Cover Story

The Salas Family Builds Businesses, Dreams and Community in Nashville

When you walk into LB Auto Repair in South Nashville, there’s a good chance you’ll be greeted not only by the smell of motor oil and the sight of cars in various stages of repair, but also by a four-year-old with big dreams. Her name is Lucy, and though she’s not even in Kindergarten yet, she’s already claiming her spot in the family business world. “She says she sells houses,” laughs her uncle, Jesus Salas Balcazar. “She’s our little CEO.”

That entrepreneurial spark runs through the entire family. Between Jesus, his sisters Perla and Ingrid, and their father, the family operates multiple small businesses in Nashville: LB Auto Repair, Perla’s beauty salon, and Ingrid’s real estate work and her husband’s business J. Any Fix, LLC. Together, they represent not only their own dedication and hustle but also the growing strength of Hispanic-owned, family-run businesses in Middle Tennessee.

Cover Story

Cooking Up Community: How Cynthia and Marcio Florez of Limo Restaurant are Building their Dream in Nashville

Being Be

Artist Omari Booker paints a portrait of life on the streets at Elephant Gallery

Poetry Issue

We present our favorite poems of the past year paired with custom illustrations by local artist and educator, Paul Collins.

Free Range Art

Daybreak Arts colors outside the clichés

This summer, three remarkable artists are set to bring sometimes-overlooked creative visions to the gallery experience in Downtown Nashville. As part of the curated Art Between the Avenues series, nonprofit artist collaborative Daybreak Arts will activate Gallery 64 inside the historic Arcade Arts venue, re-imagining the space as three immersive mini-galleries that promise to entertain and engage gallery-goers. ScreenshotCorp Posters by BandyBlueBandy as Budd LuddSidney Sparkle

The displays amplify the creative voices of Sidney Sparkle, Blue and Bandy — three artists whose personal journeys through homelessness inform their distinctive artistic styles and stories. Daybreak Arts curated this groundbreaking show to highlight how art can become a vehicle for survival, transformation and profound human connection. The organization is dedicated to utilizing the arts to create income and connection for those who’ve experienced homelessness.This show is the latest display in a mini-trend of local exhibitions by artists who’ve lived on Nashville’s streets, beginning with the excellent “Do You Know How Good You Are?” show by Room In The Inn artists at Julia Martin Gallery in June.