What's Happening with the Diversity Mural in Orlando?!

If you aren't following the Diversity Mural project in Orlando on the facebook page, you might wonder what has been happening. So much! So much has been happening!

A great article was printed in the Orlando Sentinel

Cherie Bosela, the owner of Luna Mosaic Arts in Orlando, is now working full steam to prep the hearts for installation, which is a huge undertaking because there are over 700! And they are still coming in from all over the world! Volunteers have been gathering at Luna Mosaic Arts to help with pre-grouting, which will make installation much easier.

Volunteers grouting yellow hearts

Laticrete, a company that specializes in top-of-the-line tile installation and surface treatment products is donating all of the thinset and grout for the project, including custom grout tints, so each heart will be grouted in its corresponding color, making the rainbow extra vibrant. Laticrete has been supportive of the mosaic community, often donating supplies for community projects and sponsoring the annual American Mosaic Summit.

Laticrete's Permacolor Select grout with custom purple tint!

This is the first mural, in Shelton, WA. Laticrete donated materials for this, and I smeared and blended the grout between the hearts. You can see how bright it is. (I still need to finish grouting later this month.)

One hiccup that has come up is that the Orlando Laticrete rep has urged us to have the paint removed from the wall before applying the hearts. Unfortunately, the quotes for sandblasting are more than we can afford to absorb. We are doing this project without a budget or any financial backing outside of a modest Go Fund Me effort, and while we have raised $3600 of the $5000 goal, we have had other expenses and can't cover the cost of paint removal. Cherie thinks she will have to grind off the paint behind each heart by hand, which will be extremely time consuming. The dedication is scheduled for September 21, so any help we can get with every aspect of the installation would be much appreciated.

If any readers have connections in Orlando and could help us figure out how to get the sandblasting sponsored or super-discounted, it sure would help. 

Still, I am flying to Orlando for the dedication on September 21, and it is going to happen! While there, I'll be teaching a workshop on Precision Glass Cutting for Mosaic at Luna Mosaic Arts that weekend, and there are still a few openings, so consider joining us if you are a mosaic artist interested in adding stained glass to your repertoire, or gaining more control of the material.

And one more reminder: Please share our online fundraiser to your community or to anyone you know who agrees strongly that the LGBTQIA community should not have to live in fear for their lives because of their gender presentation or who they love.  Thank you!!

https://www.gofundme.com/DiversityMural

Spring News!

Happy Spring!

I haven't been using this format much lately, partly because I have taken up Instagram and started sending out a newsletter, and those are a bit easier to manage. It's so hard to keep up with the marketing that keeps me connected with the world!

The last real post I wrote was about the Chiaroscuro exhibition back in December 2017. A group of NW mosaic artists has formed a collective, and we held our first group show in Lincoln City, OR. The show was a huge success, and we have since hung a new version of the exhibit at Wallow Gallery in Carlton, OR. One member of the group (Jo Braun) has moved away and we have added a new member, Todd Campbell. The artists live throughout Oregon and Washington and the variety of materials, style and technique in this show is stunning.

Throughout 2017, I worked steadily on a big project for the City of Bellingham. It is now in the final stages and will be installed in late spring in the Birchwood neighborhood. I'll post pictures when it is completed.

Another project I've been coordinating all year is the Diversity Mural for Choice High School in Shelton, WA. I work with at-risk teens at the school on Fridays, and we have been making hearts for a mural in class and with local community (Shelton, Olympia and Tacoma.) Through social media, word spread, and at least half of the hearts we have collected are from around the country, plus Canada, Scotland and Australia! This mural is nearly ready to install, now that the weather is warmer and dryer.

Very recently, I teamed up with mosaic artist Cherie Bosela, owner of Luna Mosaic Arts in Orlando, FL. We have launched a second version of the mural, to be installed in Orlando in memory of Pulse Nightclub. Hearts have been arriving at Luna Mosaic Arts, and we are working to secure a wall. We have a fundraiser in progress to pay for installation costs at: https://www.GoFundMe.com/DiversityMural.  Please help us to make this mural a reality!

Another piece of news is that I've been included in a new book about contemporary mosaic called "Creations" curated by Jacqueline Iskander. It is available on Amazon, but it can also be purchased directly from Jacqueline's website: https://www.j-mosaic.com/books/creations

There are upcoming project installations that I'll post about closer to completion. One date is set: April 28th noon to 2pm, people will gather to walk around downtown Olympia to see the new mosaic sidewalk inlays for Music Out Loud. I believe mine will be last on the tour in front of the Washington Center for the Performing Arts. Consider joining us!

(I'll also have work on display at Hot Toddy during Arts Walk. And my MOM will be there, so please show up and make me look like a grand success!)

Now, go outside!