Manitoba Museum Bead-a-Thon

Alloway Hall, Manitoba Museum

Ring in the new year with the Manitoba Museum’s first ever Bead-A-Thon, hosted by renowned Métis beadwork artist Jennine Krauchi and the Manitoba Museum’s Head of Indigenous Programming & Engagement, Tashina Houle-Schlup.

Whether you’re an expert beader, a keen learner, or have never held a needle, this exciting fundraising event welcomes all to share in the joy of beadwork.

Join us from 10 am to 3 pm on Sunday, January 5 in Alloway Hall for a day of mini ‘learn to stitch’ tutorials, pop-up visits from our stunning historical beadwork collection, and most importantly, time with community to share, learn, and bead. Everyone is invited to showcase their work at our “Artist Open Mic” and we encourage you to share your skills and meet new people! We’re excited to have food vendors such as Indigenous, woman-owned businesses Sharecuterie and Anishinaa-Bakes joining us. Attendees can purchase food from the vendors throughout the day, and/or are welcome to bring their own lunches and snacks.

Tickets are on sale now – a ‘pay what you can afford’ scale is available, and a 50/50 draw will close out the day! This inaugural fundraiser will support the Manitoba Museum’s Access for All program – supporting our wide array of community initiatives including free admission on First Fridays, subsidized supplies and workshop fees for our Indigenous art workshop series, and complimentary field trips for children from every corner of Manitoba.

 

Note: Supplies are not included in the cost for registration. If you do not wish to bring your own supplies and project, you can purchase a beading kit with your registration.

 

Register today:

 

If you have any questions or are looking for more information about this event, please contact Tashina Houle-Schlup at THouleSchlup@ManitobaMuseum.ca.

 

 

Bead-A-Thon Hosts

JENNINE KRAUCHI 

Jennine Krauchi (she/her) began her artistic journey as a young child; her family was part of a vibrant Indigenous artistic network, and she learned skills such as beadwork and sewing from her parents and other Indigenous artists. The majority of her adult life she has been working in textile design, beadwork, quillwork, and embroidery. Over the course of her career, her work has been exhibited and collected by museums and art galleries throughout the world, including the Canadian Museum for Human Rights and Kelvingrove Museum in Scotland. Jennine works in partnership with museums such as the Manitoba Museum, mentors emerging artists through organizations such as MAWA, and creates commissioned works for organizations such as the Manitoba Metis Federation. In 2024, she was awarded the Manitoba Arts Council Award of Distinction from the Manitoba Arts Council, the Making a Difference Award from the Winnipeg Arts Council, and the Indspire Award. 

 

TASHINA HOULE-SCHLUP 

Tashina Houle-Schlup (she/her) is a 26-year-old Anishinaabe and Swiss woman with family ties to Ebb & Flow and Tootinaowaziibeeng and has been deeply immersed in Indigenous art forms all her life, with a special focus on quillwork. Tashina creates modern and traditional pieces that pay homage to the quillwork of the past.

In 2021, Tashina earned her Bachelor of Arts in English and History from Brandon University, further enriching her knowledge and understanding of her cultural heritage. She currently serves as the Head of Indigenous Programming & Engagement at the Manitoba Museum, where she actively shares the rich culture and history of Indigenous communities.

 

Bead-A-Thon Special Guests

ALEXIS MILLER:

Alexis Miller (she/her) is a Métis/Bungi artist who believes that everyone has a creative side, and that it is just a matter of finding the right medium. She has been making traditional beadwork and garments since 2012, and had been drawing since she was about three. Alexis is also a writer, a hoarder of seed beads and buttons, a novice traditional hide tanner, and a painter. When she isn’t engaged in one or more of these areas of work you can find her poking around in the plants and mud on the banks of the Red River.

Instagram: @taapway

 

AMY MCPHERSON:

Amy McPherson (she/her) is a Metis multidisciplinary artist and fashion designer. Over the years Amy has acquired much traditional knowledge in many forms of art such as beading, quilling, tufting, embroidery, sewing, basketry and birch bark biting. She is an alumna of Banff Centre of Arts and Creativity, Indigenous Haute Couture residency, and academic achievement recipient of MC Colleges 2017 Fashion Design and Apparel Production program. 

In 2021 Amy assisted with her first theatre costume design contract and has been working as a freelance costume designer since. You can find her designs with a number of theatre companies including, Manitoba Theatre for Young People, Manitoba Theatre Centre, Winnipeg Jewish Theatre, Red Roots Productions, Prairie Theatre Exchange. Her most recent achievement has been being selected to showcase at the 2024 Vancouver Indigenous Fashion Week where she showcased an 8 piece collection of Metis inspired pieces. 

Instagram: @fashionikwe

 

BRIANNA OVERSBY:

Brianna Oversby (they/them) is a teacher and interdisciplinary artist living on Red River & Treaty 1 Territory. Their family are Scotts-Métis, and German, British & Irish settlers. Brianna’s Métis family are from their paternal side and are originally from the Ochre River/Makinak area of Manitoba, and before that Poplar Point. Brianna is a member of the MMF (2S Michif Local). Brianna’s background is primarily in arts education. They are constantly seeking out and developing new skills for creating, and hope that their work will open possibilities for others to find that same fiery curiosity for discovering what they don’t know, and making what they need.   

Instagram: @bbrreezzrr

 

CLAIRE JOHNSTON:

Claire Johnston (they/she) is a Red River Métis visual artist based in Winnipeg/Treaty 1 Territory. As a Two-Spirit Piitoshi-iteeyihtam (one who thinks differently), Claire engages in relational making that centres balance, slowness, and connection to the land, to oneself, and one’s kin. They love working with tiny antique beads, and are heavily inspired by the masterful skills of 19th century Métis women beadworkers. Claire is a Sundancer, a hide tanning student, an Auntie, a Helper, and an MMF citizen who has membership with the Two-Spirit Michif Local. Some of their Métis family names include Johnston, Brown, Thomas, Moore/Moar, and Richards.  

Instagram: @clairejohnston__

 

DAVID HEINRICHS: 

David Heinrichs (he/him) is a queer Michif beadworker from Winnipeg. His family names include Poitras, Champagne, Fisher, and Grant with family connections to St. Vital and St. Boniface.
With an academic background in biological sciences and a passion for connection with land and plant kin, David incorporates these knowledges into his beadwork through selection of plants and an attempt to convey environmental knowledge through the designs and patterns. Thinking about the flowers and plants that go into a pattern creates an opportunity to learn even more about how, where, and when they grow.

His work has been shown in the Remai Modern (Saskatoon, SK), C2 Centre for Craft (Winnipeg, MB), Galerie Buhler Gallery (Winnipeg, MB), and most recently at the Musée cantonal d’archéologie et d’histoire (Lausanne, Switzerland).

He is a citizen of the Manitoba Metis Federation and a member of the Two-Spirit Michif Local. 

Instagram: @davidjamesheinrichs

 

HAILEY WARD:

Hailey Ward (she/her) is a busy mom of three who was born and raised in Winnipeg. She is Métis on her mother’s side, and her father is from Scotland. Beading has been a meaningful way for Hailey to reconnect with her Métis culture, and she hopes to share her beading knowledge with others. She first learned to bead during the pandemic after picking up a kit from Art City and quickly fell in love with the craft. Beading has truly changed—and even saved—her life. 

Instagram: @thecloverbeads

 

 

HARMONY LYNXLEG: 

Harmony Lynxleg (she/her) is a 28-year-old Anishinaabe/Cree woman from Tootinaowaziibeeng First Nation, living on an acreage near Anola, MB, with her partner Jake and their animals. A skilled artist, she creates regalia, ribbon skirts, beadwork, and moss bags, inspired by traditions learned from her mother. Harmony is passionate about restoring Indigenous languages and sharing cultural knowledge with youth, blending her love of the land, art, and history. She hopes her work fosters pride in Indigenous heritage and empowers future generations to continue these vital traditions. 

Instagram: @harm.lynx

 

JESSICA ARYCHUK:

Jessica Arychuk (she/her) is a Cree, Métis, and Irish bead artist based in Treaty 1 Winnipeg, Manitoba. She started learning how to bead in 2021 as a way to manage her anxiety, attending several courses to build her skills. In the winter and spring of 2024, she began creating and completing her own pieces and developing a unique style that reflects her artistic vision. Jessica has since started her own business named Wapi Mekwan, where her dedication to quality and attention to detail have earned her a loyal customer base. She enjoys sharing her passion for beading with others, hoping to inspire creativity and encourage the importance of community. 

Instagram: @wapimekwan

 

LUCY LINDELL: 

Lucy Lindell (she/her) is a Metis free-hand beadwork artist and instructor. She learned to bead through a weekly bead night at the Louis Riel Institute and has been taught various skills and techniques over the years from Lawrie Barkwell, Nancy Gouliquer, Cathy Mattes, and Jennine Krauchi. Lucy is completing a Masters in Peace and Conflict Studies and is currently working on her thesis; Beaded and Braided Stories. 

Instagram: @dotter_of_the_earth

 

 

MELANIE GAMACHE:

Melanie Gamache (she/her) is a francophone Red River Métis beadwork artisan and the owner/operator of Borealis Beading. She started beading in 2014, which led her on a journey of personal connection to beading and discovering its connection with the Métis culture and history. Today her business offers Métis cultural learning experiences that weave stories of connection from her experiences growing up in a close-knit francophone Métis family and knowledge gained from elders, books, research, presentations, and hands-on learning opportunities. Her work expresses gratitude to her Métis ancestors, “The Flower Beadwork People.”

Instagram: @borealis_beading

 

VI HOUSSIN: 

Vi Houssin (she/her) is a beadwork artist of white settler and Red River Métis ancestry, specializing in two-needle stitch and off-loom beadweaving. She began beading in 2020 and has been mentored by renowned beadwork artist Jennine Krauchi. 

Instagram: @vihoussin