Melinda West | West Gardens Basketry

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

Salmon Return Festival Sept 7, 2013

By

For more information:  https://www.seattleartmuseum.org/calendar/eventDetail.asp?eventID=26281

I hope you can come to the upcming Salmon Return Festival, a Fall-FamilyFriendly-Free-Fun-Festival at Olympic Sculpture Park in Seattle Washington, Saturday September 7, 2013, from 10 to 3 pm.

Amoung many other fun free things to do and see at this celebration, I’ll be offering a Weaving Cattail Salmon activity for Salmon Helpers of all ages! You can weave your own salmon, making it into a necklace or wall hanging, while learning how people, plants and salmon are connected to each other. Saturday, September 7, 2013, from noon to 3 pm.

Cattail "Salmon" woven in a style typical of Pacific Rim Peoples


Salmon Necklace woven with copper, cattail, and recycled junk mail
Earrings made with Western red cedar inner bark

 

Salmon Diversity 2008

About Melinda

Thirty 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. The experience of weaving with the materials at hand while being together with my sons on a beautiful Pacific Northwest shoreline, kindled a passion for creating art from natural plant materials. I thank my family, my community, and all my teachers for cultivating this gift in me.
Read More
Melinda West and basket, Indianola WA