Black Ash Basket Weaving Workshop with Kelly Church

Join Woven Being collaborating artist Kelly Church (Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish Tribe of Pottawatomi/Ottawa) for a hands-on workshop on black ash basket weaving, a practice that is central to artworks and themes explored in exhibition . This workshop will be held in Chicago at the Center for Native Futures (56 West Adams Street, Suite 102, Chicago, IL 60603).

Each participant will make a black ash basket with materials Kelly and her family prepare from a black ash log they have harvested. Each basket will begin with an 8-splint round traditional bottom, and embellishments will be added at the end of building a basket. Kelly will share about black ash teachings and the impact of the emerald ash borer.

Workshops are offered free of charge for registered participants, and will include all materials, guided instruction, and a light meal. Validated parking also provided.

Programs are open to all, on a first-come, first-served basis. Please note that space for this program is extremely limited and advance registration is required for each workshop. Each registrant is able to reserve 1 ticket. Workshops will be listed as sold out when capacity is reached. We will then take a waitlist and confirm in advance if any spots open.

Co-presented with the .

On April 16, Kelly Church will also be facilitating a workshop on birchbark biting at the Block Museum of Art (40 Arts Circle Drive, Evanston, IL 60208).

Kelly Church (Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish Tribe of Pottawatomi/Ottawa, born 1967) comes from an unbroken lineage of black ash basket makers. She is a fiber artist, educator, activist, and culture keeper. She learned black ash basketry from her father, Bill Church, and cousin, John Pigeon. 

Host or Publisher The Block Museum of Art