Manitoba Museum Bead-a-Thon

Alloway Hall, Manitoba Museum

Celebrate the beauty of Indigenous culture with an event filled with beading, sharing knowledge, laughter, and community connection.  

Join us for a fundraising Bead-a-Thon on Sunday June 22, hosted by esteemed Cree-Métis beadwork artist Cynthia Boehm, and Manitoba Museum’s Head of Indigenous Programming & Engagement, Tashina Houle-Gaywish. Taking place in Alloway Hall from 10 am to 3 pm, the day will include 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. 

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. 

Everyone is invited to showcase their work at our “Artist Open Mic” or display it at a designated sell & trade table. Attendees can purchase food from 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 fundraising Bead-a-thon 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.

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-Gaywish at THouleSchlup@ManitobaMuseum.ca.

Bead-A-Thon Hosts

CYNTHIA BOEHM

Cynthia Boehm (she/her), a Red-River based beadwork artist and designer, feels most at home when she picks up her needle. As a child, she was surrounded by creative people such as her father, who sketched numerous drawings, and her mother, who enjoyed to knit, crochet, quilt, and sew, and taught the young artist to sew at an early age. But it was Cynthia’s love and appreciation for historic Cree-Métis beadwork that compelled her to further explore the arts, in particular the historical art of her home community Norway House, Manitoba. This love and appreciation was only strengthened when Cynthia discovered her grandmother’s art, which is housed at the Manitoba Museum. This discovery prompted her to extensively research the historical beadwork and embroidery patterns of her Cree-Métis ancestors, specifically the bold and vibrant designs from Norway House that were produced during the fur trade in the mid to late 19th century.

Cynthia has since become a well-known and much respected artist. In 2020, she was commissioned by the Glasgow Museums Resource Centre to produce a “resilience mask”, and in 2024 she received an award at the Santa Fe Indian Market for her dog blanket titled “Muskwa’s Blanket.” In 2019 she was awarded the Barbara Cook Endres First Place Award for her stand-alone floral beaded piece, “My Journey Home — Honouring Our Grandmothers”, which appeared in the competition at the Manitoba Society of Artists Provincial Open Juried Competition. In 2018, Cynthia was given an award for her beadwork at the Interlake Juried Art Show. Both competitions had rarely seen beadwork entered in the past.

TASHINA HOULE-GAYWISH

Tashina Houle-Gaywish (she/her) is an 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.