Workshops | Donya Stockton

Sculptural Basketry Workshop

Join me June 14-21, 2026 in beautiful Sauveterre-de-Béarn, France for a week of sculptural basket making

detail woven sculpture art basket stained modern rustic seed pods curvy

"Says Who?"

About 20 years ago, the trajectory of my work was completely changed when a basketry instructor asked me this question. We were in a class talking about form and shape and what made an object a “basket”. I had come from a very traditional basketry background and struggled with how shape, materials, and, most of all, structure came together to make an object a “sculptural/nonfunctional” basket. I had revolted against my own idea of what I wanted the piece to look like because it “wasn’t a basket.” But, as innocuous as it sounds, “Says who?” was powerful. It gave me the freedom to decide what is and isn’t a basket, or if that label even matters (it really doesn’t). It gave me the power to use the years of accumulated knowledge that I had in making traditional, structurally sound baskets and turn them on their ears. It gave me permission to do what I wanted, not what was prescribed by millennia of tradition.

Since then, I have developed techniques to achieve shapes and forms that I wouldn’t have believed were possible, melding tradition and art with materials from nature (sticks, driftwood, seedpods, and various natural dyestuffs for color). Each piece is evocative of the natural world, be they amoebas, sea anemones, pods, vines, or maybe things that don’t have names yet!

My goal for this workshop is to impart to you, my collaborators, a sense of “says who”. For each of you to walk away with the freedom to say that your imagination is your only limitation, not the arbitrary rules imposed by some nameless faceless other, nor the confines of bases and borders and rims. We will take walks along the banks of the Gave L’Oloron, collecting materials that we may or may not use to incorporate into our pieces (sometimes you think you want to use something and it just doesn't work- that's totally fine!). Weather permitting, we will choose a place on the river path to create an impromptu sculpture or five, using materials that we find along the way and nearby, incorporating them into small (or large) weavings “hidden in plain sight” that will bring joy to the people who discover them. We will create fluid, organic forms in the studio, incorporating natural and found materials as desired. By the end of the week, I hope to give you the tools to create strong, solid, stand-alone structures with fluidity, movement, and light. Bring your own ideas and I will help to make them a reality.

This workshop is open to everyone! Never woven a basket before? Come and learn how! Woven dozens of baskets already and want to learn how to make them weird (or, weirder?)? Let's do it! While I will devote some time to making sure our creations are structural, so they aren't going to fall apart or distort under the slightest pressure, the concepts we will cover are limited only by your own imagination, let's make some fun and crazy pieces together and see what we can accomplish.

Where and when?

Our workshop will be June 15-20, 2026 in the tiny, picturesque medieval village of Sauveterre-de-Béarn in the Pyrénées-Atlantique region of the south of France. The historic village is situated on the banks of the Gave L’Oloron, a clear flowing river with many secluded areas perfect for swimming.

We will meet on Sunday the 14th for a welcome dinner, and will depart on the 21st.

Our accommodations and studio space will be in the historic 1000 year old Guard House, a gorgeous building centered around a huge stone spiral staircase. There are eight beautifully appointed rooms, four with private baths, three with private showers and a shared WC, and one with ensuite sink and shared WC, bath and shower.

Pictures of accommodations can be found here.

What is included?

Welcome dinner on June 14
7 days and 8 nights accommodations in the Guard House
Ample daily studio time
One-on-one personalized instruction with Donya Stockton
Five days of classes, talks, and exploratory walks
Many tools and materials are provided, but feel free to bring any that you feel will enhance your experience
Daily continental breakfast
Most lunches and dinners (includes coffee, tea, or glass of wine)
Pick up at Biarritz airport or train station on June 14

What is not included?

Airfare, and transportation (other than possible pick up from Biarritz 6/14)
Optional lunch at Choko-Ona in Espelette (Michelin starred restaurant in charming Basque village) (approximately €70 including transportation)

woven sphere black and white contained basket within a basket orb sculpture woven art contemporary complex

How do I get to

Sauveterre-de-Béarn?

The nearest airports are:

Biarritz, France (BIQ) about 52 minutes away by car
Pau, France (PUF) about 53 minutes away by car
Lourdes, France (LDE) about 1 hour away by car
San Sebastian, Spain (EAS) about 1 hour, 15 minutes by car

The nearest train stations are:

Puyoô about 17 minutes away by car
Navarenx about 22 minutes away by car
Orthez about 25 minutes away by car

There are several websites like rome2rio.com and omio.com that can help find routes for flights and for ground transportation to Sauveterre-de-Béarn. I have had good luck with the app/website sncf-connect.com for booking train tickets in France. There are limited taxis in the Sauveterre-de-Béarn area, but Magdalena will be arranging one pick up in the afternoon on June 14 at Biarritz airport and train stations.