Biography for Brenda Molesworth Sageng
Born in Oakland, California, Brenda grew up in Kansas, Missouri and Mankato, Minnesota where she earned an Elementary Education degree at Mankato State University, and married her husband John. After moving to Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and several years raising four children, she returned to her childhood goal of making art through a new venue of decorative and folk painting. Painting and teaching decorative arts continued through another move to Mesa, Arizona, adding an outdoor mural at a local grade school to her repertoire.
The goal to return to school for an art degree had to wait while the family moved to Carthage in 1998, and teaching high school seminary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints for two years. Brenda began taking courses at Missouri Southern State University in 2000, completing her degree in Studio Art in 2004. Participation in a Study Abroad program in Sweden just after graduation was a highlight in her art studies. Earning an M.A. in Painting from Pittsburg State University in 2006 was followed by a visit to Japan to participate in “The Circle” exhibit in Kawasaki Prefecture, including visits to Mt. Fuji and the historic city of Kyoto. These exceptional cultural and art experiences continue to inform her work.
In addition to teaching several semesters as an adjunct art instructor at PSU, Labette Community College, and currently, at MSSU, Brenda has shown work in many local exhibits, as well as the Kansas Collegiate Aesthetics Exhibit in Lindsborg, Kansas; Stevens County Minnesota “The Horizontal Line” exhibit; Westmoreland Art Nationals in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, and the National Oil & Acrylic Painters “Best of America” exhibit in 2008. In 2010, her work appeared in “The Studio Visit” publication and garnered first place at both the Carthage artCentral and Spiva Members’ Shows. In February of 2011, her solo exhibit, “In the Living Green” opened the Carthage artCentral season of exhibits, and Honorable Mention at the 2011 Spiva Members’ Exhibit. In 2013, “Featherfall 1” received the 2nd place award at the Thomas Hart Benton Exhibit in Neosho.
Working with Jeff Neal construction on the restoration of the billiard room of the historic Masonic Scottish Rite Cathedral of Joplin in 2015, Brenda restored the extensive stencil decorations and faux texture painting throughout the room, and collaborated with several other local artists to paint the “Great Wall” at Carthage artCentral. “Watchtower”, “Knee-deep and Rising”, “An Owl Remembered”, and “Gift of the Eagle: Medal of Honor”, each received awards in exhibits in 2016-2017, and “Golden Boy” was awarded the Juror’s Choice in the Spiva Small Works Exhibit. Most recently, “The Gravity of Our Lost 3 Billion” earned the Juror’s Recognition award at Spiva 2020 Member’s Exhibit.
Brenda was active in the formation of the Joplin Regional Artist’s Coalition (JRAC), chaired the Joplin Area Chamber of Commerce exhibit committee, served several years on the board for artCentral in Carthage. She is also a member of JRAC, Spiva Center for the Arts, and National Oil and Acrylic Painters Society. She and her husband, John, share a small acreage with several pampered cats, dogs, ducks, geese, and a bevy of beautiful chickens. Their daughters, sons-in-law, and seven grandchildren live in Utah, Arizona, and Kansas, and their son & his fiancee live in Seattle, Washington.