No Two Alike
Join us in our annual Collaborative Community Project!
How it works: Each year we ask artists to contribute a beaded item of a specific theme. We install these collected items in an exhibition highlighting the power of people coming together for the purpose of community and creation. The exhibition is then on display for roughly a year. Once finished, the individual items are used in fundraising efforts for the Museum supporting the staff, development, and programs of this community-based institution.
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**Deadline September 30th, 2025**
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The theme for this year is "No Two Alike" and we would like you to create a pair of beaded snowflakes that will be part of an installation exhibit in our gallery.
We will be creating a truly unique beaded blizzard in our gallery, a visualization of the combined imaginations of dozens of artists—no two are alike—working in a variety of styles, coming together for a spectacularly collaborative experience. Each individual piece will be unique, and yet part of the greater whole.
We invite you, no matter your experience, style, or technique, to make your own pair of beadwork snowflakes, which can be a matching set or be entirely different from each other, and send them to us to be included in “No Two Alike.”
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Guidelines:
- Snowflakes can be anywhere between 1” in any direction to 12” in any direction.
- As the snowflakes will be hanging, 3-dimensional is best, but we are not discouraging 2D as long as they do not fold under their own weight.
- Use of an armature, framework, or solid structure to bead upon is acceptable.
- Each snowflake needs to have a loop or a way for us to attach monofilament. This is how we will hang them for the installation.
- Found materials are acceptable but we ask that the snowflakes are at least 70% beads.
- No color requirements.
- You are not required to make two! It will fit our theme better, but if all you have time for is one snowflake we will still be very grateful.
- Original designs only. Due to copyrights that some patterns have, we must require that designs are created by you or that you have express permission to use them for this project.
- Feel free to send us as many as you like. In fact, the more the better!
Please mail them to us no later than September 30th, 2025.
When mailing, please include:
- Your snowflake.
- Your name, town/state/country, and age (if you wish to share).
- Whether or not you would like to be listed as a contributing artist.
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Mail to:
Museum of Beadwork
915 Forest Avenue
Portland, ME 04103
The final installation will largely depend on how many snowflakes we receive.
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* Fine print, please read!
Upon receipt, the snowflakes become the property of the Museum of Beadwork. They are intended to be on display at the Museum of Beadwork as an installation for roughly a year before becoming part of an annual fundraising effort for the MOB. Individual snowflakes will not be returned.
All submissions to this project become the full property of the Museum of Beadwork and can be used by that institution in any lawful way including (but not limited to) publicity, marketing, exhibitions, sale, etc. in perpetuity. All proceeds resulting from this project will go to support the Museum of Beadwork and its mission.