Basket Maker’s Inspiration
Since taking up basket making 13 years ago using traditional techniques, materials and tools, Maine Passamaquoddy artist Jeremy Frey has become a sought-after artist on the national stage.
He received an unrestricted $50,000 grant from the United States Artists foundation in 2010. The following year, he won best of show awards at both the annual Heard Museum of Native Cultures and Art show in Phoenix and the Santa Fe Indian Art Market, which are among the largest indigenous peoples art shows in the world.
While he derives his basket forms from traditional shapes and materials used by his tribe, Frey has pushed in new directions and offers dramatic new interpretations. Here he speaks of how his work has evolved.