Evelyn Cly

Evelyn Rock Cly first made pitch pots, vessels for carrying water, with her paternal grandmother. Then she learned about weaving ts’aa’ (ceremonial baskets), from her mother and many sisters, including Peggy Rock Black. Evelyn is known for bold geometric designs and trying novel techniques, like stitching three-dimensional figures onto her baskets. Some of her designs, like the Alphabet Basket, are both challenging and whimsical. Her work was recognized with a Grand Prize at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff. Evelyn’s creativity demands an outlet: “Sometimes I just want to jump into my weaving and try to push myself to get something out that I have going through my mind . . . If I just push it aside, later on the design will come back. It will kind of speak at the same time, and say, ‘Aren’t you going to make me? Are you still thinking about me?’"