I am an Oneida artist and cultural advocate based in Wisconsin whose practice centers raised beadwork as a living intellectual tradition. My work includes regalia, raised beadwork sets, dimensional adornment, educational programming, and curriculum development rooted in Haudenosaunee design knowledge. For me, beadwork is not solely aesthetic production; it is a system of structure, memory, and cultural transmission.
I began studying raised beadwork through sustained observation of historic works in museum collections, particularly during my internship at the Oneida Nation Museum over a decade ago. Without a direct master-apprentice lineage at the time, I approached the practice through reconstructive experimentation, carefully studying tension systems, layering methods, padding techniques, and sculptural shaping to understand how dimensional surfaces were built. That process of inquiry continues to guide my artistic approach today.
My work has been exhibited regionally and recently selected for inclusion in the Wisconsin Historical Society’s new Wisconsin History Center, where a raised beadwork regalia set I created will become part of the permanent collection. I also serve as a mentor through the Folk Arts Apprenticeship Program, teaching raised beadwork through one-on-one instruction rooted in cultural responsibility and technical precision. In addition to studio practice, I lead workshops and presentations across Wisconsin that integrate art, language, and traditional knowledge.
Central to my work is the belief that traditional arts are dynamic, evolving, and intellectually rigorous. Raised beadwork is sculptural engineering. It requires understanding compression, lift, thread tension, spatial layering, and durability. I view each piece as both contemporary expression and continuation of ancestral design systems.
As my practice grows, I am committed not only to producing work but to deepening the technical and structural knowledge that sustains the tradition. My long-term goal is to strengthen the infrastructure of raised beadwork practice in Wisconsin through mentorship, educational publications, and advanced technical study. This next phase of artistic enrichment represents a focused investment in expanding my mastery so that I may continue to carry, teach, and evolve this art form with integrity and excellence.
"You can lose a culture, your arts, your traditional teachings within one generation but it takes multiple generations to get that back."
This project represents an advanced period of artistic enrichment focused on the structural and dimensional relationships between raised beadwork and animal hair tufting traditions. While raised beadwork has been central to my practice for over a decade, animal hair tufting represents a complementary dimensional technique that expands sculptural surface and textural depth within Haudenosaunee material culture.
The project involves three interconnected components: research, reconstruction, and technical expansion.
First, I will conduct focused study of historic raised beadwork and tufted works in regional collections, examining construction methods, tension systems, layering strategies, and structural shaping. This research will emphasize how dimensional lift is achieved and sustained over time. I will document observations through technical notes, structural sketches, and process photography.
Second, I will engage in reconstructive experimentation. Through disciplined studio trials, I will test padding systems, thread tension variations, tufting integration methods, and dimensional sculpting techniques. These studies will culminate in the creation of two to three advanced experimental works that synthesize raised beadwork and tufting methodologies while remaining grounded in Oneida design knowledge.
Third, I will expand my technical fluency in animal hair tufting as a distinct but related tradition. This will include material sourcing, tool refinement, and development of repeatable structural systems that can withstand wear and longevity.
In the short term, this project will deepen my technical skills by giving me dedicated time to study and experiment beyond the demands of commissioned work. I will strengthen my understanding of how raised beadwork holds its shape; including tension, padding, layering, and long-term durability. Expanding into animal hair tufting will broaden the materials and textures I use, allowing me to create more dimensional and sculptural surfaces. This focused study will also improve my work as a mentor. By refining these techniques and documenting my process, I will be able to explain and demonstrate advanced structural methods more clearly, helping emerging artists build strong technical foundations rooted in cultural knowledge.
In the long term, this research will contribute to the preservation and evolution of raised beadwork practice in Wisconsin. The knowledge gained will directly inform my apprenticeship instruction, public workshops, and future educational publications. By investing in advanced study, I am strengthening the intergenerational transmission of this art form and building technical infrastructure that supports emerging artists.
This focused period of research and experimentation is allowing me to push the dimensional possibilities of raised beadwork while honoring its structural lineage as a living tradition.
