Beading the way to success

When the fast-food restaurant where Dulce Sanchez worked shut down for a four-month renovation, she wasn’t just worried about losing that income. She feared she’d lose her chance to earn a college degree.

“Nowhere else in Lost Hills could offer me a schedule flexible enough to work and continue my education,” Sanchez said. “I was terrified.” 

That’s when a friend told her about the Haas Sisters, a group of women in Lost Hills who create beaded artwork for renowned artists Simon and Nikolai Haas, known as the Haas Brothers. The group formed after Lynda Resnick, co-owner of The Wonderful Company, met Simon and Nikolai at an art exhibit. Resnick, who had long wished to bring more art into the region, saw an opportunity and suggested that the talented women of Lost Hills assist the artists. Thus, the Haas Sisters were born.

Using complex beading techniques to form larger bodies of work, the Haas Sisters have helped transform Lost Hills into an artists’ colony.

Their latest collaboration is the stunning sculpture Moonlight. The Haas Sisters intricately beaded tens of thousands of colorful beads to create the tree’s leaves and vines. The piece will be housed at the Nasher Sculpture Center in Dallas.

“The Haas Sisters bring passion and love into the sculpture,” said Simon Haas. “When I look at the tree,I think of this team who have become our friends.”

The Haas Sisters’ impact goes beyond art. For many Lost Hills women, this group has been life-changing. Made up primarily of stay-at-home mothers and grandmothers, the Haas Sisters have a financial opportunity to support their families and a sense of empowerment. For Sanchez, it also meant staying in college.

“Here in Lost Hills, it’s hard to get jobs that work with your schedule, especially as a student,” Sanchez said. “Being a Haas Sister gave me that flexibility.” 

After graduating, Sanchez was hired by Wonderful Pistachios & Almonds, where she now works as a production zone lead.

Despite her professional success, Sanchez remains a Haas Sister, unwilling to leave the bonds she’s created with her fellow artists.

“The Haas Sisters helped me get through a time when everything was falling apart,” she said. “The sisterhood we’ve created, the support we give one another, it’s way more than just a job. It’s that sense of gratitude and pride that keeps me coming back.”