Keweenaw Kaleidoscope bead project, Great Northern Beadwork exhibit to open Sept. 5 at Community Arts Center

HANCOCK -- Keweenaw Kaleidoscope, a group beadwork project including 13 bead artists with connections to the area, is on display at the Community Arts Center in Hancock. A public reception will be held from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 5, at the Arts Center to recognize the artists and sponsors.

Keweenaw Kaleidoscope -- "Color Tour" by Chris vanDomelen of Hancock. (Photo courtesy Community Arts Center.)

Each artist created and donated a 3.5 X 3.5-inch beadwork piece to be sold at auction to benefit the Community Arts Center. Peg McNinch of Silver Rae Studio and Pamlynn Hansen managed the project, and Christine van Domelen of Framed By Kathy framed each piece. The 2006 project received national attention in an article written by Diane Fitzgerald for Beadwork magazine (Feb./Mar. 2008). Silent bids will be accepted through Sept. 26.

Great Northern Beadwork, a national competition held biennially since 2000, will open the same night in the Community Arts Center’s Kerredge Gallery. The closing reception and awards ceremony with judge Diane Fitzgerald will take place at 6 p.m. Friday, Sept. 26.

On Saturday, Sept. 27, there will be a Wine and Cheese Gala event in the Community Arts Center’s ballroom where the Keweenaw Kaleidoscope pieces will be sold at live auction. Admission will be $10. Those not able to attend can assign a proxy bidder. Call Cynthia at 906-482-2333 to arrange.

The beadwork exhibit is supported by a grant from the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs. The Community Arts Center is located at 126 Quincy Street in Hancock. For more information call 906-482-2333.

During the 2006 Northern Bead Symposium at the Community Arts Center, Phyllis Fredendall (center, foreground) faculty member of Finlandia University's International School of Art and Design, joins other participants learning from artists demonstrating beadwork techniques. (Photo courtesy Community Arts Center.)

The Fifth Biennial Northern Bead Symposium will be held from Sept. 26-28. The Symposium includes workshops, bead shopping, presentations and demos of various bead techniques. Call 906-482-2333 for more information.

Michigan 4-H China Art Exchange in Youth Gallery

During September the Youth Gallery of the Community Arts Center is featuring artwork from the Michigan 4-H China Art Exchange. Houghton County, one of 22 Michigan counties that participated, had ten youth selected to send their picture, story or artwork to China. The reception for this 4-H China Art Exchange Exhibit will be from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 5, preceded by awards and certificates for the young artists at 5:45 p.m.