Dianne Simpson

I grew up in the mountains of South Eastern Kentucky. I learned many traditional crafts working with my grandmother, mother, aunts, and neighbors. Soap making, in the fall (hog killing time), paper flowers in the spring (for Memorial Day), quilt tacking and embroidery in winter were just a few. I have always been eager to learn how thing were made or how they worked. I took a basket weaving class and practiced developing my own designs - some of which I sold to the state parks gift shops. A little later I purchased my first loom. Using the knowledge I gained from basket weaving it wasn't long before I was developing my own weaving designs. I found that I could do so much more with the flexible fabrics than with the rigid reeds. I use a combination of techniques in weaving my designs: plain, overlay, and inlay. I am a juried member of Kentucky Craft Market with my rugs.

One project that I would like to do is to have the students design a basket, starting with a sketch or blue print of their goal with dimensions and colors. Then step-by-step I work with the students to achieve their goal. I would like to include the dying of the reed in the process. This project would be geared toward a high school age group and would take 20 days to complete.

The projects that I do in the educational setting can be customized to the class or unit study and to expand the understanding of life in the Appalachian area and culture. These projects can integrate core content from Arts and Humanities (media, art processes, principles of design, and the purpose of visual arts within cultures), social studies (Kentucky and US history, elements of culture), and mathematics (mathematical thinking, 2D and 3D concepts, and pattern discovery).

All of the projects that I do are a hands-on approach to learning about culture history, elements of art, and principles of design. In an average residency, each student will make an individual basket and participate in making a group or individual wall hanging using a loom. As the baskets are being make, a discussion of Cherokee patterns and designs, and their influence on Appalachian baskets will hopefully influence the patterns the students use in their basket. Depending on the length of the residence and age of the students, the students may design a basket for a particular function using mathematical formulas. By allowing the students to weave with both rigid and soft material, students receive a better understanding of the weaving process and visually understand how weaving can create both 2D and 3D art pieces. Because weaving, both basket and loom, are very hands on processes, students that are considered slow learners may actually do better than the honor students of the same age. The results are awesome, both the finished projects and the students' self-esteem.