PABLO — Montana artist Rachal Malebear Stone’s beadwork is worn all around the world.
This week, her beaded belts will make an appearance here at home, at Ian Munsick’s concert in Missoula on Friday.
“I just pick up beads and it just starts coming out. It’s just whatever comes to life as I’m making it,” Malebear Stone said. “I do a lot of leather work, horse tack for parading, earrings, all kinds of jewelry. I’ve done it all.”
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Malebear Stone is from Wyola, Montana and is an enrolled member of the Crow Tribe.
“I think I started beading like 13 years ago. I had my sister show me how to do it and it just kind of took off from there,” she said. “I like being creative. I like color. I like art and having it being wearables, I like that too.”
She now lives in Western Montana, studying at Salish Kootenai College and beading between homework and raising her two sons.
While it begins in her living room in Pablo, her work is worn across the country and the world.
“Germany, Canada, Mexico, all over the U.S., Australia,” she said. “I hope that they know like a lot of time and energy and love went into making it. You know, like each piece is essentially a custom piece and it's made specifically for them.”
Wherever her beadwork goes, it always has a piece of home.
“I really like all the old Crow-style designs and the geometrics of it and the color. I like color. I think it's really beautiful and to keep it like rooted into Crow country,” she said.
Clients find her through word of mouth and social media. Those words and recommendations have reached far. She has beaded work for musician Ian Munsick and a hat Munsick commissioned for singer-songwriter Lainey Wilson.
“I was like, ‘Oh my gosh!’ It's pretty exciting and it was nice to be asked to be a part of that for her,” she said.
Currently, she is beading belts for Munsick and his father, Dave, ahead of Munsick’s Friday night concert at the University of Montana.
“He ordered a leather belt — this is actually it — and he said, ‘Just have creative freedom. Do what you want.’ So, I was like, ‘Say less.’ I was like ‘I got you,’” she said.
Most of Malebear Stone’s work goes out into the world when she finishes it.
Her creative process is to let the colors and beads inspire her as she works. That is also her plan for her beadwork business.
“Wherever it takes me. It has taken me all over the place,” she said. “I don't get to keep any of my art, but like seeing it parading and being danced with and just worn by other people, that's, I don't know, I'm like, ‘I’m just a Rez kid.’ Like, ‘You want my work?’ That's pretty special.”
