Artist Wendy Red Star has launched a site-specific solo exhibition titled 'One Blue Bead' at Sargent’s Daughters in Tribeca, exploring the historical and symbolic weight of trade beads. The exhibition transforms the gallery into a simulated trading floor featuring monumental glass beads, over 100 watercolors, and Hudson’s Bay point blankets. The project originated from the artist's residencies at the Pilchuck School of Glass and the Tacoma Museum of Glass, where she researched the global circulation of glass beads from Europe to Africa and the Americas.
This exhibition matters because it deconstructs the 'contentious myth' of Manhattan’s sale for $24 worth of beads while highlighting the sophisticated global trade networks of the 17th century. By scaling up these small objects, Red Star elevates the status of Indigenous adornment from mere craft to a complex historical record. The show coincides with a period of significant institutional recognition for Red Star, whose work has recently been acquired by the Museum Ludwig and is featured in major exhibitions across North America and Europe.