Mike learned the art of basketry in 1992 from master Cherokee weaver, Shawna Morton-Cain who was designated a Living Treasure of the Cherokee Nation in 2006 for her knowledge and skill in the art of Cherokee basketry.[2] However he says that his interest in basketry began during childhood when he would watch his grandmother, the late Pauline Dart weave baskets and build woven furniture out of willow, hickory and other materials native to the land around her home.
Coffeyville, Kansas (ICC) Mike Dart is an award winning Cherokee artist specializing in the art of contemporary Cherokee Double Wall Basketry. His baskets have placed in several shows throughout northeastern Oklahoma including the First Annual Cherokee National Holiday Art Show in Tahlequah, Okla., The Art Under the Oaks Art Show at the Five Tribes Museum in Muskogee, Okla., and most recently he placed in the 2007 Trail of Tears Art Show and Sale at the Cherokee Heritage Center in Tahlequah, Okla., which is one of the largest Native American art shows in the Midwest.
His art is quickly becoming recognized and appreciated by many collectors and institutions within the Native American art circle. Dart learned the art of Basketry from master Cherokee weaver, Shawna Morton-Cain who was designated a Master Craftswoman Living Treasure of the Cherokee Nation in 2006 for her knowledge and skill in the art of Cherokee basketry. However he says that his interest in basketry began during childhood when he would watch his grandmother, the late Pauline Dart weave baskets and build woven furniture.
Oklahoma Native American Basketweavers Association Cherokee Nation Cherokee and Other Oklahoma Tribes Oklahoma Folklife and Native American Profiles Oklahoma Indians and Genealogy Cherokee Baskets by Ken Master Oklahoma Historical Links National Basketry Organization Basketmakers, Susi Nuss A comprehensive informational site for basketmakers, basket artists, vendors of basketmaking materials and all others interested in the art of basketweaving
