Events
Class Basket Show & Tell
Wednesday evening, join in a casual gathering to show off finished and unfinished class baskets from the first part of the WG week. There will also be plenty of time for discussing all things willow, which inevitably happens when we are together!
Wednesday, June 24th 7:30-9PM
Shirley Baker Commons
Explore Decorah Day
Friday, June 26th of the Willow Gathering will be a day off from classes. This will be a day to relax, finish up some weaving, tell some stories, and explore the area in and around Decorah. This community is blessed with a beautiful mix of parks and trails, museums and shopping, as well as a variety of excellent restaurants and micro-breweries/wineries.
For more information about Decorah, visit www.visitdecorah.com
Presentation
Basket Making Traditions of the Kentucky Mammoth Cave Region
Beth Hester, Presenter
Friday, June 26th 7:30PM
Shirley Baker Commons
From the immigration of Scotch-Irish and Germans in the early 1800s, to the crafts revival in the 1980s, white oak baskets have been a part of the culture of south-central Kentucky. Settlers brought with them the basket making knowledge and traditions of split wood and willow baskets from their European ancestors, which we still see today in Germany, Scotland, and Ireland as well as other countries across Europe.
Traditions of white oak, mostly in the form of rib baskets, and baskets made of willow and honeysuckle continue to be part of basket making in Kentucky today. Beth Hester will present this rich heritage through stories, history and sharing of baskets from her collection.
