Beaded Black Velvet Cushions with Cynthia Boehm

  • Registration Deadline
    Friday, February 19, 2021 at 5:00pm
  • Saturday, February 20, 2021
  • Online with Zoom

Due to COVID restriction this workshop will now take place online with Zoom.

Free! There are 2 sessions one from 1 - 2:30pm and one from 3 - 4:30pm.

Beaded black velvet cushions were common in many Cree/Métis households in the 1800s and were often made for sale to tourists by Cree/Métis women during the fur trade. Made from fine velvet and exquisitely decorated with floral motifs in beadwork or silk embroidery, each cushion was uniquely designed. In this workshop you will learn the two-needle technique and create a decorative pincushion resembling the historical black velvet cushions. The front panel of a historical cushion will be on display for your viewing and inspiration

The Craft Program at MAWA is supported by Indigenous Initiatives and the Department of Municipal Relations of the Province of Manitoba.

Free! There are 2 sessions one from 1 - 2:30pm and one from 3 - 4:30pm. Register by selecting which session you'd like to attend adding it to your cart and following the checkout procedure. This workshop is now sold out.

  • Cynthia Boehm is a practising expert in the beadwork and embroidery patterns of her Cree-Métis ancestors, specifically the bold and vibrant designs from her home community of Norway House that were produced during the fur trade in the mid- to late 19th century. She was commissioned by the Glasgow Museums Resource Centre in 2020 to produce a “resilience mask,” and in 2019 was awarded the Barbara Cook Endres First Place Award for her stand-alone floral beaded piece My Journey Home — Honouring Our Grandmothers at the Manitoba Society of Artists Provincial Open Juried Competition. Her work is not only reflective of her desire to create beautiful pieces, but to honour her grandmother and her community members, whose work continues as a source of pride and love.