Billie Ruth Sudduth is a widely acclaimed basketmaker living in the North Carolina mountains. Her works are in many public and private collections including the Smithsonian Institution's Renwick Gallery; the Museum of Art and Design in New York; the Mint Museum of Art; Glaxo; and Bank of America. In 1997, she was named a North Carolina Living Treasure, the state's highest honor for creative excellence in the field of crafts. She is the tenth recipient and the first female to receive the award.
Sudduth has received an Individual Visual Artist Grant, an Emerging Artist Grant and an Individual Visual Artist Fellowship from the North Carolina Arts Council. For five consecutive years, she was selected by Early American Homes for their "America's 200 Best Craftsman" directory.
Sudduth's baskets have been published in American Craft, Southern Accents, Colonial Homes, American Style, Southern Living, Home, the Smithsonian Magazine, Fiberarts, the Philadelphia Museum of Arts Member Magazine, Preservation, and The Crafts Report. Her work is included in Skilled Work, a publication of the Smithsonian Institution showcasing work in the Renwick Gallery's permanent collection. Her work is frequently shown in newspapers and magazines across the United States. CBS Sunday Morning, PBS, Voice of America, and HGTV have also featured Sudduth and her baskets.
In addition to the United States, Sudduth's baskets have been exhibited in museums and galleries in Germany and Denmark. She has exhibited at the Smithsonian Craft Show thirteen years. She is a member of the Southern Highland Craft Guild, Piedmont Craftsmen, and Carolina Designer Craftsmen.
