It has been just over a year since sculptor Emilie Brzezinski passed away at the age of 90, and yet her art and legacy lives on.
Her daughter, “Morning Joe” co-host and Know Your Value founder Mika Brzezinski, has been continuously working on ways to share her mom’s work with the world. And on October 24th, one of Emilie Brzezinski’s pieces, “Sprites,” will be featured by the Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
“This was one of my mother’s favorite pieces,” said Mika Brzezinski, who noted it's the first showcase of her mother's art since her death last year.
Her art — which often included massive sculptures requiring heavy-duty work — was her passion.
“She loved the journey of discovery with her axe and chainsaw. I remember watching my mom make [Sprites] about 15 years ago and she was loving every minute of it. Sawdust was flying everywhere. It took lots of time, muscle and grit. And the payoff was magnificent.”
“Sprites” is a three-dimensional, two-piece sculpture originally created in the Box Elder species. It is one of 15 pieces from different artists included in the show titled “Forest of Dreams: Contemporary Tree Sculpture.”
Suzanne Ramljak, the chief curator at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park, said she knew immediately that she wanted Emilie Brzezinski’s work included in the exhibit.
“Emilie Brzezinski has devotedly explored the forms and inner life of trees for years and has even created her own forests of the imagination,” said Ramljak. “I am delighted that her two wood Sprites are part of this exhibition, as they beautifully embody the spirit and vitality of these grand living beings.”
Mika Brzezinski said her mission is to inspire a new generation of artists through the legacy of her mom, whose fearless monumental sculptures – which she created throughout her life and into her 80s – showcased her passion for, and her commitment to, nature. She would use her chainsaw to carve large-scale sculptures out of felled trees.
It is a mission that is shared by the McLean Project of the Arts, a 61-year-old visual arts non-profit organization in McLean, Virginia, which acquired a large amount of Emilie Brzezinski’s works, including “Sprites.” MPA is located just down from the road from Emile Brzezinski’s former home and studio.
MPA has plans to incorporate many of Emilie Brzezinski’s pieces into the community and create space for future artists as well.
Lori Carbonneau, executive director of MPA, said the organization is “honored to have been gifted and be the caretaker of much of Emilie’s work. We honor her legacy by loaning, placing and selling her phenomenal monumental sculptures going forward.”
Separately, Emilie Brzezinski’s monumental bronze sculpture “Lament” has been acquired by Oz Art NWA for longer-term public display in downtown Bentonville, Arkansas. The sculpture was chosen for its dynamic and fluid references to the natural world and its ability to engage people. Mika Brzezinski is planning on bringing her show on the road to celebrate “Lament’s” big move and the robust art community that has become of Bentonville.
Since the 1980s, Emilie Brzezinski has had about 70 exhibitions around the world, from Prague to Florence and across North America. Her pieces typically tower above the viewer, igniting the senses and showcasing nature in a manner that has been called “stunning” and “always vastly ambitious.”
Emilie Brzezinski once told Know Your Value that “the way I know my value is to be able to exist as an artist.”
“This is what my mom would have wanted,” Mika Brzezinski said of showcasing her mother’s work after her passing. “But I do get a little pang in my heart. She would have loved to be here to talk about these pieces and share them with the world herself. But I couldn’t think of a better way to commemorate her bravery, creativity and the innate knowledge of the importance of nature and finding your life’s passion.”
To learn more about Emilie Brezinski’s art, follow @brzezinski_art on Instagram.