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Beading to Basketry: Hands-on Artmaking with Indigenous Artists

Name: Beading to Basketry: Hands-on Artmaking with Indigenous Artists
Start: 2025-05-17T09:30:00-04:00
End: 2025-05-17T17:00:00-04:00

May 17 @ 9:30 am - 5:00 pm

A few additional seats have been opened up in the following workshops: Beading (10 AM), Quilling on Birch Bark (1:30 PM), Beading (1:30 PM), and Basswood Cordage (4 PM). To register, please contact and indicate which workshop(s) you’d like to take. Reservations will be made on a first-come, first-served basis.

Visit the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts on May 17 for a special day-long celebration of Indigenous artmaking, with a series of free workshops led by Kelly Church (Gun Lake Band of Pottawatomi) and David Martin (Pokagon Band of Potawatomi)! Church will lead explorations of black ash basketry, quilling on birch bark, and basswood cordage, while Martin will teach beadworking. Additional programming includes: demonstrations by local artists, exhibition tours, storytime for kids and adults, and a drop-in artmaking activity for guests of all ages. All materials, as well as breakfast and lunch, will be provided. Seating for each workshop is limited, so preregistration is highly recommended.

While at the KIA, see five artworks by Indigenous artists, currently on loan from Art Bridges. These artworks include: Rio Grande Casino Landscape, 2000, by David Bradley (Chippewa); Untitled (Bear with Thundercloud) by Bob Haozous (Chiricahua Apache); Out of Range by James Lavadour; and Indian Land #4 and Diptych by Fritz Scholder (Luiseño).

Schedule:

Time	Activity
9:45 – 10:00 am	Welcome
10:00 am – 12:30 pm	Hands-on Workshop – Black Ash Baskets taught by Kelly Church* This workshop is full. Please email to be added to a waitlist. During this workshop, each participant will weave a basket created from the processed materials of the black ash tree. Using black ash splints made by Church and her family, weave a basket finished with a loop-embellished rim. Your finished basket will be made to last over 100 years! The use of scissors is required. Guests ages 12 and under must be accompanied by adults.
10:00 am – Noon	Hands-on Workshop – Beading taught by David Martin* Seats are available! Email to register. For centuries, beadwork has been used by Indigenous peoples across the world to tell stories and to express cultural and personal identities. Beadwork can be highly elaborate and intricate, using a vibrant variety of colors and materials to create a wide range of patterns and images. During this workshop, learn more about the art of beading with artist David Martin, and get hands-on experience in creating your own beaded art! The projects for the morning and afternoon beading workshops will be different. Guests ages 12 and under must be accompanied by adults.
11:15 am – Noon	Guided Tour with Curator Rehema Barber focusing on artworks on loan from Art Bridges Tour our galleries with Rehema Barber, Director of Curatorial Affairs! This tour will focus on five works by Indigenous artists, currently on loan from the Art Bridges. These artworks include: Rio Grande Casino Landscape, 2000, by David Bradley (Chippewa); Untitled (Bear with Thundercloud) by Bob Haozous (Chiricahua Apache); Out of Range by James Lavadour; and Indian Land #4 and Diptych by Fritz Scholder (Luiseño). This is a drop-in tour; preregistration is not required.
11:30 am – Noon	Storytime Join us in the Meader Fine Arts Library as we read together. This Storytime is designed for the whole family. This is a drop-in activity; preregistration is not required.
Noon – 2:30 pm	Drop-in Family Art Making Guests of all ages are invited to drop by the Meader Fine Arts Library for a hands-on artmaking project! This time, you’re the storyteller. Write and draw your own original stories onto premade concertina books. This is a drop-in activity; preregistration is not required.
1:30 – 2:15 pm	Guided tour with a KIA Docent focusing on artworks on loan from Art Bridges and the KIA’s permanent collection Tour our galleries with a KIA docent! This tour will focus on five works by Indigenous artists, currently on loan from the Art Bridges. This is a drop-in tour; preregistration is not required.
1:30 – 3:30 pm	Hands-on Workshop – Quilling on Birch Bark taught by Kelly Church* Seats are available! Email to register. The ancient art of quilling on birch bark involves using porcupine quills to create decorative designs on objects made from birch bark. During this workshop, each participant will quill their own design to create a necklace medallion, which will be trimmed with a sweetgrass braid and will hang with deerskin string. Colored and natural quills will be available, and the use of sharp awls is required. Guests ages 12 and under must be accompanied by adults.
1:30 – 3:30 pm	Hands-on Workshop – Beading taught by David Martin* Seats are available! Email to register. For centuries, beadwork has been used by Indigenous peoples across the world to tell stories and to express cultural and personal identities. Beadwork can be highly elaborate and intricate, using a vibrant variety of colors and materials to create a wide range of patterns and images. During this workshop, learn more about the art of beading with artist David Martin, and get hands-on experience in creating your own beaded art! Guests ages 12 and under must be accompanied by adults.
2:30 – 3:00 pm	Storytime Join us in the Meader Fine Arts Library as we read together. This Storytime is designed for the whole family. This is a drop-in activity; preregistration is not required.
4:00 – 4:45 pm	Guided tour with a KIA Docent focusing on artworks on loan from Art Bridges and the KIA’s permanent collection Tour our galleries with a KIA docent! This tour will focus on five works by Indigenous artists, currently on loan from the Art Bridges. This is a drop-in tour; preregistration is not required.
4:00 – 5:00 pm	Hands-on Workshop – Basswood Cordage taught by Kelly Church* Seats are available! Email to register. The inner bark of the basswood tree, also known as “bast,” is known for its long, interwoven fibers that make it ideal for creating strong, flexible cordage or rope. During this workshop, each participant will learn to make cordage from the inner bark of the basswood tree. They will learn how to twist the provided material together and how to add new materials to create longer cords. Guests ages 12 and under must be accompanied by adults.

* Seating is limited, preregistration is highly encouraged

Generous support for this project provided by Art Bridges.

Please note that this event will not be livestreamed or posted on YouTube.

Preregistration is encouraged. Find out why.

In the event that a program is modified, postponed, or cancelled, we reach out via email to all who have preregistered. If a significant change is made on short notice, your preregistration helps to ensure that you get the word from us in the most timely manner possible.

Registering for programs in advance also helps our staff to assess set-up needs beforehand, reducing the need for last-minute adjustments to numbers of chairs, tables, etc. Further, it streamlines the check-in process when you arrive and allows us to keep you in the loop about other upcoming programs that might be of interest!