Draft:Neal Thomas

Neal Thomas is a white oak basketmaker from Wendell, North Carolina. He is a recipient of the 2023 North Carolina Heritage Award.

=Art Career= When in his early 20s, Thomas and his brothers learned how to make baskets in Johnston County, North Carolina from Herman Holden. Thomas has 45 years of experience. He picks the trees himself and then splits the wood with an axe. Once split, he uses a sharp blade to extract strips of oak to weave the baskets. Thomas draws inspiration from basketmaking traditions in North Carolina, which have Native American, European, and African origins. Thomas's baskets are sturdy, utilitary baskets used to hold a variety of items from livestock to home goods.

Thomas participated in Juneteenth celebrations in Raleigh, North Carolina in 2023, where he made baskets reminiscent of those used in early Juneteenth celebrations.