Handwoven Gatherings: Small-Group Willow Basketry Workshop

TOTAL COST: $300
Course Fee: $350
Non-refundable Materials Fee: $60

DATES: SATURDAY, MAY 24 & SUNDAY, MAY 25, 2025
TIME: 10:00AM – 3:00PM PST
LEVEL: Intermediate to Advanced
AGE GROUP: Adult (ages 18+)
LOCATION: Building 324A, Fort Worden, Port Townsend.

DESCRIPTION
In this two-day journey into the art of willow basketry, taught by basket weaver and teaching artist Sylvia Friday, you’ll learn to weave a traditional stake-and-strand basket. This workshop will be the perfect way to develop a relationship with willow and basket making using timeless wicker techniques and patterns. Guided by Sylvia’s thoughtful and nurturing approach, you’ll discover the delicate interplay between technique, pattern, and personal creativity.

To ensure an intimate learning environment and provide each student with a tremendous amount of one-on-one guidance, this class is limited to just six lucky participants. By the end of the course, you’ll take home a beautifully handcrafted round wicker basket woven by your own hands, as well as a deeper appreciation for the process and art of basketry.

As we weave, the basket becomes more than a functional object—it becomes a reflection of our attention, reverence, and the relationship we build with our materials and our hands. Inspired by Mary Oliver's words, “Attention is the beginning of devotion,” this workshop invites you to slow down, connect, and create. We hope you join us! 

To learn more about how Sylvia thinks about basketry, read this article she wrote for Oregon Humanities.

SUPPLY INFORMATION
All required materials will be provided with the non-refundable materials fee. 

Please bring the following tools:

• A pair of garden clippers (hand pruners).
• A  small sharp knife
• A pillow or something comfy to sit on, we will be sitting a lot!
• We will break for lunch at some point- so bring something tasty for yourself! 

COURSE DETAILS
After registration, course details are available via the Northwind Art School learning portal. Learn more

ABOUT SYLVIA
Sylvia Friday is a traditional basket maker, folk artist, and storyteller whose work is woven from her relationship with the plants, animals, and landscapes that inspire her craft. A dedicated teacher, Sylvia shares her love for traditional basketry at workshops and gatherings across the Pacific Northwest, including the Ancient Arts Center, the Echoes in Time skills gathering, and the Josephy Center for Arts and Culture. After completing a two-year apprenticeship in European basketry with renowned ethnobotanist and weaver Margaret Mathewson in 2023, Sylvia continues to devote her attention to the processes of creating with natural materials as an artist-in-residence at Pine Meadow Ranch Center for Arts and Agriculture and, soon, Zion National Park in February 2025. 

Artist website: Sylvia Friday

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DISCOUNTS
This course is eligible for a 10% member discount at the Supporter level and beyond. Get a membership today!

Don's Pharmacy and Art Toolkit in Port Townsend offer Northwind Art School students a 10% discount on art supplies.

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CANCELLATION POLICY
If Northwind Art has to cancel a course for any reason, all enrolled students will receive a 100% refund (including any materials fee).

Students who withdraw from a course at least seven days prior to its first meeting will receive a 90% refund (less any materials fee). 

Students withdrawing fewer than seven days from the first day of class are not eligible for a refund except in the case of illness or injury, in which case they are eligible to receive a 40% refund (less any materials fee).

Please note that 10% of every course’s registration fee is considered to be a non-refundable deposit in cases of withdrawal to cover administrative overhead. All refunds will be applied to the same credit card that was used for enrollment. No credits or transfers will be granted. 

Please email admin@northwindart.org if you wish to withdraw or for more information.