Last week Judith Saunders, resident of Virginia & Ocracoke and award winning artisan, conducted a week of classes in basketry techniques on the island. Fourteen people participated, including first time basket makers and more experienced weavers. Some of the baskets created were traditional, using both natural and dyed reeds. Other baskets used locally harvested natural materials, including Ocracoke seashells. My daughter Amy served as student assistant.
The class was funded in part by a Grassroots Grant from the North Carolina Arts Council, with funding from the State of North Carolina and the National Endowment for the Arts. Administrative support for the grant funding came from the Beaufort County Arts Council.
Take a look at these photos of some of the wonderful creations from the workshop (you can click on any photo to say a larger image):
Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is the story of Ocracoker, Kelly O'Neal, and the 1951 revolution in Siam (Thailand). You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news012910.htm
Would love to have been on Ocracoke to participate in this great workshop! Been wanting to take basket weaving for years & never find the time. The students did a marvelous job, the baskets look fabulous.
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