Continued Artistry

AUGUST 1, 2023 – AUGUST 10, 2024

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Choctaw basket weaving is and important traditional artistry that has been practiced for centuries. Baskets were first created primarily for utilitarian use and came in a myriad of shapes and sizes to serve different functions. While production and common use has dwindles in the past century, native weavers continue the tradition, passing their skill to the next generation. Most contemporary Choctaw basket weavers are still based in Mississippi, though a few are based in Oklahoma.

Indigenous artisans of the southwest have practiced silversmithing and jewelry making since the mid-19th century. Spanish and Mexican people first taught Navajo artists the foundational skills that would later lead to their iconic artform. While initial Navajo designs were chunky pieces of silver with etched designs, the Navajo people soon began setting stones into the silver creating the style best known today.