Reno-based artist and photographer Beck Bauman didn’t follow a traditional path into the art world. In fact, her creative journey didn’t begin until age 35, when a graphic design class at Truckee Meadows Community College cracked something open. What followed was an explosion of exploration—illustrating children’s books, writing and drawing a graphic novel, experimenting with beading and “yarn painting.” Each medium pulled her deeper into color, texture, and tactile expression. And eventually, all roads led to the material that would become her signature: sequins.
Since 2020, sequins have been the heart of Beck’s work. You read that right… glimmering, vibrant, meticulously placed, and endlessly surprising sequins. Her sculptures begin as carved and hand-shaped styrofoam forms, which she then sands, seals, paints, and dresses in layers of sequined fabric, trims, and individual loose sequins. She upcycles discarded styrofoam and pre-loved sequined clothing whenever she can, making each piece both decadent and sustainably built. “My pieces are truly mixed-media art in every sense,” she says.
Her fascination with sequins goes beyond their sparkle. They carry a duality she finds irresistible… they are cheap and luxurious, ancient and modern, rigid yet flexible. Found everywhere from children’s backpacks to couture gowns, sequins offer unlimited possibilities. Their history stretches back thousands of years, a lineage of ornamentation that Beck feels connected to each time she works. That tension between whimsy and craftsmanship defines her pieces: they’re playful, nostalgic, and dazzling, yet executed with remarkable detail and precision.
“I see no end to their possibilities, and that is what keeps me interested in their potential,” she adds.
Looking ahead, Beck is already deep into her 2026 theme called “Pawn Shop: Sequined!” which is a fantastical reimagining of pawned treasures. The series will include everything from musical instruments to electronics, jewelry to oddball curiosities, each rendered in sparkling, unexpected fashion. Some pieces veer into the surreal, a gingerbread boombox, for instance, while others reinterpret the everyday with sequined extravagance. Like an actual pawn shop, the exhibition will evolve as pieces sell and new works take their place.
The first stop for Pawn Shop: Sequined! will be Sierra Arts Foundation’s Riverside Gallery in April 2026, followed by the inaugural Salt Lake Art Show in May. The collection returns closer to home in September at the Reno Tahoe International Art Show—one of Beck’s favorite local events and a cornerstone of the region’s creative community.
For those eager to follow along, Beck posts new work, behind-the-scenes videos, and updates on Instagram at @beckbaumann. She also participates in several in-person events each year. And while photos capture the shimmer, she insists that seeing sequined art in person offers something else entirely—something warm, joyful, and unexpectedly connective. As she puts it, viewing original art is “literally good for your heart.”
Erin Hanna-Butros Meyering is the proud owner of a Beck Bauman piece… giant sequin lips, which daintily bite a blue gummy bear, and the teeth are complete—of course—with a forgotten piece of spinach.
“I see no end to [sequin's] possibilities, and that is what keeps me interested in their potential,” - Beck Bauman