| Folk Arts - Master Artist - Barbara MarksA member of the Swinomish Tribal Community, Barbara Marks practices the traditional art of Salish weaving. Mrs. Marks grew up working wool alongside her mother, Mabel Dan, who knitted Cowichian sweaters and also practiced cedar bark weaving and tumpline weaving. As a young child, she learned to card, tease, and wash wool; by age twelve, she could spin wool. Although she has knitted Cowichian sweaters all her life, Mrs. Marks is best known for her weaving and blanket making. She has shown her work both locally and at the international Expo fair in Vancouver, B.C., and has won several awards. In 1985-86, her weaving was featured in an exhibit titled, "Hands of Our Ancestors: The Revival of Salish Weaving at Musqueam" at the University of British Columbia Museum of Anthropology. During the exhibit, Mrs. Marks participated in weaving and spinning demonstrations. Today she continues her efforts to revive the Salish weaving tradition.
As a recipient of a 1994 Apprenticeship grant Marks taught Lona Wilbur weaving in the Salish style. Lona is a younger member of the Swinomish Tribal Community. |