Please join us in the bookstore for a conversation between professor and author of Row Upon Row Dale Rosengarten, master sweetgrass weaver Henrietta Snype, and her son - also a sweetgrass artisan - Donovan Snype.
On Saturday, July 16 from 1:00 - 3:00 pm, we will have a trio of experts in the store to teach us all about the history and evolution of sweetgrass baskets! If you’ve ever walked around downtown Charleston, you’ve almost certainly come across the art of sweetgrass weaving. Originating in West Africa, sweetgrass weaving has - through generations - become a beloved and sought after cultural staple here in the Lowcountry.
Join us in the store as Dale Rosengarten - author of Row Upon Row - walks us through what she learned in her years of studying sweetgrass weaving and the writing of her book. Dale will be in conversation with Henrietta Snype, master weaver, and her son Donovan Snype, who is helping to herald in the next generation of the art. After the talk, hang around to get your book signed and peruse the wares. Henrietta and Donovan will have a variety of sweetgrass products - baskets and beyond - for sale. We are beyond lucky to have this group in the store and hope you’ll join us!
This is a free, in-store event. Please email rsvp@buxtonbooks.com to reserve your spot!
ABOUT ROW UPON ROW:
An in-depth, illustrated history of South Carolina's Lowcountry baskets.
Coiled grass baskets are icons of Gullah culture. From their roots in Africa, through their evolution on Lowcountry rice plantations, to their modern appreciation as art objects sought by collectors and tourists, these vessels are carriers of African American history and the African-inspired culture that took hold along the coast of South Carolina and neighboring states.
Row Upon Row, the first comprehensive history of this folk art, remains a classic in the field. The fourth edition brings the narrative into the twenty-first century, with a chapter describing current challenges to the survival of the time-honored tradition. The artform continues to adapt to the changing consumer market, the availability of materials, economic opportunities, and most recently, the widening of the highway near the majority of basket stands. As globalization transforms the world, the coiled basket in all its iterations retains its power as a local symbol of individual identity and cultural distinction.
A preface is provided by Jane Przybysz, executive director of the McKissick Museum at the University of South Carolina.
ABOUT DALE ROSENGARTEN:
Dale Rosengarten, founding director of the Jewish Heritage Collection at the College of Charleston Library, earned her B.A. and Ph.D. from Harvard University. Working with McKissick Museum at the University of South Carolina, she developed the traveling exhibition A Portion of the People: Three Hundred Years of Southern Jewish Life (2002-03) and co-edited a book by the same name. While assembling a distinguished archives on southern Jewish history and culture, Dale has continued to pursue her other chief field of interest - the African-American tradition of coiled basketry. Ms. Rosengarten occasionally teaches a Jewish Studies special topics course, the most recent having been King Street as Classroom in Spring 2013.
ABOUT HENRIETTA SNYPE:
A true artist and craftswoman, Henrietta Snype is a master sweetgrass basket weaver and educator. She is devoted to the education and revival of a culture rich in tradition. Born and raised in Mount Pleasant, S.C., she learned how to weave baskets at the age of seven from her mother, Mary Mazyck, and grandmother.
Snype’s skill is universally recognized. Her work has been featured at countless museums across the U.S. including the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of African Art. She is a community advocate for sweetgrass basket makers and is one of the founding members of the Sweetgrass Basket Makers Association. Snype has also passed this art form down to her children and grandchildren who are now the family’s fifth generation of basket makers.
ABOUT DONOVAN SNYPE:
Donovan J. Snype is an accomplished photographer and cinematographer with over 18 years of experience and is a Canon Certified Professional Photographer. His work is remarkable, beautiful, and candid shots. He captures the true emotion of the moment. He began photography at the age of 9 when his father let him use one of his discarded cameras, and he hasn’t put down the camera since.
A native son of Charleston, Donovan has spent years honing his craft and is dedicated to the art and science of video and photography. He has worked on production sets such as “Four Weddings” and “Army Wives” and has worked with celebrities such as Larry Miller, The Future, Juicy J, Roscoe Dash, and has filmed other major music artists in packed out arenas. Donovan believes no job is too small and that every moment deserves to be captured and cherished. Shooting with grace, style, and precision, Donovan ensures that every important detail is preserved so that it may be enjoyed time and time again.
Donovan is the son of master sweetgrass weaver Henrietta Snype and is ushering in the next generation of weavers as an artisan himself and visionary.