Governor honors late Knox man for master craftsmanship
By JUDITH O. ETZEL

Jane Monrean of Knox and her son, Michael Monrean of Sligo, are shown at the Transit Fine Arts Galley in Oil City in front of a white oak basket collection created by her father, the late Eugene Monrean. The artisan has been honored by the governor for “his enduring legacy as a master craftsman.”

A master craftsman from Clarion County who practiced a trade handed down through generations has been honored by Gov. Ed Rendell as “an extraordinary man…(and) gifted practitioner” of a dying art.

The governor’s tribute to the late Eugene D .Monrean of Knox has been presented to his daughter, Jane Monrean of Knox, during a gathering at the Transit Fine Arts Gallery in Oil City. It was presented by Marilyn Karns, gallery director.

“The award serves to honor the memory of the late Eugene Monrean and to celebrate his enduring legacy as a master craftsmen and fourth-generation white oak basket maker,” Karns said.

The elder Monrean, who died at the age of 97 last November, grew up in a farm family in the Knox area. While farming was the primary vocation, basket-making was also an integral part of the family operations.

The craft began in the Monrean family with ancestors in Germany. Peter Monrean learned the trade from his father and, after immigrating to America, made and sold baskets in Pittsburgh. His son, John, settled in Clarion County and continued the art, passing on the talents to his son, Eugene.

Although Eugene was able to fashion white oak baskets at an early age, he laid aside the skill as he turned to farming. Later, in his retirement years, he returned to basket making.

Eugene “made his baskets from the tree,” explained Karns, and would search nearby woods for the ideal white oak tree. It would be cut down, dragged home and eventually stripped into pieces to make strong and functional baskets.

In 1986, Monrean was named a master craftsman by the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts and the Governor’s Heritage Commission. The designation was designed to “assure that traditional crafts didn’t fade away,” said Karns, and allowed for Monrean to teach two women — Rebecca Maguire and Karns — the art of white oak basket making.

Monrean had another artistic dimension, too. He was well known in the region as a piano tuner and musician.

His artistic legacy drew the attention of Rendell who timed his tribute to a current exhibit of Monrean’s baskets at the Transit Arts Gallery. Rendell said the exhibit offers an opportunity “to reflect on his life…(and) celebrate his accomplishments.”

“Eugene D. Monrean deserves to be recognized and applauded for the contributions he made too his family and community,” Rendell wrote. “…The remarkable caliber of character, dedication to excellence and determination that he demonstrated throughout his life are truly an inspiration.”

In closing, the governor added, “…His extraordinary white-oak baskets will outlast us all.”

The Monrean basket collection at the Transit is part of the gallery’s Artist of the Month program. Karns said the exhibit has been extended to Saturday, and visitors can view the white oak basket collection from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday.