“Pine Spirit” by Sande Rowan comes to the Legislative eXhibition Series Gallery Feb. 2 Working with Native American basket makers in the Southwest, Sande Rowan learned coiling techniques she incorporated into her own style as a professional basket maker. Her “Rainbow Spiral” pine needle basket is among her works featured in “Pine Spirit” at the Legislative eXhibition Series Gallery Feb. 2-20 in the Nevada Legislative Building.
Gathering pine needles while hiking in the Sierra provided her with a deep connection to the natural world and the majestic trees she encounters give their energy to the work, Rowan said. Her baskets use a variety of bindings and adornments. Attaching the pine needle coil to clay and turned wooden bowls gives the artist a broader canvas.
Rowan said she enjoys working with students, teaching and passing on the ancient art form. She teaches workshops and classes at guilds, retreats and private classes in the West. She recently taught a series of classes for the Great Basin Basket Makers’ Carson City outreach program. Rowan is an author of “PINE SPIRIT…a modern approach to the ancient art of coiled basket making.”
For more information email sanderowan@hotmail.com.
Managed by the Artist Services Program of the Nevada Arts Council, the Legislative eXhibition Series has provided a spotlight on the Silver State’s breadth of contemporary and folk artists during the biennial session since 1985. The 2015 LXS Series is funded by the National Endowment for the Arts, Nevada State Legislature and Van Woert Bigotti Architects. Several other Nevada artists will be featured throughout the legislative session.
The Nevada Arts Council, a division of the Nevada Department of Tourism and Cultural Affairs, is the agency charged with ensuring that state and national funds support cultural activity and encourage participation in the arts throughout Nevada. In addition to providing hundreds of grants to arts and community-based organizations, schools, artists and local municipalities throughout the state, the Arts Council coordinates a variety of statewide programs and activities such as the annual Poetry Out Loud recitation competition for high-school aged students, traveling exhibits, artist residencies, workshops and cultural assessments