Now Accepting Founding Partners

Art That Transforms Grief
Into Interactive Storytelling

Alas Artistry is redefining how families remember, blending handcrafted memorial art with augmented reality so a loved one's voice, face, and story live on for generations.

Become a Founding Partner Learn Our Story
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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

Grief Is Universal. But Too Many Families Are Left With Memories That Fade.

A voice fades. A laugh becomes harder to recall. A personality that filled a room slowly blurs into a photo that sits quietly on a shelf.

Every year, millions of people experience loss—yet many of the ways we memorialize loved ones remain static, temporary, or emotionally limited. Flowers fade. Frames sit quietly. Generic memorial gifts often struggle to hold the depth of story, personality, and connection people wish to preserve.

People aren't looking for another impersonal keepsake. They're looking for meaning, care, and a way to remember that feels personalized, connected and true.

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 contribute together, grief is witnessed collectively, and the memory of a loved one becomes a shared story rather than memories that fade over time.

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.

🦋

Ethically Sourced Specimens

Every butterfly and moth used in our tributes is ethically sourced and prepared by hand. The physical tribute is a unique, handcrafted, framed work of art—not a print, not a replica.

📱

Augmented Reality Layer

Scan the piece with any smartphone. Photos, videos, voice messages, and stories appear floating above the art—a living memorial that never grows silent.

✦

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 Steps To A Living Tribute

Every tribute your support helps fund begins the same way: a family choosing how to hold their grief with beauty and intention.

From your decision to build a tribute as a gift for someone special or to hang in your own home, you're guided at every step.

🎨
Step 01

Design The Memorial Tribute

Choose your frame style, butterfly or moth species, symbols and decorative elements. Every combination is unique—as individual as the person being honored.

✦
Step 02

Build The AR Experience

Upload photos, videos, audio recordings, and written stories. Invite family members to contribute. Our AI weaves everything into a seamless AR narrative.

📦
Step 03

Receive, Scan, And Share

Your handcrafted tribute arrives ready to gift or hang. Scan the QR code to activate the AR experience instantly—no app download required. Share the link with anyone, anywhere, anytime.

Tribute

Built To Last Generations

A tribute created today will still be accessible—still connected, still inspiring—even when grandchildren scan it decades from now.

Your support today means a family ten years from now can still hear their grandmother's voice.

Become a Founding Partner
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.

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.

Augmented Reality

The Moment You Open Your Package

Hold your phone over the framed piece. Watch the memories of your loved one unfold in the air above the art—photos, voices, video clips, and short stories.

Support the Launch

EX­PER­IENCE

AUGMENTED REALITY

Now Accepting Founding Partners

Become A
Founding Partner

Support the launch of a technology-enabled memorial art company dedicated to honoring loved ones through deeply personal, connected experiences.

We're inviting Founding Partners to help bring this vision forward—thoughtfully, responsibly, and with intention.

Our Founding Goal: $75,000

We're raising $75,000 to bring the first Alas Artistry tributes to families who need them, funding our platform build, artisan partnerships, and the first six months of operations. Every dollar has a direct role.

Phase 1 — Foundation & Proof of Momentum

Now Live · Initial Milestone

Launch credibility and initial capital inflow. This phase funds campaign launch, core platform setup, campaign marketing assets, and early operational expenses. This is about social proof, early believers, and demonstrating traction.

Phase 2 — Platform Build & Pilot Experiences

Target: $25,000–$35,000 cumulative

AR storytelling system integration, AI personalization workflows, initial immersive memorial prototypes, and studio operations with team ramp-up. This is where angels, strategic partners, and high-tier backers step in.

Phase 3 — Scale, Partnerships & Public Launch

Target: $75,000+

Full operational runway, marketing and brand partnerships, workshops and institutional outreach, and platform refinement. This is where press, partnerships, and legitimacy compound.

Ways To Participate As A Founding Partner

Suggested contribution amounts are shared privately on our campaign page.

🌱

Founding Believer

For those who want to support the beginning and stay connected.
  • Recognition as a Founding Believer
  • Thoughtful updates as the platform takes shape
  • First-to-know access to announcements, workshops, and public releases
🦋

Tribute Pioneer

For those who wish to experience, or gift, the work itself.
  • A handcrafted Alas Artistry memorial tribute, standard size, with augmented reality experience included
  • Additional butterfly and decorative elements added as a personal thank-you for joining us in this founding phase
  • A personalized letter from our team, shipped with your tribute
  • Recognition as a Founding Partner
  • Early access pricing offered during the founding phase

Tribute availability is limited and introduced with care.

🔮

Legacy Steward

For those who feel called to support both the work and the community it serves.
  • An enhanced memorial tribute, larger frame, expanded butterfly and decorative element options, collaboratively designed with your family
  • Sponsorship of one workshop seat for a community member who would otherwise be unable to attend
  • Invitation to offer feedback during the founding phase
  • Early access to new platform features and workshops
  • Recognition as a Legacy Steward

Workshop seats are offered to community members based on need. Alas Artistry will match each sponsored seat thoughtfully.

🏛️

Founding Patron

For those who wish to materially support the foundation of the company and extend its reach into the community.
  • An enhanced memorial tribute, larger frame, expanded butterfly and decorative element options, collaboratively designed with your family
  • Sponsorship of two workshop seats for community members who would otherwise be unable to attend
  • Direct participation in the founding phase
  • Early and ongoing access to platform features and experiences
  • Recognition as a Founding Patron
  • A lasting association with the origin of Alas Artistry

Workshop seats are offered to community members based on need. Alas Artistry will match each sponsored seat thoughtfully.

🌟

Visionary Partner

For those who want to play a meaningful role in shaping what Alas Artistry becomes.
  • Two enhanced memorial tributes, each with larger frame, expanded butterfly and decorative element options, collaboratively designed
  • Sponsorship of two workshop seats for community members who would otherwise be unable to attend
  • A dedicated acknowledgment in Alas Artistry's founding story
  • Private conversation with Ryan to share perspective and vision for the platform
  • Priority access to all new platform features, workshops, and experiences as they launch
  • Recognition as a Visionary Partner

Workshop seats are offered to community members based on need. Alas Artistry will match each sponsored seat thoughtfully.

🦋✨

Founding Luminary

For those whose generosity helps make everything else possible.
  • Two enhanced memorial tributes, each collaboratively designed with your family
  • Sponsorship of five workshop seats for community members who would otherwise be unable to attend
  • A named acknowledgment in Alas Artistry's founding history, preserved alongside the company's origin story
  • A private, dedicated conversation with Ryan and Angel to share your vision and feedback
  • Lifetime early access to all platform features, experiences, and workshops
  • Custom tribute consultation, a white-glove design experience tailored entirely to your family's story
  • Recognition as a Founding Luminary

Workshop seats are offered to community members based on need. Alas Artistry will match each sponsored seat thoughtfully.

Participation at any level is meaningful. We invite you to choose what feels right.

View Campaign & Support Learn More About Our Vision
Questions & Answers

Frequently Asked Questions

What does it mean to become a Founding Partner, and what are the different levels?

Becoming a Founding Partner means you are among the earliest believers in our mission — helping bring Alas Artistry into the world at a foundational moment. There are six levels of participation, each with its own set of meaningful benefits:

  • Founding Believer — First-to-know updates and recognition as an early supporter
  • Tribute Pioneer — Early access to new platform features and experiences
  • Legacy Steward — The opportunity to provide direct feedback as we build
  • Founding Patron — Sponsorship of workshop seats for community members who would otherwise be unable to attend
  • Visionary Partner — The opportunity to commission or gift an early Alas Artistry tribute
  • Founding Luminary — Our highest level of founding partnership, with the full scope of benefits and lasting recognition in our story

Each contribution — at every level — plays a vital role in bringing our work into the world. You can learn more and become a Founding Partner at our campaign page.

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. Your tribute grows with you over time, as you and your family continue adding to it.

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.

For Founding Partners who receive a tribute, your login credentials and access instructions will be provided via email once our platform is live. 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.

Where does my contribution go?

Every contribution made through our Founding Partner campaign goes directly toward bringing Alas Artistry to life. Specifically, funds support:

  • Studio operations — the tools, materials, and infrastructure our artisans need to create each tribute
  • Platform development — building the AR experience, tribute builder, and customer portal that will power our public launch
  • Artisan partnerships — supporting the global network of skilled artisans who handcraft each piece
  • Grief workshops — developing and hosting community healing programs that make our mission accessible beyond the product itself
  • Operational readiness — the foundational work required to serve families well from day one of our public launch

Our goal is to raise $75,000 in founding partner support before we open to the public. Every level of participation matters and moves us closer to that milestone.

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. For Founding Partners who include a tribute as part of their participation, 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 contribution, 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.

Contact Us