biography of Mary Fessler SISTER THOMASITA (1912-?)

Birth place: Milwaukee, WI

Addresses: Milwaukee, WI

Profession: Sculptor, educator

Studied: St. Mary's Acad.; Univ. Wisconsin-Milwaukee (B.E.); AIC (B.F.A. & M.F.A.)

Exhibited: NYC, Wash., DC, Dayton, OH, Seattle, Chicago. Awards: Friends of Art Award, 1964; Quota Club Women of Achievement Award, 1964; Theta Sigma Phi Award to Do'ers of the 1970s, 1970

Member: Liturgical Arts Assn.; College Art Assn. Am.; Nat. Art Educ. Assn.; Int. Soc. for Educ. through Art; Wisc. Art Educ. Assn.

Work: Commissions: two wood mosaic murals, Marquette Univ. Mem. Library; mahogany carved sanctuary crucifix, outdoor stone sculpture, rectory crucifix & wood mosaic stations of the cross for the Sisters' Chapel, St. Cyprian's Church, River Grove, IL; stained glass windows, St. Xavier's Hospital, Dubuque, IA

Comments: Positions: mem., Am. Delegation to First Int. Congress Catholic Artists, Rome, 1950; Milwaukee Art Center Exhib. Committee, 1950-; bd. mem., Milwaukee Children's Arts Program, 1952-; U.S. rep., Fourth Int. Assembly Int. Soc. Educ. through Art, Montreal, PQ, 1963; Gov. Council on Arts, 1963-; advisory bd., Arts & Activities magazine; advisory bd., Wisc. Montessori Soc., 1963-. Teaching: St. Anthony's High School, Sterling, CO; St. Mary's Aca., Milwaukee; chmn. art dept., Cardinal Stritch Col., 1947-; also summer sessions at Catholic Univ., Univ. Notre Dame, St. Martin's Col., Maryhurst Col., Holy Name Col. & Marquette Univ.; also worldwide lectures on liturgical art. Publications: author, articles, New World, Everyday Art, Catholic Trends in Art Educ., Salesianum & School Arts.

Sources: WW73; articles, Liturgical Arts, Journal Arts & Letters, Catholic Art Quarterly.