W ID E WORLD OF CRAFT
Above: A necklace by
Finola Prescott of St.
Lucia, made of recycled
cords, shells, and hand-
made copperheads.
Left: A sterling silver
bracelet made by Ichia
Tiyi of Barbados.
Right: A terracotta
and cane pot by Michael
Hunt of Cedars Pottery
on Antigua.
£
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Y v e t t e C o k e r , o n e o f t h e o r ig in a l e m -
p lo y e e s , f e ll in lo v e w i t h b a t ik d u r in g t r a in -
in g . “ M y f a v o r i t e t h in g is t h e p r id e I f e e l
w h e n I s e e t h e fin is h e d p r o d u c t ,” s h e s a y s .
“ I lik e th e f a c t t h a t i t ’s la b o r - i n t e n s iv e ,”
W i d d o w s o n s a y s . “ I t e m p lo y s a l o t m o r e
p e o p l e o n t h e is la n d ” t h a t w a y . C a r ib e lle
B a t ik is m o r e th a n a b u s in e s s , h e s a y s . “ I t ’ s
fu lf illin g a d r e a m , r e a l l y .”
O n n e a r b y S t . L u c i a , a n o t h e r B r it is h
t r a n s p la n t h a s b e e n a r t is t ic a l ly in s p ir e d b y
h e r s u r r o u n d in g s . F in o la P r e s c o t t c a m e t o
t h e is la n d a t a g e 6 ; b y c o ll e g e , s h e w a s w r i t -
in g p a p e r s o n t h e h i s t o r y a n d p r o s p e c t s o f
c r a f t s o n S t . L u c ia . A s a n a d u lt , s h e h a s
w o r k e d t o d e v e lo p c r a f t m a r k e t s a n d s k ills ,
a s w e l l as h e r o w n a rt.
T h e e m p h a s is o f t r a d it io n a l c r a f t s in S t.
L u c i a h a s b e e n s q u a r e ly o n f u n c t io n , s h e
s a y s . D u r in g t h e c o lo n ia l p e r io d , w h e n th e
is la n d c h a n g e d h a n d s b e t w e e n t h e B r it is h
a n d F r e n c h 14 t im e s , lo c a l c u lt u r e a n d t r a d i-
t io n w e r e f r a g m e n t e d . “ T h i s h a s l e f t S t .
L u c i a w i t h a v e r y s p a r s e le g a c y o f w h a t
I c a ll a v is u a l la n g u a g e .”
P r e s c o t t b e g a n c r e a t in g j e w e l r y a n d
p a p e r o b je c t s in c lu d in g b o w l s , la m p s h a d e s ,
a n d o t h e r h o m e d é c o r it e m s . “ I l o v e le a r n -
in g a n d e x p e r im e n t in g , s o I t e n d t o s e e k
o u t a n d a b s o r b a ll k in d s o f s k ills a n d in flu -
e n c e s .” S h e t h in k s t h is i n v e n t iv e n e s s is
e n c o u r a g e d b y is la n d li f e ; b e c a u s e o f th e
s m a ll p o p u la t io n a n d lim it e d a v a ila b ilit y o f
m a t e r ia ls , a r t is t s t e n d t o b e c r e a t iv e w it h
w h a t t h e y ’v e g o t .
134
american craft feb/maris
