Where Blue Dot Got Its Name
When first learning to bead I usually ended a piece with a round of blue dots because it was the only element that would fit in my unplanned designs. Starting a project I'd be afraid of messing up so I did the only thing I knew, a row of blue dots. When I'm feeling lost and don't know how to begin or end, a round of blue dots always comforts me.
Where Cynthia Got Her Name
Cynthia is a self-taught beadworker whose specialty is off-loom bead weaving with Czech seed beads. Cynthia provides lessons for community organizations and schools working to connect Native youth with their culture. She also presents workshops to demonstrate her craft and introduce a broader community to Native beading traditions. In recent years, Cynthia has combined household objects with beadwork creating assemblages that story tell her experience. These works have appeared in multiple museum exhibitions. She is a 2015 First Peoples Fund Artist in Business Leadership Fellow, 2019 First Peoples Fund Cultural Capital Fellow, and has received arts grants from the Potlatch Fund, The Evergreen State College Longhouse, and Artist Trust. She carries the name of Quannah Parker’s mother, her great, great, great grandmother.