Black Ash Basket Workshop with Kimberly Crowley

Join OPM’s 2024 Featured Contemporary Native Artist, Kimberly Crowley, to learn the art of Black Ash basket making. While you are at the Museum, view her and her family’s baskets on exhibit in People of the Waters. All participants will have access to hand-prepared Black ash to complete one small size basket. The wood will be cut, scraped, dyed, and ready for assembling. Museum admission included. *The $85.00 fee reflects the increased scarcity of black ash wood and its preparation.

Kimberly Crowley, a Thunder Clan member of the Ho-Chunk Nation, has been a traditional black-ash basket maker for almost forty years. Inspired by her mother and grandmother, Crowley strives to build a legacy across generations through this traditional art. Crowley is a member of the Hall family, and they are known to be master basket makers. For Crowley, her art is not just about herself but her family. They work together to harvest, prepare, and weave black ash wood into intricate baskets—from miniature to large. Crowley wants to keep this traditional art alive, so she is passionate about teaching her skills to others through workshops.  

https://www.oshkoshmuseum.org/exhibitions/contemporary-native-american-artist/