History of the Craftsmen’s Guild of MS
The Craftsmen’s Guild of Mississippi, founded in 1973, is a non-profit organization of craftsmen and others interested in preserving contemporary, folk and traditional crafts of MS and the southern region and encouraging the highest standards of excellence in these crafts. The guild implements its goals through sales and marketing of member’s work, public service projects, continuing education in the arts, and special events and exhibits.
Funding is received from membership, contributions and from individuals and corporations, proceeds from the Guild’s gallery, annual events and grants from various local, state and national organizations. Since its beginning more than 35 years ago, the guild has grown from a membership of 30 craftsmen – only two of the original 30 actually earned a living from craft – to more than 400 professional artisans from all over the United States. A ten member jury selects new members twice a year.
Guild programs reach an audience of more than 150,000 people a year. Since 1976, the award-winning Chimneyville Crafts Festival is held the first weekend in December each year and is a draw to fine craft lovers from all over the Southeast. The guild provides free weekend craft demonstrations at the Mississippi Craft Center just off the historic Natchez Trace Parkway on Rice Road in Ridgeland and the “Craftsmanship in the Mississippi Tradition” is a traveling exhibition focusing on Mississippi’s ethnic crafts tradition. Schools and educational programs include the “Suitcase Museum,” an educational program to introduce elementary students to crafts.
In style, training and philosophy, member craftsmen and encompass a broad spectrum, ranging from the College professors to artisans working in primitive methods, from paper makers to glassblowers and weavers to woodcarvers. They all share the common interest of craft and rejoice in the challenge and satisfaction of coordinating hand and eye to produce their inner visions.
Mission statement
The mission of the Craftsmen Guild of Mississippi is to preserve, promote, market, educate and encourage the highest standard of excellence in regional crafts.
The Guild represents educational programs, craft events and exhibits, art education and markets fine craft. One hundred fifty thousand people attend guild programs each year where they encounter working craftsmen and the results of their work.
