Eiteljorg hosting historic exhibition of contemporary Native bead art
The Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art will host one of the largest exhibitions of contemporary Native bead art ever presented in North America. Radical Stitch features approximately 100 works of bead art highlighting Native techniques and designs that tell stories and address current issues.
Opening April 12, 2025, at the Eiteljorg and continuing through August 3, Radical Stitch is a traveling exhibition organized by the MacKenzie Art Gallery in Regina, Saskatchewan. At the Eiteljorg, the exhibition’s only U.S. stop, visitors will experience breathtaking examples of bead art created by Native American / First Nations / Indigenous artists.
Introduced into North America in the early 1800s as trade goods, glass beads became an artistic medium for generations of Native artists, whose limitless creativity expanded beadwork far beyond adornment of textiles into an innovative art form encompassing historic cultural traditions and contemporary expressions. The co-curators of Radical Stitch selected artworks that represent thematic strands of today’s Native / Indigenous bead art — including pop culture references, current issues such as food sovereignty, and Indigenous Futurism, artworks that re-envision the past, present and future through a sometimes sci-fi lens.
“The artworks in this exhibition hold a visual potency that’s impossible to capture in a photograph,” Laura Fry, Eiteljorg vice president for curatorial affairs and collections, said. “When viewed in person, these meticulous details and faceted surfaces are dazzling to behold — and contain meaningful connections to both global exchange and cultural resilience.”
Artists whose works are celebrated in Radical Stitch represent distinct geographies and life experiences that shape their bead art practices. Seven of the artists also are past recipients of the Eiteljorg Contemporary Art Fellowship and the museum has other examples of their bead art in its permanent collections.
Not only is the scope of the Radical Stitch exhibition impressive, but the Eiteljorg will offer several public programs that visitors will find engaging:
- Thursday April 10, 1-3 p.m.: Meet-and-greet with two of the artists in the exhibition; included with regular museum admission.
- Friday April 11, 5:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m.: Members-only opening celebration, including an opportunity to meet and talk with curators and featured artists; contact kandrews@eiteljorg.com to register.
- Saturday April 12: Opening day events, all included with museum admission:
- 10:30 a.m. to noon – A public gallery talk will be led by Eiteljorg Curator of Native American Art Dorene Red Cloud (Oglala Lakota); the co-curators of Radical Stitch, Michelle LaVallee (Chippewas of Nawash Unceded First Nation Ojibway), Cathy Mattes (Michif [Métis]), and Sherry Farrell Racette (Timiskaming First Nation Métis); and three of the artists whose work is on view, Nico Williams (Aamjiwnaang First Nation Anishinaabe), Audie Murray (Cree / Métis), and Catherine Blackburn (English River First Nation Dene).
- 1:30-3 p.m. — Panel discussion: Resisting While Transforming: Join Radical Stitch artists and curators as they discuss the transformative power of beadwork.
- 3:30-4:30 p.m. — Artist demonstration of bead art.
