'Handcrafted America' to feature Louisiana artisans

Artisans around the world are shaping the country as they continue to use old-fashioned skills in the modern world, to create unique masterpieces and add personal touches that manufactured products cannot offer.
And Louisiana artisans will be featured in August.
In the INSP award-winning original series, Handcrafted America, host Jill Wagner (Christmas in the Smokies, Teen Wolf, Wipeout) travels the country to seek out talented artisans who continue to make products with their own two hands.
In every half-hour episode of the series, Jill meets three gifted craftsmen and gets a behind-the-scenes look at how their products are created. Along the way, viewers learn about the history and cultural heritage that inspire and influence the design of their handcrafted products.
Whether it’s the celebration of Mardi Gras, the history of the French Quarter, or the food and music indigenous to this state, the Bayou State was built on the uniqueness of its locals, and these artisans are keeping the traditions alive.
These artisans include Ross Lunz of New Orleans, who takes street signs damaged by Hurricane Katrina and turns them into unique furniture; Mark and Ann Marie Derby, also of New Orleans, a dynamic couple who reproduces the historic tiles that adorn the streets of the Big Easy; and Tee Don Landry, of Sunset, is keeping family bonds tight by following in his father’s footsteps and making rubboards, one of the only American born musical instruments.
The episodes featuring these Louisiana artisans air at 7:30 p.m. on Aug 18 and 25 and Sept. 1.