Enlarge El Alma de la Luna demonstrates Mexican and Vienna waltzes.

Posted: July 19th, 2010 James Willamor

To highlight and inspire cultural intersections, the Levine Museum of the New South created a summer program series, Verano Multicultural, to take place one Sunday in June, July, and August. This month's program, on Sunday, July 18, invited local artists to explore European roots in Latin America.  

Local Latin artists were invited to create painting and jewelry inspired by Frida Kahlo. Kahlo, the daughter of a European immigrant, was an important Mexican artist of the early twentieth century. Program director and Charlotte resident Lucilla Ruvalcaba gave a short lecture on Kahlo’s work and influences.  

One large, striking painting by Maria Jose Gonzalez Tostado is dominated by rosa Mexicano (magenta). “The inspiration for this work came from the idea of paying homage to Frida Kahlo, and artist that was part of my childhood,” said Tostado. “Growing up near her house in Coyoacan (near Mexico City), known as the blue house, I visited often as a child. Now I understand that my love of painting came from those wondrous visits.”

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Posted: July 17th, 2010 Greg Lacour

To raise money for the troubled Charlotte-Mecklenburg library system, about 50 people headed down U.S. 321 on July 17 to a place far from any computerized card catalog.

They took a day-long field trip on a bus to the home of Dori Sanders, an author and a peach farmer who lives in Filbert, S.C.

Sanders was born and raised on the property, which her father purchased in 1915. (Filbert's about 15 miles due south of Gastonia.) At about 80 – she won’t say how old she is – she’s written two books: the novel “Clover" and the cookbook “Dori Sanders’ Country Cooking.”  Over the years, she’s worked closely with Novello Festival Press, the library system’s publishing arm.

With the system reeling from severe budget cuts and reduced hours and staff, Friends of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Library organized a trip to see Sanders’ farm, eat catered barbecue, stroll the grounds and sell Sanders’ and Novello Press books.

About 50 people paid $40, which covered the hourlong bus trip, lunch under a big tent and music, provided by Harry Taylor on banjo and Tom Hanchett of the Levine Museum of the New South on fiddle. All proceeds went to the libraries; the system’s development director, Dick Pahle, said he expected the trip to raise about $1,000.

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Posted: July 12th, 2010 Rhiannon Bowman

Two years ago, Ivel Posada, now 18, knew he was gay but didn't quite know how to bring up the topic with his family and friends. He sought out online chat rooms, where he could ask questions anonymously. Soon he discovered Time Out Youth, an organization where he could not only be himself, but also help others struggling with similar issues and concerns.

Today, he's on Time Out Youth's board of directors and on his way to Harvard University to study history and law. Until he leaves for Massachusetts, Posada will continue talking to members of our community about acceptance, gay rights, and what it feels like to be a gay youth in the Queen City.

Time Out Youth offers a supportive place to share, advocacy opportunities, recreation and a connection to peers and the greater lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, transgender and questioning population in Charlotte.

It's a safe haven where Charlotte's youth, regardless of their sexual orientation, can expect to remain anonymous. Even the organization's recently revamped website affords a little extra protection. It includes a privacy button in the top right corner of the screen. Click it, and you'll appear to be reading CNN.com.

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Posted: July 7th, 2010 Rhiannon Bowman

Travel, whether to another city, another region, or another country, often provides insight into other cultures and our own. This is an occasional series on what we can learn when we go somewhere else.

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For as long as I can remember, my grandmother has told tales about her father's life in Germany and his quest to live the American dream. She details how he literally carved his first American home, a sod house, out of the Nebraska prairie, how their family struggled to survive, and how he always cheerfully helped his neighbors whenever he could.

By the time he died, she tells me, he was a successful man. He managed to piece together a 15,000-acre cattle ranch, had a lovely and loving wife and fathered 10 children, three of whom he outlived. And, Grandma says, he spoke with a thick German accent every day of his life.

As I child, I read Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House on the Prairie series and imagined my great-grandparents living similar lives. But I never could picture what my great-grandfather's life may have been like in Germany.

Not until recently anyway.

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