There’s no better gift than one made by hand. From painting and pottery to leatherwork, linens, and jewelry, Southern makers honor time-tested techniques while giving beloved crafts a new spin. Like most good things, these pieces are rooted in tradition and made to last.
As you make your holiday list this year, meet these five makers and the Southern crafts they carry forward.
Photos courtesy of Bradley S Gordon Art
Water Valley, Mississippi
Bradley S Gordon Art
I feel that as artists, we all start out copying and mimicking the traditions set in place by those that came before us. At some point, hopefully, we find a voice of our own and take those traditions in new directions.
Photos by Jordan Hefler
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
MIMOSA Handcrafted
Madeline Ellis
To me, tradition means using techniques passed from maker to maker over generations, thousands of years in the case of lost-wax casting like we use, but in a way that still speaks to the time you’re living in.
I love thinking about the fact that there’s almost a kind of muscle memory in humans for this work, stretching all the way back to ancient Egypt, and that in some small way I’m helping keep it alive. I work with ancient materials and processes like metal, stone, carving, and lost-wax casting, but I use them to make pieces that tell stories about the place and time I’m living in now.
Photos courtesy of Red Land Cotton
Moulton, Alabama
Red Land Cotton
Anna Brakefield
We have a tradition of working hard, doing things the right way, and holding true to our values. In a world where so much has become commoditized, and there’s constant pressure to make things faster and cheaper, we’ve chosen a different path. We stand on principle, go the extra mile, and work to create something truly special for our customers.
Those values didn’t develop overnight. They were passed down to us by our parents and grandparents, and they influence everything from how we grow our cotton to how we make our products and run our business. To me, that is our greatest tradition—and one we hope to continue passing down.
Photos by Ben Rollins (left) and courtesy of Glad & Young (right)
Atlanta, Georgia
Glad & Young
Anna Zietz and Erica Tankesley
Tradition to us means understanding the history and cultural significance of leathercraft. We try our best to honor that history by working slowly, with artisans, to continue to bring heirloom quality products to life. It is a gift to work with a material that has been used for generations, and to be able to bring our own unique perspective to what these items can be.
Photos courtesy of Crafted Glory
Asheville, North Carolina
Crafted Glory
Kwadwo Som-Pimpong
Tradition in the context of my craft is an opportunity for me to explore my Ghanaian heritage more deeply and engage society in an exploration of how African culture can add warmth and life to luxury and contemporary spaces.
