 If anyone can be said to improve
upon nature, it is multi-media artist Brenda Milan. Forming a
partnership with nature she enhances the intrinsic beauty of found
objects and metal with her own creative style. Milan’s artistic career
began in the 1980’s with crafts and grew to include creating large
sculpture, garden art, furniture and home décor. Her labor-intensive
collecting of materials is a component of her work. Her recent work
incorporates plasma-cut metal and natural materials of birch and willow
to capture Alaska’s wild animals and vistas.
Brenda has participated in
numerous juried shows throughout Alaska since 1995. Her solo
exhibitions include the Alaskan communities of Anchorage, Fairbanks,
Homer, Ketchikan, Seward and Sitka. Her work has been published in art
books and culinary books within Alaska. “The Winterlake Lodge Cookbook”
by Kirsten Dixon is sprinkled with her pressed wildflowers. Her willow
sculpture can be seen in Julie Decker’s book “Found and Assembled in
Alaska”. Recently her work was in the “Alaska Home Magazine”, winter
2006/2007 issue.
Since 1992 she has sold her
craft in venues under the logo of “One Woman Designs”. Current craft
venues include the popular “Bad Girls of the North Art Shows”, “Crafts
Weekend at the Museum”, held annually at the Anchorage Museum of History
and Art and the “Crafts Emporium Arts and Crafts Festival” all located
in Anchorage. In the summer her work can be seen at the annual Girdwood
Forest Fair.
Brenda’s work is represented in
over a dozen galleries throughout Alaska and commission works are part
of private and public collections nationwide.
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