Sarah Sockbeson: In and Beyond the Basket Woods
Sarah Sockbeson (Penobscot), Small urchin, black and brown, with points, black ash, sweetgrass, antler, dye, 3 3/4 x 4 x 4 inches. Gift of Barbara M. Goodbody, 2021.19.13a,b
Penobscot artist Theresa Secord has described the forests that blanket the Land of the Dawn (a vast region encompassing Maine and the Canadian Maritimes) as “the basket woods.” [1] Her words are a testament to the centrality of brown ash in Wabanaki basketmaking traditions. The tree’s strong and flexible splints, often interwoven with fragrant strands of sweetgrass, has offered Maliseet, Mi’kmaq (Micmac), Passamaquoddy, Penobscot, and Abenaki basketmakers vibrant material for their creative practice.
Like Secord, Sarah Sockbeson is a Penobscot weaver who draws from traditional knowledge in her basketmaking. In her words, “A day never goes by that I am not mindful of my ancestors and their efforts to protect and preserve our traditions. It’s what has afforded me the opportunity to practice a traditional art and do what I love for a living.” [2] Sockbeson first apprenticed with Jennifer Sapiel Neptune in 2004, building a prolific and celebrated oeuvre of intricate “fancy baskets” from that point on.
Basketmaking has played a foundational role in the economic, cultural, and spiritual life of Wabanaki communities, while more recently witnessing extensive revitalization by contemporary basketmakers of the Maine Indian Basketmakers Alliance (MIBA), a nonprofit organization that Secord helped found in 1993. Fancy baskets differ from utilitarian baskets (like the pack and potato baskets), bearing more elaborate ornamentation and vivid colors and woven in more complex patterns of split ash strips and braided sweetgrass. These works range in size, shape, and purpose—from sewing baskets to glove boxes—and are crafted in an abundance of creative forms, including acorns, strawberries, pineapples, hats, and sea urchins.
Sockbeson is known for her tightly woven and beautifully dyed works that frequently feature delicate deer antler handles, as seen in this remarkable recent gift of an urchin-shaped basket to the Portland Museum of Art from Barbara M. Goodbody. The incorporation of deer antler, which Sockbeson cuts, carves, and polishes herself, has emerged as a kind of signature—her personal inflection to a practice that both upholds and updates established techniques.
This important nexus of tradition and innovation is one that continues to inspire Sockbeson’s practice as she endeavors to expand the possibilities for Wabanaki basketry: "In order for the tradition to survive, it must evolve. I see it as vitally important to acknowledge the traditions of the past and to honor my ancestors that have practiced the art of basketry long before I was alive.” [3] With the emergence of the Emerald Ash Borer, an invasive species of beetle that is decimating ash trees in North America, Sockbeson has begun to experiment with possible alternatives to ash fiber, utilizing what might otherwise be discarded: vinyl strappings, plastic bottles, and broken iPhone charger cords, all reclaimed for a more sustainable, resourceful purpose.
As a 2021-22 Lunder Institute Senior Fellow and 2020 Kindling Fund Grantee, Sockbeson is currently working to meld these new materials not only to existing basket molds, but also woven light fixtures and wearable art. “Conceptualizing new and innovative ideas and approaching my work from new angles is really what feels most fulfilling to me,” the artist has emphasized. Yet, as she also explains, “That doesn’t diminish my love and appreciation of Ash and sweetgrass of course, as they are both irreplaceable and sacred culturally.” [4] Working within and beyond the basket woods, Sockbeson’s work offers insight into Wabanaki basketry as a manifold, ever-evolving art form. —Ramey Mize, Assistant Curator of American Art
[1] Quoted in Kathleen Mundell, “Committed to Memory,” Wíwənikan…the beauty we carry (Waterville, ME: Colby College Museum of Art, 2018), n.p.
[2] Ibid., n.p.
[3] Quoted in “Sarah Sockbeson Named a 2021-22 Lunder Institute Senior Fellow ad Alfonso Ossorio Foundation Creative Production Grant Recipient,” Lunder Institute for American Art, https://lunderinstitute.colby.edu/2021/12/09/sarah-sockbeson-named-a-2021-22-lunder-institute-senior-fellow/.
[4] Julia Whyel, “Interview with 2020 Kindling Fund Grantee Sarah Sockbeson,” SPACE Gallery, https://space538.org/reader/interview-with-2020-kindling-fund-grantee-sarah-sockbeson/.