(LITTLE FALLS, MN – May 7, 2021) Beads, which can be used to embellish fabric or turned into jewelry, are made of all sorts of materials, from glass to wood to paper to plastic.
The Morrison County Historical Society is hosting two bead-making classes at The Charles A. Weyerhaeuser Memorial Museum in Little Falls, MN. Retired elementary art teacher Kathy Gerdts-Senger will guide attendees in making beads from a variety of materials using techniques suitable to each material. Gerdts-Senger graduated from Minnesota State University, Mankato with an art education degree and taught art at the Campus Lab School, South Junior High, and Clearview Elementary, all in the St. Cloud area. She has also led Crayola workshops.
The bead-making classes will be held on Saturday, June 12th from 1 – 2:30 p.m. and Saturday, June 26th from 1 – 2:30 p.m. The event will be outdoors at the museum, weather permitting, with masking and distancing required.
The June 26th class will feature a performance by Minnesota folk singer and songwriter Dennis Warner, whose song “Beads on One String” has been turned into a children’s book and a classroom curriculum. Ten thousand copies of the book will be distributed by the Utopia-STEPi Foundation throughout Africa, where Warner will perform a concert tour in 2022. Warner has performed at the Kennedy Center for Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. and his CD “Pilot Me” has reached #8 on the Folk Alliance International folk radio charts. His performance at the Weyerhaeuser Museum will be 30 minutes and will start at 1 p.m.
Each bead-making class is provided as a standalone session, so attendees may choose the one that best fits their schedule. Families are encouraged to attend as the bead-making techniques are suitable for all ages. The cost of the class is $5 per person. The cost for members of the Morrison County Historical Society is $3 per person.
During the classes, attendees may also view the BEAD exhibit on display at the museum. The exhibit features a variety of beaded items from the museum’s collection, including Ojibwe bandolier bags, and items on loan from community members.
To register for the class, call 320-632-4007 or sign up at https://morrison-county-historical-society.square.site/.
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