Between February 10 and May 14, 2006, the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City will present “Beaded Brilliance: Wearable Art from the Columbia River Plateau.”

The display will cover more than 7000 square feet and will take up all of the Museum’s Robert S. and Grayce B. Kerr Changing Exhibits Gallery. It will include more than 170 examples of American Indian beadwork from the interior Pacific Northwest. The items all illustrate the figurative tradition that has been prevalent in the region since the late 19th century.

Beaded flat bags (single and double-sided) will comprise about one-half of the display. A variety of men’s vests, women’s dresses and dance yokes, bags, gauntlets, horse gear and other personal accessories also are included.

Many examples of Plateau figurative beadwork are whimsical in their appearance. Individuals who are unfamiliar with the tradition may conclude that these items were made fo sale to non-Indians. This was seldom the case. The subject matter evident on bags, vests, gloves and other items often records the contemporary thoughts and concerns of the bead artists who made them.

Steve Grafe, the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum’s Curator of Native American Collections, was asked why this particular exhibit is being presented in Oklahoma City. He replied that the Museum’s focus is truly national in scope, as its name implies. “We here have a unique opportunity to produce exhibits that feature subject matter that comes from throughout the American West. This beadwork exhibit will give our visitors an opportunity to learn about some very
interesting and exciting material that they might not otherwise see.”

The tiny glass seed beads that are popularly associated with American Indians first appeared in great numbers in North America during the middle of the 19th century. The Plateau tradition of beading objects with pictorial images developed after about 1860.

Inspiration for the designs historically came from diverse sources. Many were drawn freehand, and women with superior drawing skills created their own designs and also assisted family members with creating images. Bead artists now say that the designs must be interesting and “fun to sew.” They must also make those who will wear and carry them look “beautiful.” Some artists select plant and animal imagery because the life forms speak to them during the embroidery process.

Early pictorial beadwork from the Plateau often shows floral designs and horses. Deer, elk, and bird imagery was also created at an early date. These initial motifs were generally arranged in a simple fashion and on a light-colored background.

As the style developed and grew in popularity, beaded depictions of diverse wildlife species became common. Images of Indian people and religious motifs (both Indian and Christian) were also frequently created.

By the late 1800s, beaded handbags became a popular accessory for Plateau Indian women. Bags portraying narratives, called “story bags,” were popular with Yakama and Warm Springs beadworkers. Nez Perce beadworkers generally preferred less complicated
imagery.

During the mid-20th century, some beadworkers began to produce much larger bags. These were called “parade bags” and were made to be part of showy ensembles of horse gear. They hung from saddle horns and could be three or more feet high.

Several major rodeos were founded in the Pacific Northwest after 1910. Rodeo imagery then appeared on many beaded bags and vests. Fancy beaded gauntlets were often created to be part of a man’s fancy rodeo outfit.

Patriotic themes are also prevalent. American flag imagery became especially common during the First World War. Many Indian men began serving in the U.S.
military at that time. The appearance of beaded eagles does not necessarily mean that a beadwork has chosen a patriotic motif. In the Plateau, eagles have long
been Indian symbols.

Examples of this surprising beadwork tradition are little known outside of the Pacific Northwest. Grafe also says that many non-Indians who live in the region
poorly understand it. “Most museums have looked at this work as if they are a byproduct of the reservation period and some acculturation process. This had
made it undesirable and so it was not actively collected. Museums have not understood that these things were made for Indian use and that they have meaning within Indian communities.”

Grafe has been a student of Columbia River beadwork for over a decade. In assembling the exhibit, he has worked with many of his longtime research contacts. The exhibit items represent15 different collections, including several private collectors in Oregon and Washington. “I am really happy to see all of this material together in one place. It is a visually exciting display. The items really blur the usual art categories. They are definitely American Indian in their origins, but they may be seen as part of the American folk art tradition and also as fine American craft.

The National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum will host a beadwork symposium on Saturday, May 6, between 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. The program will include Dr. Robert K. Liu, co-editor of Ornament Magazine, who will speak about glass bead manufacturing. Jamey Allen, Consulting Curator for The Bead Museum in Glendale, Arizona, will discuss historic bead trading networks. “Beaded Brilliance” curator Steve Grafe will talk about the history of Columbia River ornament and beadwork. Dr. Moyo Okediji, Professor of Visual Arts at the University of Colorado at Denver and Curator of African, African American, and Oceanic Arts at the Denver Art Museum, will discuss Yoruba (West African) beadwork. Alice Scherer, co-author of The New Beadwork, will talk about contemporary art beadwork.

The symposium is free to Museum members and with paid admission.