Alaska Native Basketry Stories with Jan Steinbright

As part of the Share Your Culture/Share Your Research Winter Series, guest speaker Jan Steinbright (non-Native) will give a presentation entitled “Out of Roots, Bark, Grass, and Baleen: Alaska Native Basketry Stories.” People may attend the event in-person at Sheldon Jackson Museum or on Zoom. To attend via Zoom, visit www.zoom.com and input meeting ID: 895 9116 4275 and passcode: Jan.

Steinbright shares this about her presentation:

“In my 40-some years living and working with Alaska Native artists, I have had the honor of getting to know some incredibly talented people. As an artist myself, I was particularly drawn to the practice of basketry, an art form I had been involved with since childhood. My job allowed me to gather materials and interact with Native basket makers as they went about their work. I also was privileged to organize workshops around the state and work on exhibits for museums on basketry. From these precious experiences, I have come away with many stories which I love to share.

Using a PowerPoint presentation, I will talk about the gathering and preparation of natural materials and the basket construction, and share some personal stories of these amazing people.”