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May 19, 2015 < BACK
Maine Indian Basketry Exhibition 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM Maine Fiber Arts, 13 Main St. , Topsham, Maine

MAINE INDIAN BASKETRY EXHIBITION AT MAINE FIBERARTS

Exhibition: May 5 - June 30, 2015

Reception: May 24, 2-5 p.m.

Lecture: June 13, 1-3 p.m.

Workshop: June 20, 1-2 p.m.

“Maine Indian Basketry” is an exhibition on view now through June 30 at Maine Fiberarts, 13 Main Street, Topsham. The exhibition includes 78 baskets woven by over thirty Wabanaki basket makers that were lent from 12 different sources. A Reception and Art Conversation with Penobscot basket maker Theresa Secord will take place on Sunday, May 24, from 2-5 p.m. and the public is invited to attend to see these beautifully-crafted baskets.

The Wabanaki or “People of the Dawn” include members of the Penobscot, Passamaquoddy, Maliseet and Micmac tribes who hail from the Northern and Down East regions of Maine. They have a long standing tradition of weaving baskets prized for their utility and fine craftsmanship.

Since January, members of a curatorial committee have been gathering baskets for Maine Fiberarts’ show from the Abbe Museum in Bar Harbor, from Home & Away Gallery in Kennebunkport, from several private collectors, and from the artists themselves. Baskets include both historical and contemporary examples. While the materials used are mainly brown ash and sweetgrass, the techniques employed vary widely. Point baskets, curly baskets, handkerchief, alewife, button, sewing, and birch baskets are all on view. Baskets shaped like corn and radishes, stand next to work baskets with handles, and baskets that are eighteen-inches tall. The exhibition includes the work of David Moses Bridges, Pam Cunningham, George Neptune, Clara Keezer, Molly Neptune Parker, Jeremy Frey, Fred Tomah, Mary Sanipass, Theresa Secord, and Sarah Sockbeson, to name only a few.

Special programming to coincide with the exhibition will also take place. On Sunday, May 24, Theresa Secord, former Executive Director of the Maine Indian Basketmakers Alliance, will offer an Art Conversation at a Reception for the exhibition. Secord served as an advisor and lead curator to the project, along with Gretchen Faulkner of the Hudson Museum in Orono. On Saturday, June 13, Passamaquoddy basket maker George Neptune will offer a talk at Curtis Memorial Library in Brunswick from 1-3 p.m. on the topic of “Collecting Maine Baskets.” Finally, on Saturday, June 20, from 1-2 p.m., Theresa Secord will offer a hands-on workshop at Topsham Public Library entitled “Weaving an Ash and Sweetgrass Bookmark.” Admission to the workshop is free for the first twenty people who sign up by emailing: cyndi@topshamlibrary.org or by calling 207-725-1727. 

The Maine Indian Basketry Exhibition is sponsored by Bangor Savings Bank,  Maine Humanities Council, Maine Arts Commission, Maine Community Foundation and by several individuals who value this art form.

Since the year 2000, Maine Fiberarts has hosted exhibitions that change every two or three months. The statewide arts nonprofit currently hosts a free online Maine Fiberarts Tour—including a Resource Guide, News Bulletin, and Fiber Folio to promote Maine’s fiber community. Visit the group in Topsham Tuesday-Friday, 10-4, Saturday, 11-2, or online at www.mainefiberarts.org

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“Maine Indian Basketry” is an exhibition of over 75 baskets by the Wabanaki people of Maine now through June 30 at Maine Fiberarts, 13 Main Street, Topsham. Baskets include sewing, work, art, vegetable, handkerchief, historical and contemporary baskets and include a few that are for sale. The gallery is open Tuesday-Friday, 10-4 and Saturdays, 11-2. A reception, art conversation, lecture, and hands-on workshop will take place during May and June. Check www.mainefiberarts.org for details or call 207-721-0678.

 

 

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