Nelie G. Mae

My name is Meg (she/her), and I am the artist of Nelie G. Mae! My connection with my maternal lineage is the heart of my beadwork, and I am a citizen of Red Lake Nation. I share my middle name (Elaine) with my mother and grandmother, and the name “Nelie G. Mae” is an anagram of my first and middle names.

While my Ojibwe heritage is what grounds my beadwork, my artistic lens expands into all the layers of who I am and where I come from – I also have mixed European ancestry from Germany, Russia, England, and Ireland. I grew up living abroad throughout my childhood, and continued to do so throughout my 20’s – my last name means “far from home” in German. I am a queer, cis-gendered woman, and value acknowledging the layers of privilege, pain, and healing surrounding my life experiences. Artistic expression has always been woven into my connection to identity and emotional processing, and while I always loved beads as a kid, it wasn’t until 2015 that I started working with seed beads!

Being in Minnesota has always been a reminder of my roots and family stories. While I am primarily self taught in my techniques, my family members have experience in needlepoint, sewing, crocheting, embroidery, quilting, and knitting. My beadwork is a way for me to stay present while weaving together the past with my dreams for the future. Thank you so much for being here!

Beadwork is a practice that teaches me how to pay attention within each moment. I am often inspired by color, fluidity, flowers, joy, shapes, balance, contrast, movement, water, space, light, fire, and the hope I feel in the creation process. Most pieces are one-of-a-kind! While I mostly make earrings and necklaces, I have started beading with other 3D mediums, and am excited to see how this creative practice evolves with time.

Miigwech (thank you)!