Inspiration, History, and the Importance of Art Education with Lisa Rutherford

In this episode of Beyond the Art, Cray is joined by artist Lisa Rutherford.

Lisa Rutherford is a Cherokee artist with the Cherokee Nation who creates traditional pottery, textiles, and historic clothing. She initially became interested in art through her grandmother's oil paintings and took her first art class in high school. Her interest in traditional Cherokee pottery was reignited in 2004 when she worked on a public art installation with Bill Glass Jr. Lisa also enjoys demonstrating her skills in period clothing at living history events and has found it to be a more reliable source of income compared to selling her art at markets.

They discuss her journey from pottery to textiles and her interest in historic clothing and living history. She talks about the circular worldview of the Cherokee people and the importance of keeping their culture alive through art. The artist also mentions the challenges of being self-employed and the benefits of demonstrating her skills in period clothing.