J.D. Potié
NORWAY BAY July 25, 2019
On July 25, a small group of Pontiac artisans gathered outside Centennial Hall in Norway Bay to take part in a hands-on basket weaving workshop with help . . .
from a local expert.
Hosted by Get Art member Michael Peterson, the workshop served as an opportunity for local art enthusiasts to learn how to make their own wooden woven contraptions out of natural or recycled material.
With various programs offered throughout the summer, this one involved the participants making a wooden tray out of various natural materials including grape vine, willow and rattan, a south-east Asian product used to make wicker chairs.
After softening a twig of grape vine and molding it into a circular shape, participants proceeded by weaving sticks of willow in between the wood and squeezing them tightly against one another.
Some of the wood required to be soaked in a bucket of water to become sufficiently malleable to weave through the vine.
While the process was the same for all artists involved, since the grape vine was naturally picked, each piece of wood had specific characteristics giving each project an original look when it was all over, Peterson said.
“Everybody makes a different one,” he said. “They’re not exact. They’re not kits.”
For Peterson, basket weaving is always an enjoyable activity as it provides a certain level of psychological benefit to participants and it’s also very practical for everyday use.
“It’s relaxing,” he said. “It’s creative. It’s functional. So, you end up with something that you can use.”
At the end of the workshop, everyone went home with their own original pieces of artwork.
