Mike Mitchell, the artist and arts teacher also known as mikewindy, comes from the smallest county in Tennessee, and his work is tied to one of the best parts of folk artistry: the belief that anybody can make art out of whatever’s handy, and that everybody ought to. His Coop show Diddley Drone was an installation of single-string instruments known as diddley bows, made from scraps like tin cans and balusters. But it was also interactive, so the instruments weren’t untouchable wall objects but actual playable pieces. Shows like this open the broad tapestry of folk to anybody, and really, that’s all art is: people sharing their stories with each other.
Best Interactive Art
mikewindy: 'Diddley Drone' at Coop
