the last person to be made famous by a painting

Most significant project I’ve been a part of. Helga was picked up by The Atlantic in 2019, and referenced in a New York Times article in 2020 after the passing of Betsy Wyeth. After completion, we needed approval of the Wyeth estate. Artist Jamie Wyeth, Andrew’s son, gave final approval with a short but rave review.

I was born during the creation of the Helga pictures. My artist mother, Donna Brass gave me the name Jesse Wyeth Brass after Andrew. So honored to have become part of the sharing of Helga’s story, really a Helga picture in itself.

Helga was released in 2018 in cooperation with artists Bo Bartlett and Betsy Eby.