Artisans Find There’s Still a Market For Handmade, Quality Craftsmanship

As global business and manufacturing continues to push for more productivity from workers, more efficiency from machines and more money for their shareholders, there has been a quiet but deliberate decision by some to reclaim the artisan crafts of the past.

Sites like Etsy and Artfire boast more than 400,000 vendors of handmade crafts and $50 million in venture capital invested across those artists, according to the Craft & Hobby Association. High-end vendors also sell their wares on curated sites like Arkansas-based Bourbon and Boots or at exclusive shows like the Renegade Craft Fair, which holds 14 events across the country each year, and The Little Craft Show held annually in Fayetteville.

It’s impossible to talk about fine art in Arkansas without the name of James Hayes included in the conversations. The Pine Bluff native has been promoting art and artisans in the Natural State since 1988, when he graduated from Hendrix College with a degree in art. He felt he should specialize in one particular medium to build a business, and glass blowing appealed to him. Today, his works of hand-blown glass are on display literally all over the world.

“The Clintons created a business boom for me,” Hayes said. “When he was elected, people became interested in art from Arkansas in a way they hadn’t been before that. I benefited quite a bit from that.”

Hayes said he always knew he wanted to make something with his hands, but he didn’t want to be chained to a bench all his life. His father owned a dental laboratory. He made bridges and crowns for years, but he didn’t get to spend much time calling on the dentists for whom he worked. Hayes said he learned from him the value of a personal connection with clients. He personally delivers as many pieces as possible to clients, galleries and gift shops.

“People want to feel a connection to the things in their lives,” he said. “They want to know the story and the person behind it: whether that’s food, cocktails or art.”

Little Rock soap maker Stephanie Hamling believes connection has been the key to her success with Southern Girl Soapery.

“I’m not selling soap,” she said. “I’m selling a story. Southern flair and nostalgia have a value that’s ephemeral, but it’s worth quite a bit to some people.”

She knows most people are content to pick up something off the shelf at a big box retailer, and she understands that convenience. However, she credits the local food movement with softening the ground for businesses like hers.

“My customers want to know what they’re buying, where it came from, what exactly is in it,” she said. “When they buy local food, they’re supporting the farmer, not just the food. It’s the same for soap and many other products.”

Beyond the connection between artisan and customer, both Hayes and Hamling spend time with other artists and manufacturers. The communities they have created through their businesses connect them to others in similar work as well as the crafts and traditions of generations before them.

Springdale native Jamie Walker understands very well the generational connection of handmade crafts. The owner of Walker Woodworks grew up piddling around in his dad’s shop. His father was the shop teacher at Springdale High School for many years before he retired.

Walker wasn’t terribly interested in woodworking when he was young. As he aged a bit, he found it handy to be able to make some small pieces for personal use.

“I think there’s been almost a bit of craft revolution,” Walker said. “I kept seeing all this really cool stuff, and I would think, ‘I could do that too.’” Over time, he began to realize how much he liked working with wood, particularly reclaimed lumber.

“There is always a story from reclaimed wood,” he said. “I think a certain group of people are just tired of everything being plastic and the same. They like to know who made things and where they’ve come from, especially if it’s close to home. People are proud of where they come from. They want their homes to represent that.”

Walker and his father were able to get some of the wood from the old O.L. Gregory Vinegar Company Vats in Rogers. He also secured old bookshelves from Young Law Library at the University of Arkansas. He uses those to make slide frames, stack vases and hex candle holders. He’s even got a small amount of bleacher boards from the old Springdale Bulldog gymnasium. Fellow alums love frames made from wood that connects them to their past.

Hayes, Hamling and Walker all recognize the double-edged sword of technology. While certain advances have made their skills less necessary, social sites that promote handmade, artisan crafts are important to the ongoing success of their businesses by opening up new markets. They feel strongly that it matters to keep these traditions and crafts alive. They understand their customer base is a specific kind of consumer.

Still, they remain encouraged about the future of skilled crafts and art in the state. “Some people don’t get it,” Walker said. “But a lot of people do.”