09/08/2026
One of our most popular artists-in-residence returned to seventh-grade classrooms last week. Nancy Basket, a Cherokee storyteller and master basket maker, showed students how to braid plants into woven art, a Native cultural tradition that brought their study of the book “Braiding Sweetgrass” by Robin Wall Kimmerer to life.
Basket often works with kudzu, transforming the abundant invasive vines into a sustainable material for weaving. Her creations are more than practical; they’re works of art that honor nature, resourcefulness, and cultural tradition.
It was a joy to have Nancy Basket back at CA and give our Middle Schoolers another hands-on opportunity to learn from her craft and perspective.