New and Old Baskets at the Clarke!

Twined utility basket, unknown Hupa weaver, early 1900's, Clarke Collection.

The Native American collections at the Clarke are more than a beautiful collection to view while visiting. We have hosted weavers and regalia makers over the years to go through the collections to gain insight on ways of making and inspiration for the creation or repair of newer basketry and regalia items.

Denna Dodds, a Karuk tribal member and 2014 & 2017 recipient of the Victor Thomas Jacoby Award, visited the Clarke Collections in the Fall of 2018 to assist with finishing a large open weave utility basket with handles.

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She was excited to look at handles on larger storage baskets, as well as other connection points such as handles on baby baskets and other pack baskets. Denna was looking at how the handles were wrapped, how they connected to the structure of the basket. There is no right or wrong way for basket handles to connect, some are made up of the hazel sticks that made the body and curl back down to meet the rim of the basket. Others are woven separately and connected when the rim is wrapped in spruce root. 

She chose a synthesis of different handles that were pulled from storage to examine in the end. Resulting in this beautifully woven hazel and spruce root handled utility basket. Denna generously chose to loan us her set of newly made baskets including an open weave tray and spoon basket.

Her baskets are displayed alongside a selection of other utilitarian baskets that were used to research handles. What is most striking is the brightness of the newly harvested and woven hazel sticks on Denna's basket compared to another handled utility basket from before 1900. 
 
We are honored to be able to show Denna's new baskets  alongside the older ones from the collection showcasing an unbroken tradition of weaving here in Humboldt County. 

Storage Basket woven by Denna Dodds (Karuk), 2018, photo courtesy of Denna Dodds

Denna Dodds and Theresa Surbaugh will be doing a weaving demonstration and answering questions all through Arts Alive. Come join us Saturday April 6th 6pm-9pm at the Clarke!