Petty Shepard The African Hut (Mary Otieno)
Kingsport, TN
I grew up weaving baskets in Africa. My mentor was and is still my mother. This is what put food on the table and paid tuition fees for my siblings and myself. Basket weaving is a very common art in Africa as people use baskets to store food and to gather fruits and vegetables from the farm.
I moved to America over 30 years ago to pursue education and graduated with a Bachelors Degree in Business from East Tennessee State University. My mother joined me later on and now she and I weave baskets and sell them at different art shows. I use the knowledge I learned from ETSU there to run our business. We have switched our designs to where they are not only functional but they are also decorative. Most of all they are very good for the environment.