Basket Weaving – Texas Style
The history of basket weaving in the US comes from the Gullah Geechee people, descendants of West and Central Africans who were enslaved and brought to the lower Atlantic states to work on the rice, cotton and indigo plantations. Inspired by a trip to Sapelo Island, Georgia in 2001, artist Elma Jackson-Green created a new “Texas Style” of basket weaving since the traditional materials were not available in Texas. This exhibit features miniature replicas of these famous woven baskets in a new style to honor and preserve the history of this craft.
About the Artist
Elma L. Jackson-Green is an author, motivational speaker, and multi-disciplined artist from the Houston area. She created the “Texas style” of basket weaving, using yarn instead of the traditional sweetgrass. For over twenty years, she has been creating baskets, teaching others how to create them and the history of this beautiful art form. “History is the foundation for our future. The stronger the foundation, the sturdier the building. These baskets reflect the talent, perseverance, and history of people who had so little but left so much. It is a history that needs to be learned, shared and respected.” - Elma L. Jackson-Green
CHECK OUT OUR CATALOG
Kid/Juvenile
- Bo Rabbit Smart for True: Tall Tales from the Gullah by Priscilla Jaquith
- Indigo Dreaming by Dinah Johnson
- A Net to Catch Time by Sara H. Banks
- New Year Be Coming!: A Gullah Year by Katharine Boling
- Okra Stew: A Gullah Geechee Family Celebration by Natalie Daise
Teen/Young Adult
- Conjure: The Hoodoo Apprentice by Lea Nolan
Adult
- African Founders: How Enslaved People Expanded American Freedom by David Hackett Fischer
- Basket Essentials: Rib Basket Weaving - Techniques and Projects for DIY Woven Reed Baskets by Lora S. Irish
- Bress ‘n’ Nyam: Gulla Geechee Recipes from a Sixth-Generation Farmer by Matthew Raiford
- Cane, Rush and Willow: Weaving with Natural Materials by Hilary Burns
- Come by Here: A Memoir in Essays from Georgia's Geechee Coast by Denechia Powel-Ingabire
- Creative Basket Weaving: Step-by-Step Instructions for Gathering and Drying, Braiding, Weaving, and Projects by Sylvie Bégot
- Grass Roots: African Origins of an American Art by Dale Rosengarten
- The Last Dreamwalker by Rita Woods
- Legendary Locals of Hilton Head, South Carolina by Barbara Muller
- Date:
- Friday, February 13, 2026 Show more dates
- Time:
- All Day Event
- Time Zone:
- Central Time - US & Canada (change)
- Campus:
- Jesse H. Jones, Central Library
- Age Group:
- All Ages
- Categories:
- Exhibit