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In the Spotlight
Mary Jackson - 2008 Winner of the MacArthur Fellowship
A quiet giant in the American
Basketry community has won a giant of a grant. Mary Jackson, Charleston
sweetgrass basketmaker was awarded the extremely prestigious
MacArthur Fellowship. The prize is awarded to talented
individuals who have shown extraordinary originality and dedication in their
creative pursuits and a marked capacity for self-direction. The unrestricted
$500,000.00 award is given without strings and is designed to provide seed
money for intellectual, social, and artistic endeavors.
Congratulations to Mary and thanks for bringing attention to the
creativity and artistry presently found in the field of fiber arts and
basketry.
Visit the following resources for more interviews, videos and news about
Mary's prize.
2008 MacArthur Fellowship Winner - Mary Jackson
Charleston Sweetgrass basketmaker wins the $500,000.00 genius award for her
lifetime of pushing the centuries-old craft of sweetgrass basketry in new and remarkable directions.
A heaping basketful of good fortune
The Post and Courier
25 Receive $500,000 ‘Genius’ Fellowships
New York Times
Threads of Genius
Charleston City Paper
Local Artist Receives Sweet Honor
ABC News Charleston. (includes video interview)
Tradition/Innovation:
American Masterpieces of Southern Craft and Traditional Art
This major endeavor includes a traveling gallery exhibition as well as an online presentation. The
extensive online presentation features artist interviews, podcasts,
visual galleries and national arts education standards based
learning materials.
Be prepared to stay a while if you visit the site.
The combination of contemporary craft and traditional art in this exhibit offers visitors the opportunity to explore the “threads” between two different approaches to creating artwork and also to compare the approaches of traditional and contemporary artists.
The concept of mastery and what makes a "master" artist is prominently
discussed.
Participating basketmakers include
Clay Burnette,
Herburt Jerome Dixon,
Yvonne Grovner,
Bessie Johnson,
Mary Jane Prater,
Henrietta Snype,
Billie Ruth Sudduth,
Leona Waddell and
Carol Welch.
Tradition/Innovation will tour to one museum in each of Southern
Arts Federation’s nine partner states in its first tour. Educational events
at the various locations will supplement the exhibit tour:
Tour dates confirmed as of January 2008 include:
June 7 - August, 23, 2008
Kentucky Museum of Art and Craft, Louisville, KY
October 2, 2008 - January 11, 2009
Knoxville Museum of Art, Knoxville, TN
February 27 - April 25, 2009
Pensacola Museum of Art, Pensacola, FL
May - July 2009
Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art, Winston-Salem, NC
September - October 2009
Sumter County Gallery of Art, Sumter, SC
January - April 2010 Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art, Auburn, AL
Dates TBA 2010
Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art, Biloxi, MS
Louisiana: TBA 2010
Basketry
Events
Basketry exhibitions, festivals, retreats, conferences, guild events, symposiums,
seminars and workshops. Who, what, where and when. Upcoming events and reviews of past
events of interest to basketmakers, hobbyist or professional. Call-to-entry opportunity
listings and BasketMakers
Events Calendar.
Google Basketry Events Calendar
(beta)
A consolidated calendar of
basketry events including museum, gallery and guild exhibits of baskets;
basketweaving conferences, conventions, master level basketry workshops,
classes, demonstrations, and instructional venues; lectures by and about
basketmakers or basket artists, major crafts shows, markets, festivals and sales
events featuring traditional and contemporary basketmaking, along with call to
entry opportunities for fiber artists and basketweavers. |
