Michael W. Moses at the 2012 Peter Anderson Festival in Ocean Springs, MS

Goods displayed at the Peter Anderson Festival

This weekend (3-4 Nov 2012) was the annual Peter Anderson Festival here in Ocean Springs. Here along the Gulf Coast when people think of Arts Festivals everyone immediately thinks the Peter Anderson Festival in Ocean Springs, Mississippi. This Sunday morning I spent a bit of time browsing through some the many booths that were set up and was surprised by the pieces that I saw.  There was pottery, wood carvings, jewelry, paintings, sculpture, and the ubiquitous Giclee digital photography prints.  A number of local artists were also represented in the offerings from near and far.

Glass goods at the Peter Anderson Festival

I must say that there were a lot more vendors set up this year and the ranks have swelled to 400 booths. As I walked around from booth to booth I was almost constantly amazed at the quality and quantity of so many of the booths. I have been to many arts and crafts festivals all over the country and a few in other countries and I have seldom seen any that can compare to the goods being sold at the Peter Anderson Festival. In fact, the festival was bursting at the seams. The booths were full and boxes of merchandise were stacked up behind the counter to fill the needs of the buying public.

You can tell that the jury that chose the venders were true Gulf Coast art connoisseurs. It would be difficult to maintain this level of merchandise at the festival with out being privy to the ins and outs of the labyrinthine intricacies of the modern art and crafts world.  There was a fairly good crowd in town shopping today; thousands thronged in over this weekend to look and buy. This sprawling show draws not only local people, but also folks from nearby Gulfport, Biloxi, Wiggins, Van Cleave, and Pascagoula. 

Wall Plug-ins Booth

Wall Plug-in display

The Peter Anderson Festival has become rather crowded and parking a bit dear and it wouldn't be amiss, in my opinion, to branch out and have a fine arts and high crafts only festival, let's say limited to 60 booths, so people don't have to struggle so hard to see the stars of the Gulf Coast. 


I will say that there were some people who's works and or personalities really shined above the crowd.  First I  will say that Charles Smith was set up and what more can I say than his work was breath taking in it's perfection, as always.  I truly admire and respect  this man and his exceptional work. It is always a delight for me to see his work.

Charles Smith Pottery

More Charles Smith Pottery

Yvonne Brown, Potter
 from Gulfport, MS

Secondly  I meet a young lady from Gulfport, whom I think may be a potter to keep an eye on.  Her name is Yvonne Brown and her work embraces some of the best qualities of Gulf Coast modern traditional(made post 1960, along the Coast) pottery, but still has a solid fresh  look about it that shows a special talent. It was a pleasure conversing with her and her family.

Yvonne Brown's  Pottery

Thirdly I met Dainna Yum-Bucher of SuzYum Designs, she does classic bead work jewelry that has a lush rich historical feel. Her jewels seem as if they are directly taken from Ali Baba's treasure cave or an exotic Mughal Harem.  She uses sophisticated nuances of color and style to give her pieces a aura, that is almost magical.
 
Well, This years Peter Anderson is over and I guess everyone will be getting over it all this week and then starting the processes for getting next years even bigger and better one started!