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Continuing Education Programs

Basket Sewing

Workshop participants will have a Gullah Experience learning a brief history of sweetgrass basketry and the techniques of Gullah sweetgrass basket making. Additionally, each participant will have the opportunity for a hands-on experience of creating their very own keepsake sweetgrass project.

Sweetgrass Basketry Course

Sweetgrass basketry is an ancient art form that has been practiced by the Gullah people of the Lowcountry for generations. This unique craft is an important part of the culture and heritage of this community, and efforts are being made to ensure that it is preserved for future generations to enjoy. 


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Learn more about sweetgrass basketry below!

Sweetgrass baskets are made using a special coiling technique that has been passed down through generations. The sweetgrass used for these baskets grows in the marshes and is harvested by hand.

Each basket is unique and can take anywhere from a few hours to several weeks to complete, depending on its size and complexity.

Sweetgrass basketry has been recognized as a significant art form by the Smithsonian Institution and other prestigious organizations. In recent years, there has been a renewed interest in sweetgrass basketry, and many artisans are working to keep this tradition alive.

 

Meet Your Instructor

MGG

Mary Graham-Grant

Born and reared along the coast in Georgetown, South Carolina, Mary is dedicated to preserving the tradition of sweetgrass basketry since sewing her first basket in 1990.  It is important to her for people to know that the art of sweetgrass basketry is an art form that was brought to South Carolina by enslaved people who came from West Africa and has been practiced continuously in South Carolina for over three hundred years.  Mary has worked as an artist-in-residence in numerous elementary, middle, and high schools and conducted workshops for many arts councils, governmental organization throughout South Carolina and other states.  She also conducted weeklong residencies at Universities in Virginia and Maryland.

Dates / Sessions Times Fees
Sweetgrass Basketry Course
09/27/2025 
Saturday
1 Session

Register Online

Notes: course orientation information will be emailed approximately one week before the course starts.		 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM $120.00

Challenge the conventional. Create the exceptional. No Limits.