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Cahuilla Basketry

Indigenous people in California have a long legacy of producing baskets of great diversity and beauty. Baskets hold a utilitarian purpose and are beautifully woven celebrations of expression, culture, and kinship. In this workshop, you will learn about the highly regarded and exquisite work of Cahuilla Basketry from Cahuilla basketmaker Rose Ann Hamilton. Over the last three decades, the Cahuilla people have experienced a revival in basket making as an art form and form of personal expression. Utilizing traditional methods, you will learn to create a Cahuilla-style coiled basket using yucca, Juncus, and Deer Grass.

This workshop includes a field trip to the Cahuilla Indian reservations where you will learn to gather basket making materials with Rose Ann. Gathering is a skilled task that requires careful thought and attention to gather while not disturbing a precious ecosystem. This unique opportunity will allow you to gather the materials needed to create your basket.

  • Small portable lamp (clamp is best)
  • Seat cushion
  • Gardening gloves
  • Long sleeved shirt
  • Jeans/pants
  • Favorite closed-toe walking shoes
  • Sunscreen
  • Hat

Roseann Hamilton (Cahuilla, Apapatkiktem clan) first learned from renowned Cahuilla basket-weaver Donna Largo at Idyllwild Arts in 1993. She has taught Cahuilla basket classes and presented at Cahuilla, Santa Rosa, Ramona, Agua Caliente, Los Coyotes, Santa Ysabel, San Manuel, and Morongo Indian Reservations, as well as the Riverside Metropolitan Museum, Autry Museum, Agua Caliente Museum, the Heard Museum and San Manuel conferences at CSUSB, and Crafton Hills College. She has participated in cultural gatherings at Los Coyotes, Santa Ysabel, and Soboba reservations. Her inspiration and passion for the art of basket weaving came from her grandmother, Rosanda Apapas Hopkins Tortez Lugo, and great-grandmother, Antonia Casero, Cahuilla master weavers.

Native American & Inland Empire Teacher Scholarships 

We recently made some changes to our scholarship application process.

Generous donors have made scholarships and fellowships for adult workshops available on a limited basis for these specific groups:

  1. Native American Community Leaders, Artists, Members, and Teachers
  2. Inland Empire Teachers, Professors, and Graduate Students

Scholarships include tuition, lab fee, dorm housing, and all meals provided by the campus dining service. We believe in allowing everyone a chance to experience the transformative power of art at Idyllwild Arts. In order to reach as many as possible with this opportunity we are happy to extend each applicant one scholarship. These scholarships are designed to provide access to arts based educational opportunities that will advance your personal and professional development as well as the Indigenous community(ies) you come from. You are responsible for paying the $50 application fee and transportation to and from campus. A short essay (200 to 750 words) expressing how this opportunity will benefit you and your community is required, we want to hear from you! We also ask that you provide screenshots of your last two W2s so that the scholarship committee can identify financial need and assess the scholarship amount to be offered. We are pleased to offer scholarships in two categories.

  • Full Scholarship: students receive meals, housing, and tuition and lab fee (room and board if applicable).
  • Half Scholarship: students receive approximately half off their tuition (room and board if applicable)

For more detailed information and a Scholarship FAQ please read Adult Scholarships FAQs.

Scholarship Details: 

  1. Native American Community Members, Leaders, Artists, and Teachers
    For adults 19 and older with current tribal affiliation, the scholarship brings community leaders, artists, members, and teachers to workshops at Idyllwild Arts to benefit both the scholarship recipients themselves and those in their schools or tribal communities. Applicants who demonstrate financial need may receive priority. We also offer scholarships for Native American Teens for both the Summer Program and the Academy.
  2. Inland Empire Teachers, Professors, and Graduate Students
    For teachers and graduate students from the Inland Empire (Riverside and San Bernardino Counties and the adjacent areas), this scholarship brings teachers and graduate students to Idyllwild Arts to attend Native American Arts workshops. The Native American Arts Workshops benefit both recipients and their students and communities, providing culturally appropriate instruction and professional development to teachers and graduate students. Applicants with financial needs may receive priority. These scholarships are made possible through the generous support of the San Manuel Band of Serrano Mission Indians.

Click here for more information about adult scholarships.

Age: 19 years and above

Dates: June 19-23, 2023

Tuition, room, and board: $1,719

Day student tuition: $840

Lab Fee: $45, includes materials and a personal set of tools; you may be asked to bring additional materials.

Skill Level: All levels

Faculty: Roseann Hamilton

Enrollment is limited to 12 students

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