MEDIA ADVISORY
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FOR MORE INFORMATION: Carrie Johnson
AN INTERNATIONAL BEADED JEWELRY DESIGN COMPETITION ROCKS THE BEAD WORLD
Competition recognizes bead artistry as a true art form
Who: Entry open to professionals, hobbyists, and students
What: Celebrating Beads, the journey of…
1st annual international, juried bead and jewelry design competition with 12 media categories – Clay, Fiber/Textile, Gemstones, Glass, Lampwork/Dichroic (handmade), Manmade Materials (inorganic), Metal, Mixed Media, Organic Materials, Seed Beads, Swarovski Crystal, and Trade Beads/Ethnic Beads
When: Entries accepted through 08.08.08. Winners announced at Celebrating Beads, the journey of… Gala on September 20, 2008.
Where: Details and contest rules for submission of entries available at http://www.bsgw.org/CelebratingBeads.html
Celebrating Beads, the journey of… Gala September 20, 2008 will be held at the U.S. Navy Memorial Naval Heritage Center at 701 Pennsylvania Ave. N.W., Washington, DC 20004-2608
Why: To showcase beads in a new fashion, celebrating bead artistry and the designers, who turn beads into art today. Celebrating Beads, the journey of… is destined to become the most prestigious annual beading contest worldwide.
How: Sponsored by the Bead Society of Greater Washington and the Los Angeles Bead Society. Proceeds from entry fees of $30 + depending on the number of entries and Gala tickets aid in the support of the Bead Museum in Washington, D.C.
Background: The Bead Museum of Washington, DC, along with its founding organization, the Bead Society of Greater Washington is launching a series of activities in 2008 designed not only to raise funds for rising rent and space requirements, but also to raise awareness about the museum itself.
The museum celebrates its 12th year in 2008 and survives with only a core staff and the help of a team of dedicated volunteers. In its second decade, the museum’s annual budget is currently $300,000 but is projected to go much higher with anticipated news of a rent increase. “It is a difficult time economically, for museums everywhere and ours is no exception” states Elaine Robnett Moore, the president of the Bead Society of Greater Washington.
Founded and maintained by the Bead Society of Greater Washington, the museum has mounted 13 major exhibitions and nine smaller exhibits, all designed to help celebrate the wonder of beads – the people who create them, the cultures that inspire them and the memories they hold.
The museum’s permanent collection and centerpiece is a 35-foot ‘Bead Timeline of History’ which includes more than 5000 beads from prehistory to the present. The museum also houses a 1400 volume reference library and a shop filled with one-of-a-kind beaded adornments, many of which are supplied by member artists and designers from around the world.
About The BEAD MUSEUM—The Bead Museum in Washington, DC, sponsored by the Bead Society of Greater Washington, is located at 400 Seventh Street, NW, in the cultural corridor of Penn Quarter near the National Archives, and two blocks from the MCI Center. The Archives/Navy Memorial/Penn Quarter Metro stop is one block south, and the Gallery Place/Chinatown/MCI Arena stop is two blocks north.
Additional information on the museum, the Celebrating Beads, the journey of…, its current exhibits, and other programs can be found at w
Museum hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 12p.m. – 6p.m.; Sunday for special events. Admission is a suggested donation of $5.00 per person.
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