Artists

Sam Thomas

Nationality: Cayuga

Thomas is both meticulous researcher and uncompromising artist. Twenty-seven years ago he set out to resurrect 18th and 19th century beadwork styles. Today he is responsible for the recovery of several lost techniques and masterminding an international mission to garner respect for Iroquois beadwork.

Thomas is the Creator and Curator of SKA-NI-KWAT: the Power of the Good Mind, 2003 to 2006, and THROUGH THE VOICES OF BEADS, a Royal Ontario Museum exhibition that will travel through 2015. He is the curator for the Bear Paw Raised Beadwork shows in 2006 and 2007. He has been invited to participate in many exhibitions, including at the United Nations Headquarters; he has earned over 90 national and international awards for his work; and his work is in the permanent collections of numerous museums in the United States and Canada. He is the foremost authority on Iroquois raised beadwork.