Museum of Beadwork's Kristina Skillin

So how do you define beadwork?

So that's actually a really great question.

We don't have a defined...

One of the first exhibits we have specifically to talk about this when you first come in the museum, it's called What is a Bead? It's the idea of talking about like, how do you define a bead? And it's an open-ended question because we do have a lot of people...

who come in and say, well, sequins aren't beads.

Why would you have sequins in this building? And it's sort of like, well, why aren't they beads if they're being sewn through a hole, you know, on clothing or on objects? Why isn't that a bead? And then you have some people who are like, well, gluing beads is not beadwork.

And it's sort of like, oh, but why? There's a lot of traditions like Huichol.

There's a lot of traditions that adhere beadwork as well as sew it.

So what is the difference there? three cases and sort of talk about like the beginnings of beads work and what those first materials were which were like eggshells and bones and seashells and things that kind of naturally had holes and then became beads because they could naturally just be strung and if the act of stringing is what makes something bead work then is a tire swing a bead because that's something round with a hole in it that you put a rope through so is that a bead is that technically bead work

right

And so we kind of talk about like, if you're going to define it this way, then is, you know, is macaroni on a string necklace? Is that beadwork? Because it's stringing.

So like, why isn't that beadwork? But we kind of all collectively understand that's not really beadwork.

But why do we understand that? We don't have that kind of set definition because I think it is a little open to interpretation.

And I think there's a lot of exciting places that beadwork can still go if it isn't defined, if it isn't set within boundaries.

And I think that's the other cool thing that we have is we have a lot of things in this museum that people wouldn't necessarily think of as beadwork.

And then you see it and you're like, oh, my God, I didn't even think beads could do this.

Were most of the pieces that you have on loan or were they gifted?

We have about half and half.

I would say at the moment in the gallery, a little less than half are in our permanent collection.

We do have a few pieces that are on long-term loan, but right now we do have, we show two guest artists.

We have two cases dedicated specifically to guest artists.

We have the emerging beater program.

All those pieces go back to the artists when they're done.

We do a competition every year.

And so we just put up what was called microbes and mushrooms.

So how do you define beadwork?

So that's actually a really great question.

We don't have a defined...

One of the first exhibits we have specifically to talk about this when you first come in the museum, it's called What is a Bead? It's the idea of talking about like, how do you define a bead? And it's an open-ended question because we do have a lot of people...

who come in and say, well, sequins aren't beads.

Why would you have sequins in this building? And it's sort of like, well, why aren't they beads if they're being sewn through a hole, you know, on clothing or on objects? Why isn't that a bead? And then you have some people who are like, well, gluing beads is not beadwork.

And it's sort of like, oh, but why? There's a lot of traditions like Huichol.

There's a lot of traditions that adhere beadwork as well as sew it.

So what is the difference there? three cases and sort of talk about like the beginnings of beads work and what those first materials were which were like eggshells and bones and seashells and things that kind of naturally had holes and then became beads because they could naturally just be strung and if the act of stringing is what makes something bead work then is a tire swing a bead because that's something round with a hole in it that you put a rope through so is that a bead is that technically bead work

right

And so we kind of talk about like, if you're going to define it this way, then is, you know, is macaroni on a string necklace? Is that beadwork? Because it's stringing.

So like, why isn't that beadwork? But we kind of all collectively understand that's not really beadwork.

But why do we understand that? We don't have that kind of set definition because I think it is a little open to interpretation.

And I think there's a lot of exciting places that beadwork can still go if it isn't defined, if it isn't set within boundaries.

And I think that's the other cool thing that we have is we have a lot of things in this museum that people wouldn't necessarily think of as beadwork.

And then you see it and you're like, oh, my God, I didn't even think beads could do this.

Were most of the pieces that you have on loan or were they gifted?

We have about half and half.

I would say at the moment in the gallery, a little less than half are in our permanent collection.

We do have a few pieces that are on long-term loan, but right now we do have, we show two guest artists.

We have two cases dedicated specifically to guest artists.

We have the emerging beater program.

All those pieces go back to the artists when they're done.

We do a competition every year.

And so we just put up what was called microbes and mushrooms.