New nonprofit will host popular annual event, the nationally touring Wild & Scenic Film Fest, August 19-21. How did the last local Wild & Scenic Film Festival in 2019 become its largest ‘On Tour’ event?“I think it’s because of the way we choreograph it.And the capacity potential we’ve got. We have an amazing urban footprint downtown now that’s walkable, with all these amazing outdoor...
The Chill Power Couple Columbus Needs Right Now Who — or what — is an Afro Hippy? “The term is more so to represent the alternative Black culture and the subcultures within that. Things I’m into: nerd culture, photography, things of that nature. On her side, it’s holistic care and the wide variety of things that play into that.We did the Afro-Hippy event [June 26 at the...
A conversation with Jonathan Frederick Walz, Ph.D., Director of Curatorial Affairs & Curator of American Art, at the Columbus Museum. He is curator of the exhibition Alma W. Thomas: Everything Is Beautiful, which stats a national tour on July 9 at the Chrysler Museum of Art in Norfolk, Virginia. The exhibition concludes in Thomas’ hometown at the Columbus Museum, where it will be on...
Senior Pastor, St. Luke United Methodist Church Why do you think God called you to come lead St. Luke as Senior Pastor?“The ‘Why?’ will come about down the road. I don’t know the ‘Why?’ yet.But I can 100% percent say that God has definitely called us here to Columbus at this time in our lives. We know that because we were not looking to move. We were not planning to move. We didn’t ask for this...
What led you to the life of a luthier?“A desire to not go to more school. I went to the University of Georgia. It was May and I was about to graduate with a psychology degree but I in no way wanted to go to graduate shool, which is your option with a psychology degree.So I was trying to think of something to do. I had been playing guitar for a couple of years and I wanted some work done on one of...
Columbus native, and professional baseball fan Taylor Blackwell 6.4.2021 Even before the baseball season has begun, the Chatt-A-Hoots have already secured a long list of sponsorships from among the most well-known and respected businesses in town. What does that mean for the franchise to have that level of support in place as it swings into action? “It’s just organic marketing. It’s a real...
Army Buddies: Joe Farruggia (left) and Jonathan Gaver (right) When did you serve in the Army and in which division?Joe: “We were privates together in 21 Infantry in the ‘90s, back when it was out of Ft. Wainwright in Alaska. I was in before 9/11.”Jonathan: “I served from 94 to ‘99, then I came back in 2002.”Why did you decide to re-enlist?Jonathan: “One, I missed the camaraderie of the Army...
Why have you taken on growing fresh produce and eating well as a personal cause?“Because food sovereignty is a community effort. If I am affected, indirectly or directly, then the whole community is affected by the lack of food.Being a food/agriculture activist, I can’t sit by in a food desert — having the skills that I have to grow food and to teach people to grow food — and do nothing. My...
The MercyMed staff was on the frontlines in treatment and testing for COVID since the earliest days of the pandemic. How were y’all able to take such an aggressive approach?“We just saw a need. So I called the Health Department and asked, ‘How can we help?’ That was the day that the governor gave his first speech about it. They said, ‘We need someone to help us test.’We did the first...
How would you describe the concept of Food Is Medicine? “It should be our first line of defense. What we put into our bodies is so important as far as nutrition and nourishment. The concept of Food Is Medicine is around that — just putting the right things, like fresh fruits and vegetables, into your body. Nothing that’s processed, no GMOs, so there’s no chemicals — things that are not good for...