For our February 7th Program meeting, we are focusing on Ethnic Jewelry and Beads. It will be a sharing session. 

As mentioned in the book, Ethnic Jewelry (1), edited by John Mack, "the color and exuberance of ethnic jewelry have always attracted collectors and travelers." African beadwork, American Indian silver and turquoise, jade from the Far East, and shellwork from the Pacific are just some of the varieties of "gorgeous jewelry". 

How has your collecting or creating of jewelry been influenced by ethnic jewelry? Think about it! Bring some examples of your ethnic jewelry to the meeting. 

Dona Z. Meilach, author of Ethnic Jewelry: Design & Inspiration for Collectors & Craftsmen (2) refers to ethnic jewelry as an "intercontinental jewelry buffet." Ethnic Jewelry includes tribal jewelry, ritual items, and more. It does not include faddish designs such as Native American jewelry sold at roadside stands but made in other countries where there is cheap labor. 

In many cultures, jewelry communicates messages of "love, hate, power, hierarchy, aggression, pride, birth, growing up, maleness, femaleness and more." What does that mean to you? When you see celebrities on the red carpet with their jewels, do you think of this? 

Come join us for an interesting discussion and sharing of Ethnic Jewelry and Beads! 

Wednesday  February 7th, 7 pm Pacific Time
Zoom Meeting ID: 899 883 2615, Passcode: Beads 
All are welcome! ​Join us! 
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Business meeting at 6:30 pm PT at the same Zoom address! ​​

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1. Mack, John ed., Ethnic Jewelry. Harry N, Abrams Publishers: New York, 1988. [Bead Society has three copies of this book.]
2. Meilach, Dona Z. Ethnic Jewelry: Design & Inspiration for Collectors & Craftsmen. Crown Publishers: New York, 1981.
​Pictures courtesy of our Pop Up vendors. 

On Wednesday, January 3rd, the Bead Society is going to have a Member Showcase, Members will show their work and talk about themselves and their art. It should be an interesting meeting and a great way to learn about some of our members! Above is a picture of some of the participants and or their work. We will see a wide range of jewelry, and the use of beads in various formats! We hope that it gets your creative juices flowing! Join us! 

Wednesday  January 3rd, 7 pm Pacific Time
Zoom Meeting ID: 899 883 2615, Passcode: Beads 
All are welcome! ​Join us! 
​
Business meeting at 6:30 pm PT at the same Zoom address! ​

​One of our members is now also part of another group that she would like us to know about. Diana Friedberg has joined the Ethnic Arts Council which is a group in Los Angeles which celebrates the ethnic arts and which includes beads, of course. They have an active and very interesting membership with lots of talks and visits to wonderful homes with great collections. 
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People can browse and see if they are interested in being part of the group. It also extends knowledge of ethnic arts and puts beads in the highlight. I am trying to emphasize the importance of beads in the overall picture as well, so it could be informative for our bead members to help spread the word within the group.

Diana says they have a great once a year dinner at the Fowler Museum at UCLA with a silent auction. It is a really mixed group of males and females who are all hospitable and generous in sharing knowledge and homes. Their website is  https://ethnicartscouncil.org/

Submitted by Diana Friedberg, past president, The Bead Society.

This new column on Beads in the News will highlight articles and press releases and news items that focus on beads and jewelry. If you would like to contribute to this column, please send your input to [email protected]. ​

The Living, Breathing Brooches of the Yucatán by ROXANNE HOORN, Atlas Obscura SEPTEMBER 7, 2023
The live, jewel-encrusted beetles called maquechs are tied to an ancient Mayan legend, but some worry for their future. This article talks about these wonderful bejewelled beetles from Yucatán, Mexico. Sold to tourists, the beetles are attached with a pin and a chain. They scurry all over the wearer's blouse. They are adorned with fake diamonds, ruby, emeralds, pearls, or velvety fabric. The beetles can go months or years without eating.  The Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C. has a collection of these beetles with and without adornment! 
For more information, click on this link to Atlas Obscura. 

Dusting Off Your Pearls, New York Times, September 9, 2023, p. A3.
The New York Times advises us that Peals are back in and even men are wearing them! 

If you have ideas for this column, please send your input to [email protected]. ​
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Orange is the new Black. Well, not exactly in terms of beads. On October 4th at the Bead Society Program meeting, we will be discussing both Black & Orange Beads! These are the colors of autumn, Halloween and mystery! Bring your Orange and Black beads or finished jewelry and objects with those colors, and we will have an entertaining sharing session! 

Wednesday  October 4th, 7 pm Pacific Time
Zoom Meeting ID: 899 883 2615, Passcode: Beads 
All are welcome! ​
Business meeting at 6:30 pm PT at the same Zoom address! ​

Beads can symbolize union as they look better when they are paired with each other to make a necklace or chains. . . 

The Bead Society Program for June is titled "Louvre de Roches." It will be Wednesday, June 7th at       7 pm Pacific Time on Zoom. Our speaker is Ken Rogers. Ken will guide us through the amazing images in his Louvre de Roches. 

 Wednesday  June 7th, 7 pm Pacific Time
Zoom Meeting ID: 899 883 2615, Passcode: Beads 
All are welcome! 

As Ken says, 

There are many beautiful pictures and images hidden away inside numerous regular rocks and gemstones. These wonderful treasures are just waiting to be discovered. I have cut open various mundane stones, and discovered their hidden treasures. Some of these beautiful images look like an Ansel Adams photograph, and others look like a painting hanging in the Louvre. These wonderful images include: faces, animals, people, plants/flowers, landscapes (desert, aquatic, and outer space scenes), and much more. 

The Bead Society Program for May is titled "My Bead Journey." It will be Wednesday, May 3rd at 7 pm Pacific Time.  Our speaker is Doris Weinbaum who opened a bead store in 1993, without knowing how to bead. Doris will tell the story of her serendipitous journey from neophyte bead entrepreneur to accomplished bead artist. Her bead store is in Oak Park, Illinois. She sold it iand lives in San Clemente now. 

Wednesday May 3rd  7 pm Pacific Time
Zoom Meeting ID: 899 883 2615, Passcode: Beads 
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All are welcome! 
​Business meeting at 6:30 pm PT at the same Zoom address! ​

Doris Weinbaum has been involved with beads, both as a businesswoman and an artist/teacher since 1993. In that year Doris opened a retail bead shop in Oak Park, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. While owning and managing the shop, Doris began learning beading techniques and jewelry design from instructors in her store, books and customers. Given her breadth of experience with many other hand-crafts, including sewing, knitting and crocheting, Doris' talent for beading blossomed. Doris has had one of her original designs published and has taught a wide range of beading techniques to children and adults.