James Bassler (b. 1933) is a weaver and fiber artist. He was introduced to the textile traditions, including the hooking of rugs, at an early age from his father. The Cold War strategies gave him the opportunity to see the world and introduced him to the craft traditions of Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. The ethnic textiles that inspired him during his travels became the foundation for his work. Today, Bassler's weavings also draw inspiration from pre-Columbian, Andean, and Mexican textile traditions.
He received his B.A. and M.A. from the University of California, Los Angeles, where he taught for 25 years at the UCLA School of Arts and Architecture. He also helped to establish the fiber/textile program at the Appalachian Center for Crafts in Smithville, Tennessee and has taught also at the Arrowmont School for the Arts and Crafts in Gatlinburg, TN and the Penland School of Crafts in North Carolina. He currently teaches a course at the Fowler Cultural History Museum, Textiles of the World: The Americas.
