Arriving soon — an all-new way to remember

Art That Transforms Grief
Into Interactive Storytelling

Real butterflies, preserved in a museum-quality frame alongside your loved one — a tribute that becomes an interactive digital memorial. Raise your phone to the piece and their photos, videos, stories, even their voice rise from the art itself. No app. No complicated technology. Just open your camera, point, and tap the link — and every precious memory appears, layered over their tribute. It isn't magic. They'll think it is.

Just them, close to you.

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Transformation Healing Honor Legacy Transformation Healing Honor Legacy Transformation Healing

Deeply Personal,
Connected Experiences

We believe every life deserves to be honored with the same care, craft, and beauty as it was lived—across generations, across distance.

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Why it matters

The Gap We Are Closing

Their Memories Live Scattered — A Voicemail Here, A Photo Album There, A Story Only One Person Remembers.

The videos are on one phone. The photos are split across a dozen more. The stories only come out when the right person is in the room, and once they've told it, there's nowhere for it to live.

What families are missing isn't another object to place on a shelf. It's one place — a single, lasting home — where all of it can be gathered: the voice, the photos, the stories, the small details that get lost if no one writes them down.

And it isn't just for one person to build alone. It's a way to invite the whole circle — family, close friends, anyone who loved them — to add what they remember, together.

Memorial Art Designed For Connection And Continuity

Alas Artistry reimagines memorial art by pairing handcrafted butterfly tributes with thoughtfully applied technology. This approach doesn't replace traditional remembrance—it offers an additional, more connected way to hold memory and meaning.

Families and friends contribute together, grief is witnessed collectively, and the memory of a loved one becomes one gathered, living story rather than scattered fragments.

Our Story

Why This Work Exists

Alas Artistry was born from the convergence of significant life hardships and a vision to transform how we honor those we've lost.

The Journey

Alas Artistry is led by founder Ryan Schwegman, a pioneering figure in e-commerce and digital strategy-including serving on the founding team of Overstock.com. Alas Artistry was born from a deeply personal understanding of loss (e.g. loss of a sibling and partner) and the healing power of art. Those losses revealed something painful: the ways we're given to remember people we love are often too small for the size of what we feel.

Ryan Schwegman envisioned a new way to honor loved ones—one that combined the timeless beauty of nature with modern technology to create lasting, interactive tributes.

Partnering with social worker and licensed therapist, Angel Barraza, and also with associates Zhane Law and Alex Nathaniel, who's combined artistic vision brings each piece to life, together they've created a company that's redefining memorial art.

Alas Artistry transforms memorials into living legacies through handcrafted butterfly artworks — called "Tributes" — embedded with private augmented reality (AR) experiences. Families can integrate photos, videos, voice messages, written reflections, and short stories.

Then continue adding to them across generations. Every Tribute is ethically sourced and collaboratively designed, merging art with technology to create something meaningful, interactive, and built to evolve. Our mission goes beyond traditional remembrance: we offer healing, connection, and a space where your loved one's story can be seen, heard, and shared — again and again.

Alas Artistry is also a movement. Every purchase supports ethical butterfly sourcing, mental health advocacy, and economic inclusion for global artisans.

Our Mission

Loss is universal, yet many of the ways people are supported in remembering remain limited. Alas Artistry exists to offer another option—one that blends:

  • Ethical, handcrafted memorial art inspired by butterfly symbolism
  • Thoughtfully applied Augmented Reality and AI technology
  • Space for personal memory, reflection, and connection
  • Collaborative family participation in the healing process

We believe the most powerful remembrance is both deeply human and boldly innovative — where technology doesn't just support the experience, it elevates it.

What your support makes possible

Where Art, Technology, And Empathy Meet

Each tribute is handcrafted by our artisans, then brought to life with augmented reality personalized to the person being honored.

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Museum-Quality, Made By Hand

Each tribute is a museum-quality, real-wood shadow box featuring a high-resolution color image of your loved one on an old-world parchment background, adorned with real butterflies you select (multiple species options when you design your tribute), an optional personalized brass nameplate, and a curated selection of embellishments chosen to reflect their style and yours. Current available options are shown in the catalog as you build your tribute; some options are limited.

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Their Story, Gathered In One Place

Scan the piece with any smartphone — no app required. Photos, videos, voice messages, and stories rise to meet you, exactly as your family left them.

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AI-Personalized Experience

Collaborative family participation shapes the AR (Augmented Reality) narrative. Our AI weaves together contributions from multiple voices into a cohesive, healing tribute.

Process

Three Gentle Steps, At Your Own Pace

Every tribute begins the same way: a family choosing how to hold their grief with beauty and intention. You're guided at every step, on your own timeline.

Every tribute is handcrafted to order. We accept a limited number each week so each piece receives full care — reserve your place to be first when tributes become available.

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Step 01

Design The Tribute — Their Style And Yours

Choose your frame, butterfly or moth species, an optional personalized nameplate, and embellishments. Every combination is unique—as individual as the person being honored.

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Step 02

Craft, Proof, And Your Approval

Our artist handcrafts your tribute and sends you a photo of the finished piece. You'll have the chance to request additions or sign off before it ships.

Please note: to keep production moving, you have three business days to provide feedback; after that, your tribute ships automatically.

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Step 03

Scan And Remember

Your handcrafted tribute arrives ready. One scan brings the experience to life—no app download required. Share the link with anyone, anywhere, and return to it any time.

Tribute

Built To Last Generations

Built with grief in mind, at every step. A tribute created today will still be accessible—still connected, still inspiring—even when grandchildren scan it decades from now.

A permanent home for all their memories — built to be tended and passed on for generations.

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Year 1 vision

Grief Transformed, At Scale

Tribute Orders
Artisans Onboarded
Quality Standard
Grief-Workshop Sessions
Workshop Attendees
Orders Per Month
From families we've served

Words That Stay With Us

"When we scan the butterfly, my children can hear their grandfather's laugh again. It has changed how our family grieves. It has really brought us together."
S
Sarah Mitchell
Portland, OR
Honored her father-in-law
"The craftsmanship is extraordinary, but it's the symbolism, the butterfly representing my mother's transformation, that makes it feel sacred rather than just beautiful."
J
James Chen
Austin, TX
Gifted a tribute to his family after losing his mother
"My grandmother's voice is preserved in that AR layer. My daughter will be able to hear her great-grandmother tell stories she never got to hear in person."
M
Maria Rodriguez
Miami, FL
Commissioned a tribute for her grandmother
Leadership

The People Behind The Work

A team built at the intersection of e-commerce, art, clinical care, and community healing. The company brings together: proven digital execution, ethical artistic practice, and a long-term vision for sustainable, responsible growth. This work is guided by both professional experience and personal respect for the subject matter.

Ryan Schwegman
Ryan Schwegman
Ryan Schwegman
Founder & CEO

An e-Commerce and digital strategy leader with experience across enterprise technology, AI operations, and scalable online platforms-including early leadership at Overstock.com. Ryan created Alas Artistry to bridge the gap between technology and deeply human experiences of loss.

Danté Lackland
Danté Lackland
Danté Lackland
Chief Operating Officer

Danté Lackland serves as Chief Operating Officer of Alas Artistry, bringing extensive experience in operations, fulfillment, and logistics. Organized and action-oriented, he turns plans into dependable processes and ensures every detail is handled with care, precision, and follow-through.

Angel Barraza
Angel Barraza
Angel Barraza
Clinical Advisor & Social Worker

Licensed social worker and therapist specializing in trauma-informed care, Angel ensures our platform honors grief as something to live alongside, not move past—creating space for revisiting, remembering, and evolving relationships with loss over time.

Zhane Law
Zhane Law
Zhane Law
Creative Director

A background in art collectives and community engagement shapes every aesthetic decision at Alas Artistry. Zhane ensures beauty and intention are never separated.

Alex Nathaniel
Alex Nathaniel
Alex Nathaniel
Chief Resident Artist

Alex creates through the lens that beauty is itself a form of healing. Their practice in storytelling through art informs the emotional quality of every tribute we produce.

Read full team bios

Ryan Schwegman — Founder & CEO
Ryan Schwegman is the founder of Alas Artistry, bringing a background as a pioneering figure in e-commerce and digital strategy, including serving on the founding team of Overstock.com. Alas Artistry was born from Ryan's own deeply personal experience of loss, which revealed how small the traditional ways of remembering someone can feel against the size of what we actually feel.

Ryan envisioned a new way to honor loved ones — one that combines the timeless beauty of nature with modern technology to create lasting, interactive tributes. He leads the company's overall vision and product direction, working closely with Danté, Angel, Zhane, and Alex to bring that vision to life responsibly and with care.

His focus is building a company that treats grief with the seriousness it deserves, while making the experience of remembering someone feel warm, personal, and enduring.

Danté Lackland — Chief Operating Officer
Danté Lackland serves as Chief Operating Officer of Alas Artistry, where he transforms vision into organized, effective execution. With extensive experience across operations, fulfillment, and logistics, Danté brings the practical expertise needed to build reliable systems, coordinate complex workflows, and keep the company moving forward.

Known for his structured approach and ability to get things done, Danté helps ensure that every stage of the Alas Artistry experience—from sourcing and production to fulfillment and delivery—is managed thoughtfully and efficiently. His leadership provides the operational foundation that allows our artists and team to focus on creating deeply personal tributes for the families we serve.

Danté approaches his work with accountability, consistency, and respect for the meaning each tribute carries. His focus is not simply on completing the work, but on completing it with the care and integrity that every family deserves.

Angel Barraza — Clinical Advisor & Social Worker
Angel Barraza is a licensed social worker and therapist specializing in trauma-informed care. Angel partners with Ryan on the clinical and emotional foundation of Alas Artistry, ensuring the platform honors grief as something to live alongside, not move past.

Angel's work shapes how the company approaches every family interaction — creating space for revisiting, remembering, and letting a relationship with loss evolve naturally over time, rather than rushing anyone toward closure.

His perspective keeps the product grounded in real grief-support practice, not just design intention.

Zhane Law — Creative Director
Zhane Law brings a background in art collectives and community engagement to every aesthetic decision at Alas Artistry. Zhane shapes the visual and material language of each tribute, ensuring beauty and intention are never separated.

From frame and material choices to the overall feel of the brand, Zhane's creative direction is what gives Alas Artistry tributes their distinct, handcrafted character.

Alex Nathaniel — Chief Resident Artist
Alex Nathaniel creates through the lens that beauty is itself a form of healing. Alex's practice in storytelling through art directly informs the emotional quality of every tribute Alas Artistry produces.

As Chief Resident Artist, Alex is hands-on in the making of each piece — translating a family's story into the physical craftsmanship of the tribute itself.

Augmented Reality

The Moment You Open Your Package

Hold your phone over the framed piece. Their story, gathered in one place, rises to meet you—photos, voices, video clips, and short stories, exactly as your family left them.

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EX­PER­IENCE

AUGMENTED REALITY

Arriving Soon

Reserve
Your Place

Every tribute is handcrafted to order, and we accept a limited number each week so each piece receives full care. Reserve your place now to be first in line when tributes become available.

No pressure. No obligation. Just a place held for you and your family.

Questions & Answers

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a tribute, exactly — what will I receive?

An Alas Artistry tribute is a handcrafted memorial art piece featuring real, ethically sourced butterfly specimens — mounted and framed by our skilled artisans into a beautiful shadow box display. Each piece is designed to honor the life of someone you love.

What makes our tributes unique is that each one is paired with a private Augmented Reality (AR) experience. Using your phone or tablet, you can activate a living digital layer — woven into the art itself — where photos, videos, voicemails, written memories, and personal stories come to life. Bring together the memories you and your family hold — in one place, to honor them and preserve them for generations.

Every tribute is a one-of-a-kind piece. No two are alike.

Can you explain the AR memorial experience?

Our Augmented Reality experience pairs your handcrafted butterfly tribute with an immersive, personal storytelling layer that lives inside the art. Using your phone or tablet — no app download required, it works directly in your mobile browser — you can hold your device up to your tribute and watch memories come to life in the space around it.

Families can add and revisit photos, videos, voicemails and audio recordings, written reflections, and stories over time. The experience is entirely private and grows alongside your family — something you can return to together, whenever you're ready.

How long does the AR experience last — will it ever disappear?

We understand how important it is that your memories remain safe and accessible. Your AR experience is hosted on our secure platform and is designed to be a lasting part of your tribute — not a temporary feature.

Once your tribute ships, your login credentials and access instructions will be provided via email. From that point forward, you can access and update your AR experience at any time through our website. Your memories stay with you — and with your family — for as long as you need them.

If you ever have questions about your access or continuity of your experience, please don't hesitate to reach out to us at support@alasartistry.co.

Are the butterflies used in Alas Artistry's pieces ethically sourced?

Yes — ethical sourcing is a foundational commitment for us, not an afterthought. We source our butterfly specimens through a global network of sustainable butterfly farms, where species are raised in controlled environments specifically to support the arts, education, and conservation — without impact to wild populations.

We also maintain active partnerships with butterfly conservation organizations dedicated to species protection and habitat preservation. We believe deeply in honoring life in all its forms, and that belief is reflected in every material choice we make.

What is the process for creating a tribute?

The process of creating a tribute is deeply collaborative. We work closely with you to design a personalized, handcrafted memorial art piece — selecting butterfly species, frame style, and design elements that feel meaningful to your family.

Currently, this process is handled directly with our team. Once we officially launch to the public, the full tribute creation experience — including butterfly selection, frame customization, and AR setup — will be available through our website's Tribute Builder.

When your tribute is ready, you'll receive login credentials and clear instructions for accessing and expanding your AR experience at any time, at your own pace, and together with family and friends.

What are the grief workshops, and what will they include?

Our grief workshops are intimate, hands-on experiences designed to bring people together around healing, creativity, and connection. Each workshop is limited to around 20–25 participants and guides attendees through building their own memorial butterfly tribute and AR experience from start to finish.

Across the workshop, participants will:

  • Learn how to pin their own butterflies, including techniques for achieving a beautiful, lifelike 3D appearance rather than a flat mount
  • Select the butterfly specimens they'll use themselves, from our curated collection
  • Explore the symbolism of butterflies — as representations of transformation, renewal, and the many qualities we share with them as human beings
  • Learn about butterfly conservation practices and how to support butterflies in their own home gardens
  • Discover tips and techniques for digitizing memories from multiple sources and mediums — photos, videos, voicemails, handwritten notes, and more
  • Learn about the stages of grief and gentle, healthy ways to navigate them
  • Begin building their own AR experience during the workshop — something they can continue expanding at home, in their own time, and together with family and friends

Workshops are designed to be both meaningful and accessible. Founding Partners at qualifying levels help sponsor seats for community members who would otherwise be unable to attend — ensuring these experiences reach the families who need them most.

To be notified when workshops become available in your area, contact us or join our email list above.

Is Alas Artistry a nonprofit? Are contributions tax-deductible?

Alas Artistry is a for-profit LLC, not a registered nonprofit or 501(c)(3) organization. As a result, Founding Partner contributions are not tax-deductible as charitable donations.

What your contribution does do is play a direct, meaningful role in bringing our mission to life — supporting the artisans, families, and communities at the heart of everything we create. We are committed to full transparency about how funds are used, and we deeply appreciate every person who chooses to invest in this work at this early stage.

If you have questions about the nature of your contribution, please reach out to us at support@alasartistry.co.

Will expedited shipping be available if a tribute is needed for a memorial service?

Yes. We are committed to helping you receive your handcrafted tribute in an expedited manner, subject to our artisan creation and shipping logistics timeline. Following your reservation, or at any time, please reach out to support@alasartistry.co and share your needs — a representative will respond promptly with clear guidance and available options. We will do everything within our power to support you in meeting your timeline.

Still have questions? We'd love to hear from you.

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