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Past Exhibitions
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"Symbols and Colors of Life: Beadmaking Traditions"
September 28 through December 31, 2007
The exhibition
will focus on various beadwork techniques used by folk and traditional artists
of different cultural backgrounds. It will show how these techniques express
not only perceptions of beauty, artistry and virtuosity but also depict social
and cultural identity, beliefs about good and evil, hopes for prosperity and
good luck.
Folk and traditional artists use different materials, such as shells, quills,
bones, stones, wood, glass and metal, to weave or embroider designs using
either figural motifs of flowers animals or human figures or intricate mixtures
of geometric and abstract figures. Beaded objects are used both in everyday
life and in different ceremonies in which they become part of a ritual object
with symbolic significance.
