Kenny Keezer (Artist Profile)
Kenny Keezer, son of renowned basket maker Clara Neptune Keezer, carries on a rich tradition of Native American basketry, specifically within the Passamaquoddy tribe.
Kenny’s mother, Clara Neptune Keezer (1930-2016), was an award-winning Passamaquoddy basketmaker who received a National Heritage Fellowship Award from the National Endowment for the Arts. She was a celebrated figure in the art world, known for her exquisite craftsmanship and preservation of traditional methods.
His brother, Rocky Keezer; aunts, Angela Barnes and Theresa Neptune Gardner; his uncle, Peter Neptune; and his cousin, Debbie Nicholas, are all renowned Passamaquoddy basketmakers.
Kenny continues his family legacy, creating intricate and finely woven baskets that reflect the cultural heritage of the Passamaquoddy people.
Kenny lives at Sipayik (Pleasant Point) in Perry, Maine, and has been weaving baskets since 1997. Kenny’s work, like his mother’s, emphasizes the use of natural materials such as brown ash and sweetgrass, staples in Wabanaki basketry.
Many of Kenny’s basket-making tools have been passed down for generations–the blocks and forms that baskets are woven over, splint gauges, and splitters.
Kenny was commissioned by the Hudson Museum to make a basket for the 2024 Winter Market raffle.
For more information: click here for more information about Erica’s work.
Photos: Kenny Keezer – Passamaquoddy Basketmaker
Video: Clara Keezer – National Heritage Fellow
Upcoming 2026 Wabanaki Winter Market (Saturday, December 12, 2026):
Organized by the Hudson Museum, the Wabanaki Winter Market is New England’s largest holiday gathering of Wabanaki artists. The annual December event features award-winning Wabanaki weavers as well as new artists representing the next generation of artists.
The 2026 Wabanaki Winter Market is supported in part by the through the Alton ’38 and Adelaide Hamm Campus Activity Fund.
Location of the event: The (2 Flagstaff Road | 91¸£Àû)
Date: Saturday, December 12, 2026 (from 9 am to 3 pm)
Contact: Gretchen Faulkner | Director, Hudson Museum (207.581.1904)
For event updates, please visit: