Cherokee baskets will be on display October 1-30

UNC Asheville’s Blower’s Gallery will host the exhibit “Gathering Places, Cherokee Basket Weaving and the Environment,” which will be on view October 1-30. An opening reception will be held from 4-6 p.m. Monday, Oct. 5. The reception will include a talk by Cherokee craftsperson Alyne Stamper, an art instructor at Cherokee High School, as well as exhibition curator Beth Ross Johnson. Johnson is the community development specialist for the Revitalization of Traditional Cherokee Artisan Resources (RTCAR). The exhibit and reception are free and open to the public.

The exhibit displays contemporary Cherokee baskets created with natural materials, including river cane and white oak, using the traditional double weave technique. The show features commentary about environmental threats to these materials, such as overharvesting, invasive species and overdevelopment. The exhibit is sponsored by RTCAR, which seeks to preserve, protect and teach the heritage of Cherokee traditional resources, land care and culture.

Blowers Gallery, located on the main floor of UNC Asheville's Ramsey Library, is open Monday-Thursday from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m., Fridays from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sundays from 1 p.m. to 11 p.m. For more information, call 828/251-6336.