Indigenous Arts: Basketmaking (Week 3)

Indigenous arts comprise a wide variety of art forms from varied original peoples from around the world. Mt. Pleasant is the home to the modern-day Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe and the ancestral lands of the Anishinabek people. This tie to the tribe affords our region a rich history of cultural traditions, as well as a variety of art forms. Art Reach presents a series of classes with the hope of widening our worldview and offering an avenue for sharing this cultural tradition. Anishinaabe artist and instructor Chyann Haas will cover the local history of basketmaking and guide you through the Anishinabek art form of coiled grass baskets. Utilizing long pine needles or dried grasses, students will be guided in creating a coiled basket from natural materials, formed around a base vessel of their choosing. Students will spend the 4 sessions of this course building up their form, and finish with decorative embellishments to make each project unique. Students will leave with a fully completed project and the skills to delve into more advanced baskets. All supplies are provided. This four-week course will be held weekly from 5:30-7:30 pm on Tuesday, September 15-October 6, in the Idonea Hersee Classroom at Art Reach, 111 E. Broadway in Mount Pleasant. Recommended age: 13 and up Please note: An active membership is not required to register. Active members receive a 15% discount on classes.