Community Beading Project with Anishinaabe Artist Nico Williams
Beadwork is relational. Mathematics is relational. Nico brought us together to learn beadwork, engage in mathwork, and contribute to a collaborative beading project that deepens awareness of Indigenous presence and futures.
Goal: Together we engaged in beadwork and mathwork (over 5 sessions) while contributing to a larger social action collective project – the community hyperblanket – that could, once completed, travel to interested schools around the province.
Materials: All project materials were mailed to participants in advance. All ages were welcome. No experience necessary.
By the end of the sessions participants beaded sections to contribute to the community project and beaded sections to keep for themselves.
5 Live Virtual Sessions
- Session 1: Tuesday Sept 28 3:30-4:30pm PDT
- Session 2: Tuesday Oct 26 3:30-5:30pm PDT
- Session 3: Tuesday Nov 30 3:30-5:30pm PDT
- Session 4: Tuesday Jan 25 3:30-5:30pm PDT
- Session 5: Tuesday Feb 22 3:30-5:30pm PDT
Registration included:
- Access to 5 live virtual sessions (1 planning session + 4 beading sessions) with artist Nico Williams
- All beading materials (beads, beading thread, needles, and beading mat). Materials will be sent to you
- Access to recorded sessions in case you miss a beading session
- Being part of a beading community – where we can bead, explore connections to math education and Indigenous education, and contribute to a larger community
- Opportunity to be part of a community social-action project (see Nico’s other community projects: Monument to the Brave)
Cost: Total cost for 5 Sessions = $120/person + GST (price includes all materials)
Event flyer download: Beadwork+Mathwork= Community Project
Thank you to our sponsors:
Nico Williams
Nico Williams is Anishinaabe from Aamjiwnaang First Nation currently working in Tiohtià:ke / Mooniyang / Montreal where he just completed his MFA at Concordia University. Nico is an active member in the urban Indigenous Montreal Arts community, a board member for the Contemporary Native Art Biennial, and a member of the Contemporary Geometric Beadwork research team. His beadwork was recently featured at the WAAP Gallery in Vancouver. Nico’s work is also featured in a National Geographic series – see video below.
Nico was a keynote speaker at our 2021 Indigenous Math Symposium and inspired ideas for this community beading project. You can view the story of his Monument to the Brave community beading project that incorporated beads selected by children in Toronto Sick Kids hospital. The Monument is currently exhibited at Toronto Sick Kids. You can read articles on the process and comments by children and families: here. For more information visit Nico’s webpage: nicowilliams.com.
https://www.youtube.com/embed/rjraBHhP4Vo
https://vimeo.com/301935967