Page 59 - South Mississippi Living - October, 2018

A young
Peter Wade Anderson poses in one
of the earlier t-shirts in 1986, the first year the festival was named after
his grandfather, Peter Anderson. Years later, Peter Wade joined his father, Jim Anderson, at Shearwater Pottery as
the third generation making pottery.
(Among the sources for this story were news stories published in the Ocean Springs Record.)
Back then the parking lot was made of oyster shells and cinder blocks.
Over the years, Margaret Miller, Anderson family and volunteer
team took it to a higher level and branched out bringing in many more artists and craft vendors from all over the Southeast and throughout the nation.
With the Anderson family as an anchor for the arts community, the festival quality and growth flourished. “It could not have been what it
is today without the committed
team of volunteers and community leaders,” says Cynthia Dobbs Sutton, executive director of the Ocean Springs Chamber of Commerce.
The festival has doubled its footprint
DESIGN
in only six years. The Peter Anderson Arts & Crafts Festival is
a household name nation wide. Artists from all over the United States know about the festival and share the word year round.
There is always so much to see during the annual festival. Not only are there more than 400 arts, crafts and food booths, but also live music, activities for the kids and so much more.
“We added the Young at Art” area a couple of years ago as a way to inspire young individuals
to grow in the arts”, says Dobbs Sutton. This area allows students age 8-18 to showcase their unique skills in the arts. They have their own booth section in the festival run by the Walter Anderson Museum of Art.
Live artist demonstrations are
a growing trend in this festival. Numerous artists paint, sculpt and fire during the two-day event.
A blacksmith booth on Government Street works with leather and assembles belts and other items on site. Numerous painters relax inside their booths painting their next masterpiece, which has become a watching feature while strolling from booth to booth.
Live music is always a feature at the festival. This year’s area brings its own characters. Thanks to a partnership with Sound Associates, Captain Jack Sparrow, Elsa from Frozen and others will be joining the arts scene.
FINDS
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October 2018 • SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living 59
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