R.A. Red Corn, artist
Beaded drum stick
Glass 15/0 Seed Beads

As a child, my Grandmother and Great Aunt had a shop in Pawhuska called the Red Man Store, that made traditional men’s and women’s Osage clothing for ceremonial dances and powwows. In the summers, I would visit with my Grandmother and Great Aunt at their shop. It was there that my Grandmother taught me to bead. I would bead the edges of the ribbonwork on the men’s suit leggings and otter hides. The beading I do today is much different from that as a child, but the importance of the spacing and quality of work I was taught, is still there today.

Artwork is typically a singular activity and since the Covid pandemic is conducive to isolation, my art situation has not been affected much. However, when working on a project, the work engulfs the mind, so the thoughts and fears of Covid are calmed.