About Danna Gabriel

 Danna’s mosaic journey began during a transformative time in her life, when creating art became a source of healing and renewal. Early on, she started experimenting with bottle caps for a home project, and they soon became a signature element in her work. Over time, she expanded into tempered-glass mosaics and developed a strong connection to using recycled and reclaimed materials, reflecting her commitment to sustainability.

Danna regularly creates new mosaic pieces for local art exhibits and occasionally donates work for community fundraisers. While she focuses primarily on her own creative projects rather than commissions, her work continues to be shaped by a love of texture, color, and giving new life to overlooked materials.

Danna is deeply involved in Wisconsin’s arts community. She currently serves as President of Antigo Visual Arts (AVA), where she also collaborates local artists on community projects. In addition, she is the Secretary for the Association of Wisconsin Artists (AWA) and the regional coordinator for the AWA Wisconsin Regional Art Program–Teen (WRAP-Teen) Antigo.

Beyond her local leadership, Danna continues to grow her mosaic practice through professional organizations and ongoing education. She has participated in national mosaic conferences in the past, remains an active member of Contemporary Mosaic Art 2 (CMA2), and regularly seeks out learning and community through workshops, artist groups, and professional gatherings. 

Danna teaches a variety of mosaic workshops, including general mosaics, mosaic flowerpots, and tempered-glass techniques that incorporate acrylic paint. Known for her relaxed and encouraging teaching style, she enjoys helping students discover the creative possibilities of mosaic art. She has taught at Northcentral Technical College in Antigo, The Creative Spirit in Merrill, and with several local art groups. In recent years, she has also offered small seasonal classes from her home studio. As her work increasingly centers on tile-based mural projects, Danna continues to teach selectively while focusing on larger-scale public art.

   Danna continues to expand her mosaic practice through large-scale community art projects that celebrate history, preserve personal stories, and bring people together. She is currently creating the Bradley Funeral Home Veteran Memorial Mural, a permanent American flag mosaic composed of individually personalized ceramic tiles honoring veterans from across the community.

Each commemorative tile can feature a veteran's photograph, name, military branch, service information, unit insignia, or personal message, creating a lasting tribute for future generations. The project also gives back to those who have served—$15 from every tile sold is donated to Disabled American Veterans (DAV) Chapter 23 to support local veterans.

Inspired by a presentation at a Society of American Mosaic Artists conference, Danna spent years developing the concept before bringing it to Antigo. The mural reflects her belief that art has the power to preserve memories, inspire conversation, and strengthen communities by telling the stories that matter most.  View the press coverage of the Bradley Funeral Home Veteran Memorial Mural on this Link: https://www.newsbreak.com/antigo-daily-journal-1593722/4805461949499-local-artist-creates-memorial-mural

 Definition of Tesserae: Small pieces of stone, glass, ceramic, or other hard materials cut in cubical or regular shapes. 

Danna enjoys incorporating various types of tesserae into her artwork, with a particular fondness for collecting beer, soda, and wine bottle caps. Her diverse collection includes broken ceramic plates, colored wine bottles, and leftover tempered glass from workshops, which she creatively utilizes in her mosaic creations. 

 Danna is a passionate supporter of recycled art. Inspired by her local art group's plastic bottle cap project, she visited the home of the late Mary Ellen Croteau, a renowned advocate for the environment and a plastic bottle cap artist. This experience profoundly influenced Danna's perspective on recycled art. In the wake of Mary Ellen's passing, Danna is committed to carrying forward her impactful visual movement, raising awareness about waste in our society.