LYNNFIELD — Local artist Leslie Chang has been named as the Lynnfield Art Guild’s (LAG) featured artist for the next two months, beginning Oct. 1, at lynnfieldarts.org/leslie-chang/.
Chang was born and raised in Melrose and has been drawn to art since childhood. Her true passion revealed itself when she stepped into a bead shop as a young girl and was captivated by the delicate beauty of tiny beads and the intricate art of bead woven jewelry. Today, Chang balances her full-time career in oncology drug discovery with raising two young children with her husband Greg, a scientist who has a passion for carpentry. She devotes any remaining free time to creating beaded tapestries and jewelry through her small business Bay State Beadcraft. Chang became an active member of the Lynnfield Art Guild soon after moving to Lynnfield in 2022.
Each tapestry begins with an inspiring image which she carefully translates into beads using a specialized design software. She meticulously selects colors from the beads available then brings the design to life one row at a time using a technique called peyote stitch. With tens of thousands of beads in a single piece, her tapestries often take months to complete.
“Much like scientific research, beadwork requires patience, precision and creativity,” said LAG member Beth Aaronson. “In both the lab and her art, Leslie finds joy in problem-solving, planning and seeing projects come together. Her dual passions reflect the same underlying drive to create something meaningful, whether it is researching and developing a drug or creating a tapestry that captures beauty bead by bead. Visit her at her shop at Etsy.com/shop/BayStateBeadcraft; Instagram at instagram.com/baystatebeadcraft; and TikTok at tiktok.com/@baystatebeadcraft.”
Residents can also learn more about Chang’s background and view photographs of her artwork at www.lynnfieldarts.org/leslie-chang/.
The Lynnfield Art Guild is a community of local artists who reside in Lynnfield and surrounding communities.
“The group is dedicated to the creation, sharing and perfection of art by inspiring new and established artist members of all ages,” said Aaronson. “Information about its activities, membership and artist members is at lynnfieldarts.org. Please also visit the Lynnfield Art Guild’s Facebook and Instagram pages at Lynnfieldarts. Save the date of Saturday, Nov. 8 for the Guild’s annual Fall Art Show in the Lynnfield Meeting House on the Town Common.”