We interrupt your originally scheduled holiday madness to bring you BEAD DREAMS!
Oh yeah, it’s time.
The holidays are so hectic, I could easily keep two of me very busy. In the midst of all this holiday frivolity, the good folks at the Bead&Button Show have thrown open the gates to Bead Dreams 2011 and posted the application online EARLY!
Bead Dreams. The words alone bring to mind glittering, jaw-dropping creations by artists from around the world. Every year, I take in the extraordinary display of these treasures and wonder, how can the next year’s entries top these? It happens though, and every year Bead Dreams is the top exhibition of its kind in the world.
Let’s talk about what Bead Dreams means to you. Bead Dreams represents a juried collection of the best of contemporary work in our field. Here is a link to the online gallery to prove it. It showcases incredible work from superstars and unknowns.
Bead Dream judges are looking for pieces that represent the artist’s individual identity in nine different categories: Handmade buttons or beads, wirework, lampwork/glass, polymer clay, beaded objects or accessories, seed bead jewelry, crystal jewelry, finished jewelry, and metal clay. Consider entering one of your beautiful creations. Just because your work has not yet been recognized is no reason to keep it under wraps. What do you have to lose? Not a thing!
Perhaps you are an as-yet undiscovered artist. Maybe you entered Bead Dreams in the past and were disappointed that your work was not selected from the hundreds of submissions. If you really think about it, neither of these concerns is relevant in 2011. It is a brand-new year, a brand-new competition, a brand-new creative life.
You have until midnight April 5, 2011 to enter, and that is four months from now! Or, as a dry run, submit your work to Bead&Button for the Your Work section or for publication as a step-by-step project. And what have you got to lose by doing this, as well? Nothing at all.
If you do decide to enter Bead Dreams, think carefully about the following.
Push yourself
Here’s the scenario. You follow all the advice given in Maggie’s Musings. (Okay, you can get some more advice from other people, too, I suppose….) Your ideas become sketches. Your sketches become samples. After a few trips to gather supplies, your samples take on a life of their own. You put hours into your new design, perfecting design and color choices and techniques. You test your concepts over and over. Friends and family members are in awe. When you step back and examine your finished creation objectively, you think, "This is worthy of Bead Dreams."
Some things to consider
The Bead&Button Show is truly international. More than 10,000 visitors see the Bead Dreams display. People post pictures of their favorite creations on the Internet. BeadAndButton.com posts pictures of the finalists’ work that are also viewed thousands and thousands of times online. That’s a lot of people seeing your magnificent beaded creation if you are a finalist.
But wait, there’s more.
Are you thinking about furthering your career in beadwork design? Think about this: Bead Dreams finalists garner a lot of attention and it’s not just from people going to the show. Book and magazine publishers are always on the lookout for new talent. The Bead Dreams sponsors pay attention to the winners and may want to feature their work in advertisements, shows, or classes.
Do you also teach? Bead store owners will definitely be interested in having a finalist in Bead Dreams teach classes at their shops. Name recognition — can’t do without it!
How about selling your work? Would you like to sell your creations in galleries and high-end boutiques? Gallery owners will certainly take notice when "Bead Dreams finalist" is listed on your resume. It’s an incredible stamp of approval that can be used to your advantage. Want to be known as a designer or are you interested in selling kits? Again, name recognition coming from thousands of people seeing your work cannot be overrated.
Are you ready to enter your piece into a competition? Just thinking about entering Bead Dreams is thrilling and nerve-wracking. Before the doubts and insecurities swing into full force, take some time to examine your work and ask yourself these questions:
Is it your best? Personally speaking, one of my favorite beaded necklaces was for Convergence, a 2009 competition by the International Society of Glass Beadmakers and Bead&Button magazine. I had a vision of what I wanted to create, yet, I ripped apart many samples of beadwork before I got what I wanted. Working against deadline and growing feelings of insecurity didn’t help my creativity. I kept beading, refusing to give up. I soldiered on until that magic moment when I knew that I had given the necklace my best efforts.
Is it unique? Make sure that you are presenting work that is totally your own in the combination of beautiful materials, masterful techniques, and awe-inspiring aesthetics. Your work should express your "voice" as an artist.
Is it well-made? Let your craftsmanship shine through! Make sure your beadwork has no unsightly threads, your lampwork has no bubbles, your metalwork is seamless, your polymer clay is finely blended … Don’t assume that that one little flaw will go unnoticed. It will be worth it to start over if you have to — you will sleep well later and respect yourself in the morning!
Are your ready for the limelight? Applying to enter Bead Dreams means that your fabulous work will need to be juried in, because it is a competition after all. You need to be prepared to have your work critiqued by others. Judges will examine your work with criteria that must be met.
If you’re ready to do the above, you’re ready to enter your work in Bead Dreams! Do your best, fill out the online application, upload sharply-focused, complete and close-up photos of your work on white backgrounds, and smile! You just joined the Bead Dreams club. The best thing is, you have the exact same chance of becoming a finalist as anyone else who enters.
I can't end this blog without commenting on Sherry Serafini's beyond gorgeous necklace titled "Dance of the Peacock". It was awarded 2nd place in Finished Jewelry in Bead Dreams 2010.
Maggie Roschyk is an accomplished beadwork and jewelry artist who teaches jewelry making and publishes articles about designing jewelry. She loves teaching aspiring artists and seeing the "aha" moment in their eyes. Her goal is to inspire others to look beyond the empirical moment and strive to create beaded art that reflects their individualism.