Polly Sutton

Polly Sutton is a long-time resident of Seattle’s Beacon Hill neighborhood. She creates her basketry art from the fibers of native Washington species: cedar bark gathered in freshly-logged forests and sweet-grass respectively collected from Pacific Ocean tide-flats. She has become well-known for using the flexibility of the cedar and sweet-grass fibers to create asymmetrical art in the manner of free-form baskets. Her work is widely exhibited. Twelve times, the prestigious international Sculpture Objects & Functional Art (SOFA) Fair has invited Polly to display her art at their annual Chicago and New York City festivals. In addition, 50 museums, galleries and associations across the U.S., including browngrotta arts (Wilton, CT) and Mobilia Gallery (Cambridge, MA) display her work. A photo of one of her free-form baskets graces the cover of the ‘coffee-table” book, 500 Baskets: A Celebration of the Basketmaker’s Art (Lark Books, 2006). The Boston (MA) Museum of Fine Arts and the Kamm Teapot Collection both have added her work to their collections. The National Basketry Organization, previously supported a traveling exhibit “Rooted, Revived, Reinvented: Basketry in America, along with a written history which included Polly’s work. A large installation of her work was acquired last year by the Smithsonian American Art Museum and is now on display in the Renwick Gallery’s 50th Anniversary exhibition “This Present Moment.” Polly earned a Master of Arts degree in art education from Michigan State University and a bachelor’s degree in art from Eureka College, Eureka IL. Polly received a 2012 GAP grant.