June has flown by, and with it, many wonderful experiences. One being that the Bainbridge Artisans Resource Network, or BARN, has opened the doors to a beautiful new building on Bainbridge Island, a place of community and learning for makers of many disciplines. Programs for all eleven studios are up and running, with a huge outpouring of response from the community. In just a few weeks, the membership at BARN has doubled, and I expect that the programs will be growing and evolving with the interests and experiences that each member brings to the studios they choose to become involved in.
Suquamish Elder, Ed Carriere, gave a wonderful program to over a hundred people, about the Salish Basketry reconstruction he has been doing with Archaeologist Dale Croes. I will make an entry just about that experience soon.
My workshop, Cedar From Tree To Pouch, followed with a full class of amazing students, all artists, who made beautiful berry picking pouches. I’ll post about that soon too!
Last weekend Suquamish Cedar Weaver Nancy Sigo taught a full class to weave a Northwest Coast Salish Cedar Basket. She was a wonderful, attentive teacher, who with her husband, James, helped everyone to make a lovely cedar basket. Nancy will offer this workshop again in October, so if you missed this opportunity to learn from her, I hope you will keep this in mind.
Next up for the Fiber Arts Basketry Program at BARN is an opportunity to learn from Sue Skelly. Her work has been featured in Martha Stewart’s Living Magazine. She has been a landscaper for many years, studied fine art in college, but is off the charts, in my opinion, in living a creative life. Her business name is Woven Cedar Works, and for many years she has been weaving with Western Red Cedar limbs, roots, and inner bark, and building with the wood. Her work is quite original, and spending time with her is always inspiring.
Sue doesn’t teach often, but here is an upcoming opportunity to learn from her.
