Holland, Sage & Tom

Tom Holland is considered one of the Pioneers of the contemporary glass bead making movement. He received his BFA in Ceramics with an emphasis on Sculpture at Northwest Missouri State University 1977. In the early 1980s Tom had careers as a potter, blacksmith and stone mason in Stone County AR where he still lives today. In his teens Tom developed a love for all things Native American. He had a troupe leader that exposed him to the Material Culture of the American Plains Indians in the late 1700s and early 1800s just before and after Lewis and Clark. Tom was especially enamored with the beaded Indian regalia and sacred objects.The journey eventually led him all over the Nation studying and researching on the subject of old beads and ultimately their manufacture. Tom Holland started actually making glass beads full time in 1989. Tom and his partner ”Sage" create works in glass that reflect their interest in pattern and symbol within smaller forms inspired by the history of glass and the natural surroundings they are rooted in.

Patricia "Sage" Holland began her path in the art of Flameworking glass in 1987 while in the Pacific Northwest of Washington State. She is also considered one of the 1st to become dedicated to Glass Beadmaking in contemporary times in America. America is known to have spurred on the renaissance of the ancient art form throughout the world. Sage honed her voice in the expression of glass Beadmaking for 5 years before moving to Arkansas to join studios with Tom in 1993. They have been instrumental in the earliest workshops on the subject of Glass beadmaking and the history by traveling throughout the country and setting up impromptu studios for the purpose of offering classes and presentations. Together they researched in multiple National and International Museums as well as private collections of ancient artifacts in glass in order to write articles and to create the technique list that they offer in the workshops. Sage and Tom moved to become residents of the Meadowcreek Valley west of Fox in 1999 and live off grid in a home they built that is powered by solar.

The First Contemporary Glass Bead Exhibit at The Bead Museum in Catalog 1993
Best in Show, Pikes Place Market, Seattle 1995
The Lapidary Journal, American Style
The Ornament Magazine 1994, 1995, 2001, 2002, 2008
Bead and Button Magazine 1996,1998
Denmark Contemporary Glass Bead Exhibit 1997
The Japanese Glass Bead exhibit 1998
The Beads of the World, by Peter Francis
Making Glass Beads, and Beads of Glass 1999 by Cindy Jenkins
Collectible Beads 1997 Robert Lui
The Society of Glass Beads Rockwell Exhibit,1998
Sars Potteries Museum International Glass Bead Exhibit Journee's de/la Perle du Verre, Guest of Honor 2013
The Masters, 2008 by Larry Scott, published by Lark Books
The History of Beads, revised edition 2009 Lois Sherr Dubin
Selected to teach the Masters Class at Bead and Button show Milwaukee 2012
Presenter for The International Society of Glass Bead makers 1994, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2006, 20015, 20016
Inductee into The International Society of Glass Beadmakers Hall of Flame 2016