We continue to meet virtually via Zoom. TBS members will be sent the link via email the week of the presentation.
We all know Maria Rypan (Rypan Designs) and Naomi Smith (Black Tulip Beads) as long time Toronto Bead Society members and steering committee volunteers. Over the past few months they have been consulting and contributing to a special exhibit at the Ukrainian Museum of Canada, Ontario Branch. Maria and Naomi will talk about their favourite pieces and share their private tour and experiences creating the exhibit.
This exhibition is co-presented by the Ukrainian Museum of Canada, Ontario Branch and the Native Canadian Centre of Toronto.
The Spirit of Beads: Sharing our Stories focuses on beadwork and its significance, examining the similarities and differences in techniques, motifs, and symbolism among the many types of traditional Indigenous and Ukrainian beadwork. It addresses the history of the bead trade in North America and Ukraine, tracing the origin of beads from natural materials such as stones, shells, and bones, to commercially-manufactured beads. The Spirit of Beads: Sharing our Stories includes a selection of many forms of beadwork, including clothing, necklaces, pendants, and earrings. Displays feature modern pieces of beadwork from contemporary artists alongside historical objects from Ukrainian Museum of Canada, Ontario Branch and the Native Canadian Centre of Toronto, demonstrating how modern beadwork re-invents and expresses past and present understandings of cultural identity.
Youtube videos of the opening: