Growing
up in Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina., Henrietta
Snype remembers walking a mile to sell her family’s
baskets on Highway 17. Raised by basketmakers,
she learned from her mother Mary Mazyck and grandmother
Elizabeth Coakley Johnson. Early on, they instilled
a sense of history and pride in the craft. A dedicated
teacher and cultural advocate, Henrietta Snype
went on to become one of the founding members
of the Mt. Pleasant Basketmaker Association. Founded
in 1988 to organize sweetgrass basketmakers, the
Association is dedicated to promoting, protecting
and preserving the tradition for generations to
come. Her work has been exhibited at the Henry
Ford Museum in Dearborn, MI, the Arts Festival
in Birmingham, AL, and the Smithsonian Folklife
Festival. She has presented talks at many museums,
including the Smithsonian Institution.
|
