Melinda West | West Gardens Basketry

Growing, gathering, and weaving with plant fibers from the Pacific Northwest

Ernestine Hayes – “Here We Are Together – Our Only Future Is a Future Together. As Humans.”

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To listen to Earnestine Hayes in this beautiful short profile is a gift to any heart that aches for the ills in the world today. I’m so grateful that she found her gift of writing. I hope you enjoy! “I believe that the things that we learn about balance and about sharing and kinship and survival and dependence are not strictly Indigenous values … [Read more...]

Healing Words – Human Values

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I apologize for this blog entry, as it may seem political, but I have never been more ashamed in my life to live in the United States. This president, in 2024, came into office with only 31% of the 245 million citizens eligible to vote. That is 77 million votes for trump and 168 million voters who did NOT vote for his corrupt regime. I think of … [Read more...]

The Community Completes the Artist

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There are lots of reasons artists create their work…necessity (pay the bills), compulsion, yearning, expression, exploration, joy, invention, obligation….but many of us do our work alone. One of the beautiful things that happens when artists open up their studios to the outside world…is the interaction and exchange of ideas with friends, neighbors, … [Read more...]

Handwork: Celebrating American Craft 2026 – Weaving Nature

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Join us for an extraordinary celebration of American craft as BARN participates in Handwork: Celebrating American Craft 2026. This unprecedented week brings accomplished artists from our region and beyond for intensive workshops that will transform your creative practice. Handwork Week offers a unique opportunity to learn from nationally recognized … [Read more...]

Weaving Nature – Seasonal Gifts of Plants for Basketmaking

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It’s been a busy fall gathering many of the plants we’ll be using in this workshop. I’m grateful to Jennifer Hemmingsen at Bainbridge Artisans Resource Network for putting together this article. Please be sure to click on “Handwork: Weaving traditions, stewardship and place with Melinda West” to view this article and links to registration and the … [Read more...]

About Melinda

Forty years ago, while sitting on the beach playing with my young children, I made my first basket out of a pile of willow trimmings someone had tossed there. It looked wildly made like a crazy bird’s nest. While being together with my two sons on a beautiful Pacific Northwest shoreline, this simple experience of crafting with the natural materials at hand kindled a passion for creating forms using plant fibers. I thank my family, my community, and all my teachers for cultivating this gift in me.
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Melinda West and basket, Indianola WA