The only limit to the art and craft of gourds is the imagination, local gourd crafters and growers say.

"A lot of people thought, and still think, that gourds are for dippers and birdhouses only, and it's not that way," said Lisa Roberson, president of the Tennessee Volunteer Gourd Society.

"There are so many things you can do with gourds; anything you can do with wood you can do with gourds," she added.

Despite the challenges of recruiting volunteers and members, Ms. Roberson said the interest in the craft is growing.

"Everybody seems to be looking for that something different and they are going to the gourds," said the Pikeville, Tenn., resident who has grown gourds at her family's R&R Kuntry Pumpkin Center for 30 years.

Artist Bob Cobb said gourds were an attractive new media form for him when he started working with them eight years ago.

"I had painted on canvas and was sitting looking at a gourd one day and realized rather than being a one-dimensional canvas, it could be a three-dimensional object," he said. "The creative aspects of the gourds are unlimited."

He does cutouts and wood burning and uses inserted beads and other materials in his creations.

Gourd art is a big business, said Mr. Cobb.

"It's a pretty good size business, larger than many people realize," he added.

The American Gourd Society has more than 4,00 members in 21 state chapters, including Tennessee and Georgia.

Ms. Roberson said the local chapter has about 150 members, up from just 34 when she was elected president two years ago. She said her focus is passing on the tradition and art of working with gourds.

"We are trying to get the youngsters involved in it," Ms. Roberson said. "It gets them up from in front of the TV and video games."

Staff Photo by Tim Barber Lisa Roberson, 39, holds a large gourd Thursday in front of R&R Kuntry Pumpkin Center in Bledsoe County. Her family grows gourds and has pallets filled with different shapes and sizes on the front lawn.

She said it's important for children to know that gourds have been used throughout history.

"Kids need to know the first man didn't have a silver spoon or fork, that not everything came from Walmart and that gourds were one of the big things they used," she said.

The Tennessee organization meets four times a year, including once in Chattanooga.

It holds an annual show in April where members do demonstrations and teach workshops.

Digital Gourds chart © Dan Dunkin 2003

This chart is used courtesy The Gourd Reserve