On Life and Meaning

Philip Blumenthal is chairman and director of the Blumenthal Foundation, a family foundation established by I.D. and Madolyn Blumenthal and Herman and Anita Blumenthal, that supports projects of significance in Charlotte and North Carolina. Philip is also director of Wildacres Retreat, a conference center located near the Blue Ridge Parkway in Little Switzerland, North Carolina. A lifelong philanthropist, Philip is the recipient of numerous honors, including the Order of the Long Leaf Pine, Conservationist of the Year by the North Carolina Wildlife Federation, Volunteer Service Award by Partners for Parks in Charlotte, and Outstanding Philanthropist in Conservation by the Roosevelt-Ashe Society. He serves on several advisory boards, including the Carolina Raptor Center and the Catawba Riverkeeper Foundation. Philip earned a B.A. in Business Administration from the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill.

This episode is perfect for anyone interested in philanthropy and grant-making, and the obligation and rewards of improving the communities in which we live.

• Philip describes the Blumenthal Foundation and what it funds and supports.
• He answers whether it is a burden for the Blumenthal Foundation to have money that other people want.
• He reveals what he has learned about grant-making over the years and why people should give their money away.
• Philip explains the religious concept of 'tsedaqah' and why he feels strongly about it.
• He reflects on the individual giving ethic in Charlotte and what non-profits need to do to be successful raising money.
• He talks about the role of board members in helping organizations thrive, the issue he has with naming rights and what good fundraisers do.
• Philip tells the story of the Blumenthal family business and what Gunk and Liquid Wrench and RSC Biosolutions have to do with it.
• He shares what comes to mind when he thinks about his father Herman Blumenthal and his mother Anita Blumenthal.
• He explains the idea behind Shalom Park and the issues that needed to be overcome to create it.
• Philip talks about growing up Jewish in Charlotte, the skills he learned as a middle child, and the pressures and expectations he being a Blumenthal.
• He explains how the naming rights for Blumenthal Performing Arts came about and what the family had to consider.
• He tells the story of Wildacres Retreat and shares his passion for environmental issues.
• Philip reveals the legacy he hopes to pass on to his children.

Host Mark Peres adds a personal word that begins this way, "I interviewed Philip in a conference room beside his office. I was immediately struck by the images on the wall..."

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Tiffany Capers is an advocate for equity and possibility. She is Managing Director for Growth, Development and Partnership for Teach for America Charlotte. She also helps lead and co-facilitate Black Lives Matter Charlotte, which seeks to raise awareness and develop actions to address racial/ethnic disparities. Tiffany previously served as Vice President of Community Programs & Civic Leadership Initiatives at the Foundation For The Carolinas. She is a visual artist and contributing columnist to The Charlotte Observer, and has been recognized by YWCA Charlotte Women of Achievement as a Community Champion. Tiffany holds a B.A. in Psychology from the University of South Carolina and a M.A. in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from the University of North Carolina Charlotte.

This episode is perfect for anyone interested in Black Lives Matter and issues of education, social justice and being who we are.

IN THIS EPISODE

• Tiffany explains the mission of Teach for America and what she does and why.
• She talks about Black Lives Matter and the four critical areas and three levels it addresses.
• She describes the relationship between the national Black Lives Matter movement and the Charlotte initiative.
• Tiffany shares the message of Black Lives Matter, why it is necessary and what people don't understand about Black Lives Matter.
• She answers what it mean to be woke and who decides who is woke and the marker to be sufficiently woke.
• She shares her thoughts about the Charlotte Mecklenburg Opportunity Task Force and the conclusions of the Leading on Opportunity report.
• Tiffany reflects on growing up in South Carolina, her mom and dad, the core values that formed her, and how she is like her parents.
• She discusses what she did for the City of Charlotte and whether The Foundation For The Carolinas is woke.
• She talks about painting, being a mom, and whether she is who she wants to be.
• Tiffany reveals what she thinks about in the middle of the night.

Host Mark Peres adds a personal word that begins this way, "There are 'tells' in every conversation...a word spoken or an unconscious act that reveals something true..."

To learn more, visit On Life and Meaning.

Angela Gala takes the stress out of life. She is co-founder and executive director of Youth Meditation, a non-profit organization dedicated to giving students, teachers and parents tools to manage anxiety and emotions. She is also founder and principal of Rogers and Gala Creative Partners, an event planning firm. She has planned hundreds of events, has been featured on The Today Show, and has been quoted extensively on event planning in media throughout North America. She previously worked as Director of Private Parties for Charlotte City Club and Director of Catering for the Sheraton Hotel. Angela holds a B.A. in Marketing from the University of Louisville.

This episode is perfect for anyone interested in meditation and event-planning and what they have in common in a purpose-driven life.

IN THIS EPISODE

• Angela explains what is Youth Meditation and what it seeks to do.
• She describes mindful meditation and how to meditate.
• She guides listeners in a meditation session, showing the practice of controlled breath and relaxation.
• She talks about who Youth Meditation serves and how it is being received.
• Angela shares what we would witness in a Youth Meditation class.
• She reflects on the needs she sees in the community for meditation and what science says about its benefits.
• She reveals what is her one goal when she leads meditation and why she has brought this work to schools.
• She then talks about event planning and answers how an event planner plans events.
• Angela explores the connection between meditation and creativity.
• She answers what event she enjoys planning the most, what makes for a good event and whether the Internet has changed event planning.
• She shares where she grew up, what was important to her growing up, and what she carried with her for many years.
• She talks about her first job out of school that made the news and the lesson she learned.
• Angela reveals the most gratifying part of her joband what she hopes her kids learn from her.

After the conversation, host Mark Peres adds a personal word that begins this way, "My guided meditation session with Angela was...unusual. We were seated at my kitchen table with microphones in front us recording our conversation..."

To learn more, visit On Life and Meaning

Tom Gabbard is president and CEO of Blumenthal Performing Arts in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Blumenthal manages six performance stages and hosts over a 1000 performances annually. He is a member of the Board of Governors of the Broadway League and a Tony Award voter. He is a recipient of the Samuel J. L'Hommedieu Award for Outstanding Achievement in Presenter Management. Tom serves as President of the Independent Presenters Network, a consortium of 40 leading touring Broadway in North America, Asia and the United Kingdom. He was the founding managing director of Pepperdine University's Center for the Arts, and the executive director of the Arvada Center for the Arts and Humanities in Colorado and the Weidner Center for the Performing Arts in Wisconsin. Tom holds a B.A. in Music Performance from Pepperdine University and M.B.A. in Arts Management from Golden Gate University.

This episode is perfect for anyone interested in presenting shows to transform people and place.

IN THIS EPISODE

• om shares what comes to mind when he thinks of Blumenthal Performing Arts.
• He discusses what is less known about the Blumenthal and how it differs from other performing arts organizations.
• He outlines the three elements of the Blumenthal mission, what the 25th year anniversary is about strategically, and what big ideas have to do with it.
• He reveals how his time is divided as a CEO and where he devotes his focus.
• He explains what a producer actually does and the shows he has produced and co-produced
• Tom explains why he funds the creation of new work and what informs the planning and scheduling of a season.
• He discusses whether his personal taste drives the curation of programming and whether he has a responsibility to respond to the times in which we live.
• He references Kinky Boots, Breakin' Convention, Spring Awakening and Rent.
• He explains why he did not show the Pulitzer-award winning play August: Osage County.
• He talks about whether we are in a golden age of Broadway and co-producing Dear Evan Hansen and The Band's Visit.
• Tom addresses perfectionist tendencies and mustering courage to be bolder.
• He describes growing up in San Jose and how being a 'child of the sixties' influences him today.
• He shares a pivotal moment in 4th grade and what developed of his aesthetic taste.
• He answers whether he would leave Charlotte for New York or London.
• Tom reveals the best part of what he does.

After the conversation, host Mark Peres adds a personal word that begins this way, "Beauty. War. Religion. Love. Loss. Life. Death. Redemption. The human condition, in all its wonder, is at the heart of the arts and humanities..."

To learn more, visit On Life and Meaning.

Dianne Chipps Bailey is an attorney who helps non-profit organizations create a better world. She leads the non-profit and foundations practice group for Robinson Bradshaw, a full service law firm based in Charlotte, North Carolina. Dianne speaks nationally and is an expert witness on non-profit, corporate governance and tax/regulatory issues. She has served on many non-profit boards and is particularly engaged in women's philanthropic giving. Dianne is a recipient of multiple awards, including the 2015 Mecklenburg Times Woman of the Year Award, North Carolina Lawyers Weekly Woman of Justice Award, and the Charlotte Business Journal Women in Business Achievement Award. She holds a B.A. with high honors in English and philosophy from the University of California, Berkeley, and a J.D. with honors from Georgetown University Law Center.

This episode is perfect for anyone interested in the non-profit sector and matters of faith, privilege, perfection and gratitude.

IN THIS EPISODE

• Dianne describes her practice and what she does for the clients she serves.
• She shares the phone call she most enjoys receiving.
• She talks about the impact of the Great Recession on the non-profit sector, how she looks at the current health of the sector, and where she sees increased sophistication.
• She reveals the issue that she is carefully watching and grades the non-profit sector.
• She answers whether we have too many non-profits, whether we would be better served by for-profit social entrepreneurs, and the disruption that is occurring in the non-profit sector.
• Dianne shares her one true love in the philanthropic community.
• She talks about where she is from and what she loves about her home state.
• She reveals who she considers to be the most important influence in her life and who she most aspires to be more like.
• She explains what exploded her worldview in college and the fragmented life she led on campus.
• She discusses what is it that she struggles with and her thoughts about identity.
• Dianne shares a moment when she was adrift and what happened to change everything.
• She addresses the illusion of perfection and how she presents herself to the world.
• She shares her thoughts about privilege and her response to it in her life.
• She reveals the role she played in the political rise of Braxton Winston II.
• She discusses what she calls the Bailey Big Trip and what it means to her.
• Dianne shares what is most important to her.

After the conversation, host Mark Peres adds a personal word that begins this way, "Dianne Chipps Bailey lives a life that by any measure is remarkable. She is good at everything she seemingly sets out to do..."

To learn more, visit On Life and Meaning.

Manoj Kesavan is a cultural catalyst and creative instigator. He is co-founder of Que-OS, a non-profit collective of creative professionals who plan and activate spaces for community and cultural engagement. Que-OS is the organizational enterprise behind BOOM Charlotte, an artist-led, annual, three-day fringe festival showcasing contemporary and experimental performance and visual art. Manoj is also the founder of Point 8 Forum, a gathering of artists, architects and designers who explore multidisciplinary topics and encourage free thought, inquiry and creativity. He is the organizer of PechaKucha Charlotte, an event presentation series, and served as a founding team member of TEDx Charlotte. Manoj holds a Masters of Architecture degree from Kansas State University and Bachelors of Architecture degree from the University of Kerala, India.

This episode is perfect for anyone interested in instigating creative and cultural change and social practice as art.

IN THIS EPISODE

• Manoj talks about BOOM Charlotte and what motivated its launch.
• He explains the experimental operating model that sustains BOOM Charlotte and the importance of the model in the evolution of art in Charlotte.
• He references Wikipedia, early century Paris, mid-century Latin America, and the Harlem Renaissance.
• He addresses how BOOM Charlotte seeks to be open and inclusive, yet curated, and what he thinks of curatorial judgment.
• Manoj discusses the art of social practice, the limitations of definitions, and the evolution from making things to making things happen.
• He references Theaster Gates, Natalie Jeremijenko and Mel Chin.
• He connects the Greek transcendental concerns of beauty, truth and justice with worker housing in Stuttgart and fixing the deep social and environmental issues of the world.
• He assesses the art scene in Charlotte and identifies barriers and obstacles to art flourishing in the city.
• Manoj shares where he grew up, being born in a Brahman family, and how upheavals and moving from one place to another shaped him.
• He references the poem Homesickness by Marina Tsvetaeva, being an outsider, and Albert Camus' The Stranger.
• He talks about speaking Malayalam, Tamil and Hindi, what drew him to architecture, and when and why he came to America and to Charlotte.
• He discusses the origins of the Point8 Forum, PechaKucha Charlotte, Que-OS, and the leap of faith of creative initiatives.
• He references Fyodor Dostoevsky, Emily Dickenson, Rainer Maria Rilke and struggling with depression.
• Manoj considers who is an artist and taking a stance in the world.

After the conversation, host Mark Peres adds a personal word that begins this way, "Manoj Kesavan poses the question, 'What must I do?' For him the answer is, he must make things happen..."

To learn more, visit On Life and Meaning

Lenoir 'Lee' Keesler is president and CEO of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library, one of America's leading urban public library systems. Lee provides overall strategic vision, direction and leadership for the organization and oversight of enterprise administration and Library Foundation activities. He also serves as relationship manager for the Library-Mecklenburg County partnership. Prior to joining the Library, Lee served as president and CEO of the Arts & Science Council of Charlotte-Mecklenburg and primarily in wholesale banking leadership roles for First Union/Wachovia Bank (now Wells Fargo Bank). He holds a BA in economics from Duke University and an MBA from Wake Forest University.

This episode is perfect for anyone interested in the future of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library and in hearing about a life of community care and stewardship.

IN THIS EPISODE

• Lee describes this time in the library's history and how the library is transforming.
• He talks about what the community expects from the library and re-framing the library mission.
• He discusses what is a library, the many different services the library delivers, and the opportunities the library has in the years ahead.
• He addresses concerns about the homeless and transient people who use the library and speaks to their patronage.
• Lees shares the vision and 'top of the house' theme for a new main library, the three defining elements that make up that vision, what the main library will 'major' and 'minor' in, and what Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs has to do with it.
• He identifies the architects who that will design the new main library, what they are being charged to create, and the contributions they are making.
• He answers how the project for the new main library will be funded, when the library will break ground, and when it will be completed.
• Lee shares the history of his family in the Carolinas.
• He describes how his brothers are different temperamentally and considers what his brothers would say about him.
• He reveals the sport he gravitated to as a young man and why he chose his career.
• He discusses the three chapters of his life that he charted, whether he thinks of himself as a banker, and what motivated him to seek different work.
• Lee shares why becoming president of the Arts & Science Council was a watershed moment in his life, what he learned about himself as a leader, his strengths as a CEO, and what he could do better.
• He describes the Lee Keesler we don't see.
• He explains what the Royal Dornoch Golf Club has to do with heaven.
• He talks about the books he likes to read and his interest in books about women by women narrated by women.
• Lee shares what is most important to him.

After the conversation, host Mark Peres adds a personal word that begins this way, "I have been drawn to libraries my whole life, from reading books in cubbies in elementary schools to making a beeline to see the lions and the reading room in the New York Public Library..."

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Phillip Larrimore is a visual artist who explores that which is between painting and sculpture and realism and abstraction. His most recent work is creating multi-layered paintings on aluminum screens that he shapes into various forms. His paintings have been shown at many exhibits, including at The Gaston County Museum and CPCC Sensoria. Phillip is also an essayist, an art critic and a poet. He has written extensively for Charlotte Viewpoint and the Charlotte Observer on literature, theater, music and opera. His poetry has been published in The New Yorker magazine. His artistry extends to botany and designing hundreds of gardens for clients of nurseries. He has co-owned a documentary video business on avant-garde dance performance and a retail cacti and orchid store. Phillip studied at the Corcoran School of the Arts & Design.

This episode is perfect for anyone interested in hearing an artist with an encyclopedic mind and prodigious memory talk about his life and work.

IN THIS EPISODE

• Phillip talks about how he thinks of himself, when he is happiest and what haunts him.
• He discusses what he and Osip Mandelstam, Paul Klee and Jean Arp have in common.
• He describes what we would see when we encounter his work, what holographic imagery has to do with it, and the construction and reconstruction of appearance.
• He connects 360 degree thinking to Sufism, Islam and 99 perforated aluminum boxes.
• He considers William Blake and the choreography of the placement of figure in painting.
• Phillip answers whether he cares about the viewers of his visual art.
• Phillip connects the Frieze of the Prophets by John Singer Sargent with being a Trotskyite Jewish boy raised by a Baptist minister.
• He references To Kill A Mockingbird, a Ouija board, Edgar Allen Poe and spending time in cemeteries.
• He talks about attending the Corcoran School of the Arts & Design and being a member of the Weather Undergound.
• Phillip discusses having a nom de guerre, Howard Moss, the poetry editor of The New Yorker, the poet Elizabeth Bishop, and Alex Liberman, editorial director of Conde Nast.
• He shares stories about choreographers Elizabeth Streb, Merce Cunningham and Trisha Brown, the musician John Cage, and the critic Edwin Denby.
• Phillip connects chance operations to the I Ching and sea urchins.
• He talks about recovering emotionally from being a caregiver during the AIDS crisis.
• He discusses converting sorrow into beauty and whether art requires melancholy.

After the conversation, host Mark Peres adds a personal word that begins this way, "Sometimes in an interview one misses the obvious because the obvious is hidden in plain site..."

To learn more, visit On Life and Meaning.

Suzanne Fetscher creates spaces for artists to change the world. For 18 years, she served as the founding president of the McColl Center for Art + Innovation, a contemporary art and artist-in-residency center, in Charlotte, North Carolina. Prior to her appointment, she served as Executive Director of the Atlantic Center for the Arts in New Smyrna Beach, Florida. She spent several post-graduate years teaching design and drawing, serving as adjunct instructor at Rollins College and at University of Central Florida, and as a full-time visiting instructor at Stetson University. She earned a BFA in Studio Art from the University of Central Florida and an MFA in printmaking from the University of Florida.

This episode is perfect for anyone interested in arts administration and a story of arriving full circle in life.

IN THIS EPISODE

Suzanne talks about her transition into retirement and how she is feeling emotionally about leaving the McColl Center for Art + Innovation.

• Suzanne talks about her transition into retirement and how she is feeling emotionally about leaving the McColl Center for Art + Innovation.
• She describes the mission and work of the McColl Center and what distinguishes it from other residency programs.
• She reflects on the origin of the McColl Center and how it has evolved.
• She discusses how she came to be hired at McColl Center and why she left her previous position at the Atlantic Center for the Arts.
• Suzanne shares what she is most proud of during her tenure at the McColl Center and what innovation has to do with it.
• She talks about what is happening at art institutions and in arts administration today.
• She shares where she grew up and her family life as a child.
• She discusses where she went to college and what she studied.
• Suzanne talks about the person she met as a coed who changed her life.
• She explains what she looks for when she looks at art and what makes art good.
• She tells a story about community engagement as artistic expression.
• Suzanne shares what the arts mean to her and what's next.

To learn more, visit On Life and Meaning.

Carol Hardison saves lives. She is president and CEO of Crisis Assistance Ministry, a non-profit organization that provides assistance and advocacy for people in financial crisis, helping them move toward self-sufficiency. She has received many awards for her leadership and work against poverty and on behalf of economic justice, including the Martin Luther King, Jr. Keeper of the Dream Award, the Charlotte Woman of the Year Award, and the Leadership Charlotte Schley Lyons Award. Before joining Crisis Assistance Ministry, Carol worked at Duke Energy Corporation as a manager and strategic consultant in Information Technology. Carol earned a degree in Mathematics and Computer Science from Furman University.

This episode is perfect for anyone interested in social justice work and making a positive difference in the lives of the economically disadvantaged and the fight against poverty.

IN THIS EPISODE

Carol explains what Crisis Assistance Ministry does and who it serves.

• She answers whether Crisis Assistance is in fact a ministry and what she is seeing among those in financial crisis in the community.
• She shares her understanding of why there is a divide between the haves and have-nots.
• She discusses who is showing up at Crisis Assistance and how their needs present.
• Carol talks about whether the poor will always be with us and what everyone deserves.
• She describes how things are different today than when she took the job, how she has 'failed' and the current threat the community is facing.
• She shares what she would do at Crisis Assistance Ministry if resources were not an issue.
• She addresses the link between 'saviors and victims,' not perpetuating dependency, and the challenge of donor demands.
• Carol reveals where her passion for her work comes from, growing up in Tallahassee, and the influence of her parents in her life.
• She talks about who she wanted to be and the role community college played in her education.
• She answers what kept her at Duke Energy for 18 years, the moment she decided to leave, and the trade-off of moving from the private to the non-profit world.
• She discusses whether there is a third act for her after Crisis Assistance and whether she would take an executive position elsewhere.
• She talks about how she sees her strengths in a changing world, how she enjoys good laughs every day, and why she keeps the culture light at work.
• Carol shares what songs she plays loud and what matters to her most in her life.

To learn more, visit On Life and Meaning.