Basketry is one of the oldest art forms in the world and was traditionally a utilitarian skill. Baskets were used for gathering food or supplies, and on the pacific northwest coast, we even used baskets to cook with inside a bentwood box.
In Metlakatla, twined cedarbark basketry was the only art allowed to continue when our people settled on Annette Island in 1887 because baskets could be sold in the village store. Because of our history, the influence of our neighbors, and the materials readily available to us, a unique art form was born and that’s the style Kandi weaves today.
The Annette Island weaving style incorporates false embroidery designs using three materials: red cedar bark, maidenhair fern, and canary grass. While she prefers the natural look of the materials, Kandi also incorporates modern dyes into her work.
Not only has Kandi embraced the unique style of false embroidery, but she has developed a loving appreciation for the versatility of plaiting. Turning ancestry into artistry, Kandi's work includes, but is not limited to: Twined and plaited cedar hats, gathering baskets, mats, rope, embroidered bottles, vases & baskets and grad caps.
Most of her work is by commission, but you can also find a few pieces on the Stonington Gallery website here: https://stoningtongallery.com/artist/kandi-mcgilton/
If you'd like to commission work from Kandi, please head over to the Contact Page.
Red cedar bark twined basketry is a distinctive Tsimshian art form. With the passing on of elder master artists and the demands of contemporary lifestyles, it became at risk. A handful of weavers today are working to master and revitalize twined cedarbark basketry, reconnecting with a proud heritage. In 2016, the Arctic Studies Center collaborated with The Haayk Foundation of Metlakatla to document the materials and techniques of cedarbark basketry. The project included a harvesting and processing workshop and a weaving workshop in Metlakatla, and a residency at the Arctic Studies Center in Anchorage where artists studied baskets from museum and private collections, practiced and refined weaving techniques, and taught museum visitors and school children about basketry.
Teaching was led by Haida master weaver Delores Churchill, who learned from master Tsimshian weaver Flora Mather, with assistance from her daughter Holly Churchill, an accomplished weaver. In addition to Metlakatla students, three advanced Tsimshian weavers participated in the project, sharing techniques learned in their families and communities and learning new ones: Kandi McGilton (co-founder of The Haayk Foundation), Karla Booth (granddaughter of Tsimshian master weaver Violet Booth) and Annette Topham (niece of master Tsimshian weaver Lillian Buchert). Metlakatla elder Sarah Booth, a fluent speaker of Sm’algyax (Ts’msyen), assisted Kandi McGilton in documenting indigenous basketry terminology for use in language classes.
The videos presented here, with footage from the workshops and residency, provide instruction on how to harvest and process materials and on how to weave a basket from start to finish. To learn more about Tsimshian culture, please visit the website Sharing Knowledge at http://alaska.si.edu, where you will find information about all Alaska Native cultures and educational materials in the Resources section.
We use cookies to analyze website traffic and optimize your website experience. By accepting our use of cookies, your data will be aggregated with all other user data.