Essa Baird is an interdisciplinary artist whose focus is on abstract weaving.

During her undergraduate studies at Massachusetts College of Art and Design, Essa took a class taught by Professor  Nathalie Miebach titled Sculptural Weaving. There, Essa was taught traditional basket weaving techniques and how to apply them in nontraditional or sculptural applications. It was during this time that Essa created her first Woven Vessel from unfired clay and fiber rush. Now, Essa works with a multitude of materials to create variations of that original vessel, exploring where lines can create form and function.

Clay, being earth-bound and grounding, creates a solid foundation upon which the weaving can take place. Spokes rising from this solid foundation present an opportunity. Light and airy, the weavers move around the spokes, following the rim of the ceramic foundation. The pressure placed on the tightness of the weave determines the form. Pull hard, and the weaving becomes tight and rigid; tug lightly, and the weave has space to bounce and move within the nature of its material. The various weaves and materials used show the path each individual weaver takes: in front, behind, behind, in front, behind, behind. The pattern continues, always moving forward and upward. The path becomes numb, repetitive, and consistent, until that one moment when a change in action can alter the path forward.

Baird grew up in upstate New York on Lake George, surrounded by the Adirondack Mountains. She double majored at the Massachusetts College of Art and Design, earning her BFA in Sculpture and Studio for Interrelated Media (SIM). After her undergraduate studies, Essa moved to Seattle, where she currently resides. Essa is one of the few original Studio Members of Side Rail Collective in the historic Georgetown district. She was recently appointed Lead Curatorial Chair of the Burien Arts Association and oversees their satellite location at  The Highline Heritage Museum.