Midwest States Intergalactic Bead Festival Cincinnati, OH August 2-3, 2003
10AM - 5PM Saturday, August 2 and Sunday, August 3 Tori's Station - Fairfield Convention Center, 94 Donald Dr., Fairfield, OH From I-275 Exit 41 Springfield Pike north (OH ST RT 4). Follow signs.Thirty-four vendors from fourteen states with an extraordinary display of ancient, antique, vintage, and modern handmade beads for sale. Also, beadmaking demonstrations, identification and appraisals. Admission: $8.00 Saturday $5.00 Sunday BRING THIS LISTING FOR $1 OFF ADMISSION - 12 years old and under free For Festival Information, 888-729-6904,
PRESS RELEASE FOR MIDWEST STATES INTERGALACTIC BEAD FESTIVAL
Cincinnati, OH The Midwest States Intergalactic Bead Festival will take place 10AM-5PM Saturday, August 2 and Sunday, August 3. Thirty-four vendors from fourteen states will show and sell their wares of ancient to modern beads, bead books, beading supplies, and finished beads, at Tori's Station - Fairfield Convention Center, 94 Donald Dr., Fairfield, OH From I-275 Exit 41 Springfield Pike north (OH ST RT 4). Follow signs. An interesting mix of history and art, this bead extravaganza will feature over eighty tables representing the country's finest bead vendors. The fascination with beads is not a new one. People have been admiring, wearing, and praying with beads for over forty thousand years. According to Christopher England, the man behind Intergalactic Bead Shows, "Beads are not a passing fancy. In fact, in the many years we have been hosting bead shows, beads have only grown in popularity." When asked why he thought that was, England's reply was noncommittal. "Perhaps it is because of the satisfaction that comes from applying time and concentration to a small vial of beads to create a three-dimensional piece of jewelry or sculpture. Or, it could be the instant gratification found by stringing a collection of beads into something unique that you can wear that evening. Maybe it is the inspiration one gets from seeing other people's creativity come alive. Or, as one who has attended an Intergalactic Bead Show can tell you, it may simply be the experience of seeing so many colors, textures, and patterns together in one arena that lends itself to the bead frenzy. Attending our shows is like entering a room full of potential." Indeed, this weekend's Midwest States Intergalactic Bead Festival will be the premier place to harness the potential of antique and modern beads of every size, description, and material. The festival will also feature local bead artists and shops as listed below. Local artist Elizabeth Chumtong of Saki Silver, Clifton, OH will offer her custom designed sterling silver toggles and clasps along with a stunning display of artisan bead jewelry, including just-received new designs for
2003. Born and raised in Cincinnati, Liz met her husband Sak, a master silversmith, in his home country of Thailand. Together they have partnered with a studio in Thailand to exclusively produce Liz's designs, giving their product a consistent high quality and accuracy to design. In addition to the findings they carry, Saki Silver showcases Sak's own custom jewelry creations along with commissioned pieces from various independent artists in Thailand. For the past three years Sak and Liz have been providing the Cincinnati area with one-of-a-kind treasures at their retail store in Clifton. They also maintain a full-service website. Linda and Lou Wagener of Beads, Buttons, & More, Cleveland, Ohio, acquired many of their customers from the bead shop they ran for a decade in the Cleveland area. For the past five years they have focused on their national wholesale accounts and the bead and gem show circuit. Their loyal followers now return year after year to seek out their tables heaped with semi-precious stones, freshwater pearls, and European glass beads. Linda, when not tending to this "sea of beads as far as the eye can see," is ever engaged in dialogues about the diversity there is in pearls. As she shows pearls with names like "Toffee Dangle, Saturn, or Pillow," you can see from their shape, texture, and color that they are appropriately named. Cynthia Thorton, Green Girl Studios, Columbus, OH has only recently turned her gift for sculpture to small objects. When not making beads, Thorton produces much larger prototype sculptures that are then mass-produced by numerous companies, including Walt Disney. However, she has found a home in the compactness that is required to design a bead, and the miniature art she creates is in the form of animals and mythological creatures. The time-consuming process of taking one of her sculptures from an idea to a finished product begins as she carves the bead in a sculpture's resin clay she has formulated. From this, a more permanent lost-wax, cast-bronze copy is made. The bronze bead is then used to create a Vulcan rubber mold, which is used to make the final pewter or sterling silver bead. To the delight of attendees, during her few breaks at the festival she will work on her next bead. Her concentrated effort lends her unaware of time and a gathering audience as she magically carves a lump of clay to release a creature bead that had been previously held captive inside. Janet Wolery, Contemporary Glassworks, Delaware, OH has been creating beautiful objects from glass for over twenty years. Her specialty is dichroic glass, which is the fusion of micro-thin layers of metal oxides to the glass. Because the transmitted color is different than the reflected color, the glass takes on an iridescent appearance similar to that found in nature on a fish's scales or on a dragonfly's wings. Wolery was initially drawn to dichroic glass because it was unlike anything she had ever seen before. It is this same magic along with the limitless possibilities of the medium that keeps her excited about it today. The use of color and geometrical design in her glasswork sets Wolery apart in her craft, as does her extensive selection of pieces. She will be offering beads, pendants, cabochons, and her trademark barrettes. Visitors to this weekend's festival are sure to find something to delight them from the beads ranging from historical to modern, handcrafted to mass produced, natural materials to the newest in synthetic technology. Along with beads and bead-making supplies there will be numerous finished pieces to choose from, including beaded bracelets, pendants, necklaces, and earrings. The various artists, vendors, and collectors brought together by The Midwest States Intergalactic Bead Festival will be bringing Cincinnati the best selection of beads in the galaxy. Let the creativity begin! ####### End #######-- "IF IT IS GOOD FOR BEADS, IT IS GOOD FOR THE UNIVERSE" WORLD BEAD DAY September 28, 2003
** The Day To Wear Your Beads ** or join others beaders at an bead event near you.