STERLING JOHNSON CREATIONS

Based outside of Demopolis, Estelle Jackson, matriarch of the Johnson clan is a third generation basket weaver. She learned the craft from her father, the late, Sterling Johnson, a renowned basket maker in the Black Belt region.

The family has always taken a traditional approach to basketry. They start from scratch, gathering white oak trees from local woodlands, stripping and shaping the reeds, hand-weaving their rustic, utilitarian baskets for the marketplace.

Estelle continues to sell her baskets at festivals throughout the state. She has been featured in several articles and publications including, most recently, Visions of the Black Belt: A Cultural Survey of the Heart of Alabama By Robin McDonald and Valerie Pope Burnes.