We may have conducted our last interview in Asheville today, at least for this trip. And it couldn't have been with an individual who better personifies what Our Next Thing is all about. Tessa Whittman could be our poster woman!
Tessa worked briefly as a Live Sound Engineer in her hometown of Minneapolis. Maybe it was those brutal upper midwest winters, maybe it was the finicky nature of the music business, but Tessa dreamed of learning how to surf. She yearned to experience "Island Fever" and escape her known world for a while. What better place than Maui?
She found herself living on the edge of a hippy enclave in the Hawaiian jungle and built herself a little shelter with not much more than an extension cord and a pot. Her new job was on the other side of the island with a daily commute that dropped 10,000 feet to a goat farm in one of the few desert-like areas in the region. Yes, she became a goat herder and worked for a couple who eventually became well known for their artisan cheeses.
Her existence there sounded like paradise; but Tessa reminded us that paradise is not necessarily what gives us peace of mind. She was still searching. She returned to the mainland, this time West Virginia, to take a class in Blacksmithing. Now it was Appalachia itself that felt like home to her and Blacksmithing was what she wanted to do.
The decision to leave Hawaii with all its charms wasn't too difficult for Tessa because she had found both a craft and a place to hone that craft at the Penland School of Crafts in Western North Carolina. For three years, Tessa studied and worked at the school. Greg filmed her this past Sunday during one of her last days at the Smithy of Penland.
We talked to Tessa today, on the day she would sign her lease for a blacksmith studio that she'll share with several other blacksmithers in the Wedge Building of the River Arts section of Asheville. Not too long ago, this space was the studio of John Payne, a legendary figure in this city. He was a pioneer as a metal sculptor and one of the forces behind Asheville revitalization as an arts community. John Payne passed away last year but his presence is still deeply felt in his former studio and in this city.
Now, Tessa and her business partner Tina - along with other blacksmiths - are the next generation of artists and crafts people working in steel. I never had the honor of meeting John Payne, but when I look at the people inhabiting his studio now, I can't help but think that he'd be proud. An ancient craft continues and it is a beautiful thing to behold. I can't wait to come back to Asheville and see what Tessa and her fellow blacksmithers are creating.
Note: to read a lovely tribute to John Payne, go to google and search for "john payne wedge studio". You'll see a link to the Mountain Express site.
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