Delta teacher turns cotton spindles into art

Lee Washington began his artistic career in a quiet South Delta High School classroom during spring break in 2021. The agricultural power and machinery teacher was working alone with old cotton-picker spindles, bending and heating the metal to form the shape of a stickman. That initial prototype became the foundation for his brand, Lee’s Cotton Picker Art.

Washington, an Army veteran, has produced hundreds of pieces since moving into his own shop and gallery on Walnut Street in Rolling Fork, Mississippi. His sculptures depict people, animals, religious symbols, and musical instruments. He uses materials from the region’s agricultural history, repurposing parts that once represented labor in the Mississippi Delta.

The artist has created specific pieces for prominent figures. He told the Mississippi Free Press on Sept. 24 that he made a sculpture of Jesus carrying the cross for Congressman Bennie Thompson. He also crafted a piece for President Obama featuring an angel with a hand on his shoulder.

Washington’s work is displayed at several institutions. The Two Mississippi Museums in Jackson holds an 18-piece blues band set consisting of nine performers and nine audience members. His pieces are also on display at the EE Bass Cultural Arts Center in Greenville, Mississippi.

Elizabeth Montambault, director of the Craftsmen’s Guild of Mississippi in Ridgeland, noted that Washington has been a member since 2002. She described his talent for transforming scrap metal and tractor parts into intricate sculptures of flowers, marching-band members, and insects.

Washington will return to the guild from Nov. 12 to Nov. 14 with new pieces for the 50th anniversary of the Chimneyville Arts Festival. The event is held at the Bill Waller Craft Center. Tickets for the preview experience on Thursday cost $40, and general admission to the main festival is $10.

His wife, Barbara Washington, has been a fan of his work since the beginning. She recalled that he created a collection of figurines resembling her grandmother, who wore hats to church. Lee Washington said he does not sketch designs on paper and relies on being in the right mental state to start a project.