The Basket Barn
The Basket Barn
An Ancient Art in the Modern World
Photos / The Basket Barn
Every kid comes home at one point in their early school years with a colorful construction paper strip basket that they made, likely filled with easter straw. I know I did and many, many years later, my own children did.
Basket weaving is an art introduced to us at an early age. Perhaps it’s because it is so ageless. While basket weaving is one of the widest spread crafts in the history of any human civilization, no one can say for sure how old, because the natural materials like wood, grass, and animal remains used in making baskets decayed over time. From Wikipedia, we learn that the oldest known baskets were discovered in Faiyum in upper Egypt and have been carbon dated to between 10,000 and 12,000 years old, earlier than any established dates for archaeological evidence of pottery vessels, which were too heavy and fragile to suit far-ranging hunter-gatherers. Baskets were a staple item. We needed them throughout civilization. Even through the World Wars, baskets were used for dropping supplies of ammunition and food to the troops.
With that introduction, please meet Nicole Fair, recently relocated from her home and business in Niagara County (Sanborn) New York. Having worked in Social Services for twenty years, Nicole decided to relocate to Allegany and devote her time to her passion, basket making. You know how it goes, you take a class doing something, enjoy it, go back for more and suddenly you are hooked and it becomes your life. What started out as a fun project for herself to make a few baskets for her own collection turned into “Can you make one for me?”
It got to the point that so many people asked her to weave for them, she started selling her baskets at Artisan Shows. From there, well, it grew like Topsy. (This old phrase alludes to the little African American slave girl in Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin, who when asked where she came from, replied, “I ‘spect I growed. Don’t think nobody never made me.” The growth turned into her own basket shop where she teaches basketry classes from beginner to advanced skill levels.
As Nicole’s student, one not only learns to weave but gets an insight into the different materials and techniques used in weaving. An extra bonus is that it is relaxing and takes the weaver’s mind off everything but the project at hand. She presently does workshops at Tri-County Arts Council in Olean, has taught at local schools, Pfeiffer Center, Senior Services and OMRDD who she says were some of her best students.
Her new workshop in Allegany is still a work in progress. Located on 10 acres of land with magnificent pastoral views, the shop is located behind the house. Nicole refers to it as a “hidden gem” which adds to the calming, quiet environment weavers discover when signing on for basket making classes.
Nicole told this writer: “I offer my ‘Signature’ Basket Classes which are classes I designed that students can register for on the website www.andrewsfarmsbasketbarn.com and I offer private basket classes for small groups here at the shop. Everyone weaves at a different pace, but in general, basket classes are usually about 3 hours long, but larger, more complicated baskets take much longer. Students have the option to stain their basket after class as well.”
Now, the best way to learn more about what is offered in the way of making baskets is to go online. Take your time, push the info tab on each basket class offered and you will get a good feel for what is offered and what is expected. Classes will be held outdoors unless there is inclement weather, then in the classroom. Prepare yourself with adequate bug spray and know that there are animals on the property (dogs, cats, horses) so take care of your allergies before attending. Wear comfortable clothing, bring snacks and lunch, and plan to discover a talent you never knew you had!
You will find Nicole at this year's Cuba Garlic Festival in September, and at the Christmas in the Country show at the Hamburg Fairgrounds Grange Building in November. Nicole’s shop is 17 minutes from Ellicottville up Chapel Hill Rd. to Morgan Hollow. If you would like to learn more about Basket Classes, you can email thebasketbarn@yahoo.com. Weekly hours are posted on the website, and on the FB page TheBasket Barn.