What We Do

Our mission at Art of Discovery and Rainforestbaskets.com is to introduce you to a unique art form painstakingly and meticulously handcrafted over months and even years by the Wounaan and Emberá peoples of the Darién Rainforest of Panamá.

The Meares Collection - the most comprehensive and important collection of museum-quality Wounaan basketry - emerged as an outgrowth of Lorran and Charlotte Meares' 20-year dedication to Native American sacred site and traditional heritage preservation.

The infusion of funds into Panama's Darién Rainforest economy resulting from the couple's collecting and marketing has greatly improved the lives of hundreds of weaver families and has given them the political clout to make significant headway towards addressing their rainforest and land preservation issues.*

We hope that this authoritative web site will help encourage awareness of the rich artistic heritage demonstrated by these world-class weavers, whom we are most honored to represent. By so doing, each of us who collects these fine pieces facilitates the economic stability of these rainforest peoples, helping to preserve their traditional cultural life ways.

Lucrative, fairly traded basketry is rapidly becoming the primary income source for many indigenous families. Our goal, through assistance in education and focused marketing to astute collectors, is to enable families to remain in their villages as long as possible, rather than be forced into menial, low-paying service jobs in the city.

We are pleased to be able to offer the treasures of these exceptional artisans through select galleries and from our online Basket Showcase.

We also work directly with innovative designers and interior decorators whose globally conscious educated clients choose to collect or showcase only the finest museum quality handcrafted artworks.

* See Lorran Meares' poster-image chosen to symbolize the 100-Year Anniversary of The Antiquities Act....Lorran's photography is currently being shown at the Smithsonian in conjunction with a special exhibit on sacred and public lands preservation.