Geo Soctomah Neptune (Passamaquoddy; born Indian Township, ME, 1988; resides Princeton, ME) has been weaving baskets since the age of four, when they first began taking lessons from their grandmother, master basket maker Molly Neptune Parker. This mentorship, combined with their prodigious skill, helped Neptune quickly master the artform and develop their own personal style. When just eleven years old, Neptune began teaching with the Maine Indian Basketmakers Alliance. By age twenty, they had earned the title of master basket maker, making them the youngest person to date to receive that honor. Using ash and sweetgrass that they prepare themself, Neptune weaves vibrant narratives that combine Wabanaki teachings with their own perspectives.
In addition to being a skilled basket maker, Neptune is an activist, educator, model, drag performer, and public servant. In September 2020, they were elected to their local school board, becoming the first openly transgender elected official and the first two-spirit person to run for any office in Maine. They used this position to advocate for the increased inclusion of Passamaquoddy language and culture in public curriculums, until resigning in protest in 2022. Neptune has been featured in the Netflix series, Getting Curious with Jonathan Van Ness, as well as numerous prominent magazines, including in them (2020) and Vogue (2022). In 2021 Neptune was awarded the United States Artist fellowship for basketmaking. Their work can be found in collections such as the Bowdoin College Museum of Art and the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian.
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Artist in Action: Geo Neptune
Passamaquoddy artist Geo Neptune discusses their origins as a basketmaker and how they learned techniques and art forms from their grandmother, Molly Neptune Parker. They describe how they go beyond traditional techniques and incorporate their own artistic interpretations to their work. This video is produced by Mountain Mover Media, in partnership with the Institute of American Indian Arts and the Smithsonian American Art Museum.
Geo Neptune is one of the featured artists in Sharing Honors and Burdens: Renwick Invitational 2023. The exhibition focuses on fresh and nuanced visions by six Native American or Alaska Native artists who express the honors and burdens that connect people to one another. This is the first time Native Americans and Alaska Native artists have been selected for the Renwick Invitational, dedicated to showcasing emerging and mid-career makers deserving of wider national recognition.