Basket Weaving Workshops Offered in June at Saint Meinrad
Thursday, May 22, 2025Saint Meinrad Archabbey Guest House and Retreat Center will host basket weaving workshops in June titled “Basket Weaving: Beginning and Beyond.”
Saint Meinrad Archabbey Guest House and Retreat Center, St. Meinrad, IN, will host a series of four-week basket weaving workshops in June taught by Br. Jean Fish, OSB. The workshops are titled “Basket Weaving: Beginning and Beyond.”
Benedictines have a long tradition of having artisans in the monastery. This is because of how a craftsperson lives out the Benedictine motto of ora et labora, prayer and work. Rather than thinking of prayer and work as being separate tasks that occur throughout the day, art’s contemplative nature offers an opportunity to engage with both simultaneously. Basket weaving classes, therefore, are a way in which participants can encounter this monastic tradition while also being able to bring it into their contemporary lives.
Participants in this set of basket weaving classes will learn the fundamentals of weaving a twined-style basket. Initial projects will be smaller in scale so that they can be used as references for later projects. Topics such as color theory, pattern generation, and proportions will also be discussed. All skill levels are welcome to take the class.
After completing the first set of classes, participants have the option to register again to learn more advanced techniques.
Sessions will be offered at the following times:
Monday mornings; June 2, 9, 16, and 23 from 9-11 a.m. Central Time.
Monday afternoons; June 2, 9, 16, and 23 from 1:30 p.m.-3:30 p.m. Central Time.
Friday mornings; June 6, 13, 20, 27 from 9-11 a.m. Central Time.
Br. Jean Fish, OSB, a monk of Saint Meinrad Archabbey, has a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, a Master of Theology from Saint Meinrad Seminary and School of Theology, and a Bachelor of Science in anthropology from Sonoma State University, California. He is a fiber artist who works primarily with sculptural basket weaving.
The cost of each session is $145 and includes materials. For more information, to register, or to view other workshop dates, call 812-357-6611 or visit www.saintmeinrad.org/retreats/arts-crafts-workshops/.