In line with contentious fantasy, the Lenape folks bought Manhattan to the Dutch in 1626 for round $24 value of beads. The transaction allegedly occurred at present-day Acquire Pond Park, simply two blocks from the Tribeca gallery Sargent’s Daughters, which represents the modern Apsáalooke artist Wendy Pink Star—whose multidisciplinary work actively retraces historical past.
In a site-specific solo present named for a historic Apsáalooke warrior, One Blue Bead (6 March-18 April), Pink Star summons this fantasy and explores the stunning historical past of commerce beads, turning the gallery right into a simulated buying and selling ground lined with Hudson’s Bay level blankets. It contains monumental commerce beads, greater than 100 watercolours of beads and an informational newspaper.
Wendy Pink Star, Catalogue 2, 2026 Courtesy of Wendy Pink Star and Sargent’s Daughters. Pictures by Kevin McConnell.
Proven internationally, along with her work held in additional than 80 public collections, Pink Star is at the moment in institutional group exhibits on the Crocker Artwork Museum, Autry Museum of the American West, Asheville Artwork Museum and the Nationwide Gallery of Canada, and shall be featured in an upcoming present on the Museum Rietberg in Zürich. Her work was additionally just lately acquired by the Museum Ludwig in Cologne.
Pink Star spoke with The Artwork Newspaper concerning the present, and why we must always all pay nearer consideration to ways in which beads string us collectively.
The Artwork Newspaper: What impressed this mission?
Wendy Pink Star: I used to be invited to an artist residency on the Pilchuck College of Glass in Washington final summer time, and shortly after that on the Tacoma Museum of Glass. Due to these residencies, I attempted to determine what I might do and simply saved coming again to commerce beads.
Wendy Pink Star, Pink White Coronary heart Bead, 2026 Courtesy of Wendy Pink Star and Sargent’s Daughters. Pictures by Kevin McConnell.
Is there a connection to the upcoming 250th anniversary of US independence?
That wasn’t one thing I used to be occupied with, however the beads completely tie into that complete historical past. It truly is concerning the international commerce community and the way one thing from Italy can journey by Europe, to Africa after which come to america. It’s this touring sort of origin story of beads, after which what kind of impression that they had within the totally different locations they confirmed up. The parable of Manhattan being bought for a handful of beads is all tied to that, and that’s very a lot the historical past of america.
Was there an Indigenous American custom of beadmaking earlier than Europeans arrived?
Adornment was tremendous vital and the best way that adornment confirmed up for Native folks was in various kinds of shells, deer hooves, porcupine quills. I feel they did trend some issues into beads in the event that they had been round clay of their space. It was already a giant vocabulary inside Native communities, a kind of decoration that they had been aesthetically enthusiastic about. So when beads got here round, it was this very pure, intuitive match.
Wendy Pink Star, Lewis & Clark Bead, 2025 Courtesy of Wendy Pink Star and Sargent’s Daughters. Pictures by Kevin McConnell.
How did you conduct your analysis for this exhibition?
Going to those residencies and studying about glass, the historical past of glass—it began there. Glass is an exceptional materials that may do and mimic so many issues, and is in each facet of our lives. I really bought historic beads, and from these I might ask the gaffers—the glass blowers who assist create these large-scale commerce beads—to make a selected kind. There’s a Dutch moon bead that I bought—that origin story is that they had been made in Bohemia, after which the Dutch took them to Africa. I went bead by bead, digging into the historical past of every bead that I used to be asking the gaffers to recreate at a big scale.
What had been some discoveries you made within the course of?
It’s simply actually fascinating to see, for example, a Chevron bead and the way that’s really made. It’s nothing that I might have imagined it to be—simply the truth that they’re seven layers of color, I discovered that actually fascinating. It’s a Venetian bead from the 14th century, and it’s this very iconic bead. Whenever you say commerce bead, lots of people consider this Chevron bead. They’ve a star form on the ends of them, and though there’s seven layers, there’s sometimes three colors—a variety of occasions pink, white and blue. They’re one of many icons of historic commerce beads.
They affected me rising up. I’ve at all times been round Chevron beads on the Crow reservation [in Montana], in order that, to me, can also be fascinating that one thing from the 14th century can also be one thing that’s very acquainted to me and was round me and integrated within the tradition. Individuals have a tendency to consider beads as these types of fairly issues, however to really dig into them and be taught the historical past and be taught the impression of how they had been traded. Beads are highly effective.
Wendy Pink Star, Chevron Bead, 2025 Courtesy of Wendy Pink Star and Sargent’s Daughters. Pictures by Kevin McConnell.
How had been folks utilizing them on the Crow reservation?
In necklaces, on horse regalia, if there are fringe features then they’re utilizing beads to string on them. So these, simply generally, had been round. Plenty of occasions when regalia is made, there’s a degree of artistry and a variety of time spent. So a few of these cultural objects had been handed down technology after technology.
Is there the rest you’d like so as to add?
There’s a bead connection to each place. It’s a common touchstone that I don’t assume folks essentially find out about. It would sound slightly summary, however if you happen to use the Manhattan bead for instance, or the Dutch moon bead, and even the Chevron bead in regard to the way it’s proven up within the Crow reservation. There’s an online by which the beads are linked, and it’s concerning the unimaginable community of commerce and the way one thing quite simple like a glass bead can journey and present up and actually rule locations, but join you to this greater historical past.
- Wendy Pink Star: One Blue Bead, 6 March-18 April, Sargent’s Daughters, New York
