Skip to main content

Roots in the Rushes:
African American Basketry
of the Lowcountry

April 24, 2026 to April 4, 2027 Telfair Academy
Facebook (external link) Twitter (external link) Email (external link)
Roots in the Rushes installation shot. Photo credit: Stephen Harmon

For centuries, artisans in the Lowcountry have practiced one of the longest-celebrated African American art forms: coiled basketry. A technology brought to the region by those largely enslaved of West African descent, these baskets were central for rice production on plantations. Using local plant materials like bulrush and later sweetgrass, their utilitarian purpose raised to a level of artistry characterized by inventive forms and sophisticated designs. This transmission of skill and knowledge continued post-emancipation with the rise in basket production for sale among their descendants in the region’s coastal communities known as the Gullah Geechee. The flourishing Savannah market, as well as roadside stands along coastal South Carolina and Georgia, became popular sources for this artistic exchange.

Roots in the Rushes: African American Basketry of the Lowcountry explores the intricate history of this basketmaking tradition in the region. These handsewn forms were largely found in Savannah and the greater coastal Georgia and South Carolina region and highlight the historical and cultural contributions of one of the Lowcountry’s oldest handicrafts of African origin.

This exhibition is organized by Telfair Museums and is co-curated by Harry Delorme, director of education and senior curator, and Ahmauri Williams-Alford, assistant curator of historical interpretation.

Related to this exhibition

All(5)
Event

2026 Margaret Gray Thomas Lecture
May 21 at 5:30pm–7:30pm Jepson Center
Telfair Museums and Telfair’s Friends of the Owens-Thomas House present the first annual Margaret Gray Thomas Lecture by Dr. Tiffany Momon in conjunction with Roots in the Rushes: African American Basketry of the Lowcountry. Dr. Momon will lecture on the artistry and labor of enslaved and free Black craftspeople, with an emphasis on basketmaking in the Lowcountry.
Event

Juneteenth Free Family Day
June 13 All Three Sites
Enjoy the exhibition Roots in the Rushes: African American Basketry of the Lowcountry, demonstrations by basket makers Anastasia Ketchen and Gregory Grant, storytelling by Jamal Toure and Queen Quet, Chieftess of the Gullah Geechee Nation, art activities for families, and dance by Garrison School for the Arts students at the Telfair Academy. Special tours offered all day at the Owens-Thomas House & Slave Quarters.
Event

Roots in The Rushes: Ecological Excursion
September 19 at 2pm–4pm King Frazier Student Center | Savannah State University
Join Telfair Museums and Savannah State University for a unique exploration in Georgia’s “wetlands” to learn about our coastal marshes.
Event

Community in Conversation: Carrying African American Basket Traditions
November 6–November 7 Jepson Center & Telfair Academy
Telfair Museums will host ‘Community in Conversation: Carrying African American Basket Traditions,’ with programs taking place November 6 and 7. We invite basket makers, scholars, museum professionals, educators, environmentalists, art enthusiasts, and community members to join in conversations about this significant American craft tradition.
Event

2026 Margaret Gray Thomas Lecture
May 21 at 5:30pm–7:30pm Jepson Center
Telfair Museums and Telfair’s Friends of the Owens-Thomas House present the first annual Margaret Gray Thomas Lecture by Dr. Tiffany Momon in conjunction with Roots in the Rushes: African American Basketry of the Lowcountry. Dr. Momon will lecture on the artistry and labor of enslaved and free Black craftspeople, with an emphasis on basketmaking in the Lowcountry.
Event

Juneteenth Free Family Day
June 13 All Three Sites
Enjoy the exhibition Roots in the Rushes: African American Basketry of the Lowcountry, demonstrations by basket makers Anastasia Ketchen and Gregory Grant, storytelling by Jamal Toure and Queen Quet, Chieftess of the Gullah Geechee Nation, art activities for families, and dance by Garrison School for the Arts students at the Telfair Academy. Special tours offered all day at the Owens-Thomas House & Slave Quarters.
Event

Roots in The Rushes: Ecological Excursion
September 19 at 2pm–4pm King Frazier Student Center | Savannah State University
Join Telfair Museums and Savannah State University for a unique exploration in Georgia’s “wetlands” to learn about our coastal marshes.
Event

Community in Conversation: Carrying African American Basket Traditions
November 6–November 7 Jepson Center & Telfair Academy
Telfair Museums will host ‘Community in Conversation: Carrying African American Basket Traditions,’ with programs taking place November 6 and 7. We invite basket makers, scholars, museum professionals, educators, environmentalists, art enthusiasts, and community members to join in conversations about this significant American craft tradition.
Become a Member
Telfair Museums
Jepson Center & Telfair Children's Art Museum
Telfair Academy
Owens-Thomas House & Slave Quarters
Telfair Academy (View On Google Maps - external link)Jepson Center (View On Google Maps - external link)Owens-Thomas House (View On Google Maps - external link)
Mailing Address
Telfair Museums
PO Box 10081
Savannah, GA 31412
Phone Number
912.790.8800
eNewsletter Signup
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
Signup
Social Media
© 2026 Telfair Museums. All rights reserved.