A response to items in the collection of the Williamson County Archives & Museum
PHOTOS COURTESY OF TENNESSEE CRAFT
From hand-built, unglazed ceramic vessels created by Prehistoric Native Americans to the beautifully designed and intricately stitched quilts made by Tennessee’s early settlers, the Volunteer State has a rich tradition of handmade craft. A new exhibition, entitled Craft Continuum, presented by Tennessee Craft at the Williamson County Archives & Museum, explores that legacy by pairing historic artifacts from the museum’s collection with contemporary works by Tennessee Craft artists from across the state.
Craft Continuum will be on view August 31 through November 12, 2026. Artists were invited to create works in response to artifacts in the museum’s collection, finding connections through shared materials, techniques, or function. An opening reception will be held Friday, September 4, 2026, during Franklin’s First Friday, coordinated by the Arts Council of Williamson County.
The exhibition was organized by artist Sherri Warner Hunter, who serves on the Tennessee Governing Board of TN Craft. She explained her vision for the show, “As the curator of this exhibition, I selected pieces from the Museum’s collection as a reference point and invited artists who work in a similar creative process, either in technique, materials, or function, to respond to specific objects. The artists whose pieces were selected for exhibition created a contemporary interpretation that reflected the historic craft item. The exhibit is meant to provide a provocative response to the collection as well as provide visitors with concrete examples of how handmade objects from the past provide the foundation and inspiration for contemporary craft artists working today.”
Craft Continuum is presented as part of the American Craft Council’s Handwork: Celebrating American Craft 2026, a nationwide initiative celebrating the importance of handmade craft and commemorating the 250th anniversary of American craft and craft artists.
The Williamson County Archives & Museum tells the story of the county from its prehistoric Native American inhabitants and long hunters through the county’s founding, continuing to the present day. Historic handcrafted objects are displayed throughout the museum, making it an ideal setting for this exhibition.
One of the museum’s most significant artifacts is the work of formerly enslaved craftsman Richard Poynor, one of Williamson County’s most prolific and distinctive chair makers during the mid-1800s. His handcrafted chairs are found not only at the museum but also in museums across the country. Poynor’s craftsmanship inspired artist and furniture maker Steve Westfield of Woodsmoor Studios to provide a contemporary ladder-back chair for the exhibition.
“The simple, straightforward lines and sturdy construction of the Poynor chair represent the quintessential ladder-back chair. My Woodsmoor Ladder-Back chair reflects the essence of a ladder-back chair with the aluminum rungs that form the back of the chair,” said Westfield.
He continued, “Influenced by Shaker chair designs, I incorporated tapered legs instead of the traditional dowel legs. To get the sturdiness of a ladder-back chair, I used aluminum angle stock to attach the legs to the solid wood seat and aluminum rods to stabilize the legs. The tall, straight back and flat seat give the chair a more contemporary silhouette reminiscent of early Frank Lloyd Wright chair designs. The design of my chair was also influenced by Rietveld’s chair designs, in particular Rietveld’s Red and Blue chair. Shaker chair design, early chair designs by Frank Lloyd Wright, and the minimalistic designs of Rietveld’s chairs definitely have influenced my designs of Woodsmoor furniture, décor, and accessories.”
Traditional quilts from the museum’s collection inspired two additional artists featured in the exhibition. Jim Sherraden has been a respected American printmaker since 1981, with work collected by individuals and institutions around the world. Best known as the longtime manager, master printer, and archivist of Nashville’s iconic Hatch Show Print, Sherraden returned to carving his own printing blocks in 2005. He began creating wooden and paper quilts by cutting apart his printed works and reassembling them into striking patchwork compositions, an approach reflected in the pieces he created for Craft Continuum.
Additionally, fiber artist Jennifer Haston also drew inspiration from historic quilts in the museum’s collection. “My quilts are inspired by traditional quilts, but my work moves between an intuitive process and a conceptual direction. Quilt making is a tactile meditation that takes my mind on a color pattern journey that ultimately connects to others outside of myself,” she explained. “The garden is intertwined into my making process through the many fractals that nature provides. Gardening and sewing operate within the same breath sequence. It’s about the macro within the confinements of the four points of a rectangle, or how you treat the micro elements. With needle and thread, the narratives become otherworldly, and the twists and turns keep me connected.”
Don’t miss this opportunity to experience the work of Tennessee Craft artists alongside the historic artifacts that inspired them. Craft Continuum offers a unique dialogue between past and present, demonstrating how traditional craftsmanship continues to influence and inspire contemporary artists across Tennessee.
For additional information, visit tennesseecraft.org and williamsoncounty-tn.gov/26/Archives-Museum.
MARY SKINNER, a longtime resident of Middle Tennessee, is a retired museum professional who currently works as a freelance writer and arts consultant. She serves on the Community Outreach Committee of Tennessee Craft.
