By Melanie McGee Bianchi
Photos By Steve Mann
On paper, Billie Ruth Sudduth’s resume looks as crammed and impressive as the configuration of pi. Which seems appropriate, because in her 25-some years weaving, teaching and exalting basketry in and beyond Western North Carolina, Sudduth’s legacy seems as entrenched as that mathematical constant.
It adds up, because Sudduth made her name by utilizing the formula of 13th-century Italian mathematician Leonardo of Pisa, better known as Fibonacci. Based on the measurements of spirals found in nature—think the whorl of a seashell, or the folds of a rose—the Fibonacci sequence, or "golden ratio," has been applied for centuries in architecture, poetry and music.
And, for over two decades, it’s been applied in Billie Ruth’s basketry.
On the eve of a recent reception at UNCA recognizing Sudduth’s quarter-century contribution to the regional craft scene, the soft-spoken artisan referred to "meeting Fibonacci" as she might recall a bouquet-bearing suitor. "The more I got into designing my baskets, the more complicated they became, and it dawned on me how much math there was in these baskets, how important it was in their design," she says.
Her analytical approach is understandable. For two decades before she took up basket making as a relaxing hobby, Sudduth worked as a school psychologist, neck-deep in stress and statistics. "When I started making baskets," she says, "approaching it mathematically was a natural progression."
Initially, Sudduth balanced both callings, while also raising two sons with her husband Doug at their home in Bakersville. When she eventually left her old career, she deftly wove the scholastic part of her past into her new passion. "The first people I taught [basket weaving to] were schoolteachers," says Sudduth.
She has since spearheaded basket- weaving curricula at regional art institutions including Penland School of Crafts, Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts and John C. Campbell Folk School. Students all along the age spectrum have attended her "Math in a Basket" classes. "I could also teach ‘Chemistry in a Basket,’" Sudduth quips, reflecting on her home-mixed dyes—made from natural materials like walnut and henna, plus what she calls a "magic ingredient" in her well water. "Or ‘History in a Basket,’ because people in every culture make them."
That ubiquitous history has informed Sudduth’s work as profoundly as Fibonacci’s formula. She speaks admiringly of traditional Appalachian egg baskets with double complementary curves, which are echoed in some of her own forms. "There are not tons of the original ones left," she points out, "because they were work baskets. But I also enjoy what some of the contemporary basket makers do—metal pieces where you’re not even aware that they’re baskets."
Though functional pieces are still among her repertoire, Sudduth has increasingly focused on making art baskets. The crimson-saturated "Red Cat’s Head Basket," advanced from an old Shaker design, is clearly one such showpiece. "These are baskets that will hold your interest, not just your objects," is her oft-repeated pitch.
More examples of cat’s-head-style baskets were on display at last year’s ambitious, 19-artist retrospective "Pursuing Excellence: Studio Craft Movement in Western North Carolina," a joint exhibit of Asheville’s Blue Spiral 1 and the Center for Craft Creativity and Design in Hendersonville.
Her precise, yet accessible works have brought the artisan a national reputation. Sudduth’s works are numbered in the collections of the Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian Institution, the Museum of Art and Design in New York and the Mint Museum of Craft and Design in Charlotte, among a long list of other venues.
In 1997, the North Carolina state government named her a Living Treasure, its loftiest designation for artistic achievement. "That’s right up there at the top" of her proudest moments, the artist admits. Another of those moments was, no doubt, her selection to create 115 of her signature "Carolina Snowflake" ornaments for one of the White House Christmas trees in 2006.
Yet another honor was conferred at Sudduth’s reception at UNCA when Diane Ruggiero, superintendent of cultural arts with the City of Asheville, presented her with a proclamation from Mayor Terry Bellamy declaring September 26 to be Billie Ruth Sudduth Day. "Do I get free parking now?" quipped Sudduth without missing a beat, before confessing that she was "sort of overwhelmed" by the designation.
It’s clear that, despite the accolades, Sudduth remains down-to-earth. There is even a charming lack of pretense evident in the acronym she invented to name her business, JABOBS, which stands for "Just a Bunch of Baskets."
Dian Magie, executive director of the Center for Craft, Creativity and Design, believes that Sudduth’s easygoing attitude has greatly enhanced her success. "Her accessibility has been an important part of her reputation," says Magie. "You can go to her studio and she’ll take the time to show you how she splits the reeds, how she makes the dye, how she comes up with her theories. She is so enthusiastic about what she does, and so open. We are fortunate that she has so much joy in sharing her skills."
That warmth was present at the weekend basket-making workshop, part of a Studio Master Series sponsored by UNCA’s Center for Creative Retirement, which followed her recent gala reception. Ever the teacher, Sudduth was eager to reassure her students. "I promise you that you will leave my class with something resembling a basket," she guaranteed. Then she patiently began to show them how to do the math.
