Mississippi Expat: Andrew Blanchard

"Mississippi has become a muse, something bigger than where I am from or where I was schooled."

What does it mean to call Mississippi home? Why do people choose to leave or live in this weird, wonderful, and sometimes infuriating place? Today we hear from artist Andrew Blanchard who now lives in South Carolina, but whose work is deeply tied to his Mississippi roots.

Featured contributor Andrew Blanchard, who now lives in South Carolina, in front of his painting entitled LAKESIDE.

Where are you from?

I am from Waveland, MS. 

When did you move to Spartanburg, SC and why did you move there?

I moved to Spartanburg in the fall of 2005 after having graduated from the MFA program at Ole Miss the winter before (and a short transitional stint in Chicago during the winter/spring). I landed a professorship at Converse College teaching printmaking and photography.

What does “home” mean to you? How does Mississippi fit into that definition?

Home is where I make it, and to be more specific, I think home can be a metaphilosophical place just as much as a physical one. The notion of home is straine…