Mosaic Art and Public Health with Laurel True
Friday, March 16, 2018, 2:00 pm
Internationally-recognized mosaic artist Laurel True offers an inspiring presentation examining the role of mosaic art in public health. Highlighting the incredible power of art both in healthcare settings as well as embedded in our communities, True unpacks the importance of creative expression and environmental beautification to our well-being.
The inclusion of mosaic art in healing spaces can bring dignity, beauty, and vitality to architectural settings, as well as fostering a sense of comfort, groundedness, and care. It can literally contribute to healing on many levels.
True has had an ongoing relationship with Boston-based public health organization Partners in Health and has partnered extensively with them to create mosaic murals and elements in hospitals and clinics in Haiti while training local tradespeople, artists, community members and patients in mosaic making techniques.
Accompanied by inspiring images, True will present case studies of her work with PIH, Build Health International, the UN and the Canadian Red Cross, among others, highlighting projects that have included remote community participation and community-based fundraising efforts, projects that have engaged patients and health care providers, and projects that have had significant positive impact on communities. She will talk about how projects were conceived, created, how project goals were met, and the resulting impact of projects through the eyes of patients, staff and community members.
In addition to discussing the essential impact of art in public healthcare settings, True will discuss the importance of community engagement in creative expression as a component of public health. She will talk about ways in which mosaic art can be a catalyst for forming creative partnerships, fostering creative community and economic development, and highlighting social justice issues, showing further examples of her work in different parts of the world.
Laurel True is an artist and educator specializing in creative placemaking for public, commercial, residential spaces around the world. For the past 25 years, True has been pursuing her dream of creating beauty in the world and helping to foster well-being through creative expression and community engagement.
Through True Mosaics Studio and her organization, The Global Mosaic Project, She has trained thousands of project participants, students, and volunteers and provides professional development training to artists, tradespeople and creative entrepreneurs in urban and developing areas.
True partners extensively with public health organizations, Partners In Health and Build Health International to create mosaic murals and architectural elements for hospitals and clinics in Haiti.
Her work can be found in community health and rehabilitation centers, children’s hospitals, healing gardens, schools and creative spaces around the world.
True believes that creative expression is inextricably linked to well-being, and that well-being is of critical importance to public health and social justice. Truemosaics.com
Artists and Social Media with Cory Huff
Friday, March 16, 2018, 3:00 pm
You’re well aware by now that if you’re selling your art online, you need to have a solid social media presence. The caveat is that each social network is different, and stretching yourself too thin by trying to maintain a presence on every network will equal disappointing results. But how do you choose which network to focus your energy on?
Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube, Twitter… with so many media channels in the palm of our hands, which is the best to engage with collectors, students, and anyone interested in becoming part of your social following. Art Business Coach and Founder of the Abundant Artist, Cory Huff, is going to give us guidance on navigating the pros and cons of the major social media platforms and how to best position mosaic art out into the digital world.
Cory Huff is a business coach for artists. He has been helping hundreds of artists sell art online since 2009, guiding them to figure out how to navigate the hidden path of the fine art career.
His mission is not only to teach talented artists to sell their art online but to dispel the “starving artist myth” forever. He believes it is possible to make the art you want, live the creative life you want to lead, and make good money doing it.
Harper Collins published his book, How to Sell Art Online: Live a Creative Life on Your Own Terms, in the Summer of 2016. He has been a guest lecturer on marketing at schools like Southern Methodist University, Pacific Northwest College of Art, and the Fashion Institute of Technology.
Cory is also a regular guest contributor to a variety of magazines and news media including the Chicago Sun-Times, IWillTeachYouToBeRich.com, and Professional Artist Magazine, Entrepreneur On Fire and Smart Passive Income. His writing has been read by more than 2 million people. theabundantartist.com
The Neustadt Collection Archive
Tiffany Glass Mosaics with Lindsy Parrot, the Neustadt Collection
Friday, March 16, 2018, 4:00 pm
Lindsy R. Parrott is the director and curator of The Neustadt Collection of Tiffany Glass in Queens, New York. During her 14-year tenure, her research has focused on Louis C. Tiffany’s leaded glass windows, lamps, mosaics, and opalescent flat glass. Most recently, she served as co-curator of the special exhibition Tiffany’s Glass Mosaics and co-editor and contributor of the companion publication, a project organized jointly by The Neustadt and The Corning Museum of Glass. The exhibition is on view at the Corning Museum through January 7, 2018. In addition, Ms. Parrott co-curated Louis C. Tiffany and the Art of Devotion, organized by the Museum of Biblical Art in New York City and served as a co-author of the accompanying catalog.
Ms. Parrott previously held positions at The Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art in Winter Park and the Norton Museum of Art in Palm Beach, both in Florida. She is an adjunct faculty member in the Smithsonian–George Washington University Master’s Program in the History of Decorative Arts + Design in Washington, D.C. She has written and lectured extensively on various aspects of Tiffany’s career. Neustadt.org
Place, partnerships, and pathways: Weaving mosaics and architecture in an Irish forest with Rachel Sager, Julie Sperling, Meghan Walsh, Deb Englebaugh and Lee-Ann Taylor
Saturday, March 17, 2018, 1:00 pm
Five mosaicists, one librarian, a gaggle of architecture students and some master masons walk into an Irish forest… What unfolds next is a singular experience where architecture and mosaic evolve in an inseparable and parallel way to create a sacred space in just nine days. Through collaborative storytelling accompanied by high-quality photos, let this dynamic team of mosaicists tell you about the project’s origins, the shared mosaic language they spontaneously created, the constant dialogue between the structure and the art, and the inevitable bumps, setbacks, and surprises along the way. With a frank discussion of what worked and what didn’t, you’ll benefit from their lessons learned (and there were plenty!) and be able to apply them to your own work. An in situ mosaic undertaking like no other in terms of vision and process, the story behind the Fishers of Men Spirit of Place installation in Cong, Ireland, will inspire you and challenge your assumptions of what is possible with collaborative and intuitive mosaic. There will be time at the end for audience members to ask questions.
Clockwise from bottom left: Deb Engelbaugh, Julie Sperling, Lee-Ann Taylor, Meghan Walsh, Rachel Sager
Rachel Sager, the pioneer of The Ruins Project art installation, works on the cutting edge of the contemporary mosaic fine art movement. Her work has been represented in the US and internationally, with multiple best of show awards. Rachel’s commitment to the classical language of mosaic paired with her intuitive andamento style has shaped a strong voice in the mosaic world. Proudly hailing from the rust belt, Rachel preserves her storytelling, hillbilly roots as she weaves colorful tales of family, self-reliance, humor and the legacy of coal through the lens of mosaic. Whether she is digging into the earth of her native Appalachia or traveling the world as a teacher and speaker, her mission to build the line in mosaic continues to inspire new generations of mosaicists. Rachelsagermosaics.com
Julie Sperling is a Canadian mosaicist camped out at the intersection of art, environment, science, and policy. Since 2014, she has been creating an ongoing series of mosaics about climate change. Most recently, she has been using her art to engage the public on climate action through her role as Artist in Residence for the City of Kitchener. An avid blogger and seasoned civil servant on the environment file, she brings a unique perspective to activist mosaic. She firmly believes in the important role that artists have to play as advocates, activists, and change-makers. Sperlingmosaics.com
Meghan Walsh is licensed architect who works in the federal government by day and is a studio artist and residential design architect by night. She has served as a subject matter expert on energy-efficiency, healthy buildings and resilient design and construction at the White House. She has taught architecture at Catholic University, Howard University and the University of Michigan. She created a non-profit to take students to build creative urban infrastructure in Brazil, where she learned to speak Portuguese. She has lived and worked in the Czech Republic and South Africa. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Massachusetts, a Master’s of Architecture from the University of Michigan and a Master’s in Real Estate Finance from Georgetown University. She has also been teaching Pilates and Barre in DC for over 16 years. This past year she taught her first official mosaic course in the United Arab Emirates. Meghanwalshmosaics.com
Deb Englebaugh is a mosaic and ceramic artist from Western Pennsylvania. She has more than 25 years of experience teaching art and working in a variety of mediums. Deb has a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Drawing from The Pennsylvania State University, a Master of Arts degree in Fibers from Edinboro University and is a published author of three art education books. Decorative-details.com
Lee-Ann Taylor is a retired IT manager who loves participating in public mosaic projects and creating respectful graffiti: mischievous mosaics rewarding people for paying attention.
Sherri Warner Hunter: Installation progress
The Commission Process: Lessons Learned with Sherri Warner Hunter
Saturday, March 17, 2018, 2:00 pm
Over the years, I’ve been involved with a variety of different agencies, organizations, and individuals to create their special artwork through the commission process. I’d like to be able to tell you that once you’ve done one (commission), you’ve got it down, but I can’t…at least not from my personal experience. I find I continue to learn new things with each opportunity. The past decade has provided plenty of opportunities for me to learn!
Some of the lessons have been about contracts, some have been structural, many have been about client/artist communications and relationships. I want to share what I’ve learned from some of these experiences in hopes that it will help you with your next project.
Sherri Warner Hunter is the creative force behind SWH Art Studio Inc. in Bell Buckle, TN. Since moving there in the mid-90’s, the Studio’s production has concentrated on large-scale public commissions and community-based artworks. Hunter’s work is included in many private collections and can be viewed publicly at the Executive Residence of Tennessee, Nashville; McLaren Health Care Village, Clarkston, MI; The Pediatric Network Therapy Center, Torrance, CA; and at Lucile Salter Packard Children’s Hospital at Stanford, Palo Alto, CA.
Hunter has written two books. The most recent “Creating Concrete Ornaments for the Garden” was published by Lark Books and developed from expertise honed through decades of teaching studio workshops. She continues to teach workshops at SWH Art Studio Inc., across the country, and internationally. Visit her website for additional information: swhartstudioinc.wordpress.com
“Exploitation” by Sophie Drouin. Awarded 2017 Canadian Annual Mosaic Exhibition “Best in Show”
Nature’s Treasure Trove with Sophie Drouin
Saturday, March 17, 2018, 3:00 pm
Mosaic materials such as glass and marble are traditional and beloved, but there are many other natural and beautiful minerals that can be used in the field of mosaic, adding sparkle, depth, and meaning. Some can be easily cleaved with traditional tools, while others require extra caution or special tools. Some fare well under outside conditions while others are damaged by water and even ambient light. This presentation will inform those who are curious about exploring the many possibilities of natural mosaic materials.
Sophie Drouin first studied mosaic art with her late father, Quebec artist, painter and teacher Bernard Drouin, who had studied painting, fresco and mosaic in Florence and Venice in the mid-1950s. After his untimely death in 1998, she sought out new teachers, traveling to Italy and France to find masters of mosaic tradition and technique. She found Luciana Notturni in Ravenna and then in France met Verdiano Marzi, who has become her mentor and friend.
Sophie is a member of the Society of American Mosaic Artists (SAMA), a North-American group which annually organizes a conference and a juried show called Mosaic Arts International. Sophie’s submitted works were accepted every year that she entered from 2007 until she was asked to be a juror for the show in 2015. She won two awards from Mosaic Arts International, as “Member’s Choice” in San Diego and as “Best 2-d” in Austin. She has exhibited in the United States in Miami, Phoenix, San Diego, Chicago, Austin, Lexington, Charlotte, Tacoma, Seattle, Boston, Lake Oswego, and Mystic. In Europe, she has won two awards in the professional category at the Chartres Prix Picassiette Biennale competition and was invited to participate in two exhibitions for RavennaMosaico, a city-wide Biennale mosaic festival in Italy’s capital of mosaic arts, Ravenna. Her work has also been exhibited in Clauiano, Italy and Riga, Latvia. She was invited to her native Quebec City for a modern mosaic exhibition called “forward mosaic” as the only Canadian mosaic artist in a trio of exhibiting artists. She was also the only Canadian to be invited to participate in the “black and white” exhibition featuring 22 international artists at the Maison de la Mosaïque in Paray-le-Monial, France, in 2014.
Sophie is active in her hometown of Kitchener, Ontario, as a member of the award-winning UpTown Gallery where she is currently on the Executive Committee as Exhibitions Chair. She won three of the seven awards on offer at the recent Canadian Annual Mosaic Exhibition, including Best in Show and Best Wall Hanging.
Sophie has translated and been an interpreter for her mentor, Verdiano Marzi for workshops and conferences; she is also the English Language Editor and Canadian correspondent for the France-based “Mosaique Magazine”, the highest quality publication about the art of mosaic in the world.
Sophie is also a musician and has been a professional violinist and chamber musician since 1984, joining the Winnipeg Symphony (1990-87) before joining the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony in 1997 when her husband won the Concertmaster position there.