A new exhibit opened Sunday at the LSU Textile and Costume Museum in the Human Ecology Building showcasing the bead and fiber work of Jane Olson-Phillips, a Baton Rouge resident, who has traveled the world collecting beading materials.
“I like balancing the hardness and colors of the beads with the softer and more textured feel of the knotting,” Olson-Phillips said. “I call them miniature treasures because all the different types [of beads] are unique.”
The exhibition, “Knot Just Beads,” will be open until March 25 and displays Olson-Phillips’ personal works, along with her international collection of jewelry and wall hangings. Olson-Phillips collected beads and fibers from her travels around the world, said Pamela Vinci, curator of the LSU Textile and Costume Museum.
Vinci said Olson-Phillips first became affiliated with the museum when she started donating her personal collection of fiber-works and jewelry.
Olson-Phillips was raised in Connecticut and moved to England in 1955, where she said she discovered her passion for beads. She said she started out making knotted wall hangings and then moved on to necklaces and jewelry.
She then began to travel the world with her husband, driven by her interests in archeology and art. She began her travels in Europe before voyaging to northern Africa and Asia, visiting such countries as Egypt, Tunisia, China and Singapore.
Olson-Phillips returned to the United States in 1987 where she used her international collection of fossils, beads and stones to create her work.
Vinci said Olson-Phillips uses ancient knotting techniques in her art. She said these techniques originally had functional purposes, such as to create fishing nets, but Olson-Phillips uses them for decoration.
“I think different visitors will be interested in different parts of the exhibit,” Vinci said. “Some will be interested in the jewelry, while others will be interested in the history.”
Vinci said the museum’s purpose is to collect and preserve textiles and apparel. She said the museum possesses items ranging from archeological artifacts, such as Native American fishing lines, to current fashion trends such as Nike shorts and Top-Sider shoes.
Vinci said the museum continues to record history by collecting historical and modern apparel for future generations.
The museum has featured apparel from key figures in the University’s history, Vinci said. This has included the top hat of Charles E. Coates Jr., first head coach of the LSU football team and the graduation cap and vest of Thomas D. Boyd, former president of the University.
Olson-Phillips said after her exhibition ends, some of her works and collections will be donated to the museum, and the remaining items will available for purchase at the Caffery Gallery on Government Street.

Gallery • 23 Photos

Charles Champagne

Antique Afghan silver and cinnabar beads are on display for the Knot Just Beads exhibit by bead and fiber artist Jane Olson-Phillips Sunday, January 26, 2014 at the LSU Textile and Costume Museum located in the Human Ecology Building.