Contemporary Beadworker Ken Williams Jr Awarded Rakow Commission by Corning Museum of Glass
Marking the prize’s 40th year, "I Am the Hungry Cat" is the first Rakow Commission awarded for beadwork.
The Corning Museum of Glass has awarded artist Ken Williams Jr with the 2026 Rakow Commission. Williams, a Northern Arapaho and Cattaraugus Seneca artist, began learning beadwork at a young age on the Cattaraugus Seneca Indian Territory and later honed his technique with master beadworkers from his mother's Northern Arapaho family.
Known for his pictorial beadwork, Williams chose to create a standalone wall panel for this commission, using 68 different colors of historic to contemporary beads. The framed composition features a graphic depiction of his cat, Valentino, complete with thought bubbles showing his favorite foods, making it a self-portrait as part of his "Yum Series."
Williams stated that this recognition of beadwork through the Rakow Commission is deeply meaningful to him, as it allows him to tell stories and honor his ancestors while pushing his practice toward the future. The Rakow Commission is a prestigious annual award for artists working in glass, supporting the creation of new works by encouraging experimentation and innovation.
This is the 40th year of the annual award, which was first presented in 1986 and has included recipients such as Te Rongo Kirkwood, Charisse Pearlina Weston, Leo Tecosky, Preston Singletary, Silvia Levenson, Klaus Moje, and Lino Tagliapietra.
Written by urgent.news from Hyperallergic's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
