Willow artist opens workshops to the public
NORWICH – Bonnie Gale, local willow basketmaker/artist for the past 23 years, invites you to attend two Community Willow and Open House Days on Saturday, Oct. 7 and 14 from 12:30 - 5:30 p.m.
The aim of these two community days is to provide the community with an opportunity to receive an in-depth understanding and appreciation of the work of this local artist through interactive tours and demonstrations as well as the opportunity for hands-on experiences. Participants will be able to view the creative process first hand and see the willow from growing in a bed to the final basket and living willow installations. Tours and demonstrations and hands-on workshops will occur in the Norwich area. Last year, Gale held a very successful Willow Day and this year, it is being expanded into two Saturday afternoons in October.
The first community day, Oct. 7, will start with a tour of a local willow bed where basket willow is growing. There will be a discussion of planting and care of the bed and participants will have an opportunity to cut willow. This tour will be followed by a tour and demonstration at Gale’s studio. Afterwards, participants will have the opportunity to make the Danish Fruit basket with the fresh willow cut earlier.
The second community day, Oct. 14, will commence with tours of living willow structures built in the area. Participants will then have the opportunity to build a living willow fedge (fence/hedge). There will be a discussion of soil, varieties and maintenance. This second day will conclude with a discussion by Bonnie Gale of the economics and marketing of being a self-employed artist.
These community days are free and without charge. Participants can take either day or both of them. The project is made possible with public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, administered locally by the Chenango County Council of the Arts. Pre-registration is required by calling Gale at 336-9031 or E mail bonwillow@frontiernet.ne. Details and directions will be given at that time of registration.
Gale has been a professional traditional willow basketmaker for the past 23 years. A Kennedy Scholar with degrees from the University of Manchester and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, she has trained with professional European willow basketmakers. She is proprietor of “English Basketry Willows” (a small business selling imported European basketry willows, willow basketry books and tools) and founder of the “American Willow Growers Network” promoting the growing and exploration of the uses of willow. She teaches traditional willow basketry across the United States at major conventions and guilds. She writes extensively on traditional willow basketry and her articles have appeared in Early American Life magazine, Basket Bits, Basketry Express and assorted basketry publications. Her work been shown in major basketry exhibitions and she is the recipient of numerous awards. In 1999, she was awarded an Artist’s Fellowship from the New York Foundation for the Arts. In 2001, she was rostered with the Pennsylvania Council of the Arts for the Artist-in-Education program and in 2002, was accepted as a Master Basketmaker in the Apprenticeship Program. In 2004, her large willow baskets were featured on the film set of the PBS WGBH-Boston series “Colonial House.” In 2005, her willow business was featured in the book “The Adventurous Gardener: Where to Buy the Best plants in New York and New Jersey” by Ruah Donnelly (The Horticultural Press). In March 2006, her latest and most ambitious living willow installation was featured in House and Garden magazine.
The aim of these two community days is to provide the community with an opportunity to receive an in-depth understanding and appreciation of the work of this local artist through interactive tours and demonstrations as well as the opportunity for hands-on experiences. Participants will be able to view the creative process first hand and see the willow from growing in a bed to the final basket and living willow installations. Tours and demonstrations and hands-on workshops will occur in the Norwich area. Last year, Gale held a very successful Willow Day and this year, it is being expanded into two Saturday afternoons in October.
The first community day, Oct. 7, will start with a tour of a local willow bed where basket willow is growing. There will be a discussion of planting and care of the bed and participants will have an opportunity to cut willow. This tour will be followed by a tour and demonstration at Gale’s studio. Afterwards, participants will have the opportunity to make the Danish Fruit basket with the fresh willow cut earlier.
The second community day, Oct. 14, will commence with tours of living willow structures built in the area. Participants will then have the opportunity to build a living willow fedge (fence/hedge). There will be a discussion of soil, varieties and maintenance. This second day will conclude with a discussion by Bonnie Gale of the economics and marketing of being a self-employed artist.
These community days are free and without charge. Participants can take either day or both of them. The project is made possible with public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, administered locally by the Chenango County Council of the Arts. Pre-registration is required by calling Gale at 336-9031 or E mail bonwillow@frontiernet.ne. Details and directions will be given at that time of registration.
Gale has been a professional traditional willow basketmaker for the past 23 years. A Kennedy Scholar with degrees from the University of Manchester and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, she has trained with professional European willow basketmakers. She is proprietor of “English Basketry Willows” (a small business selling imported European basketry willows, willow basketry books and tools) and founder of the “American Willow Growers Network” promoting the growing and exploration of the uses of willow. She teaches traditional willow basketry across the United States at major conventions and guilds. She writes extensively on traditional willow basketry and her articles have appeared in Early American Life magazine, Basket Bits, Basketry Express and assorted basketry publications. Her work been shown in major basketry exhibitions and she is the recipient of numerous awards. In 1999, she was awarded an Artist’s Fellowship from the New York Foundation for the Arts. In 2001, she was rostered with the Pennsylvania Council of the Arts for the Artist-in-Education program and in 2002, was accepted as a Master Basketmaker in the Apprenticeship Program. In 2004, her large willow baskets were featured on the film set of the PBS WGBH-Boston series “Colonial House.” In 2005, her willow business was featured in the book “The Adventurous Gardener: Where to Buy the Best plants in New York and New Jersey” by Ruah Donnelly (The Horticultural Press). In March 2006, her latest and most ambitious living willow installation was featured in House and Garden magazine.
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