Biographies

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Keynote Speakers

Ginger Summit – Los Altos Hills, CA

Ginger Summit became intrigued with the idea of decorating gourds in 1990. However, in pursuing this interest, she became quite frustrated trying to find instructional books – they were few and far between.

What began as a craft interest quickly became a passion as she discovered unusual uses of gourds in marketplaces and museums around the world. Extensive contacts with craftspeople and artists in this country revealed a vital interest in gourds as a new medium for expression.

As a retired teacher, she wanted to share this new found knowledge with others hoping to provide the long needed resources, by writing books and articles on gourds.

Sue Coleman – Carson City, NV

Sue Coleman is a respected elder of the Washo Nation. She is a member of the Dresslervile Reservation. She currently resides in Carson City, Nevada. Many generations of Sue’s family were basket weavers. “As the elders of our tribe passed on, weaving traditions and knowledge had almost died out. Even today, there are but a few basket weavers still practicing or sharing the skill.”

Sue learned the art of basket making from her mother, Theresa Smokey Jackson. Together they harvested their willows, stripping, cleaning, and making willows into basket foundations and thread. Her very first basket was the cradleboard. Since then, she has mastered the art of round baskets, winnowing trays, burden baskets, seed beaters, and an array of other traditional willow basketry.

She was the recipient of the Nevada Governor’s Award (Excellence in the Folk Arts, 2002). One of her baskets was purchased by the Smithsonian Institute for display. She was invited to represent the Washo Tribe and demonstrate their weaving traditions at the Smithsonian Institute in 2006. She has received over 50 first place ribbons and “best of show” awards for her work at competitions throughout the United States. Her dream is to keep the traditional Washo weaving art form of basketry alive today and for future generations. Sue will be teaching a class on Saturday,

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Toni Best – Visalia, CA

Toni Best has been creating baskets for over 48 years. Starting with reed, she specializes in pine needle coiling, and coiling on gourds while showing the influence of Native American styles and her own imagination. Presently, she exhibits at shows around the state, and teaches classes at her studio in Visalia, CA.

Recently branching out and exploring greater use of color and design, Toni has expanded from more conservative art, to one illustrating greater freedom. When utilizing this, Toni creates her work under the name “Regina.” She is a member of Handweavers of the Valley, Misti Washington Gourd and Basket Guild, Bay Area Basket Makers, and the California Gourd Society.

Jo Campbell-Amsler – Monticello, CA

Jo Campbell-Amsler has been using willow in her basketry work for the past twenty-eight years and specializes in using rib-style techniques. She works from her studio in Monticello, IA, teaching her craft and selling her pieces throughout the United States. While most of her baskets are functional, she in non-traditional in her approach to using found objects from nature in her work and likes to push the willow to form some sculptural aspects, often creating “one-of-a-kind” baskets

Gloria Crane – Hesperia, CA

Gloria Crane has won numerous awards in gourd and wood carving competitions since discovering gourds in 2004. She incorporates many techniques and mediums, including carving, woodburning, inks, and acrylic paint to name a few, and enjoys teaching and sharing her enthusiasm of gourd art with her students.

Carrie Dearing – Lake Elsinore, CA

Carrie Dearing is an internationally known gourd artist who has been wood burning for 20 years and teaching gourd art classes for about 11 years.

Being of Irish/Choctaw descent, Carrie takes her inspiration of Native American design and nature to create her art pieces. She could not imagine her life without her artwork and the joy of teaching her craft to others.

Vickie Echols – Temecula, CA

Vickie Echols is passionate about gourds and basketry. She has nine years experience working with gourds which is mainly pine needle weaving. She has been teaching coiling for five years from her home, at Welburns Gourd Farm, at patch classes, and senior citizen centers.

Lynne Everett – San Juan Capistrano, CA

Lynne Everett, a contemporary basket weaver and gourd artist, loves to explore the various textures and colors that nature provides to create my art. Her love is teaching classes and encouraging her students to feel the connections to the past. Weavers for centuries have used the same methods we use today to create their baskets. We have a responsibility to pass this knowledge on to the future generations.

Polly Jacobs Giacchina – La Mesa, CA Polly Jacobs Giacchina was inspired at SDSU by Joan Austin and by artist Misti Washington of Solana Beach, California. Each gave a view of art and fiber that brought on a desire for exploration of basketry sculpture.

Polly has gone on to exhibit nationally and internationally showing her twined sculptures. She teaches and has received awards and published recognition.

Charlene Hanson – Seal Beach, CA

Charlene (Cookie) Hanson has been creating in the fiber arts media since the mid 1970’s. She teaches as a visiting artist instructor at several sites in California and is an active member of three California guilds and the California Gourd Society.

Pam Kay – La Mesa, CA

Pam Kay began using her hands to create useful and beautiful objects, and enjoys weaving with reed and cane. Pam has been teaching since 1998 in her home studio.

Diane A. Lunow – Wimberly, TX

Diane A. Lunow, a basket weaver, gourd artist, and collage artist, begins with ideas from her journal; she explores the possibilities of each medium. The resulting artworks have been shown in art centers, art shows, and commercial galleries.

Diane has been an active member in Women in Visual and Literary Arts, the Houston Center of Contemporary Craft and Houston Area Fiber Artists. She is now active in the Wimberley Valley Art League.

Marilyn Moore – Seattle, WA

Marilyn Moore’s first love is basketry, and basketry related jewelry. Since 1979 she has taught for guilds, conferences, and conventions around the country and has written numerous articles and been featured in many publications. Having graduated from the University of Washington with a BFA in Fiber Art in 1997, she continues to live and work in Seattle, WA and works primarily with wire.

Pamela Redhawk – Pioneer Town, CA

Pamela Redhawk is an internationally known artist who has been a pioneer in gourd art for more than 22 years.

Pam moved to the upper desert of Yucca Valley for inspiration. There she has a home and art studio in the historically known, Pioneer Town. This is a beautiful setting for teaching her monthly gourd art classes.

Kathy Riker – Yucaipa, CA

Kathy Riker, a California native, is known for her art and teachings, as well as a decorated award winner for her gourd art. Her achievements and dedication have been displayed within her art and as a teacher. Kathy now travels all over the United States to teach students gourd art. From baskets to gourds, her canvas has always reflected an element of nature and magic. After 28 years of successfully mastering the art of basket weaving, challenging endeavors evolved with her introduction to the gourd in 1998 which is now her full time canvas. Kathy’s remarkable ability to breathe life into her handcrafted gifts is quite unique.

Betsy Roberts – San Diego, CA

Betsy Roberts’s love of gourds began in 2002 as an art form in which she could work “out of the box.” Gourds touched her soul and opened up a creative spirit that was waiting to be released. Through encouragement of friends and mentors such as Marla Helton, Angela Briggs, Dar Beck, and Leigh Adams, Betsy began teaching at gourd festivals: Zittels, Wuertz, Leiser, Folsom, Welburns, the Georgia Gourd Society, and the Florida Gourd Society as well as private classes. Her use of all colors, textures, fibers and quality hand-dyed ribbons, feathers and other fine materials create one of a kind art pieces which allow her spirit and soul to shine through each piece.

Polly Sutton – Seattle, WA

Polly Adams studies art with an emphasis on painting and art education. Over the years this work progressed into her becoming a full time studio artist and teacher of basketmaking. Living in the Pacific Northwest, Polly gathers her own materials – cedar bark from logged forests and sweetgrass from the tidal flats. The flexibility in these materials gives her the opportunity to work on asymmetrical shapes and designs. She exhibits her work in galleries, as well as SOFA Chicago, and recently her sculptural basket was chosen for the cover illustration of 500 Baskets.

Jill Walker – Watsonville, CA

Jill Walker has been growing and decorating gourds for eleven years. She has been an active member of the California Gourd Society and local groups for ten years. As a teacher and educator, she has taught many students about gourds at festivals, conferences, in her home studio, and in other states. She is currently serving as president of CGS.

Don Weeke – Julien, CA

Don Weeke has been making baskets and working with gourds for 30 years. His work is featured in the Complete Book of Gourd Craft and included in 500 Baskets.

Peggie Wilcox – Otto, NC

Peggie Wilcox created her first basket 26 years ago and continue to be delighted and inspired by textures, scents, and earthy colors of natural, wild materials. She has been teaching basket weaving for 17 years. She lived in central Iowa until 2005 when she moved to western North Carolina, where the basket making tradition, bio-diversity, and amazing beauty of her surroundings have given new direction to her work.

Jennifer Wool – Mt. Hamilton, CA

Jennifer Wool has had a love for creating 3-dimentional artwork for 30 years. She began in clay, then basketry and gourds.

She has been teaching many basket and gourd workshops in her studio, also at community adult and elementary schools, CNCH, and many art guilds. She is a member of the Calabash Club of Silicon Valley, and the California Gourd Society. One of Jennifer’s greatest pleasures is to see how excited and proud her students are when they have completed a piece of art in her workshops.

Judy Zugish – Marysville, WA

Judy Zugish began experimenting with garden fibers in 1978. It soon led to an obsession for basketmaking and many years pursuing technique with notable traditional weavers. Today, her contemporary works using gathered natural materials are exhibited widely, and Judy teaches her signature style at home and abroad. In the last decade, she had enjoyed studying basketry on trips to Japan, England, and Germany, Thailand, Laos, and Australia – deepening a profound respect for the timeless international weavers. The recently published 500 Baskets includes one of her willow bark pieces; and her fiber arts garden is featured in Landscaping with Herbs. You can see more of Judy’s recent work at www.twigtwisters.com.

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