| Folk Arts - Master Artist - Nettie Jackson
Nettie Jackson comes from a long line of basketmakers, learning the trade from her grandmother, Mattie Spencer Slockish, who made cedar and bear grass baskets. She also studied under Elsie Thomas, her mother-in-law, making baskets they took to the mountains to gather materials. After seven years of practice, Jackson mastered the basket weaving techniques used by previous generations of her family. Since then, she has worked diligently to revitalize Native traditions through her basketry. She has taught many classes over the years, bringing the art of basket-making to museums and fairs across the Northwest.
Jackson is among the most respected basketmakers in the Pacific Northwest. She is largely responsible for restoring the tradition of Klickitat basket-making and has written a book entitled The Heritage of Klickitat Basketry: A History and Art Preserved with her grandmother and mother-in-law. Her work has been acknowledged in a number of ways. She is featured in several publications and in the award-winning film "And Woman Wove It In a Basket." The Northwest Native American Basketweavers Association uses one of her baskets as its logo and, a highlight within her many honors, Jackson received a National Heritage Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts in 2000.
As a recipient of a 1992 Folk Arts Apprenticeship grant, Jackson taught Valerie Calac Klickitat basket weaving techniques. Valerie sought the apprenticeship because of her desire to pass the tradition of basket weaving on to her children.
In 1993, Jackson received Washington State's highest artistic honor, a Governor's Heritage Award for her accomplishments in preserving Klickitat traditions.
As a recipient of a 1994 Apprenticeship grant, Jackson continued to teach Valerie Calac, imparting advanced basket weaving and material dyeing techniques. That year Calac was both an apprentice and a master artist, teaching basket weaving to her own apprentice, Vicki Swan.
As the recipient of a 2001 Apprenticeship grant, Jackson taught Andrea Gibson to weave berry baskets and to gather and prepare cedar roots. At the time of this apprenticeship, Andrea had been weaving soft baskets for 20 years and wished master the weaving of berry baskets to teach this tradition to her two daughters.
In 2008, Jackson received a fourth Apprenticeship grant. For this apprenticeship, Jackson will teach Janice Whitefoot how to gather cedar root and beargrass and use those materials for Klickitat baskets. Whitefoot is an artist and art teacher, new to basket weaving, whose previous work includes graphic design and mural painting. | |||
