​The Upper Midwest Bead Society (UMBS), TOHO Beads, The Japanese Beading Association, TeamTOHO, and Lotus Beads and Jewelry are joining forces to take the TOHO Peace Chain Project to new lengths by actually connecting them together and creating the longest beaded Peace Chain in the world!  UMBS is inviting us to participate! 

"There are many ways you can join our Peace Chain Project. We have a one-year goal. We would like everyone around the world to gather together friends, family, and new and old acquaintances to join us in this monumental effort by working together to make a one-mile-long beaded Peace Chain with the goal of promoting peace."

"We hope you will think peaceful thoughts as you enjoy making these rings, thereby infusing the rings themselves with calm and happy feelings."

"Your segments of chain will be connected to ours throughout the year to create 1 mile of chain. This chain will stretch all the way around the Mall of America! We invite you to come from all over the world to the Mall of America on August 6th, 2026, to bring segments of your Peace Chain with you and join us to commemorate the Day of Peace for a "Grand Connection." During this event, we will connect all of the remaining Peace Chain segments together."

So, the Bead Society is proposing that we have some Beading gatherings where we can work on the Peace Rings. Each ring is very small, and doesn't use a lot of beads. The directions are fairly straightforward. You don't need to know any elaborate stitches. There is even a YouTube video. The Bead Society has lots of colors of seed beads we can employ. If you are interested, you can contact Kay at kayd at beadsocietyla.org.  If you would like to host one of these events, let us know. 

The Bead Society sponsored two field trips in September to the Bowers Museum and the Broad Museum. The group went to the Bowers Museum in Santa Ana to The Bead Society of OC - Bead Sale in the outside courtyard and to the exhibit, World of the Terracotta Warriors at the Museum. World of the Terracotta Warriors comprises over 110 newly uncovered treasures including Terracotta Warriors, chariot regalia, jade and gold adornments, bronze vessels, and immersive digital experiences. In a landmark collaboration with the Shaanxi Cultural Heritage Promotion Center and esteemed museums and archaeological institutions across Shaanxi Province, These artifacts make their North American debut, offering audiences unprecedented glimpses into China before and during the Qin dynasty. Below are some pictures from the exhibit taken by attendees. 

In addition, several Bead Society members went to the Broad Museum in downtown Los Angeles to see the exquisite works of Jeffrey Gibson: the space in which to place me. These sculptures were stunning with intricate beadwork. The colors were so vibrant!  According to the Museum,  Gibson's artwork are "all reflecting the artist’s radical vision for a future in which all people are seen, accepted, and loved."  The show came to The Broad directly from the 60th Venice Biennale (2024), one of the most prestigious exhibitions of visual art in the world, where Gibson made history as the first Indigenous artist to represent the USA with a solo show. The exhibit has moved on, but for more information you can click on this link from the Broad Museum.  The video installation of She Never Dances Alone is also available on the website. 

And here are some photographs from members of the Bead Society on this marvelous work. ​

The Bead Society regularly hosts field trips to various museums and events. There are plans to visit the Autry Museum in November. 

Lisa S, President and Kay D, Webmaster and Bead Shack host of the Bead Society hosted a table at the Sandbourne Santa Monica Hotel for the one day Pop-Up Whole Bead Show. We were graciously invited by Ava Motherwell of the Whole Bead Show. We were able to recruit some new members, and chat with lots of interesting people. We were also able to promote The Bead Society Cultural Arts and Bead Show! in November.   

The Show had some interesting beads such as black diamonds, lots of gemstones,  and German and Italian polyresin beads. There were also lots of pendants and interesting bone beads. Ava of the Whole Bead Show was off to San Diego after our show. 

The Bead Society was recently approached by Sage Phillips with the Makwa Studio about the Hospital Gown Project-- a community-based collaborative beaded artwork. They are currently seeking remote & in-person contributions of blue brick-stitch bead swatches! Remote swatches have a deadline to be sent by April 30th.

"It would be lovely if you could share this information and opportunity among your organization, students, friends, loved ones, or to anybody who would be interested! We invite anyone who has been impacted by alcoholism within their families or by their loved ones to join us in the creation of a new work titled “Hospital Gowns”. 

These will be exhibited at the Museum of Contemporary Native Arts, Santa Fe NM in July 2025.  Any sales of work will have a portion donated to the Minneapolis organization, Southside Harm Reduction. 

Swatches can vary in size and vary in shades of blue (as long as they are blue!) We ask that the swatch is no bigger than 4 inches on either side. They can even be as small as .5" x .5" -- any size within 4 inches is great! Please make sure they are constructed using the brick-stitch beading technique!

Swatches can be mailed to the following address:

Makwa Studio
1500 Jackson St NE
Studio #238
Minneapolis, MN, 55413

Makwa Studio is so excited to see the contributions! Please don't hesitate to reach out with questions, or for more information about the project and how to be involved.

Thank you,

Sage Phillips | [email protected] | they/she | www.makwastudio.com