EUR
CAD
AUD
GBP
MXN
HKD
CNY
MYR
SEK
SGD
CHF
THBL'MERCHIE FRAZIER, The Embrace: Mother and Child
About Seller
621 Huntington Avenue
Boston, MA 02115
United States
Massachusetts College of Art and Design is the nation’s first public, independent art and design college. For over three decades, the MassArt Auction has served as the College's largest annual fundraiser and New England's largest annual contemporary art auction. This signature event features an extr...Read more
Live Auction in Progress ... Currently on Lot Two ways to bid:
- Leave a max absentee bid and the platform will bid on your behalf up to your maximum bid during the live auction.
- Bid live during the auction and your bids will be submitted real-time to the auctioneer.
Bid Increments
| Price | Bid Increment |
|---|---|
| $0 | $25 |
| $200 | $50 |
| $1,000 | $100 |
| $2,000 | $200 |
| $5,000 | $500 |
| $10,000 | $1,000 |
| $20,000 | $2,000 |
| $50,000 | $5,000 |
| $100,000 | $10,000 |
| $200,000 | $20,000 |
| $500,000 | $50,000 |
| $1,000,000 | $100,000 |
About Auction
LiveApr 11, 2026
For over 35 years, the MassArt Auction has brought together an extraordinary collection of artwork for sale, all in support of MassArt’s students and expanding access to art and design education. Massachusetts College of Art and Design Foundation auction@massart.edu
View Full Catalog (28)
- Lot Description
05. L'MERCHIE FRAZIER
The Embrace: Mother and Child, 2026
Nylon fiber, satin binding, appliqué
30 x 14
$7,500
Courtesy of the artist
L’Merchie Frazier is a visual activist, fiber and public artist, historian, lecturer, poet, and Executive Director of SPOKE ART. Frazier previously served as the Director of Education and Interpretation for the Museum of African American History, Boston/Nantucket and the Director of Creative Engagement for Violence Transformed. She is a lifelong member of The Women of Color Quilter’s Network and resident artist of the African American Master Artists-in-Residency Program at Northeastern University. She is currently MIT’s 2025-2026 MLK Visiting Professor and Scholar, and recently co-taught a graduate course on textile texts in MIT’s Department of Urban Studies and Planning.
Her innovative art practice supports social and reparative justice, and the quest for civil and human rights through the lens of five hundred years of Black and Indigenous history. She is a Boston Foundation Brother Thomas Fellow, an inaugural 2025 Wagner Arts Fellowship Artists, a mayoral appointee to Boston’s Reparations Task Force, and a gubernatorial appointment to the State of Massachusetts Art Commission. Frazier’s residencies in Brazil, Taiwan, Costa Rica, Africa, France, and Cuba feature public community projects. Her permanently collected works are in the Smithsonian Renwick Gallery, the White House, Minneapolis Institute of Art, the Dallas Museum of Art, the Peabody Essex Museum, and the Museum of Arts and Design, and she was a 2023 Boston Celtics Heroes Among Us Awardee. Her selected interviews of literary and visual artists, recorded by GBH Forum Network, include Claudia Rankine and Dr. Margaret Burnham. Frazier’s work appears in many publications including Wheatley at 250: Black Women Poets Re-imagine the Verse of Phillis Wheatley Peters.Artist's Description:
A mother's hand serves as a powerful testament to the sacred art of parenting. In this quilt, that hand is central, capturing the nurturing embrace of her son's face. This narrative addresses contemporary acts of violence, suggesting they can be mitigated through maternal love and care. This vital act of reassurance, guidance, and demonstrated affection for her child is emphasized as a means of survival.
The artwork also explores a path to healing from the historical trauma of slavery and the resulting family disconnects that continue to affect us. We witness the restorative power of generational ties through the simple gesture of a mother's embrace, allowing us to become renewed and reconnected. As Melvin King said, "Love is the Question and the Answer."
Live Auction Sponsored By: 
Paddle Sponsor: 
- Shipping Info
-
Our team continues to work closely with our artwork handling and transportation partners, Clark Fine Art Services, to provide an excellent experience for our buyers. We plan to offer all buyers the options of local Boston area pick up, free delivery in the Metro Boston, MA area* or shipment of artwork at the expense of the purchaser during the weeks after the Auction. Thank you in advance for your patience. Please visit our website at MassArtauction.org or contact the Fundraising Events team at auction@massart.edu or (617) 879-7014 with any questions you may have.
*Metro Boston, MA area includes the following: Arlington, Bedford, Belmont, Boston, Brookline, Burlington, Cambridge, Concord, Dedham, Dover, Everett, Lexington, Lincoln, Medford, Melrose, Needham, Newton, Quincy, Somerville, Stoneham, Sudbury, Wakefield, Waltham, Watertown, Wayland, Wellesley, Weston, Westwood, Winchester, Woburn
-
- Payment & Auction Policies
-
Available payment options
-
-
- Buyer's Premium
