This program will be held in-person at the Newberry. Please register below.
Native students are invited to participate in a three-hour workshop led by local Indigenous artists, with lunch provided at the Newberry Library. No experience necessary. Registration limited to 15 participants.
Madalene Big Bear will introduce the process of quillwork and lead the group through a demonstration to make their own earrings/quill fringe. After lunch, Noelle Garcia will share the history of beadwork and contemporary examples of the practice. She will teach the Peyote stitch, which students will learn through creating their own bracelets.
This event is part of programming connected with our free exhibition, Indigenous Chicago, running September 12, 2024, through January 4, 2025. Programming for the exhibition and related programs is generously supported by Art Design Chicago.
Workshop Leaders
Noelle Garcia is an artist and educator who focuses on themes of identity, family history, and recovered narratives in her work. She is an indigenous artist from the Klamath and Paiute tribes. She earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and her Master of Fine Arts from the University of Nevada Las Vegas. Her paintings, drawings, and soft sculptures have been exhibited in galleries and institutions across the United States. Garcia has earned awards and fellowships at such institutions as the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian, the Nevada Arts Council, the Illinois Arts Council, and the American Indian Graduate Center.
Madalene Big Bear is a citizen of the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Nation and a culture bearer who enjoys sharing her knowledge in many forms, including stories. Although entertaining, storytelling is also an important way to convey customs, language, history, and identity to descendants and those who are invited to listen. Madalene is also a respected Pokagon culture keeper. A talented professional and artist, she often teaches others about indigenous culture. Her areas of expertise include material culture, contemporary life ways, culinary traditions, art, and storytelling.
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Past Public Programs
Check out video recordings of past Newberry public programs on our YouTube channel.