The September 4th travel section of the Star Tribune, the Minneapolis daily paper, had an article entitled “Rapid City Revival.” About a quarter of the article was on Prairie Edge, the Rapid City store I wrote a blog post about, AND its bead library.

Here’s what the Star Tribune wrote about Prairie Edge:

“Don’t miss native art, beads

If you have to pick just one Rapid City destination, beeline for the bronze Lakota woman and a young girl that stand outside Prairie Edge Trading Co. and Galleries at 6th Avenue and Main Street. This downtown anchor brings together what could be several stores or museums, but it all flows seamlessly. The airy Native Art Gallery feels like a Smithsonian exhibit with colorfully beaded clothing, elaborate peace pipes, decorated cradleboards, buffalo robes and drums.

Upstairs, art works range from paintings of prairie storms to a meticulously crafted 7-foot ghostly white cast paper sculpture of a buffalo hunt. Going price: $55,000.

Downstairs, the Sioux Trading Post sells synthetic eagle feathers, sweetgrass bundles, bones and shells.

In the lofted bead museum, every variation of color shines within thousands of numbered glass jars. They line wooden cases like a coveted rainbow of rare medicines. Other displays show off millefiori (flowered) beads, striped panes of glass and bright patterns.

Prairie Edge contains one of the world’s largest collections of Venetian glass beads. Surprising at first, it makes sense when seeing firsthand the importance of beads to Indian tribes and the artistry they still weave.”

Thanks, Star Tribune!