Clay Burnette

Clay Burnette has been creating pine needle baskets for over 35 years and has exhibited his work in over 225 shows throughout the US. In 2000, his work was selected for inclusion in two significant exhibitions: Contemporary International Basketry, which opened in Manchester, England and toured the United Kingdom for two years; and 100 Years/100 Artists: Views of the 20th Century in SC Art, exhibited at the SC State Museum in Columbia. He was the 1987 recipient of the SC Arts Commission’s Craft Fellowship and is included in numerous public and private collections including The White House Christmas Tree Ornament Collection, Southern Progress (Southern Accents Magazine), Columbia Museum of Art, The Mint Museum of Craft + Design, Charlotte, NC; SC History Center, Columbia, SC; AGL Resources, Atlanta, GA; SC State Art Collection, Columbia, SC; and the SC State Museum, to name a few.

He has exhibited his baskets at the Smithsonian Craft Show, Philadelphia Craft Show, ACC Atlanta Craft Show, ACC Charlotte Craft Show, SOFA New York, and SOFA Chicago. His works have been included in numerous printed publications including Contemporary International Basketmaking; Baskets: Tradition and Beyond; 500 Baskets; and Craft in America: Celebrating the Creative Work of the Hand. His most recent work can be seen in Tradition/Innovation: American Masterpieces of Southern Craft & Traditional Art, a regional exhibition that is touring the southeastern US. His work is also part of a 3­year exhibit at the US Embassy in Dakar, Senegal as part of the US Art in Embassies Program. In addition to basketmaking, Clay is also a handweaver and has a background in metalsmithing and ceramics. He has managed a custom jewelry store as well as a fine crafts gallery, and was a retail/wholesale buyer of fine crafts for many years. He has served as a juror and judge for numerous crafts events throughout the region.

Clay splits his time between his job as Director of Grants and Fellowships at the SC Arts Commission and his fibers studio in Columbia. His work can also be viewed at: www.clayburnette.com