Basket Weaving: Black Ash Small Basket | Oct 26th + Oct 27th, 10a-4p

Learn to weave with us!

In this multi-day workshop, you will learn to make one small black ash basket that measures approximately 6” x 6” x 4”. Workshop participants will prepare their base and weaver pieces for their small basket by cutting and knife-scraping black ash splint material that has already been hand-pounded off of a black ash log. You will then weave the basket in the checkerwork weave pattern for the base and the continuous weave pattern for the walls, and then finish this basket by tucking in the uprights and preparing their rim and lashing pieces which will be fitted and lashed onto the basket body.

Participants will also get the chance to participate in the intricate process of attaining black ash splint material for basketry during a log pounding and splint splitting demonstration. You will learn about Oneida and Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) traditions and history of black ash basket weaving. A display table of baskets and basket books will be available for students to interact with.

No prior basket weaving experience is required. Some hand strength and finger dexterity are necessary as we will be working with scissors and a knife to prepare all the pieces for the basket.

Please note this is a two-day workshop on Saturday, October 26th and Sunday, October 27th from 10am-4pm. If you are interested in a condensed workshop experience, check out our one-day basket-weaving class on December 8th.

Minimum attendees 5, maximum 8.

What to Expect:

Guided Art Project: No previous basket weaving experience required! Our artisan will provide step-by-step guidance to help you create your original work.
Complimentary Beverage and/or Refreshments: Enjoy a selection of coffee, tea and snacks to enhance your creative experience. A light lunch will be provided.
Souvenir: Take home your creations! Attendees will leave with a completed black ash basket, and the skills to make more! 

About the Instructor | Liandra Skenandore is an enrolled tribal citizen of the Oneida Nation of Wisconsin and also descends from the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation, Seminole Nation of Oklahoma, and Muscogee Creek Nation. She apprenticed for fifteen months as a black ash basket maker under renowned black ash weaver April Stone (Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa) through the 2020 Mentor Artist Fellowship program with the Native Arts and Cultures Foundation. Since completing her apprenticeship, Liandra continues to practice black ash basket weaving and now
enjoys sharing and teaching the craft with various communities. Her work has been supported by the Encouragement Artist Grant from the Minnesota Historical Society and by the Native Craft Artist Readiness Program from the Association of Tribal Archives, Libraries, and Museums. Her baskets have received juried awards in art shows and recognition at the John Michael Kohler Arts Center in Sheboygan, WI and the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art in Indianapolis, IN.