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Events

Basket Week 2019

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Overview

This page is for a past event. For up-to-date details for the next Basket Week, see the current event page. Feel free to browse the past event details below to get a sense of what's to come!


Join us for a gathering of basket-makers, both advanced and aspiring! Basketry embodies the soul of traditional craft: simple tools, natural materials and skilled hands result in purposeful, beautiful items. An offering of a dozen courses explores a wealth of materials from the northern landscape: birch, willow, pine needles, ash and spruce root. This year we welcome three new instructors, Jo Campbell-Amsler, Greg Johnson, and Clyde Estey, as well as returning favorites. In addition to taking a multi-day course focused on a specific project, all students and other interested folks are invited to participate in the day-long Basket Gathering on Friday, October 25. The day will include skill shares, mini courses, presentations, demonstrations and community gatherings, including a wood-fired pizza bake. Come early or stay late, and don’t miss Basket Gathering!

Registration in a course during Basket Week includes participation in the Basket Gathering. Individual registration for the Basket Gathering will be available to non-enrolled students at a later date. Subscribe to our enews to stay up to date!

 

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Event Details

Film Nights: Selections from Hands

Wednesday October 23rd and Saturday October 26th at 7pm

Enjoy a cozy evening watching basketry-related selections from the documentary series Hands on the big screen. The Hands documentaries were filmed during the 1970’s and 1980’s in Ireland as an effort by filmmakers David and Sally Shaw-Smith to document Irish heritage handcrafts before they were lost to modernization. 

Basket Gathering Day

Friday, October 25th

Basket Gathering Day consists of community gatherings, workshops, presentations, and mini courses. Registration in a course during Basket Week includes participation in the Basket Gathering. Individual registration for the Basket Gathering will be available to non-enrolled students at a later date. Full schedule below.

Open Basketry Workspace

Friday | All day

Want to work on a basket surrounded by fellow basket makers and friends? We’ll have a classroom open all day, students are welcome to bring materials to work on at your leisure. No instruction provided but ample sharing and good cheer.

Presentations and Demonstrations

Demonstration and Presentation on Ash Basketry with Clyde Estey

Friday | 9 - 10 am

Clyde will share about his basketry process and gathering techniques while demonstrating how to put a basket together in his distinctive style.

 

Birch Bark Basketry Panel hosted by Beth Homa Kraus

Friday | 10 - 11am

Join our birch bark basketry instructors for a panel discussion on their craft. Bring your birch bark questions or just come to listen.

 

Willow Weaving Demonstration: Willow in Words with Lindsay Lee and Lee Zieke Lee

Friday | 11am - 12pm

Join Lindsay and Lee to explore the language of willow baskets. There will be no need to puzzle over all of the strange terms and tools after this informative presentation.

 

Baskets Along the Way Presentation with Jo Campbell-Amsler

Friday | 1 - 2pm

Learn about the baskets and weavers Jo has visited with in Ireland, Scotland, Denmark, Wales, England, Spain and France. An international basket smorgasbord, a feast for the eyes!

 

Braided/Twined Bark and Grass Handles and Rim Fill Demonstration with Dennis Chilcoate

Friday | 2 - 3pm

Dennis will demonstrate techniques for creating handles and rims for a variety of baskets using braided and twined bark and grass.

Basket Market

Friday | 3 - 5pm

Bring your pocket book and get ready to drool over amazing baskets! Our basketry instructors will have their wares displayed and available to the public in a rare basket marketplace experience. Ash, birch, willow and more — find a treasure to take home!

Brown Bag Lunch and Basket Show & Tell

Friday | 12 - 1pm

Hosted by Cathryn Peters

Bring a basket and your lunch and we’ll have a classic show and tell! All students and instructors are invited to bring a basket to show. We’ll go around and share an interesting tid-bit or story about our baskets while we eat our lunches.

Student Pizza Potluck

Friday | 5 - 7pm

A North House favorite! Join your fellow students for wood-fired pizza and fun. You are invited to bring a pizza topping to share, we’ll provide the dough, sauce and cheese. Toppings range from comfort food to the wildly adventurous- be creative as you’d like! BYOB, partners/families welcome.

Evening Presentation with featured guest instructor Greg Johnson

Friday | 7pm

The Four Seasons of the Ojibwe Harvest
Greg Johnson, basket maker and cultural educator, will share about the significance of a seasonal lifestyle in Ojibwe culture through the context of basketry

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Course Offerings

Tue, Oct 22nd, 2019  –  Thu, Oct 24th, 2019
Day 1: 5-8pm, Days 2 & 3: 9am-5pm
Instructors: Lindsay Lee, Lee Zieke

Willow Ridge Herb Basket

Tue, Oct 22nd, 2019  –  Thu, Oct 24th, 2019
9am-5pm
Instructor: Jo Campbell Amsler

Birch Bark Containers: North American and Scandinavian

Wed, Oct 23rd, 2019  –  Thu, Oct 24th, 2019
9am-5pm
Instructor: Dennis Chilcote

Three Baskets in Two Days

Wed, Oct 23rd, 2019  –  Thu, Oct 24th, 2019
9am-5pm
Instructor: Emily Derke

Decorative Ash Basketry

Sat, Oct 26th, 2019  –  Mon, Oct 28th, 2019
9am-5pm
Instructor: Clyde Estey
Sat, Oct 26th, 2019  –  Sun, Oct 27th, 2019
9am-4pm
Instructor: Paula Sundet Wolf
Sat, Oct 26th, 2019  –  Mon, Oct 28th, 2019
9am-5pm

Woven Birch Bark Backpack

Sat, Oct 26th, 2019  –  Tue, Oct 29th, 2019
9am-5pm
Instructor: Beth Homa Kraus

Birch Bark Wish Basket

Wed, Oct 23rd, 2019  –  Thu, Oct 24th, 2019
9am-5pm
Instructor: Julie Kean