I am a Craftsman: 40 at 40 celebrates the success of the Craftsmen’s Guild of Mississippi by showcasing forty of its top artists. First established in 1973, the guild had its fortieth anniversary last year, and it has flourished dramatically since its inception, with an initial membership of thirty growing to over 400 members today.
I am a Craftsman is not a treatise on the definition of art or craft, nor does it delve into theoretical discussion of the guild model. Instead, the book provides a brief introduction to Mississippi artisans as well as the guild itself. The author informs us that the guild has risen to the same iconic level as the Southern Highland Craft Guild of North Carolina or Tamarack in West Virginia, and there is an air of excitement in the author’s description of the Mississippi Craft Center, opened by the guild in 2007.
The design of the book is quite handsome, with its large-scale landscape format and bold color photographs of artists’ work adorning the cover. The book has a strong sense of visual unity throughout, with a formulaic two-page layout dedicated to each craftsperson. Each spread includes a full-page sepia portrait of the artist, a short biographical essay, and two relatively small photos of the artist’s work. While the book itself is a lovely object, the volume achieves varying degrees of success in its showcase of the guild’s artists and their work.
Rarely are artists photographed in situ in their workspace; typically, artist portraits are taken professionally before a plain studio backdrop. Yet photos of blacksmith Bill Peavey or the Wynn brothers in their workshops (16) or of Sheri Marshall donning an apron while sitting at the potter’s wheel (66) are more informative to the folklorist than the crisp, clean photographs of the studio. Visual clues such as the artists’ tools, their attire, and the layout of their workspace offer important, albeit small, insights into the artist, which markedly complement the short artist biographies.
Artist bios typically range from 300-500 words, providing only a brief glimpse into the artist’s life and work. Essays outline how and when artists learned their chosen craft, and often provide very basic outlines of each artist’s materials or process. Little of the artist’s voice is included in the essays. Perhaps it would be difficult to give the artists more of a voice and still maintain a sense of unity among the essays, but these bios typically include a few lines of quotation at most. The most engaging essays are those which give greater voice to the artist and intertwine it with the style of the author. In one example, glassblower Susan Robertson’s vivacious persona shines through in her words, her work, and the author’s commentary (84). Unfortunately, not all of the essays showcase the artists with the same degree of success.
While the artist bios may be sparse for each featured individual, these essays have a collective impact, as they illustrate interesting trends among the artists. Many featured artists, for example, were well-established in higher education or in their career before discovering the medium that so evokes their creative passion today. While some guild members have had a life-long connection with the arts, many found their medium relatively late in life (the author frequently refers to artists finally heeding “their calling”).
I was surprised by the angle of the book, with its strong focus on tourism and commerce, not just in promoting guild members but in stimulating tourism of all kinds in several of Mississippi’s artsy communities. Interspersed among the artist bios are short entries on communities such as Biloxi, Ridgeland, and five others. These portions of the book read much like a brochure for the local Chamber of Commerce. Tupelo, birthplace of Elvis Presley, offers everything from a zoo to an automobile museum (102), while Choctaw touts paradisiacal golf courses, water parks, and “Las Vegas-style entertainment” (36). In Natchez, “after a full day of sightseeing,” one can feast on authentic Southern cuisine before settling into one of Natchez’ charming bed and breakfasts. The author does, after all, proudly declare Natchez as the “Bed and Breakfast Capital of the Southeast United States” (64).
In addition to the dizzying lists of boutiques, restaurants, and resorts, the book includes a map of Mississippi’s thirteen welcome centers dotting the state line (104). Phone numbers and addresses are provided for each welcome center, easing the planning of a trip to Mississippi. Contact information is also provided for each of the cities featured in the text, as well as for the state tourism office.
While these entries seem to veer away from the apparent goals of the book, the book thankfully provides an “artisan index” as well, located in the tourism appendix (106). This directory lists each artist’s location and telephone number, making it possible for would-be tourists to contact artists directly for commissions, studio visits, or simply to learn more.
This work would be particularly useful for scholars interested in craft guilds, tourism, or artist representation, as well as for public folklorists interested in public promotion of local arts and artists.
I am a Craftsman is not the best text for depth on any artist, creative process, or information on the ideals and function of a guild. However, the book does paint a picture of the opportunities and sense of community that a guild can create. Many featured artists have taught classes at the Mississippi Craft Center, and many share ideas within the artist network that the guild provides. The book does also successfully create a sense of place. Community portraits highlight the style of local vernacular architecture and southern foodways, while many artists either draw inspiration from the Mississippi landscape or incorporate the landscape itself into their work, like potter Conner Burns, who gathers clay from local riverbeds, and mixes ash from local trees into his glazes (20). The book also offers a sense of optimism, demonstrating that it is never too late to discover one’s life passion.
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[Review length: 995 words • Review posted on April 23, 2014]