Recorded March 23rd 2021. 

In this information-packed interview, Sweetgrass basket maker Corey Alston takes us through the history of basket making in Gullah culture. Corey relates how the tragic history of African enslavement is inextricably rooted to his story as a maker and how his work is directly influenced by Gullah culture. Harvesting his materials by hand is important to him as he navigates the diminishing availability of wild sweetgrass in his area that was once a much more procurable material. But even within that dynamic, he tenaciously gives back to other weavers within the sweetgrass weaving community when able.

To find more of Corey’s work check him out on Facebook: Corey Alston Gullah Sweetgrass Baskets, find him on Instagram @corey_alston_sweetgrass, email him [email protected], or call him 843-442-1855.

Corey’s craft crushes are: Sweetgrass elders and the ancestors who passed down the skills and knowledge of weaving, and Barack Obama. 

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