Loose Leaf Notes

1. This is the installation designed by Luke Haynes that serves as the entryway to COHAB.SPACE, a converted factory/warehouse space and campus in High Point, NC (1547 West English Road), with curated showrooms, art galleries, studios, a bar and an outdoor music event venue.

2. It was the semi-annual (April and October) High Point Furniture Market that attracts 100,000 exhibitors and buyers from around the world and the first time Joe and I checked out the creative hub where our son, ceramic artist Josh Copus, is part of the ownership and board of directors’ team.

3. COHAB was founded by John Muldoon (left), a builder of design-driven communities who purchased the historic Melrose Hosiery Mill in High Point’s West End to repurpose in 2017 as part of the reimagining of High Point as a thriving year-round design destination that is open year-round and not just during the Market Trade Show weeks. Pictured are John, Josh and Joe.

4. Josh said in his social media invite to the space, “We became a creative workforce development non-profit last year and are making big moves. It’s hard to explain exactly how awesome Cohab is… you kinda need to see it with your own eyes and experience it in real life. If you’re interested in what we are up to, market is a great time to come visit and see what we’ve been doing.”

5. Pictured above (4th picture) popping champagne at the bar are Hanna and Michael Manes, COHAB co-founders/directors. I believe the team was celebrating a record breaking following on Instagram.

6. Everyone was welcoming. We were treated to lunch and surrounded by creativity  and artful beauty. I’m pictured here with May Wong, another co-owner and board member.

7. Josh gave demonstrations throughout the trade show, handbuilding large pots with clay, which he has said is “a material of accepting impression. It is a record of every process, from its geological formation in the earth to its eventual transformation in the fire.”

8. His work was displayed throughout the space.

9. I met some creative people, like Conan Castillo who makes these chandeliers with salvaged parts. They were displayed throughout the sprawling space.

10. I enjoyed talking with furniture designer Noah Martin (right) and photographer Sam Delaisse, who I was surprised to learn that many of his featured photographs were taken with a point and shoot pocket camera like mine.

11. It took all day to tour the scene. This is where I rested, got a foot rub from Joe, shared an IPA with May and played wordle with Joe’s sister who came from Charlotte.  Later that evening, we were treated to a Taco spread at Cisco Home, a furniture design showroom in a refurbished cotton mill that is part of the family of innovators who are reimagining High Point as a creative year-round hub for art and design.

12. “The supply of underutilized spaces in High Point is exponentially larger than Asheville ever was,” said Josh, the founder of the Clayspace Collective in the River Arts District of Asheville, which is a warehouse renovated studio and gallery space that has been supporting artists for over 20 years.  He is also the owner of Zadies Restaurant and the Old Marshall Jail Hotel, which are both housed in the Old Marshall Jail, a building that he renovated and co-owns.

13. Rack ‘em up or wrap ’em up. I love the way this pool table fits right in with the showroom décor. I’m looking forward to seeing more on our next visit.  _________Colleen Redman_____ Thirteen Thursday