The Cultural Connections in the Park series occurs on select Wednesdays from June through September.
Gabriel Frey, Passamaquoddy, comes from a long line of fancy and utility basketmakers. He uses his family's traditional knowledge and style to create beautifully woven, sturdily built utility baskets that can be used for a variety of purposes. Join Gabriel as he demonstrates the labor-intensive process of preparing ash and see firsthand how his beautiful and functional art is created.
All Cultural Connections programs are sponsored by Dawnland, LLC, are offered in partnership with Acadia National and are free and open to the public.
About Gabriel Frey
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. His 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. He carves the hoops, handle, and wooden pins to fasten leather straps. Maintaining the traditional knowledge of Wabanaki basket makers is an important aspect of his artistic process. His art is an expression of an indigenous worldview. The natural world and the transformation of a living tree into a functional vessel inspire him. His baskets are a connection to the past, present, and future, interwoven to create functional pieces of art. Culture, family traditions, his personal experiences, and hopes for the future are embodied within each basket. Gabriel learned traditional black ash basket-making 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 connection to family 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 goal in basket making is to produce usable, functional baskets for daily use. I want a person who buys my work to use, feel, and experience Wabanaki culture everyday.” Through the use of 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 place. This reflects interconnectedness and reciprocity between people, their natural world, family, and all of our nonhuman relatives.
