From Broken Treaties to Healing Fragments
The commitment of Tierra Azul Designs is rooted in a lifelong dedication to justice—a dedication first sparked in my childhood and cemented through years of human rights work across the globe.
I was born in Mankato, Minnesota, Blue Earth County (Tierra Azul in Spanish); a place forever marked by one of the darkest moments in American history: the execution of the 38 Dakota men in 1862. This event—a direct consequence of broken treaties, starvation, and violent conflict—set a precedent for the dehumanization of Indigenous peoples and people of color across the country.
Here we are 163 years later; witnessing this same war against indigenous peoples, immigrants and people of color….
From an early age, I experienced the pain of systemic prejudice firsthand, struggling with the intolerant views I heard growing up in conservative rural Minnesota. This early dissonance compelled me to spread my wings to explore the world, find my voice and use it to speak up against injustice, intolerance, and the abuse of power.
A Mankato Masterpiece - Mankato Area Foundation
Art as Advocacy
This childhood commitment grew into a life of human rights advocacy and activism, having lived and worked in various countries around the world including Mexico, Colombia, Chile and beyond. My experiences abroad entailed work as an International Teacher, Volunteer at a migrant shelter for refugee asylum seekers, and as a partner within the eco-tourism and community engagement sector within Indigenous Villages in Oaxaca, Mexico to support more accessibility and equity to bridge the gap between tourist and local.
The philosophy behind my mosaic art is a direct reflection of this work:
The Broken Pieces: Representing the fragmented, unjust, and broken systems of our world—the broken treaties, the broken promises, and the broken dignity of the oppressed.
The Healing Process: The act of meticulously piecing these fragments back together symbolizes the necessary work of repair, reconciliation, and building a more just world.
As a cis-gender, Caucasian woman, I am acutely aware of the unearned privilege and power I carry. I am deeply committed to using that privilege not for comfort, but to stand up for those who are marginalized, oppressed, and abused. Tierra Azul Designs is my canvas for this fight—a way to transform the remnants of suffering into powerful, enduring expressions of solidarity and hope.
Every mosaic created here is a pledge to the future: a future where the broken pieces of history are acknowledged, and where light, color, and justice prevail.
A Journey from Fragmentation to Wholeness
My passion for healing through creation is deeply rooted in my personal journey. As a child, my sensitivity, creative spirit, and gentle nature were often met with ridicule, and early adulthood brought the trauma of sexual assault. As a result, I learned it wasn't "safe" to be authentically me.
This set me on an adventurous path of unlearning and relearning. Through an entrepreneurial journey encompassing International Leadership, healing arts, somatic facilitation, dance, and animal rescue; I discovered that my empathic, compassionate nature was not a curse; but rather, a profound gift.
These experiences were the stepping stones that prepared me for the direct advocacy work I am currently undertaking during the current Presidential Administration starting in 2025.
I am committed to being part of the change I want to see in the world and have embarked on a journey of advocacy to combat the immigration crisis as Community Advocate and outreach for immigrants along the Western Slope of Colorado working for The Hispanic Affairs Project.
The journey unfolds as I learn to hold space for it all.
The beauty, the pain, the suffering, the injustice, the broken systems, the light and the dark; they all exist at once while life continues to breathe.
I will continue the rest of my days to work for a more equitable, compassionate and just world where all living beings are met with grace, love and compassionate witnessing and presence.