Eric Otter Bacon

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TRIBAL AFFILIATION: Passamaquoddy

MEDIUM: Basketry, Woodwork

ARTIST STATEMENT
As a young child, my mother mentioned that I constantly created hand-drawn copies of sneakers and boots, particularly focusing on the tread patterns.

Woodworking and basket making soon followed at around age five or so, influenced by several family members, including my maternal grandfather, a Grand Lake wood strip canoe builder, my father, a wood and bone/antler carver, and my uncle who steam bent wood into dog sleds. I also was inspired by many basket makers on the reservation. 

At the age of 16, I started working with Loyd Owle, a renowned Cherokee artist at the Unity Youth Treatment Center in North Carolina. I learned leatherwork, stone carving, and other Native arts. While receiving treatment there, I discovered the value of life, and it was where my first pieces of Native art were sold.

For many years, I pursued a tattoo apprenticeship, focusing my artwork on the industry. I also conducted extensive research on indigenous patterns and designs from around the world.

In 2004, I started making baskets professionally. And during my first decade, I began participating in and winning art competitions at various Native art markets. My work was also featured in the collections of major museums across the country. 

During this period, I collaborated closely with birch bark canoe builders David Moses Bridges and Steve Cayard, constructing five different bark canoes with various Native communities to acquire and exchange knowledge of traditional canoe construction and material gathering/preparation.

In the future, I want to keep sharing and teaching the traditional arts knowledge I've gained. My goal is to inspire others to find value and hope within themselves so they have the tools to lead a positive and meaningful life.  

 
 
 

Gabriel Frey

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TRIBAL AFFILIATION: Passamaquoddy

MEDIUM: Basketry - Ash

ARTIST STATEMENT
Gabriel Frey is a Passamaquoddy artist whose family has been making traditional black ash baskets for generations. He specializes in utility baskets, such as pack baskets, market baskets, and purses. Frey weaves each basket solely with black ash and handcrafted leather features such as straps, lids, and liners for each basket. Gabriel’s artistic process includes locating and harvesting basket-quality black ash trees from the woods, processing black ash logs, and weaving black ash materials into basket forms. Each piece has an element of carving. Frey carves the hoops, handle, and wooden pins to fasten leather straps. Many of his tools, such as basket molds, gauges, and shave horse adaptations of traditional designs. 

Maintaining the traditional knowledge of Wabanaki basket makers is an important aspect of his artistic process. 

Gabriel’s art expresses an indigenous worldview. He is inspired by the natural world and the transformation of a living tree into a functional vessel. His baskets connect the interwoven past, present, and future to create functional art pieces. Culture, family traditions, personal experiences, and hopes for the future are embodied within each basket. 

Gabriel learned traditional black ash basketmaking from his grandfather. “When I hold my grandfather’s baskets, I hear my grandfather’s voice giving subtle suggestions on technique and style. I hear my grandfather’s stories. My family connection is maintained through basket making. I work towards perfecting the function and form of the traditional baskets while evolving each basket to reflect my personal style. My basket-making goal is to produce useable, functional baskets for daily use. I want someone who buys my work to use, feel, and experience Wabanaki culture daily.” Using these baskets, that person creates a connection and finds added value within the basket. Creating functional Wabanaki baskets is a platform to connect people to places. This reflects interconnectedness and reciprocity between people, their natural world, family, and our nonhuman relatives.  

 

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Erica Nelson Menard

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TRIBAL AFFILIATION: Penobscot

MEDIUM: Basketry

ARTIST STATEMENT
I am a traditional Penobscot basket maker. As a young child, I observed my grandmother, Philomene Saulis Nelson, preparing materials for her ash and sweetgrass baskets. I loved the vibrant colors she dyed her ash; her color combinations were stunning! When I was in college I asked her to teach me how to make baskets, but it was not meant to be at that time. 

It wasn’t until my late 40s that I had the unique and unexpected opportunity to apprentice with my mentor and cousin, Theresa Secord. As part of my apprenticeship I had the opportunity to use my grandmother's molds and could feel her guiding presence. My inspiration and ancestral designs come from Penobscot-style baskets produced by my grandmother, Philomene, and my cousin, Theresa. I like to weave ash and sweetgrass boxes, sweetgrass flats, and other baskets with braided sweetgrass in the family style. Continuing my family's traditional art form is an honor and privilege. I am also mentoring my daughter and granddaughter so other generations of basket weavers will continue the ancestral tradition. Plus, we are learning Wabanaki language terms associated with traditional basketry.


 
 
 

Richard Silliboy

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TRIBAL AFFILIATION: Mi’kmaq Nation

MEDIUM: Basketry - Ash

ARTIST STATEMENT
Richard Silliboy is a Mi’kmaq basketmaker. He has been harvesting ash and weaving potato baskets, pack baskets, and other traditional styles for decades. Growing up in Houlton, Maine, Richard’s mother taught him basketmaking. Richard often conducts workshops on basketry. He served as the President of the Maine Indian Basketmakers’ Alliance for ten years and now serves on the Board of Directors. He also has made presentations at various conferences about the significance of tribal history and traditions. Richard has been invited to attend various conferences. He is highly respected for his knowledge of brown ash and his concern for the threat of the emerald ash borer, an insect that has decimated brown ash trees in the Midwest.  He has also been asked by the Maine Arts Commission and the Maine Indian Basketmakers Alliance to take on apprentices to learn brown ash basketmaking. Integral to the Micmac culture is the belief in giving back to the Creator, and there has been a tradition among Micmacs who harvest a natural resource to leave something behind after the harvest, such as tobacco or some other item. Richard continues to harvest brown ash trees, and his giving back has taken on an even broader meaning through his willingness to share his knowledge of brown ash basketry with others.

 
 
 

Sarah Sockbeson

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Photo by Robin Farrin

Photo by Robin Farrin

TRIBAL AFFILIATION: Penobscot

MEDIUM: Basketry - Ash, Jewelry

ARTIST STATEMENT
I have been an artist my entire life.  Even at a young age, I was intrigued by Native art in particular.  Being Penobscot, I had seen baskets in museums and in the homes of my family members and was always fascinated by them.  I was also told stories about my great-grandmother who was a basketmaker in the early 1900s.  I wanted to be a part of this tradition, but unfortunately, in my family, it was not passed down to my generation.  I still found ways to practice art, and in high school I began painting and experimenting with various mediums.  I found it was a great outlet for my artistic abilities.

In 2004, I apprenticed with Jennifer Neptune as part of the Maine Arts Commission Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Program.  I was honored to have the opportunity to work with a skilled masterweaver, such as Jennifer.  She showed me first how to split the ash splints, how to prepare my material, and taught me the traditional techniques necessary to weave ash and sweetgrass baskets. Since then, I have sharpened my skills with each basket woven.

Although I am using traditional material and techniques, my style comes from the place I live today, in this modern society. Basketry, to me, is a fine Art and in order for the tradition to survive, it must evolve.  It is important for my work to appeal to a modern audience, while still remaining true to cultural traditions. When creating art, whether it be painting, drawing, basketry, or any medium, my top priority is always quality and attention to detail.  I take pride in every project I set out to do, and I am constantly striving to be better at what I do.  When I can create something that surpasses my initial vision, it gives me a real sense of accomplishment.

As for my inspiration, I look to the past, present and future.  I see it as being vitally important to acknowledge the traditions of the past.  I have a responsibility to honor my ancestors that have practiced the art of basketry long before I was alive. It gives me great pride knowing that I am able to perform this tradition in almost every way it was done years ago. To create a work of art out of a raw material such as the ash tree is almost magical.  When I look at some of my creations, even I sometimes wonder how they came to be.  As I weave, it is almost like having a spiritual connection with the past.

Living in this present day, my goal is to embrace the modern world and combine natural elements with bright innovative colors along with original designs to create a fresh approach to a timeless art form.

Not only do I aspire to create things that are visually appealing and a reflection of myself, but I also strive to preserve Wabanaki basketry to ensure that it is not lost or forgotten.  I see it as part of my duty, since obtaining this knowledge, to pass it on.  It is personally important to me, not just as an artist, but also as a Native American to create art that will inspire future generations, and keep the tradition of Basketry alive.

 

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Frances Soctomah

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TRIBAL AFFILIATION: Passamaquoddy

PANEL TITLE: Arts Transforming Our Futures

MEDIUM: Basketry - Ash, Beadwork

BIOGRAPHY
Frances Soctomah (she/her) is a Peskotomuhkati (Passamaquoddy) artist from Motahkomikuk who engages video, audio, animation, graphic art, and traditional Wabanaki arts practices to explore and articulate relationships between people, Mother Earth, and our non-human relatives. Family, memory, responsibility, reciprocity, and interconnection are concepts often woven throughout her work. She grounds her practice in story, incorporating teachings from conversations with her family and community members.

Frances is one of eleven children who come from a long line of Passamaquoddy artistry. She began her journey as an artist at age seven when her late-grandmother Molly Neptune Parker – a renowned basketmaker and matriarch of four generations of weavers – began teaching her to make brown ash and sweetgrass baskets. While learning to weave fancy baskets in styles passed down to her family through generations, Molly shared stories of growing up in Motahkomikuk and the many places she lived. She passed down teachings from their ancestors, often reflecting on how our relationships with each other have shifted through time. The stories of community and connection that were woven during their time together inspired Frances to seek out other teachers in her community. She later apprenticed with Gabriel Frey, a Passamaquoddy cultural knowledge carrier, to expand her knowledge of basketmaking and harvesting practices as well as Jennifer Sapiel Neptune, a Penobscot cultural knowledge carrier, to learn traditional bead embroidery techniques.

Creating in community paved the way for Frances to expand her arts practice to include digital material, centering and amplifying voices from her community and through her work. In 2019 she enrolled in the Intermedia Master of Fine Arts program at the University of Maine. She is expected to complete her studies in December 2022.

In addition to her creative practice, Frances is committed to supporting spaces for Wabanaki artists to create, connect, thrive, and be seen. She is active in art, museum, and nonprofit circles where she advocates for cultivating sustaining relationships with Wabanaki artists.

 

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