It Takes a Village

Lately, I’ve been thinking about what it means to be part of a community. My family and I have been confined to our home so whether it’s sitting on the front stoop, playing in the yard or burning off some of our pent up energy along the greenway, we’re primarily seeing the folks that make up our community. So when Kevin Jones, one our neighborhood organizers, suggested Wesley Heights do a social distancing art crawl, our family was all in!

The party kicked off on a Saturday morning at The Jones Family cottage. The house, much like the people who live in it, is warm, inviting and has loads of charm. You get the feeling, when you watch Kevin’s family perform, that music is a daily part of their lives.

As we traveled down the street, we caught up with Brandon Jones, who lives in one of the neighborhood’s quadraplexes. This home, known as the Wilkinson Apartments, was built in 1927 and adds to the variety of our Wesley Heights landscape. This is where Brandon, founder of A. Black TV, creates a space for entertainment, music, comedy and fashion.

Music filled the air in Wesley Heights that Saturday morning! Harvey Cummings, a friend of Brandon, treated us to a saxophone solo that whirled down the street to where, Greg Lilley and Amy Broome performed “Original Roots Rock,” inviting neighbors to join in by playing the cymbals set up along the sidewalk. The bluegrass and country stylings of The Well Drinkers filled the air, just a few blocks down the street, playing in front of a sweet little bungalow. The incredible wraparound porch, much like the owner and band member, Jake Bachman, is perfect for entertaining!

Things were pretty sweet at the Hello Honey House! This lavender, single-story frame bungalow with its engaged, front-gabled porch wasn’t the only thing that captured everyone’s attention. Children of all ages lined up to watch the Hello Honey family of bees creating some of the best tasting honey around these parts!

Vivian Coleman, proud owner of a charming 1938 Craftsman, known for her incredible landscaping, shared some of her paintings. Vivian’s been making a name for herself in the arts community, recently placing 3^rd in her first Charlotte Art League Spring Juried Show for her piece, “Earth and Sky”. Vivian even sold a piece to one of our neighbors, Caitlin Biggers.

Caitlin, our neighborhood collector, also commissioned a piece from my husband, Tim Parati.

Tim’s made a career as a scenic artist and designer at The Children’s Theatre, Opera Carolina and Charlotte Ballet. Even though Tim’s art has been on display for all of the Queen City to see,  it was a special treat to share his work with our community.

I’ve always known our neighborhood was special. The variety of architectural styles, dating back to 1911, is just one of the things that drew our family to Wesley Heights. What I did not know was the diverse range of talents our neighbors possess. Wesley Heights has got a lot and we’re not afraid to share a piece of ourselves with each other. That’s what it means to be part of a community.