Susan Billy is a Pomo basket weaver and designer, author and historian, curator and businesswoman. She is now exhibiting her baskets at Mashantucket Pequot Museum and Research Center, Mashantucket, Connecticut. This is the largest Indian-owned museum in the US, a trend setter in preserving and presenting Native American cultural traditions.

Susan is guest-curator, consultant, and demonstrator for the Smithsonian NATIONAL MUSEUM OF THE AMERICAN INDIAN Exhibit "Pomo Indian Basket Weavers: Their Baskets and the Art Market ."

Susan Billy’s father is full-blooded Pomo from Hopland. She learned everything about baskets from her great aunt Elsie Allen, a legendary Pomo basket weaver, studying with her from 1974 until her death in 1991. Today Susan Billy is a leader in passing on the legacy of Pomo basketry.

In the 1940’s Elsie Allen’s mother, Annie Burke joined other young mothers in Hopland to form the Pomo Mothers’ Club. This later expanded into the Pomo Indian Women’s Club, whose purpose was to promote social, physical and financial health of Pomo people through education, social networking and fundraising. Displaying their baskets became a way to communicate with and educate the non-Indian world about Pomos.

It was also the beginning of the legendary basket collection, which connects this group of women to great great-grandmother basketweavers and reaches into the future to be a resource to future daughters who want to learn the ancient designs and techniques of Pomo baskets.

Mixed into this story of baskets are the families, culture, joys, sorrows, and everyday life in Mendocino County.

BEAD FEVER is Susan’s shop in Ukiah, Mendocino County, where feathers, shells, leather, beads, Susan’s books and expert knowledge are available to artists making Native American crafts. BEAD FEVER is located at 162 W. Smith, a block north of the Courthouse, downtown Ukiah, just a ½ block west of North State Street.

Rob Ruiz, 5th grade teacher from Round Valley Elementary, is gathering shells, feathers and beads for his students to make dreamcatchers. ARTS ALIVE! funds are paying for the materials and the artist to demonstrate and help students learn the craft.

To learn more about Susan and her spiritual, physical and artistic journey with Pomo Basket Weaving go to http://www.mcn.org/a/mendoart/ae/199903/susan.html

To see Susan Billy demonstrating her tools, and weaving baskets, go to http://www.conexus.si.edu/pomo2/?pos=37

Susan Billy is a contemporary artist with her roots deep in tradition. She was selected as one of 200 American women designers of the 20th Century. She exhibited one of her Pomo feathered baskets in WOMEN DESIGNERS IN THE USA 1900—2000: DIVERSITY AND DIFFERENCE at The Bard Graduate Center for Studies in the Decorative Arts, Design, and Culture, New York City. http://www.bgc.bard.edu/exhibit/womenintro.html