Bead Society celebrates 50th Anniversary with a show

The Los Angeles County Bead Society will hold a free Cultural Arts and Beads show with approximately 38 local and international vendors on Saturday, November 1, at Veterans Memorial Auditorium from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. This event marks 50 years since the organization began, giving the Culver City-based nonprofit the title of the oldest Bead Society in the United States.

Founded by author and self-trained jeweler Robert Liu in 1975, the Los Angeles County Bead Society has grown from 15 members to over 300. What began as a gathering of passionate bead collectors has expanded into a cultural exchange, with an eclectic group of experts and learners sharing and spreading knowledge. 

Lisa Shatts, the president of the Bead Society, noted the diverse range of subjects and interests relevant to the Bead Society. As long as the small material has a hole to put a string through, the Bead Society will show an interest.

“Someone might like the Tibetan beads better than the Chinese beads, or they’re gonna want to talk about gemstone beads instead of glass beads,” Shatts said. “I have an open-door policy. We’ll go find these [experts], you tell us what you’re most interested in.”

These experts attend their monthly meetings, lecturing about subjects like symbolism in jewelry, the evolution of diamond cutting, or the different glassmaking techniques applied to beadmaking around the world. Members are often invited to bring their jewelry to reflect and share stories based on the theme of each meeting.

In addition to these monthly gatherings, the Bead Society also organizes regular outings to museums and exhibits. Some of these include visits to exhibits and artists that specialize in bead art or organizing a potential future visit to a “powwow,” a North American Indigenous ceremony.

For their 50th anniversary, the show will feature vendors with jewelry tools and supplies, antiques, gemstones, and beads from places like Africa, Tibet, and China. The Bead Society will also feature their Bead Shack, a collection of beads that have been donated to them and will be sold to fundraise for the organization.

Attendees will also have the opportunity to watch artists practice their craft in two demonstrations at the show. One will be a workshop where participants are taught how to make seed beads and the other is a viewing experience of an artist working with copper and other metals. Unlike previous shows, vendors at the Cultural Arts and Bead Show will be welcome to include pieces other than beads. 

“In the past, [we’ve] asked vendors that 80% of items sold [had] to be beads,” Shatts explained. “This time, it’s cultural. You’re making art that will stand the test of time.”

“People will buy it and it will become an heirloom. It will be handed down with a story. Are you gonna make pottery? Are you gonna make paper art? Whatever you do, we want to showcase you.”

There will be other wearable fine arts like scarves, textiles, and more from local artists with the lifting of the restrictions. By opening up the show to expand on cultural art, the organization hopes to continue its growth.

“We’re just really glad we’re still around,” Shatts commented. “I think [it’s] the individuals that understand beading, jewelry, the symbolisms — all of that humanity. They’re very culturally adept, and that’s what keeps us going.” 

“We have to change like the beads change, like the jewelry looks have changed.”

To learn more about the Cultural Arts and Beads Show, visit their page. To learn more about the Bead Society, visit their website.