HANDMADE: Baskets from Mékhé, Thiès, Senegal at Brooklyn Workshop Gallery

The HANDMADE PROJECT returns with BASKETS from SENEGAL
 
Brooklyn Workshop Gallery is open with A SPRING ART SALE!

Come celebrate our new show of beautiful baskets made by the Wolof Women of Mékhé Village on Saturday, March 24th. It's a day of of Senegalese Music, video presentation of the weaving process, sweets, coffee and tea! 

The baskets were brought to us by Astou Dioum, of Dioum African Art, and Diane Nerby, of the Happy Basket Project. We welcome them and their wares to our space, our neighborhood and our HANDMADE PROJECT!

Made of sweetgrass and the bright, colorful flat plastic strips used to make traditionally designed prayer mats, the baskets are a combination of traditional technique and new material resulting in a beautiful and very utilitarian product. They large baskets (often in sets of 3) are used as laundry or storage baskets and the smaller ones for dry goods in the kitchen. The plastic makes them washable and durable, the sweetgrass makes them able to conform to traditional shapes and design.

The gallery is also featuring the work of Amani Ansari, Deborah Barlow, Luciano Granato, Shira Gregory, Erin McGrath, Rina Peleg, Cecile Romat, and Adrienne Yurick as well as some special pieces that have been donated to the Foundation. All art work is 25% off with 10% of that being donated to a local school.

We would like to thank David Shebiro of Rebel, Rebel in Greenwich Village for his supplying some of the music for this event. We have an afro-pop collection that features: Ifang Bondi, Diarama de Saint-Louis, Etoile De Dakar, Fonesca & His Anges Noirs, Guelewar, Orchestra Baobab, Pape Seck, Watto Siita, Star Band, Xadim, and Xalam. We will also feature some contemporary and traditional music from Senegal throughout the day.

10% of all sales (baskets, art and donated pieces) go to the NYC public school of your choice. We especially support the schools in our neighborhood and will have a list on hand should you not know of a school to choose.

HANDMADE is a retail project where Workshop Gallery Artists Foundation partners with individual artists, other non-profits or other crafts organizations in order expose the public to beautifully made artisan objects. Originally a holiday project in donated retail space (thank you again to the owners of 343 Smith Street -- we may never have thought of this without you), we now continue at Brooklyn Workshop Gallery.

To see more about this show and about HANDMADE, please visit us on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Handmade-The-Handmade-Project/300704553328886


p. 718.797.9427   

e. brooklynworkshopgallery@earthlink.net        

Martine Bisagni, Director

HOURS:

Tuesday-Friday 1-7:00

Saturday 10-6:00

Sunday 2-6:00 and by appointment

closed Mondays