Three hundred artisan exhibitors will fill 30,000 square feet of the Pasadena Convention Center starting Friday, July 31, when the Pasadena Bead & Design Show opens for what organizers bill as its 18th year.
The three-day show runs through Sunday, August 2, with doors open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Organizer Garan-Beadagio, LLC selects vendors through invitation and juried application, and this year's marketplace spans beads, gemstones, art clothing, hand-dyed silks, hand-tooled leather, felted hats, and upcycled wearables, according to the show's official site.
Admission is $8 online or $10 at the door. A single ticket covers all three days with re-entry. Attendees 17 and under get in free with a paid adult.
Named exhibitors returning and new
Metalwork jeweler Robert Lopez returns to the Pasadena show after years away. Kuo Jewelry brings silver and champlevé enamel pieces. Sunstone Mining Company sells Oregon sunstones direct from the source. Le Plume Studios offers gemstones, cabochons, and minerals. The Bakelite Lady specializes in vintage Bakelite jewelry and accessories.
Beyond traditional beadwork, Keennon Shaw Design transforms vintage Japanese kimono textiles into handcrafted necklaces, and Petals to Stems creates detailed crepe paper flowers specializing in orchids from around the world.
Workshops
The show includes workshops covering jewelry making, bead weaving, silversmithing, wax carving, fiber arts, and design techniques, according to Pasadena Weekly.
Jewelry artist Bianca Moscatelli teaches wax carving for lost-wax casting. Metalsmith Marissol Martins leads sessions on sterling silver soldering and tube-set gemstone jewelry. Fiber artist Eleanor Park runs workshops blending jewelry making with weaving and textile techniques. Workshop registration is available at BeadAndDesign.com.
Getting there
The Convention Center sits at 300 E. Green St. Parking runs $15 at the Convention Center garage on Euclid Avenue or $12 at the Paseo Colorado Marengo Garage. A hotel block at the connected Hotel Dena is available for $189 per night.
The show launched in 2008 and has drawn craft buyers and small-business vendors to Pasadena's commercial core each summer since. Tickets and the full exhibitor list are posted at BeadAndDesign.com.
