4 minute read
Peace from the Pieces
Peace from the Pieces
BY LAUREN FILIPPINI (ALPHA CHI, BUTLER UNIVERSITY), MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER
Brenda Fraser (Alpha Tau, University of New Hampshire) didn’t set out to be an artist. In fact, she was blazing a trail as a business owner in fast-paced Washington, D.C. doing event planning and fundraising consulting when she was in a tragic car accident. It took her mother and left Brenda with a realization that changed everything.
“You can either let something tragic define you and crush you, or you can let it inspire you to make your life better in some way,” Brenda says. Her mother had only recently retired before the accident, and Brenda asked herself, “Do I want to be working in an office until I’m in my 70s and then that’s it, or do I want to follow my passion and take a risk?”
That passion has since bloomed into a career as a mosaic artist, specializing in what Brenda calls “storytelling mosaics” created with jewelry, buttons, keys and other found objects. Many of Brenda’s pieces are custom memory mosaics, made up of beloved heirloom jewelry. Clients bring in pieces from a loved one, and Brenda spends time learning about the original owner of the jewelry and the recipient of the mosaic. Then she designs the mosaic shape and meticulously adheres each piece of jewelry one by one to create a beautiful, heartfelt piece.
“I see mosaics as reclaiming broken pieces and reassembling into wholeness from the parts,” Brenda explains. “My work embraces the lives of those we have loved and lost.”
Brenda’s mosaic designs showcase a wide range of creativity – from a steer head to a tree of life to a holiday wreath. One recent client came in with jewelry from her mother that she wanted turned into artwork for her five nephews. Brenda created mosaics specific to each nephew’s passion – a motorcycle, phoenix, unicorn, wolf and dragon – so the boys could keep the memory of their grandmother as art.
Brenda’s passion keeps the memory of her mother alive, too. “I’m staying connected to my mother because I see things that she would have worn or things she had,” she says. “We have all experienced adversity and loss, and yet, we can reassemble those experiences into something more beautiful.” She calls her practice “storytelling through art” as she creates new stories for the future from broken or unused pieces.
Her art is also changing the narrative for women through a charitable arm of her studio called Dream Uplifters. Through this program, Brenda accepts vintage jewelry and other pieces as donations to create mosaics for sale, with the profit going toward scholarships for women returning to school as well as women in Africa. Dream Uplifters is in memory of Brenda’s sister, who died of a heart attack before she was able to go back to finish her college degree. Brenda believes it’s never too late to follow a dream, like the women she’s supporting with scholarships and like herself. “I do believe everything happens for a reason,” she says.
It took a complete career pivot to find that reason, but now Brenda’s artwork can be found in homes and galleries around the country. In addition to taking on commissions and creating pieces for sale, Brenda is also
teaching mosaic art. And she never forgets the passion that sparked it all. “This brings joy to people,” she says, “and the world needs more joy right now.”
See more of Brenda’s art at brendafraser.com.
