Scraps of paper, forgotten photographs, old magazines – these are the things that make Julie Umberger’s eyes light up. She knows she can take these bits and pieces and turn them into astounding creations. Each find is an opportunity to tell a story and spark inspiration for her viewers. Julie graduated in 2009 with her BFA in studio art and spent many years expressing herself through painting. About a year and a half ago, feeling…
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Across from Jordan High School lies a small, unassuming corner of buildings, tucked away in an off-the-beaten-path neighborhood. For a long time, this little smatter of shops was forgotten and abandoned, frozen in time while other parts of the city saw new growth. That’s changed now. New signs proudly advertise the arrival of a host of amazing new businesses. A waft of incense fills the air, and a buzz of excitement circles the street, drawing…
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When the pandemic was in full effect, many people were faced with the opportunity to make creative life changes and look at their lives from a new perspective. Michael Woodham, a Columbus native, found himself in this very situation, a situation which led to the creation of his mobile bar service, TapWagen Columbus. Experience in the service industry has given Michael an understanding of what it means to build connections. “I mastered the art of…
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A locally owned business brings South American style shoes and apparel that are just right for anyone this holiday season. After spending several years in South America, his wife’s home continent, John Orr and his family returned to Columbus to settle down. Deeply impacted by his time in Chile and Peru, John felt drawn to the area’s culture and style, so he brought some remnants of the countries back with him. “The culture is so…
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The stage at a Chickasaw Mudd Puppies show looks more like the setting for a play based on a Faulkner novel than a backdrop for a band melding country blues, rockabilly, and punk.In their early 1990s prime, Brant Slay, the stringy-haired singer, percussionist, and multi-instrumentalist, perched himself in a ratty ladder-back rocking chair. He teetered with nervous energy throughout songs, dragging a rhythm with spoons on a washboard around his neck, or playing harmonica, dancing…
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The swirling rapids of the Chattahoochee have wound their way through our home for hundreds of years, but only recently have they become a worldwide phenomenon. These waters are a magnet, attracting some of the best rafters and kayakers from around the globe. It’s taken a lot of work, from the engineers and dreamers who made the rapids happen to the businesses and local leaders who realized the potential of the river and worked to…
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The Well – Owner, Debbie Spear She looks like a friendly neighborhood soccer mom, but Debbie Spear’s mission to help Columbus with CBD makes her anything but ordinary. After serving nearly 20 years in education and ministry, Debbie read a blog post that would change her life. The post, which was about the benefits of CBD, intrigued her immediately, since her husband Eddie had been dealing with chronic pain. A natural, alternative way to deal…
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Some people are born to be storytellers. They have it in their blood – the ability to thread language and image into new worlds. It’s not impossible to learn this art; even the best artists will tell you their hard work and dedication got them farther than any birthright talent. Yet it would be hard to describe Natalia Temesgen as anything other than a born storyteller. A playwright, actor, screenwriter, newspaper columnist, parent and teacher…
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Here in the South, Southern Comfort food is an art form, and local food expert Melinda Newton has created some tasty masterpieces. Known around these parts as “The Chicken Lady,” and for good reason. Her first experiences with food, and especially, chicken, began in the iconic Minnie’s restaurant, which was opened by Melinda’s grandmother “Minnie” in 1986. In 1991, Melinda’s mother, Rose, became the manager of Minnie’s, and in 1999, Melinda decided to join the…
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A whistle, a banjo. A guitar and a washboard. A fiddle, an accordion, and a beautiful voice singing from beyond the world. Highland jigs and ghostly woods, a lover’s quest and a good day’s work, and another morning coming after rest. This is the soul of Wolf & Clover, an “Irish-ish” band that dives deep into traditional Celtic music before surfacing again with new tweaks and twists and interpretation to share. The Columbus band’s new…
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