Adirondack Basketry
Meet Linda Scherz Allen

Linda has always enjoyed being creative since she was little whether cooking, baking, sewing or gardening; her talent continues to shine through.  

Basket weaving became part of her life after moving to Beaver Falls in the 1980’s.  It didn’t take long for that creativity to come out.  She opened a shop at her home in 1990 carrying basket supplies and her hand-woven baskets.  Shortly thereafter she was approached to teach classes at the local BOCES and also encouraged to consider joining a cooperative shop “The Artworks” in Old Forge.  With her ambition and always ready to take on a challenge attitude, she said yes.  Linda is still an active member of “The Artworks”, displaying and selling her baskets.  The Arts Center in Old Forge also requested Linda to teach basket classes at the center. 

Attending The Basketry Festival in Stowe, Vermont in the early 1990’s, Cass Schorsch was teaching a class on harvesting and creating with bark.  This was just the beginning of another avenue down the basketry road. 

Waxed linen and beads became another adventure.  This is wonderful take along work as you don’t need to soak it to work with it.  It also doesn’t take up much space.  Combine that with the challenge of designing intricate patterns, Linda was hooked.

Linda continues to expand her education by attending workshops and conferences whenever her schedule allows.

Her ability to design and write patterns combined with her desire to share her knowledge and help others has lead to the continued expansion of her teaching throughout the Northeast.

Linda has consistently won first place and best of show at the Lewis County Fair as well as second and first place at the New York State Fair.  She won Best Miniature at the Stowe Basketry Festival.  She continues to show and exhibit at various locations.  In April 2004, Linda was chosen to be “One of the North Countries Finest” by Jim Redmond of WWNY-TV.

The wonderful feeling to see a student excited upon completing their basket, making a new design that someone calls exquisite, meeting the many challenges along the way and finding solutions for them, are what a true artist does and memories that last their lifetime.

I believe that my talent is “in my genes” as relatives from both my mother’s and father’s families were and are very talented in many different areas.