River Cane, Traditionally Cherokee
October 16 - 21, 2022
Mary W. Thompson · Arrowmont Fellowship
Workshop at a glance
Be immersed in Cherokee culture and tradition working with river cane, the most traditional of the Cherokee basketry.
Techniques
- Processing river cane splits
- Coloring the cane splits
- Weaving the cane splits
Materials
- Sticks of river cane from which the splits will be processed
- White oak for rims
- Hickory lashing
Outcomes
- Knowledge of river cane usage
- A basket or river cane wall mat
Artist Bio
Mary W. Thompson works with traditional and contemporary art and is one of the few double weave basket makers of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. She worked with the Center for Craft in Asheville, North Carolina on a Public Art Parklet titled “The Basket.” Her artwork can be seen on the Authentically Cherokee website, and in the 2021 Smokies Sampler Exhibition, “Blue Ridge National Heritage Area.” Thompson is an Arrowmont Appalachian Craft & Culture Fellow (2021) and received the Folk & Traditional Arts Master Artist Fellowship South Arts Award.
Arrowmont Connections
Workshop Description
During this workshop students will discover, appreciate the value of, and participate in the process of creating river cane basketry. You will learn to prepare the materials for your basketry project, which includes splitting, stripping, scraping, trimming, and dying river cane splits. The instructor will have finished splits and mat kits available for purchase. The tools used to split sticks of cane and stripping the outer layer can be hazardous if not used correctly, therefore this class is limited to intermediate and advanced basket weavers.
COURSE FEE: $690 · materials list
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