About BSGNY: A Brief History

The Bead Society of Greater New York (BSGNY) was founded in January 1988 by a handful of students taking a beading class at NYC’s Fashion Institute of Technology. This class was created and taught by the now, world-renowned artist (and a BSGNY founding member), Yoshie Marubashi.

Today, BSGNY boasts over 350 members including a chapter in Japan. We are a diverse group of avid beaders from hobbyists to professionals, many of whom are nationally and internationally renowned instructors and represented in major publications and competitions.

Our mission is to enlighten and educate the public on the historical and cultural influence of beads. To achieve this goal, we offer our members a wide array of programs and benefits which include:

• Monthly lecture series covering topics such as the history and cultural importance of beads, beadwork design and techniques, gemology, art photography, the bead industry, and even the ergonomics of beading
• Discounts on workshops taught by world renowned and local bead artists
• Bead library and discounted book sales
• Special events such as “Tips and Tricks”, “Annual Garage Sale” and private museum tours
• Discounts at local bead shops
• BSGNY newsletter and e-mail updates

We provide a showcase for our members’ creativity and talent in events such as our World of Beads Exhibits I - VIII held at the Museum of Art & Design and the Fashion Institute of Technology, invited presence at the exhibition and sale at the famed Takashimaya in Tokyo, educational exhibit at NYC’s Donnell Library, participation in the annual NYC Soft Flex Glass Art & Bead Festival and the Manufacturers of Jewelry Suppliers of America’s (MJSA) New York Expo.

BSGNY is active in several outreach programs such as BEADS for Education sponsoring the schooling of Catherine Musele, a Maasai child in Kenya; cash donations sent to the Craft Emergency Relief Fund (CERF) to aid victims of Hurricane Katrina; we initiated Operation: Beads for Kids contributing enormous amounts of beads and stringing materials for children in Iraq; and contributions of bead supplies and books from our members to assist missionaries working with women in Haiti. We’ve also donated beads and craft materials to community and senior citizen centers.

BSGNY is a nonprofit organization. Our Board and all of our programs are run solely by our member volunteers. We thank our members for stepping up to support the Society and look forward to welcoming new members to join us in this wonderful passion of beading.