[SLAPPING] MAN: TRADITION HAS A RHYTHM.

IT PROVIDES A BACKBEAT.

AND TRADITION IS CONSTANTLY CHANGING AND SUBJECT TO ALL SORTS OF DIFFERENT FACTORS, BUT THERE ARE CERTAIN KEY FEATURES THAT CONTINUE FROM GENERATION TO GENERATION.

IT HAS TO DO WITH PLACE, MATERIAL, UH, TECHNIQUE, EQUIPMENT, AND--AND TO A CERTAIN EXTENT, UH, STYLE.

PARTICULAR REGIONS HAVE DISTINCTIVE AESTHETIC, UH, FEATURES WITHIN THEIR TRADITIONS.

POTTERS ARE IN THIS PART OF THE COUNTRY BECAUSE THERE'’S GOOD CLAY HERE, AND THEY MANAGE TO SURVIVE HERE BECAUSE OF A VARIETY OF HISTORICAL, ECONOMIC, AND CULTURAL REASONS, BUT, UH, THE FOUNDATION IS THE CLAY.

THIS PLACE MAKES FOR A REALLY INTERESTING PLACE TO BE A POTTER, ESPECIALLY A BRITISH-BORN POTTER.

I'’VE FOUND ESSENTIALLY THE CERAMIC EQUIVALENT OF THE BLUES AND BLUEGRASS AND JAZZ HERE, UH, IN CERAMIC FORM.

I'’M GONNA PUT A--A TOP ON THIS JUST TO FLARE IT OUT.

MY FAMILY WAS INVOLVED IN INDUSTRIAL CERAMICS IN ENGLAND.

AS A YOUNG ADULT, I WAS GIVEN A FAMOUS BOOK BY THE GREAT ENGLISH STUDIO POTTER BERNARD LEACH.

ALL RIGHT.

I LOOKED AT THOSE POTS AND WAS CAPTIVATED.

WHAT I'’VE DONE FOR THE LAST 20 YEARS HERE IN NORTH CAROLINA IS I MAKE NEW WORK OUT OF THE OLD THROUGH KIND OF PASSIONATE RESEARCH.

OK.

THE OLD POTTERS NOTICED THAT ONE OF-- A HANDLE WAS CRACKED WHEN THEY PUT IT IN-- WHEN THEY PUT A POT INTO THE KILN.

AND THEY PLACED A SCRAP OF GLASS ACROSS THE HANDLE TO SECURE IT DURING THE FIRING.

AND OF COURSE, THEY NOTICED THAT IT WAS A REALLY PRETTY, DECORATIVE ELEMENT.

ONCE THEY SAW HOW THE GLASS RAN, THEY STARTED DOING IT PURELY ORNAMENTALLY.

THE NORTH CAROLINA TRADITION WAS THEY WERE FARMER-POTTERS.

THEY WOULD POT IN THE WINTERTIME WHEN THEY COULDN'’T FARM, AND IN THE SUMMER, THEY'’D GROW VEGETABLES.

THEY WERE TERRIFIC POTTERS, MAKING ORNATE AND PLAIN, UTILITARIAN WARES.

WHAT'’S FASCINATING ABOUT NORTH CAROLINA'’S MORE RECENT CERAMIC HISTORY IS THAT A TRANSITION WAS MADE FROM THAT UTILITARIAN TRADITION, SUPPLYING FARMS, TO A MORE CRAFT-BASED, UH, ART WARE TRADITION DURING THE 1920s AND 30s.

JUGTOWN POTTERY HAD A KEY ROLE TO PLAY IN THAT TRANSITION, AND THE BUSBEES, WHO FOUNDED JUGTOWN, RECOGNIZED THAT THE UTILITARIAN POTS WERE NO LONGER IN DEMAND, BUT THE SKILLS WERE STILL THERE TO MAKE A DIFFERENT TYPE OF WARE FOR A DIFFERENT TYPE OF CUSTOMER.

MAN: YOU THINK I SHOULD PUT THIS LID HERE UNDER THE SALT HOLE OR NOT?

IF I HAD A COUPLE OF LITTLE PIECES TO PUT OVER HERE, UH, THEN I THINK WE'’D BE READY FOR THE FROGSKIN.

PEOPLE REALLY MAKE A CONNECTION WITH JUGTOWN WHEN THEY COME IN, BECAUSE THEY--YOU KNOW, THEY HAD-- IT'’S NOT JUST A STORE YOU WALK UP TO.

IT'’S A WHOLE PLACE.

IT'’S AN EXPERIENCE, AND THERE'’S NOT MANY PLACES LIKE THIS LEFT.

VERNON: FIRST POTTERS CAME IN THIS AREA ABOUT 1750 OR SOMETHING IN THAT RANGE.

BEEN SOME OLD KILN SITES FOUND, AND THEY--THEY WENT BACK AND--AND FIGURED OUT HOW THE KILNS WAS BUILT.

THE GROUNDHOG LIKE WE USE NOW, PRETTY MUCH THIS VERSION, IT MAY VARY SOME, YOU KNOW, BUT SOME--THAT'’S PRETTY MUCH THIS VERSION OF IT IS, UH, THE ONES THAT'’S BEEN USED SINCE, LIKE, UH, 1850, IN THAT RANGE, I'’M SURE.

YOU DON'’T OVEREXPECT FIRING WITH WOOD.

YOU JUST DON'’T BUILD THAT THING UP TO WHERE YOU SAY, "I KNOW I'’VE GOT IT THIS TIME.

THIS IS GONNA BE GREAT," YOU KNOW.

YOU DON'’T EVER DO THAT.

WELL, THAT OUGHT TO DO IT.

TRAVIS: MM-HMM.

WOMAN: REALLY, THE MINUTE I WENT INTO THE POTTERY, I WAS JUST VERY SURE I WAS GONNA BE MAKING POTTERY FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE.

MY LOVE OF POTTERY WAS A LOVE OF VERY SIMPLE POTS, VERY, UH, CONNECTED, UTILITARIAN POTS, SO TO COME TO JUGTOWN WAS JUST A PHENOMENAL EXPERIENCE TO COME DOWN TO A POTTERY THAT HAD A DIRECT LINK TO POTTERY BEING MADE HERE FOR, YOU KNOW, JUST HUNDREDS OF YEARS.

AND WHEN I GOT TO JUGTOWN, THERE WAS THE WOOD KILN.

THERE WAS VERNON MAKING POTS, AND WATCHING VERNON MAKING POTS IS KIND OF LIKE WATCHING SOMEONE BREATHE.

THEY JUST HAPPEN.

VERNON: TO MY DADDY AND A LOT OF THE OTHER POTTERS AROUND HERE, THERE WASN'’T NOTHIN'’ MAGICAL ABOUT IT.

IT'’S JUST A WAY FOR '’EM TO MAKE A LIVING, AND--AND SO THAT'’S THE WAY I GREW UP.

MY DADDY HAD BROTHERS SEVERAL YEARS OLDER THAN HE WAS, AND THAT'’S THE WAY HE LEARNED TO MAKE POTTERY, WORKING WITH HIS BROTHERS.

HE HAD STORIES HE TOLD ABOUT HOW THEY BURNED IT AND WHERE THEY GOT THEIR CLAY AND HOW THEY FIX THEIR CLAY AND WHICH ONE OF '’EM WAS VERY SERIOUS ABOUT THE POTTERY AND WHICH ONE WAS JUST SORT OF, "OH, I'’LL JUST MAKE IT ANY WAY.

YOU KNOW, IT DON'’T MATTER."

BOBBY: WE CALL THIS GLAZE "TOBACCO SPIT."

IT'’S, UH--IT'’S NOT THE ORIGINAL OLD TOBACCO SPIT, BUT, UH, THE OLD TOBACCO SPIT WAS LEAD GLAZE, YOU KNOW, AND THAT'’S WHAT JUGTOWN WAS FOUNDED ON.

I DO ALL THE MIXING OF GLAZES AND PUTTING THEM ON.

THIS HAS BEEN MY JOB THROUGH THE YEARS, YOU KNOW.

THEY MAKE THE POTS, AND THEN I START TAKING CARE OF '’EM DOWN HERE, YOU KNOW.

WELL, ME AND VERNON'’S BEEN HERE THE SAME AMOUNT OF TIME, AND IT'’S-- I THINK IT'’S 48 YEARS.

WE'’VE DONE EVERYTHING TOGETHER, SEEMED LIKE, YOU KNOW.

WE BOTH LIKE-- LIKE THE POTTERY A LOT, AND WE, BOTH OF US, LIKES CARS AND MOTORCYCLES.

WE LOVE THE MOTORCYCLES, YOU KNOW.

OUR FAMILY GOES BACK POTTERS FOR-- TRAVIS IS A FOURTH-GENERATION, I BELIEVE.

TRAVIS: WELL, I STARTED MAKING POTS AS SOON AS I COULD GET DOWN TO THE SHOP.

YOU KNOW, I JUST GREW UP WATCHING MY PARENTS WORK, SO IT JUST SEEMED NATURAL FOR ME TO-- AS SOON AS I COULD GET DOWN THERE AND THEY'’D LET ME, I WOULD MAKE POTS.

MOST KIDS PLAYED OR WATCHED TELEVISION OR SOMETHING, BUT I CAME DOWN TO THE SHOP AND WORKED.

VERNON: TRAVIS HAS BEEN FOOLIN'’ WITH IT SINCE HE WAS ABOUT 2 WEEKS OLD.

PAM WOULD BRING HIM IN THE SHOP WHERE SHE WAS WORKING, AND WE HAD A BIG WOODEN OAK BASKET, AND THAT'’S WHERE HE LAY.

HE ACTUALLY PRETTY MUCH GREW UP IN THE ROOM WHERE HE'’S-- MAKES POTS IN NOW.

TRAVIS: I--I ALWAYS KNEW FROM THE TIME I WAS SMALL THAT THAT'’S WHAT I WAS GONNA DO, AND I ALWAYS TOLD EVERYBODY.

I SAID, "YEAH, I'’M JUST GONNA MAKE POTTERY WHEN I GROW UP."

WOMAN: ♪ FREIGHT TRAIN, FREIGHT TRAIN RUN SO FAST ♪ ♪ FREIGHT TRAIN, FREIGHT TRAIN RUN SO FAST ♪ ♪ PLEASE DON'’T TELL WHAT TRAIN I'’M ON ♪ ♪ THEY WON'’T KNOW WHAT ROUTE I'’M A-GOIN'’ ♪ PAM: SO WONDERFUL TO SEE YOU.

WOMAN: IT'’S GREAT TO SEE YOU.

PAM: OHH.

VERNON: HEY THERE.

WOMAN: HEY, VERNON.

OHH.

VERNON: GOOD TO SEE YOU.

WOMAN: GOOD TO SEE YOU, TOO.

I CAME HERE IN THE FALL OF 1968.

I WAS JUST AGHAST AT THIS ENCLAVE IN HERE.

THE TREES AND THE LOG BUILDINGS JUST GRABBED ME RIGHT AWAY.

WHEN I CAME HERE, VERNON AND BOB WERE-- THEY HAD TREMENDOUS KNOWLEDGE OF THE SALTING, FIRING WITH WOOD, WHERE TO GET THE CLAYS, AND WHAT THE CLAYS WOULD DO.

VERNON TOLD ME VERY FRANKLY WHEN I ASKED HIM IF HE AND BOB WOULD WORK WITH ME--I-- YOU KNOW, I'’M A STRANGER FROM THE NORTH.

I'’M A DAMN YANKEE.

VERNON SAID, "YES, IF WE GET OUR PAY EVERY WEEK.

FIRST TIME WE DON'’T GET IT, WE LEAVE."

I GULPED, '’CAUSE MONEY WAS FAIRLY SHORT.

WELL, ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS I REMEMBER ABOUT COMING HERE WAS THE RUNNING OUT OF WATER.

VERNON: FIRST THING HAPPENED, THE WELL WENT DRY.

NANCY: ABSOLUTELY, AND SO WE HAD TO-- GUYS HAD TO HAUL WATER EVERY DAY SO WE COULD CHINK THE HOLES IN THIS HOUSE AND REBUILD THE KILNS.

VERNON: BUT IT DIDN'’T TAKE LONG TO GET A WELL DRILLED.

NANCY: WELL, I ASSUME THE KILN YOU'’RE GOING TO UNLOAD THIS AFTERNOON IS THE SECOND OF THE SALT GLAZE FIRING.

TRAVIS: I GET A PRETTY NEAT FEELING WHEN I HOLD POTS THAT WERE MADE AROUND HERE, LIKE, 150 YEARS AGO.

AND I KNOW WHAT THOSE PEOPLE WENT THROUGH.

I KNOW THAT THEY HAD TO DIG THE CLAY, AND IT WAS ALL-- EVERYTHING WAS HAND-DONE.

IT WAS TURNED ON A KICK WHEEL, AND THEY HAD TO CUT THEIR WOOD FOR THE KILN.

SOMETIMES I'’D PICK UP THOSE POTS, AND I'’D WONDER HOW IN THE WORLD THEY DID IT.

PAM: JUGTOWN WAS STARTED BY THIS COUPLE FROM RALEIGH WHO CAME TO THE AREA AND SAW THE WONDERFUL POTS AND SAW THE TRADITION KIND OF FALLING OFF.

THE BUSBEE AESTHETIC, I CALL IT, IS JUST-- IT IS A WONDERFUL AESTHETIC BASED ON SOME WONDERFUL POTS.

NANCY: JULIANA WAS A PHOTOGRAPHER, AND JACQUES WAS A PAINTER FROM RALEIGH, AND THEY TRAVELED DOWN HERE TOGETHER, BEGAN TO THINK THAT WHAT THEIR LIFE'’S WORK OUGHT TO BE IS PRESERVING NORTH CAROLINA TRADITIONAL POTTERY.

PAM: THEY'’D SEEN SOME PRETTY WONDERFUL POTTERY FROM LONG ASIAN TRADITIONS, AND--AND THEY ALSO LOVED THE NORTH CAROLINA VERY SIMPLE, UTILITARIAN WARES.

THEY KIND OF BROUGHT BOTH OF THOSE TOGETHER, AND I THINK THAT'’S THE INTERESTING THING ABOUT JUGTOWN.

IT'’S GOT A REALLY STRONG BASE OF NORTH CAROLINA WHICH HAS COME DOWN THROUGH THE DIFFERENT POTTERS THAT HAVE WORKED HERE, AND IT'’S ALWAYS GOTTEN SORT OF AN INFUSION OF TRADITIONS, LONG POTTERY TRADITIONS FROM THE WORLD.

WOMAN: I, UH, WAS BORN AND RAISED KIOWA, BUT I WAS LIVING ON THE SHOSHONE SIDE OF THE WIND RIVER RESERVATION IN FORT WASHAKIE, WYOMING.

THIS IS MY PALETTE.

THERE ARE CERTAIN THINGS THAT I-- OH, THAT'’S RIGHT.

I'’M MAKING THIS GUY PINK.

ALL MY FRIENDS WERE ALL SHOSHONE, AND I WENT TO HIGH SCHOOL WITH, YOU KNOW, THE BUSLOAD OF SHOSHONE KIDS THAT WAS DRIVEN INTO TOWN TO GO TO THE WHITE HIGH SCHOOL.

I DEFINITELY KNEW THAT I WAS NOT FROM THERE.

THE WAY THAT WE DRESSED WHEN WE DANCED, WHICH WAS A REALLY BIG SOCIAL EVENT WHEN THE POWWOWS WOULD HAPPEN, AND THE STYLE OF THE DANCE.

MY FATHER'’S WHITE, SO I'’M HALF-INDIAN, AND I'’M HALF-WHITE.

I WAS DEFINITELY AN OUTSIDER.

THE NATURE OF THE PIECE DICTATES WHAT KIND OF HIDE I'’M GONNA USE.

SOME OF THE HIDES HAVE BLOODSTAINS ON '’EM, WHICH I KIND OF LIKE, AND SOME OF '’EM DON'’T.

SOME OF '’EM ARE SCARRED UP, AND SOME OF '’EM ARE SMOOTH, DEPENDING ON WHAT THE ANIMAL WENT THROUGH.

AND DEPENDING ON WHAT THE PIECE IS ABOUT, THAT'’S WHAT I DECIDE HOW--WHAT PART OF THE HIDE I WANNA USE.

ON THAT RESERVATION, MY MOTHER HAD A TRADING POST, AND IN THAT TRADING POST, SHE SOLD BEADWORK, AND IT WAS A VARIETY OF-- OF DESIGNS AND DESIGN ELEMENTS AND AESTHETIC FROM ALL OVER THE UNITED STATES, AND IT WAS CRAWLING AROUND BEHIND HER CASES FULL OF MOCCASINS AND WHATEVER THAT I GREW UP.

SHE LET US TAKE SOME OF THE BIG PLASTIC BEADS WHEN WE WERE REALLY LITTLE, ABOUT 5 YEARS OLD, AND WE WOULD STRING THEM ONTO WIRE AND MAKE HER THESE GIANT NECKLACES AND THESE GIANT EARRINGS THAT THERE'’S NO WAY SHE COULD GET THEM THROUGH HER EARS.

BUT THEN WHEN I WAS ABOUT 8 YEARS OLD, I REALLY WANTED TO LEARN HOW TO DO THE BEADWORK THAT I SAW, LIKE THE--WITH THE SMALL BEADS AND EVERYTHING.

I WAS HOOKED FROM THAT POINT ON.

MOST OF THE WORK I DO NOW ARE STORIES.

THE STORIES JUST DEPEND ON WHO-- WHAT I'’M DOING OR WHAT I'’M INTERESTED IN AT THE TIME.

WHEN MY FIRST CHILD WAS BORN, I BECAME VERY AWARE OF THE FACT OF HOW VERY LITTLE I KNEW ABOUT KIOWA STORIES AND KIOWA HISTORY, SO CONSEQUENTLY THERE WAS A WHOLE 2 OR 3 YEARS THERE WHERE THE SUBJECT MATTER, THE STORY LINES OF ALMOST EVERYTHING THAT I WAS DOING WAS EITHER MYTHOLOGICAL, KIOWA MYTHOLOGICAL, OR HISTORICAL IN SOME WAY.

THIS WAS MY MOTHER'’S EVERYDAY PURSE.

THAT'’S--IT'’S REALLY, YOU KNOW, WORN.

BUT THIS WAS LIKE--I MEAN, THIS WAS WHERE SHE-- WHEN SHE WENT TO THE GROCERY STORE OR TO THE OFFICE SUPPLY PLACE OR WHATEVER, THIS WAS THE PURSE THAT SHE CARRIED WHEN I WAS A CHILD, ONE OF THE PURSES THAT SHE CARRIED.

SEE, THIS IS THAT SHOSHONE BEADWORK, THE PICTORIAL STUFF.

THIS IS WHAT I GREW UP WITH.

AH-BE-HILL: SOME OF THOSE BAGS ARE PROBABLY, LIKE, THE 1920s AND 30s, AND A COUPLE OF THEM, I COMMISSIONED ARTISTS TO MAKE THEM FOR ME.

ALMOST ALL THE BEADS IN THIS BAG ARE VERY OLD.

YOU CAN NO LONGER GET THOSE.

GREEVES: THIS PINK IS AN OLD PINK, ISN'’T IT?

AH-BE-HILL: MM-HMM.

AND THAT PINK.

AND WHAT I LIKE, TOO, IS HOW THEY PUT COLORS TOGETHER.

WHO WOULD HAVE THOUGHT TO PUT A PINK MANE ON A HORSE, PINK LEGS, PINK TAIL, AND PINK SPOTS, BUT IT WORKS.

GREEVES: MAKING THE LEAP ONTO NONTRADITIONAL OBJECTS WAS PROBABLY A GIFT OF BEING AN OUTSIDER, BECAUSE I DIDN'’T FEEL NECESSARILY THE STRICTNESS OF HAVING TO ADHERE TO WHAT WAS PROPER OR CORRECT.

MY RULES ARE IS THAT I TRY TO USE TRADITIONAL TECHNIQUES AND TRADITIONAL MATERIALS, MEANING, LIKE, I ONLY USE BRAIN-TANNED DEER HIDE.

I DO NOT USE COMMERCIAL TANNED HIDE ON ANYTHING, EVEN IF YOU CAN'’T SEE IT.

EVEN IF I FULLY BEADED SOMETHING AND I COULD HAVE USED CANVAS UNDERNEATH IT, I WILL STILL USE THE BRAIN-TANNED DEER HIDE UNDERNEATH IT, BECAUSE TO ME, IT'’S IMPORTANT THAT THE SPIRIT OF THAT ANIMAL IS IN IT, AND THERE'’S SOMETHING ABOUT THAT TO ME THAT'’S COMFORTING OR IMPORTANT.

AT LEA--AT MINIMUM, IT'’S IMPORTANT.

AND SO, WHILE I'’M A STICKLER FOR THE MATERIALS AND THE TECHNIQUES, THE FORM HAS CHANGED, AND PICTORIALLY WHAT I'’M ABLE TO-- WHAT I FEEL LIKE I'’M--IT'’S OK FOR ME TO ILLUSTRATE IS DEFINITELY PROBABLY NOT WHAT YOU WOULD CONSIDER TRADITIONAL.

A PAIR OF BEADED TENNIS SHOES CAME INTO MY MOTHER'’S SHOP IN FORT WASHAKIE WHEN MY SISTER AND I--WHEN I WAS ABOUT MAYBE 13 YEARS OLD AND I THOUGHT THEY WERE THE MOST FANTASTIC THINGS I HAD EVER SEEN IN MY LIFE.

I LOVED THEM.

LATER ON, WHEN I WAS IN COLLEGE IN CALIFORNIA, MY MOTHER CALLED ME UP AND SAID, "WHY DON'’T YOU MAKE A PAIR OF BEADED TENNIS SHOES?"

AND I THOUGHT SHE WAS CRAZY, BECAUSE IT SEEMED LIKE SUCH AN INSANE AMOUNT OF WORK.

AT THAT POINT, I HAD-- DIDN'’T MAKE MUCH MORE THAN, LIKE, A BELT BUCKLE.

AND IT WAS THEN THAT I REALIZED THAT I WASN'’T BOUND BY THE TECHNIQUE, THAT LINEAR TECHNIQUE.

THAT'’S WHEN I REALIZED THAT I COULD ACTUALLY-- YOU COULD READ THE SHOE.

YOU COULD READ AROUND THE SHOE AND THAT NO-- THAT THE SHOES DIDN'’T HAVE TO MATCH EACH OTHER.

WHY DID THEY HAVE TO MATCH?

YOU COULD TELL THE SAME STORY, BUT MORE SIDES OF THE STORY BY USING THE ENTIRE SHOE AND LOOKING AT IT AS AN OBJECT MORE THAN AS A PAIR OF SHOES.

THE BLACK SHOES ARE CALLED SUNBOYZ.

THE SUNBOYZ ARE MYTHICAL CHARACTERS AMONG THE KIOWA, AND I REALIZED MY SONS WERE REALLY INTERESTED IN COMIC BOOK HEROES.

SPECIFICALLY SPIDER-MAN MOVIES HAD JUST COME OUT, AND THEY WERE ALL ABOUT THE SPIDER-MAN.

AND I REALIZED THAT WE HAD OUR OWN HEROES.

IT'’S BASED ON THAT ARCHETYPAL HERO STORY OF AN ORPHAN CHILD WITH SPECIAL POWERS, AND THAT'’S THE SUNBOYZ.

THAT--THAT IS OUR HALF-BOY STORY, THAT KIOWA HALF-BOY STORY.

AND I REALIZED THAT MY CHILDREN DIDN'’T KNOW THAT STORY AND THEY NEEDED TO KNOW IT.

MY MOTHER IS MY LITMUS TEST BECAUSE I FIGURE THAT IF MY MOTHER CAN UNDERSTAND WHAT I'’M DOING, WHETHER SHE GETS IT VISUALLY, YOU KNOW, WHETHER THERE'’S ANY KIND OF PROBLEMS WITH IT OR WHETHER IT MAKES HER LAUGH IF IT'’S A--IF IT'’S A HUMOROUS PIECE.

IT HAS TO BE UNDERSTOOD FROM A NATIVE POINT OF VIEW.

THE UMBRELLA WAS REALLY MY FIRST TRY AT TELLING A LONG NARRATIVE STORY.

THERE WERE, LIKE, 6 OF THESE PANELS THAT WHEN YOU PULLED IT APART, I WAS LIKE, WELL, THIS IS PERFECT FOR TELLING A STORY, TELLING A NARRATIVE, SO I DID A PARADE SCENE ON IT.

USUALLY THERE'’S A PARADE DURING MOST POWWOWS.

IT'’S THE PIECE THAT REALLY STARTED MY CAREER, WHAT TOOK ME MANY YEARS TO CALL MYSELF, WHICH IS AN ARTIST.

THE RIGHT-TO-VOTE PIECE IS IN HOW NATIVE PEOPLE GOT THE RIGHT TO VOTE.

IN 1924, THAT VOTE CAME TO US BECAUSE NATIVE MEN IN VERY LARGE NUMBERS, THOUGH THEY WERE NOT CITIZENS, FOUGHT FOR THE U.S.

GOVERNMENT IN EUROPE.

THE WAY THE INDIAN PEOPLE TEACH, YOU WAIT FOR THE CHILD TO SHOW INTEREST IN SOMETHING, AND IF THEY DO, THEN YOU PURSUE IT WITH THE CHILD.

YOU NEVER SAY, "YOU'’RE GONNA PLAY VIOLIN, "AND YOU'’RE GONNA TAKE VIOLIN LESSONS, AND YOU'’RE GONNA BECOME A VIOLIN PLAYER."

IT'’S NOT LIKE THAT.

IT'’S LIKE, "HE'’S INTERESTED IN LEARNING THESE SONGS.

"ALL RIGHT, COME TO THE DRUM WITH ME, "AND I'’LL TEACH YOU THESE SONGS, "AND WE'’LL SING THEM TOGETHER, AND, YOU KNOW, "IF YOU'’RE INTERESTED, THEN, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN-- YOU CAN HANG HERE WITH US."

AND THAT WAS WHAT SHE WAS DOING.

IN HER OWN WAY, SHE WAS TEACHING US ALL THIS INFORMATION WITHOUT US EVEN KNOWING IT.

MAN: I'’VE ALWAYS BEEN ATTRACTED TO NATIVE FLOWERS.

AS A CHILD, I LOVED PICKING BLUEBERRIES, BRINGING '’EM HOME TO MY MOM, AND SHE'’D MAKE A BLUEBERRY PIE.

I CAN REMEMBER COMING HOME WITH PINK LADY'’S SLIPPERS, AND MY MOTHER SAID, "OH, PAUL, THEY'’RE SO BEAUTIFUL, "BUT THEY'’RE NOT SUPPOSED TO BE PICKED.

THEY'’RE SO RARE."

I FELT, OH, MY GOD, I DID SOMETHING WRONG.

HEH HEH.

I THINK TODAY WHAT WE'’RE GONNA DO IS WE'’LL DO A CUBE.

WE'’LL DO--I'’LL DO ROSES.

DAVE, MAYBE YOU COULD DO SOME BLUEBERRIES.

DAVE: ALL RIGHT.

STANKARD: BEAUTIFUL JOB WITH THE BLUEBERRIES.

DAVE: THANKS.

STANKARD: AND WE'’LL HAVE BLUEBERRIES, GOOSEBERRIES.

WHAT'’S THE NAME OF THAT BUG?

WOMAN: OH.

AMERICAN BURYING BEETLE.

STANKARD: ALL RIGHT, WE'’RE GONNA HAVE BLUEBERRIES, GOOSEBERRIES, AMERICAN BURYING BEETLES.

WE'’LL HAVE A HONEY--A HONEYBEE.

SO, UH, MAYBE WE'’LL HAVE IT SWARMING.

WHAT I'’LL DO IS 2 OR 3 PINELAND PICKEREL WEEDS, AND I'’LL DO IT IN YELLOW.

WHAT I ENJOY IS TAKING COLORED GLASSES AND OVERLAYING, MIXING, ADDING ALL SORTS OF VISUAL DETAIL TO THE MATERIAL SO THAT WHEN I SCULPT IT OUT INTO A BLOSSOM, THERE'’S A LOT OF COMPLEXITY.

I LOVE MAKING THINGS.

I LOVE THAT IDEA THAT I'’VE MASTERED SKILLS THAT ALLOW ME TO MANIPULATE A MATERIAL INTO AN OBJECT.

ALL RIGHT, I'’M GONNA MAKE A FLOWER NOW THAT'’S KIND OF INTERESTING.

I BUILD THE FLOWER FROM THE CENTER, THE CENTER OUT.

I'’M ADDING STAMENS ON A PISTIL, AND THEN I'’LL ADD THE ANTHER.

TO ME, GLASS IS MAGICAL.

I HAVE COLOR.

I HAVE TRANSLUCENCE.

I CAN WORK IT AND SHAPE IT.

AND I LOVE THE IDEA OF KNOWING WHEN I PICK UP A GLASS ROD, I KNOW THAT GLASS HAS THE MEMORY OF THE BEST WORK FROM THE PAST.

I LOVE HOW MYSTERIOUS IT IS.

WHY DON'’T YOU LAY IT RIGHT ON THE PLATE, RIGHT THERE.

PERFECT.

ALL RIGHT, TAKE--ALL RIGHT.

IT'’S INTERESTING HOW THE WORK IS A COMBINATION OF COMPONENTS AND STEPS, AND WE START OFF VERY BASIC AND JUST BUILDING BLOCKS.

ADD.

KEEP ADDING, ADDING.

YOU DID A BEAUTIFUL JOB ON THAT, KATHY.

YOU THINK WE CAN CAPTURE IT ON THE FLOWER?

KATHY: LOOKS GOOD.

STANKARD: I THINK IT LOOKS REALLY GOOD.

KATHY: OOPS.

RIGHT THERE'’S GOOD.

STANKARD: OH, HOLD IT.

I THINK THAT'’S PERFECT.

GREAT.

YOU KNOW, A LITTLE, A LITTLE SPONTANEITY.

IT WORKED.

ALL RIGHT, LET ME SEAL IT ON THE BLOSSOM.

I'’M THE SECOND-OLDEST OF 9 CHILDREN, NICE IRISH-CATHOLIC FAMILY.

MY DAD WAS A CHEMIST.

I WAS A POOR STUDENT.

I WENT THROUGH SCHOOL AS AN UNDIAGNOSED DYSLEXIC.

I ACTUALLY GRADUATED AT THE BOTTOM OF MY CLASS.

I CAN REMEMBER COMING HOME FROM PITMAN HIGH SCHOOL, AND I HAD A BROCHURE FROM SALEM COMMUNITY COLLEGE, AND THEY WERE OFFERING SCIENTIFIC GLASSBLOWING.

SO I CAN REMEMBER AT THE DINNER TABLE, I HANDED HIM THE BROCHURE.

HE OPENED IT UP.

HE SAID, "GLASSBLOWING?

YOU WANNA BE A GLASSBLOWER.

THEY--THAT'’S A FASCINATING TRADE."

SO HE GOT SO EXCITED ABOUT GLASSBLOWING, HE TOOK ME TO SALEM, AND I SAW THE KIDS STANDING IN FRONT OF TORCHES, BENDING TUBING, AND I THOUGHT, "WOW.

THAT-- THAT LOOKS FASCINATING."

I SENSED AS A STUDENT THAT THE SOUTH JERSEY GLASS TRADITION WAS PRETTY BIG, AND IT WAS PRETTY IMPORTANT.

EVERYBODY SEEMED TO HAVE A GREAT-UNCLE OR A GRANDFATHER OR A GREAT-GRANDFATHER THAT WAS A GLASSBLOWER.

I REALLY SENSED AS A STUDENT THAT I WAS EMBARKING ON SOMETHING KIND OF EXCITING.

ONE--ARE YOU READY?

KATHY: IT'’S A LITTLE COLD.

I'’M SORRY.

STANKARD: YEAH, YOU'’RE FINE.

LET'’S DO IT.

OK.

OH, WOW.

LOOK AT THE HONEYBEE... IN RELATIONSHIP TO THE BEETLE.

UNBELIEVABLE.

ALL RIGHT, LET'’S... GLASS IS A MYSTERIOUS MATERIAL, AND THE IDEA THAT I'’M SUSPENDING A DESIGN IN THE CENTER OF CRYSTAL IS WONDERFULLY CHALLENGING.

OK, DAVE, WHENEVER YOU'’RE READY, HEAT IT UP!

DAVE: ALL RIGHT.

STANKARD: WHEN I FIRST STARTED MAKING PAPERWEIGHTS, I QUICKLY DECIDED THAT I WAS GONNA FOCUS ON THE NATURE OF MY CHILDHOOD.

BEAUTIFUL.

BEAUTIFUL.

I CAN REMEMBER GETTING ALL EXCITED BECAUSE I MADE A BLUE COLUMBINE.

IT WAS A LITTLE STYLIZED, BUT IT WAS A BLUE COLUMBINE.

AND I PUT A ROOT SYSTEM ON THE STEM.

I GO, "WOW!

I GOT A ROOT SYSTEM."

HA HA HA.

AND I COULD REMEMBER GETTING ALL EXCITED ABOUT MY ROOT SYSTEM.

FROM THE ROOT SYSTEM CAME BUDS AND, YOU KNOW, ON AND ON AND ON.

IN AN ABSTRACT WAY, I THINK OF MY WORK AS REFERENCING SEX, DEATH, AND GOD, AND TO ME, THAT MEANS SPIRITUALITY.

THAT MEANS THE LIFE CYCLE OF NATURE.

MAN: I LOVE PROBLEM SOLVING.

NOTHING MAKES ME HAPPIER.

THE SATISFACTION I GET IS COMPLETING AN IDEA, AND--AND ACTUALLY SEEING HOW DIFFERENT THE IDEA COMES OUT FROM WHAT I-- THE FUZZY KIND OF IDEA I HAD TO BEGIN WITH.

I ALWAYS IDENTIFY MYSELF TO ANYBODY AS, "I AM A WEAVER."

ONE THING THAT I MAKE SURE IS THAT DECISIONS I MAKE ARE NEVER BASED ON HOW LONG IT'’S GOING TO TAKE ME.

BY GETTING RID OF ALL THE TECHNOLOGY, WHERE I'’M DOWN TO 2 STICKS AND A YARN, WHICH IS WHAT WAS FACING VERY EARLY PEOPLE, IT OPENS UP ANYTHING YOU WANNA DO, BECAUSE I HAVE NO LIMITATIONS.

IT JUST TAKES A WHILE.

AND I--I REALLY LOVE THAT.

WOMAN: IT RUNS.

BASSLER: DID YOU DO IT?

MAN: YES.

BASSLER: YEAH.

YEAH, BUT NO-NOTICE WHAT'’S HAPPENING RIGHT AWAY.

YOU'’RE GOING IN TIGHT.

WE'’LL BLAME IT ON SOMEBODY ELSE.

SO YOU'’RE PULLING TOO TIGHT.

TO TALK ABOUT KEEPING TRADITIONS ALIVE THROUGH TEACHING, I BEGAN A PROGRAM AT UCLA WHICH INTRODUCED THE CULTURE OF SOUTHERN MEXICO, WHICH WAS--WAS AND STILL IS EXTREMELY VIBRANT.

WE INTRODUCED TO THEM THE CONTINUING TRADITIONS THAT-- MANY OF THEM WHICH HAD COME FROM PRE-COLUMBIAN TIMES.

WHEN YOU THINK OF THE VARIATION OF THAT BROWN TO THAT BROWN, THEY COULD HAVE PRACTICALLY DONE THAT WHOLE BLOCK IN ONE YARN, BUT THERE WAS SOMETHING WITHIN THEM THAT SAID, "NO, THIS IS THE RIGHT WAY TO DO IT."

THAT'’S THE KIND OF THING THAT I WAS JUST-- I WAS JUST DUMBFOUNDED BY IN--IN TALKING ABOUT SIMPLICITY, IN TALKING ABOUT SOPHISTICATION.

TRY TO IMAGINE WORKING IN A VALUE CHANGE AS STRONG AS THIS AND PLACING THESE SO THAT THEY FEEL EVEN AND--AND RIGHT IN-- IN THEIR SPACE.

WE ARE TALKING ABOUT SUCH SOPHISTICATED ARTISTS WHEN YOU LOOK AT SOMETHING AS SIMPLE AS THAT.

RECENTLY I GOT AHOLD OF THIS MATERIAL, WHICH IS FROM NEPAL, BUT IT'’S--IT'’S ALSO USED IN MEXICO.

IT'’S CALLED CHICHICASTLE, AND IT'’S FROM THE NETTLE PLANT.

AND I THOUGHT, GEE, IT'’D BE GREAT TO TRY TO USE THE NETTLE ALONG WITH THE NATIVE PLANTS OF MEXICO AND OF PERU, SO THAT'’S WHAT INITIATED THIS WHOLE PIECE.

I STARTED WITH THE ALPACA, A VERY BLACK ALPACA AND A GRAY ALPACA.

ANYBODY MIGHT NOT CONSIDER THEMSELVES AN ARTIST, BUT YET THEY CAN THROUGH SOME NEED TO SURVIVE, CAN MAKE THINGS, WHICH IS SOMETHING I THINK WE'’VE SORT OF LOST IN OUR--WITH-- WITH HIGH TECHNOLOGY NOW.

PEOPLE DON'’T HAVE TO MAKE THINGS.

THIS IS THE--THIS IS A NATURAL DYE FROM THE CARACO.

AND THIS IS CARACO, INDIGO, COCHINEAL.

I'’LL TALK ABOUT COCHINEAL.

ANY--WHO DOES NOT KNOW WHAT COCHINEAL IS?

MM-HMM.

THESE ARE LITTLE MITES THAT ARE SCRAPED OFF THE CACTUS THAT THEY LIVE ON.

WHAT WE HAVE HERE IS THE-- THE COCHINEAL BUGS.

THEY'’VE BEEN DRIED.

I PURCHASED THEM IN OAXACA A NUMBER OF YEARS AGO.

SO GET READY, BUGS.

YOU CAN SEE THAT THE MORTAR BEGINS TO HAVE SORT OF A PINK GLOW TO IT BECAUSE THAT IS THE COLOR OF THE DYE.

IT'’S REALLY BEGINNING TO GET RATHER DARK AND BEAUTIFUL.

IT IS THE DYE THAT THE SPANISH CONQUISTADORS DISCOVERED THE MESOAMERICAN CULTURES USING.

THEY COULDN'’T BELIEVE THE BEAUTY IN THE CLOTH THAT THE PEOPLE WORE, AND IT WAS A COLOR THAT EUROPE DID NOT HAVE AT THAT TIME.

USE ANY OF ESTEE LAUDER PRODUCTS?

DO YOU DRINK CAMPARI?

WHERE DO YOU THINK THE BRITISH REDCOATS CAME FROM?

WHERE DO YOU THINK THE AMERICAN FLAG GOT ITS RED?

ALL FROM COCHINEAL.

AND HERE IT IS, ESTEE LAUDER AND CAMPARI ARE NOW GONNA HAVE TO PUT ON THEIR LABEL THAT THEY'’RE USING BUGS AS YOU WIPE IT ON YOUR LIP.

THIS IS THE PIECE I'’M WORKING ON NOW.

AND THEN WHAT HAPPENS WITH THE OVERLAP OF IT, SO IT BECOMES THIS.

PROCESS IS VERY IMPORTANT TO ME.

THERE ARE NO RULES AT ALL, GIVING ME THAT FREEDOM TO JUST ABSOLUTELY FAIL.

SEE, THAT LOOKS PRETTY GOOD, BUT I'’VE DONE THAT BEFORE, AND THE PERUVIANS DID IT BEFORE ME BETTER, SO I DON'’T WANNA DO THAT ONE.

I REMEMBER A CRITIC ONCE ASKING ME WHEN DID I EVER GET THE IDEA THAT I COULD CUT MY CLOTH.

BUT I SAY, "WELL, IT'’S SO OBVIOUS THAT "THE FRONT PART SHOULD BE ON THE BOTTOM, "AND THE BOTTOM SHOULD BE ON THE TOP, "SO WHY NOT CUT IT AND THEN FIGURE OUT SOME WAY TO PUT IT TOGETHER THAT HAS SOME SORT OF INTEGRITY?"

THE PROCESS RIGHT HERE IS A RESIST-DYE TECHNIQUE, WHICH I'’M IN THE PROCESS OF MAKING MORE OF THESE.

EVENTUALLY THESE WILL ALL GO INTO A LARGER PIECE.

YOU CAN SEE IT DISTORTS IT QUITE A BIT.

IT--IT RESISTS, AND SO THIS WILL BECOME THE SAME THING.

I CAN HAVE PROBABLY 4 DIFFERENT PIECES GOING ON.

I'’M NEVER REALLY SURE WHERE THEY'’RE GOING.

THERE'’S A LOT OF WHAT-IFS IN MY LIFE.

I DON'’T HAVE A CLEAR IDEA, REALLY, OF WHAT SOMETHING IS GOING TO LOOK LIKE.

WELL, LOOKS PRETTY GOOD.

GOT THE COLOR I WANTED.

IT'’S AMAZING HOW VERSATILE THIS COCHINEAL IS.

AMAZING.

WHEN I START A PIECE OF WORK, IT'’S BEEN BASED ON SOMETHING ABOUT WHAT IS GOING ON AROUND ME.

IF SOMETHING POLITICAL HAPPENS, THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN, THAT TRIGGERS AN IDEA.

THE "EXXON VALDEZ" HAPPENED AS I WAS PREPARING A WARP, AND I WAS SO ANGRY.

I'’D DONE THIS BEAUTIFUL PIECE, AND I TOOK THIS BLACK DYE AND JUST POURED IT ALL OVER THE WARP.

SOMETHING HAPPENED IN THE 1980s, AND ALL OF A SUDDEN, I BEGAN TO REALIZE THAT EMPHASES WERE SHIFTING.

I FOUND MYSELF GOING TO FACULTY MEETINGS, AND I WAS THE ONLY ONE IN A LAB COAT.

I WAS THE ONLY ONE WITH HANDS DIRTY, AND THE REST OF THEM LOOKED LIKE CORPORATE EXECUTIVES.

AND THE WORD "SOFTWARE" CAME UP, AND I THOUGHT, "GEE, I WEAVE SOFTWEAR.

WONDER WHAT THEY'’RE TALKING ABOUT."

IT WAS AT THAT PARTICULAR TIME THAT I DECIDED TO BEGIN TO TRY TO TAKE THAT IDEA AND MAKE IT SOMETHING VISUAL, AS A VISUAL OBJECT.

THE APRON IS CONSTRUCTED IN A TECHNIQUE FROM THE TENTH CENTURY.

SO WHAT WE HAVE HERE IS "I WEAVE SOFTWEAR."

THIS HAPPENS TO BE HAND-SPUN ALPACA FROM PERU, SO DON'’T MESS WITH IT.

DO SOMETHING BEAU-- DO SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL WITH IT.

AND THEN THIS GOES IN LIKE THAT.

AND THEN AFTER YOU TAKE THE SHUTTLE THROUGH... STUDENTS TODAY ARE NOT LIKE STUDENTS OF 1960.

STUDENTS TODAY BASICALLY, UNLESS THEY'’VE COME FROM A FOREIGN COUNTRY, HAVE NEVER WITNESSED ANYBODY MAKING ANYTHING.

IF WE AS A COUNTRY BECOME MORE KNOWLEDGEABLE ABOUT HISTORY AND THE WAY THINGS WERE MADE, AS WE GO TO OTHER COUNTRIES, WE BECOME MORE SYMPATHETIC TO THE LIVES THESE PEOPLE ARE LIVING.

THIS IS A TRADER JOE BAG MADE OUT OF--HOW MANY, DO YOU THINK?

HOW MANY--HOW MANY BAGS?

STUDENT: 20.

BASSLER: 8.

8--8 1/2 BAGS.

THIS IS-- THIS IS--THIS IS ONE BAG.

A LOT OF PEOPLE SEE MY WORK, BUT THIS CAPTURES THE ATTENTION OF PEOPLE, '’CAUSE FIRST OF ALL, THEY KNOW WHAT A SHOPPING BAG IS.

THEY KNOW WHAT TRADER JOE'’S IS.

AND ALL OF A SUDDEN, THEY SAY, "THAT NUT DID THAT."

AND I KIND OF LIKE THAT CONNECTION, THAT OF ALL OF A SUDDEN TAKING SOMETHING MAN-MADE OR RECYCLING, IN A WAY, AND GOING THROUGH THAT PROCESS, SLOW, TEDIOUS PROCESS, AND I ENJOYED EVERY MINUTE OF IT.

SINGER: ♪ YE-E-AH, YE-E-E-AH-E-AH ♪ ♪ OOH, OOH, OOH... ♪ MAN: THE GREAT THING ABOUT STYLE IN ARCHITECTURE ALL THROUGHOUT AMERICA IS THERE'’S UNIQUE INDIVIDUAL AREAS THAT DEVELOPED THROUGH THE CRAFTSMEN THEMSELVES.

IF YOU THINK ABOUT CHARLESTON, THE FIRST THING THAT COMES TO MIND IS USUALLY IRONWORK.

EACH CRAFTSMAN WILL HAVE THEIR OWN SIGNATURE.

MR.

SIMMONS HAS VERY MUCH A SIGNATURE, AND IT'’S BEEN AMAZING TO WATCH THE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE WHO COME TO CHARLESTON TO SEE HIS IRONWORK, TO ACTUALLY TOUCH IT AND SEE HIS DETAILS.

MR.

SIMMONS IS AN ICON OF CHARLESTON.

SINGER: ♪ OOH, HEY, HEY, HEY ♪ [VOCALIZING] SECOND MAN: I THINK BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, MR.

SIMMONS WAS SO LONG WORKING, AND THE SHOP CLOSED.

THEN WORKING AROUND THIS COAL FOR YEARS, AND HE'’S, LIKE, 98 YEARS OLD, SO GOT TO BE SOME KIND OF POTENTIAL BENEFIT OF BURNING COAL.

HE COULD TAKE FROM, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING THAT HE LOVED AND WENT VERY, VERY, VERY FAR WITH-- WITH THE PASSION OF HIS TRADE.

AND THAT'’S WHAT REALLY INSPIRES ME THE MOST, '’CAUSE I FEEL LIKE I HAVE THE PASSION TO MAYBE PURSUE THE DREAM THAT HA--THAT HE HAD.

THIRD MAN: PHILIP SIMMONS, HIS--HIS PARENTS SENT HIM TO CHARLESTON AT THE AGE OF ABOUT 9 FOR A GOOD EDUCATION.

SO ONE DAY, HE WAS PASSING, GOING ON TO BUIST SCHOOL.

HE--HE SAW THIS SHOP WITH ALL THE HOT--THE SPARKS ARE FLYING.

THE HORSE WAS KICKING UP, AND MR.

SIMMONS OF-OFTEN TALK ABOUT THE EXCITEMENT IN THE BLACKSMITH SHOP THAT REALLY INTRIGUED HIM.

HE WENT TO THE SHOP TO WORK.

HE ASKED--ASKED PETER SIMMONS FOR A JOB.

PETER SIMMONS TOLD HIM, "WELL, BOY, YOU'’RE TOO YOUNG.

"THAT HORSE'’LL KICK YOU OVER THE MOON.

COME BACK WHEN YOU TURN 13."

THAT THURSDAY, HE TURNED 13.

THAT FRIDAY, HE WAS IN THAT SHOP.

FOURTH MAN: MR.

SIMMONS LEFT SCHOOL AT THE AGE OF 13, AND HE SERVED AN APPRENTICESHIP, MUCH LIKE PEOPLE HAVE DONE PROBABLY FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS.

START OUT WITH SIMPLE WORK.

START OUT PUTTING TOOLS AWAY, FIXING WAGONS AND CARTS.

THIS WAS WORK THAT THE COMMUNITY NEEDED, AND MR.

SIMMONS WAS SERVING THAT MARKET.

LATER ON, AS HE BEGINS TO SEE THE TIDES OF CHANGE, HE MAKES A CONSCIOUS DECISION TO MOVE INTO ORNAMENTAL WORK.

BROWN: SO THAT'’S WHEN JACK KRAWCHECK, A CLOTHIER ON KING STREET, CAME TO HIM AND ASKED HIM TO MAKE A GATE.

THAT'’S WHY I CALL IT DIVINE INTERVENTION.

SAID, "MR.

KRAWCHECK, I AIN'’T NEVER MADE NO GATE.

I DO HORSESHOES AND BLACKSMITH STUFF."

JACK KRAWCHECK TOLD HIM, "WELL, BEND THE HORSESHOE-- BEND THE IRON THE SAME WAY YOU BEND THE HORSESHOES."

MAN: AS THE STORY GOES, MR.

SIMMONS, I THINK, WAS A LITTLE RELUCTANT, BUT ULTIMATELY USED HIS SKILL TO START DEVELOPING SOMETHING THAT HE HAD SEEN, AND--AND HE PICKED UP ON THAT BEAUTIFUL SCROLL THAT WE ALL ARE FASCINATED WITH, AND HE DEVELOPED THAT AS HIS-- HIS SIGNATURE.

BROWN: HE SAID HE LEARNED THAT STYLE FROM THE OLD GERMAN GATE MAKERS HERE IN--IN CHARLESTON.

BUT OF-- CHRISTOPHER WERNER WAS A GERMAN.

IF YOU WERE TO SEE THAT GATE, IF YOU CRY EASY, YOU'’LL CRY.

YOU'’D CRY BECAUSE IT'’S SO BEAUTIFUL.

CLOSE: AS HE GOT INCREASINGLY COMFORTABLE DOING HIS OWN THING STYLISTICALLY, HE BEGINS TO EMPLOY LOW-COUNTRY MOTIFS.

THAT WOULD INCLUDE THINGS LIKE THE HERON FORM THAT HE'’S VERY FAMOUS FOR.

THESE ARE NOT TRADITIONAL MOTIFS IN CHARLESTON.

MAN: HE STARTED WORKING WITH IRON AT AN EARLY AGE, SO HE KNEW HOW TO SHAPE THAT IRON AND WHAT TO DO TO SHAPE THAT IRON TO GET WHAT HE WANTED.

HE SAID, "YOU CAN'’T MAKE 2 OF '’EM ALIKE.

G-GOD, NATURE DIDN'’T MAKE 2 LEAVES ALIKE."

AND HE SAID, "THAT'’S THE WAY NATURE IS," SO THAT'’S THE WAY HE DOES HIS WORK.

HE GOT A LOT OF HIS IDEAS FROM NATURE'’S.

WELL, MR.

SIMMONS IS MY COUSIN.

I STARTED WORKING WITH HIM WHEN I WAS ABOUT 13 YEARS OLD.

WE BUILT THIS SHOP IN '’67.

LIKE, WE GOT SOME STUFF BACK HERE OVER 100 YEARS OLD.

IT'’S JUNK TO OTHER PEOPLE, BUT IT'’S MATERIAL TO ME.

IN ORDER TO MAKE THOSE THINGS THAT HE MADE, THE WAY HE MADE IT, YOU HAVE TO BE AN ARTIST, '’CAUSE IT COMES FROM THE--COMES FROM YOU, COMES FROM YOUR HEAD, YOUR BRAINS.

HE HAD IT FROM WITHIN.

[WOMAN VOCALIZING] HEWITT: ALL RIGHT, 1, 2, 3.

EASY.

AS ELIOT SAID, "NO ARTIST HAS HIS COMPLETE MEANING ALONE."

AND YOUR FORBEARS PROVIDE YOU THE HISTORY THAT PROPELS YOU FORWARD.

NOW, THE BEST MECHANISM, IN MY OPINION, FOR CONVEYING THE TRADITION FORWARD IS THROUGH FAMILY.

AND DOWN AT JUGTOWN, THE CONVEYANCE IS FROM VERNON TO TRAVIS, AND TRAVIS WILL LEARN THINGS THAT NOBODY ELSE COULD POSSIBLY KNOW ABOUT A LIFETIME'’S WORTH OF POTTING THAT VERNON HIMSELF LEARNED FROM HIS FATHER AND SO ON BACK.

TRAVI: THAT ONE THERE, I LIKE THAT.

VERNON: OH, YEAH.

IT'’S BEAUTIFUL.

THAT'’S A PRESCRIPTION RIGHT THERE.

REALLY NICE.

PAM: IT'’S GOT A NICE ASH RUN RIGHT THERE.

ISN'’T THAT PRETTY?

NANCY: OH, YES.

OOH, LOVELY.

PAM: BEING ABLE TO MAKE A SIMPLE POT AND HAVE IT BE BEAUTIFUL IS A GOAL THAT WE ALL HAVE AT JUGTOWN.

IT DOESN'’T HAVE TO BE COMPLICATED.

IT JUST HAS TO BE HONED DOWN AND SIMPLE.

AND OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES THERE'’S A LITTLE BIT OF DECORATION.

SOMETIMES THERE'’S NOT, BUT IT'’S THE SIMPLICITY OF A--A WELL-MADE POT WITH A CONTINUOUS LINE FLOWING THAT WE STRIVE FOR.

TRAVIS: FROM THE TIME I WAS, YOU KNOW, 8 OR 9, I COULD GIVE PEOPLE A HISTORY OF THE PLACE.

AND THAT--I THINK IT SURPRISES A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT I WOULD TAKE IT THAT SERIOUSLY, BUT IT WAS ALWAYS SOMETHING THAT I WAS REALLY INTO.

NANCY: TRAVIS IS THE FUTURE AND THE TRADITION.

HE'’S GONNA BE IT FOR THIS PLACE.

TRAVIS: JUGTOWN'’S WHERE I BELONG.

I REALLY PREFER TO BE WORKING HERE THAN ANYWHERE ELSE I'’VE EVER BEEN OR ANYTHING ELSE I'’VE EVER TRIED, SO IT'’S GOOD.

STANKARD: THE BENEDICTINE MONKS HAVE A BEAUTIFUL MOTTO, "TO LABOR IS TO PRAY."

I'’VE LOVED THE IDEA OF MAKING MY LABOR MY PRAYER.

WHEN I'’M SITTING AT MY TORCH, I'’M MAKING PETALS, MAKING STAMENS.

BY MAKING IT A MANTRA, THERE'’S A SPIRITUAL DIMENSION TO MY WORK.

IT'’S VERY PERSONAL.

I THINK WE ALL HAVE NEEDS, AND I THINK IT'’S A BLESSING TO--TO INTEGRATE YOUR NEEDS TO WHAT YOU'’RE DOING.

AS A KID, NOT BEING ABLE TO READ, FAILING SCHOOL, JUST HAVING STRUGGLES, JUST A CONSTANT STRUGGLE... READY?

DAVE: YEAH.

STANKARD: THIS HAS DEFINED MY SENSE OF SELF-WORTH.

GREEVES: YOU GUYS REMEMBER WHEN WE--WHEN I DID THESE?

CHILD: YEAH.

WHAT ARE THESE?

GREEVES: ALL RIGHT.

I WAS TRYING TO MAKE YOUR CLEATS.

CHILD: THAT'’S ME, MOM.

GREEVES: YES.

CHILD: WHY DID YOU PUT 2 BRAIDS?

GREEVES: '’CAUSE I WANTED YOU TO LOOK PARTICULARLY INDIAN.

CHILD: I DON'’T REMEMBER A HAT ON NIMKEES.

GREEVES: I THOUGHT THAT IF I COULD MAKE A PIECE THAT WAS EXCITING ENOUGH FOR A LITTLE 8-YEAR-OLD BOY TO REMEMBER... CHILD: THIS IS ME, THIS IS NIMKEES, AND THIS IS MOM.

GREEVES: THE IMAGERY IN HIS MIND'’S EYE, THAT MAYBE WHEN HE WAS LAYING IN BED WITH HIS CHILDREN, HE WOULD CLOSE HIS EYES, AND HE WOULD REMEMBER THE PICTURE THAT HIS MOTHER HAD MADE OF THAT STORY AND BE ABLE TO TELL THAT STORY TO HIS CHILDREN LATER ON IN THE NEXT GENERATION.

HUGULEY: TO WORK WITH ONE'’S HANDS AND CRAFT SOMETHING THAT GENERATIONS WILL SEE BECAUSE IT'’S QUALITY IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE GREATEST GIFTS THAT ANYONE CAN GIVE.

MR.

SIMMONS TOLD ME ONE DAY, HE SAID, "YOU KNOW, BEFORE I DIE, I WANNA MAKE SURE MY TRADE IS CARRIED ON."

AND THAT IS SO IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND THAT A CRAFTSMAN WHO NOT ONLY CARES ABOUT WHAT THEY DO EVERY DAY OR THE ART THAT THEY ARE LEAVING BEHIND ALSO CARES ABOUT PASSING THEIR TRADE, THEIR KNOWLEDGE ON TO THE NEXT GENERATION.

WE DON'’T SEE THAT A LOT IN AMERICA.

PRINGLE: TO BE A CRAFTSMAN, YOU HAVE TO LOVE WHAT YOU'’RE DOING.

BUT TO GET EVERYTHING RIGHT THE WAY YOU WANT IT, THAT'’S YOUR CRAFT.

NOBODY ELSE CAN DO IT EXACTLY LIKE THAT BUT YOU.

YOU CAN COME-- YOU CAN DUPLICATE IT, BUT VERY SELDOM YOU FIND SOMEBODY ELSE WHO CAN DO IT JUST LIKE YOU.

THAT'’S YOUR CRAFT.

WILLIAMS: MR.

SIMMONS.

HOW YOU DOING THERE?

HOW YOU DOING HERE, MR.

SIMMONS?

SIMMONS: AS WE USUALLY IS.

WILLIAMS: YES, SIR.

ARE YOU SURPRISED TO SEE ME HERE, HUH?

SIMMONS: YEAH.

WILLIAMS: YES, SIR.

HUGULEY: WHEN YOU WORK WITH MR.

SIMMONS, YOU UNDERSTAND IT'’S ALL ABOUT PASSING DOWN.

HE'’S LEAVING A LEGACY IN EVERY GATE HE DOES.

HE'’S KNOWN THAT FOR GENERATIONS.

HE IS NOT DOING THIS FOR HIMSELF OR, YOU KNOW, THE BETTERMENT OF HIS OWN PHILIP SIMMONS.

HE'’S DOING IT FOR THE PEOPLE THAT WILL COME AFTER HIM, AND THAT'’S WHEN I THINK YOU REALLY HAVE HIT WHAT IS A TRUE ARTISAN.

WILLIAMS: IT'’S A WINDOW GRILLE THAT I MADE.

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THAT?

SIMMONS: MMM, TURN IT OVER.

LET'’S SEE.

WILLIAMS: YES, SIR.

[CHUCKLES] SIMMONS: OH, YEAH.

GOT YOUR BATON OVER THERE I WANTED TO SEE, EH?

WILLIAMS: YES, SIR.

SIMMONS: HMM.

PRINGLE: ANY TRADITION IS IMPORTANT TO CARRY ON, BUT MOST OF THE YOUNG PEOPLE NOW DON'’T HAVE THE TIME OR THE PATIENCE TO CARRY IT ON THE OLD WAY.

THEY WANT EVERYTHING IN A HURRY.

BUT WHEN YOU TAKE YOUR TIME AND DO SOMETHING OR MAKE SOMETHING AND YOU STAND BACK AND LOOK AT IT, YOU CAN SEE THE DIFFERENCE IN THE ONE YOU MAKE AND THE ONE THAT'’S MADE BY THE MACHINE AND STUFF.

THERE'’S A WHOLE LOT OF DIFFERENCE.

WOMAN: MR.

SIMMONS, DID YOU HAVE A-- A FAVORITE HAMMER TO WORK WITH?

SIMMONS: OH, YEAH.

WOMAN: YOU USED IT FOR EVERYTHING?

SIMMONS: DIFFERENT HAMMER FOR DIFFERENT WORK.

HUGULEY: SO WHERE WE'’VE COME TO AFTER GENERATIONS IS WE PASS THE TECHNIQUES THAT WORK THROUGH TIME.

IF THERE'’S NO ONE THERE TO RECEIVE THOSE TECHNIQUES OR TEACH THOSE TECHNIQUES, WE LOSE THOSE TECHNIQUES, SO IT IS CRITICAL THAT PEOPLE LIKE PHILIP SIMMONS PASSES THEIR TRADE TO THE NEXT GENERATION AND THE SKILLS THAT THEY HAVE AND THE BEST OF WHAT THEY KNOW.

SIMMONS: THAT'’S A BEAUTIFUL SCROLL.

ANNOUNCER: COMING UP ON "CRAFT IN AMERICA"... MAN: IT WAS ONE OF THOSE EPIPHANIES.

YOU CAN MAKE THINGS THAT ARE WONDERFUL.

WOMAN: YOU START WITH A CHUNK OF WOOD.

YOU END UP WITH A VIOLIN.

I MEAN, AND IT'’S ALMOST LIKE MAGIC.

SECOND WOMAN: THIS KIND OF ACTIVITY, PRESSING THE TILES, HELPS ME THINK ABOUT WHAT IT IS THAT I WANNA DO.

SECOND MAN: YOU REALLY DON'’T KNOW WHAT IT'’S GONNA TURN OUT LIKE.

THAT IS THE GREAT JOY OF PRINTMAKING.

WOMEN: ♪ '’TIS A GIFT TO BE SIMPLE ♪ ♪ '’TIS A GIFT TO BE FREE ♪ ♪ '’TIS A GIFT TO COME DOWN WHERE YOU OUGHT TO BE ♪ ♪ AND WHEN YOU FIND YOURSELF IN THE PLACE JUST RIGHT ♪ ♪ '’TWILL BE IN THE VALLEY OF LOVE AND DELIGHT ♪ ♪ WHEN TRUE SIMPLICITY IS GAINED ♪ ♪ TO BOW AND TO BEND WE SHAN'’T BE ASHAMED ♪ ♪ TO TURN, TURN WILL BE OUR DELIGHT ♪ ♪ TILL BY TURNING, TURNING, WE COME ROUND RIGHT ♪ CAPTIONING MADE POSSIBLE BY CRAFT IN AMERICA, INC.

CAPTIONED BY THE NATIONAL CAPTIONING INSTITUTE --www.ncicap.org--