Paper Ladies

A creative spirit a sense of adventure an insatiable curiosity and a desire to try something new led entrepreneurs Kaiya McCormick and Erica Westenberger to found Aluna Works a papermaking studio and shop located in the Castle Street Arts and Antique District in Wilmington. The two women were artists before they were entrepreneurs. Thus uniqueness…

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What’s in a Name?

While names themselves can be intriguing the stories behind them often prove to be more fascinating. Take Wrightsville for example. How did this beloved beach town come by the name that is now instantly recognized? “The question we get that we love the most is people ask if we’re named for the Wright brothers ”…

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Stealing from Within

The overriding feeling among the three attorneys of a small close-knit firm was disbelief — along with embarrassment anger and disgust. Their business was victimized by a secretary who surreptitiously stole more than $82 000. It was a betrayal they never saw coming. “She was a good secretary ” one attorney says. “She was in…

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All That Jazz

It’s Sunday night at Burnt Mill Creek. The regulars have arrived filling all the tables and seats. Benny Hill Doug Irving Chris Luther Jon Hill and Jerald Shynette launch into a Charlie Parker standard. Toes tap and heads nod in time with the music. This is a knowledgeable crowd and they clap approvingly after each…

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Favorites: D.J. Struntz

Claim to Fame: Adventure Photographer Favorite Thing: Riffe E-130 Speargun D.J. Struntz is stumped for a few seconds. Pick just one favorite thing? That’s not easy. “I have too many hobbies ” he says. “I have too many things.” Struntz is a globetrotting photographer a surfer a diver a “minister of propaganda” for a company…

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Favorites: Nancy Faye Craig

Claim to Fame: Wrightsville Beach’s do-everything volunteer Favorite Thing: S.J. her new furry friend Nancy Faye Craig will never forget her black cat Sammy. The beloved pet was 19 when he died last November. “It was quite a loss when he passed away ” she says. “I wanted to find something to fill the little…

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To Everything Turn Turn Turn

Woodturners share their time knowledge and equipment to help others learn A woodturner crafts attractive functional art much the same way a potter does using wood and a lathe instead of clay and a wheel. Both artists see potential beauty in the medium the possibility of a complete transformation. Like all artists woodturners develop a…

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Intense Color and Dark Shadows

Harry Davis: 1949-2018. Wilmington native Harry Davis died in his sleep during the pre-dawn hours of Saturday Feb. 10 2018 a couple of weeks after granting an interview to Wrightsville Beach Magazine. We present this story as a tribute to the talented artist and his work. With the vantage point of hindsight Harry Davis —…

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The Range of Emotion

Most art lovers are familiar with historical stories of artists who held day jobs struggling to make ends meet in order to pursue their creative work. Less frequently told are the stories of artists whose parallel careers contributed meaningfully to and worked hand-in-hand with their art practice. Mark Rothko one of the best-known color field…

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