LEWISBURG (WVDN) – Carnegie Hall’s January, February and March exhibits are underway with three galleries featuring the works of regional artists. The Auditorium Lobby Gallery features basket weaver Kathy Talley’s exhibit, “Appalachian Baskets.”
“Appalachian Baskets” features a beautifully curated collection of historical white oak baskets and an in-depth look at the process, tools and history of basket weaving in Appalachia. In addition to her own functional, heirloom designs that are available for purchase, visitors may enjoy viewing the varying styles and designs in the historical exhibit, including a Shaker style basket, a double deer horn handled basket and a Nantucket-style basket.
Talley is a basket weaver and former home economics instructor for public schools. She has over 25 years’ experience and is a member of the West Virginia Basket Makers Association. She has taken numerous classes, including workshops at the West Virginia Basket Makers Association Conference, Tidewater Virginia Guild Conference, Huntington Museum of Art’s White Oak Basket Weaving Class and Cedar Lakes Arts and Craft programs.
Currently, Talley teaches a regular basket weaving program for Honea Path Arts Center in South Carolina. She also teaches classes at Carnegie Hall for its Kids’ College and Carnegie Classroom programs, where students learn about the process of making baskets from scratch — starting with a whole tree and then creating their own hand-woven trivet.
Talley works consistently to improve her weaving skills by trying new patterns, researching designs on the internet and perusing other organizations’ and guilds’ newsletters. She also donates her skills and artwork for fundraising efforts to local nonprofits.
“I believe preserving the significance of basket weaving in the Appalachian culture is important,” states Talley. “We honor our history and culture that our ancestors brought to this area. It was a skill passed from generation to generation, providing a utilitarian and creative expression of art, one I hope will continue.”
“Appalachian Baskets” is free and open to the public, Monday through Friday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., and runs through March 31.
