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.
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
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.
Challenge the conventional. Create the exceptional. No Limits.
