Beaded Square Project
The deadline for the Beaded Square Project was March 19th, 2021.
This Project is now closed to submissions.
The Beaded Square Project is a collaborative community project where each participant created a 6 inch by 6 inch square of beadwork. These individual squares were mailed to the Museum of Beadwork to build a bead-based ‘quilt’. The project highlights the shared experiences of isolation, quarantine, and the many societal changes that occurred during 2020.
The idea originated from artist Nancy Josephson and a group of her alumnae students and grew out of a desire to commune on a joint project while safely sheltering. It visualizes the individual and communal experience of artists around the globe during this distinct moment in history.
The deadline for submissions was March 19th, 2021, marking 1 year in lockdown. During this time the Museum received a total of 541 individual squares from 18 countries worldwide. The squares represent a vast range of technique, ability, subject matter, background story, and emotional response.
The diversity of our participants encompasses various ethnicities and religions, all genders, and a wide range of ages with our youngest recorded artist being 11 and our oldest being 95. There was also an online community of over 1,200 people communicating and supporting each other, not just in reference to their artwork, but also in making it through lockdown in the various forms that took in different places throughout the globe.
So, what’s next for the project?
The squares are being housed at the Museum where we are beginning the process of accessioning, photography, curation, and final construction of the exhibit that will be on view once we are open to the public in 2023.
In July 2021, we received a grant for $10k to go towards materials for building the exhibit. While these grant funds will certainly get the exhibit started, we need funds for outfitting and installing an electrical system, signage, an interactive media component, and costs of labor. Please consider making a tax-deductible towards this incredible project.
Beaded Square Project Database
All 541 squares pictured below will be included in the final installation at the Museum of Beadwork once we are open. Please peruse the squares at your leisure and click on a square for its number, artist’s name, title, and short description.
To see a complete list of participants names, click here.