Instructions for Making Mosaic Hearts for Diversity Mural:

Here are the detailed instructions for making a mosaic heart to include in the Diversity Mural project:

To participate, you will need a piece of fiberglass mesh, plastic sheet or freezer paper (or similar plastic-coated paper), and a thin board or cardboard.

-With plastic coated paper, draw your heart onto it. Otherwise, place a heart shape under clear plastic. (You can use a plastic bag, contact paper, or similar. I encourage re-use!) Do NOT use saran wrap or wax paper.

-Tape everything in place onto a thin board or piece of cardboard.

-Tape a piece of fiberglass mesh over the plastic with the heart shape showing through. *Fiberglass mesh can be purchased from a mosaic supply store, or in bulk from a hardware store, from the stucco section. Hardware store mesh is thinner and has a sticky side. This can be nice to work on as it stays in place over your design. To be clear, do not use the sticky surface to attach your tesserae. I place the sticky side down onto the plastic.

-THINSET IS THE PREFERRED ADHESIVE to attach mosaic to mesh for an exterior project like this. If you use good thinset, it will be a solid hold that will grab the mortar when we install. Weldbond is a second choice that I usually recommend for beginners, but it results in a thin, water-soluble membrane between tesserae and mortar, which is not ideal. If you use weldbond, please be sparing so that the thinset can grab tesserae - but use enough so that the pieces don't fall off during shipping.

-Tesserae needs to be exterior grade: stained glass, glass tile, sealed mirror, stone, high-fired tile, and other solid material. If your piece is highly textured or has a lot of tiny pieces (beads, ball chain, etc.) these may end up buried in grout. We will be working fast during installation and might not have time to dig out detail work.

-Each heart MUST be done in ONE color of the rainbow. There can be minor elements in other colors, different shades of one color, and adjacent rainbow colors can be mixed. But in order to achieve a rainbow, it is vital that each heart be in one of the following colors: Red, orange, yellow, green, blue or purple. No pink, please. No multi-colored hearts. They will not be included. Please send a message to tell us what color you plan to use. As the project progresses, we will keep track to make sure we get relatively equal numbers of each color. (There is a helpful poll pinned to the top of the group page on fb.)

-Hearts can be varying sizes, from 2" - 10" (or 51mm - .25m). In other words, you can send us a bunch of small fused glass or ceramic hearts, which will fit in spaces between larger hearts. Any heart shape is also acceptable. You can embed messages in the hearts, or images. You can commemorate a person. Please keep all messages positive. Angry and negative messages will not be included. Avoid a message specific to this administration that may not be relevant in 20 years. Statements like "Never Again" "Love Wins" or similar are fine.

Hearts from Marla Franz - Note design elements within monochromatic scheme and large pieces that will be easy to install and grout.

-Again: keep us posted on who is participating, and what you will be sending. This will help us to make sure the outcome is successful. We will post updates as well, letting you know if we need more of a certain color (no one wants to do yellow or orange, as it turns out.)

-Florida folks: Cherie will need volunteers to help prep hearts before installation. This will involve trimming mesh, replacing missing pieces, and sorting by color. Easy and fun!

-Alright, let's get this party started! We are shooting for June as the deadline, but this may change. Life is unpredictable! *Update: after brainstorming in person in Boston, we think fall is a better time to install. Summer will be too hot and wet, and we want to give ourselves enough time for a successful project.

-Pack in something flat. It seems to work well to leave the heart on the cardboard it was made on, then place another piece of cardboard on top, then tape the edges so it's sandwiched between. If you have a group or make hearts with your students, feel free to stack this way and send in one box.
Send to Luna Mosaic Arts, 813 Virginia Dr., Orlando, FL, 32803, USA

I can't wait to find out what is in this box from Al Turner in the U.K.!

Please share info about the project with any lists or feeds you think are appropriate, and include a link to our fundraiser: https://www.gofundme.com/DiversityMural  We need funds to pay for installation costs, including flying me (Jenn) to Orlando for at least the beginning of the process. You can also copy & paste our flyer: