Page 24 - South Mississippi Living - January, 2021

ARTS
story by Luke Height
photos courtesy of Alice Kate Berry
Meet Alice Kate Berry, a lifelong member of the Pascagoula community and owner of Hometown Spirit Company, a company specializing in products that boost community spirit and hometown pride while celebrating the life and culture of our beautiful Coast. Berry has been teaching and working in the visual arts for more than 20 years and holds a fine arts degree from the University of Southern Mississippi as well as a degree in art education from Kennesaw State University.
Berry has made a big impression on the Mississippi Gulf Coast with her unique designs. Starting the process as block printing, her designs come to life on ags, pole banners, t-shirts, decals, door hangers, and more. These Gulf Coast-inspired products have quickly gained traction throughout the region. In Pascagoula, she has been able to share her fun and light-hearted designs in large numbers.
“It all started with a Christmas ag for
my daughter’s dance trip to Disney. I did
it as a fundraiser to help them get there. It developed into a business from there because so many people wanted that Christmas ag,”
she says.
For Berry it’s always been about service. “I
really wanted the art to be accessible to the general public, so I started to make shirts and ags. I think it’s important for people to have access to art, good design, and just a little bit of fun in their lives.”
There is a misconception that good art is expensive and unattainable. Berry wants to take away the barriers that keep people from having creativity in their life. She creates these works so that all people can own something handmade and sentimental.
When asked, “What inspires your work?” she replies, “Celebrating our local culture.
24 | January 2021
www.smliving.net | SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living
Fostering
HOMETOWN
Alice Kate Berry
Spirit