An Old Man Has Visions, published in 2005 by Monroe Area Council for the Arts with support from a Rural Arts Project grant from the Tennessee Arts Commission, documents the life and work of local woodcarver and folk artist James Bunch. Using only a pocketknife and the occasional handsaw and working from memory, James Bunch created a remarkable collection following his retirement in 1980 to care for his ailing wife, Harriet.

Mr. Bunch has been described as “the best living folk artist in the state of Tennessee” by Dr. Robert Cogswell, Director of Folk Life for the Tennessee Arts Commission. The exceptional quality of An Old Man Has Visions results from the collaboration of Tennessee artists who worked on the project, including noted photographers Charles Brooks and Don Dudenbostel; and graphic designer Laurel Breyen. The book was written by Mary Kennedy Hendershot and includes a reflective essay by Keith Hendershot, a graduate of Bennington College in Vermont.

The Bunch collection is on display at the Museum of Appalachia in Norris, Tennessee. Included in the collection is the life-sized motorcycle, “The Chiper,” carved over a three-year period during the 1980’s.

Mail Orders: $18
Phone Orders: 423-442-3210
Checks, money orders and Visa or Mastercard accepted.