Roots in the Rushes: African American Basketry of the Lowcountry
This grant will support a planned exhibition at the Telfair Museums in Savannah, GA that will focus on the bulrush basket craft tradition historically practiced by communities of enslaved individuals from West Africa that blended features of their heritage with European American cultural traits and eventually became known as the Gullah Geechee. The exhibition will explore the intricate history of this type of basketmaking in the region. Related programming will help contemporary audiences connect with this important and often overlooked craft tradition, including highlighting the artists who are preserving this art form today.