Melcolm Beaulieu – Indigenous Art and Education – The Beads Knees
Speaker: July 21 – Melcolm Beaulieu – Indigenous Art and Education
The Beads Knees & Cofounder of The Collective
Presentation:
Join Melcolm Beaulieu – Indigenous Art and Education
A History of Colonialism Told Through Beadwork with Melcolm Beaulieu
In this presentation Melcolm will be speaking about and showing their current large scale work in progress in their studio – a pair of large antique stained glass window frames, in which they are replacing the glass panes with beaded panels. Through this work they are exploring the Doctrine of Discovery and its implications on Indigenous territories and nations throughout the world, but more specifically, North America.
Melcolm will share specific techniques used in the project to create various textures, as well as some historical context surrounding ancestral Mi’kmaq beadwork motifs.
Speaker Bio:
Melcolm Beaulieu (they/them), a Two-Spirit member of Metepenagiag Mi’kmaq Nation, is a Fredericton-based artist deeply embedded in the Indigenous art community. They merge traditional beadwork with virtual reality to explore gender identity, cultural resilience, and the convergence of innovation and tradition. Their work has been featured in major exhibitions like Radical Stitch and BACA. In 2024, their beadwork illustrated the children’s book, “Animals at Play in Mi’kma’ki.” Melcolm also teaches beadwork at their Fredericton studio, The Collective, fostering intergenerational learning within their community.
Learn more at The Beads Knees.
DATE: Tuesday, July 21, 2026, 6:45-8:30pm via zoom Meeting, the meeting will open at 6:45 and the presentation will begin promptly at 7pm.
COST: Free to members; $5.00 for non-members or purchase an annual membership for $25.
Payment for Non-Members ($5.00):
To prepare, please go to https://zoom.us/ and follow the directions to access Zoom®. Sadly, BSNC can not provide tech support.
Please RSVP to judysinclair@beadsocietyofnorcal.org. She will send out the Zoom meeting information prior to each class/speaker event and follow up with a reminder email. Spaces are limited, so please RSVP early.