Chapel Hill: Sandwich Board Signs of Summer
(photographs taken on Franklin Street in Chapel Hill)
Street Portrait: Val & Jackie "Wac"
Val (left): "I work and shop and drink and have a radio show. Everything I do -- except sleep -- is in Carrboro. This is a very special place."
Jackie (right): "I was born in Indiana but I grew up in Carrboro. This, was my higher education."
Along with Val, Jackie (a.k.a. "Wac" Stern) hosts The Wacqueline Stern Show where each week the duo interviews a compass of arts professionals: visual, performing, writing, designing, producing...on and on. "We meet the coolest people," Jackie says over a drink at the Orange County Social Club in Carrboro.
The radio show broadcasts live from downtown Carrboro at 6 pm Fridays on WCOM 103.5 FM, Carrboro/Chapel Hill's volunteer radio station. From a 100-watt signal via an antenna at Mary Scroggs Elementary School in Southern Village, WCOM transmits more than 70 live shows each week -- proudly, programs are produced locally.
(photograph taken at Orange County Social Club on Main Street in Carrboro)
Carrboro: Orange County Social Club
"It was totally meant to happen. It's what I was meant to do. Now I look at a 29-year-old and they look pretty young but at the time I was chomping at the bit to do it. Also I was a business major. I didn't just throw my guitar away and open a bar," says Tricia (photographed below), owner of Orange County Social Club, who opened the Carrboro bar 13 years ago. OCSC has a throwback vibe with a stocked jukebox and vinyl mod sofas. The beguiling art installation that spans the wall nudges patrons for attention. It was created by Tricia's husband, artist Charles Chace, and is loosely redolent of the SMPTE color bars that appeared on television screens when networks went "off air." Towards the back, a flashing pinball machine is tucked in a corridor that leads to an outdoor space. Step outside to a lounge shrouded in vines, illuminated by lanterns and the reflection of a mirrored disco ball. An iron monogramed backdoor swings open (or serves as a an exit) inviting locals -- faithfuls who show up day in and day out, week by week, year over year.
"I worked at Merge Records, a local record label. I just found that my instincts for work were more in the hospitality department than other things. At the time, I was filling a niche. Everyone whose first names I knew wanted a bar to open. At the time there wasn't happy hour type for the 20ish or 30ish people...A lot of people have met their partners here and that makes me very proud. Our motto is consistency. We keep the place going even keel and vibrant. It's not trendy. You know what you're going to get when you come in. There's a good vibe....sit and talk with your friends and not be bothered."
(photographs taken at Orange County Social Club located at 108 East Main Street in Carrboro. It's open seven days a week.)
On the Street: Quad in Carrboro
(photographs taken on Roberson Street, a stone's throw from Greensboro Street in Carrboro)
Street Portrait: "Local Concern" Tim
"My wife is making scones for my son and she needs cream. She's going to make butter and as a consequence of making butter she makes buttermilk. And the scones require buttermilk...[I come here] really because it's local and you cannot get much more local than this. That's the main draw. There are a number of exemplary farms out here. I am just really proud of Maple View for being such a staple in the area. You can buy Maple View in Mebane and in Pittsboro. That's a pretty nice range for a local concern." - Tim lives in Saxapahaw. He stopped by Maple View Farm Country Store on the way home from a business trip in Raleigh. When I ask what kind of scones his wife plans on baking he replies in jest: "The kind that takes buttermilk. There are two cooks in my house. One is my son, one is my wife. I'm primitive. I grill some."
Maple View Farm Country Store is located in Hillsborough, about 15 minutes from downtown Carrboro. Lollygag on a rocking chair and enjoy the countryside view while savoring the velvety ice cream. Open noon-9 p.m.
(photographs taken at Maple View Farm Country Store, 6900 Rocky Ridge Rd in Hillsborough)
On the Hunt: UNC Surplus Store
Tucked in a warehouse near the corner of Estes Drive and MLK Jr. Blvd in Chapel Hill you'll find great deals on castoff desks, chairs, shelving, even electrical equipment. Remember overhead projectors? You can find these here. Outdated Macs, film reels, projection screens, oversized bulletin boards, preowned cellphones. If you're lucky, you can score old UNC baseball jerseys, lab coats, or a framed map of Orange County. UNC Surplus Property Retail Store can be a treasure trove for those on the hunt. When UNC departments or residence halls discard items no longer used, they head to the surplus store. An old wooden table can run about $20, and an ottoman with a mod flair about $15. Inventory changes daily. Open Tuesdays and Fridays only.
(photographs taken at the UNC Surplus Property Retail Store near Estes Rd & MLK Blvd in Chapel Hill)
On the Street: Magic Moment
“In the moment.”
(photograph taken on Main Street in Carrboro)
Come into Bloom
He painted the delicate white dogwood blossoms first. Then added a backdrop in a deep green hue. And culminated by repeating blossoms trailing down the side of the building. Michael Brown's mural of North Carolina's state flower, "Dogwoods," evolved in three phases between 2009-2011. It can be seen from the parking lot behind the Chapel Hill Orange County Visitors Bureau on Franklin Street in Chapel Hill.
Brown has created a sundry of murals across Chapel Hill/Carrboro that have shaped the character of the sister towns including: The Blue Mural, Sea Turtles, Quilt, Parade of Humanity, Jigsaw Puzzle and Marathon.
(photograph taken behind the building at 501 West Franklin Street in Chapel Hill)
Street Portrait: Jim & "V"
"I think raising my daughters on my own was the most challenging and the most rewarding. It was fun. I also learned how resilient children are. We get together every Sunday when they're here. I think it is a very rewarding experience.... I got in touch with my feminine side. The first thing I learned was the necessity to multitask, and secondly being able to express my feelings openly," Jim, 55, says. He also inherited his German shepherd "V" from one of his three daughters. "They named him Vegas. I shortened it to V. It's much simpler. I never cared for Vegas either," he admits.
Each day Jim walks "V" three miles through downtown Carrboro. What he relishes most is connecting with people along his route. "It gives you a sense of humanity. The diversity of people here economically, socially, educationally, everything....It's pretty cool."
(photograph taken near Main and Greensboro streets in Carrboro)
Stand the Test of Time
Despite scars scored down its side, the nearly century-old willow oak in Carrboro stands tall. Two years ago, the landmark that canopies Weaver Street Market's lawn and provides a backdrop for concerts and community gatherings was struck by lighting tossing bark against the windows of the market. The town feared losing the tree to wounds or disease. Arborists were called to test its viability. Happily, the tree endures.
(photograph taken at Weaver Street Market in Carrboro)
Street Portrait: "Spotted Dog" Seaja
"I started here right after 9-11. There was a guy who ended up working here who transplanted from [New York City] because he just couldn't be there. He didn't go to work that day because he had a hangover. That was the day everyone in his company was killed. If you are drinking and missing work, it's not good. He became a waiter here. He came here to kind of chill. One thing that Linda does -- she's an owner, she's a good person, cool -- she hires people with the way they approach the job. Most people only hire the ones with the most experience." - Seaja is a waitress at The Spotted Dog Restaurant & Bar, located in the "flat-iron" building shimmed between Main and Weaver streets in Carrboro. She lived in Carrboro for many years but has recently moved to the most western side of Saxapahaw.
(photographs taken at the Spotted Dog Restaurant & Bar, 111 E Main Street in Carrboro)
On the Street: Soldier On
With effortless precision and beaming confidence, the midshipmen stride shoulder-to-shoulder down Columbia Street, pivoting west onto Franklin Street. Heads turn and conversations cease as folks catch sight of the members of UNC's Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps in garrison hats. Although often seen in and around campus, few people really know what it means to be an NROTC student, also known as a midshipman.
Through coursework and physical and field training, midshipmen learn to lead and motivate others, and conduct military business. They also have an opportunity to earn allowances or scholarships towards their college education.
UNC's NROTC unit has commissioned hundreds of officers into the US Navy to serve on ships, submarines and aircrafts as well as into the US Marine Corps. Midshipmen are enlisted as ensigns in the Navy or second lieutenants in the Marine Corps when they earn their bachelor's degree and pass necessary physical requirements.
Here's to those who serve.
(photograph taken near Columbia & Franklin Streets in Chapel Hill)
Around Town: Woot Woot!
Perhaps intended as ephemeral art, four years later the street style mural still clings to the brick building in brilliant hues. With no direction and cans of paint, the Evoker dodged bugs in the Carolina heat as he painted for a flock of onlookers in Carrboro. The Boston-based artist, né Ryan Robidoux, decided upon a trio of his signature monsters characterized by a bold cartoon-like style for the "Wootini Gallery" mural. He was commissioned by the Wootini Gallery to paint the piece "live" during the 2010 opening of an art exhibit in which he was displaying his work.
The exhibit also marked the new home of the gallery known for Pop Pluralism (aka Lowbrow Art or Pop Surrealism), art influenced by pop culture that's often polychromatic with a humorous bent. The gallery had relocated in 2010 from the Carr Mill mall into the Lloyd Street location in Carrboro.
To see the Evoker's images of how the mural unfolded click here.
(photograph taken behind the building at 101 Lloyd Street in Carrboro)
Betting on the Farm
"I know it sounds corny, but I like being connected to the earth and everything that it's capable of doing and having it be sustainable," says Emily. She lives on a 20-acre farm south of Chapel Hill in the town of Moncure in Chatham County, about a 25-minute drive from downtown. This is Emily's first foray into farming. About two years ago, she and her then fiancé bought the property with plans to transform it into a working certified organic farm complete with rows of vegetables, an apple orchard and farm animals.
"He's more an animal person. I like to see something grow from seed. It's representative of the life cycle. It's pretty cool," she says, then adds modestly. "We are still very much beginners. We are trying to do the best that we can."
So far they're growing okra, asparagus, tomatoes, blackberries, pears, squash and grapes, and will expand to include artichokes and an apple orchard. "We really want to diversify ourselves from really successful farmers doing annuals, so we'd like to do perennials."
In addition, they keep bees and care for about a dozen sheep, a few cows, and a pair of father-son donkeys, Ernesto and José. Not too long ago they raised chickens, but the hens began mysteriously disappearing.
"I've seen foxes out here. Something's out at night. When when it's almost dusk, we hear the coyotes way out in the woods," she says. "I miss fresh eggs. We should not be paying for eggs."
The couple sells their lambs' wool and honey locally and hopes to market an abundance of produce as crops continue to flourish. She also offers farm tours to families or home schoolers illustrating in engaging detail the process of growing crops and managing an animal farm. Her "lessons" so absorbing, even a fidgety four year old is incognizant of a pacing donkey near the barn.
"I like making it a better place. I like living off the land in a better way instead of causing harm," she says, then sighs. "It feels good ... it feels right."
(photographs taken on Emily's farm in Moncure, NC. Those interested in contacting Emily can email me at melissa@onfranklinandmain.com)
In Another World
This was a simple, yet sweet moment. I was walking by the Friday's on the Front Porch event at the Carolina Inn when I spotted this child engrossed in a book, oblivious to the rhythmic bluegrass music and the chattering crowd.
(photograph taken at Fridays on the Front Porch at the Carolina Inn in Chapel Hill)
Piecing it Together
Stumped by the oversized jigsaw puzzle pieces painted arbitrarily on a number of Chapel Hill buildings? These pieces stem from a mural wedged in an alley off Franklin Street near the Varsity Theatre.
"Jigsaw Puzzle" (1999) was commissioned by the town of Chapel Hill with the intent to deter vandalism that was often strewn down this stretch between the Rosemary Street lot and Franklin Street. Since Chapel Hill muralist Michael Brown's work was often left untouched, the town suggested Brown erect a mural.
With a troupe of student volunteers, Brown painted one side "Carolina Blue" (though sun-faded over time) to give the claustrophobic alley a more open feel, like that of a daytime sky. As a juxtaposition he added "Duke Blue" on the opposing wall, the one closer to the city of Durham. The dark blue colors also suggested that of a night sky. The mural is a double entendre: Carolina vs. Duke, and Day vs. Night. Brown then added an additional dimension incorporating interlocking puzzle pieces that appear to be missing from the mural. He took this concept a step further by asking the volunteers to paint missing pieces randomly around town, adding mystery to an already elusive piece.
Brown has created a sundry of murals across Chapel Hill/Carrboro including: The Blue Mural, Sea Turtles, Quilt, Parade of Humanity and Marathon.
(photographs taken on Franklin Street between Colombia/Henderson streets in the alley near the Varsity Theatre)
Street Portrait: "Sacrificial Poet" CJ
"Create safe spaces for our people to share their stories. I needed that myself. I needed it my whole life. I'm a black man and in the world people look at me and there is an assumption. And it doesn't acknowledge I can be anybody. It's not a curiosity, it's a fear. It's important for me to tell my story just like young people who get typecast."
CJ is the co-founder of Sacrificial Poets, a spoken word poetry arts education organization that uses the power of poetry to empower youth and transform lives. Sacrificial Poets serves as a conduit for those who might not be heard in their everyday lives. Founded in 2005 (formerly the Chapel Hill Slam Team), the organization serves elementary, middle, high-school and college-aged youth across the state via performances, poetry workshops and innovative arts education curriculum. Each year Sacrificial Poets selects six youth to participate in the Brave New Voices International Youth Poetry Slam Festival where young poets and spoken word artists convene among peers to learn and perform. The festival has been featured on HBO, MTV an NPR.
(photographs taken at Johnny's Gone Fishing, on Main Street in Carrboro)
Johnny's Gone Fishing
"It was a bait and tackle. It's had a lot of little lives. It was a smoking-cigars-having-a-package-of-crackers place ... just sitting around," shares Susan (in glasses below). She runs Johnny's Gone Fishing, a coffee shop in a 1930s building that once housed a grocery store, then a bait & tackle shop, and finally a quirky community center. It's located off Main Street in Carrboro and has a warm community vibe that encourages folks to stay longer than perhaps otherwise anticipated. Open seven days a week, the shop offers baked goods, homemade ice cream, beer/wine, and a kaleidoscope of happenings: music jams, puppet shows, live performances, farmers markets, cook outs, kids story time, songwriter circles, food trucks. One think you'll no longer find are hooks and poles.
"People come in and have a flashback from their childhood: 'Ah, that's where the crickets were ...' They have these memory connections. I often hear people tell stories when they were a child. It was a good ol' boys place. Some still come in and are looking for worms," she says, then pauses remembering. "I have a worm guy, I need to remember to keep worms in the fall."
As she is talking, a shop regular is filling his coffee at the counter. The postman marches in á la Cliff from Cheers greeting folks with a hearty laugh. A woman is buried in a book in the sun room. Susan explains she recently moved here from Europe and lives across the street.
"We have all the coolest people come in here...There's something special about this place."
(photographs taken at Johnny's Gone Fishing, 901 West Main Street in Carrboro)
Draw Fire
In these images, firework light trails appear to bounce off the night sky forming shapes in streaks of color. This effect occurs at a slow camera shutter speed enabling a photographer to paint with light.
The fireworks seen here illuminated the sky over Governors Club in Chapel Hill on Friday evening. The display was originally scheduled for Independence Day, but due to inclement weather was postponed until August.
(photographs taken near Governors Club in Chapel Hill)
"Gemini" Melinda
"This is the best place on earth. I have moved to 48 places I can remember. I love it here. But I'm not moving again. I've lived in Chapel Hill on and off since the 70s. I'm a butterfly. A Gemini. But once you live here, nothing else stacks up...I wanted to get one of those signs that say 'It's just another day in paradise' but they all have beach themes." Melinda, 68, is originally from Raleigh and has lived in several other states including Florida, Maryland and Kentucky. She also shares she was conceived on V-J day.
(photograph taken at Johnny's Gone Fishing on Main Street in Carrboro)