Local Quill Artist Jacob Keshick Hosts Visitors at the Blackbird Museum

Visitors to the Andrew J. Blackbird Museum now have the opportunity to meet quill work artist Jacob Keshick, who will be working on site Thursdays and Fridays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. As he creates, Keshick welcomes guests to observe his process and learn about the history and cultural significance of quill work.

For Jacob, quill work has always been part of life. He grew up learning from his mother, renowned artist Yvonne Walker Keshick, who apprenticed with Susan Shagonaby, a quill worker and longtime curator of the Blackbird Museum. From a young age, Jacob traveled with his mother to workshops across Michigan and the country. At age 10, he crafted his first quill box, and later accompanied her to Washington, D.C., for the opening of the National Museum of the American Indian.

Keshick’s siblings are also accomplished artists, each with their own style. His brother Arnold has devoted his working life to quill work, mastering superfine detail to render animals so lifelike they resemble photographs. His sister Odeimin emphasizes open bark, traditional line art, geometric shapes, and the use of gemstones and Petoskey stones. Of his mother’s artistry, Jacob notes its extraordinary gradients and smoothness, like a painting. Jacob himself has embraced intricate, small-quill work, creating natural scenes, optical illusions, and mathematical designs inspired in part by M.C. Escher.

Quill work, however, comes with many challenges. Access to porcupine quills and birch bark varies from year to year, and the labor-intensive process places great strain on the body. Hours of focused work can wear on eyesight, posture, elbows, and shoulders. Even so, Jacob has often relied on his skill to support himself. For him, quill work is both an art and a means of survival, echoing lessons from his youth that knowledge of natural resources and sustainability is essential.

Working at the Blackbird Museum carries deep meaning for Jacob. “It means that we’re still here and we never left,” he said. “Working here after my mom’s teacher worked here is like completing a circle.”

Visitors to the museum can also view a display of historic Anishinaabe quill work dating from the late 19th century to the mid-20th century.