The Chamber of Commerce Gingerbread display comes down this Friday, and if you missed it you can get a taste of the designs here, but the photos don’t do the details justice. Make sure to check it out in person before 5 p.m. on Friday when the Chamber office in the Depot closes.
Read about one family’s annual tradition participating in the contest.
News About and Around Town: There is a Board of Commissioners meeting this Monday, and it’s overflowing with agenda items. At 5:30, before the actual meeting, Commissioners will meet to discuss zoning for the warehouse property on East John St.
Following the discussion, at 6 PM, is a reception honoring Planning Director Kathi Ingrish, who is retiring this year.
During the regular Council meeting, the floor will be open for public comment on several rezoning applications. Application 2018-691 is for a mixed-use development which will include 121 townhomes on three acres at Idlewild and I-485. One property on West John is an application to rezone a residential lot, R-20, to office, O(CD). A third rezoning item, 2018-693, is simply to update the land use code for several properties in Crestdale to match the current Unified Develpment Ordinance.
The Board may vote on several items on Monday, including rezoning property on the Novant Hospital Campus to allow for office building construction. The Small Area Plan Overlays are back, the Board will once again have the opportunity to approve or deny the plans.
Beyond planning, the agenda contains fairly typical meeting items but there are a few worth noting. When NCDOT begins Independence Blvd improvements it will be up to the town to choose and fund pedestrian/bicycling improvements through the corridor. The Board will discuss this Monday night. They will consider the John Street Working Group's design and decide for or against adoption. Another item up for consideration is the 2019 Legislative Agenda, which lays out the expectations of the Town’s role in governing in tandem with the NC General Assembly.
One Fun Thing: If it’s not snowin’-up-a-storm this Saturday, we’ll be out at The Loyalist (435 North Trade St.) with Good Cup Coffee for our second Hyperlocal Holiday Pop Up of the season! Warm up with a bowl of The Loyalist’s legend(wait for it)ary soup, then stroll the pocket park in the side yard and shop handmade-wares while sipping on the tummy warming goodness of Good Cup cocoa.
If you haven’t checked out the Hyperlocal Holiday Gift Guide, we went live this past Friday and it’s good. REALLY REALLY GOOD.
Our participants are truly small businesses working extra hard to earn your support. From financial coaching to custom jewelry, from sleds at Renfrow’s to delightful desserts, there’s something to satisfy everyone’s tastes (mmmm…ice cream cake). Treat your bestie to a reiki session then treat yourself to some luxurious handmade bath bombs.
Check out the gift guide then get to (hyperlocal) shopping!
“We have more than 300 artists and craftsmen, many of them will be demonstrating their work. (Our) show is rated in the top 100 fine art and craft shows by Sunshine Artists, which rates more than 100,000 shows in the country.”
Image courtesy Carolina Shows
Bob and Janice Hunt started Carolina Shows Inc. in Matthews 40 years ago, but you may not recognize the business name. More likely you’ll recognize their holiday-dressed mouse (Curtis) or the name of their annual craft shows: Christmas Made in the South. Every October artists and crafters from all over the US kick off their holiday sales season by setting up booths for three days in Cabarrus Arena. Over the long weekend, they’ll see about 15,000 shoppers. Those shoppers trek from all over the Carolinas and beyond to the Cabarrus Arena for the Charlotte-area Christmas Made in the South Show.
About 20 years ago the Hunts’ son Russ joined the office crew. Despite growing up involved in the show production, Russ wasn’t initially interested in continuing the legacy. After graduating college with a theater degree the younger Hunt tried it out for a season and was hooked. Russ remembers, “That first year was insane, scary and fun so here I am 20 years later and still having a good time with the shows. It's nice to provide this experience to communities and wonderful to see what a tradition it's become to so many people.”
Image courtesy Carolina Shows
It’s no easy feat organizing a craft show where each vendor is responsible for making their own unique wares for sale. Nothing commercially made or manufactured is allowed, a standard that keeps the business operating full-time year round. Carolina Shows employs five people in their Matthews office and hires an additional 5 part-time employees to help operate the show itself.
While holiday ornaments in retail stores seem out of place in September, Carolina Shows begins even earlier. Their holiday season during the summer, when vendor applications begin arriving in the daily mail. The applications are processed and then judged based on the quality of artists’ work. “There has to be creativity with their work as we do not allow any commercial products in our shows,” Russ explains. “A good rule is that it has to be at least 50% altered to be considered a craft.”
“We have more than 300 artists and craftsmen,” says Janice, the show director. “Many of them will be demonstrating their work. (Our) show is rated in the top 100 fine art and craft shows by Sunshine Artists, which rates more than 100,000 shows in the country.” Each show is carefully curated to include a diverse group of vendors, from blown and stained glass to handmade clothing, and jewelry. Only a few crafters of each genre are accepted, including the fanciful polymer clay work of Matthews Artist Karen Elizondo.
Every October artists and crafters from all over the US kick off their holiday sales season by setting up booths for three days in Cabarrus Arena. Over the long weekend, they’ll see about 15,000 shoppers.
From their Matthews office near the Brace YMCA, Carolina Shows produces six Christmas Made in the South shows starting with Charlotte. After that the full tour includes Columbus, GA, Macon, GA, Savannah, GA, Jacksonville, FL and the season ends in Charleston, SC. Carolina Shows also organizes one spring show in Savannah, GA.
Brainstorming for the future, Russ hopes to one day create an "Outside Division" of shows and have more outdoor arts and crafts fairs. He laments, “It's tricky though to find the correct location and economically it's a bit tough.” In the meantime, they’ll continue to produce incredible arts and crafts shows, and it all starts in Matthews.
Nearly one year after Kirsten Michaud had a double mastectomy, she found herself looking for something which would give her joy and peace, especially when looking at the scars on her chest.
“I realized that the other options weren’t going to do it for me,” said Michaud. “My (breasts) were never going to look the same again…..I just wanted something to cover the scars and make it beautiful.”
Photo by Cyma Shapiro
She decided that a mastectomy tattoo would suit her best. And, so began a search through tattoo parlors, seeking the right place and the right person, all the while mindful that she needed a place close to her house – she knew she was still recuperating and needed to do this work slowly.
Enter Mike “Ike” Trimboli, a tattoo artist at Infamous Ink Tattoo Studio (11229 East Independence Boulevard – Suite #1) who had experience with self-harm and tummy-tuck clients – individuals who wished to have tattoos cover up their arm and tummy scars, respectively.
They nearly immediately “clicked.”
“It’s really important that you have a connection with your tattoo artist because you are going to be spending numerous hours with them, in close proximity and super-exposed. You know what I mean? I laid in that back room half-naked for eight hours, so that’s something ….we hit it off well, right ‘off the bat.’ “
After carefully designing the image, Ike needed to ensure that the design would take into consideration the scar areas and the “form and flow of the body and make sure it would match.”
“I realized that the other options weren’t going to do it for me. My (breasts) were never going to look the same again…..I just wanted something to cover the scars and make it beautiful.”
The tattoo application took place in the three sessions over approximately two months. When it was over, Kirsten was overjoyed. Ike felt as if he had truly helped someone.
“My mom’s a nurse,” Ike said, explaining that he, too, had found a similar desire to help others. “When you give tattoos, you don’t really help people other than giving them cool tattoos….it’s skin deep. When I started doing the self-harm clients, I felt like I was helping people. They started wearing short sleeves again. And with the mastectomy tattoo, it was like ‘Wow!’ – this is really fulfilling. (I decided that) I can help more people and I just drew from that,” he said.
It’s really important that you have a connection with your tattoo artist because you are going to be spending numerous hours with them, in close proximity and super-exposed.
Michaud saw the impact the experience had on Ike. “I got the feeling that Ike got a lot out of helping me thru this process and that he wanted to continue doing this (work),” said Michaud.
And, so they joined forces to combine their paths into a common and shared goal. “We talked about how expensive tattoos are ($800-1800),” said Michaud. “After treatments and medical bills, that’s not an expense that most women can afford and, of course, it’s not covered by insurance. So this idea came that maybe we’d start a (nonprofit) and we’d pay for the mastectomy tattoos.”
Michaud quickly secured a Board of Directors and formed a 501(c)(3). In January of this year, Inked Phoenix was born. She began visiting tattoo parlors in North, and, then, South Carolina. “I’m looking at the environment they are going into. I want to make sure that they have a private room; that they are comfortable there.” It is Michaud’s fervent desire that everything, including the business aspect, is handled beforehand and that the entire process goes smoothly for applicants who have already endured significant emotional and physical pain.
“I’ve already done the hard work. They can go down the list and pick whichever one they want.” Clients don’t handle any money; the funds are transferred from Inked Phoenix to the tattoo parlor. Inked Phoenix subsidizes 100% of the work at the artist’s rate.
“After seeing how much work Ike put into it and realizing the skill-factor needed to complete a mastectomy tattoo, to have to sit there and listen to someone tell their (survivor) story and go through (all) the emotions, I really felt like they need to be compensated for that,’ Michaud said. “And, they should be. It’s their talent….It’s not easy to work on scar tissue.”
“I have a scar line that (when Ike touched it) it nearly sent me off the table,” she said. “That’s the other reason (the artists must have experience) - they are working with scar tissue – it’s not just the texture of it, but understanding that you are going to have nerve endings that have feeling and nerve endings that have no feeling.” Tattoo artists need to “be patient enough to understand that,” said Michaud.
This year, nearly one dozen applicants are expected to receive tattoos - a number she expects will double next year. And, Michaud’s goal is to expand into more Carolinas locations and possibly beyond (tattoo artists in Florida and Nevada have contacted her asking to be involved).
“I didn’t want women to have to drive that far because it’s exhausting,” said Michaud. “You’re laying on the table, your adrenaline is flowing, your endorphins are going, and it’s such an emotional experience. Having to drive (many) hours after that is ridiculous.”
Photo courtesy Inked Phoenix Project
While navigating the new nonprofit, Michaud decided to also add veterans into the mix. (Her son and husband are both in the military). “This was another group which would benefit from this. You (wouldn’t) have to see your scars all day…….. A lot of vets say, ‘I didn’t even think to do this.’”
To attract contributors and clients, Michaud has started speaking to breast cancer survivors/groups; reached out to veterans and breast cancer organizations/nonprofits; sold t-shirts and has spread the word at tattoo festivals and Harley Davidson festivals/gatherings. “We are slowly but surely getting the word out…..when you talk about tattoos and breasts, it isn’t warm and fuzzy.”
What is her most motivating factor? “The passion is because I know how it changed my life and I get an email back from a woman who tells me that it’s the first time she’s worn a bathing suit in years, because you don’t notice the scar right away. Or, a woman whose daughter says she looks like a “badass” and I know it makes her feel good because her daughter notices (it). I just think this is something that should be available. It should not be a choice, simply because you can’t afford it.”
Photo courtesy Inked Phoenix Project
In the future, Michaud said she hopes that doctors will begin suggesting mastectomy tattoos as a possibility. “Mastectomy tattoos aren’t something that even doctors talk about…they don’t present it as an option.” She also intends to continue expanding her nonprofit and her work. “I just want to stay on this mission,” Michaud said. “It’s important that you have a good rapport with your tattoo artist. I’ve known Ike for 2 ½ years now. He was such a part of such an emotional experience with me that he, until I die, will be a part of my life - just because of that.”
