Member Directory
Craftsmen’s Guild of Mississippi Members
Search our Member Directory by name or medium (Metal, Ceramics, Glass, Mixed Media, Wood, Fiber). Or, scroll down the page to browse our Members.
About Us
We are makers on a mission to preserve and promote, educate and encourage, the highest standard of excellence in regional crafts.
The work of our Members reflects a high degree of competence, professional standards, and artistry in their medium and category. Eligibility is determined by a jury review process which takes place twice each year.
Stacy McInnis Blalock
Stacy McInnis Blalock
Marion, MS
Clay / Ceramics
Guild member since 2014
With a Ph.D. in audiology and a job at a busy ENT clinic, you would wonder how Stacy McInnis-Blalock ever finds the time to make her one of a kind ceramics; however, she always finds a way to nurse her love affair with clay that started over fifteen years ago. Always a lover of art, she was thrilled with what the medium of clay had to offer and has always found new ways to work with her medium to produce something unique and beautiful. She is always exploring and trying out different techniques both on the wheel and during the firing process to help meet her creative vision for what the lump of clay before her can be changed to. This exploration is what keeps the process fun and calls her back to the wheel again and again.
Rhonda Blasingame
Rhonda Blasingame
Jackson, MS
Fiber / Quilts
Guild member since 2007
Although Rhonda’s work utilizes traditional quilting skills, her quilts are nothing like the ones she made with her grandmother. Contrast, color, design, and subject are all used to create an overall ‘feel’ to each piece. You may see burlap or velvet with the traditional cotton, and embellishments like beading, found objects, or fibers are all used to enhance the design and add another layer of movement and texture. All her work incorporates her deep love for the South and the ‘pass-along’ tradition of quilting.
Julie Boudreaux
Julie Boudreaux
Diamondhead, MS
Metal / Jewelry
Guild member since 2014
Julie began creating jewelry over ten years ago, initially starting out with beading, but rapidly expanding her interests to include other creative techniques. Her current work includes the use of Precious Metal Clay, wire, sheet metals, and glass, often combining the different media into a single piece. Much of her education in her craft has been done through the William Holland School of Lapidary Arts and Rio Grande, where she participated in classes in wire wrapping, silver smithing, PMC, and lamp work glass. She has participated in many Arts Alive events and has had her work displayed at the Waveland City Hall gallery. She is also a promoter of her craft through her classes in fusing, wire work, and specialized beading techniques.
Lisa F. Bouvette
Lisa F. Bouvette
Gulfport, MS
Clay / Ceramics
Guild member since 2002
Living on the Gulf Coast, Lisa is inspired by the marches, bayous, and animal life of the area. At southwest Louisiana University and William Carey University, she studied ceramics, fine art, and art history. Her work includes wheel thrown pieces and small animal sculptures fired to cone 6 in an oxidation atmosphere. Her wheel thrown pieces are most often carved for an aged effect. She wax resists the pieces, then adds layers of slip and glazes to achieve a rich and unique surface. This process gives her glazes a muted, satiny watercolor quality.
Rosalind "Rocky" Broome
Rosalind "Rocky" Broome
Baton Rouge, LA
Clay / Ceramics
Guild member since 1997
Using nature as her inspiration, Rocky’s objective is to create watercolor, expressionistic like paintings that evoke a feeling of joy and beauty. All of her glazes are lead free and the ware is safe for the microwave, oven, and dishwasher. Function is an important consideration, as is beauty. He encourages you to use the pots daily. The one of a kind pieces consist mainly of unique plates and vessels; some are painted using the production patterns and others are black and white silhouettes of loosely drawn dancers that communicate celebration. Rocky holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Louisiana State University. His concentration was in ceramics and, like most potters, once she touched clay he was hooked. Since then, she has been involved in making and teaching art.
Denise Brown
The rhythm of the spinning wheel and the development of a growing yarn provide Denise with endless hours of meditation, conversation, learning, and a connection to an ancient craft. Working with fiber gives her wonderful opportunities to teach about ancient culture, history, farming, care of animals, as well as the environment. She finds that the act of spinning, whether by wheel or spindle, provides a communication channel between past and present, moderating the complexities of a technological age with the simplicity of an earlier era. Working with the fiber eases the frustrations and distractions of day-to-day stresses and the results in a product that reflects the best nature offers.
“I began spinning wool in 1985 and gradually advanced to silk, mohair, angora, and other fibers. Spinning is calming by engaging hands and feet while letting the mind drift. Participating in demonstrations, especially for children is very rewarding.” - Denise
New Albany, MS
Fiber
Guild member since 1997
Fellow since 2009
Phillip Brown
I am a native of Shreveport, Louisiana and currently reside in Brandon, Mississippi. I grew up in central California and have lived in Mississippi for over 30 years. In 2018 I retired from over 40 years in aviation maintenance and aviation maintenance management.
Growing up I loved discovering the mechanics of how things worked and making things from wood, but I never dreamed I would be considered an artist. I have not had any formal art training, I am self-taught; my formal training as a certified airframe and powerplant aircraft mechanic taught me the importance of attention to detail and the use of various hand and power tools.
When my father passed away in 2008, I inherited one of his lathes and thus began my passion for woodturning. I started by turning wooden pens, an interest sparked by the gift of a beautiful wooden pen from my mother-in-law years before. From turning pens, I moved to turning bowls, vases, and platters. Recently I have been focusing on embellishing my work with various textures, color, and carvings.
In 2014 I joined the American Association of Woodturners and the Magnolia Woodturners, both have had a major impact on my growth as a woodturner and artist. In 2021 I was awarded a Mississippi Arts Commission Folk Arts Fellowship in Woodturning grant and in August 2023 I was juried into the Craftsmen’s Guild of Mississippi. I have been an assistant instructor for two bowl turning classes and a power carving class at John C. Campbell Folk School in Brasstown, NC.
Brandon, MS
Wood
Guild member since 2023
Stephen Bullock
Stephen Bullock
Brandon, MS
Wood / Furniture
Guild member since 2013
Raised in Jackson, Stephen has no formal art education other than public high school art classes. Drawing on his love for the outdoors, gardening, and wildlife, he tries to incorporate them into his pieces as much as possible. It’s no surprise that often one can find images of birds or trees in his marvelous wood carvings. All of his pieces are made from stained cedar, which allows him to control the different colors using various stains. This particular wood also makes his pieces ideal for covered patio settings and interior design. When asked why he likes to work with wood, his response was, “It’s different, and it stands out. The grain of each piece is unique, and it’s actually more of a work of art than I do with the wood.”
Conner Burns
Conner Burns
Natchez, MS
Clay / Ceramics
Guild member since 2000
Connor was exposed to a variety of visual and performing arts during his childhood. His home was filled with art, especially the handmade pottery his father made. After a number of years of fitting clay around his job in the health and wellness field, Connor took a year off and spent the time working with clay. One year turned into two as Conner spent the time as the Artist-in- residence at Steven Hill’s Red Star studios in Kansas City, after which he returned home and started his own studio. Rich subtleties and organic influences are important in his work. Conner’s intention is for his work to look as if it grew that way, rather than being made. Both visual and tactile are components that used to encourage the user to take a closer look- to reach out and touch.
Rebecca "Becky" Burt
Rebecca "Becky" Burt
Hammond, LA
Metal / Jewelry
Guild member since 2010
Becky likes to think of herself as a finder of things that people do not know they need yet. She is a classically trained jewelry and mixed media artist who takes odd bits and pieces of metal, household ephemera, and the occasional bizarre cast off, and combines them to create art that sends a message. She teaches jewelry making at The New Orleans School of Art and Craft. She has displayed her work at Jazz Fest, various galleries, art markets, and art festivals in several Southern states. Becky was named by New Orleans Magazine as one of their 2013 People to Watch.
Judy Busby and Emily Wolfe Jems Luxe Fibers
Judy Busby and Emily Wolfe Jems Luxe Fibers
Vicksburg, MS
Fiber: Yarn
Guild member since 2019
Ben Caldwell
Ben Caldwell
Nashville, TN
Metal (Cooper) / Utensils
Guild member since 2008
Ben is not only an award-winning copper artist; he also works with silver, makes guitars, and builds custom West African drums. He was named Emerging Artist of the year in 2002 by the Tennessee Artist’s Guild, and has been featured in numerous magazine and newspaper articles. His work was shown twice on the “Tennessee Crossroads” television shows, and twice on Nashville Television stations. His copper sculptures have been shown at Vanderbilt Hospital, and the Tennessee State Museum where it won “Best of Tennessee Craft” in 2001. A silver gingko leaf ladle was acquired for the museum’s permanent collection.
Todd Carr
Todd began at an early age, watching his grandfather work with wood. During a visit to the Biltmore Museum as a child, he was fascinated with the craftsmanship of the woodwork. He is drawn to natural colors, textures, and grain patterns of wood. Each piece tells a unique story as it is shaped, turned, or formed into a beautiful work of art. Todd prefers to work with wood from trees that have been blown over in storms or to be removed for safety reasons. He takes the wood from the end of its life to a new life bringing joy to those who appreciate God’s beauty.
Decatur, MS
Wood
Guild member since 2008
Fellow since 2018
Susan Carruth
Susan Carruth
Covington, LA
Metal (Silver) / Jewelry
Guild member since 1988
Susan was recently commissioned to create a special piece of jewelry as a gift for Barbara Bush. Her jewelry designs are imaginative commentaries on nature and life’s experiences. She draws on her childhood experiences of growing up in New Orleans, as well as the highs and lows of being a responsible adult and parent. Susan’s work shows the variety of working with metal. Some of her jewelry designs are loosely structured with lots of moving parts, other designs are highly structured and technically very demanding to create. Susan says that the freedom to move among these different approaches brings the balance she is seeking in her creative life.