Carol Emarthle Douglas

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TRIBAL AFFILIATION: Northern Arapaho - Seminole Nation of Oklahoma

MEDIUM: Basketry - Other, Painting/Illustration

ARTIST STATEMENT
My inspiration is taken from my Northern Arapaho and Seminole heritage. I have based some of my designs on the Plains style beadwork, ledger art, and parfleche designs from my mother’s tribe. My father is from the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma, and I also incorporate the colors and patterns of Seminole patchwork into my baskets. I am fortunate to have such a rich heritage to draw upon to inspire my work.

I prefer contemporary materials to produce my baskets. I use hemp twine and waxed linen thread for large baskets and use round reed, raffia palm fiber, along with silk threads to create my miniature baskets and jewelry pieces. I utilize both natural and contemporary materials and experiment often to see what will work together to get the result that I want to achieve. The technique I use is the traditional single stitch coiling method and also the figure eight stitch, as those are some of the oldest methods used in basketry.

 

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Cliff Fragua

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TRIBAL AFFILIATION: Jemez Pueblo

MEDIUM: Sculpture

ARTIST STATEMENT
I have learned the secret of the stone through my cultural and ancestral teachings. Based in Native American themes, my work shows pride for the Pueblo culture and a deep understanding of the inherent spirituality of the stone. I have chosen stone as my medium of expression because it is a combination of the basic elements of the earth. I feel the honesty and purity of this most basic of material permits me to express myself from the heart and to express the spirit that Native people respect an revere as embodied in the stone.

Since 1974, when I created my first stone sculpture, I have created a significant body of work that keeps evolving with new influences and new interests. My sculptures are featured in such public locations as the National Statuary Hall in the Nation's CapitolAlbuquerque International Airport and in permanent collections throughout the country. I have been included in major invitational exhibitions and one-man shows in leading museums and galleries and has earned highest honors and awards for his sculptures.

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Gabriel Frey

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TRIBAL AFFILIATION: Passamaquoddy

MEDIUM: Basketry - Ash

ARTIST STATEMENT
I am a Passamaquoddy brown ash basketmaker, specializing in utility baskets such as pack basket, market baskets, and purses. I weave each basket solely with brown ash and handcraft leather straps for each. My artistic process includes locating and harvesting basket quality brown ash trees from the woods, processing brown ash logs, and weaving brown ash materials into basket forms. The majority of my tools such as basket molds, gauges, and my shave horse are adaptations of traditional designs. Maintaining the traditional knowledge of Wabanaki basketmakers is an important aspect of my artistic process.

My art is an expression of my worldview.  I am inspired by the natural world and the transformation of a living tree into a functional basket. My baskets are a connection to my past, present, and future, interwoven to create functional pieces of art. When I examine a basket, the basketmaker’s choices in weave and design become evident.  Seeing these choices is like holding a conversation with that basketmaker through time.  As I carve my own creative path in the basketmaking community, I work towards perfecting the function and form of the traditional baskets while evolving each basket to reflect my personal style.  My goal in basketmaking is to produce useable, functional baskets for daily use.  I want a person who buys my basket to use, feel, and experience Wabanaki culture every day.

 

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