Fight Club
by Charles Upchurch photographs by Geoff Wood In a warehouse across from Meredith College, Wes Caudill is running a fight club. Boxing and fencing, two of the oldest sports on earth, are finding new blood at his NBS Gym. The…
Category: Community
An unassuming trailblazer: Holly Aiken
by Samantha Thompson Hatem photographs by Chris Fowler Holly Aiken is talented at many things. Making cool handbags. Creating captivating window displays. Trailblazing where others wouldn’t. But singing her own praises? It’s not part of Aiken’s style. Yet her modest,…
The designers of Boylan Heights
by Amber Nimocks photographs by Travis Long Maybe Boylan Heights owes its creative spirit to close quarters. Living there means knowing one’s neighbors, and those neighbors tend to be creative types with eclectic interests. The neighborhood, which spans just six…
Other people’s stories: Patrick Torres meets his new city
by Andrew Kenney photographs by Nick Pironio Patrick Torres watches from the front of the hall as people take the stage one by one. He hears them lay bare their own true stories: The woman who found a moment of…
Debra Capps
by Jessie Ammons photograph by Travis Long “I have four teenage boys, so the State Fair is a big event for us. My family just walks around testing the food for the most part. We go in a big circle.” –Debra Capps,…
Monica Laliberte
by Mimi Montgomery photograph by Travis Long “If I could have 12 dogs, I would.”– Monica Laliberte, WRAL 5 on Your Side reporter and Canine Companions for Independence volunteer You probably know Monica Laliberte as the face of WRAL’s 5 On Your…
Man-Mur: Live comedy, fine shoes
by CC Parker photograph by Jason Dail Tucked into a tiny, unassuming shopping center in the heart of Wolfpack country, Man-Mur Shoe Shop on Hillsborough Street may look like a run-of-the-mill shoe repair place, but for its longtime customers, Man-Mur…
On a global stage: A day in the life of the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences
by Liza Roberts photographs by Chris Fowler When 1,700 museum professionals from 30 countries gather this month at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences for the prestigious global Association of Science-Technology Centers convention, these international scientists, researchers and educators will…
The North Carolina State Fairgrounds: No one-trick pony
by J. Peder Zane photography by Nick Pironio Ladies and gentleman, children of all ages, step right up and prepare to be bedazzled, bewitched, mesmerized and amazed. For a limited time only, you can witness the biggest, fiercest, most commanding creatures…
Denise Hughes: From earthly trash to maritime treasure
by Samantha Thompson Hatem photographs by Nick Pironio Before you even read this, go ahead and pull out a recycling bag. Denise Hughes asks that you kindly fill it with plastic bottle caps. All sizes and colors are welcome. And don’t…
Larry Larson
by Jessie Ammons photograph by Travis Long “When you waltz to Nine Inch Nails or Pearl Jam, it’s like, holy cow, this is fun.” – Larry Larson, founder and CEO, Larry’s Coffee Nine years ago, Larry Larson’s doctor asked…
Landing the big one: Kelly Barefoot lures them in
by Charles Upchurch photographs by Geoff Wood The airbrushed colors come at night. The green and orange of an autumn leaf. The silver-blue of darting fish. Soon, the airbrush is out again. Flawless transitions. Scale patterns in geometric perfection. As a…
Miss North Carolina
by Jessie Ammons photograph by Travis Long “I can’t wait for the Meredith College Sizzlin’ September concert. I have been a student at Meredith for the past two years and this is always one of my favorite things.” –Kate…
It’s unreal: Game time in Raleigh
by Andrew Kenney photographs by Tim Lytvinenko Cliff Bleszinski lived on the Internet before the rest of us did. The video-game chat rooms of the late 1990s buzzed about his work, and they exploded when “CliffyB” himself logged on. He…