We love owls. How about you? These majestic animals stir so many feelings within us. Owls have been a strong symbol of knowledge since antiquity. We love their rugged strength and talent for hunting. We love their inquisitive nature and intelligence. These nocturnal denizens live in a place that is half-shrouded by mysticism and half-stepped in the real world. If you love owls as much as we do, you are going to love this contest.

Whoooo’ll Bead for Owls

Whoooo’ll Bead for Owls is a beaded owl art contest and they are accepting entries now!

WOO-HOO! There is a new beading contest for you to enter! 

Entries are being accepted now through May 18, 2020 for “Whoooo’ll Bead for Owls”. This is a juried, beaded owl art contest and show with prizes ranging from $250 to $1,000. The beadwork accepted by the jurors will be on display at the International Owl Center in Houston, MN. The displays will be up from August 1-15, 2020, during the International Owl Awareness Day celebration. They will also be viewable online. If the Owl Center is not able to be open during that time, the show will just be online. Many items will be sold on the Owl Center’s website during the show. 

The entry fee is $25 and entries must be received by May 18.

More information and the applications may be found online at www.umbs.org and the “Whoooo’ll Bead for Owls-beading contest” Facebook page. You can apply online at www.umbs.org. The contest benefits the Upper Midwest Bead Society and the International Owl Center.

Karla Bloem, Executive Director International Owl Center with Alice Austin. Photo © Brian Plath

Karla Bloem banding Owlet. Photo © Chris Sargent

Owl Bracelet by Diane Fitzgerald, Founder Upper Midwest Bead Society

Owl House by Judy Onofrio

Owl Necklace by Margo Yee

Whoooo’ll Bead for Owls? Beading Competition - Juror Introduction

Judy Onofrio

Judy Onofrio, A multi-media sculptor, has been creating art for over five decades. Her work demonstrates her lifelong interest in form and materiality. Her work is in found in the collections of The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, TX: Renwick Gallery, The Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington, DC; The Museum of Arts and Design, New York, NY; The Minneapolis Institute of Arts and Frederick R. Weisman Museum, Minneapolis, MN and over 40 other museum and public collections.

Onofrio was awarded Minnesota Crafts Council Lifetime Achievement Award; She is a recipient of the Rochester Art Center Lifetime Achievement Award; The McKnight Foundation Distinguished Minnesota Artist Award in recognition of her ongoing contribution as an artist and educator. In 2020, she was awarded the Woman’s Caucus for the Arts Lifetime Achievement Award.

Sherry Leedy

Sherry Leedy Contemporary Art was established in 1985, and as the first and longest running contemporary art gallery in the Crossroads Arts District of Kansas City, Sherry Leedy Contemporary Art was instrumental in the creation and revitalization of this district. Leedy has curated hundreds of solo and group exhibitions that have set a standard of excellence. In 1996, Leedy co-curated Pure Vision: American Bead Artists with B.J. Shigaki, former Director of the Rochester Arts Center, MN for Exhibits USA. Pure Vision toured museums throughout the United States from 1997-2000.

In addition to her work as a gallerist, Leedy is a practicing artist with work represented in the permanent collections of the Los Angeles County Museum, Los Angeles, CA; Nerman Museum for Contemporary Art, Overland Park, KS; and Daum Museum of Contemporary Art, Sedalia, MO among others.

Diane Fitzgerald

Diane Fitzgerald is a beader who has authored more than 150 magazine articles, a dozen books and numerous tutorials. She has taught nationally and internationally and collects American art glass beads and 20th century glass jewelry.

Diane is a graduate of the University of Minnesota School of Journalism, BA, MA; and has a minor in Design also from the U of M.

Karla Bloem

Karla Bloem is the Executive Director of the International Owl Center and has been educating people about owls for 22 years. She is also the leading authority on Great Horned Owl vocalizations and presents her work at international conferences.

Tracy Krumm

Tracy Krumm has been a professional studio artist, educator and arts administrator for over 30 years. Her current work is an ongoing investigation of constructed forms and structures that reference identity, duality, gender and labor. She currently serves as Director for Artistic Advancement at the Textile Center in Minneapolis and maintains a studio practice in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Barbara Rogers

Barbara Rogers, Professor Emeritus of Painting and Drawing in The School of Art at The University of Arizona in Tucson, AZ. Starting in 1968, Rogers' work has been presented in at least 43 solo exhibitions.

Join our Facebook group – VIB. Stay in the know. Stay up to date. From our bead shows to our video shows and sales, you can stay in touch with us. The community is full of artistic and helpful beaders and crafty people. Inspire and be inspired. Share your pictures and get the beading bug from others!

Visit the Soft Flex Company YouTube Channel!

Blog contributor Thomas Soles loves Jazz Age writers and crunchy french fries. His favorite gemstones are Lapis and Pietersite. His favorite hobby is day dreaming. And his favorite mustache is Freddie Mercury's. As you can see, he has a healthy (or possibly unhealthy) sense of humor. You can write to him at Thomas@SoftFlexCompany.com