint ‘happy little clouds’ on PBS every Saturday morning and begging my parents to buy me an art kit. I wanted to be like Bob Ross so I painted and painted and painted— sometimes long after I was supposed to be asleep—trying to recreate Ross’ beautiful images. Although my newfound hobby didn’t last much longer than a few months, life has an interesting way of coming full circle. My business partner Allison and I run one of the most respected fine art public relations company’s in the country. We are privileged to work with an amazingly talented roster of artists including visionaries Peter Max, Mackenzie Thorpe and Michael Godard. It is rare that one of our artists exhibits in Nashville. Our last exhibition here was over a year ago with the incredible Bernie Taupin who wrote just about every major hit single that Elton John has recorded. In this issue, we wanted to pay homage to some of the incredible local artists who also find a way to give back using their creative talents. We were only able to include a small group this time around, but if you are an artist, please send us your work as we would love to consider you for a future feature. It is also with great pleasure that we welcome Joseph Brownell to our team as Managing Editor. In just over a year, Joseph has made an impact on Nashville’s LGBT community—an impact that few can replicate. Joseph brings a passion and knowledge about the Nashville LGBT community and a truly remarkable commitment to building the strongest Nashville LGBT community possible. We are lucky to have Joseph at the helm of UNITE. Under his editorial leadership, we hope to begin a new chapter in our publication’s history. Joey
Joey Amato managing editor Joseph Brownell Associate Editor Santiago Melli-Huber creative director Blake Kniffin Publisher
Estella Pan, Jesse Walker Book Reviewer Sebastian Fortino Business editor A.J. Buse Business correspondent Michael Burcham, PhD, Business writers Dan J. Groover, Lisa Howe Fitness Editor Mark Allyn Nimmo Food & Wine Editor Joshua Simpson, John Winnett HEALTH EDITOR Brian Hooper, MDiv, PsyD Life & Style Writer Kyle Kressin Music Editor F. Daniel Kent, Ron Slomowicz Political Editor Jim Schmidt Arts & entertainment editors
Matthew Jeffers contributing writers Erika Ayres, TaMon Kane Photographers John Christian Phifer, Vic Sorrell Account Executive
Tyler Chapman, Mark Farrar, Sam Felker, Scott Glasgow, Joseph McLean Gregory, Lisa Howe, Rana Mukherji, Gordon Publow, Chris Robinette, Jeff Rymer, Jim Schmidt, Ro Toyos Advisory Board
Rivendell Media (908) 232-2021 Unite Magazine (615) 852-6660 joey@unitemag.com
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cover art by Arthur Kirkby/photo by Tiffani Bang
table of contents
5th Annual Arts & Flowers Event Benefiting the Grammy Nominated ALIAS Chamber Ensemble
FEATURE UNITE NEWS NASHVILLE ARTISTS
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BUSINESS TIME MANAGEMENT LGBT BUSINESS DIRECTORY
10 36
POLITICS NCLR
12
LOCAL STARS JESSE EHRENFELD 14 DAN GROOVER 42
Saturday, July 19th, 2014 6-9 PM W O Smith Music School 1125 8th Avenue South
CULTURE ANIMATION DOMINATION CULTURAL CALENDAR
16 18
NOW ARTS & FLOWERS MIRANDA LAMBERT EXHIBIT
20 46
MUSIC APOCALYPSE WOW
30
DINING CHEF JOSHUA SIMPSON
32
FILM TENNESSEE QUEER THE NORMAL HEART
38 40
ZEN THE ART OF REFRAMING
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MAYBE QUESTIONING THE NORM SHOULD BE THE NEW NORM.
Every time a bar gets raised, a record gets broken, or a new star shines, it’s because somebody was curious. Wondering how high they could reach. How much they could do. As a proud sponsor of LGBT Chamber, Nashville Cares, Nashville in Harmony's TENsational Season and Nashville Pride, we applaud that. Questioning everything makes anything possible. 3415 Murphy Rd. Nashville, TN 37203 (615) 463-9719 Fifth Third Bank. Member FDIC.
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UNITE NEWS Same-Sex Marriage Proposal VIA FLASH MOB
Blake Loyd and Josiah Carr with Blake’s mom
photo courtesy of Del Rey Zimmerman
On May 29, Josiah Carr and his partner Blake Loyd made history. Carr surprised Loyd with a flash mob marriage proposal in the middle of Chuy’s restaurant. The couple met in Portland, Oregon last year and relocated to Nashville just a few months later so Carr could pursue his dream of being a songwriter. Almost a year to the date they met, Carr wanted to do something that nobody in Nashville has ever done… he wanted to propose to Loyd by organizing a flash mob. He told Loyd they were attending a networking event at Chuy’s but when the couple arrived, there was no networking event and the entire restaurant—its staff and patrons—were all in on the huge surprise. Performed to “Love Looks Good On You,” a song that Carr penned, Loyd looked on in shock. “I was so nervous. I thought someone else was getting proposed to,” laughs Loyd. “Then I realized it was me, so I had to say yes.” At the time of publishing, the video had nearly 11,000 views on YouTube. A wedding date has not yet been set.
Nissan Corporate Headquarters
Nissan and HRC BRING TN BUSINESSES TOGETHER Following the company’s jump to a perfect 100 on the Corporate Equality Index, Nissan partnered with the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) to host TN-based businesses for a summit to discuss best practices for workplace inclusion, particularly for LGBT employees. On June 2, representatives from Nissan, HRC, Vanderbilt, 5/3 Bank, Cummins and Nashville LGBT Chamber of Commerce gathered to celebrate diversity and discuss how to create inclusive workplace environments.
Pride Guitar PROCEEDS DONATED TO NASHVILLE CARES Nashville Underground Radio created and sponsored the first Official Pride Guitar, organizing a silent auction during Pride Week where fans could bid on this colorful, one-of-a-kind masterpiece. Donated by Gibson Guitars and wrapped by Nashville Sign & Graphics, all proceeds from the auction, which raised $1,350, were donated to Nashville CARES. “Nashville CARES is honored to be the beneficiary of the proceeds from the first official Pride Guitar,” stated Patrick Hamilton, CARES Chief Development Officer. “The support of the community is vital in supporting the work of Nashville CARES as we work toward an AIDS free generation. We cannot thank Nashville Underground Radio, Gibson Guitars and Nashville Sign & Graphics enough for their commitment to equality and ending HIV, a disease that disproportionally impacts the gay community.” Shawn Carnes, co-founder of Nashville Underground Radio adds, “We’re incredibly excited that this all came together for Pride and especially for Nashville CARES. We cannot thank Gibson enough for their donation, and Nashville Sign & Graphics did a beautiful job bringing the essence of Pride to life.”
Stirrup Celebrates 6th Anniversary When Stirrup Nashville opened its doors in July 2008, it became an instant hit with Nashville’s LGBT community. With Timmy Harkum and Mikey Fields at the helm and a staff that includes all former employees from The Chute Nightclub, Stirrup quickly made a name for itself. The Nashville Conductors made Stirrup their home bar, and while not their home bar, The Smokey Mountain Rodeo Association holds their monthly club nights and fundraiser there. Stirrup hosts events for just about every club, sports team and organization in Nashville’s LGBT community. When the Nashville Grizzlies Rugby team has home games, they hold their third half at the bar. On July 4, Stirrup Nashville celebrated their six-year anniversary with specials all weekend long. The anniversary celebration also included the Music City Sisters 5th annual Soak-a-Sister fundraiser. Stirrup offers an incredible happy hour consisting of 2-4-1 PROUDLY SERVING OUR COMMUNITY well drinks and $1.00 off all regular-priced beers, seven days a LON HURST week until 8:00 p.m.. The kitchen REALTOR ®, ePro is also open seven days a week and 615.946.3177 C serves up a full menu. However, 615.383.6964 O they are best known for their beef 615.383.6966 F and chicken slider baskets. l h u r s t @ v i l l a g e r e a l e s t at e . c o m w w w. v i l l a g e r e a l e s t a t e . c o m
photo courtesy of Kendra Krantz
BUSINESS technology feeding our desire for immediate news, instant gratification, and feedback. I can multi-task with the best of them, and often do when returning e-mails, writing newsletters, checking social media, and sending receipts, but when I was a coach, I preached to my players about compartmentalizing their time and their lives. When you are in class, pay attention and take notes for that hour. When you are at practice, don’t worry about tests, papers, significant others, parents, or money—just concentrate on soccer for the next 90 minutes.
TIME MANAGEMENT FOR SAME-SEX PARENTS by Lisa Howe
Everything I learned about time management, I learned as a student-athlete. Since there was only so much time in the day to go to school, go to practice, and do homework, the skills I learned—and passed on to other student-athletes for over 15 years—were invaluable. Becoming a parent and raising a family is no different. Prioritizing, scheduling, and compartmentalizing serve as a strong foundation when one assumes the challenge of managing time for a family. Adding children to a family of two working parents magnifies the importance of practicing the following skills: Plan Ahead & Prioritize - Every Sunday night, my wife and I sit down and look through the schedule for the next two weeks. When we look at our activities for the week, it is easy to see which ones are musts,
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which are needs, and which are wants. We go through all the conflicts and throw out the activities that are lower on the priority list. When we have two high priorities that conflict, we know we need to find child care. It’s amazing how many things we used to think were musts or needs that now fall lower on the priority list when we don’t have the budget or means for child care. When we sit down the following Sunday, it means we are taking a second look at the upcoming week and adding a new week. This is not to say we don’t plan further out than two weeks, but it is important to revisit the schedule for the upcoming week. Stick to a Schedule - This can be especially challenging for someone whose work is cyclical like a teacher, coach, CPA, or Pride Festival Director. Not to say these people are not busy
year-round, but they definitely have a busy season and a less busy season. We have always found it important to keep our family schedule as consistent as possible, no matter the season. Sometimes this requires outside help—family, friends, babysitters. Often times, it requires us to say ‘no’ to things that are not a priority during those 4-6 months or however long your busy season is. Prioritizing is definitely an integral component of time management. Communicate - This requires much more than telling each other where we are going to be, and who is going to pick up our daughter from school. It takes communication to determine priorities, discuss your child’s needs, and evaluate how you are doing as parents and partners. There are responsibilities to divide, feelings to share, and best practices to address. For those who are more tech-savvy than our family, I have heard of many partners and spouses who synchronize their calendars or use other digital tools to share schedules and to-do lists. Compartmentalize - Focusing on the task at hand is so much more difficult today with
I compartmentalize my time with my daughter. As in sports, sometimes it takes mental cues. I often use the drive to daycare as my mental cue. On my drive, I mentally summarize my day, and establish priorities for the next time I work. If I need to make audio or written notes, I will do that in the parking lot. I put my phone in my purse before going inside the school, and I do not remove it until my daughter goes to bed that evening. This may only happen three nights a week, because I have events or meetings on other nights. Maybe three times a year, I will have a strict deadline that would cause me to stay tuned into calls and e-mails. But for 60% of weekend evenings, I compartmentalize that time for family. They deserve my focus and attention, and it is the only way for me to be the best parent and partner I can be. Time management requires discipline and commitment. Time management for families requires communication and teamwork. There are sacrifices, but there are also rewards. Good time management can allow everyone in the family to reach their potential at school, at work, and at home.
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JUST US Anniversary party
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giving back When a federal judge in Nashville, Tennessee, recently ruled that three married same-sex couples should have their out-of-state marriages recognized in the Tanco vs. Haslam lawsuit, an important partner organization was involved in the case. The National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) has been leading the way to marriage equality across the country. Founded in 1977, NCLR is a public advocacy law firm focusing on LGBT equality issues, including marriage recognition, immigration issues, reproductive rights, employment discrimination, and transgender law. Currently, under the leadership of executive director Kate Kendell, the organization employs a team of attorneys and policy advisors who often work in partnership with local attorneys on cases in locations where LGBT equality is a challenge. “NCLR is an amazing national organization that has long been committed to helping the LGBT community all over the country and has backed up its commitment with real action,” said attorney Abby Rubenfeld, who is a member of NCLR’s National Advisory Board. “They have helped me in Tennessee since the late 1970s and are currently litigating two cases with me to challenge anti-LGBT discrimination. They are not afraid of the difficult cases or the tougher parts of the country. They are talented, committed, strategic, thoughtful, and reliable. I could not do what I do without them.” The organization also provides resources to both liberal and conservative states, such as the lead counsel in the California marriage case that eventually led to legalized same-sex marriage before the passage of Prop 8, which was eventually overturned. “For over 30 years, NCLR has been about taking the cases that no one thought were winnable and winning them no matter where they are,” Kendell said.
NCLR
Kate Kendell, executive director of NCLR
photo courtesy of NCLR
LEADING THE WAY TO EQUALITY by Jim Schmidt
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When asked what NCLR case she thinks has had the most impact in the last ten years, Kendell says answering would feel like picking her favorite child. “It really is impossible [to pick just one],” she said, “so I’m going to cheat. In terms of where we have made the broadest impact in the past 10 years, that would be in our marriage work. From winning before the California Supreme Court to the recent federal trial court win in Tennessee, our work on marriage has been game-changing and has truly shifted the public discourse in favor of a better understand of LGBT people.” “In terms of where we make the most crucial difference, that would be our asylum work, where we represent LGBT clients who have suffered unspeakable treatment in their home countries,” she continued. “When we win their cases, we win them a new life.” A misconception about the organization is that it merely assists lesbian rights cases. Despite the group’s name, NCLR takes on cases for anyone in the LGBT community from all walks of life—gay men, transgendered individuals, youth, elders, athletes, and families. NCLR has helped numerous couples in difficult lawsuits involving parenting issues over separations, visitation, hospital rights, and adoption rights. They have worked in partnership with several groups over reproductive freedom issues across the country to insure a woman’s right to choose and to maintain rights for LGBT families. Overall, the organization helps cover a broad array of legal, legislative, and policy matters to make the country more equal. As the United States moves toward a day when marriage equality is a reality, Kendell suggests the work of groups like NCLR won’t be over. “Our greatest challenge will be that we don’t give up too soon. We are far from a day when every LGBT person feels safe, supported, and free to live openly,” she said. “Winning marriage nationwide will be a huge step forward, but it will not end stigma and harassment and fear. We have to stick with this fight until everyone, everywhere can live freely.” The combination of all these efforts are changing the country one step at a time, and it can be largely attributed to hardworking, lesser known groups, such as the National Center for Lesbian Rights. For more on NCLR, visit www.nclrights.org.
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Jesse M. Ehrenfeld, M.D.
photo courtesy of Jesse Ehrenfeld
First Openly Gay Trustee OF THE AMA ELECTED by Dan Groover The American Medical Association (AMA) recently announced the election of Jesse M. Ehrenfeld, M.D., M.P.H., to the AMA Board of Trustees. With this announcement, Ehrenfeld becomes the first openly gay officer of the organization. “I am honored to be elected to the AMA Board of Trustees,” said Ehrenfeld. “My goal is to ensure the AMA continues as the preeminent voice of medicine, now and into the future.” A proud Nashville resident, Ehrenfeld divides his time in the fields of clinical practice, teaching and research. He is a board-certified anesthesiologist whose research on information technology in medicine has been funded by the National Institutes of Health, the Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation and the Foundation for Anesthesia Education and Research. “As I step into my new role, I look forward to serving as a voice for LGBT physicians, patients and their families,” Ehrenfeld stated. “The AMA has a longstanding policy in support of LGBT patients and providing the best care for those in our community. I know that as an out physician, I will be able to bring an important perspective into the board room, as important conversations about training, access, and quality continue to evolve.” Ehrenfeld served as the speaker of the Massachusetts Medical Society and is currently the director of research for the Boston-based Institute for Safety in Office-Based Surgery. He is also an associate professor and health medical director for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) patients at Vanderbilt University. “My election as the first openly gay officer of the American Medical Association represents a growing desire to embrace diversity of all types by our membership and voting delegates. I expect that my service will signal to other gay physicians and trainees across the country, that the AMA is an organization that embraces the true diversity of our profession and is a place where all voices are welcome.”
Gay & Lesbian Medical Association (GLMA) Executive Director Hector Vargas praised the announcement. “As we celebrate LGBT pride, I am moved by the fact that Dr. Ehrenfeld’s inclusion in the leadership of the largest physician group in the U.S. will continue to advance LGBT health equality. AMA policies have significant influence on public policy efforts and the inclusion of an openly gay health professional voice among AMA leadership will have far reaching implications for LGBT patients and health professionals across the country.” Last June, GLMA became the first and only LGBT organization to have a voting seat in the AMA House of Delegates, signaling a major shift to advance understanding of LGBT healthcare needs and promote equality. “GLMA looks forward to continuing our work with Ehrenfeld and others within the AMA and across all health professional associations to address the health needs facing the LGBT community,” Vargas added. Ehrenfeld is also the editor-in-chief of the Journal of Medical Systems, a lieutenant commander in the United States Navy and serves as a medical reserve officer.
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Animation domination AT THE FRIST & BELCOURT by Joseph Brownell
Ang Lee. Hulk (film still), 2003. 35mm color film, sound, 138:00.
If I am nostalgic about anything during my childhood, it would be sitting crosslegged with cartoons and cereal on Saturday mornings. And while the sugary cereal has been swapped with more sensible choices, a cartoon can still steal my attention away any day of the week. Watch Me Move: The Animation Show, just the latest in a string of innovative exhibits at the Frist Center for Visual Arts, is open now through September 1 and is for the kid (and adult) in all of us. While Watch Me Move has the distinction of being the largest exhibit ever mounted to present a wide range of animation from more than the last century, its focus is not an encyclopedic overview of animation’s history but rather a thematic one complete with listening stations and crevices to crawl up in and allow yourself to be captured and carried away back to your childhood. Organized by the Barbican Centre, London, Watch Me Move collects animation across six themes and presents the audience the ability to experience not only animation they are already familiar with, but also a cross-section of cartoons, claymation and animation from other cultures. The six themes are: Apparitions, Fables and Fragments, Structures, Characters, Superhumans and Modern Visions.
photo courtesy of Universal City Studios LLC
Apparitions gives visitors a chance to understand animation as an emerging medium and its roots in photographer Eadweard Muybridge’s now iconic split-second frame images of animals and humans in motion. In Fables and Fragments, visitors can explore how Disney, Peter Jackson and Chinese animators have longed used the medium to convey myths, fables and fairytales. Structures and Modern Visions both may be the leastchild friendly. While most of the animation intended for mature audiences is clearly marked, Structures focuses on avant-garde artists and their manipulation of convention and the animation in Modern Visions is from contemporary artists that deal with themes of war and sexuality. Characters and Superhumans are the themes where visitors will experience their most nostalgic moments. Whether that’s
Boop-boop-de-doop-oop-ing into Betty Boop or settling in for the introduction to the alluring Jessica Rabbit from Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, visitors will recognize a wide spectrum of characters including The Incredible Hulk, Pinocchio and the entire cast of Toy Story. But the fun doesn’t have to stop there. The Frist has partnered with the Belcourt to collaborate with their existing Saturday Kids Shows programming and adult midnight screenings during the month of July. As part of the series you can catch the anime tale Spirited Away (July 5), Looney Tunes (July 12), and Saturday Morning Cartoons (July 19) at 10
a.m. and then come back for Ghost in the Shell (July 4-5), Who Framed Roger Rabbit? (July 11-12) and Heavy Traffic (July 18-19) at midnight. And as an added bonus, members of either The Frist and/or The Beclourt will enjoy reciprocal discounts during the month of July. Show your Belcourt membership at The Frist and save $5 on admission; show your Frist membership at at the Belcourt and receive member priced admission into the film series. For more information about Watch Me Move: The Animation Show visit fristcenter.org or visit belcourt.org for tickets and showtimes for the Watch Me Move animation collaboration.
Max Fleischer Betty Boop (film still), 1932–39. 35mm black and white film, sound, 6:28.
photo courtesy of BFI National Archive
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Cultural Calendar Casey Stampfield: The Musical
Andy Warhol’s Flowers
MNSA Classic
Girl on Girl Comedy
Uh-oh, you better not say GAY! Join Music City Theatre Company at Vibe Entertainment Complex for a hysterical, musical lampoon of a controversial state senator from East Tennessee during its July run (6 shows) and one special Election night show. ‘Like’ MCTC on Facebook for more details.
Fifty years ago, during the summer of 1964, Andy Warhol began working on silkscreen paintings of flowers, a subject that would preoccupy him for the rest of his life. This Cheekwood exhibition is a rare occasion when Warhol’s artificial flower images meet the floral abundance of an actual garden.
Join Metro-Nashville Softball Association for their annual softball tournament at Cedar Hill Park. Plus, look out for the hundreds of LGBT players from all across the United States at various events thorough the weekend. For more information, ‘like’ MNSA on Facebook.
Girl on Girl Comedy & Revue is a monthly comedy series at Zanies Nashville featuring the best regional female and LGBT comedians, burlesque and musical performers. Hosted by Christy Eidson.
6 shows in July
Nashville Predators Open House Join the Nashville Predators Open House for a variety of events to kick-off the upcoming season this fall including used equipment for sale and a Development Camp Scrimmage. For more details, visit predators.nhl.com
July 12th
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Now thru Sept. 7th
July 5th-6th
July 9th & Aug. 20th 7:30
LGBT Wedding Expo
Lisa Lampanelli
Sarah McLachlan
Presented by RainbowWeddingNetwork.com, same-sex couples interested in finding gay-friendly wedding vendors, photographers, DJs, jewelers, wedding planners and more are encouraged to attend this free event at the Millennium Maxwell House Hotel.
The Queen of Mean is brining her one-woman show Fat Girl Interrupted to Nashville for four hilarious shows at TPAC.
If those gut-wrenching ASPCA commercials haven’t left you tired of Sarah McLachlan, this ‘angel’ brings the empowering “Beautiful Girl” and other tracks from her latest album Shine On to the Ryman Auditorium.
July 20th 12:30
July 25th-26th
July 29th 7:30
Cultural Calendar Sara Bareilles Sara’s second time in Nashville in less than a year, she’s bringing her Little Black Dress Tour to The Woods at Fontanel. Lucius, who made a huge splash opening for Tegan and Sara in May, supports.
July 30th 7:00
Tennessee Equality Project & Phone Banking for Fairness Tennessee faces a big test in August as Chattanooga goes to the ballot to keep or deny the nondiscrimination/partner benefits ordinance the City Council passed in November. Join TEP at Outcentral as they help the YES Chattanooga campaign by making calls to turn out the fairness and justice vote. Just bring yourself and a phone.
Aug. 4th 6:00
Miley Cyrus
TPAC Gala Fundraiser
What are the expectations for the Bangerz star when she brings her worldwide tour home to Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena? Giant tongues? A floating hotdog? Sexy dancing with masked animals? Yeah, probably but don’t forget this hometown girl has some serious pipes.
Tennessee Performing Arts Center (TPAC) will celebrate the start of the 2014-2015 HCA/ TriStar Health Broadway Season with the annual TPAC Gala. As one of Nashville’s premier benefit engagements, TPAC Gala provides critical funding to support the organization’s educational, cultural, and outreach initiatives.
Aug. 7th 7:30
Aug. 23rd 6:30
Suzanne Westenhoefer
Jay Brannan
Noted as the first openly gay stand-up comic to appear on TV in 1991, Suzanne’s groundbreaking career includes appearances on Letterman, HBO, Bravo, Logo and more. Tickets for her Zanies Nashville show are $20.
If you recognize the singer-songwriter from his delicious three-way scene in the indie film Shortbus, you’ll want to check him out at The High Watt as he supports a brand new self-released album Always, Then & Now.
Aug. 6th 7:30
Aug. 7th 9:00
N NOW
photo by John Partipilo
ALIAS HOSTS 5th ANNUAL ARTS & FLOWERS by Jesse Walker ALIAS, Nashville’s Grammy-nominated chamber ensemble is launching its 5th Annual Arts & Flowers, coming to the W.O. Smith Music School on Saturday, July 19.
to ALIAS’s phenomenal year of concerts featuring the music of Pulitzer prize-winning composer, Paul Moravec, a new CD with his music accompanied by Portara Ensemble coming in early January 2015 and two more collaborations completed with the Nashville Ballet in their Attitude and Emergence series,” says Jim Robert, who serves as ALIAS’ Executive Director.
The popular arts event is the ensemble’s main funding source, enabling the ALIAS mission to bring its innovative music repertoire to a wide range of audiences while giving back to the community. Returning as honorary chairs are Miss Daisy King and George Clark. They will join event co-chairs Meagan and Whit Rhodes.
This year’s Arts & Flowers will feature several of Nashville’s top floral designers and florists, who will collaborate with the artists to produce unique pieces that will compete for Best of Show, Best Artist and Best Florist. Florists include Flower Express, Freeman Flowers, Ilex, Always in Bloom, Rebel Hill, Emma’s Flowers, Garden Delights and among others, noted floral designers Phillipe Chadwick, Jeff Bradshaw and Brian Shafer.
Arts & Flowers will showcase some of Nashville’s most popular local art talent, including David Nichols, Lisa McReynolds, W. J. Cunningham, Michael Bush, Tom Turnbull, Jade Reynolds, Jennifer Padgett, Vicki Sawyer, Rhonda Wernick, Elizabeth Foster and other local favorites. “I think there’s a bit more excitement surrounding the party this year, thanks
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Best of Show will be selected by celebrity judges, which include Brenda Lee, Harry Chapman and fashion designer to the stars, Manuel. Guests will enjoy hors d’oeuvres, drinks, and desserts from Belcourt Taps, Panache Catering, Noelle Restaurant, the Daily Dish and other local caterers and restaurants. A special “Sweet Shoppe” will be included with a wide selection of chocolate provided by Southwestern-Great American and Nashville Toffee, as well as coffee from the Frothy Monkey. Attendees will also be able to commemorate their Arts & Flowers experience with take-home pictures from a fun photo booth. Of course, the evening would not be complete without special performances by the ALIAS musicians. Tickets are $50 in advance, $60 at the door. For more information about ALIAS, visit www.aliasmusic.org.
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NASHVILLE PRIDE
photos by Joseph Brownell
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HE ARTIST UNITE SPOTLIGHT
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ARTHUR KIRKBY Nashville artist Arthur Kirkby remembers reading The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers during a summer vacation many years ago. In the story, a young genius girl composes symphonies but is confronted with a family tragedy that forces her to go to work at a very young age to lend support. “The thing I hate about reading books is that you get attached to the characters and then it’s over,” Kirkby shares. “My third grade teacher told me that when a book is over, you should decide for yourself what happens next and I never really thought about it again until recently.” A few years ago, Kirkby began to feel like the girl from the book. Struggling with his identity as an artist, Kirkby felt as if his dreams were on hold. While working as a hairstylist in Green Hills, Kirkby would cut through a parking lot to go to the Hill Center for lunch every day and pass a pile of trash wood covered in leaves and dirt. “One day I asked myself what that little girl would have done in the future and this voice inside me said, ‘she would have started spray painting on trash,’” Kirkby reminisces. “So I took them home, cleaned them up a bit and started putting Nashville personalities on them.” Kirkby loves turning trash into art. “Sometimes I see crazy images in my head and I think, ‘nobody is going to buy that.’
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photo by Tim ‘DJ Mindub’ Hiber
I do it anyways and as soon as I post it on Facebook, I get private messages from friends wanting to purchase the piece.” And while Kirkby’s artistic ventures have made a splash on his Facebook locally, it was a Facebook post mentioning that the show Nashville was looking for local artists that helped gain Kirkby national attention. “I sent them everything I had and they ultimately decided to purchase two of my Minnie Pearl paintings for Connie Britton’s studio set on the show.” Not long after, Kirkby had a vision of Hayden Panettiere’s character hanging a Warhol-style portrait of herself on her wall. Kirkby got to work, creating an 18x18 stencil of a promotional picture of Panettiere on four panels alternating red, black and white. At that point, the art director wasn’t sure if there would even be a Season 2 but loved Kirkby’s work. “A few months later, I was contacted to do the actual portrait series and we worked together on colors to really make it have that Warhol look.” Kirkby later found out that Panettiere wanted a copy of her very own. And she is not the only celebrity collecting Kirkby’s work. John Carter Cash purchased a piece for the Johnny Cash Museum and Jack White owns two original paintings. No stranger to Nashville’s philanthropic scene, the first time Kirkby was asked to donate one of his works was when he was still in college. “Some friends of mine were involved with Nashville CARES and they told me about Artrageous, a wonderful event involving
local galleries raising money to helping people living with HIV.” Kirkby remembers being involved annually as a donating artist or exhibitor. Kirkby is also very active in the regional LGBT community. He’s donated a handful of pieces to the Nashville Grizzlies to help them raise money for their trip to the Bingham Cup in Sydney, Australia as well as donating several other pieces to an LGBT rights group in Kentucky. “These days, if anyone asks for my help, I am grateful and honored to give something. I am currently reaching out to help contribute artwork to help fund drug and alcohol treatment programs and I am looking at having some art permanently displayed at a local medical center as a tribute to a dear friend of mine who is losing her battle with cancer.” But it’s Kirkby’s ability to “connect with people through a love and appreciation for animals,” that captures his true philanthropic nature. In addition to contributing to Nashville PAW, as well as the Pet Community Center and New Leash on Life, Kirkby is also a featured artist in the annual Art for Animals. This year’s event raised $18,000 for local spay, neuter and catch and release programs as well as helping provide low-cost medical services for people who can’t afford large vet bills. “I also keep a selection of works on display at UltraViolet Gallery in Nashville’s historic Arcade with 100% of the proceeds going to Animal Rescue Corps.” Despite an incredibly traumatic childhood, Kirkby has been able to achieve a huge level
“Pink Madonna,” mixed-media, 2013
of success. “I was diagnosed with PTSD when I was 17 and sometimes I catch myself being afraid that I’m going to be punished for something I’ve done,” he mentions. “Sometimes I’m afraid to like people or things because I’m afraid they will be taken away. But at the same time, I am experiencing the greatest amount of acceptance I have ever felt, so in a very real way my artistic success is directly healing and bringing a balance to the darkness I have experienced.” Kirkby’s work is currently on exhibition and available for acquisition at Fanny’s House of Music, Canvas Lounge, Garden Delights Fine Florist, Vienerfest restaurant, Pet Community
photo by Tiffani Bing
Center Animal Hospital, The Johnny Cash Museum, The Country Music Hall of Fame, Lulu’s Boutique in Florence, Alabama and the KC Potter Center for LGBTQI Life on the Vanderbilt campus. He was one of 25 Nashville artists chosen by The Nashville Scene to commemorate their 25th anniversary by painting a distribution box and is about to hang a new show at Towne Center Theater in Brentwood, where he was chosen as Artist in Residence by the Brentwood Arts Society. Kirkby shows no signs of slowing down and we can only wait and see where the road he is traveling will lead.
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best way to get an honest answer is to ask, ‘what do you see, feel or think about this work.’ It leaves it open for discussion.” Spain donates her work to many organizations but her main focus is her current exhibition at OutCentral, in which 50% of proceeds will go directly to the organization. “Some of the largest art shows in Nashville started with locations and support smaller than the community, and with time and support have grown. I feel as if this can grow into something much larger, but we need the support of the entire community.” A life-long Tennessee resident, Spain is an art instructor at the Centennial Art Center and is represented at Auld Alliance Gallery. For more information, visit www.sandyspain.com
SANDY SPAIN After a long career in telecommunications, Sandy Spain asked herself ‘what do you really want to do?’ Her heart was telling her to draw, paint, create, and become involved in art in some way, so that is what she did in large part to a near death experience. “I promised God if he let me live, I would use my given talent, and put into art the thoughts that come to me,” Spain says. So in late 2011, she began painting and has continued to create every day. Spain’s first solo exhibit was in 2012 and remains one of her fondest memories, but her greatest accomplishment, she mentions, has yet to take place. “Every painting is a lesson in learning and progress of my own skill. My favorite painting is always the last one I finished; it never ends, and I am thankful for that. If I get to a point where I say ‘this is the best I can do,’ then I need to put down the brush.” Spain paints from the mind. Whatever passes through, ends up on the canvas. “It’s just that simple,” she reveals. “Be it feelings or images, experiences or messages, I have to put it on canvas in some form.” Spain explains the biggest struggle for any artist is to allow someone to look at your art, because that is where you expose yourself, and can be the most vulnerable. “It can devastate you or make you stronger,” Spain admits. “Do not ask a friend or a relative as they are the worst critics, especially if they have no appreciation of art. The
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“Purple Lady”
images courtesy of Sandy Spain
Chasen Igleheart
Mammal II, oil on canvas, 36x48
images courtesy of Chasen Igleheart
Chasen Igleheart currently lives in Nashville and works as an Art Educator in the Martin ArtQuest Gallery at the Frist Center for the Arts. In the past few years, his work has taken him across the world to France, Thailand, Turkey and the Middle East. “I began creating art as a child in rural Kentucky on my grandparents’ horse farm,” Igleheart states. “I learned to draw from the animals around me.” In the years that followed, he began experimenting with different mediums, creating mixed media masterpieces. Most of Igleheart’s current work is derived from his experiences in radical culture, gender, art history, and science and his works range from painting to performance, installation and video. Igleheart received a bachelor’s of fine arts from Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green and during his college career, he won numerous art competitions including honorable mention in painting at the 2009 NYC GLAAD Art Auction, first place in Nashville’s Alphabet Art Show, and exhibited at Gallery Hertz in Louisville. In the past few years, he has taught art classes at Tennessee Governor’s School of the Arts at MTSU, the Frist Center for the Arts and other institutions throughout the Southeast. Igleheart also attended The Feminist Boot Camp by Soapbox Inc. in New York City and plans
to use this experience in his upcoming art education and non-profit career. Most recently, his solo exhibit at OutCentral as a featured artist was one of the most highly attended exhibitions ever. “I am also working with curator Ruben Esparza in a Queer Biennial NY-LA at Coagula Curatorial in West Hollywood,” Igleheart reveals. This exhibition is a carefully curated show of LGBT/Queer emerging, mid-career, and established artists that do not shy away from the use of sexuality, identity and the human body in their works. As if that weren’t enough, Igleheart was also selected to be a featured artist during this year’s Los Angeles Pride Festival. Over the next year, Igleheart plans on focusing on educational opportunities in and around museum art and he is scheduled to teach two adult workshops this coming fall based on a surrealist exhibit featured at The Frist. He hopes to bring about more novel ways of blending art and sciences, through process and research into genetics, natural history and biology. For more information, visit www.chasenigleheart.com
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“Movement 2 in Yellow”
BARRY A. NOLAND
images courtesy of Barry A. Noland
this time that his dreams of becoming a professional photographer started to take shape and in 2003, Noland held his first art exhibition.
It’s funny how our dreams shift their shapes over time. Born and raised in a small, southern Illinois town, Barry Noland relocated to Nashville to attend college at Tennessee State University where he majored in English. But it wasn’t long until the sweet sound of Music City came calling.
Though he has become most widely known for his dramatic figure studies, his portfolio encompasses various genres from editorial imagery to black & white plant studies to close-up structural abstractions that often bear the sensibility of painted or drawn art.
“I’ve always felt I was creative,” Noland reveals. “But I didn’t set out to be an artist/photographer; it came later in life.”
Noland is a frequent contributor to art competitions. While proud of all his accomplishments as an artist, two moments in particular really stand out to Noland. He currently has four figure/nude works included in the permanent art collection of the Kinsey Institute for Sex, Gender, and Reproduction at Indiana University and was also a finalist in the 2011 Art of Photography Show in San Diego. “It’s a prestigious international competition,” Noland beams, “and I was the only photographer from Tennessee to be included.” Based on the competition, Noland received a grant from Metro Nashville for his
Dreaming of becoming a songwriter, Noland later attended Belmont University to pursue a minor in Music Business. It was his musical pursuits that led him to find his niche as a photographer. Encouraged to become a fitness model as a way to fund his songwriting projects, Noland became entranced with what was happening on the other side of the camera. It was during
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travel expenses to attend the opening of the exhibition. His current exhibition, titled “Pieces of Shelby,” is on display at Shelby Bottoms Nature Center. This particular installation received much acclaim when it was shown at the Nashville International Airport in 2012. Noland’s work hasn’t only been exhibited, recognized and awarded regionally, but nationally and internationally as well. In addition to his accolades, his black and white images have been studied at multiple U.S. universities. Noland has also become a regular contributor to fundraisers in the Southeastern United States, including those for HIV/AIDS, leukemia, cancer, civil rights, and music education. Noland is busy prepping his next year’s worth of work. In addition to finding more local galleries to exhibit his work, he will also take part in a group show in Atlanta called Atlanta Celebrates Photography in October. For more information, visit www.barryanoland.com.
CINDY WUNSCH Creativity has been the cornerstone of Cindy Wunsch’s life. In college, she majored in Art/Business with a focus on graphic design. In an effort to be artistically fluid after school, Wunsch searched for jobs with a creative edge.
“Peace Flower”
images courtesy of Cindy Wunsch
After 15 years in the music business—mostly in artist management—Wunsch wanted to try something different. She attended Belmont University, earned her master’s degree in education and became an elementary school art teacher. “If there is anything that is going to inspire you, it is the budding minds of this age group,” Wunsch says. “I feel that adding this chapter to my life really re-awakened my inner child and I began painting with the freedom I had in my youth.” Teaching art to children (and adults) has become one of Wunsch’s greatest accomplishments. “To watch the faces of people of all ages, discover that they too are an artist, is priceless,” Wunsch shares. Wunsch’s work is primarily mixed-media as she enjoys the combination of mixing paper, fabric, ephemera and paint. “I like watching the magic happen,”
she says. “It’s a very forgiving process and leads to many unexpected delights as these materials play on each other.” Painting from the heart always reveals life’s deepest moments and it shows clearly across Wunsch’s canvases. “If my heart is aching it shows in my work,” she reveals. “Luckily, I have been having some really good years, although time is always an issue. Once you make art your business, there are a ton of responsibilities which come along with it, but I am so lucky to have this job.” Some of those responsibilities include learning about the business side of art. That process has led Wunsch to license and sell her works on a wholesale level. “This has proven to be the perfect marriage of my business background and my artistic side.” But it’s not all work; Wunsch frequently donates her work to help raise money for charitable organizations, most frequently those that benefit children and animals. “I am always happy to donate work or work for a cause—I feel it is part of my job description.” For more information, visit www.cindywunsch.com.
“I Am Me”
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M MUSIC
APOCALYPSE WOW by, F. Daniel Kent
photo courtesy of MUTE Records
A chill drifted lazily in the air as we made our way through the labyrinthine byways in search of our seemingly clandestine destination. The phone call that led us here with quiet whispers was specific: There would be a prearranged meeting place – Project Gallery, they called it. Select supplicants were instructed to gather at the designated time for an audience with their elusive Leader in which he was expected to reveal the final piece of his manifesto on the end of the world – this time in photographic form.
Quiet whispers of his power and influence grew quickly into shouts of adulation and idolization. Starting out as a little known DJ and producer who some thought talked about Christianity perhaps a bit too much, Moby’s message – telegraphed via highend electronic music – soon began gaining traction. The seemingly unassuming DJ morphed into something bigger than his sleight frame would indicate and he would go on to earn a litany of awards and commendations for his body of work.
I cannot remember a time when Moby’s legend had not already began to cast a shadow across the landscape of popular music.
He became a fiercely vocal advocate for animal rights and vegetarian living who displayed no hesitation in educating the largely
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ignorant public on his views. When the increasingly popular musician publicly spoke for the first time about his bisexuality, one could practically hear the ground tremble as a legion of repressed Baptist frat boys fell face first into the surrounding pavement. According to Moby’s most recent epistle to his followers Innocents, the Cult of Innocents holds its origins in the long-scheduled apocalypse of 2012, which quietly overthrew the world as we know it while everyone was looking somewhere else. Citing inspiration in the culture’s recent obsession with the apocalypse and a new found appreciation of the long history of cults in his
transplanted home of Los Angeles, Moby dove headlong into detailing how this so-called Cult of Innocents would come about in response to the quiet apocalypse. “I had this idea of inventing a post-apocalyptic cult,” the artist accounted for his process. “The last two thousand years or more almost all cults have been pre-apocalyptic. Cults justify their existence by saying they have access to hidden information, which has told them that the apocalypse is just about to happen. I thought it would be an interesting premise that the apocalypse has happened and this is a cult that’s responding to it.” From the opening melodic strains of “Everything that Rises” giving way to the trippy melancholy of “A Case For Shame,” to the emotional soar of “The Perfect Life” and the drunken Bukowski-soaked solitude of “The Lonely Night”, Moby never flexes his artistic muscles more than a mid-tempo. Delivered with deft precision and attention to detail, he successfully eschews the stadium anthems, which made him a mainstream EDM darling, for atmosphere electrifying siren stories rife with lilting harmonies and half whispered, dulcet tones. Like the eerily masked members of Cult of Innocents, every note is haunted by shadows of detail and foreshadowed darkness lying in wait within the lines of the songs. This belies the almost relaxing air of resplendence and even a sort of joy elicited by the arrangements at times. Rather than giving it all away from the top of the rafters, listeners are required to lean in a bit to catch every nuance. The powerhouse warmth and enveloping delivery of Innocents’ musical musings are facilitated with an assembly of co-conspirators including Cold Specks, Mark Lanegan and the iconoclastic Wayne Coyne of the Flaming Lips. The accompanying photo exhibition of the same name cannot be so easily digested. “I’m really fascinated when we are confronted by things that are essentially neutral but we bring so much meaning to them,” Moby spoke about his motivations in the creation of Innocents. “My hope is for people to be unsettled...confronted with this sort of contradictory information where you take neutral elements that trigger a defensive reaction in people. People will be drawn in because the pictures are large, colorful and eye catching. So, it’s creating a degree of cognitive aesthetic dissonance where the brain doesn’t quite know what it’s supposed to be responding to.” The large format photographs ominously depict various persons – sometimes alone, sometimes in small groups - in banal locales sometimes in nature and sometimes in grocery stores or swimming pools. Many of the looming figures are bedecked with robes of the purest white com-
pleted – if not complimented by – eerie animal masks that not only obscure the identities of the participants but also elicit a subtle undercurrent of anxiety and at times even borderline panic at the sudden onset of the unknown. Are they benign? Are they hostile? These pervasive vibes haunt each image with an almost palpable presence drawing in the viewer with their gravity and repealing them with the same force. Moby’s avid relationship with photography dates back to the same era as his burgeoning interest in music, despite not having shared his photography prior to recent years. At the age of ten, his mother’s ex-boyfriend left behind a guitar and the boy who would become Moby began to learn to play. At around the same time, an uncle who was a photographer for the _New York Times_ gave him his first Nikon. Having successfully pursued music, Moby felt somewhat intimidated by the idea he might be thought of as a dilettante should he dare to make his photos available to the public. “It was more than just feeling like I couldn’t live up to my uncle’s work,” Moby elaborated. “It’s the long strange history of musicians trying to be visual artists. If we’re being honest, most instances when a musician tries to be a visual artist, it doesn’t work out very well. I’m sure you’ve had that experience where you look at a musician’s visual art and it’s oftentimes kind of disappointing. I was assuming that if I finally tried to do something as a visual artist I would fall into that category.” Only recently having moved to Los Angeles after being a certified New Yorker for most of his life, the multifaceted artist freely admits his new surroundings seriously influenced these ideas. “When you’re in New York or you’re in Paris or you’re in London or you’re in Milan, you really feel like they’re solid established cities that were formed by smart successful people and they’ve been around for a while and they will continue to be around for a while,” he expounded on the idea. “Then, you come to L.A. and it seems like a dysfunctional Petri dish. So much interesting art comes out of here because in a way L.A. is one of these cracked dysfunctional edge cities. There’s this pervasive strangeness and in my own weird way I saw that as being kind of apocalyptic, like representing the crumbling of the old and the replacement with the new. So I started simply looking at the world around me and looking for evidence that the apocalypse was happening.” If there were ever to be a soundtrack for the end of the world, Innocents would be a worthy frontrunner with the photo accompaniments serving as sort of a visual guide for what the world looks like beneath the mask of normalcy. This serves to remind one that even the most silver of linings is but a brightly colored frock for the dark cloud that spawned it.
UNITE MAGAZINE | 31
photo courtesy of Joshua Simpson
D dining
In the Kitchen
WITH CHEF JOSHUA SIMPSON
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BACON-INFUSED GOAT CHEESEBURGER (makes 4 burgers) Ingredients: • • • • • • • • •
2 pounds ground chuck 1/2 pound Benton bacon Goat cheese Arugula Grilled zucchini Grilled squash Thick sliced tomatoes Asiago cheese roll Twisted Fig’s Savor Dust # 1 seasoning (or your favorite beef seasoning) • Salt and black pepper Chef’s note: Placing the bacon in the freezer for an hour before grinding will make grinding easier. In a food processor or a meat grinder, grind the bacon until it’s the same consistency as the ground beef. In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground beef, bacon, savor dust, salt and pepper. Divide into 4 equal parts and shape into round patties (patties should be at least an inch larger than the bun.) Place the burgers on a hot grill and cook to desired temperature. As the burgers are grilling add your squash and zucchini and cook them along with the burgers. During the last minute of cooking, butter your rolls and place on the grill to warm the buns and add grill marks. Place a few chunks of goat cheese on top of the burgers and let melt slightly. Stack your goat cheeseburger with the grilled zucchini, squash, arugula, and tomatoes on the warmed asiago roll and garnish with your favorite side items for the perfect summer burger.
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REVIEW film
photos courtesy of Breaking Glass Pictures
TENNESSEE QUEER:
A COMEDIC FIGHT FOR EQUALITY by Erika Ayres The clash of religion, politics, and gay pride comes to life in the new ‘dramedy’ Tennessee Queer, written and directed by Tennessee filmmaker Mark Jones. The movie centers on Jason Potts, an openly gay man living in New York City. When he returns to his hometown of Smyth, Tennessee, Jason realizes things have not changed for LGBT teens. As Jason sets out to help, he is put in charge of the town’s first-ever gay pride parade. Meanwhile, a conservative city councilman is working
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with a minister to send Smyth’s gay teens to an ex-gay ministry camp. Shot over 19 days in the fall of 2011 in Memphis, the film stars a full cast of Tennessee natives including Christian Walker (Jason Potts), Billie Worley (Dewayne Cotton) and Jerre Dye (Paul Justin). While heavy on the humor, less than comical circumstances in Tennessee inspired Jones to write the script. “It seems like
s
almost every year the ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill is introduced in the Tennessee State Legislature,” Jones states. “I’ve witnessed a city councilwoman calling all gay people sinners and several times I’ve watched as the city council voted down a bill for equality.” Jones, much like the protagonist of the film, hopes to help LGBT youth in Tennessee. Since its release, Jones has screened the film for LGBT student groups at The University of Tennessee - Knoxville, Middle Tennessee State University and Austin Peay State University. “I believe living in small town Tennessee is still really hard for LGBT teenagers,” Jones says, “but parts of Tennessee are definitely becoming more LGBT-friendly and accepting. And while I’m sure being LGBT in New York, LA, Chicago, and other big cities has its challenges, the fight needs to turn to these small towns in the South.” When asked what message he hopes viewers take away from Tennessee Queer, Jones stated: “The main message of the film is that one person can make a difference. Another message is that our small towns in the South need help. But, most of all, I hope the film makes people laugh.” Jones is currently working on several new scripts and has written a number of short films that he hopes to start shooting soon. He continues to hold onto hope that there will be equality for the LGBT community in Tennessee. “Something simple like Governor Haslam marching in an LGBT parade would send a strong signal that he supports LGBT teens and adults,” Jones says. “It would help a lot if the governor and other leaders of the state spoke publicly in support for LGBT Tennessee citizens.” Breaking Glass Pictures will release Tennessee Queer on DVD, cable and VOD services on July 29.
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REVIEW film
THE NORMAL HEART by Joseph Brownell additional reporting by TaMon Kane
There is a forgotten anger and urgency at the forefront of the 1985 play The Normal Heart. After decades of failed attempts to bring Larry Kramer’s groundbreaking work to the (big) screen, Ryan Murphy (American Horror Story, Glee) and HBO Films team up, bringing the profile of a high caliber cast to a story that has sadly relegated itself into the background of our community conversation. Kramer, co-founder of the Gay Men’s Health Crisis (GMHC), penned the fictitious play during the rise of the HIV/AIDS virus in an early 80s New York City. The Normal Heart also served as an outlet for Kramer’s real-life disappointment with the bureaucratic obstacles in response to tackling the disease. The story follows the Larry Kramer-lite Ned Weeks, played with enlightened intensity by Mark Ruffalo, from his first introductions to the HIV/AIDS virus through his activism efforts and bureaucratic frustrations with both his own community and government response. After reading about a ‘rare cancer’ affecting homosexuals in The New York Times, Weeks seeks out Dr. Brookner, played by a miscast—but influential—Julia Roberts. Dr. Brookner, convinced that homosexual males need to stop having sex, urges Weeks to help raise awareness in the community. During a long period of government neglect, Weeks and several friends, including Bruce Niles (Taylor Kitsch) and Tommy Boatwright (Jim Parson), form the GMHC. The organization, fractured almost at its inception by divided opinions on effectual response, works to raise funds for research and establishes counseling and telephone hotlines amongst its grassroots community services. If the film weren’t already heavy in its subject matter, through his activism Weeks meets and falls in love with Felix Turner (Matt Bomer), thus adding an additional element of inescapable tragedy. Throughout the film, Murphy and the cast stay sharp in their focus to deliver a deft blend of the gravity and fear
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photo courtesy of HBO Films
that men (and women) who stepped up as community leaders felt during such an ambiguous time. The film succeeds in its blunt translation of the not-too-distant past, which speaks more to the raw emotion of the original source material. While just shy of 30 years since its beginnings as a stage play and nearly four years since its Broadway revival, The Normal Heart should serve as reminder of an all but dissipated anger and urgency within our community. Much like the seven years it took President Regan to utter the words AIDS in public, there is a growing haze of apathy in terms of education, knowledge and discussion about the impact of the virus within the LGBT community. Nashville itself was just named in a recent Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report of the top 25 cities in terms of HIV/AIDS rates. It ranked 22nd. And with increasing infection in young homosexual men of color and transgender women of color, it’s time to ACT UP again. Because anyone with a heart knows now, this isn’t normal.
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photo courtesy of Dan Groover
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DAN GROOVER by Joey Amato Dan Groover is a problem solver. As a Tennessee Supreme Court Rule 31 listed mediator in both civil and family mediation—and a Nashville Conflict Resolution Center certified mediator—Groover works with families, couples and individuals in conflict.
All that is good begins with a SMILE!
“My approach is open, honest and respectful,” Groover says of his work to facilitate communication towards solutions in his clients’ best interest. His various techniques are pulled from counseling, coaching and positive communication. As a child of divorce that went through counseling himself, Groover first sought an undergraduate degree in psychology before entering the business world. Always seeking knowledge, Groover then worked to earn his Master of Accountancy degree to better understand his world of work. But before long, Groover saw his two worlds collide. “In working with clients from a financial perspective, I often found myself tending to their psychological needs as much, if not more than their issues around money.” This overlap led to Groover seeking his master’s in counseling. “Learning how the human mind works is a benefit to anyone,” he says, “no matter what they do.” During this time, Groover continued to build his consulting business, catering to his clients’ various needs, all while attending various conferences and trainings. “The more knowledge I obtained, the deeper my focus became,” he shares. Mediation seemed like the perfect fit for Groover. It allowed him to combine both his financial expertise, as well as his counseling knowledge. The more involved Groover became in his community, the more obvious it became that there were certain needs not being met. “I enjoy working with all of my clients, but my passion is to assist gay youth and their families in conflict.” Whether it is assisting the individual coming out, educating the family or facilitating communication between the two, Groover encourages a positive, longterm commitment to honesty, love and support. Groover also works with individuals and couples in conflict. He has lived in Middle Tennessee for almost his entire life. He and his partner of four years, a hairstylist, enjoy traveling and most outdoor activities.
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Z zen
The Art of Reframing by Brian Hooper, M.Div., Psy.D.
Wroclam Contemporary Museum
What you create today will be on display tomorrow. Take time to be really present in the presence of whoever or whatever occupies you.
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photo by Easton Combs
Museum curators have evolved from their role of collecting, preserving, and rotating art to being interpreters of what is shared. They do this by framing in various ways—from actual frames to display formats and annotations that provide context. In so doing, even odd objects can become powerful artifacts that provide wonder, challenge, encouragement, or comfort to those who engage the exhibit. Curators are no longer simply keepers of the past, they are artists in their own right who make connections between past, present, and future. For those interested in living an artful life, a life in which the experiences of yesterday are curated (cared for) to provide thoughtful and soulful reflection today, a lesson can be learned from those who care for modern museums. Here are some thoughts: Make your frames a conscious choice. We cannot return to former glory days or to our pasts to make repairs. However, the past can help explain our present experience
and provide wisdom as we step into our future. To focus on the past alone is to miss the present and lose the future. In what time frame are you living? How does your past frame your present? And might your present provide a frame that changes the meaning of the picture of your past? Reframe as needed. As a curator of souls (that thin place in everyone where spirit and body meet), I see again and again people placing frames of interpretation around the words and actions of others that are not necessarily accurate and usually not helpful for the person doing the observation. The odd thing is, these frames just keep the observer so fixated that nothing else can be seen. What we observe in the words and behaviors of others is ultimately about them. Keep that frame in mind when it feels like it is all about you. Take a self-guided tour. What is the meaning of the artifacts that you surround yourself with today? Are they truly expressions of who you are? Or, do they simply lend you an image of what you would like others to see? And if the latter is your answer, then maybe a thoughtful inventory of your personal archive is in order. Pace yourself. What you create today will be on display tomorrow. Take time to be really present in the presence of whoever or whatever occupies you—notice the texture of what you are feeing, the energy of what you are thinking, the radiance of what you are imagining. The museum of memories we are filling is an interactive place. You can best choose tomorrow’s content by being awake and intentional in your actions today. We’ve all been in homes where the art was clearly chosen to match the sofa. And both may have been ordered from the same page of a catalog. Artful living has nothing to do with such a formulaic approach. Rather, it requires each of us to own our role as the artists of our own lives. Artful living requires a disciplined eye that observes both world and self, an eye well rested and longing to see life from a fresh perspective each day. And it is this eye that reframes everything. Brian Hooper, M.Div., Psy.D. is a licensed pastoral psychotherapist with a private practice in the Belle Meade area of Nashville. He invites you to visit his website www.drbrianhooper.com.
N NOW
Carolyn Tate, Marion Kraft, Miranda Lambert, Frank Liddell, and Jenny Alexander
miranda lambert
photo courtesy of the Country Music Hall of Fame
DEBUTS HALL OF FAME EXHIBIT by Estella Pan The Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum will explore a year in the life of Grammy Award-winning superstar Miranda Lambert with the exhibition Miranda Lambert: Backstage Access, which runs through November 9, 2014. Lambert’s new album Platinum just hit the top of the charts and the exhibition will feature gowns, stage costumes, and awards from the singer’s collection. Lambert’s own tweets will provide the narrative thread of this journey through the artist’s life in 2013. “Miranda Lambert is one of contemporary music’s most popular and acclaimed artists, and for good reason,” said Museum Director, Kyle Young. “She’s a dynamic performer; an emotive and powerful vocalist whose voice is equally at home with lyrics tough or tender; and a songwriter with a deft touch for feeling and place. Her numerous hits, from empowering anthems like “Gunpowder and Lead” to introspective set pieces like “The House That Built Me,” are rich contributions to country music’s storytelling tradition. We are looking forward to taking our visitors behind the scenes with Miranda during her amazing successes in 2013.”
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Among the artifacts included in Miranda Lambert: Backstage Access are: • Roberto Cavalli gown with plunging neckline Lambert wore at the 2013 CMA Awards • Blue vintage-style lace dress Lambert wore in her music video for “Mama’s Broken Heart” • Rolling pink wardrobe case from Lambert’s Locked & Reloaded Tour with Dierks Bentley • Black Ani & Ari corset with pink flames Lambert wore at LP field during CMA Music Fest • Jovani dress embellished with chains and studs worn at the 2013 ACM awards • Custom Gibson acoustic guitar with pink finish and pearloid pickguard • A prototype of the Miranda by Miranda Lambert platinum-colored boots worn on the Platinum album cover • Outfit Lambert wore in the “We Were Us” music video with Keith Urban For more information, visit countrymusichalloffame.org
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