Native Art

Cahuilla Basketry

18+

Indigenous people in California have a long legacy of producing baskets of great diversity and beauty. Baskets hold a utilitarian purpose and are beautifully woven celebrations of expression, culture, and kinship. In this workshop, you will learn about the highly regarded and exquisite work of Cahuilla Basketry from Cahuilla basketmaker Rose Ann Hamilton. Over the last three decades, the Cahuilla people have experienced a revival in basket making as an art form and form of personal expression. Utilizing traditional methods, you will learn to create a Cahuilla-style coiled basket using yucca, Juncus, and Deer Grass.

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Overview

This workshop includes a field trip to the Cahuilla Indian reservation where you will learn to gather basket making materials with Rose Ann. Gathering is a skilled task that requires careful thought and attention to gather while not disturbing a precious ecosystem. This unique opportunity will allow you to gather the materials needed to create your basket.

At the end of this workshop you should be able to complete a small (3 in diameter), woven basketry plaque.

Additional Information

Roseann Hamilton (Cahuilla, Apapatkiktem clan) first learned from renowned Cahuilla basket-weaver Donna Largo at Idyllwild Arts in 1993. She has taught Cahuilla basket classes and presented at Cahuilla, Santa Rosa, Ramona, Agua Caliente, Los Coyotes, Santa Ysabel, San Manuel, and Morongo Indian Reservations, as well as the Riverside Metropolitan Museum, Autry Museum, Agua Caliente Museum, the Heard Museum and San Manuel conferences at CSUSB, and Crafton Hills College. She has participated in cultural gatherings at Los Coyotes, Santa Ysabel, and Soboba reservations. Her inspiration and passion for the art of basket weaving came from her grandmother, Rosanda Apapas Hopkins Tortez Lugo, and great-grandmother, Antonia Casero, Cahuilla master weavers.

Optional:
Small portable lamp (clamp is best)
Seat cushion

For Field Trip:
Gardening gloves, long sleeved shirt, Jeans/pants, closed-toe walking shoes
Sunscreen, Hat

Each day, your workshop starts at 9 am. Lunch is served from 12 pm to 1 pm. Workshops all recommence at 1 pm and wrap up at 4 pm. Dinner is served from 5 pm to 7 pm.
NOTE: Some instructors allow for after-hour work sessions. If the instructor(s) is/are willing and present in the classroom, you can work on your pieces after 4 pm

1) Native American Community Members, Leaders, Artists, and Teachers

For adults 18 and older with current tribal affiliation, the scholarship brings community leaders, artists, members, and teachers to workshops at Idyllwild Arts to benefit both the scholarship recipient and those in their schools or tribal communities. Applicants with financial needs may receive priority. We also offer scholarships for Native American Teens for both the Summer Program and the Academy.

Click here for more information about adult scholarships.

Your field trip to the Cahuilla Indian Reservation to learn about basketry gathering practices includes a boxed lunch, beverages and bottle water.

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