A former Mitchell County renowned artist passed away on October 12th. Billie Ruth Sudduth, was well-known in this area, the state and nation for her basket-making. Billie Ruth and her husband Doug were living in New Bern, NC when she passed. Describing her life she said, “I think that my legacy is that I opened a new world for basket-makers by getting baskets off the floor and onto pedestals as art objects people want to collect like they collect glass and pottery, and that baskets are now seen in an entirely different light.” She and Doug were on the road for 25 years as she exhibited and sold her baskets at craft shows. Her baskets are in the collections of the Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian Institution, the Museum of Art and Design in New York, Charles A Wustum Museum of Fine Art in Racine, Wisconsin, the Mint Museum of Craft and Design in Charlotte, the Asheville Art Museum in North Carolina, and the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts in Alabama. Her highest honor came in 1997 when she was named a Living Treasure by the State of North Carolina, In 2008 she was awarded the Order of the Long Leaf Pine. She was selected to exhibit at the prestigious Smithsonian Craft Show for thirteen years. Her extensive basket teaching experience included Penland School of Crafts, John C. Campbell Folk School, and Arrowmont, as well as conducting numerous workshops throughout the country.
A memorial service to celebrate and honor Billie Ruth’s life will be held at Christ Episcopal Church, New Bern, North Carolina, on Monday, October 25 at 1:00 p.m.
Above photo courtesy caftinamerica.org
Billie Ruth’s book available on Amazon
