Culver City Observer -

Los Angeles Bead Bazaar will be held Sunday, October 24th at the Veterans Building in Culver City. The event will feature more than 60 artistic vendors from all over the country to display their talent and wares as many people are intrigued with beads and combine these with other components into one-of-a-kind pieces. There will be an amazing selection available for purchase.

The Bead Society, Los Angeles was founded in 1975 by an enthusiastic group of bead collectors, jewelry designers, importers and scholars. At that time, a wealth of old trade beads and ethnic jewelry was being brought into Los Angeles from countries around the world. Because so little bead information existed at that time, the founders felt the need to share their research and study as well as having the opportunity to show their collections and ideas. Soon membership was opened to others interested in beads and The Bead Society quickly grew. The same is true today, society members still meet and share their ideas, finds and knowledge through the monthly meetings, newsletter and bead bazaars organized by the Bead Society.

In 1985 The Bead Society sponsored the first International Bead Conference in celebration of its tenth anniversary. In 2004 The Bead Society of Los Angeles made bead history with the screening of Diana Friedberg's documentary WORLD ON A STRING at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. The first part of this four-part series The Eternal Bead was shown to an invited audience of more than 500 people. This and her other documentaries will be available at the Bead Bazaar. Diana Friedberg's original idea became a reality with a generous grant from the Bead Society of Los Angeles. Other contributors added their support of this important project.

Friedberg is currently president of the Los Angeles Bead Society Rhoda Lurie of RhoDesigns Collection will be showing her latest collection on stage Rhoda Lurie traveler from from Asia to Zimbabwe with more that 60 countries in between, traversing through exotic corners of the world in pursuit of collections. She is an art historian, art consultant, author, collector and clothing designer for many years. She has done fieldwork in Botswana, Zwazulu, Papua New Guinea, and Borneo as well as many other countries in the far corners of the world. She has written numerous articles about her travels and has been featured in various magazines and newspaper articles. Rhoda Lurie specializes in the design of clothing, with colors as rich as a Gauquin canvas.

Her collection is geared for women wanting something unique, artistic, and different in a style never worn before. "I firmly believe you behave according to how you are dressed, using sensuous silks, handwoven cottons and ethnic old fabrics.

Rhoda believes also scarves and unusual jewelry can further enhance your total look and the range varies from ethnic to contempory