All of the funds from the “Frankie Mask Project” support the Frankie Morris-Perez Memorial Scholarship, a $2,500 scholarship for the undergraduate education of a Beacon School graduate committed to making an impact through the arts. Frankie often spoke of wanting to study Psychology to understand, and Theater to heal; we hope another scientist/artist with similar aspirations can continue this brave work in Frankie’s honor. Additional contributions to the scholarship fund can be made to the Brooklyn Community Foundation (https://brooklyncommunityfoundation.org/frankie-morris-perez-memorial-scholarship-fund).
Thank you for being part of Frankie’s community.
​
The Butterflies
Many of Frankie’s friends independently associated Frankie with the image of a butterfly. A true “social butterfly”, Frankie had the uncanny ability to make everyone she touched feel special and seen. Some might say that Frankie’s love has the power of the “butterfly effect,” whereby the delicate flutter of a butterfly’s wings can catalyze a powerful gust of wind felt halfway around the world. Delicate but powerful, ephemeral and magical, Frankie reminds us of a butterfly.
f-Forte
Frankie’s theater friends had adopted the f-Forte symbol in the days after she left us. It began as a doodle on the wrist of one of her friends in sharpie; it was shared via text with a close-knit group of theater friends. An f for forte, to signify her strength. An f to denote the singing they did together as part of the program she found comfort in at school. An f to signal her place as an alto in the middle of that choir of teenagers. A group held together by love, now held together by loss.
​
The design of the “f” is made with 17 butterflies. The number 17 represents the number of years that Frankie lived on this earth.
​
Morse Code
The invention of the Morse Code is a story of loss. Back in the late 1800’s, Samuel F. B. Morse was an aspiring artist, and he traveled away from home and his pregnant wife for a new job to create an art piece for New York City. He and his wife exchanged letters while he was traveling, conveying hope in their future; then, one day, she didn’t respond to his letter. Instead, he received a letter from his father that his wife had died of a heart attack while recovering from childbirth. Samuel learned of her death too late to be by her side; by the time he got the letter informing him of her passing and returned home, she had already been buried. By using Morse code, we remember the pain that comes when the tools of the world fail to protect us from pain, and the inspiration that sometimes is borne of loss. Thank you, Pam, for making this discovery and inspiring me to think about this language and to find its beauty.
​
Francesca (Frankie’s full name) means “Free”. When printed in morse code and displayed with each letter on a single line and organized vertically, the dashes and dots form the letter “F”. All of the art on tote bags will be signed “Free” to honor Frankie’s connection with me and (now) to you.
Braille
Braille printing with each character raised so you can feel the bumps with your hands.
Following the graphic look of Morse Code, I fell in love with the way that dots for Braille looked as art. The notion that you can touch letters and make words felt remarkable to me. The challenge was to make the bumps raised on the fabric, so it would both look as well as feel like Braille. Once I was able to capture my vision, and I could feel the art under my fingers, I felt even more connected to these pieces. Frankie loved textures – whether they be soft, squishy, stretchy, or smooth, she loved rubbing her fingers over objects to feel them. I could see Frankie loving this piece as much as I do.
​
Hidden messages
I view the messages in Morse Code and Braille as delivering hidden messages. A transcendence of love through the visual form. It is a secret that you can share with those close to you. You can hold on to it and connect with the secret words, or share those secrets by telling others.
​
Post-it notes-Suicide Prevention Hotline
This design was inspired by Frankie’s school friends and as told by Pamela Morris in her OpEd article in the New York Times, “I Don’t Want Another Family to Lose a Child the Way We Did”. March 25, 2021
“The fall after Frankie left us, some students decided to remake that hidden corner, dotting the walls with colored Post-it notes. Scrawled on a pink Post-it were the words “you matter”; a yellow one read “it gets better”: an orange one shared a cellphone to call for help. Tiny Post-it squares had transformed the corner into a space to comfort, heal and support the next struggling teenager”.
​
The Girl with the Purple Ribbon
The girl symbolizes Frankie’s giving nature. The purple ribbon represents the color of her ribbon from her vocal/theater program at school.