Mavis Doering facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mavis Doering
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Naturally dyed buckbrush basket,
by Mavis Doering |
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| Born | August 31, 1929 Hominy, Oklahoma, U.S.
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| Died | 2007 |
| Nationality | Cherokee |
| Known for | Basket weaving |
Mavis Doering (1929 – 2007) was a famous Cherokee Nation basketmaker from Oklahoma. She was known for creating beautiful and unique baskets. Her work combined traditional styles with her own creative ideas.
Contents
Early Life and Learning
Mavis Doering was born in Hominy, Oklahoma. She came from a family of basketmakers. Her grandmother and mother also made baskets. Mavis mostly taught herself how to weave. In the 1970s, she studied old weaving methods. She learned from books in libraries and museums.
Her Amazing Baskets
Basket Styles and Materials
Mavis Doering's baskets were very special. They used traditional Cherokee weaving styles. These styles were from after the Cherokee people moved. But Mavis also added her own creative ideas. She painted designs on her baskets. She also added things like feathers and beads. Some baskets even told stories or looked like clay pots. Many of her baskets were "double-walled." This means they had an inner basket and an outer basket woven together.
Mavis gathered her own materials. She learned to make natural dyes. These dyes came from things like nut shells, berries, and leaves. She often found materials on her mother's land. This land was near Tahlequah, Oklahoma.
She used many different plants for her baskets. These included buckbrush, reed, and honeysuckle. She also used white oak and ash splits. Other materials were rivercane and cattail leaves. Mavis used natural dyes. She also tried bright man-made dyes.
Sharing Her Art and Teaching Others
Mavis Doering's baskets were shown in many places. Her art was displayed at museums and cultural centers. Some famous places include the Southern Plains Indian Museum and the Smithsonian Institution Folklife Festival. She also showed her work at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C.
In the early 1980s, she received big orders. The Oklahoma State Arts Council asked her to make over 50 baskets. Mavis Doering also taught other artists. She showed them how to weave double-walled baskets. One of her students was Peggy Brennan.
