Neal Thomas cutting strips of white oak for basketmaking

Neal Thomas is a white oak basketmaker from Wendell, North Carolina. He is a recipient of the 2023 North Carolina Heritage Award.[1]

Art Career

edit

When in his early 20s, Thomas and his brothers learned how to make baskets in Johnston County, North Carolina from Herman Holden. Thomas has 45 years of experience. He picks the trees himself and then splits the wood with an axe. Once split, he uses a sharp blade to extract strips of oak to weave the baskets.[2] [3][4]

 
Neal Thomas with one of his handmade baskets

Thomas draws inspiration from basketmaking traditions in North Carolina, which have Native American, European, and African origins. Thomas's baskets are sturdy, utilitary baskets used to hold a variety of items from livestock to home goods.[5]

Thomas participated in Juneteenth celebrations in Raleigh, North Carolina in 2023, where he made baskets reminiscent of those used in early Juneteenth celebrations.[6]

References

edit
  1. ^ "2023 NC Heritage Award Recipients". North Carolina Arts Council. 17 October 2022. Retrieved 26 June 2024.
  2. ^ Klahre, Ayn-Monique. "Locals: Neal Thomas". Walter Magazine. Retrieved 18 July 2024.
  3. ^ "Carolina Creators: Neal Thomas". Carolina Country. NC Department of Natural and Cultural Resources. Retrieved 18 July 2024.
  4. ^ "Meet 2023 Heritage Award Honoree Neal Thomas". SoundCloud. Arts Across NC. Retrieved 18 July 2024.
  5. ^ "2023 North Carolina Heritage Awards (2023 Down Home Concerts)". PineCone.org. PineCone: Where Roots Music Matters. Retrieved 18 July 2024.
  6. ^ Lawson, Alexis. "5 Juneteenth Celebrations Across North Carolina You Don't Want to Miss". Cardinal & Pine. Retrieved 18 July 2024.