Kelly Church is an Ottawa and Pottawatomi artist belonging to the Matchi-be-nash-she-wish tribe in Hopkins, MI. A member of the Gun Lake Band in Michigan and a Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Ojibwe descendent, she comes from an unbroken line of black ash basket makers and from the largest black ash weaving family in the Great Lakes region. Her artistic journey is deeply intertwined with the woodlands and forests of Michigan, where she harvests and works with a variety of natural fibers including black ash, birch bark, cedar bark, spruce roots, and basswood. These materials serve as the foundation for her distinctive woven sculptures, each meticulously crafted and adorned with copper and silver embellishments.
With her relatives’ guidance, Church learned to select the best black ash tree in order to provide the best material to create everything from utilitarian baskets to more conceptual weavings. Each tree she harvests and transforms into a basket tells a story, just as those before her created baskets that told their own stories. She has learned firsthand how the process of weaving a black ash basket is not only about weaving, it is also about biochemistry, forest management, pest control, Indigenous language, family history, and deep, ancient connections to the landscape from which her people originate.
The Penny Stamps Distinguished Speaker Series Fall 2024 Season
This fall, the Penny Stamps Distinguished Speaker Series brings respected leaders and innovators from a broad spectrum of creative fields to Ann Arbor’s historic Michigan Theater for weekly in-person events.
Detroit PBS and PBS Books, in partnership with the Stamps School, will stream each week’s event Fridays at 8pm.
See the full schedule of events livestreamed by PBS Books here.
Some programs may not be available online, depending on artist requests. Interested in receiving notifications before online videos go live? Sign up to receive a reminder before each event begins streaming.
