In The Farrell Auditorium

Join Alex Marr, associate curator of Native American Art, and Carmen L. Robertson, author, professor, and indigenous art historian, for an exploration of Indigenous storytelling and aesthetics through beadwork.

Appearing virtually, Robertson will join Marr in conversation to explore the language of beadwork and its resonance with works in the Museum’s collection. Drawing from her book Bead Talk: Indigenous Knowledge and Aesthetics from the Flatlands, Robertson reveals how beadwork is far more than decoration—it is a vessel of knowledge, memory, and cultural resilience. Together, she and Marr will consider how artists carry these stories forward, woven and spoken bead by bead, affirming the enduring power of tradition and creativity across generations.