Chrysler Museum of Art

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Chrysler Museum of Art

Moses Myers House

323 E. Freemason St.
Open Saturday and Sunday
Noon–5 p.m.

Jean Outland Chrysler Library

Reading Room
Wednesday-Friday
10 a.m.–5 p.m.
Closed May 17-19, 2024

About the Myers House

The oldest Jewish home in America open to the public as a museum offers a glimpse of the life of an early 19th century merchant family.
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About the Library

With an extensive collection of more than 106,000 rare and unique volumes relating to the history of art, the Jean Outland Chrysler Art Library is one of the most significant art libraries in the South. More about the library

Located in Norfolk

One Memorial Place,
Norfolk, VA
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Perry Glass Studio

A state-of-art facility on the Museum’s campus. See a free glassmaking demo Tuesdays–Sunday at noon. Like what you see? Take a class with us! More about the Studio

The Myers House

The home of the first permanent Jewish residents of Norfolk, this historic house offers a glimpse of the life of a wealthy early 19th-century merchant family.
More about the house

Jean Outland Chrysler Library

With an extensive collection of more than 106,000 rare and unique volumes relating to the history of art, the Jean Outland Chrysler Library is one of the most significant art libraries in the South. More about the Library

Wedding & Event Rentals

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Field Trips

Field trips are available for groups of 60 or fewer. More about field trips

Jean Outland Chrysler Library

Visit one of the most significant art libraries in the South. More about the library

About the Chrysler

Our story spans well over 100 years. See where we began, how we grew, and where we're going. Explore our history

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Location

245 Grace Street
Norfolk, VA 23510
757-333-6299

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Visiting Artist Series

Bringing the world’s top glass art talent to Hampton Roads
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Studio Team

Meet the brilliant minds behind the Studio.
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A teapot created out of glass beads featuring a central figure wearing glasses and smoking a cigarette surrounded by other beaded figures. — Joyce J. Scott (American, born 1948), 'Mz. Teapot,' 2022, Teapot, glass beads, plastic beads, thread, wire, armature, woven and peyote stitch, Courtesy of Mobilia Gallery Image credit: © Michael Koryta

For more than three decades, trailblazing artist and activist Joyce J. Scott (American, born 1948) has elevated the creative potential of beadwork as a relevant contemporary art form. Scott uses off-loom, hand-threaded glass beads to create striking figurative sculptures, wall hangings, and jewelry informed by her African American ancestry, the craft traditions of her family (including her mother, renowned quilter Elizabeth T. Scott), and traditional Native American techniques, such as the peyote stitch. Each object that Scott creates is a unique, vibrant, and challenging work of art developed with imagination, wit, and sly humor.

A model wears a neckpiece made up of several beaded human figures. — Joyce J. Scott (American, born 1948), 'War, What is it Good For, Absolutely Nothin, Say it Again,' 2022, Peyote stitch, glass beads, thread Neckpiece shown on model Aisha Butler, Courtesy of Mobilia Gallery Image credit: © Jeff Butler

Scott has been many things during her illustrious career: quilter, performance artist, printmaker, sculptor, singer, teacher, textile artist, recording artist, painter, writer, installation artist, and bead artist. The scope of her work is extraordinary, and she has garnered particular acclaim for her technical skills in beading and her contributions to the transformation of this medium.

In this exhibition, thirty-four remarkable beaded works of art spanning the artist’s career express contemporary issues and concepts. Included in the show is Scott’s recent beaded neckpiece, War, What is it Good For, Absolutely Nothin’, Say it Again (2022). A technical feat in peyote stitch, infused with color and texture, this multilayered and intricate beadwork comments on violence in America.

Scott’s subject matter, whether social or political, reflects the artist’s own narrative of what it means to be Black in America. Meticulously hand-wrought, Joyce J. Scott’s works embody the messages she hopes to impress upon her viewers.

This exhibition is organized by Mobilia Gallery, Cambridge, MA.