[Ansteorra] Re: A question for Ansteorran artisans

[Christina L Biles]

Gunnvor asked:

(1) Do you think Ansteorra should have a titled Kingdom Artisan?

Yes.  After all, everyone else is doing it.  ;>   Seriously, though, it's 
a goal reachable by everyone who cares to work for it.  Becoming a Laurel 
is a good goal, and one that many artisans work towards, but it is a very 
long term goal.  It also assumes that one wants to be a peer, that one has 
the time & finances to devote to becoming a Laurel and then being a good 
one, and that one has, or will eventually develop, "peer-like qualities." 
Becoming a Kingdom Artisan is a much shorter term goal, and one which is 
much more attainable.



(2) If a titled Kingdom Artisan were to be selected, how should
this person be chosen?  Competition? What kind of competition? How
judged? Royal appointment? Other? etc.

What makes an Artisan?  There are many facets to artisans, and we need to 
consider what they are before discussing how such a person might be 
chosen. 
1. Artisans DO art. 
2. Artisans research art.
3. Artisans teach about their art.
4. Artisans give away their art.

Now, not every bit of that is true of every artisan, and it certainly 
varies in degree.  I know several artisans whose art is research.  ;>  In 
choosing a Kingdom Artisan, do we just care about option #1, or do we care 
about the whole package?   If it is just #1, then choose the highest score 
at KA&S, or, better yet, have the Crown choose from among the top 5 or 10 
artisans. 

If we care about the whole package, maybe we should ...

Do a complicated JP style scoring system (to drive us all nuts!).
Send in recommendations to the Crown and let them do the hard work.  ;>
Keep track of teachers & largesse givers and factor that along with 
success at KA&S.

And, would we have a new Artisan every year or every reign?

In summation, I think that the Crown should have input, regardless of 
anything else we do or don't.


(3) What, if any, should be the duties and responsibilities of a
titled Kingdom Artisan, if such were to be selected?

I think that a Kingdom Artisan should - teach at least one class at one or 
more colleges; help in the judging at the next KA&S; and give to either 
the spring and fall Crowns or to the Gulf & Pennsic baskets.

-Magdalena da Cadamosto