I’m a fan of H.C. Porter. I love her mixed-media paintings (photo, screen printing and paint). They are bold, bright and tell beautiful stories ranging from Katrina to living blues legends (Our own Lauchlin Fields worked hard on the Blues at Home series by recording the bluesmen’s stories). I’m also a fan of H.C. personally. Becoming an artist is, at best, a risky proposition, but she has managed to balance the creative and business sides of the profession really well. From her gallery in downtown Vicksburg (you need to check it out) to producing Ridgeland Fine Art Festival at the Renaissance this weekend, she has proven to be savvy in all facets of the art profession.

Today, I interviewed her for my Mississippi Public Broadcasting show, Conversations. We talked about her mama’s influence on her choice to become an artist (I met her mom a few years ago and really like her),  how she got interested in the art, her college years and how she came back to Mississippi. We spoke about her Katrina work (which was when I was introduced to her talent). She produced 81 pieces for that show, in FOUR MONTHS!

H.C. is a storyteller. She sees stories that need to be told, and she does it in a unique and special way.

I enjoyed my time with her today and look forward to the episode coming out. I’ll post a link when it does.

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Marshall Ramsey, a nationally recognized editorial cartoonist, shares his cartoons and travels the state as Mississippi Today’s Editor-At-Large. He’s also host of a weekly statewide radio program and a television program on Mississippi Public Broadcasting and is the author of several books. Marshall is a graduate of the University of Tennessee and a 2019 recipient of the University of Tennessee Alumni Professional Achievement Award.