32 APRIL 2021 By Mallory Gleich Remember the days when it was exciting to run to the mailbox in hopes of receiving a letter from a family member or friend? The art of letter writing may have lost some of its acceptance in today’s world, but local entrepreneur Natalie Meszaros aims to change that with the Pretty Paper Club – a company inspired by a long-distance friendship. In 1989, Natalie was living in Zweibrucken, Germany, when she met Julie Bass Walton. The pair were in 7th grade together, and their dads were both in the Air Force. The connection was immediate, and they remained friends into adulthood – even though they never lived in the same state again. “Before the internet was even a thing, we wrote letters,” Natalie said. “Stationery was our thing. We marked each letter with the date we planned to run away from home (and never did), our initials ‘JN’ and the word beaches. We sent letters the way little girls exchanged friendship bracelets, secrets and hugs.” Natalie explained that most military brats were letter writers since it was the only way to stay in touch when they moved. Everyone had an address book and, “we knew to only write in pencil because we updated our addresses so often,” she said. Both Natalie and Julie left Europe in 1991, with Julie heading to Texas and Natalie initially heading to Ohio for college. However, during Natalie’s sophomore year, she transferred to U of A when her father was stationed in Tucson. Natalie and Julie remained friends through college, their careers and motherhood. In 2009, 31-year-old Julie received heartbreaking news: She had breast cancer. At the age of 33, she passed away. “After years of friendship, I signed her hospice paperwork and held her sleeping baby while she passed,” Natalie said. “At that moment, the brevity of life overwhelmed me, and I realized Julie left us all a gift. The gift of connection. Stories. Friendship. Handwritten letters.” The Pretty Paper Club was created to honor Julie and the friendship they had made. Natalie explained that “there are hordes of people who love paper goods, desk accessories, pens, stickers, washi tape, and confetti just as much as I do.” “I’ve gifted these items to friends and family for years, even designing personalized stationery just for fun. Writing letters is part of my DNA,” she said. “And the best part? It blesses the sender just as much as it does the recipient. I’ve experienced it firsthand after years of sending letters back and forth to Julie.” Natalie started getting requests from strangers for her stationery and realized she wasn’t alone in her affection for pen and paper. Pretty Paper Club officially began in 2017 and welcomed its first 30 members within a month. Natalie explained that Pretty Paper Club’s goal is to “arm all of America with a pen and paper.” Members can pick their theme, customize it and start sending out letters. Each month, a new theme is introduced, so notes stay “fresh and fun.” Each box is filled with confetti – a small shout-out to Julie with each letter sent. “Julie didn’t only write to me. She wrote to everyone,” Natalie said. “She wrote hundreds of letters. And she filled them all with confetti.” Natalie still keeps in contact (through letters, of course) with Julie’s family, who lives in Texas. prettypaperclub.com Letter writing kept alive with help from local stationery club PHOTO: MATT BROOKS Natalie with husband Jason and kids Grant, Blake, Trey and Kate. Subscribers receive a new themed stationery kit each month. By Amanda Savage Downtown Phoenix’s first art gallery – the Alwun House – has been a mainstay for Phoenix artists and activists for five decades. The art space is known for its many annual events like The Exotic Art Show, Salon des Enfants (a youth art show) and the Halloween Monster Ball. What isn’t as well known about the Alwun House is how it came to be. The Alwun House building was erected in 1912 at 12th St. and Roosevelt in the Garfield Heights neighborhood. The manor-style home originally sat on five acres overlooking alfalfa fields. The home’s nickname was “Sedler’s House,” after the property’s original owner and builder, John Sedler. Its architectural style and scale are somewhat of a hybrid between a classic bungalow and a colonial mission. Co-founders and life partners Kim Moody and Larry Vanderbeek purchased the property in 1971 with a VA loan for $11,000. Moody reportedly started dreaming of a collaborative space for artists when he returned to Arizona after a short stint in Los Angeles as an arts reporter. The founding team spent 10 years renovating the house and grounds. The ground floor became an art gallery, the basement a theater, and the backyard a performance art space. According to Moody, the house’s name is a play on “all one,” as in all people coming together in the name of art. The property’s renovations earned the team an environmental quality improvement award in 1972 by then-Phoenix Mayor Margaret Hance. Alwun House became the first nonprofit contemporary art space in Phoenix. In the beginning, it was primarily a performance space that hosted storytellers, guided meditations, jazz nights and miming acts. In the early 1980s, Dana Johnson joined the team and brought structure to its free- flowing attitude. During this time, the Alwun House was one of the only places in Phoenix showcasing reggae music and community activism events. In the 90s, the Alwun house launched an annual Valentine’s Day fundraising event called The Erotic Art Show. The organization also became more prominent in Phoenix’s LGBTQ community. During this time, Arizona media started to recognize the Alwun House in their annual “best of” round-ups. In 1993, the house was listed on the Arizona State Historic Preservation Office’s Inventory of Historic Properties. In 2005, the City of Phoenix placed it on their list of registered historic properties. The Alwun House’s transformative spirit has crept beyond property lines and into the neighborhood and surrounding communities. Moody and Johnson have been heavily involved in the restoration of the Garfield neighborhood in Phoenix. In 2019, they revealed plans to build a Green Art Park on the property behind the art space, which will be used for more family- focused events. Despite the park’s construction, the Alwun House still has a busy 2021 planned. They will be hosting the Garfield Yard Sale, their annual Halloween party and dozens of other shows along the way. Celebrations for the art space’s 50th anniversary will begin in the fall. alwunhouse.org Art and culture pioneers celebrate 50 years Co-founders Kim Moody and Larry Vanderbeek with Tom Houlon at the renovation. Executive Director Dana Johnson said that perseverance and dedication have contributed to the success of Alwun House. PHOTOS COURTESY OF ALWUN HOUSE

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