Just before the road drops to a 30 MPH speed limit on John Bragg Highway outside Woodbury, TN is a large red building that looks kind of like a barn. It’s the Art Center of Cannon County, and inside is an introduction to the county’s rich history and artistic treasures.

Tom Fuhrman suggested I visit to get a feel for the kind of art produced in the county. Some of the most fascinating pieces were elaborate white oak baskets. I’m not really sure why the area has become known for this art form, but the website says it came about during the Great Depression mostly out of necessity.

The Cannon County area has a long tradition of fine crafters. In fact, many local families turned to making white oak baskets and chairs as a means of survival during the Depression. They traded them for lamp oil, sugar, coffee, cloth, thread and other things they couldn’t grow or hunt. The stores hauled the baskets and chairs to major cities like Detroit, Miami and New York, and peddled them on the streets.

Many of the people who make these beautiful baskets have passed away or are now very old, but grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Tennessee Arts Commission and the National Forestry Service have funded what’s called the White Oak Timber Co-Op. The co-op has secured 500 acres of private land for non-invasive harvesting and preparation of materials free of charge to the county’s dwindling basket makers.

The first time I saw baskets like this was at my grandma’s house. She has several of them she’s collected over the years. When I see the quality of craftsmanship put into these baskets I’m reminded of a time when Americans answered tough times with hard work and determination.

These strong values are still alive and well deep in the heart of Tennessee, and we’re very fortunate to have places like the Arts Center of Cannon County to honor and preserve this way of life.

Here are some photos from my trip today: