Stunning examples of contemporary bead art on view; meet artists and curators at events

Katherine Boyer (Métis)
The Sky Vest, 2021
Seed beads on smoked moosehide, 48 x 24 x 10 inches.
Collection National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa. © Katherine Boyer.
Photo: Don Hall, Courtesy MacKenzie Art Gallery

Feb. 5, 2025
INDIANAPOLIS – 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 at the Eiteljorg and continuing through Aug. 3, Radical Stitch is a traveling exhibition organized by the MacKenzie Art Gallery in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. At the Eiteljorg, the exhibition’s only U.S. stop, visitors will experience breathtaking examples of bead art created by Native American / Indigenous artists from the U.S. and Canada.

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. 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,” said Laura Fry, Eiteljorg vice president for curatorial affairs and collections.

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.

The Eiteljorg’s presentation of Radical Stitch is sponsored locally by Avis Foundation, Capital Group, the Braitman Family, the Frenzel Family Foundation, and the Ann W. King Fund, a fund of the Indianapolis Foundation. Additional support comes from the Native Arts + Cultures Foundation.

Organized and circulated by the MacKenzie Art Gallery, Radical Stitch is supported in part by the Canada Council for the Arts. The MacKenzie receives ongoing support from the South Saskatchewan Community Foundation, Canada Council for the Arts, SaskCulture, City of Regina, University of Regina, and Saskatchewan Arts Board.

About the Eiteljorg
For more than 35 years, the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art has been an integral part of the cultural fabric of Indianapolis and scenic White River State Park. The Eiteljorg Museum explores the intersection of the arts, histories and cultures of the past and present by sharing the diverse stories of the American West and the Indigenous Peoples of North America. Located on the Central Canal at 500 West Washington St., the Eiteljorg is a 501c3 nonprofit organization.

Media Contacts

Bryan Corbin
Public Relations Manager
317.275.1315
bcorbin@eiteljorg.com

Katie Warthan
Director of Communications and Marketing
317.275.1317
kwarthan@eiteljorg.com