Ingram Gallery has partnered with Eat My Words to present the first Canadian Exhibition of MonkeyBiz beaded art. MonkeyBiz is a non-profit organization that promotes empowerment and employment opportunity for disadvantaged women in South Africa through beaded artwork.

MonkeyBiz supplies the colourful glass beads to women artisans to create dolls and animals. Each of the 450 women involved in the project are paid for the artwork they produce. Since they work from home, they can look after their families and avoid transport cost. All the funds generated from the sales are put back in the community as well as the MonkeyBiz Wellness Clinic which provides skills, training and health support for low income HIV-positive women.

We had the opportunity to attend the opening reception of the Bead By Bead show at the Ingram Gallery in Toronto. Each African beadwork tells a different story and shows the great talent of women in South Africa. The beautiful beaded artworks range from $50 - $1000.

The Ingram Gallery is running the collection from May 15 – 23, 2009. For more information, visit IngramGallery.com.
by Sumaya Khan