Mount Pleasant Magazine May/June 2018

54 www.MountPleasantMagazine.com | www.ILoveMountPleasant.com | www.BestOfMP.com feature I f you’ve ever visited Charleston City Market, chances are you’ve spotted the work of Corey Alston. His intricately woven creations, overlapping strips of tan and mahogany, are about as synonymous with the Lowcountry as oysters and marsh beds. However, this time-honored art form didn’t come so easy to Alston when he first tried his hand at it, as a teen, years ago. Proving practice certainly makes perfect, he now has earned the coveted spot as the featured weaver of The Sweetgrass Cultural Arts Festival, which will take place at Mount Pleasant’s Memorial Waterfront Park June 2. “In the beginning of my weaving times, when I first started the work, it did not look good,” said Alston, who was first introduced to the art form by his high school sweetheart, who later became his wife. “It was hard, and, as for the stitches, they were not as even. Everything seemed to get better the more and more I did it.” From a 17-year-old experimenting with a straw- like plant native to our region to a prized artisan whose permanent location is below The Confederate Museum at the Meeting Street stairway entrance to Charleston City Market, Alston has crafted a career rooted in tradition and self-expression. “It is truly a blessing to be one of the younger weavers and have my work being put in such noticeable places,” said Alston. “I’ve realized the best way for a cultural art to By Kalene McCort A Tisket , a Tasket Corey Alston isThis Year’s FeaturedWeaver Corey Alston has crafted a career rooted in tradition and self-expression. Photos courtesy of Corey Alston.