Background
Senior Thomasita was born as Majella Nicola Fessler, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the granddaughter of the prominent architect Erhard Brielmaier.
Senior Thomasita was born as Majella Nicola Fessler, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the granddaughter of the prominent architect Erhard Brielmaier.
University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee. School of the Art Institute of Chicago.
Her work consisted of paintings, sculptures and designs for stained-glass windows. She used the signature SMT, Senior T or Senior Thomasita.
She joined the Sisters of Saint Francis when she was seventeen years of age and went on to graduate from University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.
One of the most publicly known artists within the Brielmaier artist family, she was profiled by Life Magazine in a 1953 feature story written by Jaqueline Mitchard.
Prior to the publication, Senior Thomasita was being asked by the Church to reconsider whether she should she remain in the convent due to what the church hierarchy was "seeing" in her artwork.
Senior Thomasita"s reply was that if there was a sexual nature they were "seeing" in her artwork, they should look within themselves for the answer to what "they" were "seeing".
Senior Thomasita went on to found the Art Department at Cardinal Stritch University, becoming the Chair of the Art Department as well as founding the much acclaimed Studio San Damiano art gallery and studio for artists and education. Based on her philosophy of, "Nature is God"s art and art is man"s nature" as well as the Brielmaier tradition of, "A child who learns to create will not destroy."
Senior
Thomasita created over 600 paintings, most of which are now held in private collections, some within art galleries or museums such as the Haggarty Museum at Marquette University. Two of her elaborate huge sculptures made of precious woods to bring color distinction are featured on the entire walls of the Marquette University second and fourth floor library.
Her hand carved 16-foot crucifix, altar sculptures or stone carvings can be seen within churches throughout the United States.
Her Studio San Damiano, where she had worked for decades with artist Irene Kilmurry, closed on April 14, 2004.