Cherish Parrish facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Cherish Parrish
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| Born | 1989 (age 35–36) |
| Nationality | Potawatomi-Odawa (American) |
| Known for | Basket making, birchbark biting |
Cherish Nebeshanze Parrish (born 1989) is a talented artist from the United States. She is famous for making beautiful baskets from a special tree called the black ash. She also creates unique art pieces called birchbark bitings.
Cherish is a member of the Match-e-be-nash-she-wish Band of Pottawatomi Indians of Michigan. She also has family roots in the Odawa tribe. Her art connects deeply with her Native American heritage.
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A Family Tradition
Cherish Parrish comes from a long line of artists. She is a sixth-generation black ash basket weaver. This means her family has been making these baskets for many generations! She learned this amazing skill from her mother, who is also a well-known artist named Kelly Church.
Awards and Recognition
Cherish Parrish has received many honors for her artwork.
- In 2006, she was part of the Michigan Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Program. This program helps young artists learn from experienced masters.
- She also took part in the 2006 Smithsonian Folklife Festival. There, she was called a "Next Generation Weaver."
- In 2012, Cherish won the top prize at the Eiteljorg Museum Indian Market. This was a big deal because it was the first time a basket had ever won "best of show" at that event!
How She Creates Her Art
Cherish uses materials from nature to make her art.
- She gets the flexible bark from black ash trees. She finds these trees in the swampy areas of Michigan.
- She then weaves the bark into very tight baskets.
- She started by weaving baskets freely, without a guide. Now, she also weaves around a mold. This helps her create specific shapes.
- Cherish also makes "birchbark bitings." This is a traditional art form of the Anishinaabe people of Michigan. It involves biting patterns into thin pieces of birchbark.
Meaning in Her Work
Cherish Parrish often creates art that celebrates women. She makes baskets that look like the shapes of women's bodies.
- One of her famous works is called The Next Generation—The Carriers of Culture.
- This piece was shown in a 2019 art show called Hearts of our People.
- It is a black ash basket shaped like a pregnant woman's belly.
- An artist named Jonathon Keats said this work shows how useful things and beautiful things can be connected. He said it suggests that the future of a people comes from their heritage, just like a baby comes from its mother.
Exhibitions
Cherish Parrish's art has been shown in important exhibitions:
- An Interwoven Legacy: The Black Ash Basketry of Kelly Church and Cherish Parrish (2021–22) at the Grand Rapids Art Museum, Grand Rapids, MI.
- Hearts of our People: Native Women Artists (2019) at the Minneapolis Institute of Art, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States.
