Baskets and Bubbly

PHOTOS BY BILL HOENK

The Nantucket Lightship Basket Museum and Nantucket Historical Association threw a party over the weekend as part of their annual summer fundraiser, Baskets & Bubbly. The party, held in the garden of NHA’s historic Hadwen House on upper Main Street, was a special evening dedicated to the iconic Nantucket craft of lightship-basket making.

“Every Nantucket lightship basket, unique unto itself, carries with it the heart and soul of the person who made it, reflecting their creativity and ingenuity,” wrote Karen Butler and Jackie Kupper, the event co-chairs. “It is with great pleasure and joy that we are inspired to do our small part in helping this historic basket craft, which originated on Nantucket Island, continue to be vibrantly alive and relevant to this very day.”

A nine-day online auction accompanied the garden party. The auction featured many one-of-a-kind items, including more than 25 lightship baskets, an intricately woven mini pendant by Janet Carreau, jewelry designed and woven by Michael Kane, a petite basket woven and embellished by maker Nap Plank, and many more unique pieces.