White Oak–Tree to Basket

White oak and maple have been used for making baskets for hundreds of years in our region. Learn how to turn a log into ready-to-use weaving materials using various hand tools, then weave a simple basket with your hard-earned materials. This process is physically demanding and will require good hand strength and determination! Previous basket weaving or woodworking skills are helpful but not necessary. All levels welcome. $

$100

Billy Ray Sims has been a white oak basket maker for 20 years with work in the Smithsonian and other museums and collections. He has taught traditional basketry for the past 10 years.

Micah Wiles is a farmer and craftsperson living in Kentucky in the foothills of the Appalachian mountains. He has been weaving baskets for over 12 years, focusing on white oak basket making. His craft practice is place-based and involves connecting with the land, utilizing local materials in the landscape around him. He has studied traditional Kentucky and Tennessee baskets and traveled internationally, learning from basket makers in Romania, Ireland, and England. Passing on knowledge and keeping traditional skills alive is important to Micah, and he teaches classes on his farm and at craft schools throughout the region.