Honoring Women in the Military Through Art & Film | Mary Ellen Scherl with Bill Kress

From Madison Avenue to an icebreaker above the Arctic Circle, Miami-born artist and filmmaker Mary Ellen Scherl has built a career around telling meaningful human stories. In this conversation with Bill Kress, Scherl shares how her journey through advertising, painting and sculpture led to Defending Democracy, an initiative honoring women serving in America’s military, and Sisters in Arms, her documentary project exploring military missions through the experiences of servicewomen. Scherl recounts her time aboard the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Healy, including a three-week deployment into Arctic waters. She describes meeting the women behind the missions and discovering that their stories needed a platform beyond painted portraits. The conversation also highlights Breaking Ice, her documentary short, which she discusses as a 2026 Suncoast Emmy nominee. The interview explores the experiences that shaped her work: growing up in Miami, studying design and advertising at Washington University in St. Louis, transitioning into fine art, and creating Mamorial—a breast cancer awareness initiative using body casts and personal stories to encourage expression and healing. Through portraits, interviews and filmmaking, Scherl seeks to recognize service, encourage understanding and bring people together around shared responsibilities and values. IN THIS EPISODE: • Mary Ellen’s transition from advertising to painting and sculpture • Mamorial and the emotional power of participatory art • The inspiration behind Defending Democracy • Portraits honoring women across military branches • Life aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Healy • Sisters in Arms and the documentary short Breaking Ice • Supporting the next stages of her documentary work CONNECT WITH MARY ELLEN SCHERL Defending Democracy: https://www.usmilitarywomen.org Artist website: https://maryellenscherl.com Phone: 201-741-7718 HOST: BILL KRESS Kress Communications Email: bill@kresscom.com Phone: 305-763-2429 Produced by Miami’s Community Newspapers. https://communitynewspapers.com Subscribe for more conversations with the artists, leaders and community members making an impact in South Florida. #MaryEllenScherl #WomenInTheMilitary #BreakingIce