When Bessie Johnson saw a convoy of vehicles rolling up her driveway the last morning of March, one of her first thoughts was, “Oh, I’d better call a few of the neighbors because they’ll think something is wrong, wondering why are all those cars at Bessie’s house.”
What she would need to tell the Tibbee community grapevine was that all was well. Not to worry; it’s just a TV production crew visiting rural Clay County to tape for an episode of “Handcrafted America.” The INSP family entertainment channel series features host Jill Wagner as she travels across the country seeking out artisans who create with their own two hands. From New York to Hawaii, the program shares stories of master crafters who make everything from kayaks to spurs, banjos to rocking chairs. It should be no surprise that the show found Bessie Johnson in Mississippi.
Johnson makes baskets, intricate woven works of art fashioned out of materials that come courtesy of nature — longleaf pine needles, walnuts, corn husks, gourds, chinaberries. It’s an old, old folk art, she says.
“Weaving baskets with native Mississippi materials takes me back to some of my dearest childhood memories,” says Johnson. “I consider this an artistic link to my African forefathers. It’s as much a part of my family’s legacy as any genetic inheritance.”
Just one
As a girl, Johnson appreciated the meaning of “handmade.” Her mother quilted, and her father re-caned chairs and made baskets. He taught his daughter the basics. When she had a chance to sign up for basket-weaving in 4-H, Johnson took it and has been creative ever since. Her craft, she says, has taken her places, given her opportunities she wouldn’t have had otherwise — like exhibiting and demonstrating at the 1984 World’s Fair in New Orleans and having her work selected for a Smithsonian traveling exhibition. She’s a charter member of the Mississippi Craftsmen’s Guild and, in 2010, was the recipient of a Mississippi Governor’s Award for Excellence in the Arts. She’s no stranger to recognition, but still, when “Handcrafted America” host Jill Wagner, show producers, camera and sound operators — even a makeup artist — spilled from those cars in the driveway, it was a novel and humbling experience.
It didn’t take long for the visitors to begin feeling at home.
“I fell in love with Bessie right away,” said Wagner, a North Carolina native now living in Tennessee. “Not only is she out-of-this-world talented, she is the sweetest person.”
The host and crew were surprised to find just one longleaf pine tree in Johnson’s yard. “Where are all the others?” they asked. But one tree is really all Johnson has needed, one she transplanted years ago from South Mississippi, where longleafs more often thrive. With care, it survived and grew to provide all the raw material the Clay County weaver can use and store.
“I will never have to pick up another pine needle,” smiles Johnson. But for anyone who does, it’s best to wait until needles turn golden brown and fall off the trees by themselves, the crafter advises. It’s at that stage that Johnson washes them, soaks them and pulls the tiny “cap” off every needle.
Pass it on
During filming, Johnson shared some of her methods on camera, tutoring Wagner in the basics of “wrap, fold and roll,” the weaver’s three steps to basket-making. (She’s even come up with a tutorial song to the tune of “A-Tisket, A-Tasket” to use when she goes into area schools to teach children. Johnson is also teaching a course for Mississippi University for Women’s Life Enrichment Program in matchstick art, an encore to a basket-weaving class she previously taught.)
“Jill caught on real well,” says the soft-spoken folk artist.
“I was just surprised that, first of all, she could make a basket out of pine needles,” Wagner says, “and then just the technique of making the center of the basket … now every time I look at a basket, I’m going to be looking at the center to see if it’s the same technique.”
Artisans like Bessie Johnson are why Wagner enjoys hosting the show. True craftsmen and women are more special than they may realize, keeping alive traditions and doing amazing things in their garages, homes and workshops, she says. It’s important that others see the dedication and artistry involved.
“I always say it’s not a ‘how-to’ show,” explains Wagner. “We’re just wanting to celebrate them and what they do — and you might feel inspired by one of these artisans.”
The taping was “quite an experience,” Johnson says. “I wasn’t used to that kind of intense attention and scrutiny, but it was so encouraging that I was asked to do it.”
Season Three of “Handcrafted America” premieres in late summer. Johnson will be among three artists in an episode slated to air in the fall. While the crafter waits to learn the exact date, she continues to teach, fulfill demonstration engagements and weave, making sure she has enough baskets for select festivals she still participates in, like Kentuck Arts Festival in Northport, Alabama, Chimneyville Crafts Festival in Jackson, and Prairie Arts Festival in West Point. Her works range from $125 to $1,500. Although she limits her shows now, Johnson sees no end in sight to her weaving. It’s therapeutic. If she’s away from her craft for any length of time, she feels the void. It makes her a bit sad.
Generous with talent and time, she urges others to learn, to do. “It’s easy,” she says encouragingly. “All it takes is a little patience, a little time and a little imagination … and wrap, fold and roll.”
Editor’s note: The Dispatch will publish the fall broadcast date, when known, for the episode with Johnson. INSP’s channel position with Comcast/Xfinity is 40 in Columbus. For readers who have Dish Network, INSP is channel 259. DirecTV is 364.
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Jan Swoope is the Lifestyles Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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