Our Art Wall: General Info

Our Art Wall is a wonderful way to showcase our members’ and friends’ talents. We reserve this space to display the art of UU members, friends, and members of the community. All ages are welcome to submit their art. We try to rotate through artists on a month by month basis if we are able. To request a spot, please contact us by calling 701.223.6788 or emailing bismanuuoffice@gmail.com. Don’t miss this opportunity to share your creativity with our community!

Art Wall: Currently Displaying as of September 2023

Artist Bio:

Anita Hellman is a seed bead artist specializing in French beaded botanicals. A full Artist member of Bismarck Downtown Artist Cooperative (BDAC), her work is permanently on display in the gallery at 422 North Fourth Street in Bismarck. 

French beading is the art of sculpting with beads. Tiny seed beads are strung onto wire, shaped and assembled into flowers. The art became popular in the Victorian era when peasants supplemented their income by making flowers from discarded beads. They created elaborate flower arrangements, often fashioning them into large funerary wreaths (immortelles) which were hung on tombstones and mausoleum walls.

The art was reintroduced in the USA in the mid 1900s when a small group of bead designers published a series of books. Their works are now considered the “bibles” of modern French beaders.

Today many resources are available to the bead artist, but the best work is done using live plants and flowers, as well as photos of plants and flowers. The process is intense and time consuming but the results are beautiful. We are lucky to have 21 high quality pictures of her work on display currently.