UrbanGlass spent a warm October afternoon with the Fort Greene Park Conservancy celebrating their annual Halloween Fest! UrbanGlass set up a table for a bead stringing activity amidst a park full of haystacks, carved pumpkins, and fantastic costumes worn by people and dogs alike! At our table, we filled trays with brightly colored beads and a stash of unique, handmade, glass beads donated by Bead Project alums. The fun and meditative process of bead stringing was soon in full effect, as our table quickly filled with people of all ages creating necklaces and bracelets. Everyone from kids, teens and adults were delightedly sifting through beads, to arrange them into a pattern; or embracing the joyful surprise of reaching for beads by the handful. As soon as they were happy with their creations; UrbanGlass staff tied off the ends of the strings, and handed them back ready-to-wear jewelry!
It was amazing to see how the simple act of bead stringing created a sense of community, even if for a short while. People were working side by side focused on bead stringing, while sharing resources and enjoying eachothers’ company. We saw the glimmer in people’s eyes when they found a bead that stood out to them, and the wonder it inspired when they learned that it was handcrafted by Bead Project alums. It was like a microcosm of the magic that happens in the UrbanGlass studios every day; where people come to work on their art while sharing skills, knowledge, and passion to form a community. Bead stringing is a great activity that allows us to bring the magic of glass out to the public to let people see what we do, and show the possibilities of what they can do.
Thank you to the Fort Greene Park Conservancy for inviting us to share a beautiful Halloween weekend bead stringing with so many people, we can’t wait to do it again soon!