Wendy Red Star's New Solo Art Show

In this episode of All of It on WNYC, host David Fein (filling in for Alison Stewart) speaks with Indigenous artist Wendy Redstar about her new site-specific solo exhibition, 'One Blue Bead,' at Sergeant's Daughters gallery in Lower Manhattan. The show, on display through April 18th, centers on European trade beads—particularly blue ones—used in colonial exchanges, including the legendary 1626 purchase of Manhattan from the Muncie tribe. Redstar’s work combines over 200 watercolor paintings and large-scale blown glass sculptures of these beads, transforming the gallery into a simulated trading post. Drawing from archival research and her Crow Nation heritage, she explores how value is assigned to objects, how colonial trade systems shaped Indigenous material culture, and how artifacts like beads were reinterpreted and integrated into Native regalia. The exhibition also references Hudson Bay point blankets and draws parallels to contemporary street commerce on Canal Street, emphasizing ongoing cycles of exchange and power. Redstar discusses her first experience with blown glass, the technical challenges of translating wound glass bead techniques into large-scale blown forms, and her intention to ground viewers in place and history rather than offer definitive historical corrections. She highlights the cultural significance of blue beads in West Coast Native communities and the personal resonance of the name 'One Blue Bead'—a name found in Crow census records. The episode underscores the intersection of art, history, and identity, inviting audiences to reflect on colonial legacies and the enduring power of objects to tell complex stories.