How many kits are you putting together? Why this number?

We are putting together 446 beading kits. This is the number of squares in the grid we designed to cover Lake Nipissing and its surrounding waters.

How did you choose the colours?

We chose the colours by looking at different remote sensing imagery of Lake Nipissing, and there was one map that showed the waters of the lake being emerald green. We thought that colour scheme would make a beautiful installation.

If someone completes one square and returns it - could they do a second?

Yes, for sure.

What is included in the kits?

The kit includes thread, beads, needles, beading backing that includes the pattern/outline of the portion of the lake you will bead. It also includes an envelope with postage for returning the piece.

Do I need anything to participate?

The only thing you will need to participate in the project is a pair of scissors and some time to spend.

What do I do once I have finished my tile? Is there a time frame for finishing my tile?

In your kit you are given a return envelope with postage, all you need to do is slip your finished tile/piece into the envelope and put it in the mailbox!

If participants can have their tile/piece finished and mailed back by the end of September 2021 that would be preferred. Our first exhibition is taking place in October 2021, and we hope to include as many finished tiles as possible. However, we will still accept tiles/pieces after these dates.

How artistic can I be with my tile?

You can be as artistic as you want, even including your own beads, but we would like to have a cohesive project so please incorporate the beads supplied so it matches up with the surrounding tiles (especially around the edges of the water you’re beading).

How did the project begin?

This project is an output of a larger place-based partnership between Nipissing First Nation, Dokis First Nation, Nipissing University, and museums across Anishinaabeg territory. Since March 2020, this group has met through weekly Zoom meetings to check in with each other and respond to the challenges of assembling in groups during a global pandemic, especially in First Nation communities and during the winter months. Over the summer, the team proposed a community beading project, Emnidoomnensged: Nbisiing Beading and Beyond during a Global Pandemic (Emnidoomnensged means “Beadwork Artist,” translation by Evelyn McLeod), to address the current stresses of disconnection by organizing a community beading project that brings people together virtually, spiritually, and energetically during a time of instability.

What are the long-term plans? Where will the beaded map of Lake Nipissing it be installed?

After participants return their beaded tiles, artist Carrie Allison and her team will assemble them into a large (roughly 5 metres-wide) map for an art installation in Halifax (Oct. 2021). It will then return to Anishinaabeg territory (including North Bay, Callander Bay, Dokis First Nation, Timmins, Sault Ste. Marie, and Thunder Bay, Spring/Summer 2022). This art installation will be part of a larger museum exhibit on the histories of Nishnaabeg guides, including Paul Commanda, (Nbisiing beader Josephine Commanda Beaucage’s father), who was a guide for the Carnegie Expeditions. The exhibition is also set to travel to the Carnegie Museum, funding permitted. Once the travelling exhibit is complete, it will return to Nbisiing Anishinaabeg territory, where the communities will decide how it will live on.

Who can I contact if I have any questions?

The best way to contact someone from the team is to email lakenipissingbeadingproject@gmail.com with any questions or concerns you may have.

What platform is the best to find out specific information about the project?

The best platform to find out about the entire project is the website: lakenipissingbeadingproject.com. Under “Project Outline,” you will find a video that speaks to the history of the project and outlines the pieces of the project.

How else can I stay up to date with the project? Do you have social media?

The best way to stay up to date is through our Facebook and Instagram pages (search Lake Nipissing Beading Project). We try to update our socials on a regular basis with upcoming events and how the project is progressing. We encourage you to post pictures along the way (don’t forget to tag us so we see them