Beadwork + Mathwork = Community Beading Project with Nico Williams, Anishinaabe artist

The Community Beading Project brought together participants from UFV, UBC and surrounding area from kids to adults. The goal was to bring together community and engage in beadwork and mathwork over 5 virtual sessions while contributing to a larger social action collective project, the community hyperblanket … and they succeeded!

Beadwork is relational. Mathematics is relational. Nico brings us together to learn beadwork, engage in mathwork, and contribute to a collaborative beading project that deepens awareness of Indigenous presence and futures

The sessions began back in September as part of the Fraser Valley Mathematics Education Sq’ep. Dr. Vanessa Radzimski, Assistant Professor from Math and Stats took the lead in organizing the event with others from the Indigenous Mathematics K-12 Network at UBC. The event was open to everyone and filled up quickly. Participants included other Math and Stats Professors from UFV, Drs. Stan Manu, Kseniya Garaschuk and Cynthia Loten.

Above images retrieved from the virtual sessions

The final session was held in February. The participants beaded sections to contribute to the community project. These sections will be put together by Nico Williams and once completed the Community Hyperblanket will travel to schools and around the province.

Photo credit: Hyperblanket  https://www.nicowilliams.com/experimental/v06mzmlgu2mx58pmiq8s2t82tzo10s

Artist Nico Williams is an Anishinaabe beadwork artist of the Aamjiwnaang First Nation. He is currently working in Tiohtià:ke | Mooniyang | Montréal. He has a multidisciplinary, often collaborative practice that is centered around sculptural beadwork. Read more >