During the pandemic, Nicole Cass took a brief hiatus from her personal chef job. Not one to sit still for long, she started experimenting with broken tiles and glassware. She mosaicked a few pavers, which turned into a glorious walkaway in her garden. She didn’t stop there. She mosaicked a saw, a bust, planters, a bird house, and a human size sculpture called Fae. Her vision was to create an upcycled art business featuring vintage pieces made of porcelain, china, ceramics, tiles, shells, and other materials. This is how Broken Americana was born.

Over the last five years, Broken Americana’s Picassiette-style mosaics have been showcased in local installations, art shows, and galleries across Metro Detroit. Nicole’s work has even been featured in the Chicago Mosaic School, the only fine arts mosaic school outside of Europe.

In 2025, she met Sarah Cimarusti, local author and artist, who fangirled Nicole at the Ferndale Underground holiday market. She took on Sarah as an apprentice and introduced her to the world of 3D mosaics, and Sarah’s world was forever changed.

Broken Americana challenges the status quo, rekindles memories, and spreads joy. Whatever you get from our pieces, we hope it inspires you to go after what you want in life.