Pota Vallas
by Jessie Ammons photograph by Travis Long Pota Vallas, 107, took a 16-day Atlantic voyage to reach America in 1924. “I came from a little Greek town caled Chrysafa. It was like Garner or Cary, outside of Sparta,” she says. “I was…
Category: People
Chess on ice
by Ilina Ewen photographs by Missy McLamb Begun with the Scots in the sixteenth century, it is hailed as one of the world’s oldest – and coldest – sports. But that hasn’t stopped the recent and unlikely renaissance of the sport of…
Clark Hipolito: Art in motion
by Tracy Davis photographs by Nick Pironio Raleigh artist Clark Hipolito is a man in constant motion, a quality he shares with much of the art he makes. His reputation was built with murals and commercial interior design – art that stays…
Meredith at 125
by Leslie Maxwell Kristen Rivera, from Johns Creek, Ga., wasn’t considering applying to a women’s college. But after visiting the largest women’s college in the Southeast, she changed her mind. At Meredith College, she says, “I just felt really comfortable.” Now a…
Assad Meymandi: Polymath, humanist, philanthropist
by Liza Roberts photographs by Jillian Clark On a sunny afternoon in early December, Assad Meymandi hurried in to the Raleigh concert hall that bears his name. As seats began to fill for the North Carolina Symphony’s matinee performance of Baroque Christmas…
Q&A with Shaluka Perera
photograph by Kelsey Hanrahan No Raleigh brewery would be complete without a dash of the city’s famous entrepreneurial spirit: By day, Nickelpoint Brewing Co. co-owner Shaluka Perera, 41, is a business development program director at IBM; after hours, the Cary resident…
Spotlight: New Year, new you
by Mimi Montgomery photograph by Jill Knight Leah Friedman has always been organized. “Starting at 6, I would rearrange my bedroom furniture every weekend with my friend to maximize floor space,” she says. It’s a habit that followed her into…
Spotlight: Cheers to 90 years
by Jessie Ammons Whether you’re a local music enthusiast, film buff, or lecture-goer, you’ve likely been to the Carolina Theatre in Durham. The city-owned, nonprofit historic complex screens independent films daily and hosts a diverse array of musicians, comedians, and other…
Raleigh Beer and Hymns
“When people come to a pub, they’re seeking community. So we’re here, we sing hymns, we do pray together at the end, and that’s it.” –Rev. Claire Clyburn, Methodist minister and co-founder of Raleigh Beer and Hymns by Jessie Ammons photograph…
Dwight Hawkins
“I don’t think (people) have any idea of the amount of work, the miles you’ve got to walk, the times you’ve been rained on, and all the trains you miss, and when you’ve been broke and hungry in order to…
Building luxury
Training ground: Raleigh by Jessie Ammons photographs by Justin Cook In one of N.C. State’s sleek Centennial Campus buildings, 42 graduate students study a pyramid graphic on a screen in front of them. The pyramid illustrates the upper echelon of the world’s…
Hoops country
How a group of dreamers, schemers, and other North Carolinians gave birth to modern basketball by Scott Ellsworth North Carolinians possess an embarrassment of basketball riches. We are a land that can lay claim to Dean Smith and Jim Valvano, David…
Shavlik Randolph
Resilience, determination, staying power by Settle Monroe photographs by Justin Cook When 6-foot-10-inch, 240-pound Shavlik Randolph lumbers into a Raleigh Starbucks, all eyes in the cafe look up. And up. And up. Standing customers step aside to make room for…
Duane Raver: Illustrating Wildlife
by Liza Roberts photographs by Nick Pironio Down a pebbly road, in a wood-framed studio in a rural corner of Garner, wildlife artist Duane Raver is perfecting a swan. Its wings stretch across his canvas, feathers precise in number, formation, and color….