Clara Clayton Gough

Clara Clayton Gough, born in Cherry Brook, Halifax County is eldest daughter of the late Edith and Clifford Clayton; at the age of five the family moved to East Preston where Clara still resides to this day.

Clara learned basket-making at a young age from her mother the late renown artisan Edith Clayton and grandmother, the late Selena Drummond. She would attend the Halifax Market alongside them. Having learned basket-making from her mother and grandmother, Clara would attend the Halifax Market alongside them and eventually attended the markets to sell her own goods.

Clara is a sough-after basket maker producing market baskets, cradles, cornucopias, church offering baskets, picnic baskets and various other basket designs. Clara has also led numerous workshops in schools several times throughout the year and various other workshops across Nova Scotia and in the United States. Clara has also traveled to Savannah, Georgia, USA in July 2010, to do a workshop and display some of her baskets in one of the galleries, her basket man and woman were a featured work of art for the exhibit. A basket man woven in honor of her father and a basket woman woven in honor of her mother, the basket woman can be seen holding a baby that represents Clara. She continues to seek new ways educate people about the baskets and to expand on her skills.

The basket weaving tradition that has been passed down from mother to daughter for nine generations in Nova Scotia, and countless generations before that in the American colonies and Africa. A tradition that was brought from Africa and endured through slavery. Though strongly influenced by her mother’s technique of basket-weaving and its significant role regarding the Afro-Canadian culture, Clara embraced the challenge and made it hers.

In addition to making baskets, Clara is has begun repairing offering baskets for various churches in the historical Black Communities, her personal collection has baskets made by her mother, grandmother, great great grandmother and aunts. Clara keeps on the lookout for baskets that are identified as “her family” baskets and restores or refinishes them to add to her collection. Clara has made many baskets for the Governor’s House of Halifax, some of her family’s work can be seen in different museums across the province.

Clara has met the Queen of England in 1995 and in September 2024, she was presented with the King Charles III Coronation Medal.