In the Loop, Off the Loom: Experimental Beadwork
got a light? by Fernanda Gaspar, 2025. Lost wax, cast sterling silver, and peyote cigarette with Delica beads. Photo by Fernanda Gaspar.
Alien Pendant by Adeye Jean-Baptiste, 2024. Seedbeads and fused glass, 2½" x 2½".
This workshop will be a survey of beading techniques, focusing on off-loom bead weaving and embroidery. Whether you are a seasoned beadworker or a beginner, this workshop has something for you! Participants will learn to tell stories with their beads: the material, their history, and cross-cultural significance. Both instructors have varied approaches to beadwork—one with a foundation in glass, the other in metalworking. This is not a traditional beading workshop! You will learn long-established techniques and fundamentals with the expectation that participants will bring other mediums to work with in the studio. Utilizing beading, you will encase, embellish, and work in tandem with alternative materials. All levels welcome.
Fernanda Gaspar (she/her) is a contemporary artist and Jeweler from Guadalajara, Mexico, based in San Diego, CA. She received a BA from San Diego State University in Business Administration alongside a minor in Jewelry and Metalwork. Gaspar was the Pocosin Arts Metals Artist in Residence for 2024-2025. She produces art in her studio, teaching part time at the San Diego Jewelry Academy, Grossmont College, and the San Diego community college district. She also coordinates the Summer Metals J.A.M. program at Idyllwild Arts. Her work has recently been exhibited at SNAG Scrumptious for NYJW and Equal Temperament at the Kentucky Museum.
Adeye Jean-Baptiste (they/she) attended Alfred University, where they received a BFA. Their work focuses on vehicular movement from the perspective of those who are non-native to a given space or place. The core of their practice, however, is rooted in community. This has led Jean-Baptiste to be a co-facilitator for the GEEX community table group as well as co-create Alfred University’s Black Glass Artist series.