MASTER

Gabriel Frey (Orono, ME) is a Passamaquoddy brown ash basket maker specializing in utility baskets. His grandfather was his first significant teacher. From the age of 19, he learned from family members and by trial and error – harvesting the brown ash and later incorporating leather and natural dyes into his designs. Teaching basket making has been an important part of Frey’s process in the last six years, and his baskets can be seen in museums and galleries throughout Maine. Frey was a recipient of a Native Arts New England grant from the New England Foundation for the Arts in 2008 and is a 2019 United States Artists Fellow.

“Maintaining and teaching the traditional knowledge of Wabanaki basketmakers is an important aspect of my artistic process. Frances is already a dedicated basketmaker but lacks the body of knowledge to gather her own material and makeher own tools. This limits her ability to alter her basket styles. Working with Frances will be an advantageous partnership for both of us.” – Gabriel Frey

APPRENTICE

Frances Soctomah (Old Town, ME) is a Passamaquoddy tribal citizen. She apprenticed with her grandmother ­– Passamaquoddy Master Basketweaver and elder Molly Neptune Parker ­– learning to weave in styles passed down to their family over generations. Together they co-hosted basket weaving workshops at the Abbe Museum in Bar Harbor, ME and Ckuwapon Day Camp in Indian Township, ME. Soctomah is a 2016 graduate of Bowdoin College with a degree in sociology and anthropology.

“My grandmother taught me so much about basketmaking, giving me a solid foundation to develop my own style and find my voice as an artist. Through this apprenticeship with Gabriel, I seek to expand on those skills, learning techniques more commonly associated with his style of baskets, how to harvest and prepare my own materials, and to create tools that will help me expand my capacity to become a more self-sustaining artist.” – Frances Soctomah