Brasstown Basketweaver Mary Doornbos Joins

Working with abundant local vines, Mary Doornbos creates baskets accented with dyed rattan and other natural materials in vibrant colors, all from natural dyes. Her process begins with gathering and preparing vines from the fields and woods around her home, carefully cleaning, trimming, dying and shaping them before weaving. The addition of rattan and a variety of natural materials brings both contrast and vibrancy, while the structure of each basket reflects a balance of strength and grace. These beautiful, sturdy pieces are built to last—likely for generations.

Mary lives in Brasstown, North Carolina, and served as Craft Shop Manager at the John C. Campbell Folk School from March 1997 until her retirement in March 2020. She possesses a deep love for nature and the rejuvenation of natural materials for use in daily life. Every basket is both functional and sculptural—designed to carry, store, and serve, yet equally worthy of display as a work of art.