West Virginia Basketmakers

In March 1997, Becky Young of Ripley, returned from the North
Carolina Basketmakers Convention determined to form a
basketmakers organization in West Virginia. Ruth Ann Stutler of
Lost Creek had the same idea a year earlier.

On August 2, 1997 six women met at the City Park in Parkersburg
for the first meeting of what was to become the West Virginia
Basketmakers Association (WVBA).

On Septmeber 27, 1997 a meeting was held at Damon's in
Bridgeport. Seventeen people attended. Membership after this
meeting was up to thirteen and by the end of the year we had
twenty-one members.

By the time our first Weave-In was held at the Bicentennial Motel in
Buchannon on April 18, 1998 we had 54 members with 26
attending.

Our goal is to stimulate an interest in and perpetuate the art of
basketry.

We currently have 4 active Guilds/Chapters:
- Homespun Basketweavers - Jackson County
- Mid-Ohio Valley - Wood County
- Mountain Heritage Basket Weavers - Barbour County
- North Central West Virginia - Harrison County

We now have more than 100 members from 10 states. We have an
annual Convention held in the fall with an average of 75 -100 people
attending.

The Conventions have been held at: Canaan State Park,
Blennerhassett Hotel, Cedar Lakes Conference Center, Holiday Inn in
Weirton, Days Inn Conference Center in Flatwoods and at the Holiday
Inn in Parkersburg.