"Global Warming", 2016

Diane Douglas-Willard
Haida

The berry basket is woven in red and yellow cedar bark with "half the head of Salmon Berry" design in red canary grass. A polar bear amulet is attached to the bottom inside the basket. This piece exemplifies Diane's distinctive ability to expertly combine cedar bark weaving techniques with Ravenstail design, and is a powerful commentary on a topic that affects the future of traditional materials and lifeways. The vibrant red that encircles the basket is not only a traditional design, the upward-aiming pattern creates the effect of rising heat surrounding the cool white of the polar bear.

Diane Douglas-Willard is a central part of the Totem Heritage Center's Native Arts Studies Program as both a student and instructor for over 25 years. Beginning as a student, Diane took her first weaving class with Lucy Rainman in 1989. She learned from Delores Churchill, Cheryl Samuel, Esther Shea, Isreal Shotridge, Steve Brown, Duane Pasco, Nathan Jackson, Evelyn Vanderhoop and others, most recently taking a Chilkat weaving class from Dorica Jackson in 2017. She began teaching at the Totem Heritage Center in 1991, was awarded a Certificate of Merit in Weaving in 1994.

Purchase of this artwork has been made possible through the generous support of the Rasmuson Foundation Art Acquisition Fund.

Ketchikan Museums
KM 2018.2.6.1