Baskets interlace roles of art, utility

When baskets are conceived by creative imaginations and shaped by talented hands, they rise into the realm of art. Whether made as art objects to delight the eye, to hold laundry, tote one’s knitting or carry food to a summer picnic, these creations elicit from us an always favorable response. Baskets are among the most treasured items we make by hand.

Those who love baskets have a treat in store according to information that recently found its way to my desk. Here’s the scoop:

An exhibit of baskets from around the world, both utilitarian and art objects, will be on display in University of Southern Maine’s art gallery on the Gorham campus from Thursday, Jan. 27, through Saturday March 12. The exhibit is curated by basket artist, educator and curator Carol Grant Hart of Salisbury, Conn., and art gallery director Carolyn Eyler.

An opening reception for the exhibit will be held 4-7 p.m. Jan. 27 at the gallery. Hart will give a talk at 6 p.m. Many of the baskets are from Hart’s own collection, and others are on loan from individual artists and browngrotta arts, an agency that promotes contemporary fiber artists.

The exhibit features four basic basket-making techniques: plaiting, twining, wicker and coiling. The baskets demonstrate a variety of motivations for their creation, ranging from economic survival and the preservation of cultural traditions to basket making as an art form. The baskets in Hart’s collection come from the Americas, China, Southeast Asia, the Pacific Islands, the British Isles, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and India.

The exhibit includes a selection of Maine baskets with pieces by Theresa Secord, a 1981 graduate of USM, and others from the Maine Indian Basketmakers Alliance, and by Stephan Zeh.

Contemporary basketry art is represented by Maine artist Lissa Hunter and other American artists Jonathan Kline, Nancy Moore Bess, Judy Mulford, Dorothy Gill Barnes, Karyl Sisson and Gy?ngy Laky. International artists include Anda Klancic, Slovenia; Jiro Yonezawa and Norie Hatakeyama, Japan; Dawn MacNutt, Canada; and Markku Kosonen, Finland.

The exhibit will conclude with a daylong symposium on Saturday, March 12, with events occurring in the art gallery and Bailey Hall in Gorham. During the day there will be basket sales and demonstrations from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. during which American Indian food will be available for sale in Bailey Hall.

Hart will give a tour of the art gallery exhibit from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. The symposium continues 2-4 p.m. with speakers artist Lissa Hunter; Theresa Secord; Nathan Hamilton, basket collector and USM anthropology professor; and Tom Grotta of browngrotta arts. A reception will follow in the art gallery from 4 to 5 p.m.

The gallery is open 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesday-Friday and 1-4 p.m. Saturday. It will be closed for school break, Feb. 22-26. For more information, call Carolyn Eyler, gallery director, at 780-5008.

Snippets

. The Castine Arts Association will hold its second annual Fiber Day from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 22, at Emerson Hall, Court Street. This year’s event will offer more demonstrations and vendors selling materials for various crafts.

Demonstrations and hands-on participation will include spinning, weaving, felt making, knitting, hooked rugs, painted floor cloths, cross stitch, crewel embroidery, needlepoint, paper making, sewing, tailoring and quilting.

There is no charge to attend Fiber Day. For more details, e-mail Victoria Sheridan, at info@castineframeworks.com.

. Brooklin area fiber artists will be featured during January at Friend Memorial Library in Brooklin. Two knitters, a weaver, a tapestry weaver, a quilter, a rug hooker, a knitter-felter, a cross-stitcher and a papermaker have work on display. To learn more about the exhibit, or to obtain library hours, call 359-2276.

. A reader called to say that possum fiber yarns, the subject of last week’s column, are available at Blue Hill Yarn Shop.

Ardeana Hamlin can be reached at 990-8153, or e-mail ahamlin@bangordailynews.net.