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SEPTEMB E R /O C TO B CHAPELH I LLMAGA E R 202 6 ZINE .COM

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PLA REPERTORY YMAKERS MARKS FIVE COMPANY DECADES PAGE 32 SE Producing ArtisT T I N G T H E S C E N E tic Direc honors the past tor Vivienne Benesch an with a season thed looks to the future med “Lega featuring produ ctions such as “O cy Now,” ur Town and “John Proc tor Is the Villain.” ”

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CHAPELHILL S E PT E M BE R /OCTOBE R 2026 C H A P E L H I L L M AG A Z I N E .CO M E D I TOR Jessica Stringer E D I TOR I A L E XE CU T I V E M A N AG I N G E D I TOR Amanda MacLaren EXECUTIVE EDITOR, CHATHAM MAGAZINE & THE TRIANGLE WEEKENDER Morgan Cartier Weston ASS I STA N T E D I TOR Sharon Kinsella E D I TOR I A L I N T E R N S Sophia Abbott, Beckett Brantley, Ever Harris, Sophia Herndon, Olivia Jarman, Maya Keating, Katrina McLean and Jamell Mumford CON T R I BU TOR S Courtney Hayes, Eva Noar

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2026

September/ October

chapelhillmagazine.com Volume 21 Number 5

FALL ARTS PHOTO BY JON GARDINER/UNC

32 Hitting the Mark PlayMakers Repertory Company celebrates 50 years with a season that honors its past while looking boldly to the future 40 A Piped Dream By Adrienne Art has blossomed into a creative outlet that gives back 42 Stitching Her Way to Success Sarah Petty turned a lifelong love for needlepoint into a thriving creative community 44 Artful Appetites The cafes, bars and restaurants turning every meal into a gallery visit

46 Fall Arts Guide Can’t-miss concerts, events and more

FEATURES

25 News Bites Updates on our local food scene

54 Remarkable Renovations Homeowners and business owners breathe new life into their spaces with help from local designers and builders

26 Glow Getters Spotlighting neighbors who shine bright 30 Local Lens A scene that captures the spirit of our towns

68 Rah-Rah, Car’Lina-’Lina! The voices from the sidelines to the stands leading the biggest cheers for UNC – plus everything to catch this fall

Community & culture, from Chapel Hill to Hillsborough 12 Here & Now Events you won’t want to miss 16 Get Out of Town Top Triangle events this season 18 Talk of the Town Community perspectives from Brian Litchfield, Chapel Hill Transit director 18 Hear It Here Recent releases from area musicians 19 The Write Stuff New books by local authors 20 Let’s Dish at Géos Tavern & Oyster Bar

Color, character & connections in Orange County PHOTO BY JOHN MICHAEL SIMPSON

ONLY IN ORANGE

LOCAL LIFE

80 Moments That Made Us A look back at the people, places and events that shaped Chapel Hill 82 Home Is Where the Art Is One local artist let nature guide his home’s design SCENE AROUND TOWN Snapshots of local events 92 Project Graduation 93 Dex Fest 94 North Carolina Botanical Garden 60th Anniversary Gala 95 Solgorithm and Marathon Monk Ultra CELEBRATIONS Engagements & weddings 96 Collins & Essen

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PLAYMAKERS REPERTORY MARKS FIVE COMPANY DECADES PAGE 32 SETTING THE SCEN Producing Artistic E Director Vivienne honors the past Benesch and looks to the with a season themed future “Legacy Now,” featuring productions such and “John Proctoras “Our Town” Is the Villain.”

ABOUT THE COVER Vivienne Benesch, the producing artistic director at PlayMakers Repertory Company, was photographed on the Paul Green Theatre stage. Photo by John Michael Simpson

DELIGHTFUL DIGS Show off your home or garden in our pages, or nominate your neighbors’ fantastic abode.

SWEATER WEATHER ’Tis the season for fall festivals, exhibits and more.

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What’s New

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Adventure

B ECAUSE

FALL ARTS | REMARKABLE RENOVATIONS | GAME DAY

Eat & Drink

ours before the final weekend of the Summer Youth Conservatory production of “Hello, Dolly!,” photographer John Michael Simpson and I slipped backstage at PlayMakers Repertory Company – past the scene shop, where sets and props take shape from lumber and paint, and into a costume closet that felt less like storage and more like an archive of artistry. Looking up I first noticed the top hats and bins of ladies’ hats stacked toward the ceiling. Shoes were sorted by color on high shelves. Racks beyond them held decades of carefully crafted pants and gowns organized by decade, by size, by hue. Every jacket tag noted chest and sleeve measurements – a small detail that says everything about the exacting detail that went into creating both the garments and the theater’s organizational system. Each garment passes through pattern-making, fittings and adjustments before it ever reaches rehearsal. That closet is a physical record of what PlayMakers has built over 50 years: a place where live theater connects and challenges us and where every costume, set piece and performance carries the fingerprints of people who take their craft seriously. Find the full story of that history – and what’s ahead for the company – on page 32. Elsewhere in the fall arts issue, you’ll meet artists who use other mediums – murals, needlepoint, paintings – to express themselves and inspire our community. We hope their stories leave you with the same feeling that the costume closet at PlayMakers gave me: that behind every performance, every painting, every finished room, someone measured twice, adjusted once more and got it right. CHM

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Back to the Art

PHOTO BY JOHN MICHAEL SIMPSON

Artists like Tiffney Marley returned to their studios in the Eno Arts Mill before its grand reopening Aug. 7.

E R E & NOW 12 HEvents you won’t want to miss

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2026

T’S DISH 20 LatEGéos Tavern & Oyster Bar

LOW G E T T E R S 26 GSpotlighting neighbors who shine bright

Only in Orange

Here & Now

Compiled by Beckett Brantley

BikeFest Oct. 17, 8:15 a.m. tarwheels.net

The Carolina Tarwheels hosts its annual ride benefiting local cycling nonprofits, including the Carrboro Bicycle Coalition and Triangle Bikeworks. Choose from four routes beginning at East Margaret Lane and meander through Hillsborough’s scenic rural roads, or opt for a shorter, family-oriented 7-mile “fun ride” tour of historic sites in and around Hillsborough. Either way, homemade refreshments await at the end.  Bike along quiet country roads and through downtown Hillsborough during BikeFest in October.

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2026

PHOTO COURTESY OF CAROLINA TARWHEELS

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All images are artists renderings, all prices may not include lot premiums, upgrades and options. All buildings need not be built with the exception of building 5. Community Association fees may be required. Prices, promotions, incentives, features, options, amenities, floor plans, elevations, designs, materials, dimensions and fees are subject to change without notice. Equal housing opportunity.

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SECU Family House raised more than $350,000 at last year’s gala, enough to fund 2,600-plus days and nights of comfort for UNC Hospitals families.

Hillsborough Hog Day Sept. 18, 6-10 p.m. and Sept. 19, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. hogday.org Sow some good vibes at Orange County’s largest and oldest festival, a community tradition in downtown Hillsborough since 1983. Go ham on barbecue cooked on-site; groove to bluegrass, gospel and Southern rock from local talent; check out a classic car show; vote on your favorite painted pig statues and more. All proceeds from the event benefit children’s projects, schools and nonprofits within Orange County.

Sept. 25, 6-11 p.m. secufh.org Join SECU Family House at UNC Hospitals for a cocktail reception, dinner, auctions, music and dancing at The Carolina Inn. Proceeds help provide affordable lodging, meals, transportation and a caring environment for patients and their families traveling to Chapel Hill for critical medical care.

Historic Hillsborough Half-Marathon and 5K

PHOTO BY TREVOR HOLMAN PHOTOGRAPHY

PHOTO BY KATE TURNER POPE

The Gala

Table’s Empty Bowls brings together local artists, chefs and musicians in support of providing healthy meals to children in Orange County.

Oct. 4, 7:30 a.m. runhillsborough.com Tread Hillsborough’s historic sites and scenic roads during Hillsborough Running Club’s ninth annual road race. Runners traverse Churton Street, the Riverwalk and the Historic Occoneechee Speedway Trail, passing along the way sites like the Old Orange County Courthouse, Burwell School Historic Site, Margaret Lane Cemetery and Occaneechi Indian Village.

Empty Bowls Oct. 4, 3 p.m. tablenc.org Join Table for its 14th annual fundraiser at Carrboro Town Commons. Enjoy dinner, desserts, live music and bowls handcrafted by local artists, with proceeds providing healthy, fresh food and nutrition education to more than 1,250 kids in Orange County.

Carrboro 5K/10K Oct. 3, 8 a.m. runsignup.com Take it easy or push the pace as you take off from McDougle Middle School, wind your way through Carrboro neighborhoods and cross the finish line back at the McDougle track during the second race in Le Tour de Carrboro’s 22nd annual series.

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2026

Racers start and finish at McDougle Middle School during the Carrboro 5K/10K.

PHOTO BY RANDY YOUNG OF PIERLESS PHOTOGRAPHY

Chapel Hill Biscuit Festival Oct. 24-25 secufh.org This inaugural event brings together hundreds of biscuit enthusiasts for a two-day celebration of Southern culinary heritage. Taste savory and sweet creations from North Carolina chefs and bakers – including Sam Suchoff of The Pig, Sera Cuni of The Root Cellar and Tonya Council of Tonya’s Cookies – and sip on local spirits while dancing to live music at American Legion Post 6. Little ones will love the hands-on biscuit-baking class held at (and benefiting) SECU Family House at UNC Hospitals. 

The

Jupiter Ball is back!

Saturday, Nov. 21, 2026 Join us as we celebrate the return of this special evening while raising critical funds to support Morehead Planetarium and Science Center's mission to inspire the next generation of scientists, explorers, and innovators. Visit www.moreheadplanetarium.org for more info

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Get Out of Town

Triangle Oktoberfest Oct. 2-3 Celebrate fall the German way at Triangle Oktoberfest’s 12th annual charity event. Select from over 65 beer varieties, indulge in some German food and listen to live music at the Koka Booth Amphitheatre. The event offers fun for the whole family, with wiener dog races, yard games, arts and crafts, a scavenger hunt, face painting and inflatables at the Kinder Platz.

Top Triangle events this season Compiled by Maya Keating

N.C. State Fair Oct. 15-25 Carnival rides, games and fried food galore: the largest event in our state showcases the finest of North Carolina at the N.C. State Fairgrounds. Highlights include a livestock show, horticultural exhibits, live music, motorsports derby, nightly fireworks and more.

Shakori Hills GrassRoots Festival of Music & Dance Oct. 1-4 This biannual festival welcomes lovers of music, dance, art and nature to camp out and enjoy dozens of bands, vendors and food trucks among the trees in Pittsboro.

PHOTO COURTESY OF NORTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL & CULTURAL RESOURCES

Vintage Base Ball Day Oct. 3 Take a trip back to baseball’s beginnings at the Historic Durham Athletic Park, where Duke Homestead invites guests to enjoy America’s pastime – old-school style. Players take the field in period uniforms, use historic equipment and follow original 1860s rules to recreate the sights and rhythms of the sport’s earliest era. Cheer on the Duke Homestead team as they take on the Shiners of Rockingham, Virginia – plus a special team from the Durham Fire Department. Spectators are encouraged to don their favorite vintage fashion and munch on old-fashioned concessions and treats.

Diwali Celebration Oct. 10 Hum Sub Inc.’s observation of the five-day festival – which celebrates the victory of light over darkness – at Koka Booth Amphitheatre features cultural performances, exhibition booths, food vendors and more. The event is also sponsored by the United Arts Council and the Town of Cary.

PHOTO BY JOHN MICHAEL SIMPSON

Hoppin’ John Fiddlers’ Convention Sept. 17-19 Hop on down to the fiddlers’ favorite fall event for a weekend of contests, workshops, showcases and community building. With 13 adult contest categories and $5,000 in prizes, this convention brings together droves of traditional music lovers to camp and dance at Shakori Hills Community Arts Center every year.

PHOTO BY GREG STEWART

Eno River Association’s 60th Anniversary Celebration Sept. 12 Six decades of conservation and community stewardship take center stage as the Eno River Association marks this milestone with a benefit concert inside the Carolina Theatre’s Fletcher Hall. Kick off the celebration with a free afternoon at the DPlex Plaza featuring live music, performance art, community partner booths and commemorative ERA merchandise, then head inside for an evening of music and poetry. Indigenous artists Pura Fé and Cary Morin, folk singer-songwriter Jake Xerxes Fussell and alternative indie soul musician Tre. Charles join other special guests.

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2026

Pittsboro Street Fair Oct. 31, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Buy from local food vendors, sip craft beverages and enjoy a jam-packed lineup of live music at the Rotary Club of Pittsboro’s annual street fair. Follow the sounds of lively music downtown to find the expansive market of local artists sprawled out between Hanks Street, Fayetteville Street and Salisbury Street, to shop for unique jewelry and decor. CHM

2025 Head to our Triangle-wide event calendar for even more seasonal festivities

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Talk of the Town Community perspectives

Brian Litchfield Chapel Hill Transit director What is NS Rapid, and how will it work? NS Rapid is Chapel Hill’s first bus rapid transit project and hopefully a key part of a future rapid transit system for our region. By combining dedicated bus lanes, modern stations and traffic signal priority, NS Rapid will provide faster, more reliable service along one of the community’s busiest transportation corridors. The goal is to give people convenient, more dependable and frequent transit service between Eubanks Road, downtown Chapel Hill, UNC’s campus, UNC Hospitals and Southern Village, while improving pedestrian and bicyclist safety and supporting current and future growth in the corridor. What’s the timeline for the completion of the project? We are on pace to begin construction in late 2027, with service anticipated to launch in 2030. At the beginning of July, we completed 90% [of the] design [which includes] finalizing plans, reviewing materials and colors, and identifying technology needs. We will continue working closely with federal and state agencies, local partners, utility providers and stakeholders to finalize the plans later this fall.

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2026

What disruptions should residents expect once construction starts? Construction of a project of this scale will inevitably create impacts, including lane shifts, traffic delays, sidewalk closures and temporary bus stops. Our priority will be to minimize disruptions as much as possible while maintaining access to homes and businesses. We’ll provide regular updates and work with neighborhoods and businesses well in advance of construction activities so residents, business owners and commuters know what to expect and can plan accordingly. What part of NS Rapid are you most looking forward to? NS Rapid is the next exciting chapter in Chapel Hill Transit’s commitment to serving our community. We’re positioning ourselves for the future while remaining committed to equity, sustainability and safety. We appreciate the community’s continued support for public transit and are excited to be able to help move this critical investment forward. It will be even more exciting when we see people being able to use NS Rapid [as well as] the multiuse path and sidewalk improvements the project provides. How might NS Rapid change daily life in Chapel Hill? NS Rapid will help remake one of Chapel Hill’s critical transportation corridors and provide improved options to connect people to the things and places that are important to them. People will have choices and improved infrastructure to move through town to access jobs, education, community services, healthcare and businesses. We look forward to making it faster, easier and safer to move through Chapel Hill. – as told to Olivia Jarman CHM Learn more about NS Rapid at engage.chapelhillnc.gov/nsbrt

PHOTO BY SCOTT MILFORD-BELAND

Only in Orange

Hear It Here Recent releases from area musicians

NC alumni Mitch Bennett, Matt Blanchard, Kevin Jenkins and Frank Peveler formed indie rock band Megayacht in 2022, though their collaboration goes back much further. “We’ve played music together in Chapel Hill in different lineups since the ’90s,” Mitch says. The group released their second album, “Out of Bright,” in July, blending influences from ’90s rock, alt-country, postpunk and power pop. “While our writing and playing has [evolved],” Mitch says, “there’s still a slight twang we can’t get rid of, in a good way.” The album also features contributions from local musicians Kelly Pratt, Creighton Irons and Mary Johnson Rockers. “We love bringing our talented friends into the studio with us,” Mitch adds. – by Katrina McLean CHM

Only in Orange

The Write Stuff New books by local authors

irst-time author and educator Jasmine Nieto offers a heartwarming portrait of the bond between a dog and his new human brother in the tender picture book “By My Side.” The story is told through pup Weasley’s eyes as Jasmine’s belly grows. When baby Paolo joins the family, Weasley learns that he has gained someone else to love him. And if you need another bedtime story, Jasmine followed that up with a second book, “Back Home to You,” that follows a baby’s journey from a stay in the NICU to finally home with his family. – Zahra Alqudaihi

ew York Times bestselling author Sarah Dessen’s “Change of Plans” tells a compelling coming-of-age summer love story. After meeting her distant mother’s family during an unexpected trip, Finley returns back to reality where she and her social butterfly boyfriend Colin break up and a wrench is thrown into her plans for the future. Thankfully, she is able to find comfort in new friends who work at her aunt’s diner, the Egg, and falls for the “charmingly awkward” guitarist, Ben. Finley’s story shows us how the right changes can give us the grounding we need to find ourselves and the opportunity to find the people who make us feel our best, along the way. – Libby Wakefield CHM

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SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2026

Only in Orange

Let’s Dish at ...

Géos Tavern & Oyster Bar BY B ECKETT B R A N TLEY PHOTOGR A PHY BY J OHN MI CHA EL SI MPSON

rowing up in Chapel Hill, Dan Jackson’s interest in cooking was sparked by Southern chefs like Bill Neal and Bill Smith at Crook’s Corner and Ben Barker and Karen Barker of Magnolia Grill. During his years at Michelin-starred Gramercy Tavern in New York City, Dan couldn’t help but dream up the idea of opening one eatery where diners could choose from many experiences. Years ago, Dan pitched the concept to restaurateur Giorgios Bakatsias, whom he partnered with for Osteria Georgi back in 2021. In June, after finally finding

LEFT The star of the oyster bar is the seafood tower, featuring North Carolina oysters, fresh lobster, shrimp and crab lettuce cups.

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Only in Orange

Let’s Dish

The starters menu features fresh, locally sourced shareables like the Peaches and Cream and sesame shrimp toast.

the perfect space at East 54, they rolled those inspirations into Géos Tavern & Oyster Bar, where Dan is chef and partner. Using North Carolina seafood and local vendors was nonnegotiable. Géos sources its oysters – served alongside crudo, crab and more – from Three Little Spats Oyster Co. and donates their shells to Brinson Oyster Co., which uses them to bolster reef health. Cheese from Boxcarr Farms graces the Peaches and Cream spread, and the flavor-packed roasted Ashley Farm chicken is accompanied by local greens. Drop biscuits with pepper jelly, shrimp

ABOVE The airy salon invites guests to dine at one of the cafe-style tables or simply linger over drinks. RIGHT Cool off with a raspberry nojito or ice-cold martini with olives.

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2026

The Place to Be! ITALIAN PIZZERIA III

CHAPEL HILL FAVORITE FOR 46 YEARS BEST PHILLY CHEESE STEAK IN THE TRIANGLE

Thank you, Chapel Hill, for your support this year and for voting us Best Pizza! We are grateful!

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FOR CATERING OF ANY OCCASION, PLEASE GIVE US A CALL!

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Soup’s On. Pull Up a Seat.

Buy Tickets

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Every ticket fills another bowl for a kid in our community! 14th annual

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Soups by Local Chefs • Cash Bar

Live Music • Handcrafted Bowls

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Only in Orange

Let’s Dish

ABOVE The vibrant back room, featuring hand-painted murals by Arlanne Hemlein, offers a quieter and more intimate dining experience than the more open front room. BELOW A glass of red pairs perfectly with the steak frites.

and grits, hush puppies and more offer Southern flavor, while tavern staples – popular with kids – like the burger, pigs in a blanket, steak frites, soups and salads round out the offerings. “The menu, to be honest, is like a diary of my cooking experience over the last 25 [years],” Dan says. For the drinks, Dan wanted a craveable cocktail selection in addition to draft beer and wine. His hometowninspired menu includes The Finley – gin with elderflower, lime juice, mint, simple, cucumber and ginger; Morgan Creek – Raleigh Rum Co. spiced rum, demerara, lime, Campari and pineapple; and a mocktail selection. The sprawling space unfolds like a museum, every room offering a distinct atmosphere. The oyster bar greets guests to the right, while wood

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2026

paneling and nautical fish-eye mirrors adorn the rest of the front room. To the left sits a salon with floor-to-ceiling windows flowing with plants, and to the right is a private dining room with a beach-house feel. Through a hallway is the greenhouse-like back room with glass garage doors, long tables with flowers arranged by Dan’s mother, Ronnie Jackson, and the thrum of cars passing on Raleigh Road. Art covers nearly every wall, including the work of former Glenwood Elementary art teacher Paul Hrusovsky and hand-painted murals by Arianne Hemlein. Géos is only open for dinner, but Dan hopes to introduce lunch and brunch this fall with the thought that the back room could open onto the sidewalk and become a game-day destination.

Let’s Dish

News Bites

Updates on our local food scene Complied by Ever Harris Ayra, the newest concept from chef Sujan Sarkar – the culinary mind behind Indienne, the first-ever Michelin-starred Indian restaurant in the Chicago area – is slated to open in late summer in East 54. The modern, 5,000-square-foot space will layer porcelain tile, stone surfaces, sculptural lighting, greenery and curated art across three distinct experiences: a moody cocktail bar, an a la carte dining room and an intimate tasting menu room, designed in collaboration with Durham architecture firm Finley Design. Owners Mayil Rajendran and Ravi Jeyaraman, who also run Lime & Lemon Indian Grill & Bar, help bring to life Sujan’s vision for contemporary Indian fine dining rooted in tradition and shaped by North Carolina’s seasonal agriculture. Red Lotus closed June 30 after 20 years of service. Modern Chinese restaurant Mr. Dumpling will take over the 239 S. Elliott Rd. space, expanding from its Apex location. The restaurant is slated to open by September, offering fresh, handmade dumplings, authentic Sichuan cuisine and an expanded drink menu including cocktails and bubble tea.

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University Place will welcome the Italian restaurant and wine bar Postino this fall. The Phoenix-born concept with locations across Arizona, Colorado, Texas, Georgia, Tennessee and California, will offer artisanal wine – including more than 20 by-the-glass options – handcrafted cocktails and local beer alongside bruschetta, panini and charcuterie boards. The retro-inspired space will include a 1,888-square-foot patio and 4,485-square-foot indoor dining room featuring intimate booth seating, vintage bottle cap art and a community-inspired mural. Twin Suns Tattoo owner Jack Cody opened Twin Scoops, an ice-cream venture located at 400 W. Rosemary St., Ste. 1003, July 15. Jack says his family – including his 5-year-old twin sons – inspired the shop, which features tattoo parlor vibes, tasteful music, artwork and a straightforward menu of scoops, cups, sundaes and toppings, as well as unique creations. Vegan and gluten-free options are available, and drinks and snacks will join the lineup soon. Kahlovera Mexican Bar & Grill opened its fourth Triangle location July 13 at 431 W. Franklin St., the space previously occupied by Rams Corner before it closed in May. The familyowned restaurant serves signature tacos and traditional Mexican cuisine alongside an expanded menu of fresh seafood dishes specific to the Chapel Hill location. Weekly specials include $4.99 house margaritas on Mondays and Tuesdays, Taco Tuesdays and free kids meals with the purchase of two adult entrees on Sundays. The Latin Effect closed its doors at 504 W. Franklin St. May 28 after a little less than a year in business. The restaurant will continue serving the Triangle through its food truck and catering service. CHM

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Glow Getters Spotlighting neighbors who shine bright

Judy Miller

BY L AU R A Z I M M E R M AN WH AYNE PH OTO BY J O H N M ICH AEL S IM P S O N

ometimes I find the subjects for this column through a chance meeting while going about my day. Other times, people will recommend someone they just know is a “yellow.” This time, not one but two people told me I needed to meet Judy Miller, one of the most fascinating women to plop into our little town. Her smile was warm. Her voice was sure: “You must be Laura!” I could tell from that first meal together at Kipos that Judy has the same “go get ’em and get it done” type of energy that I often have. Judy is known for her big glasses, smile and personality. She paused midsentence during our conversation and explained that for some, she is “an acquired taste.” People who fit that category usually know exactly who they are and where they came from. In Judy’s case, the self-described “odd duck with a big mouth” hails from Maryland. She grew up in Florida and got her law degree from the University of Florida Levin College of Law – something she says helped give her credibility in life. It also landed her in some pretty exciting situations.

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Judy put herself through law school and found herself the owner of a bar and sandwich shop called the Bench and Bar where she also sang and told jokes on weekends to pay for school. She was also vice president of the law school’s student body despite being one of only nine women out of a thousand students at Levin. Judy practiced all types of law in Florida for eight years and was also a teacher for business law and entrepreneurship. Although she worked hard, Judy also knew how to have fun, hosting a popular call-in talk show on the local rock station called “Inside Track.” Despite being fairly established in Gainesville, Florida, Judy decided to explore a new opportunity when a friend leased her an apartment in Santa Monica, California. Her childhood fantasy was to be an entertainer, and she wanted to give it a try. She went back and forth between coasts for six months before she took the plunge and made the big move. Back in the early ’80s, Los Angeles was a city where anyone could spend time with some of the biggest celebrities of the day. Judy took a comedy writing class by Danny Simon (Neil Simon’s brother), as well as writing, directing and producing classes. She quickly got to know many folks in the industry. Judy’s take-charge style was recognized, and she was approached by a cast of seven women who wanted her to produce the play “Last Summer at Bluefish Cove.” She took it on and heard that Jean Smart, who had done the play in New York, was moving to LA. Jean starred in Judy’s production, which ultimately led to her being cast in “Designing Women.” Judy and the production won multiple awards, which opened many doors for her career. Early on, her stepbrother approached her to work with his partner, LA’s top concert promoter, Jim Rissmiller. Jim had just leased a 1,000-seat

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Glow Getters

nightclub in Resena, which had little management other than concert promotions. She was hired as a consultant to assess the operations to determine why it was losing money so quickly. A few days later, Judy addressed a Beverly Hills room of nine men – Jim’s lawyers, accountants and managers – explaining that no one was minding the store and that the lease was a killer. They asked her to stay and hire new management, giving her access to top talent and industry bigwigs. Jim asked her to produce an MTV show at the club – though parochial Judy felt she didn’t know enough about music. This was the small-town Gainesville lawyer’s first dip into the big time! The club’s entertainment was top-tier with a thousand people coming for each of the two shows per night. Judy met Tina Turner, Bette Midler, Gilda Radner, B.B. King, Joe Cocker and so many more. Judy was sought out in too many ways to count, including producing “Mother, Mother,” an AIDS film with Polly Bergen and Piper Laurie. Judy stayed in California, leading her to found American Note Investments, which she grew over the next 10 years to become the No. 1 private mortgage company in the country. After 13 years in LA, she moved to Northern California and eventually sold the company but stayed in real estate finance and property development. One investment – 2,000 acres near Houston on the Trinity River – required a move with her dog to Texas. Over the next eight years, the land became a community for RV lots, homes and tiny homes. Judy’s tone changed when talking about the Texas venture. It was suppose to be a fix-and-flip property, however, this was a time that the economy was struggling in 2008 and 2009. Those eight years

“

Judy is known for her big glasses, smile and personality. She paused midsentence during our conversation and explained that for some, she is “an acquired taste.” People who fit that category usually know exactly who they are and where they came from. – Laura Zimmerman Whayne

took all the focus and energy she could muster. Judy was isolated out in the county, living on the remote property, with 75 employees and hundreds of new owners, working around the clock. She had spent most of her career with her brain and body in motion. The Texas venture changed that fluidity, and she became more sedentary and her weight began to creep up. She knew it was time to sell the land, leave Texas and head to Durham’s Structure House to lose weight and take her life back. Little did she know, she would fall in love with our neck of the woods and decided to make Chapel Hill her home in 2017. I quite honestly could write pages about all of the other exciting and extraordinary things that Judy has done in her life, including producing “Fatherland” off-Broadway at the prestigious Manhattan Theatre Club right before the 2024 election. How lucky are we to have this odd duck, lawyer, real estate investor, Hollywood influencer, negotiator, developer, teacher, entrepreneur and entertainment Renaissance woman here in our community! You may recognize Judy most recently as the host and producer for her podcast called “Not Ready for the Farm,” an informative and witty look at the “meaningful journey of aging” with her co-host and friend, Chapel Hill Mayor Jess Anderson. Listen to an episode, and you’ll hear her zest for people and their stories come through. Recently, it was picked up as a weekly radio show, airing 10 a.m. Saturdays on 97.9 The Hill. I’m thankful this exceptional woman wants to bring her special touch of comedy, kindness and business know-how to her listeners so others can get to know her like I have. I know that you will feel instantly welcomed and informed by listening. CHM

Every community has people who quietly (or boldly!) make life better, brighter and more connected. Chapel Hill Magazine is always looking for meaningful subjects to cover – send your nominations for those whose stories deserve to be shared, along with a few details about why they inspire you, to jessica@chapelhillmagazine.com.

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Local Lens A scene that captures the spirit of our towns

lmost a year after significant flooding in Orange County from Tropical Storm Chantal, artist Tiffney Marley had an emotional return to Eno Arts Mill. She and other artists were displaced by the damage to their studios, and some lost years’ worth of work. After significant repairs, artists moved back in before the grand opening Aug. 7. “The knowledge that our artists would go through this disaster with us yet still chose to come back is heartening and a testament to our community here at the mill,” says Katie Murray, director of ArtsOrange. “It feels so good to be back in the mill, working together, hosting camps and back to our normal creative chaos!” Tiffney says being back is surreal. “It literally feels like a reawakening, a return to the most vulnerable part of myself. It feels like home.” – by John Michael Simpson CHM

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f / 4.5 Shutter speed 1/250 seconds ISO 3200 Focal length 31.5mm

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HITTING THE

PlayMakers Repertory Company celebrates 50 years with a season that honors its past while looking boldly to the future BY S H A R O N K I N S E L L A P H OTO G R A P H Y BY J O H N M I C H A E L S I M P S O N

After the curtain falls, every costume is catalogued and stored in PlayMakers’ costume closet – no small task for a show like the 2009 production of “The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby,” which involved more than 1,000 costume pieces and 25 actors playing 150-plus roles.

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uring its inaugural 1976-77 season as a professional theater-in-residence, PlayMakers Repertory Company staged Arthur Miller’s “The Crucible” in Historic PlayMakers Theater. Fifty years later, Kimberly Belflower’s “John Proctor Is the Villain” helps anchor the company’s semicentennial lineup, calling back to its origins with a contemporary response. Each of the six main stage productions chosen for the milestone season, titled “Legacy Now,” shares a similar resonance with tradition, gesturing to where PlayMakers has been while mirroring the questions it faces as it moves into its next 50 years. “We want to celebrate the foundation on which we have stood, look at where we are now, and then propel ourselves

We punch above our weight. There’s an expectation of worldclass theater that we fulfill a lot of the time, but we’re actually this fabulously mighty small team here.

– VIVIENNE BENESCH

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PlayMakers’ scene and costume shops are where much of the magic you see on stage is made. Graduate students in the UNC Department of Dramatic Art’s technical production and costume production programs work alongside the resident professional staff and nationally recognized designers, from Chapel Hill and beyond, to build every set and costume right here.

forward,” says Vivienne Benesch, who joined PlayMakers in 2016, succeeding Joseph Haj as producing artistic director. PlayMakers has long been known for its excellence in producing classic works, in part because of its role as a training ground for the UNC Department of Dramatic Art, the second oldest department of its kind in the country. But that strength sometimes came with a tinge of stuffiness – an “eat-your-vegetables theater,” as one faculty member put it during Vivienne’s interview process. “You need your vegetables – they’re good [for you],” Vivienne says, “but we wanted to dust that off and be the place where you don’t want to miss a show.” Vivienne has spent her decade at the helm championing three programmtic pillars – reimagined classics, Southern stories and new work – and this season leans on all three at once. “John Proctor,” for example, reexamines “The Crucible” through a present-day high school English class in rural Georgia, while “Oedipus: King/ Colonus,” retells Sophocles’ tragedies through a new world-premiere adaptation commissioned by PlayMakers. Since the pandemic, mental health has also become an area of focus.

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The shift has also broadened whose stories appear onstage – and who gets to tell them. “Joe really started doing a lot of that work [20 years ago],” Vivienne says, “but it’s exploded in these past 10 years – both in how we cast and in the playwrights we choose to produce.” She set that intention with the first show of the first season she produced: “Draw the Circle,” Mashuq Mushtaq Deen’s solo piece about a trans man’s transition that premiered in August 2016, a few months after North Carolina’s House Bill 2 – the so-called “bathroom bill” – took effect. The show poster still hangs on her office door. “It represents what I wanted to have happen at PlayMakers: that we continue to draw our circle wider and wider,” she says. Vivienne is careful, though, to distinguish inclusion from any particular agenda. “I’m interested in how theater can open us up to seeing each other’s commonality more than about saying, ‘This is what you should think,’” she says. “I hope there’s a kind of curiosity and wonder [in our work] and that we are challenging our audiences.” One of PlayMakers’ defining strengths has stayed constant even as its artistic ambitions have evolved: its unusual partnership

Step into the 2026–27 Season The Duke Arts Presents 2026-27 Season begins this September. Experience over 40 performances spanning original dance, renowned chamber ensembles, multidisciplinary productions, and our free outdoor concerts at American Tobacco Campus. Discover the next artist who moves you.

MAJOR | Oct 2, 2026 MAJOR by Ogemdi Ude / Akunna Material is a nuanced love letter to majorette dance.

As part of We the People: A Duke & Durham Initiative commemorating the nation’s 250th anniversary, Duke Arts Presents explores the richness, complexity, and many stories of American culture through music, dance, and storytelling. Learn more and explore programs across Duke and Durham at wethepeople.duke.edu.

PHOTO COURTESY OF PLAYMAKERS REPERTORY COMPANY

PLAYMAKERS: A BRIEF HISTORY 1918 Frederick “Proff” Koch founds

the Carolina Playmakers, a company of students, teachers and community members performing at UNC and across the Southeast. ABOVE Twin Peaks’ Ray Wise (center) starred in PlayMakers’ 1978 production of “Hamlet.” BELOW Arthur Miller’s “The Crucible” was a highlight of PlayMakers’ inaugural 1976-77 season.

1924 Smith Hall becomes PlayMakers

Theatre (now Historic PlayMakers Theatre), the first dedicated theater building on a U.S. state university campus.

1936 The department of dramatic art is

formally established, making UNC the second university in the U.S. to have a department dedicated to theater literature and practice.

1975 Tom Haas and Arthur Housman

begin referring to the graduatelevel acting cohort’s productions as PlayMakers Repertory Company.

1976 Carolina Playmakers and PHOTO COURTESY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT CHAPEL HILL IMAGE COLLECTION, DRAMATIC ART DEPARTMENT COLLECTION, NORTH CAROLINA COLLECTION PHOTOGRAPHIC ARCHIVES, UNC-CHAPEL HILL LIBRARY

between professional theater and university training. Vivienne compares the model to a teaching hospital: students in the department of dramatic arts’ acting, technical production and costume production MFA programs spend their mornings in class and their evenings rehearsing alongside the same faculty artists who teach them, joined each season by guest actors, directors, designers and dramaturgs. This structure traces its roots to 1918, when Frederick “Proff” Koch founded the Carolina Playmakers, a troupe of students, teachers and community members that performed at UNC and toured throughout the Southeast. Decades later, that tradition merged with the department of

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PlayMakers Repertory Company are combined to become both a professional company and a theatrical training institution in one.

1998 The Center for Dramatic Art

opens, bringing PlayMakers and the department of dramatic art together in one facility.

2026 PlayMakers Repertory Company

celebrates its golden anniversary.

dramatic art’s graduate acting program to create PlayMakers Repertory Company – both a professional regional theater and a training institution in one. Few people understand the value of that model better than Ray Dooley, who, from 1989 to 2021, appeared in more than 100 productions while also serving terms as department chair and head of the Professional Actor Training Program. Ray trained as an actor in the ’70s, when he and his classmates were told every city of any size would eventually have a resident repertory company. It mostly never happened – Chapel Hill was

one of the exceptions. “There literally is no place like it in the country,” he says. “We have this beautiful thing here, which is an intergenerational company and a truly intergenerational audience,” Vivienne adds. “That’s one of the things that makes us really unique in the country. PlayMakers’ Summer Youth Conservatory carries that same intergenerational backbone beyond the main stage, and it celebrated its own 20-year milestone this summer. Its single acting program for high school students has grown into a broader

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pipeline for young theater artists. Middle and high schoolers can explore everything from improv and musical theater to playwriting through Theatre Quest, while high school students ready to take it to the next level can choose between performance and technical theater tracks, training with professionals before collaborating on a fully staged production. “It’s giving young artists the chance to really work within a professional environment,” Associate Producer Chelsea James says. “Whether they’re going on to college or straight into careers, they have an understanding of how a professional theater runs and the different people who make it happen, so they feel empowered to step into that world.” Chelsea was a part of SYC’s firstever cohort back in 2007 as a Chapel Hill High School junior. This past July she directed the 20th anniversary show, “Hello, Dolly!” – coming “full circle,” she says. Working alongside PlayMakers artists that first summer inspired Chelsea to study dramatic art at UNC. After graduate school, she returned to what she now calls her artistic home, helping train the next generation of students following the same path she once did. PlayMakers kicked off the anniversary celebrations with a gala in May and is planning more throughout the year, including a 50th birthday party to celebrate with subscribers in September and, with the fall production of “Our Town,” a welcome-back gathering for anyone who has worked with PlayMakers – or the Carolina Playmakers before that. Plans for an alumni cabaret, timed to a broader alumni weekend the department of dramatic art is holding for its own 90th anniversary in the spring, are underway, with talk of staging it in New York as well. As she ushers PlayMakers into the future, Vivienne is also looking further back to look forward. She plans to launch the American Folk

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THE 2026-27 SEASON LINEUP ‘Oedipus: King/Colonus’ Adapted by Carey Perloff with original music by David Coulter Sept. 9-27, 2026 Experience Sophocles’ epic trilogy brought to life in a sweeping tale of fate, prophecy and reckoning. This fresh adaptation breathes life into the ancient tale of a king’s search for truth – and the devastating consequences of what he finds. ‘Angry, Raucous, and Shamelessly Gorgeous’ By Pearl Cleage Oct. 14 – Nov. 1, 2026 When retired actress Anna Campbell plans her career-defining comeback to the stage, she discovers she’s being replaced with an ambitious young woman with a questionable background. This razor-sharp comedy explores generational tensions, friendship and how art has a life of its own.

Play Project, reviving a Carolina Playmakers tradition that ran from 1919 into the 1960s, when short plays “of, about and for North Carolina” toured communities across the state. This fall, PlayMakers will invite writers from across North Carolina – including a category for high school students – to submit new works. Selected plays will receive public readings during Carolina Performing Arts’ new All. Together. Now. festival in February, with the long-term goal of launching a new statewide touring production.

‘Our Town’ By Thornton Wilder Nov. 18 – Dec. 6, 2026 In the small town of Grover’s Corners, ordinary moments reveal extraordinary beauty. This Pulitzer Prize-winner is a heartfelt, timeless portrait of love, family and the fleeting nature of life, reminding us to cherish the here and now. ‘The Piano Lesson’ By August Wilson Jan. 27 – Feb. 14, 2027 In 1936, a brother and sister clash over a priceless heirloom piano chronicling their family’s legacy. Sell it for land, or preserve it as history? This Pulitzer Prize-winning drama explores heritage, identity and the cost of moving forward when the past refuses to stay silent. ‘John Proctor Is the Villain’ By Kimberly Belflower Mar. 3-21, 2027 As five teenage girls in a small Southern town study “The Crucible,” they start to challenge not only the literary classic, but the power dynamics at work in and out of the classroom. This electrifying, funny and urgent play rattles our assumptions obout heroes, villains and what truth to believe in. ‘The 39 Steps’ By Patrick Barlow April 7-25, 2027 Mix a Hitchcock thriller with madcap theatrical flair, and you get “The 39 Steps.” In this beloved tour de force, a mysterious murder launches Richard Hannay on a whirlwind spy adventure. Four actors play more than 50 roles in this wildly inventive, laugh-out-loud comedy that keeps you on the edge of your seat.

Meanwhile, student tickets and $20 seats remain available for every production – a reflection, Vivienne says, of her belief that PlayMakers serves both UNC and the broader community. “We are both the university theater, and proud to be that, but we are also this region’s professional resident theater, and that connection to community is really important to me,” she says. “From a connectivity and engagement perspective, how do you remain vibrant and relevant?” The answer, it seems, is already onstage. “I hope PlayMakers is defined as much by its traditions as by its forward thinking,” Vivienne says. CHM

Redefine Education | Ages 2 - 6

ild Sage Farm & Learning House is the culmination of my family’s Montessori legacy, my years as an educator, and our dream of living closer to nature. By bringing together authentic Montessori education, thoughtfully prepared learning environments, the rhythms of farm life, and the beauty of the natural world, we hope to cultivate children who are not only knowledgeable, but kind, confident,

Also on the Farm: Spanish for Kids

curious, compassionate, and deeply connected to the world around them. What makes Wild Sage Farm & Learning House truly unique is the seamless connection between our indoor and outdoor learning environments. Our classrooms don’t end at the doorway. After all, the greatest lessons aren’t always found in books. Sometimes they’re discovered with muddy boots, busy hands, and hearts full of wonder.

Homeschoolers Support in Academics

Field Trips

Teacher Planning Days at the Farm

Farm Stand

Summer Camps

Upcoming Community Events: Sep. 18 Oct. 23

Harvest Celebration

Farm Fall Fest

Nov. 20

Pumpkins, Pie, and Play

Jan. 15

Campfire & S’mores

Apr. 23

Earth Day Celebration

Dec. 18 Mar. 26

May 21

Winter Solstice

Egg Hunt and Spring Planting

Bloom and Brunch at the Farm

EXPLORE MONTESSORI at Wild Sage Farm A new learning house in Chapel Hill

OPEN HOUSE

When: Sept. 19 & Oct. 10 Time: 9:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. If these dates do not work, please visit our website to schedule a tour.

RSVP by visiting wildsagefarm.com and schedule a tour under Open House. 3315 Jones Ferry Rd. Chapel Hill, NC 27516 919-448-8878

By Adrienne Art has blossomed into a creative outlet that gives back BY O L I V I A JA R M A N

efore Adrienne Wiggins’ nowsignature flowers ever touched a canvas, she was piping them out of buttercream. Her husband’s colleagues were more than happy to eat the dozens of cupcakes that she practiced on. “[I] did that for a couple of years before I translated over to paint,” she says, given the icing was easier to master than the Gaffrey brand’s art paint she uses now. “That’s how I learned.” Rather than brushing pigment onto a flat surface, Adrienne works layer by layer, flower by flower. “These paintings take time because [they] have to dry in between each step,” she explains. Each bloom of a vibrant hydrangea or daffodil she creates is piped separately, left to cure, then assembled and adhered directly to a thick wood board, rather than a canvas – a structural choice born from trial and error early on. The final result has an official name: “It’s called sculptural relief,” she says. “[It’s] an old Roman term for things that grow off of a flat surface, so I call these sculptural paintings.” Adrienne, who spent her career in medical sales,

has been a creative her whole life, gravitating first toward clay, which could explain where her comfort with dimension and structure comes from. “I was a potter for about 15 years before I started painting like this,” she says. “So the 3D kind of aspect translated from that to here.” Beyond her paintings, Adrienne also creates ornaments and magnets in the same sculptural style, giving admirers a more accessible way to bring her work home. A member of the Chatham Artists Guild, Adrienne proudly operates as a registered nonprofit and directs up to 60% of her proceeds to charity – currently Table, the Carrboro nonprofit focused on fighting childhood food insecurity. Recent retail partnerships have expanded Adrienne’s reach and impact. Last spring the North Carolina Museum of Art started carrying select By Adrienne Art pieces in its store just in time for its Art in Bloom festival. You’ll also find her works at Paysage Home in Chapel Hill and Wilmington, and The Fort in Raleigh. Though she started her work just a year ago, the success isn’t lost on her. “I feel like the more I can do to promote and get paintings sold, the more impactful I can be in the community.” CHM

“A Dawn Chorus” is a 36x48 sculptural mixed-media painting made with clay and heavy acrylic paint.

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2026

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Sarah Petty turned a lifelong love for needlepoint into a thriving creative community BY S O P H I A H E R N D O N

s a kid, Sarah Petty could be found inside. She described her childhood self as an “indoor cat,” always picking up her needle to sew, crochet or needlepoint something new. “There was zero chance I was going to go outside and play basketball,” she says. The UNC grad was never too far from her

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stitching supplies during her 20-year career in public education. (Most recently she served as a North Carolina new-teacher support coach back at her alma mater.) When Sarah realized there weren’t many tutorials for beginners, she began teaching needlepoint basics and grew an online school, combining her love for teaching and crafting. “I’m really lucky to do this combination of both the things I always wanted to do,” Sarah says. Her passion for the craft only grew over time, along with her appreciation for its meditative qualities. “It can be a very relaxing, mindful activity that gets you to put your phone down,” Sarah says. “You can feel yourself physically relaxing.” In 2024, her friend Kelty Bailey dared her to enter a needlepoint competition at the state fair. Sarah dared Kelty to do the same. Instead, they put their heads together, and the idea for Elizabeth Brooke (a name stemming from

their middle names) was quickly in motion, selling needlecrafts, thread, canvases and accessories online. “We didn’t even have time to enter the state fair,” Sarah says. After getting the idea off the ground, Kelty departed from the business, and Sarah started running Elizabeth Brooke on her own. Over time, her designs evolved further, featuring humorous sayings, quotes, florals and even art inspired by Taylor Swift albums. “These are all really fun ways to take an art that is very traditional and put a modern twist on it,” Sarah says. When designs and order numbers grew, Sarah realized she would have to expand from her home studio. At press time, her shop was slated to open at University Place in late August, stocking plenty of accessories, artwork and supplies. Sarah plans to hold classes with the help of other needlepointers to teach the basics, such as the continental stitch and basket weave. Sarah hopes the store will be a welcoming and educational experience for newcomers while also serving as a place for practiced needleworkers. “You can come sit at the table, stitch for an hour and not feel out of place,” Sarah says. “That’s my hope.” CHM

PHOTO BY TYLER CUNNINGHAM

OPPOSITE PAGE Sarah commemorated a recent cruise program called Camp Needlepoint with some handmade ornaments. She and the 40 participants stitched together on different cruise excursions at the beach. She’s in the early stages of planning another cruise for 2027.

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ARTFUL

The cafes, bars and restaurants turning every meal into a gallery visit BY E V E R H A R R I S 44

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2026

Lanza’s Cafe is a magnet for creative souls, showcasing work of poets, musicians and artists to create a vibe that, according to co-owner Catherine Coley, would not “be the same without [their] artistic community [there] each day in one medium or another.” The cafe allows artists to come and go as they please, switching out their work or leaving it until there’s a buyer. Recent pieces showcased the talent of Saiquan Williams, John Harrison, Natalia Adamson, Ciara Caines, Bill Maier and former barista Keaton Joyce, who was commissioned to do both a bathroom and outdoor mural. True to its mission of celebrating art in all forms, Lanza’s is home to paintings, drawings and customer-favorite crochet octopi – earning compliments on the space’s individuality and drawing other artists eager to add to the collection.

Fran Gualtieri, owner of French American restaurant La Residence, first connected with CK Reed about six years ago through CK’s father, a fellow UNC alum who graduated the same year as Fran. She first commissioned the artist, known for her bold mixed-media collages and abstract works, to paint the bathrooms and windows. Fran has CK add something every time she’s visiting from Chicago, and she has now created Chapel Hill-themed murals featuring landmarks from Memorial Hall to the Bell Tower, which have been turned into prints to make the beloved pieces more accessible. The partnership benefits them both – La Residence stands out for its distinctive decor, while CK gains visibility that can lead to new commissions. Fran says the most frequent feedback from customers is “that [the work] is intriguing, interesting and different than what they would expect to see in a restaurant.”

Lapin Bleu – described by owner Mike Benson as “a jazz bar with a hockey problem” – doesn’t take any commission from the artists who showcase their work on the bar’s stage or walls. “We’re just less focused on the money aspect,” Mike says. As a self-proclaimed “struggling artist,” he admits that “[he] knows how difficult it is to get work out there.” Recently, punk rock photographer Jim Saah visited in midst of his book tour to discuss and sell his work; he sold out instantly. Mike says Lapin Bleu is a collaborative space, working to promote art and events with spots like Peel Gallery + Photo Lab and Flyleaf Books, while displaying permanent pieces from the UNC women’s soccer team, hockey players and fellow Chapel Hill bars. 

presents the

OCAG Open Studio Tour Preview Exhibition Opening Reception

October 3rd 6 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.

On View - September 5th - October 24 CHAPELHILLFRAME@GMAIL.COM (919) 929-7137 1728 Fordham Blvd., Ste. 119, Chapel Hill, NC 27514 Rams Plaza

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Joe Van Gogh features different local artists every three to six months. At press time, the cafe features the oil paintings of Don Raleigh, who creates abstract depictions of guitars as a nod toward his work as a musician. Maddie Morrison, manager of the Chapel Hill location, says, “Having long-term installations makes it worthwhile for the artists who spend their time and energy [creating] the art.” One example is Lia Hillie, who started selling stationery on a temporary basis for the cafe only last year but was asked to make her a shelf permanent fixture after JVG received positive feedback from customers. The art also serves employees, often becoming a conversation piece, “something to look at” and the start of a “special relationship … that develops between the artist and the baristas,” says Maddie.

Can’t-miss concerts, festivals and more CO M P I L E D BY B E C K E T T BRANTLEY

• The ArtsCenter hosts ArtSchool, a series of classes for adults and teens ages 15 and older, throughout the fall season. With more than 140 classes in more than 12 different disciplines – from watercolor and pottery to sewing and more – there’s something for everyone. artscenterlive.org • Visit Lapin Bleu on Wednesdays to enjoy classic honky-tonk and Cajun live music at the Cajun Dance Party. Bring a snack or meal to enjoy as you watch these artists in action, or get up for some line dancing. • Stop by the DeBerry Gallery at the North Carolina Botanical Garden to browse an illustration exhibit featuring photography by Shreyes Chalasani. Through Sept. 27; ncbg.unc.edu • Experience the 26th season of Paperhand Puppet Project’s aweinspiring puppet show at the Forest Theatre. With live music, individually crafted giant puppets, masks, stilts and a special collaboration with poet Khalisa Rae and musician Tim Smith, this powerful production exploring our connection to the natural world, “The Wild Wisdom of the World,” is sure to inspire viewers of all ages. Weekends Aug. 7 – Sept. 27; paperhandpuppet.org • Explore mixed metal jewelry by Nell Chandler, acrylic collage landscapes by Adrienne Knowles and functional pottery by Evelyn Ward at Hillsborough Gallery of Arts’ exhibit “Pattern Recognition.” Hear from the creators themselves at an artist talk on Sept. 12. Aug. 25 – Sept. 20; hillsboroughgallery.com • Margaret Lane Gallery’s fall lineup includes multiple new shows: musicinspired art in “Music Notes”; the psychedelic dyed fabric of Arthur Haskell; seascapes, abstract flows and other water imagery in “Liquidscapes”; the scenic paintings of “Backroads and Byways”; depictions of the sun in all forms in “Here Comes the Sun”; and an exploration of winter scenes in “Winter’s Gifts.” Aug. 26 – Sept. 20; Sept. 23 – Oct. 18; Sept. 23 – Oct. 25; Oct. 21 – Nov. 15; Oct. 28 – Nov. 22; Nov. 25 – Dec. 31; margaretlanegallery.com • UNC’s Department of Art and Art History presents Michelle Inez Hinojosa and Barbara Pearsall’s “Under the Tent: Whirling & Flickering,” featuring kaleidoscopic imagery, flickering abstractions, projection mapping, a hidden trapdoor and hand-cranked wheels that transform what viewers see in the John and June Allcott Gallery in the Hanes Art Center. Through Oct. 15; art.unc.edu

Fine dining Italian restaurant Antonia’s consistently displays the work of several local artists at a time in its light-filled space. Antonia’s provides artists freedom in when they showcase and take down their pieces, which usually concludes in a yearly rotation. As of press time, diners can see work from Tom Johnson, Andrea Frank and Tracey McGrath on display, as well as Casey Blalock and Joshua Blalock – the masterminds behind the stained-glass display that has captured the attention of many customers. Owner Brian Pearson says, “Many time[s], a piece has been hung and sold on the same day.” He shares that not only do the pieces “beautify the restaurant and give local artists exposure,” but they also provide an opportunity to make connections and friendships. CHM

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2026

• Connect with familiar imagery and reflect on the architecture and memories of your life as you browse “Looking Back: Where Memory Takes Root,” a multimedia exhibit by Barbara Tyroler at the Robert and Pearl Seymour Center. Be the first to see the show with a reception Aug. 29. Aug. 29 – Oct. 3; barbaratyroler.com • Don’t miss “Shine Your Light” at The ArtsCenter, featuring more than 60 works by adults living with dementia. View the artwork during World Alzheimer’s Month and learn about local dementia resources at an opening reception Sept. 3. Sept 1-30; artscenterlive.org • Celebrate Orange County Social Club’s 25th anniversary with an exhibition of music and art made by OCSC’s staff, including longtime bartender Jamie McPhail, at Peel Gallery + Photo Lab. View the exhibit at an opening reception Sept. 11. Sept. 2 – Oct. 4; peel.gallery • Explore the intersection of psychology, spirituality and creative practice with “Out of the Darkness: The Art of Individuation,” featuring 13 years of work and multiple mediums of work from Eryn Donnalley at Muse Art Gallery. Sept. 2 – Oct. 24; mymusescardshop.co

Guiding hands.

Lifting voices.

shaping futures. Violinist Alexi Kenney takes the stage at Memorial Hall for two nights in October. During “Shifting Ground” on Oct. 21, he’ll invite the audience on a musical journey as he plays works by Bach and contemporary creators, all accompanied with projection art by Xuan. PHOTO COURTESY OF THE ARTIST

• Unwind at La Vita Dolce’s 10th annual Wine Down Wednesdays, a midweek social series featuring live music from local bands, half-priced bottles of wine and a menu of special small plates. Wednesdays Sept. 2 – Oct. 21; lavitadolcecafe.com • Begin your sketchbook journey with Muse Art Gallery’s “Sketchbook Circle” gatherings. Connect with fellow artists to capture people, places and the poetry of everyday life in your favorite medium. Sept. 4, Oct. 2, Nov. 6, Dec. 4; mymusescardshop.co

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• Engage with the creative community and hear featured artists discuss their work over doughnuts and a hot beverage at Coffee with Frank, hosted by Frank Gallery. Sept. 5, Oct. 10; frankisart.com • Watch fan-favorite film “The Princess Bride” under the stars at Southern Village’s Movies on the Green, presented by The Lumina Theater. Sept. 5; visitsouthernvillage.com

Give the Gift of Art to Your Child!

• Catch an exclusive early glimpse into the work of more than 100 Orange County artists participating in the 32nd year of the Orange County Artists Guild Studio Tour during three preview shows held at Chapel Hill Frame and Fine Art, The ArtsCenter and Hillsborough Gallery of Arts. Meet the artists during each respective opening reception (Oct. 3, Oct. 9 and Oct. 30). Sept. 5 – Oct 24; Oct 1-31; Oct. 27 – Nov. 15; ocagnc.org • Enjoy nights of jazz, country, soul, rock and more during Southern Village’s Sundays at Sundown live outdoor music series, concluding in a grand finale weekend with a performance by The Nomads. Sept. 6, 13 & 20; visitsouthernvillage.com • A classic tale of fate, prophecy, and reckoning gets a fresh update in PlayMakers Repertory Company’s production of “Oedipus: King/Colonus,” adapted by Carey Perloff with original music by David Coulter. Sept 9-27; playmakersrep.org • Tense jury deliberations unfold in Center Theater Company’s “12 Angry Jurors,” a stage adaptation of the classic movie about the tensions between the truth and reasonable doubt. Sept. 11-27; centertheatercompany.com • Celebrate the release of author Kristy Woodson Harvey’s newest book, “Falling for Peachtree Bluff” at The Carolina Inn with refreshments, signed books and mingling with fellow readers. Sept. 11; carolinainn.com • Relax on a blanket and enjoy the sounds of the North Carolina Symphony live on the Southern Village Green. Sept. 12; visitsouthernvillage.com • Explore the intersection of art and nature at the North Carolina Botanical Garden’s 38th annual Sculpture in the Garden exhibition. Meet the artists and enjoy a first viewing of the intricate sculptures at the preview party on Sept. 12. Sept. 13 – Dec. 6; ncbg.unc.edu • Peel Gallery + Photo Lab hosts an “Intro to Digital Photography” workshop, where you’ll learn components of the DSLR camera, how to adjust in manual, composition and editing, with an opportunity for hands-on practice. Sept. 16; peel.gallery • Enjoy a craft beer or cocktail, strum on your own instrument or simply relax and listen at Bluegrass Jams at The Bar(n) at Sonark Farms. Biweekly, Sept. 16 – Nov. 25; sonarkfarms.com 

Did you know that skills in the visual arts can be practiced and built upon over time, just like skills in athletics or in music? Children's Art Classes offers a studio-based art education to ages 3 and up. We focus on teaching mastery of technique while introducing students to a wide range of media. Students will come to a class once a week throughout the school year.

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• Christian alt-pop artist Bodie presents his “Sellout Tour” at Local 506, featuring Christian pop-punk band Keepwarm. His unique sound earned him second place on “The Voice” in 2022, and his new album delves deeper into alternative rock, with lyrics made to scream. Sept. 17; local506.com

• The 10th annual Paint it Orange Plein Art Paint-out returns to the Eno Arts Mill, featuring more than 100 works of original fine art depicting the landscapes and landmarks of Orange County. Join the Orange County Arts Commission for an opening event Oct. 2. Oct. 2 – Nov 30; artsorange.org

• Experience an innovative performance by The Chamber Orchestra of the Triangle quartet-in-residence, The Balourdet Quartet, at Current Studio. Sept. 19; chamberorchestraofthetriangle.org

• Step into your cowboy boots for “A Big Night at the Lil’ Ole Opry,” this year’s iteration of The ArtCenter’s annual gala featuring musical artists and line dancing in Nashville fashion. Oct. 3; artscenterlive.org

• Get your imagination flowing and enter into another world with a story-building class taught by French American puppet artist Frédérique Yova at Muse Art Gallery. Every participant will take home their own hand-turned wooden character. Sept. 19; mymusescardshop.co

• Calico Studio hosts its 10th Makers Market at 1141 Smith Level Rd., where attendees can shop for art, pottery, jewelry and photography from local artists and vendors as they listen to music, grab bites from food trucks or dance. Oct. 3-4; calico-studio.com

• Photo Farm hosts a critique night series for photographers to present their work and receive constructive feedback from their peers. Sept. 20, Oct. 11, Nov. 8; photofarmnc.com

• Salvador Jiménez-Flores discusses how his work enriches the artistic and scholarly exploration of national identity, double consciousness and the politics of “the other” within the contexts of colonization, migration and American life as part of the Hanes Visiting Artist Lecture Series, presented by UNC’s Department of Art and Art History. Oct. 8; art.unc.edu

• Hillsborough Gallery of Arts hosts “There and Back,” a collection of vibrant landscape paintings by Marcy Lansman, illustrative pottery from Bernadette Januska and abstract botanical paintings by Ellie Snow. Hear from the creators themselves at an artist talk Oct. 17. Sept. 22 – Oct. 25; hillsboroughgallery.com • Learn how to develop black-and-white film with a three-part workshop at Photo Farm led by Phyllis B. Dooney, Rachel Jessen and Jack Kadis. Students will begin with an exposed roll of film, learn the art of exposing, developing, fixing, washing, and drying, and leave with a finished print. Sept. 23, Sept. 30, Oct. 7; photofarmnc.com • Snip and style materials of all shapes and sizes into a personal, inspired craft at Peel Gallery + Photo Lab’s collage nights. Sept. 24, Oct. 29; peel.gallery • Musician and yoga practitioner Alma Coefman leads a musical relaxation session at Muses Art Gallery that will quiet the mind, rebalance energy and restore an inner calm. Sept. 25; mymusescardshop.co • Connect with local artists through unique exhibits, family-friendly art activities, a makers market, live music and poetry readings at Last Fridays & The Art Walk in downtown Hillsborough. Sept. 25, Oct. 30; hillsboroughartscouncil.org • Join Chapel Hill Community Arts & Culture for a free movie screening at the Carolina Square lawn in downtown Chapel Hill. Enjoy popcorn and movie-themed activities before the show starts at sundown. Sept. 25; chapelhillarts.org • Indie-rock artist Sawyer Hill brings his new album, “Everybody’s Home, Nobody’s Happy,” inspired by the rockstars who shaped his musical career when he was still learning chords in his Arkansas hometown, to the stage at Cat’s Cradle. Sept. 26; catscradle.com • The annual Carrboro Music Festival returns, showcasing local artists playing a variety of genres all over town. Stop by Carrboro Town Commons for a kickoff event on Sept. 26. Sept. 27; carrboromusicfestival.com • Browse local art at Frank Gallery, featuring pieces from member artists Shelly Hehenberger, Mary Lee Kerr, Donna Stubbs and guest artist Polina Varlamova. Also, a special Frank: InFocus exhibit will showcase photography by Tim Duffy, Bettina Molina, Jo Ann Tomaselli and Wojtek Wojdynski. Meet the artists at the opening reception Oct. 9, and hear from Tim Duffy at an artist talk Oct. 29. Sept. 29 – Nov. 14; frankisart.com

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2026

• Argentine American guitarist and singersongwriter Alejandro Meola takes the stage at The Bar(n) at Sonark Farms for a bordertranscending performance of rock, folk, blues and Latin sounds. Oct. 9; sonarkfarms.com • Support global clean water projects at FlushFest, a music festival hosted by The Appropriate Sanitation Institute. Oct. 9-11; flushfest.org • Find your next read and support local bookstores through the Chapboro Book Crawl. Visit Golden Fig Books, Epilogue Books Chocolate Brews, Peel Gallery + Photo Lab, Flyleaf Books and Read Band Books for amazing deals and a chance to win raffle prizes from each location. Oct. 10; peel.gallery • Experience the 11th annual Bluegrass Festival at historic Moorefields with music from Slippery Hill Bluegrass, Pickard Mountain, The Hodnett Family Band, Nixon, Williams & Gage and GrassStreet. Bring chairs and blankets for lawn seating on the idyllic 70-acre historical site and enjoy food and beverages. Oct. 10; moorefields.org • Lend a hand to help cultivate a beautiful garden of plants that will be used to make pigments for crafting at My Muses Card Shop’s community dye garden volunteer day. Oct. 11; mymusescardshop.co • The Chamber Orchestra of the Triangle’s original quartet-in-residence, Verona Quartet, returns to the UpClose Stage at Current Studio. Oct. 11; thecot.org • Renée Fleming invites the audience to consider the beauty and fragility of the natural world and their relationship to Earth in the face of environmental change in “Voice of Nature: The Anthropocene,” presented by Carolina Performing Arts, which combines her vocals with an original film created in partnership with the National Geographic Society. Oct. 13; carolinaperformingarts.org • Join Renée Fleming, UNC neuroscientists and health practitioners for a conversation on the intersection of music and medicine that explores how the arts are informing new developments in health care, presented by Carolina Performing Arts and the UNC School of Medicine and moderated by journalist Liza Roberts. Oct. 14; carolinaperformingarts.org • Step into the drama with Pearl Cleage’s “Angry, Raucous, and Shamelessly Gorgeous,” a comedic show-within-a-show about an

actress who returns to the stage only to find out she’s been replaced by an ambitious young woman with a shady background, on stage at PlayMakers Repertory Company. Oct. 14 – Nov. 1; playmakersrep.org • Fine tune your black and white printing skills and learn how to dodge, burn and employ flashing and split toning with your own film in the Analog Photo II workshop at Photo Farm. Oct. 14 & 21; photofarmnc.com • Bring a roll of 35 mm film and hop from Photo Farm to Peel Gallery + Photo Lab for a joint workshop on the process of developing analog color film and scanning negatives. Oct. 15; photofarmnc.com • Join a family-friendly celebration of the state’s native plants and animals at North Carolina Botanical Garden’s NatureFest. Families with children ages 10 and younger are invited to explore the wonders of nature through a variety of outdoor activity stations. Oct. 17; ncbg.unc.edu • Learn to blend and brush beautiful colors at one of My Muses Card Shop’s beginner watercolor workshops. Owner and artist Abhi Sivadas guides participants step by step, helping you master essential techniques while creating impressive paintings. Oct. 17, Nov. 8; mymusescardshop.co • Steal the art before someone else does at Frank Gallery’s 16th annual Off the Wall Gala, where names drawn at random give attendees a shot at claiming an original artwork straight off the wall. Oct. 17; frankisart.com • Create the wardrobe of your dreams during a clothing cloning workshop led by River Takada at Triple Spring Studios. The two-day class will teach the basics of pattern-rubbing, a technique that allows users to duplicate their favorite fashion items. Oct. 17-18; triplespringstudios.com • Experience the North Carolina State Fair in a new whole way with Peel Gallery + Photo Lab’s fairground photowalk. Participants walk the grounds together and take photos of anything that inspires them. Oct. 18; peel.gallery • Justin Bruns takes on solo violin in the North Carolina Symphony’s performance of Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto at Memorial Hall, rounded out by Haydn’s Symphony No. 49, “The Passion,” and Schumann’s Symphony No. 2. Oct. 18; ncsymphony.org • Sorry Ghost, a childhood best friend duo from Louisiana turned Los Angeles indie-rock band, brings “The Insufferably Indie Tour” to Local 506 with special guest Kevin Walkman. Oct. 18; local506.com • Learn the art of risograph – a craft described as “digital screen printing” – through a spooky card making workshop at Peel Gallery + Photo Lab. Oct. 21; peel.gallery • Carolina Performing Arts presents a performance by violinist Alexi Kenney and pianist Janice Carissa at Moeser Auditorium, featuring Michi Wiancko’s “The Wild Yes” and the juxtaposed sounds of compositions by Jean Sibelius, Astor Piazzolla and inti figgis-vizueta. Oct. 22; carolinaperformingarts.org • Cat’s Cradle presents Popsicle, a rock festival featuring Chapel Hill-based bands The Popes and The Mayflies USA, plus alternative rock bands Superdrag and Young Fresh Fellows, guitarist and singer Chuck Prophet, The Connells and more. Oct. 24; catscradle.com • Honor loved ones at Chapel Hill Community Arts & Culture’s third annual Día de Muertos celebration, featuring eclectic art vendors, live music and performances at 140 West Franklin Street Plaza. Oct. 25; chapelhillarts.org 

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• Slow down and experience mood, tension and vulnerability with Taylor Barnes’ “Weight of Light” at the John and June Allcott Gallery. The exhibit, presented by the UNC Department of Art and Arts History, explores how powerful emotions can be expressed through simplicity. Oct. 30 – Dec. 10; art.unc.edu

• Created by Toshi Reagon in collaboration with UNC scholars Danielle Spurlock and Danielle Purifoy and Durham-based writer, scholar and activist Alexis Pauline Gumbs, “Ecotones” is a multifaceted performance at Memorial Hall that explores the fault lines that shape life. Nov. 7; carolinaperformingarts.org

• Don your Halloween finest a day early for Bardo and Black Lodge, a haunting two-part experience at Memorial Hall, presented by Carolina Performing Arts. Venture through eerie installations and liminal spaces where something unknown waits around every corner. Then, take your seat for a dark opera that combines music, theater and film to recount the story of a tormented writer forced to relive the darkest moment of his life. Oct. 30; carolinaperformingarts.org

• Experience the Japanese dance tradition of butoh at Memorial Hall as the internationally known Sankai Juku dance company’s “Totem: Void and Height” slowly unfolds in this dreamlike performance that explores the forces that shape the human body and the natural world. Nov. 12; carolinaperformingarts.org

• Spend the day shopping from local artists and enjoying holiday snacks and beverages during the fifth annual Hillsborough Holiday Bazaar on the Historic Courthouse lawn. Nov. 21; artsorange.org • River Takada leads an introductory class on Japanese hand-stitching at Triple Spring Studios. Students will learn about the cultural and historical roots of the practice while employing traditional techniques to create patterns of thread on fabric and turn that into functional items. Nov. 21; triplespringstudios.com

Carolina Performing Arts presents Ballet BC’s triple bill performance at Memorial Hall. The show opens with “Obsidian” from choreography duo Bobbi Jene Smith and Or Schraiber. Then, it takes a poetic turn with “Sway,” inspired by the poetry of Emily Dickinson and choreographed by Medhi Walerski with an original score by Adrien Cronet. Finally, Shahar Binyamini’s “Bolero X” brings the dancers out in full force to the stage. Nov. 18; carolinaperformingarts.org

• North Carolina Botanical Garden hosts its annual Jenny Elder Fitch Memorial Lecture, followed by a reception and book signing. Hear from horticulturist Uri Lorimer of the Native Plant Trust, the nation’s first plant conservation organization. Nov. 1; ncbg.unc.edu • Learn how much a single figure can transform a landscape through three distinct works in the Ackland Art Museum’s “Focus on the Peck Collection: The Lone Traveler” exhibition. Through Nov. 1; ackland.org

• Iranian American artist Sheida Soleimani unpacks how she melds sculpture, collage and photography to critique Iran’s historical and contemporary sociopolitical landscape as part of the Hanes Visiting Artist Lecture Series, presented by the UNC Department of Art and Art History. Nov. 5; art.unc.edu • Sing along to the eclectic mix of Southern rock, blues, country and folk music performed by The Hoots at The Bar(n) at Sonark Farms as they celebrate the heart of Americana. Nov. 6; sonarkfarms.com • Step into the Kingdom of Arendelle during Center Theater Company’s youth production of “Frozen Jr.,” based on the animated Disney movie that follows ice queen Elsa as she flees her castle home to protect her sister, Anna, from her powers. Nov. 6-22; Dec. 10-13; centertheatercompany.com • Chapel Hill Community Arts & Culture’s Festifall returns for the 53rd year with an annual showcase of creativity from around the Triangle, featuring artist meet-and-greets, live performances and vendors selling paintings, pottery, jewelry, woodwork, clothing, soaps, candles and more at 100 E. Rosemary St. Nov. 7; chapelhillarts.org • Drive around the county and pop into artists’ workshops during the Orange County Artists Guild Studio Tour to connect with and draw inspiration from fellow artists and art lovers. Nov. 7-8 & 14-15; ocagnc.org

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2026

PHOTO BY MILLISSA MARTIN

• Explore tactile translations of cold and heat in “Winter Palette: Frost & Ember,” a Triangle Book Arts exhibition at Chapel Hill Frame and Fine Art. Participate in book art workshops offered throughout the exhibition or simply enjoy the drama between the pages. Opening reception Nov. 7. Nov. 3 – Jan. 30; higginsandmyers.com

• Go back to the early beginnings of artistry with Renzo Ortega’s workshop at The ArtsCenter which explores the study and application of the painter’s palette in the painting process. Nov. 15; artscenterlive.org • Member and guest artists showcase their work in the holiday show at Frank Gallery with pieces that range in size and medium, perfect for gifting. Look forward to an opening reception on Nov. 20. Nov. 17 – Jan. 2; frankisart.com • Get a head start on your holiday shopping with “The Art of Giving” at the Hillsborough Gallery of Arts. HGA’s 21 artists will showcase their giftable art, including a selection of unique handmade ornaments. Stop by the opening reception Nov. 27. Nov. 17 – Dec. 31; hillsboroughgallery.com • Step into the small town of Grover’s Corners via the PlayMakers Repertory Company stage to learn about love, family and how to cherish life in Thornton Wilder’s “Our Town.” Nov. 18 – Dec. 6; playmakersrep.org • Liana Flores takes the stage at Cat’s Cradle Back Room, her music shaped by the CDs that her Brazilian mother played throughout her childhood in Norfolk, England. Liana’s breakthrough 2024 record, “Flower of the Soul,” drew from sunshine pop, bossa nova and psych folk, while her new single, “So It Goes,” reflects the pace of life in London, where she now lives. Nov. 20; catscradle.com

• Shop for artisan items and creative works at the semiannual Arts on Market community event at Southern Village. Nov. 22; visitsouthernvillage.com • Pianist Alessio Bax and the North Carolina Symphony bring Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 1 to life at Memorial Hall. Nov. 22; ncsymphony.org • Dorrance Dance’s tap dance rendition of “The Nutcracker Suite” graces the stage at Memorial Hall. Set to Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn’s 1960 reinterpretation of the Tchaikovsky score, the modern twist on a classic Christmas ballet features characters such as the “Sugar Rum Cherry” and the “Peanut Brittle Brigade.” Dec. 5-6; carolinaperformingarts.org • Celebrate the spirit of the season with the North Carolina Symphony’s “Holiday Pops” performance – including timeless hits and holiday favorites – at Memorial Hall. Dec. 8; ncsymphony.org • Celebrate the spirit of kindness and curiosity with The Chamber Orchestra of the Triangle’s opera “Amahl and the Night Visitors,” the story of a shepherd boy and his mother who are visited by three strangers at Paul Green Theatre. Dec. 19; thecot.org CHM For more fall arts events, visit thetriangleweekender.com/events

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Homeowners and business owners breathe new life into their spaces with help from local designers and builders BY K AT R I N A M C L E A N

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2026

Green Hill Contracting purchased this 1961 home in Estes Hills in 2025 with a goal of tackling issues like a segmented layout and minimal natural light while preserving the home’s character. PHOTO BY LIGHTHOUSE PHOTOGRAPHY

1961 Estes Hills home once prized for its strong architectural character had fallen out of step with the way people live today: segmented living spaces, a tucked-away kitchen and minimal natural light that left the layout feeling disconnected. Woman-owned Green Hill Contracting purchased the property in April 2025 with a clear goal – preserving the mid-century roots while bringing it up to the

present. “We wanted it to really stay true to the neighborhood but still bring it up for modern living,” says Taylor England, marketing director for CQC Home. The home is the latest spec renovation from Green Hill, the sister company of CQC Home. A spec renovation is one completed without a specific homeowner in mind, giving the design team the opportunity to experiment with less conventional concepts. “We’re really able to push the limits when it comes to design,” Taylor says. 

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY LIGHTHOUSE PHOTOGRAPHY

Led entirely in-house by designer Margarita Efremova, the renovation began with a four-month design phase that included detailed drawings and 3D renderings before construction began. “Everything was brought down to the studs,” Taylor says, allowing the team to update the home’s infrastructure and completely reconfigure the layout. Walls were removed in the main living space to create a seamless connection between the kitchen, dining room, living room and sitting area while preserving the original double-sided fireplace as the focal point. Warm wood tones, integrated cabinetry, layered textures, a waterfall-edge island and limewashed fireplaces honor the home’s mid-century character while creating a contemporary feel. The addition of a triple sliding glass door enhances the home’s indoor-outdoor flow, opening to a spacious patio and the surrounding landscape of mature trees. A small bedroom converted into a spacious primary bathroom completes the primary suite with a washer and dryer closet. The previously unused basement was transformed into an additional 1,070 square feet of living space, including a fourth bedroom with an en suite, a living room and a flex space. “A lot of people think a renovation includes a huge add-on, and in this case it didn’t have to be,” Taylor says. Completed in March 2026, the finished 3,217-square-foot residence now includes four bedrooms, four full bathrooms, two laundry areas and a one-car garage. “We took something that was practically a teardown and improved it by adding a lot of function,” Taylor says. The home sold shortly after hitting the market, underscoring the appeal of a thoughtful renovation that balances original character with modern livability. 

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2026

ABOVE A waterfall-edge island and warm wood tones brought the kitchen up to the modern era while unused basement space was completely transformed. It’s now a functional extension of the home, complete with a flex space, dedicated storage room and, as seen above, a living room.

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n a sunny July morning, Jan Simmons, Ray Simmons and their dog, Boone, take in the greenery from their patio as the sound of gently moving water echoes through the backyard of their Coker Hills home. The peaceful outdoor retreat, complete with a stone patio and custom water feature, is one of several renovations the couple has made to the original 1963 bungalow since moving to Chapel Hill from Greensboro in 1998. Earlier projects included adding a second floor, updating the kitchen and regrading the backyard. Jan and Ray partnered with Carol Ann Zinn of Zinn Design Build for their most recent and final After renovation project to create a forever home the couple will enjoy for years to come. The project was driven by a desire to modernize and improve functionality of the home. “[We were looking to] mainly just update everything and [fix] things that were odd, like walking through the laundry room into the middle of the house,” Jan says. The couple was initially planning to tackle the laundry room and primary suite separately, but Carol Ann proposed combining the two projects into one comprehensive renovation. “We had a plan, and she absolutely changed it and made it better,” Ray says. The most significant Before transformation was the addition of an entirely new wing dedicated to the primary suite, complete with separate his-and-hers closets, a coffee bar and direct access to their backyard patio. The spacious primary bath is flooded with natural light and features marble wainscoting, double vanities and a statement light fixture. “It’s got light but privacy … and more space than we have ever had,” Jan says. Beyond the primary suite, Carol Ann reimagined the other side of the home to better fit the family’s routine. The former primary suite that was small and dated is now a light-filled office with a vaulted ceiling, a pantry and dry bar. The laundry room was expanded to create a new side entryway and now includes a mudroom bench with built-in storage and pocket doors that conceal the appliances. Raised ceilings and custom media cabinetry in the family room help create a more open gathering space, while new white oak flooring throughout the home visually connects the original structure and recent additions.

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2026

or years, Alexis Tsotakos and John Williford have hosted family for Thanksgiving, a tradition that began in their one-bedroom apartment in Washington, D.C., while they were both attending law school. After moving to Chapel Hill and renting in Greenbridge downtown, the couple eventually settled in Durham with their children, Claire Williford, 9, and Connor Williford, 5. The couple wasn’t house-hunting in October 2021, but when a home opened up in the Chesley neighborhood – a stretch they passed each morning on the commute to their children’s daycare – it was hard to ignore. They attended the open house and moved in only a month later. The location was ideal, and the view from the primary bedroom sealed the deal. “We can see out of our bedroom window just basically all of town, and it’s really just amazing,” Alexis says. The 1991 house was dated, but Alexis and John saw its potential. After hosting Thanksgiving After in 2023, the couple knew it was finally time to transform the house into the one they had always envisioned. The 3,800-square-foot home’s fragmented layout made it feel smaller than it was, making it difficult to entertain. “It was like, ‘How is this house this big but feels so small?’” John says.  OPPOSITE PAGE AND ABOVE LEFT Carol Ann Zinn added a entirely new wing dedicated to the primary suite, complete with separate his-and-hers closets, a coffee bar and direct access to the backyard patio.

PHOTO BY MATT RAMSAUR/RAMSAUR FILMS

PHOTOGRAPHY BY DHINOY STUDIOS

After nearly a year of construction, Jan and Ray are looking forward to enjoying their newly transformed home, finishing the interior design and welcoming visits from their three children and their first grandchild. For Carol Ann, the renovation represents more than a refreshed space. “This house will last for a very long time now because it’s right,” she says. “Not only is the space reconfigured, but what you can’t see behind the walls is correct.” With more than 40 years of experience building homes, Carol Ann says remodels and additions have become increasingly common in Chapel Hill, where homeowners are often choosing to reimagine existing properties while remaining in the communities they love.

LEFT Ironwood Custom Remodels and Kitchen and Bath Galleries transformed the firstfloor living areas of this home thanks to additions like layered lighting, two islands that frame a showstopping 60-inch gas range and bright pops of blue.

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY MATT RAMSAUR/RAMSAUR FILMS

After In early 2024, John and Alexis walked into Kitchen and Bath Galleries and spoke with kitchen designer Julie Biestek, who would ultimately lead the redesign of their kitchen. Julie connected the couple with Ethan Randle of Ironwood Custom Remodels, and after speaking with several local contractors, the couple knew they found the right fit. “Pretty much instantaneously we knew it was going to be Ethan,” John says. Construction ran from October 2024 through mid-January 2025 while the couple, their two children, Alexis’ mother and two dogs continued living in the home. John worked from a spare bedroom packed floor to ceiling with moving boxes, while Ethan kept the family informed every step of the way. “He really did

Before

A new door lets more light in the entryway while the staircase got a modern facelift. The homeowners knew they wanted to keep the home’s original herringbone flooring.

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2026

stick to the schedule that he described to us, which just doesn’t [usually] happen,” John says. An entire first-floor renovation included the removal and addition of walls to reconfigure the kitchen and living room into an open layout. Rather than one oversized island, the new kitchen features two islands that frame a showstopping 60-inch gas range. “Julie understood the impact that a piece like that could have, so she designed around it,” Alexis says. Custom cabinetry seamlessly integrates the appliances, while the countertops and full-height backsplash are in a dramatic natural stone with bold veining in shades of purple, red and blue. Layered lighting, including toe-kick lighting beneath the cabinetry, adds warmth throughout the space, while an instant boiling water tap, two dishwashers and converted locker-style storage make the kitchen as functional as it is beautiful. In the living room, original built-ins were repainted and resurfaced, while the red brick herringbone fireplace was preserved and feature lighting now highlights a walnut slatted accent wall. Preserving the character of the house was important to the couple who insisted on keeping the home’s original herringbone entry flooring while replacing the remaining flooring throughout. “I think that’s a really nice thing of being able to take something that’s not a new build and to breathe that new life into it, which will serve our family now until our kids are grown,” John says. Looking back, both say the vendors they picked for the project made all the difference. “We looked forward to seeing the people who were coming into our house,” Alexis says. Today, the renovated home is filled with signed concert posters from years of attending shows at Cat’s Cradle and, more importantly, is a space to host family gatherings for many years to come. 

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Explore New Townhomes - (919) 701 -8713 THE PRICES OF OUR HOMES, INCLUDED FEATURES, PLANS, SPECIFICATIONS, PROMOTIONS/INCENTIVES, NEIGHBORHOOD BUILD-OUT AND AVAILABLE LOCATIONS ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE. STATED DIMENSIONS, SQUARE FOOTAGE AND ACREAGE ARE APPROXIMATE AND SHOULD NOT BE USED AS A REPRESENTATION OF ANY HOME’S OR HOMESITE’S PRECISE OR ACTUAL SIZE, LOCATION OR ORIENTATION. THERE IS NO GUARANTEE THAT ANY PARTICULAR HOMESITE OR HOME WILL BE AVAILABLE. NO INFORMATION OR MATERIAL HEREIN IS TO BE CONSTRUED TO BE AN OFFER OR SOLICITATION FOR SALE. NOT ALL FEATURES AND OPTIONS ARE AVAILABLE IN ALL HOMES. UNLESS OTHERWISE EXPRESSLY STATED, HOMES DO NOT COME WITH HARDSCAPE, LANDSCAPE, OR OTHER DECORATOR ITEMS. ANY PHOTOGRAPHS OR RENDERINGS USED HEREIN REFLECT ARTISTS’ CONCEPTIONS AND ARE FOR ILLUSTRATIVE PURPOSES ONLY. COMMUNITY MAPS, ILLUSTRATIONS, PLANS AND/OR AMENITIES REFLECT OUR CURRENT VISION AND ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE. MAPS NOT TO SCALE. PHOTOGRAPHS OR RENDERINGS OF PEOPLE DO NOT DEPICT OR INDICATE ANY PREFERENCE REGARDING RACE, RELIGION, GENDER, SEXUAL ORIENTATION, DISABILITY, FAMILIAL STATUS, OR NATIONAL ORIGIN. SOME AMENITIES MAY NOT YET BE CONSTRUCTED. BUILDER RESERVES THE RIGHT TO CHANGE THE SIZE, DESIGN, CONFIGURATION AND LOCATION OF AMENITIES NOT YET CONSTRUCTED AND DOES NOT WARRANT THE SUITABILITY THEREOF FOR ANY USE OR FOR ANY PERSON. THIS IS AN AGE-QUALIFIED AND OCCUPANCY-QUALIFIED COMMUNITY FOR PERSONS AGE 55+ AND CERTAIN OTHERS WHO QUALIFY FOR PERMANENT OCCUPANCY. THE COMMUNITY GOVERNING DOCUMENTS CONTAIN THE APPLICABLE AGE AND OCCUPANCY POLICIES. OUR NAME AND THE LOGOS CONTAINED HEREIN ARE REGISTERED TRADEMARKS OF TRI POINTE HOMES, INC. AND/OR ITS SUBSIDIARIES. © 2026 TRI POINTE HOMES HOLDINGS, INC. NC CONTRACTOR’S LICENSE NO. 82776. NCREC LICENSE NO. C30814. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

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fter 6 feet of floodwaters from Tropical Storm Chantal swept through Eastgate Crossing in July 2025, Olmaz Jewelers owners Elie AbouRjeileh and Jack Daoud faced the daunting task of rebuilding their jewelry store. “When I came to the store, everything was destroyed: electronics, equipment, the showcases. … The only thing that survived was the jewelry in the safe,” Elie says. They faced nearly $500,000 in losses through damaged equipment, remodeling costs and lost revenue. In the days following the flood, the store operated temporarily from an office at The Chamber for a Greater Chapel Hill-Carrboro. Reopening before the holiday season was a top priority. With the help of employees, friends and family, the team excavated the Before store, installed new cabinetry and sourced preowned showcases to prepare for the busy season. “It was almost starting from the ground up,” Elie recalls. Looking ahead, Olmaz Jewelers is investing in custom showcases by Eric Villanueva of Villa Prime Construction LLC designed with future floods in mind, featuring stainless steel bases, aquarium-grade glass and removable storage units. After the flood, Chris Burgin PHOTO BY THE SPLINTER GROUP of Chris Burgin Designs, who helped build the original store, reached out to assist with the latest renovations, which are expected to be completed before this holiday season. Elie says the investment reflects the store’s commitment to Chapel Hill for years to come. “We love the people of Chapel Hill, and we love serving them.”

After

ABOVE LEFT AND LEFT Olmaz Jewelers opened in fall 2019 with design help from Chris Burgin of Chris Burgin Designs. After the flooding in 2025, the owners had the chance to reenvision the shop with assistance once again from Chris. The latest renovations are expected to be completed before the holiday season. ABOVE One of four of Chapel Hill Oral Surgery’s newly renovated operating rooms. RIGHT Another refreshed space at Chapel Hill Oral Surgery is the renovated consultation room.

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2026

Dr. Hill first came to Chapel Hill in 2004. After completing his residencies at UNC, he stuck around to open a practice at Vilcom Center. As his patient base grew, so did the need for greater operational capacity and standards of care. “Part of that growth means bringing on an additional surgeon,” Dr. Hill says of Dr. Alexander Doye, who recently joined the practice. “And to do that we needed to increase operational capability.” What was originally expected to be a six-month remodel evolved into a complete demolition and reconstruction that lasted nearly three years. “The planning alone took a whole year,” Dr. Hill says. The project was completed with Chambliss & Rabil, a Raleigh-based construction company that helped bring the expanded surgical center to life. Completed in phases to allow the practice to remain open throughout construction, the renovation added 1,000 square feet and introduced several safety upgrades including a hospitallevel sterilization center, individual anesthesia units in every operatory and a battery backup system that keeps the entire practice running during a power outage – an additional safeguard for patients under anesthesia. “If all of Vilcom Center lost all of its power, if the whole grid went out, the power supply to our surgery center would remain constant,” Dr. Hill says. The final phase of the remodel added a post-anesthesia care unit, a dedicated area where families reunite with their loved ones after surgery and receive post‑op instructions. What began 15 years ago as a three-person practice has grown into an accredited outpatient surgical center with 20 employees. “I am just super proud of what it has become,” Dr. Hill says. CHM

oard-certified oral and maxillofacial surgeon Dr. David Lee Hill has transformed his private practice, Chapel Hill Oral Surgery, into an outpatient surgical center meeting standards for the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC). Undergoing this voluntary certification process is just one of the ways that the team shows their commitment to their core values: safety, wellness, integrity and mastery. Receiving care at an AAAHC-accredited surgery center ensures outpatient care that is delivered according to rigorous national standards for patient safety, infection control and clinical quality. “The certification was a way for us to showcase all the great work that we’ve been doing these past 10+ years and to invite a national organization in to visit our site and verify that its all according to their standards too.”

PHOTOGRAPHY BY FIRM MEDIA

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Builder profile | Radford Building Company

A Passion for Building. A Commitment to People.

s a custom builder, Jason believes every family and project is unique. That’s why he takes the time to listen, understand their goals, and learn what matters most. From there, he and his team guide them through a proven process built on thoughtful planning, clear communication, and exceptional craftsmanship. His goal is simple: help every family feel confident, informed, and cared for, from the first conversation through long after their project is complete. If you’re considering a new home build or remodel, Jason would welcome the opportunity to learn about your goals, answer your questions, and see if Radford Building Company is the right fit. “I love construction. I love walking a job site and watching the building process take shape: the smell of fresh dirt, sawdust in the air, and a family’s vision come to life. But what I enjoy most is building homes for the families who will live in them.” – Jason Radford, Founder

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ince 2013, CoCreations Construction & Design has been redefining the residential remodeling experience across Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, and the greater Triangle region. Led by founder Nick Syros and wife Ana Cristina Tavares, this award-winning, full-service design-build firm specializes in custom homes, large-scale renovations, additions, ADUs, and comprehensive, high-end kitchen and bath transformations. What sets CoCreations apart is their fully integrated designbuild approach. By bringing architecture, interior design, budgeting, material selections, and construction under one roof, they eliminate the friction of traditional remodeling. This streamlined process gives homeowners a single point of accountability, which maximizes efficiency, reduces delays, and prevents costly budget surprises. To empower clients to make informed decisions with absolute confidence, CoCreations leverages cutting-edge design technology. Long before construction starts, homeowners can step inside their future spaces using 3D renderings and elevations. This method of visual planning, combined with consistent, proactive communication, ensures that the client’s voice remains central to the process. It bridges the gap between imagination and execution, ensuring the finished space aligns perfectly with the family’s day-to-day needs. With decades of combined expertise, CoCreations has guided hundreds of Triangle families through the construction journey, earning multiple industry awards for excellence. Ultimately, the firm believes a home should reflect the unique lifestyle and aspirations of its owners. Through innovative design, clear communication, and meticulous craftsmanship, CoCreations transforms ideas into beautifully tailored spaces built to serve families for generations to come.

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ost design projects begin with a life transition: a new home, a new baby, an empty nest, a career change. Each milestone brings new needs, and those needs evolve over time. Cat French Design is here to help clients meet them. At its core, the team believes in designing homes that are meaningful, lasting, and truly loved. This kind of design requires a deeper understanding of who each client is, what they need, and the pieces they carry with them through life. Cat French Design wants to know each client’s unique story and tackle their specific design challenges to create a place that truly feels like home. This looks different for every person who walks through the door, and the team embraces helping each client discover their design happy place. Guiding clients through every step, the team creates a plan that touches each part of the design: reviewing floor plans and how spaces function, selecting details such as window treatments, tile, and lighting, and sourcing quality furnishings to complete each room. A well-designed home incorporates more than the furniture and paint colors. Architecture matters too, and Cat French Design has the depth of knowledge and the talented network to recommend thoughtful solutions that set clients up for long-term success. Cat French Design considers its most important role to be that of design advocate for the people with whom it works. Throughout the design process, the team dedicates itself to being a good steward of each client’s time and resources, creating a home that embodies how they feel, live, and function in their day-to-day life. From the first phone call to the placement of the final framed family photo, clients experience full team collaboration and support, and the result is a deeply personal, beautiful home. While Cat French Design ultimately creates beautiful, functional spaces, the designers also love getting their hands dirty with the fun, one-ofa-kind parts of the journey. They will design an entire room around a familial heirloom, build a color story throughout a home from a patterned fabric that a client falls in love with, or create a dedicated spot for the beloved piece that travels from one home to the next. Working with Cat French Design might mean recreating an updated version of your grandmother’s home, the one where the whole family gathered growing up, preserving a historic homestead, or refreshing a current space so it feels warm and inviting when the grandkids visit. The possibilities are endless, and Cat French Design has the expertise to guide clients through the process so that, at the end of the day, they have a place to rest their head that fully reflects who they are. Cat French Design looks forward to helping clients create their dream spaces!

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Finding Your Design Happy Place

RAH-RAH, CAR’LINA’LINA!

The voices from the sidelines to the stands leading the biggest cheers for UNC – plus everything to catch this fall

THE MUSIC MAN 68

O Jeffrey Fuchs has spent 30 years setting the soundtrack on game days BY M AYA K E AT I N G

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2026

n an October night in 2008, the lights went out in the middle of the third quarter at Kenan Memorial Stadium. As nearly 60,000 people sat in the dark, students started the wave. “Then the guy who is producing the game dropped ‘Kung Fu Fighting,’ and the place just erupted,” recalls Jeffrey Fuchs, UNC’s director of university bands. “It was incredible. That was an amazing night in Kenan Stadium.” For Jeffrey, the moment captured something he’s learned over three decades: the right song isn’t always the most popular one – it’s the one the situation calls for. Jeffrey always knew he wanted to pursue a career in music, inspired by his father, a high school band director. Originally from Missouri, Jeffrey earned a bachelor of music education at Truman State University and came to UNC more than 30 years ago. Today he directs the Marching Tar Heels, leads the men’s basketball bands and oversees various other pep bands and outreach programs. On most UNC game days, he starts with a ritual: heading to the stadium alone, hours before kickoff, and taking in the quiet before

PHOTO BY JON GARDINER/UNC

HIGH NOTES Jeffrey is looking forward to a lot this fall: • “I’m interested to see what football is going to do now that they’ve had time to build a roster.”

Last year’s football season opener against the Texas Christian University Horned Frogs at Kenan Memorial Stadium.

the noise. He finishes reflecting, then he walks over to the Bill Koman Practice Complex for a two-hour rehearsal with the band. After a team meal, Jeffrey and the band’s 250 members head to Wilson Library to perform as the football team arrives on campus, then make their way to The Pit for a pregame show. During each game, Jeffrey reads the crowd and the action on the field, calling music in the moment rather than following a set list. “I kind of have things categorized that I know,” he says. “If there’s good energy in the stands, this will sustain it. If there’s no energy in the stands, this might create it.” Despite the demands of the role, the excitement that drew him to it has never faded – much of it rooted in what his students bring to every performance and knowing that they spent months rehearsing before ever stepping into the stadium. “Without [my students,] none

• “I’m really excited to see how Erin Matson continues with field hockey. Those are big shoes to step into, and she’s filled them.” • “For us, we’re making some changes in what we do on the field at halftime, specifically to try to be more engaging and entertaining. I’m interested to see how it works. It may be great. It may be a flop, but at least we can say we tried.”

of this is possible,” Jeffrey says. “I can’t stress how much I trust them, I rely on them and I value them. I hope, in the end, they’re getting an experience that is worth their time and effort.” What’s kept him at UNC for so long is the community of his colleagues and students who continue to inspire him and challenge him to grow and learn. “There really is something about the Carolina way,” he says. “I’ve been very fortunate in my 30-odd years to work with people who epitomize that in everything they do.” CHM

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VIDEO BOARDS AND SOUND SYSTEM

RENDERING COURTESY OF ANTHONY JAMES PARTNERS

Kenan Stadium gained two new Daktronics video boards on the east and west ends, each measuring 31.5 feet by 106.5 feet with 8-millimeter pixel spacing. Nine LED ribbon boards wrap the seating bowl, displaying stats and game content. A new sound system replaces the current speakers for clearer audio coverage.

HOME-FIELD ADVANTAGE 70

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2026

As Kenan Stadium marks a century of hosting Tar Heel football, UNC unveils plans to celebrate its history – and elevate the game day experience – throughout the season

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COMMEMORATIVE LOGO A 100th season logo debuts on merchandise and commemorative items throughout the year. A dedicated website will host event details, historical features and fan engagement content.

CHAPEL THRILL CONCERT SERIES The Rams Club-sponsored concert series returns with a lineup that includes Chase Rice and DJ Diesel (aka Shaquille O’Neal). Don’t miss the shows on stage in front of Wilson Library each home game, starting about two hours before kickoff.

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Former players will return as honorary captains and participate in the Old Well Walk, which resumed last season. The stadium will also highlight the program’s five retired jerseys along with other honored numbers.

THROWBACK UNIFORM The Tar Heels will wear a throwback uniform from the 1980 ACC Championship team for one game this season (date TBD). The jerseys were worn by players including Amos Lawrence and Donnell Thompson. The helmets feature the UNC stairstep logo.

PRESS BOX RENOVATION The press box gets new furnishings, flooring and a dining area, funded in part by the Koman family. Wall graphics throughout will trace the stadium’s history from its 1927 opening to today. CHM

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One local student suits up as UNC’s mascot to spread Tar Heel pride

PHOTO BY JOHNNY ANDREWS/UNC

THE HEART BEHIND THE HORNS BY S O P H I A H E R N D O N

NC was losing to Boston College during the women’s ACC basketball tournament in March 2025, but the mascot wasn’t ready to accept it. RJ led the crowd, packed with local elementary and middle schoolers there on a special Kids Day, in victorious chants until the arena believed it too – and UNC pulled out the win. RJ was moved to tears. “It’s so emotional,” RJ says. “You’re overcome with this sense of spirit and community.” Many Tar Heel fans wear Carolina blue at games; only a select few suit up as UNC’s beloved mascots, Rameses and RJ. For nearly three years, one UNC student – now a senior – has built a deep bond with fans, traveled across the country and led countless chants as UNC’s RJ. Per UNC Athletics’ mascot policy, the student’s identity stays confidential until after graduation, so this story refers to them only as RJ throughout. Right now, just their close friends and family know about the role. RJ grew up in Orange County and developed a deep loyalty to the Tar Heels before committing as a student. “UNC always spoke to me,” RJ says. “I loved the sense of community that I felt whenever I would visit Chapel Hill.” RJ came across a housing newsletter with mascot auditions freshman year and saw a chance to put their theater background and athletic skills to use. At tryouts, the judges had RJ act out scenarios on the spot in the suit and even do pushups. RJ confirmed the suit – which takes about 15 minutes to put on – is just as hot as it looks. Mascots typically work three to five events a week during the academic year, attending games, tournaments, charity events, 5Ks, weddings and visits to UNC Hospitals to see young cancer patients. “I’ve grown to realize how even small interactions can

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2026

Seniors take a photo with RJ during the annual Bell Tower Climb at the MoreheadPatterson Bell Tower.

have a big impact on someone’s day,” RJ says. RJ’s other favorite moments so far include unplanned crowdsurfing at Kenan Memorial Stadium during a game against Duke and witnessing Seth Trimble’s legendary three-pointer against Duke that secured the win their junior year. RJ says the role has given them a greater appreciation for the university and a readiness for whatever comes next. Above all, this once-in-a-lifetime experience has shaped how they treat people, whether they’re inside the suit or out. “It’s so fulfilling that it doesn’t really seem like a job to me,” RJ says. “It’s part of my life now.” CHM

SAVE THE DATE! Don’t miss UNC’s teams in action this fall – with key home matchups across six sports, there is something for everyone! Field Hockey –vs. Old Dominion Sept. 11, 5 p.m. –vs. Syracuse Oct. 18, 2 p.m. Women’s Soccer –vs. Duke Sept. 17, 8 p.m. –vs. Stanford Oct. 23, 6 p.m. Men’s Soccer –vs. Stanford Sept. 11, 7 p.m. –vs. N.C. State Oct. 30, 7 p.m. Volleyball –vs. James Madison Sept. 3, 7 p.m. –vs. Stanford Oct. 25, 8:30 p.m. Football –vs. Notre Dame Oct. 3, TBA –vs. Miami Oct. 31, TBA Women’s Basketball –vs. N.C. Central Nov. 11, TBA –vs. LSU Dec. 2, TBA

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THE CAROLINA QUEST A UNC alum set out to maximize his fandom and ended up writing a book BY B E C K E T T B R A N T L E Y

This season, Dennis took it easy and only went to 184 events, including the Diamond Heels’ College World Series games in Omaha, Nebraska.

n November 1974, 14-year-old Dennis Goss went to his first Dennis joined them. Struck by how difficult it was to be a rower UNC football game. His best friend’s neighbor, Dr. Leighton even for a day, Dennis asked his wife for a rowing machine for his Alfred Raynor Jr., had extra tickets, so they drove from Apex birthday when he got home. for the game against Duke. By spring, Dennis smashed his goal, attending 225 events in With the Tar Heels down 13 in the fourth quarter, Dr. total. He got to know UNC baseball head coach Scott Forbes’ Raynor insisted they beat traffic. Halfway home on Highway family, gymnastics head coach Danna Durante and volleyball 751, they switched on the radio and heard Woody Durham excited. head coach Mike Schall. Before volleyball matches, Mike would UNC – down 7 – had recovered a Duke fumble and won, 14-13. find Dennis and ask for an update on his total. “That caused me to have a severe fear of The 2024 College Cup in Cary was Dennis’ missing out,” Dennis says. favorite experience. “It was like 27 degrees It was no surprise that he picked UNC for that night,” Dennis says of the evening his undergrad, where he attended plenty of UNC women’s soccer beat Duke in the games and reviewed film for The Daily Tar semifinals on the way to their 23rd national Heel his senior year. championship. “I had like six layers of Fifty years later, and recently retired from clothes on. It was so cold. But it was worth it a long career at IBM, Dennis looked to fill his to see that 3-0 win.” days and set out to attend 100 UNC sporting Wanting to document his experiences for events across all 28 Division I sports in his four granddaughters, Dennis began to • Plan ahead – goheels.com has a monthly calendar 2024-25, plus men’s ice hockey and junior gather his thoughts and got to writing. He with daily game schedules varsity basketball. recounted working in Japan in the mid-1990s for every sport, making it easy to plan out your True to his finance roots, he made a and watching games on VHS tapes weeks attendance. spreadsheet of every match and often hit after they happened, the secret of Rameses • Never leave early – the several games in one day. At the end of every Jr.’s lineage and the night of the 1982 national name Cardiac Carolina didn’t come from nowhere. contest, he took a selfie with the scoreboard. championship the year he graduated from UNC. • Make a day out of it – “The whole thing was just so much fun, and At a volleyball game, Dennis’s friend many teams play on the it kind of became an obsession for me to get Dan Lercher saw him taking notes. After same day, within walking distance of each other. the biggest number possible,” Dennis says. hearing about the quest, Dan suggested that • Don’t miss field hockey Dennis sometimes had to travel beyond he chronicle it in a book. Dennis’ book, “My or women’s soccer – Chapel Hill to meet his goal. He found out Carolina Quest,” came out in October 2025. you could be watching future champions! about a rowing exhibition against High Point “I kind of resisted it for a month or so,” at Jordan Lake where parents were going Dennis says. “But the more I thought about it, I to take boats out to watch their students, so thought, well, actually, that might be fun.” CHM

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TAR HEEL TURNOVER The first half of the game against Virginia Tech Feb. 28, 2026, saw six ties and eight lead changes as the Hokies and the Tar Heels battled it out. UNC would prevail with a final score of 89-82. This upcoming season brings many changes to the squad with several players entering the transfer portal or getting drafted. Perhaps the biggest change is at the top with Michael Malone taking over as head coach. He previously served as the head coach of the Denver Nuggets from 2015-2025.

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2026

TAILGATING TIPS Chris Elkins, Chapel Hill Magazine’s vice president of sales and a regular at UNC football games, shares her best ideas for pregame festivities • Make more food than you think you’ll need! The more the merrier! You never know who will stop by your tent, so come prepared with extras. Who doesn’t like feeling like they were an expected guest? • Embrace a theme. Sure, you could bring the same deviled eggs every week, but where’s the fun in that? Switch it up and have everyone bring a Mexican dish. One year around Thanksgiving, someone roasted a turkey, and we all brought sides. • Get there early! It’s about more than just fueling up before a game. It is about community and conversation while talking about the game! CHM

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CO LO R , C H A R AC TE R & CO NNECT I O NS I N O RAN GE COU N T Y

Taking Flight

92 78

SCE N E ARO U N D TOW N Snapshots of local events

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2026

PHOTO BY JOHN MICHAEL SIMPSON

A sunlit hallway becomes the sky in miniature, its walls hung with colorful ceramic birds caught mid-murmuration – the swirling, synchronized flight pattern birds form by the hundreds, usually at dusk.

C E L E BRAT I ON S Recent engagements & weddings

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Local Life

Moments That A look back at people, places Made the and events that Us shaped Chapel Hill

Porthole to the Past

Test Your Local Knowledge What role did the SS Chapel Hill Victory play in World War II? And what strange encounter did it have in the English Channel in 1945?

Cheap beer, yeast rolls and a beloved waiter made this spot a legend COU RTESY OF TH E CHAPE L HILL HISTORICAL SOCIET Y

ver wondered why the alley between Carolina Coffee Shop and the UNC Visitors Center is called “Porthole Alley”? We’re a long way from the ocean, and it’s been over 80 years since the U.S. Navy Pre-Flight School operated on UNC’s campus. A short stroll up Porthole Alley takes you to the not-very-nautically-themed business office of Carolina Performing Arts. Yet this is the site where the town’s most popular student restaurant once operated – the Porthole Restaurant, where you could enjoy a half-pound ground beef steak for $3.45 (plus 50 cents off on Mondays and Tuesdays), and wash it down with 25-cent beers, together with endless yeast rolls. It had been the location of a number of dubious establishments in the late 1930s and early ’40s – including Aggies and The Bloody Bucket – where Army and Navy ROTC cadets would engage in rivalries that often ended in brawls. In 1942, the property was purchased by Morrie Timmons and Willard Marley, who opened a restaurant called Marley’s and catered to a more sedate clientele. Yet

students, aware of its earlier reputation, nicknamed the locale “The Porthole.” Morrie and Willard, perhaps hoping to attract customers from the newly established Navy Pre-Flight School, soon adopted that as its legitimate name. The following year, Chapel Hill native Wallace Oldham Jr., a 1936 graduate of the Orange County Training School, returned to town looking for a job. He was hired as a waiter by Morrie and quickly developed a reputation for his outstanding people skills and ability to form bonds with customers. People remembered him. A man touring Russia sent a postcard addressed to only “Wallace in Chapel Hill,” thanking him for taking care of his children at the restaurant – and it was promptly delivered to him. According to a 1973 Chapel Hill Newspaper article, Wallace Oldham was “probably the only living waiter in North Carolina who has become a tourist attraction.” Air conditioning was installed in 1946 and contributed to the popularity of the establishment. The building was expanded in 1955. Sensing changing food trends in the 1960s, the restaurant began to add lighter fare, including seafood and salads. However, due to competition with other restaurants, the restaurant began to have financial difficulties in the 1980s and finally closed for good in 1985. Wallace Oldham retired after a career of over 30 years as the restaurant’s most prominent figure and later passed away in 1992. CHM

The Chapel Hill Historical Society has chronicled life in our community for 60 years. Check out its resources at chapelhillhistoricalsociety.org

CHHS Sources

“100 Porthole Alley/The Porthole Building,” Open Orange, openorangenc.org/ buildings/100-porthole-alley-porthole-building “Wallace Oldham,” 1972-1973 Town and Gown, The Chapel Hill Newspaper.

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2026

Send your answer to jessica@ chapelhillmagazine.com by Sept. 18. We’ll recognize one savvy reader in the next issue. Congrats to reader Sue Williams, who correctly guessed Wallace Oldham.

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Local Life

Home & Style Showcasing the best in architecture & design

Home Is Where the

Art Is

One local artist let nature guide his home's design

P H OTO G R A P H Y BY J O H N M I C H A E L S I M P S O N

he colorful murals of Durham native Gabriel Eng-Goetz stretch across parking garages and buildings. But his most personal project yet wasn’t a commission – it was his home. What started as a solo endeavor that he designed from the ground up has grown into a nature-driven, art-filled haven for Gabriel and his partner, Mary Helen Moore. 

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2026

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Home & Style

ABOVE Gabriel Eng-Goetz designed the long hallway knowing he wanted to have a site-specific art installation. LEFT A ladder leads up to a meditation room with an aesthetic inspired by Chinese opium dens. RIGHT Gabriel and Mary Helen Moore relax in the living room. His sister, Mira Eng-Goetz, designed the rug that was a housewarming gift.

CHM What was your vision for the house? GEG I was fortunate enough to design the house to our own specs, so it’s perfect for our needs. The land ultimately informed the layout, design and finish of the house. My artwork is inspired by nature and organic themes, and our house is no different. Old-growth oak, tulip poplar, maple, dogwood and beech trees populate my 2.5-acre lot hosting endless wildlife: flying squirrels, eastern box turtles, red salamanders, blue-tailed skinks, white-tailed deer, barred owls, red-tailed hawks, rubythroated hummingbirds, coyotes and black rat snakes. I wanted to build with the least impact on the land as possible [by] keeping as many trees untouched as possible, keeping the existing grade intact and focusing

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2026

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Home & Style

on an energy-efficient, nontoxic build. For the breezeway and back deck, we used thermally modified ash decking from Thermory instead of pressure-treated wood to reduce the use of harmful chemicals. The building materials were informed by the land as well. For example, we used native bald cypress exterior siding instead of non-native options. When designing the home, I was inspired by Scandinavian minimalism, Japanese woodworking aesthetics and various nature centers I visited over the years. Mary Helen and I want to be at peace when we’re home, and I think we’ve achieved that. I

ABOVE RIGHT The modern primary bath has both a tub and a walk-in shower. RIGHT Gabriel's work spans everything from murals and posters to album art and sculptures. BELOW Behr's Auburn Glaze – a deep, burnished copper – covers the office/guest room walls, echoing the iron-rich clay beneath the house.

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2.5

B AT H R O O M S

BEDROOMS

YEARS TO BUILD

By the Numbers

3,000

Home & Style

SQ UAR E FE E T

Local Life

consulted with my sister, Mira Eng-Goetz, on the interior design. She even designed the living room rug! To see everything come together after four years of obsessive work? I don’t think we’ll ever want to leave. CHM Did your design evolve over time? GEG Originally I designed the house to be half the size, with the studio space as the main focus. But that changed once I started dating Mary Helen. I quickly realized I needed to build a home for our new life together. The square footage went from 1,500 to 3,000 square feet. The redesign extended the building timeline, and I switched builders once I completed the larger floor plan. The entire process took four years from the original smaller design to the finished build. CHM What are some of the memories you’re looking forward to making in the house? GEG Hosting friends and family is important to us. The open layout, sliding glass doors and big windows facilitate big gatherings and give the house an open-air feel. The house is primarily single story for accessibility. The big breezeway is a great spot to hang out on warm days, and we made sure it was large enough to host a ping-pong table and deck chairs.

ABOVE AND RIGHT Gabriel says the land ultimately informed the layout, design and finish of the house. For example, he chose native bald cypress for the exterior siding instead of non-native options.

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2026

CHM You’ve created so much art within the community. What are some of your artistic goals for this home? GEG I create site-specific artwork as a career, so the opportunity to do so in this house was really gratifying and special, specifically because I got to collaborate with Mary Helen. I designed the long hallway knowing I wanted to have a sitespecific art installation. When we came to the idea of having a murmuration of ceramic birds move through the hall and into the stairwell, it really clicked. I also love collecting and showing friends’ artwork, so a lot of the walls, windows and lighting were designed for this purpose. Having a dedicated studio space at home has allowed me to create new artwork at my highest level yet. It’s all about focus, less distraction. Big open windows, natural

Home & Style

Local Life

ABOVE The breezeway is the perfect place for a competitive game of table tennis. LEFT The primary bedroom features a piece by Gabriel over the bed and a ’60s vintage Chinese screen. He chose green paint and pine wood for the ceiling to further reflect the natural colors of the land. The rocking chair is a family heirloom.

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Local Life

Home & Style

Design and Construction Team Design Gabriel Eng-Goetz Builders Architrave Construction Kitchen Cabinetry Griffin Wade, Clearly Custom Woodwork, and Bryce Williamson, Stokes Deck Materials Matt Stanzel, Thermory

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2026

ABOVE AND BELOW Gabriel's art studio features his own work as well as pieces by Ann Tilley, lan Nettleton, John Felix Arnold, Walmer Medina, Jason Clary, Justin Eisner and Estlin Haiss.

Home & Style

Local Life

light, the woods framing every view – all this together create the ideal working environment for me as an artist. The studio space has also allowed me to advance my amateur woodworking skills. My proudest project to date is the oak attic ladder. The studio is also large enough that I can collaborate and share ideas with other artists. CHM How did you decide on the layout and placement of rooms? GEG Sunlight was definitely a factor. The lot is fully wooded so the sunlight is limited, but most of the large windows are east facing to allow for warm, glowy mornings. The slope of the land also descends east, so the deck/walkway faces east to create more elevated dramatic views. The interior layout was designed to create long flowing pathways to make the home feel open and guided. Artwork was placed to lead the eye and help center the space. CHM Do you have any plans for the outdoor spaces surrounding your home? GEG We have plans to plant additional native bushes and plants around the foundation, but otherwise we want to leave most of the land untouched and let nature do its thing. I recently discovered some invasive wisteria that I’ve been going to war with, but otherwise we are embracing the existing flora.

ABOVE Gabriel's poster from the 1993 Festival for the Eno by Jennifer Nygard takes pride of place in the kitchen. LEFT Mary Helen's grandmother commissioned a wood-carved carousel zebra by Louis Dartanian that found a place in the den. "We love the weird handcrafted pieces of art, especially with a story," Gabe says.

CHM What do you like about the area? GEG We’re in the woods with dark starry nights but still just a 10- or 15-minute drive from downtown Durham, Chapel Hill and Hillsborough. We’re close to tons of nature trails to hike and bike, including Brumley [Family Nature] Preserve, Johnston Mill Nature Preserve, plus Duke Forest and New Hope Creek trails. Sidetrack Bar & Lounge and New Hope Market are less than a mile away and are both great. Some other nearby favorites are Chelsea Theater, Kaw Thoo Lei Asian Market and Crazy Alan’s Emporium. – as told to Courtney Hayes CHM

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Local Life

Scene Around Town Snapshots of local events

East Chapel Hill High School graduates Elias Gehi, Amar Verma, Fletcher Yost and Hayden Spencer.

East Chapel Hill High School graduates Laurel Ruvo and Mischa Dorn.

Chapel Hill High School graduates Henry Mullen, Ezra Wedding, Scott Painter, Sam Ragsdale and Noah Paden-Crozier.

East Chapel Hill High School graduates Silvana Punkay and Renée Maloney, Research Triangle High School graduate Tessa Roupe, Chapel Hill High School graduate Emily Tate and East Chapel Hill High School graduate Eden Papkov.

Carrboro High School graduate Hanzo Valentin and senior Lauren Curry.

Project Graduation BY E VA N OA R

Held at the UNC Student Union, the 34th annual Project Graduation “Sweet Sendoff” was a hit with more than 800 students in attendance. Project Graduation is a drug- and alcohol-free celebration for Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools seniors and their guests. Students enjoyed the Candyland-themed event and food from Chick-fil-A, Dunkin’ and more from 11 p.m. to 4 a.m. The Project Graduation planning committee raised $71,000 in preparation for the event that included karaoke, dodgeball, a casino, Just Dance, a photo booth, inflatables, hypnotist shows, raffle prizes and multiple $1,000 scholarships. CHM

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2026

East Chapel Hill High School graduates Ellie Vaughn, Parker Capps, Eve Bushnell, Virginia Fitch and Tali Kirschner.

Pylon Reenactment Society’s Jason NeSmith, Gregory Sanders, Vanessa Briscoe Hay and Kay Stanton.

Virginia Sloop, Ramona Martinez, Katharine Whalen, Em Gee and Mary Huff.

PHOTO BY MIKE BENSON PHOTO BY MIKE BENSON

Seth Carolina and Henri Cash of Starcrawler.

PHOTO BY DANIEL COSTON

Em Gee at the merch stand.

PHOTO BY JODI DONKEL

Mike Cook, Boykin Bell and Monica Romweber.

PHOTO BY JODI DONKEL

Local Life

Dex Fest

Paul Youngblood, Gabriel Pelli, Brent Shields, Jennifer Curtis and Katya Kramer.

PHOTO BY EM GEE

Kristin Gebeaux and Steven Gebeaux with a piece of Dex Romweber’s art.

PHOTO BY EM GEE

BY EVER HA R R I S

Dex Fest rocked its second annual celebration, honoring the life and legacy of local musician Dexter Romweber, who was known for his ability to create unique sounds through genre-blending. His friends and family brought together artists of Dex’s favorite genres – indie-alternative, blues-rock, garage, folk and more – to play various venues across Chapel Hill and Carrboro. Lapin Bleu hosted opening night on June 25, with the talented Jennifer Curtis & Friends setting the bar high for the weekend. The following two days at Cat’s Cradle saw several Chapel Hill bands taking stage such as Hot Brains, Entrez Vous and John Howie Jr. and the Rosewood Bluff in the main room, as well as bands like Night! Night! and Griz Tone (Flat Duo Jets) in the back room. Afterparties Friday and Saturday were hosted at The Cave, while the final wrap party took place on June 28 at Local 506. CHM

CHAPELHILLMAGAZINE.COM

Local Life

Scene Around Town

Event hosts Dixie Hapgood and Rus Hapgood.

Gene Holder and NCBGF director Pat Holder.

Event hosts Ken Shelton and Mia Pizzagalli.

Gala honorary chairs and event hosts Ritch Allison and Susan Allison.

Karen Wagoner, NCBGF director Donald Wagoner, event host Mary Andrews and NCBGF president Michael Andrews.

Allison Tucker and Jeff Tucker.

North Carolina Botanical Garden 60th Anniversary Gala BY E V E R H A R R I S | P H OTO GRAP H Y BY KAYLIN TSU KAYA MA

The North Carolina Botanical Garden celebrated six decades of conservation, education and connection to the natural world during a sold-out gala May 15 at The Barn at Fearrington Village. Guests dined on fare including roasted chicken, summer squash ratatouille and chocolate pie; competed in a spirited hat contest; and placed bids on items like a weekend getaway at Villa Pinea or a weeklong stay in Paris, and more, during a silent auction. The North Carolina Botanical Garden Foundation raised $278,000 in gifts and commitments, which will go toward enhancing the display gardens with new educational exhibits and engaging signage designed to elevate visitors’ experience and provide deeper insights into the plant life. CHM

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2026

Gala planning committee members Kim Fraser and Lindsley Bowen.

Scene Around Town

Local Life

Solgorithm and Marathon Monk Ultra BY SOPHI A A B B OTT

Participants tested their endurance and mindfulness June 5-6 at Sky Maple Farm during the Marathon Monk Ultra, running or walking alongside Japanese “marathon monk” Endo Mitsunaga, the 50th monk in recorded history to complete the legendary 1,000-day Kaihogyo walking meditation practiced by Tendai Buddhist monks on Japan’s Mount Hiei. Rather than racing against the clock, participants explored a 1-mile forest loop at their own pace, earning Mala beads for every completed lap to track their distance without clocks or cell phones. The experience concluded with the Solgorithm gathering featuring yoga, meditation, floating sound baths and talks from Endo and polar explorer Akshay Nanavati before a farm-to-table dinner and an empowerment ceremony. CHM

Hiromi Kawaguchi, Andrew Cocowitch, Endo Mitsunaga, Akshay Nanavati, Melissa Nanavati and Antonio Minor.

Chris Exline and Susan Exline completed more than 81 miles combined.

Endo Mitsunaga and Solgorithm founder Gavin Jocius.

UNITED WAY to the BOLD GOAL

Chatham by the numbers:

is the

49%

of Black & Hispanic children live in poverty vs. 8% White

221

$27/hr

Most families don’t need more programs. They need the right ones, working together. United Way of Chatham County leads two efforts built on that idea. The Chatham Success Network wraps schools, nonprofits and county agencies around a household, so a family gets coordinated support. This year the Chatham Success Network is supporting 24 households, 113 individuals, through 9 coordinated partners. Every week, the Chatham Housing Collective brings 9 organizations to the same table to tackle housing instability with shared data and a common plan aligned with Chatham County Government goals. Through our nonprofit allocations funding, United Way also invests in trusted local programs, from food access to early childhood development, so families have the full range of support they need to move forward.

31%

of renters are cost burdened

Children birth through 12th grade are experiencing housing instability

needed to afford a 1-bedroom rental

Sources: Chatham County Schools (June 2026), and the 2025 State of Chatham County Databook, including U.S. Census Bureau, NLIHC, Chatham County Schools and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

Chatham Success Network Partners

Our Bold Goal: end and prevent poverty for 2,000 people by 2030. It's ambitious. It's possible. And it's already underway.

This is systems change. This is Chatham. Join us. Give during the 2026 campaign at UnitedWayOfChathamCounty.org/Donate Chatham County

80%

of every budget dollar goes to programs

Subscribe to our monthly newsletter

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Celebrations

Collins & Essen BY S O P H I A H E R N DO N PHOTO G R A P H Y BY J E A N - L AU R E N T G AUDY, J E AN LAU R E N TG AUDY.COM

avid Collins was instantly captivated by Elia Essen when they met through UNC’s MoreheadCain scholarship program in 2015. Elia, on the other hand, saw David as a mysterious international student, not expecting a love story. A few months after their first meeting, when David fell out of his chair and laughed loudly at himself, Elia was just as taken with him. Their connection blossomed into a friendship, and after a few years, the pair decided the slow burn had lasted long enough, and they started dating. Eight years later, on Jan. 18, 2025, the couple went to their favorite lookout spot at Fort Tryon Park in New York City. During that overcast Saturday morning, David proposed. On May 16, 2026, the couple married in upstate New York, with an English countryside theme inspired by the film “Pride and Prejudice.” “With lanterns and floral elements and all the people we love most, it felt so magical on the big day,” Elia recalls. “We wanted the day to feel very personal, celebrating not just me and David’s love, but our love for everyone there.” The small guest list of about 90 people included groomsman Owen Essen, maid of honor Ardyn Flynt, and bridesmaids Cecelia Tannous-Taylor and Elizabeth Weaver. David works as a software engineer at Biograph, and Elia is the managing editor at Luxe Interiors + Design. The couple resides in New York City with their dog, Daisy. CHM

S P ONS ORE D BY

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2026

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