The Monthly is a fresh roundup of stories we’ve published in our print edition and highlights from our archives. We also include DATEBOOK, a list of can’t-miss regional events for your calendar.
IMAGINE » Under the Knife
The intricate paper works of Conway-based artist Charles Clary are more than meets the eye
Editor’s Note: The story below is edited from Angie Toole Thompson’s piece “Under the Knife” in our spring 2024 issue.
CHARLES CLARY’S EYES TWINKLE behind cobalt-rimmed glasses. He’s reflecting on a key muse for his artwork. “There’s a certain beauty to it,” he says—almost confessing—and he’s right. His muse has a formidable beauty, like an alien flower, ineffably ethereal but persistent in its all-consuming growth. You’d hardly guess he’s talking about a cancer cell.
Most of Clary’s references have this in common, the marriage of the utterly mundane with the grotesque. Through his intricate cut-paper compositions, Clary summons the imposing beauty of uncontrollable growth into otherwise pedestrian environments, effecting a kind of pop-horror, technicolor memento mori.
“I’ve always had an interest in microbiology,” says Clary. That interest took a serious turn, along with his art, in 2013 when he lost both of his parents to smoking-related cancers. The diagnosis found its way into Clary’s work, whose foundational influences include the growth and movement of such things as sound waves and archipelagos. “I was so inundated with medical terminology . . . that it started infiltrating the work.”
Clary leaned into his conceptual art, exploring themes of nostalgia, longing, and destruction in his drywall series. These pieces jam eerily familiar textures and patterns with the unstoppable, unknowable, and growing world beyond.
CURATE » Page by Page
A husband and wife merge artistic interests to create a Buckhead showstopper
ARTIST LUCIAN FREUD had a meticulously detailed and deliberate approach to his paintings, often with juxtaposition of models in the composition. He is a fitting namesake for Lucian Books and Wine, the entwined and highly curated vision of partners in life and business, Katie Barringer and Jordan Smelt.
“Books are a way for me to combine both my interest in wine as well as visual arts,” says Barringer, former proprietor of Cover Books. Much like the beloved shuttered bookshop, the book assortment at Lucian is high caliber. “It’s a very intentional selection,” she says, “a lot of things that you can’t find in Atlanta.”
The space is also a showcase for Chef Jason Paolini’s remarkable cuisine, conceived with wine in mind. It’s seasonal and concise, with dishes meant to be shared. We designed it intentionally so that should a group want to enjoy everything together, the format works,” says Barringer.
Read Angela Hansberger’s full story about Lucian Books & Wine on our website.
FEATURE » Turning of the Tide
Three new dads decide to revitalize and steward one acre of salt marsh on the Charleston peninsula
MAYBE THE MOST DESTRUCTIVE FORCE to the climate is not fossil fuels or deforestation or corporate greed, but futility. As human impact on the planet has worsened, so has the collective outlook. Many of us live with a deep resignation about the state of the world, a sense that it’s too late to do anything—so we do nothing. Now, if anyone gets a brief pass on trying to save the planet, it’s brand-new parents navigating life in the midst of a global pandemic. But for three Charleston neighbors who had all just welcomed their first child, the moment had the opposite effect. Action, of any scale, felt more necessary than ever before. So they applied the lessons of their season of life: baby steps add up.
Blake Suárez, Joel Caldwell, and Dr. Blake Scott are the founders of The M.A.R.S.H. (Marsh Appreciation and Restoration Society for Happiness) Project, a grassroots and community-based program working to revitalize and advocate for the unique marshland ecosystems in Charleston, South Carolina. It’s a long name for an effort that began with a simple question among three new-ish dads. What if we could revitalize and steward just one acre of the marsh in our neighborhood?
For Kathryn Davé’s full story about The M.A.R.S.H. Project, go to our website.
DEVOUR » Mission Mexico
Asheville-based chef Luis Martinez preserves his Oaxacan culinary roots through Tequio Foods
CHEF LUIS MARTINEZ calls himself privileged. It’s not a term often used by people who’ve suffered intense discrimination. Based in Asheville, North Carolina, for the last decade, Martinez is an indigenous Oaxacan, a political refugee and immigrant, and a United States citizen. He’s also fluent in his native Zapotec language, Spanish, and English. “I’m very unique,” he says. “I have that privilege. I need to use it.”
His particular blend of cultural experiences and hardships has shaped an equally unique relationship to food, compelling him to action, education, and preservation. Martinez landed years ago on a seemingly narrow area of focus—maíz, or corn traditionally grown and revered by his people in Oaxaca. In reality, maíz is prismatic, a singular topic that, when brought to light, reveals a spectrum of hues, uses, and significance.
When the idea first sprouted for Tequio Foods, Martinez’s company dedicated to supporting indigenous maíz farmers and showcasing the crop’s time-honored culinary uses, the environment wasn’t kind. “People made jokes and didn’t take me seriously,” Martinez says. He turned that into motivation. “That was, like, the gas for the whole thing,” he says. “It’s not possible? Watch me.”
Through importing indigenous farmers’ crops, hosting culinary pop-ups, developing retail food products, and in 2024 leading tours to Oaxaca that will benefit only indigenous travel partners and members of his community, Martinez is achieving his dream of creating a local economy for his region. “I want to teach my own people. I want to tell people, if you work hard, it is possible. Sometimes you will like to quit. That’s what it’s like trying to build a dream.”
Read Ariel Blanchard’s full story about Luis Martinez on our website.
WANDER » Mountain Pose
Discover a rare balance of adventure and relaxation at Cataloochee Ranch, the newly restored Smoky Mountain getaway
Editor’s Note: The story below is edited from Kathryn Davé’s piece “Mountain Pose” in our summer 2024 issue.
NESTLED HIGH ON A MOUNTAINTOP in the Smokies, Cataloochee Ranch has been adored for its rare views and proximity to Great Smoky Mountains National Park since the Alexander family founded it nearly a century ago. Reopened in 2024, the mountain ranch has undergone a thoughtful transformation by its new proprietors, welcoming guests with beautifully restored accommodations, modern amenities and activities, and the same heart-stopping views and horse rides.
The ranch has unlocked that rarest luxury of all: balance. Rustic touches throughout the entire property honor the ranch’s mountain heritage and equestrian history, while modern comforts enrich the experience.
Opportunities for adventure abound—from the ropes challenge course to archery to horseback riding—yet tree swings and rocking chairs cozily scattered over the grounds offer plenty of chances to sit and shoot the breeze. Guests can take on the trails for a scenic ride or hike, or sink into the bliss of mountain spa treatments.
Once I identified this delightful push and pull, I saw it everywhere. Luxurious, but approachable. Energizing, but restful. As my husband and I enjoyed a cocktail in the red-lacquered Tack Room bar (ease) after finishing the thrilling ropes course (exhilaration), I imagined returning with my children. Cataloochee Ranch has created a place where just about anyone can find their share of fun.
CELEBRATION » Cool Classic
Asheville’s Chemist Spirits crafts a signature cocktail
JOIN US IN ASHEVILLE to celebrate the release of our summer 2024 issue with Chemist Spirits and sample the Bee’s Knees, our official summer cocktail, featuring Chemist’s Barrel Rested Gin. Guests will receive a cocktail and a copy of our summer travel issue. Join us for a beautiful afternoon on the roof of Antidote, Chemist’s Prohibition-style bar.
Sunday, June 23, 3–5 p.m. Antidote, Asheville, NC. Click here to grab your tickets!
DATEBOOK »
Upcoming events on our radar
June 17. Chef Collaboration Dinner with Luis Martinez and Carlos Baez. Mr. Crisp, Greenville, SC.
June 20. Celebration of Summer with Lail Winery, Chef Jeb Aldrich & Guest Chef Graham House. Cataloochee Ranch, Maggie Valley, NC.
July 27. 20th Annual Sweetgrass Festival. Mount Pleasant, SC.
July 31 & Aug 21. Fifth-Annual Tomato Dinners. Topsoil Restaurant, Travelers Rest, SC.
Aug 17–18. Piedmont Park Arts Festival. Atlanta, GA.
FROM THE ARCHIVES »
One year ago . . .
BEFORE WE LAUNCHED Vessel into print, we published short issues here on Substack. Take a look at Issue 8, featuring artist Dorothy Shain, go-to summer bottles from Ed Buffington of Greenville’s Community Tap, plentiful plants, and more.