'Art is for everybody,' says Métis beadwork artist who hosts monthly workshop for racialized people (original) (raw)

Manitoba·Video

Métis beadwork artist Vi Houssin hosts a monthly BIPOC beading workshop in Winnipeg. In this new short video for CBC's Creator Network, meet the beaders behind the group.

Vi Houssin says everyone should have space to explore their creativity

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Métis artist crafts safe spaces with BIPOC beading circles

Vi Houssin, a Red River Métis beadwork artist, hosts a welcoming space for the Black, Indigenous and people of colour community to learn the craft of beadwork. By keeping the tradition of beading circles alive, Houssin hopes to continue the transfer of knowledge to new generations of racialized artists.

Métis beadwork artist Vi Houssin isn't the best beading teacher, she readily admits.

But there's much more to beading than just beading.

"It's just an opportunity to get together and gossip and share and tell stories," she said.

In that spirit, Houssin hosts a monthly beading workshop-cum-get-together for the Black, Indigenous and people of colour community in Winnipeg. The next workshop will be May 28.

On the fourth Thursday of every month, beadwork artists with a broad range of experience get together for a workshop. (Samantha Don)

Houssin created the monthly workshop to ensure people who perhaps have felt out of place in other workshops felt welcome, she said.

"Having a space that centers BIPOC folks allows for people to gather and know that they belong and not feel sort of marginalized or othered in maybe some other spaces," she said.

"Art is for everybody and everybody should have a space to explore that."

The beading group is open to people with all levels of experience, "whether they've been beading for 10 years or whether they've never touched a needle before."

Beadwork artist Vi Houssin hosts a monthly beading workshop for the Black, Indigenous and people of colour community in Winnipeg. (Samantha Don)

Houssin hosts the pay-what-you-can workshop the fourth Thursday of every month from 6 to 9 p.m. at 622-100 Arthur St., the home of Take Home MB, a BIPOC arts space in Winnipeg's Exchange District.

This short video is the work of filmmakers Samantha Don, Alexander Decebal-Cuza and Karen Remoto as part of CBC's Creator Network.

The Creator Network is a group of CBC producers across the country who mentor and guide emerging digital storytellers as they create relevant and original content for audiences.

Check out the Creator Network Manitoba's YouTube playlist here.