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This Could Be Your New Home

Mobile: 843-467-1058

Daniel.Stender@carolinaone.com www.DannySellsTheLowcountry.com

1530 Old Trolley Rd. Summerville, SC 29485

Daniel Stender REALTOR®

Secrets Whispered

SPRING - SUMMER 2024 COLLECTION

Milan Fashion Week

Photography By Ed Sochacki

Production Assistant- Domonic Getto

Location Project Manager- Peter David

Modeling Agency- Agency M&P

An award-winning graduate of The School of the Art Institute of Chicago’s rigorous fashion program, Alicia Perrillo wasted no time starting her brand in 2016. With a focus on luxury fabrics and beautiful handwork details, she combines contemporary silhouettes with a healthy dose of oldworld couture.

Alicia Perrillo’s Secrets Whispered is inspired by the bonds of true friendship, paired with a celebration of her Italian heritage. Every meaningful friendship is transformational and unique, shaping us into the best versions of ourselves. This concept is explored through each look: the soft colors lifted from the sunsets of Italian countryside to lemons and wheatgrass of dinner table surrounded by dear friends. Cotton sundresses that can be worn multiple ways, featuring removable sleeves, trains, hand beading, and full reversible pieces. The gowns pay homage to best friends using the finest materials, silk fringe, lace, beading, glittery brocades.

—Alicia Perrillo

On the Grapevine Sundress

Halter Style Sundress with Pearl, Rhinestone, and Floral Embellishments

Made from 100% Organic Cotton

Optional Tulle Ballgown Skirt

Optional Gored Stripe Floor Length 100% Organic Cotton

Footwear By Tinamaria Shoes

Model Christine Hardy

Merlot Earth Angel

Evening Gown

Two Piece Set Hand Beaded Lace with Silk Fringe and Hammered Satin Balloon Sleeves Featuring Open back with Velvet Closure

Footwear By Tinamaria Shoes

Model Sasha Slivinski

Rosewater Gelato

Bamboo Silk Hand Crocheted Cropped Top Crushed Satin Bias Cut Cocktail Dress with Floral Embellishments

Footwear

By Tinamaria Shoes

Model Olivia Kozminski

Espresso in the Clouds

Two Piece Top and Skirt Set

Crushed Satin and 100% Organic Cotton featuring Designer’s Late Grandmother’s Crochet with Chain Beading

Footwear By Tinamaria Shoes

Model Kenya Rodriguez

Pixie Paula Dezzutti Talks About Her Journey to Being Named One of Forbes “50 Over 50”

Tell about the start of your company and what distinguishes it.

My company mission actually came to me in a dream. We are not about selling spirits; we are about sharing inspiration! On January 1st, 2011, I woke up having witnessed the whole platform laid out for me in my dream. I saw the end game of how I could truly change the world by capturing the wasted dollars of the inefficient and redundant beverage branding model, and shift those dollars back to consumers in exchange for their brand loyalty. I thought to myself, “Wow, that was some bad Chinese food I ate for dinner last night!” But then I went and looked up Local Choice thinking I had surely seen this somewhere and planted the idea somewhere in my subconscious, and there was no such thing as Local Choice! I thought how could there be no focus on this when you often hear slogans about buying local, supporting local, shopping local, staying local. Yet no one was really

leveraging the most lucrative industry on the planet. I created the “SIP & SHARE” project as a pour it forward initiative to help communities prosper through their celebration. Most community organizations whether they are nonprofits or for-profit typically receive part of their funding from an annual campaign or gala. Often, they throw a large black-tie affair where people will purchase a ticket in excess of $200 in the hopes of raising money and awareness for their company. As community supporters we will attend these events to support our friends and dance the night away with an open bar. I watched people over and over again get out of the car and head for the bar, yet no one was leveraging the bar as an ongoing fund-raising mechanism for the organization after the evening was over. And what about all the people who couldn’t attend that night? And all of their extended family in other states could be making online purchases too. The Internet knows no state lines and cause marketing today happens as a result of a digital platform. Because the

distribution of alcohol is governed through highly regulated channels, it’s a challenge to get the consumers to work in conjunction with the liquor stores and the distributors to make the platform work. But just think if a liquor store offered the opportunity to drive sales of Local Choice Spirits in their local liquor section. Not only would consumers be enjoying super premium award-winning local spirits, but their hearts would be filled with inspiration knowing that $2 of their purchase was going back to local causes while they were enjoying a martini!

We are a family-owned and -run business and the team has been together in the planning from the birth of my concept in 2010. We are a traditional Italian family, and as such we all discuss family business together all the time. I did give birth to 9 of them you know, and there is a lot of passion and heart and soul for the siblings, the grandchildren and the in-laws? They are inseparable and they are cross trained by exposure. So that is what keeps us in the game. What keeps us growing is the fact that we have experience running business together. Prior to moving to South Carolina, we had a Gourmet Café that we ran together in Litchfield, Connecticut. And we have always been in the real estate business together. I educated my children and they have varying degrees from various countries. I kept them well traveled which gave them hands-on experience and an unparalleled education. They are award winning journalists, marketing gurus, genius IQ recipients, multiple degree earners, and certified technicians in IT and manufacturing. But because of the incredible number of hours spent building numerous brands from the ground up, they have seen everything under the sun and have more experience than most in the industry. They each have navigated into their own niche corner in this business where they have been able to excel and keep this vision of mine afloat. I could not have built this business without them. And we would be hard pressed to replace any of them in their prospective roles.

What is it like to run a business these days and what hardships have you faced?

Predicting which brand will make it in the marketplace of today’s “just in time media content” is nearly impossible. Who knew that a fat man falling off a slide, or a barking dog or child prodigy singing sensation would go viral and take over the world? None of us. We live in a very different marketplace today and successful branding companies need to be adaptable enough to anticipate an exit strategy opportunity but have sustainability until they get there. We began Local Choice with the end in mind: incubator-accelerators with nimble abilities and controlled waste will be more important to major suppliers as alcohol laws change

to allow easier distribution and access to consumers. Marketing dollars to make products visible will control which content reaches a broad audience and getting your products into a shopping cart. Currently that happens in a liquor store or restaurant, but slowly and surely it is happening online. We are perfectly poised to take advantage of these trends through our interactive engagement portals. Including NFTs, crypto outlets, blockchain events, and utilizing cause marketing initiatives to drive brand loyalty.

Financing the growth and having others acknowledge a proper valuation. This industry is so challenging to begin with. Fuel that by having a disruptive vision that people need to learn to embrace has been one of my greatest challenges in life. Along the way, my choice to remain committed to the partnership and loyalty model has cost me a lot financially and emotionally. It took all the bravery I could muster to stay committed to my values and my vision when others around me were threatened by my passion or frustrated and judgmental when they couldn’t see what I saw. My greatest blessing has been my children rallying around me to support me in my vision even when they didn’t quite understand it. They loved and respected me enough to know that I am a leader and wanted to be part of my journey. Because I am a single woman in a male dominated industry it has been lonely without a partner or support structure. Sadly, I think women of my generation often experience lack of support from their significant others during changing times when women are more inclusive and integrated at high level business because of their drive and abilities to bring a sorely needed female voice and skill set to improve how business is being done in our world. I am so fortunate that every day I stand as a role model for my children. And although we are all carrying the burden of manifesting my vision, I am hopeful that I am earning their respect unconditionally as a human being committed to make the planet a better place for all of us. As an entrepreneur and a mother, my greatest hope is that the hard work we have been through to make

this happen, ignites their own inspiration to do great things in this world. And that my grandchildren can bear witness to the story that no matter how difficult it got for their grandmother, she found a space of unconditional love for her children and for the greater world!

How has your work advanced the food and beverage industry?

Local Choice is a branding house married to a just in time manufacturing model that supports LOCAL. As an executive brand manager and director for a large spirits technology company, I got to witness firsthand that the majority of brands that failed, even with healthy marketing budgets, were not able to be responsive to customers’ demands. I did not want to bet the house on only one play. I chose to create a platform that had the best opportunity for one of my plays to make it to the big leagues. Corporate structures that are top heavy on the executive teams cannot react fast enough to build a relationship with a distributor and meet the demands of that distributor timely. That demand was filled by someone else who got the business and the future business. And there is the appeal of LOCAL IMPACT. Local craft distillers are popping up everywhere because they do not need to compete on a global scene to make good money for their investors. Consumer trends show they want local products, and they want new experiences always! You might be disappointed if you went to a restaurant and they only had one menu item. Even coffee houses try to come up with a variety of ways to utilize their base ingredients. Think about the Sandwich Board at Starbucks. Over the last 5 years I have witnessed private label and personal branding become a critical differentiator in retail. I call it the Instagram Play. Everyone wants to be someone and there is vanity in the spirits business.

We wanted to be able to meet the growing demands of this lifestyle branding choice. The food and beverage industry has become all about consumer demand and meeting preferences for tastes, specialty ingredients and preparations (such as non-GMO, Kosher, gluten-free and organic), flexible packaging, and convenient serving sizes. One customer wants a special whiskey blend in an oak barrel with a medium peaty finish. Another customer wants a different blend with a dark color and a fine smooth finish. Who wants vodka, who prefers tequila, what is the latest rum craze? You can do the math and see the exponential impact of the options if you are skilled enough to set up a “STEM CELL” base where your base ingredients can be utilized over a variety of formulas and recipes by tweaking small variables. Every variation creates a unique SKU for our portfolio, but we are not saddled with too many different products. On the contrary, we can quickly appease our distributors and keep our profits high with frequent changeovers that do not drive up production costs or decrease throughput. All the ingredients always have a destination tag and there is no wasted effort or dollars on raw materials. Consumer and retailer demand for specialty products will continue to increase. It’s what is drawing new customers to look at doing business with us. Maintaining our company’s strategic integrity and profits, while continuing to meet customers’ needs, requires a balance in sales and production. I have the production model down pat. Now I need marketing dollars to accelerate visibility. Development fees to play on our model could

significantly increase our revenue. Most contract bottlers do not offer the same level of comprehensive service we offer.

How did you feel when you were awarded the 50 over 50?

To tell you the truth when I was first notified I thought it was a scam. I mean it was Forbes calling to tell me I had been selected amongst such powerhorses that I waited for them to try and sell me something. But instead they asked me to reserve some dates for international travel and welcomed me to the world of Forbes! It really sunk in later that evening watching an interview on MSNBC about the release of the list that had already gone out. They claimed that over 10,000 women were reviewed over several months and this year’s list “might be the most powerful yet”!

They were interviewing Jamie Lee Curtis, Katie Couric and Patti Labelle and my name was next on the list! I burst into tears and woke up my 81 year old mother to tell her this was the real deal and I showed her the list. Even she knew the caliber of the names on the list. . It was such an incredible honor and I was overwrought with emotion. We both cried for two days. I felt so validated and so seen for all my endless years of work trying to make my mark on this planet. Earlier that day I had been going through such a struggle trying to manage a challenge with my business that seemed insurmountable, and now I just thought about Fobes picking me for a reason so I had a hard talk with myself to put on my big girl Forbes panties and figure it out!

Why do you think Forbes chose you?

So many women go through imposter syndrome, an uncom-

fortable feeling like you are not as deserving as others think you are, or you question your own abilities or competencies as an expert in something attributing your success to just luck. This happens often to women who have been in narcissistic relationships and constantly beat down. So I asked myself the same question. Why? I immediately reviewed the recipients of this prestigious award and I quickly realized there was no representation in the multi--trillion dollar industry I represent, which I will reduce here to beer, wine, spirits, botanical medicine and media. More importantly there was no one leveraging this space for the betterment of our communities. Depending on what source you quote, less than 1-8% of distilleries worldwide are owned by women…and I own 4 plus Ghost Monkey Brewery, Sycamore BioPharma, and the longest running female media company in town, Skirt Magazine and Pixie Records & Studios. These are all traditionally male dominated spaces where even the men have less than a 1% chance of success. And I am doing it on the blockchain, a protocol that allows the operations of the data of a business to be transparent and peer to peer. I believe it is the way of the future because its nature of decentralization and immutability means that fraud will be far more difficult and I am doing my best to educate in this space. I took that trillion-dollar industry to the blockchain by launching the first NFT (Non Fungible Token) of its kind on

11/11/21 for the first barrel of bourbon ever made in South Carolina, BarrelFi Genesis Vintage Striped Pig Pixie Collection found on Open Sea, a marketplace to buy, sell or create NFTs. For some readers this is foreign territory, so as an educator and leader in this field I wrote a book. Alphabet Soup: The ABCs of NFTs & Other Blockchain Acronyms, is a best seller in four financial categories on Amazon and will be released in September.

Leveraging finance and technology, creating cutting edge products in lifestyle industries, with a give back initiative called Sip & Share rewarding communities to work together and celebrate together to raise thousands of dollars….that most likely had something to do with why they chose me.

Are you the first Lowcountry resident to receive the honor?

I am not sure about this one. Viola Davis, one of my personal inspirations, and one of the few performers to win an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar, and a Tony (EGOT) was also cho-sen. She was originally from St. Matthews in Calhoun County near Columbia. Prior year recipients were Nikki Haley (Columbia), Katrina Shealy (Lexington) and Britt Davis Vergnolle (Greenville). If there are more Lowcountry resident recipients I would definitely like to have them at a Skirt Conference. Our 3rd Skirt Summit is taking place November 3-5th at The Striped Pig Distillery and we already have a rock the house lineup of speakers including Nina Sossamon Pogue, Kenya Dunne, Dr Antoinette Biegaj and Comilla Mays. Tickets available on Eventbrite and Skirt. com and at Striped Pig Distillery

How important is it that your children are involved in LCS and that it has become an enduring family business?

This industry is so challenging to begin with. Fuel that by having a disruptive vision that people need to learn to embrace has been one of my greatest challenges in life. Along the way, my choice to remain committed to the partnership and loyalty model has cost me a lot financially and emotionally. It took all the bravery I could muster to stay committed to my values and my vision when others around me were threatened by my passion or frustrated and judgmental when they couldn’t see what I saw. My greatest blessing has been my children rallying around me to support me in my vision even when they didn’t quite understand it. They loved and respected me enough to know that I am a leader and wanted to be part of my journey. Because I am a single woman in a male dominated industry it has been lonely without a partner or support structure. Sadly, I think women of my generation often experience lack of support from their significant others during changing times when women

are more inclusive and integrated at high level business because of their drive and abilities to bring a sorely needed female voice and skill set to improve how business is being done in our world. I am so fortunate that every day I stand as a role model for my children. And although we are all carrying the burden of manifesting my vision, I am hopeful that I am earning their respect unconditionally as a human being committed to make the planet a better place for all of us. As an entrepreneur and a mother, my greatest hope is that the hard work we have been through to make this happen, ignites their own inspiration to do great things in this world. And that my grandchildren can bear witness to the story that no matter how difficult it was for their grandmother, she found a space of unconditional love for her children and for the greater world!

You’re an inspiration to many young women—any advice on the secret to your suc-cess?

If women could clearly understand the difference between their internal core purpose as human beings on the planet, and the external passions they mistakenly believe they should chase to be successful, they might just actually find more passion and purpose in EVERYTHING they do regardless of the outcome. Although it’s easy to get out of alignment in this, you have to invest in yourself first, identify your very core unique ability, and ig-nore the people who say NO to you. No does not mean stop, it means turn right on red! We are people first, and products and businesses second. The leading products in our fast paced ever changing technology world will emerge from the people who were meant to be leaders.

What’s next for you, Pixie?

Two goals have my heart in overdrive. First, we are in need of a great entertainment ven-ue that gives local artists a voice and provides an open canvas for folks to hang out and feel part of a family. Building a community where everybody knows your name and producing events using cutting edge technology and sizzle will wow and educate folks of all ages. We host Open Mic Policy at the Pig in 15 thousand square feet of open canvas. Our secret gem local talent is spellbinding and I’m in need of financial and construction assis-tance to be able to share that talent with the masses. Second, Skirt and the Mini Skirt. 2024 will mark Skirt’s 30th year and my amazing team is working on the Anniversary Edi-tion. Beyond lifestyle, Skirt has engulfed today’s entire woman. We call it $kirt $marts and it’s a movement not a magazine! Our post covid return to print on newsstands with The Journalism Edition will be coming out in the next few weeks. We have invested a great deal of time and money into a membership initiative focused on education and creating jobs for as many people who want them through our Skirt Marketplace. And we have cre-ated a place for our young women, aged 14-24, to join our Sisterhood and be mentored and loved by some of the most remarkable women on the planet. Skirt represents an or-ganic, authentic

community ecosystem where businesses benefit and members earn mon-ey through a FairShare model of the new social commerce just by sharing content. Skirt. has developed a revolutionary platform to harness a full funnel monetization model that allows members to share content and earn commissions through a global marketplace. Called SkirtShare, the pioneering new skirt.com website will allow members of the $kirt$marts community to get paid in cash simply by sharing content and products found on Skirt.com. These exciting products are sourced from a local and global network of sup-pliers. You can even have your own storefront. Using newly developed technology, every member in the chain sharing content will earn a commission every time a sale is made. Members will also be able to list their own products and services and allow consumers to sign up to share and earn themselves. So SHARE away!

Learn more about Pixie Paula Dezzutti at her website wherespixie.com and those of her businesses: localchoicespirits.com, stripedpigdistillery.com, skirt.com, and sycamorebp.com

The premier auto body and performance shop servicing the Lowcountry for over 17 years

An interview with Todd Galatti, owner of the Charleston-based charter company

Sailing has been around for centuries. Rome wasn’t built in a day and couldn’t have flourished without the broad use of sailboats. For the Roman Empire, it was cheaper to deliver grain and other materials the length of the Mediterranean by sailing ships than it was to move that same shipment 15 miles by road. While commercial use of sailing for trade has gone by the wayside, recreational sailing continues to grow today. Can you say catamaran sailing in Charleston, South Carolina? Today, we talk to Todd Gallati, onboard “Everything Zen”, a beautifully designed 40 ft sailing catamaran.

Todd, how did you get to this place?

I grew up in Bradenton Florida and was always around the water- swimming, surfing, boating and fishing. I jumped on my first sailboat when I was 12. It was a 8ft Pram sailboat made for 1.5 people or 2 kids-think floating bathtub with a single sail and rudder (and a cup for bailing water when needed). My parents bought it because it was cheap and safe as it had no moving propellers! I was excited, cautious and exhilarated all at the same time for my first sail. I immediately loved the natural power of the push of the wind and figuring out how not to stall, not tip over and how to go faster. My sisters rarely went with me as I was self taught at the time. That was 45 years ago and while I enjoyed and owned power boats as well over the years, I always loved the natural, raw push of the wind over sail. After college and a 32 year career in healthcare administration, it wasn’t time to retire but rather “re-wire” and see if I could combine my love of sailing into a business. Enter Everything Zen Sailing Charters.

How did this sailing business start?

About 4 years ago, the owner of the charter sailboat next to us, commented to my wife Kathy and I that we must love sailing as we were out most nice weekends unlike many boats that just sit at the marina. He encouraged me to get my captain’s license as he had the occasional need for a 2nd boat when he had larger parties. We did a few charters with him and liked it –so much so that we decided to make plans to hang up our suits, ties and stethoscopes (Kathy is an RN), and start going barefoot on a boat! We set out to start a different private luxury sailing company that would offer comfortable, stable, owner captained/crewed and exciting afternoon and sunset sails in and around Charleston Harbor. Time for a boat upgrade

What kind of boat is “Everything Zen”

She is our second home (or floating condo as we call it) as we live onboard when we travel. She is a Leopard 40 sailing catamaran (40 ft long and 22 ft wide) , made in South Africa in 2017. Leopard is the #1 selling brand of catamaran in the US and is known for its sturdy construction, innovative open design layout and ease of sailing for its size. Practically 50% of Leopards get bought by charter companies all over the globe but mainly in the windy Caribbean. Charter guests are on and off these boats constantly, some serving as their own captain, so you know they can take it. Leopard was the first to introduce the “front door” to the bow area. This is a game changer for airflow and walking through the cabin. I liken it to the open-kitchen, great room concepts in houses over the last 25 years-

it brings people together on a boat like never before and is much safer than having to walk down the side of the boat to get from the bow to the stern of the boat. Most experienced sailors can sail this boat single handed as all of the lines and controls are right at the helm station which means I don’t have to leave the wheel to adjust the sails. Many much smaller boats require at least one crew member in addition to the captain in order to sail. Have you traveled on Everything Zen outside of Charleston?

Yes, we have made several longer trips on our boat- travelling from Cancun to Charleston when we bought her in 2021. On that first trip, we sailed 1,450 nautical miles to the Dry Tortugas, then Key West, a detour to see family in Tampa, then back to the Florida Keys, Miami and into the Gulf Stream conveyor belt back to Charleston. What a way to break her in. We have also sailed to and from the Bahamas. We got to the Abacos Bahamas from Charleston in 60 hours and only used 15 gallons of diesel. Another benefit of sailing! The sailing was great, even though some of our crew had some early seasickness. We we were able to catch some fish along the way. Still, that swim in the Bahama waters as soon as we got there was way better than the journey. To me, keeping our crossings to 2-3 days is plenty as I’m not sure we can keep our crew (ie. Family and friends) motivated much longer than that. We don’t want a mutiny at sea nor do I trust the weather forecast for more than 3 days out. We have learned you can’t travel on a schedule when sailing across oceans. We have delayed or accelerated our sailing dates, sometimes at the last minute, very often based on weather forecasts. Got to pick your window!

What’s it like 250 miles offshore as you are travelling under sail? Have you faced any scary situations offshore?

There’s nowhere to anchor in 500 plus feet of water so you have to keep going. But, besides a Canadian battleship that showed up on radar once (I was surprised too) and some pretty bad rain storms (we call them squalls when they are over the ocean), not too much out of the ordinary. We have seen some short 10-15 minute busts of 55 mph winds and lightning during some of those storms. We can see them coming and lower the sails and motor into the wind and waves until they pass. Hard to time them and out run them in our experience. We

consistently get small finch-like birds landing on our boat during crossings. They will come and land on your finger or shoulder and seem to be tired and looking for a free ride but sometimes they don’t make it. Offshore is generally a lot of lounging and not much of anything, rarely seeing another ship. Occasional fish bite, or wind kick up or dolphin pod on our bow is a welcome sight, but nothing compares to Kathy’s meal at sea-always a high point. We do 4 hour shifts at the helm controls at night and will usually have at least 4 people on board for any crossing greater than 36 hours, but usually have 6 on board. Safety equipment onboard is a must-we have radar, with alarm capability, as well as a satellite phone, Automatic Identification System (ship transponder and identification), texting transponder, emergency sos locator (epirb), and emergency life raft.

Catamaran or Monohull Sailboats…..which is better?

What a fun debate this is for sailors. I personally haven’t

met a floating sailboat I didn’t love! But, the beach Hobie Cats I’ve owned made me fall in love with the catamaran platform. I love the leverage and stability that the 2 hulls produce. They are generally lighter and faster than monohulls and larger cats certainly don’t heel (tippy tippy) as much. At 22ft wide, our 40ft boat is about twice the square footage of a similar sized traditional monohull and you don’t have to go “down below” to get to the salon/as its on the same level.

What are those aha moments you have had with this new venture?

Wow, so many. I always wanted to be in healthcare for as long as I can remember. My dad was a physician and my mom a nurse so I was naturally drawn to the hospital. I worked in hospitals from the time I was 16, but I had this opportunity and didn’t look back. 3 big revelations since we have started Everything Zen Sailing:

1) The Sea: Everyone is happier on a boat-5 star reviews are the norm. Even if the hospital caregivers and processes and technology literally saved a patient’s life, a 5 star review was not a guarantee. A patient is not there by choice and recovery can be trying at best. Turning the boat from Fort Sumter to the Battery into the setting sun, with the wind blowing onto our port side sails……8 knots of boat speed….aha moment every time. Just magic.

2) Relationships: Meeting both locals and travelers that have a love of the water like we do is awesome. Some have not been on a boat our size and many have not sailed without motors. So to show them that sailing is not witchcraft or “hard” is great. Sharing the lore of Charleston Harbor is an extra bonus. We love our city and feel privileged to call it home. Collaborating with the local sailing and tourism community has been very supportive for us as well.

3) Time: Setting our own schedule and wearing logo t-shirts and shorts to work makes us feel lucky. I have an adult autistic son that lives with us and it helps to have more flexibility in our schedule.

For more information and to book your own charter, go to Everything Zen’s website: ezsailingcharters.com

NEW LOOKS

Michael Mulligan Photography

Exploring the Beauty of Imperfection

The Art of Alexandra Elliot

Alexandra Elliott likes to consider her art a recreation and resurrection of brokenness. She works in the medium of broken glass and watercolor on canvas and likes to challenge the concept of beauty and wholeness by recreating abstract works through what most would consider no longer useful. Through her work, she is greatly inspired by the Japanese concept of Wabi- Sabi or the “embracing of the flawed or imperfect”. Alexandra believes that no matter how broken with proper attention

anything can be transformed into something more beautiful than before. This is the concept she tries to convey through her work so that others may subjectively feel the essence of Wabi-Sabi and be able to look at art and the world as a whole in a very unique and ever questioning lens.

Raw beauty can only be created through entropy and brokenness, this fundamental law is what Alexandra plays off of in many different variations through multi media.

CATCHING WAVES IN LIFE AND ART with Jenn Griffith

Jenn Griffith is an artist & muralist based in Charleston, SC. Whether a whimsical painting of ocean waters or a colorful surfboard, Jenn's work is recognizable by her playful painting style. She has installed murals around Charleston and the Southeast, from private homes to popular favorites like Share House and Bodega. Off the wall and onto products, various iterations of her work have been used in collaboration with global brands such as Yeti, Golden Goose, and Lululemon.

When not painting, she spends most of her time outdoors, surfing or playing with her rescue pup, Banksy - affectionately named after the stealthy British street artist. Her love of surfing influences much of what she paints. The juxtaposition of peace and exhilaration while surfing is similar to the feeling she tries to portray through her art-fun, exciting, yet peaceful and calming. Her tagline, "don't drink the water" is occasionally inquired upon, to which Jenn explains, "it is two-fold: it is a serious commentary on the ongoing water crisis, and our need for conservation of our waterways. In a more playful sense, it is also a tribute to 'don't drink the kool-aid'-- don't believe everything you hear or see. Question things, be bold and brave, forge your own path!"

“Under the Radar”

Emerging Artist Competition Opening Reception at the Redux Art Center