Melinda West | West Gardens Basketry

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

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UW Society of Ethnobiology

May 30, 2015 By Melinda

It was a beautiful day for the outdoor workshop 'Weaving With Invasives' held in the lovely Medicinal Herb Garden on Seattle's UW campus.  I'm grateful to the UW Society of Ethnobiolgy which hosted this event, and especially to Alex Harwell and Ashley Blazina. Along with organizing this event they made sure we had plenty of English ivy and Reed … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Students, Weaving from the Wild, Workshops Tagged With: English ivy, ethnobiology, ethnobotany, ivy, Small Plant Fiber Projects, spring, students, UW Society of Ethnobiology, Weaving with invasives

Weaving With Invasives

May 25, 2015 By Melinda

I’ll be teaching a free workshop in Seattle this Friday. Registration is required.<img class="alignnone size-large wp-image-3471" src="https://www.melindawest.com/mwwp/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/image27-545x674.jpg" alt="image" width="545" height="674" … [Read more...]

Filed Under: News, Weaving from the Wild, Workshops Tagged With: English ivy, ethnobotany, ivy, Seattle, Small Plant Fiber Projects, UW campus, UW Society of Ethnobiology, Weaving with invasives

IslandWood Artist in Residence

March 25, 2015 By Melinda

  IslandWood is an environmental learning center located on Bainbridge Island. For most students it is a westward trip from Seattle across the water on a Washington State Ferry. One of the highlights of my year, aside from spending time with my own grandkids, is being able to share the passion I have for weaving with plant-fibers with … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Students, Weaving Nature, Workshops Tagged With: AIR, cedar bark mat wall hanging, cedar inner bark, Dearborn Park International School, Dunlap Elementary, IslandWood Artist in Residence, Small Plant Fiber Projects, students, weaving with cedar bark, Weaving With Western Red Cedar, Wellington Elementary, Western red cedar

Indigenous Beauty Exhibit at SAM

March 5, 2015 By Melinda

Anyone interested in the high art forms of our North American Indigenous Peoples will appreciate this rare exhibit of the Diker Collection at the Seattle Art Museum (SAM). In conjunction with this exhibit, on February 28, SAM brought in professional storytellers, dancers and musicians from many native communities who shared throughout the day; … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Students, Weaving Nature, Workshops Tagged With: all ages community day, drop by art making, Nature Necklaces, SAM, Seattle Art Museum, Small Plant Fiber Projects, students, weaving projects table

Seattle Art Museum-Feb 28, 2015

February 14, 2015 By Melinda

Project examples by Melinda West

I'll be bringing in some of nature's winter gifts for a kid-friendly hands-on experience at the Seattle Art Museum, on Community Day, Feb 28, 2015.  I'll be there from 10 til 3.  There will be wonderful story-telling and dancing to celebrate the Indigenous Beauty exhibit. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Students, Weaving Nature, Workshops Tagged With: Indigenous Beauty, Nature necklace, SAM, Seattle Art Museum, Seattle Art Museum Community Day, Small Plant Fiber Projects, The Diker Collection, weaving projects table

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Recent Posts

  • Spring – It’s on the Way
  • Water Is Life – A Song Worth Hearing
  • Suquamish Elder Ed Carriere is a 2023 National Heritage Fellow
  • Our Sacred Obligation – A Story Worth Spreading
  • Basketry Program at BARN-Bainbridge Artisans Resource Network

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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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