Did You Know? - “Jeanne Brink: Basket Maker”

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Written By Mary Wesley

Did You Know? - Jeanne BrinK: Basket Maker

The VFC Archive is full of fascinating first-person accounts of everyday life in Vermont and New England–past and present. In this feature, we'll share these stories with you.  

Since 2022 marks the 30th anniversary of the Vermont Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Program, VTAAP, we’re spending our first installments of Did You Know? looking at the lives and experiences of VTAAP participants over the years.

This month, meet Jeanne Brink: Basket Maker. Jeanne was interviewed October 22, 1992 by VFC Folklorist Greg Sharrow.

Jeanne Brink working on a basket

  • Master Artist: Sophie Nolett (Abenaki Ash Splint and Sweetgrass Basketmaking)

  • Apprentice: Jeanne Brink (interviewed October 22, 1992 by VFC folklorist Greg Sharrow)

Jeanne Brink is someone with the distinction of having been both an apprentice in the early years of the Vermont Traditional Art Apprenticeship Program and later a master artist, coming full circle to pass on the knowledge, skills and traditions that she learned. Jeanne comes from an Abenaki basket-making family, and as an adult wanted to learn more about this aspect of her family’s heritage. In 1992 she began apprenticing with Sophie Nolett, an Abenaki basket maker from Odanak in Québec, either spending time with Sophie there or hosting her in Vermont.

In her interview, Jeanne talks about the strong friendship that developed between the two of them.

Jeanne: And it really was, for me, like having my grandmother to work with. I think those are all benefits that you can't, you don't anticipate. Because if it's a good apprenticeship, I think you have a good relationship with that master [artist]. That they're not only your master [artist] but they become your friend too, which might not work in all apprenticeships. But I think for mine, I certainly feel that Sophie is my friend now, kind of a substitute grandmother.

(Greg Sharrow): And you've got her to turn to in the future even if you don't study with her.

Jeanne: Oh yeah.

During her apprenticeship, Jeanne developed a stronger appreciation for the work that goes into a successful apprenticeship:

I think people need to know that it really takes a commitment to do it. If you're going to do it, you got to be committed to it, and not just like for me to go up there and meet with her once a month. You could say OK, I can do that once a month, I can go and meet with her. But then it's all the time in between that you got to put in practicing that. And I think that's whatever it is that you're doing, you can work with a master, but you've got to practice in between times to practice what you've learned. And I don't think I realized that to begin with, and I don't know if other people have either. There is, there's that commitment. It's not just the lesson. It's doing it in between times.

As they worked together, the learning went both ways. In the interview, Jeanne talks in particular about changes in the way that Sophie taught basket-making from having worked with her:

​​She’s got ten people making baskets. And I found out with the 10 people that she's got working under her, I think there's only one of them that can do a basket from beginning to end. Remember Paul told us how when he was a kid, each one did a different section? They still tend to do that. So one person may not know how to start a basket. Sophie usually starts most of the baskets. And she started doing that with me until I said, "I can do that." Then somebody else, there's only one person that does these, the little rings. That's all she does is do the rings and put them on. Some of them don't do the bindings and sew them on. And I think working with me, she realized they can't make a basket from beginning to end, which is what I was doing, making it from beginning, right straight through to the end. So she's starting it again in November with them, and they have to make a basket right from beginning to end, all the way through, do everything. So I think her working with me made her realize I'm learning how to make them from beginning to end and that's what they should be doing.... I think they do it more assembly-line. It's to get baskets produced because they need them to sell. Or they have an order for so many baskets that they've got to ship out. So you've got to fill the order. But I think she realizes now they've got to be able to make a basket from beginning to end. So they're going to do, I don't know, 4 months or more.So I think maybe working with me that's what she might have learned.

After working with Sophie again in 1993, Jeanne went on to become a master artist in her own right, taking on apprentice Cheryl Heath in 1994, as well as many others over the years, including her own son. Jeanne even taught one of our current master artists, Sherry Gould--the full circle comes around once again, a perfect illustration of the mission of the VTAAP program.

More about Jeanne

Mary Wesley
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