Presented in partnership with Urban Shaman Contemporary Aboriginal Art Gallery

Thursday, March 28, 2024 | 12 – 1:30 pm CST
Online | FREE

“The bigger the earrings, the closer to Creator.” – All the deadly Aunties

Let’s talk about the importance of beadwork, the stories it tells, the generational knowledge it carries, how techniques and teachings are transmitted through stitches, and how beaded work is being elevated, valued, and appreciated as works of fine art in our contemporary circles.

Join us in conversation with guests:

• David Heinrichs – Traditional Beadwork
• Shauna Fontaine – Anishinaabe Girl
• Jessie Pruden  – Bead ‘n Butter
• Andrea Reichert – Gathering: Indigenous Beadwork and Quillwork

The art of beading has been an integral part of Indigenous Nations for centuries. From prehistoric times, beads were made of shells, pearls, bone, teeth, stone, seeds, wood, clay, turquoise, gold, and fossils. Before contact, Indigenous Nations adorned their clothing, ceremonial items, and selves with intricate designs and patterns that reflected the environment in which they lived. The sophisticated and intricate designs in the beading patterns were identifiable to each Nation and individual.

When Europeans first arrived to Turtle Island they introduced large ceramic pony beads, glass beads, chevron beads and tiny seed beads. The tiny seed beads were called Manido-min-esah, which means little spirit seeds “gift of the Manido” and are often the beads we envision when we picture Indigenous beadwork.

Beading has been given a new worldwide platform of visibility, moving from a historical storytelling craft to something highly sought after in both the art and fashion worlds. We’ll explore how contemporary Indigenous artists are informed by tradition, incorporate teachings as they create new work, how you can get your work seen, and spotlight how Indigenous beadwork is both vital to our history and a contemporary art form of activism.

Through beading, Indigenous community members share our collective and intergenerational histories, cultures, spiritualities, identities, dreams, and teachings. Beading is not just for decoration anymore, it is a demonstration of cultural resiliency.

The workshop is offered FREE. Please register online before 10:30 am CST on March 28, 2024, and a Zoom link will be sent to your email address by 11 am. This workshop is live-streamed, it will NOT be recorded, so please make plans to attend!

If you haven’t received the Zoom link, please check your spam or junk mail folder.

David Heinrichs (he/him) is a queer Michif beadworker from Winnipeg. His family names include Poitras, Champagne, Fisher, and Grant with family connections to St. Vital and St. Boniface. With an academic background in botany and a passion for connection with land and plant kin, David incorporates these knowledges into his beadwork through selection of plants and an attempt to convey environmental knowledge through the designs and patterns. Thinking about the flowers and plants that go into a pattern creates an opportunity to learn even more about how, where, and when they grow. His work has been shown in the Remai Modern (Saskatoon, SK), C2 Centre for Craft (Winnipeg, MB), and Galerie Buhler Gallery (Winnipeg, MB). As a queer man, creating beadwork allows him to subvert colonial gender roles and expectations while creating beadwork for the women in his life. He is a citizen of the Manitoba Metis Federation and a member of the Two-Spirit Michif Local who lives in Winnipeg with his partner, cat, and dog.

Anishinaabe Girl Designs, founded by Shauna Fontaine, is a thriving business specializing in intricate Indigenous jewelry, art, fashion, accessories, and home décor. Shauna, a proud urban citizen of Sagkeeng First Nation, Manitoba, has spent more than two decades crafting her art and preserving her Indigenous heritage. Her work harmoniously blends urban boujee chic with inspiration from the natural world, embodying her deep connection to culture and spirit. Beyond her artistry, Shauna is deeply committed to empowering Indigenous artists, especially women and youth, through mentorship and workshops. She orchestrates a vibrant, volunteer-led Indigenous Handmade market, showcasing more than 80 Indigenous artisans. This commitment extends to her new venture, a unique boutique at 165 Lilac St, Winnipeg, Manitoba, where she offers a platform for Indigenous artists to showcase their work.  With strong ties to Indigenous communities and a commitment to reconciliation, the markets she hosts and boutique stand as a beacon of empowerment for Indigenous artisans in Canada. Anishinaabe Girl Designs represents more than art and more than a business—it’s a testament to resilience and empowerment. Shauna Fontaine’s journey from adversity to success is a story of hope and strength, breaking through barriers faced by Indigenous women. By providing a space for Indigenous artistry and culture, Anishinaabe Girl contributes to the ongoing journey of reconciliation in Canada.

Bead ‘n Butter is a small jewelry business from Winnipeg, Canada owned by queer, disabled, Metis artist, Jessie Pruden. Using colorful high-quality glass beads, bead n butter creates fun, stand-out pieces mixing contemporary and traditional designs. Her work has been featured on the runways of Paris Fashion Week, in the hit Netflix show Virgin River, as well as several publications including editorials in Fashion Canada Magazine, GQ, Conde Nast Traveller and more.

Andrea Reichert has been Curator at MCML, Manitoba Crafts Museum and Library, since 2000. She is also the Curator at the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame. Andrea obtained a BA in History at the University of Manitoba and an MA in Museum Studies from the University of Toronto. She’s an amateur craftsperson working in quilting, embroidery, crochet, and dabbling in other media. She is an avid cyclist and gardener. As curator of Manitoba Crafts Museum and Library, Andrea curated the exhibition Gathering: Indigenous Beadwork, Embroidery and Quillwork, with Eric Napier Strong, Curator for Ross House Museum, with the support of Margaret Firlotte and other museum staff, which was the 2023 winner of the Governor General’s Award for Excellence in Museums: History Alive! And included work contributed by 11 additional museums and hundreds of Indigenous Artists