OCEAN SPRINGS, Miss. (WLOX) - The Peter Anderson Festival is a celebration of the arts. It’s also a place to see how the legacy of the Anderson family lives on in the lives of Ocean Springs artists today.
“A lot of my friends say we live in paradise,” said Lisa Fazzio.
What Fazzio describes as paradise is molded into her pottery.
“This is inspired by the beach in Ocean Springs with one of those egret birds in the murky water, the shells and different textures you see. I want your eye to travel, and I want you to think what’s in there.”
Fazzio’s home is filled with those kinds of creations.
ADVERTISEMENT
“It’s just fun, you know. Why not?”
Her breaks from pottery making are few and far between.
“All I have to do is see something that inspires me, and like three days later, I’m like, ‘I need to get back into it.’”
When Fazzio first moved to Ocean Springs in the 90s, she quickly got plugged into the city’s art scene by taking a pottery class taught by Steve Burtt. He still teaches today, with Fazzio also instructing.
“It’s fun to feed off one another, and I love seeing the students get new ideas when something clicks with them,” Fazzio adds.
ADVERTISEMENT
A new idea is around every corner for Lisa, and the specific style of pottery she makes depends on the day.
“I love doing organic things. I like movement. I’m not real structured. I don’t like too many straight up and down things. What excites me is movement. My class was asking me what tool you use to make that, and I’m like, ‘These two fingers.’”
A hands-on approach is needed when teaching how to shape clay. Fazzio can also use the wide variety of pottery found at the Peter Anderson Festival as a teaching tool.
“I tell my students after you learned a little bit about pottery, when you got to a booth, look at it. Look at the bottom. See how they trimmed it. Did they feel the walls and are they even? You have more knowledge, so you can appreciate it.”
Even as a two-time Peter Anderson Festival award winner, Fazzio can still find inspiration from what she sees during the festival.
“You get rejuvenated by seeing someone else’s work. I think, ‘I had no idea you could do this,’ and the style is what I’m attracted to.”
While it doesn’t take long for Fazzio to shape her latest masterpiece, it did take plenty of practice.
“People say, ‘How long did it take you to make that?’ I say it took 20 years for me to make it in 15 minutes. I can throw the piece quickly because I have the experience.”
The fun of making pottery? One’s livelihood is continuing to make new things with their hands, just like a young child.
“Did I mention that kindergarten was my favorite grade? I still feel like I’m in kindergarten.”
ADVERTISEMENT
Fazzio isn’t going to have a booth at this year’s Peter Anderson Festival, but she will have an open house to show off her pottery on December 6.
For more information on the open house, contact Lisa at 228-219-4768.
See a spelling or grammar error in this story? Report it to our team HERE.
Copyright 2025 WLOX. All rights reserved.