Beads & Belonging Exhibition opens Saturday, August 9, 2025

Guest curated by SFSU student Kristina Singleton, Beads & Belonging explores explores the ways beadwork and beads are common means of expression across cultures. Patterns, connections, and narratives come to life bead by bead. Through means of trade, adornment, and cultural signifiers, beads have become visual and physical communicators globally. Despite the legacies of colonialism tied to the histories of beads, the act of beading allows for connections to ancestors, those who came before; while also making meaning of the present. Beadwork allows for reclamation of identity and becomes an act of resistance through the preservation of personal and cultural narratives. The artists in this exhibition challenge what defines “fine art” by bringing to the conversation the role beadwork has in transforming this definition. Using beads of all kinds to reveal personal narratives and the histories connected to beads, this exhibition will explore beadwork as a common means of expression across cultures. Featuring Demetri Broxton, Taraneh Hemami, Chelsea Kiah, John Paul Morabito, Charlene Tan, Nico Williams. 

This exhibition is supported by the Zellerbach Family Foundation.

Exhibition dates: August 9 – September 4, 2025.