JK Mosaic

Wednesday, November 22, 2017

A few projects from 2017

So much has been happening this year, my head is spinning. 2017 has been a great year, full of rewarding projects, and most are still in progress. I now have a newsletter to let you know when I'm part of an exhibit, when a public art project is being unveiled, or other significant events. To subscribe, follow this link:JK Mosaic Newsletter

Mosaic Memorial Panel installed in Port Orchard in June

I have yet to get a high-quality photo of the skatepark mosaic in Port Orchard, but I do love that I caught the young man shredding in the upper left corner. The lettering is made of opalescent black glass, so it reflects light to the camera, but is very visible in person and reads "VANDENBERGH PLAZA" after Mike Vandenbergh, who was instrumental in the expansion of this heavily used skatepark. The mosaic was commissioned by the South Kitsap Skatepark Association and the family of Mike Vandenbergh.

Banner for South Capital Neighborhood in Olympia

I'm very excited that I was one of six artists who designed banners that are being installed on Capital Way to delineate the South Capital neighborhood from the State capital campus. Mine is just past the walking bridge to the visitors' center. I've been working in papercuts for a few years, and I'm very excited to see one of them turned into public art.

The Diversity Mural

You might know that this is my 5th year leading a weekly glass art class for at-risk teens in Shelton, WA. In January, we launched a mural project where we've been creating mosaic hearts, along with the community, which will form a huge rainbow when installed on the exterior wall of the school. Through social media, word has spread, and we have been receiving hearts from all over the world! Follow the project on our facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/HeartMosaicMural

CHIAROSCURO: CASTING SHADOWS IN MOSAIC”
GROUP MOSAIC SHOW

presented by: Lincoln City Cultural Center,
540 NE Highway 101 Lincoln City, Oregon 97367

Friday, December 08, 2017 through Monday, January 08, 2018

The ancient art of mosaic is enjoying a renaissance in the world today. Artists are using traditional tools and materials and combining them with other materials and a contemporary sensibility to create astonishing new work. This group of artists from Oregon and Washington all work in the broad medium of mosaic, and will explore the nature of light and dark, how shadows are cast by materials in their work, or how mosaic materials either reflect or absorb light. Artists include: Lynn Adamo, Joanne Daschel, Scott Fitzwater, Jennifer Kuhns, Karen Rycheck, Richard Davis, Jo Braun, Kelley Knickerbocker, Kate Jessup and Mark Brody.

Opening reception: Friday, Dec. 8th 5pm-7pm
*The image featured is a work-in-progress mosaic that is nearly finished, and will be included in this exhibition. I'll post more about this piece when it's finished.

Tuesday, May 2, 2017

Empowerment Through Community Mosaic Projects

JK Mosaic
Community Mosaic Projects

While I spend most of my time on commissioned mosaic for private, corporate and public spaces, I try to find time to engage communities in mosaic projects to help bring art and beauty to neighborhoods and public spaces. This is very challenging work, as there is very little funding available outside of King and Pierce counties (in my State: WA.) For areas like Shelton, WA, there is virtually no funding for public art, no PTA to raise money for art supplies in schools, and very few programs to engage underserved communities. And it can be hard to convince people that art is important when so many vital needs are not being met.

Above: Olympia, WA community making mosaic fish for a beloved downtown fountain. Over 200 people participated in this project over 6 weeks.

During my first community project, I was moved by the reactions of participants. They were overjoyed to have the opportunity to contribute to a permanent public project. Those who helped throughout the whole process were impacted by the experience in positive ways. It engaged those who felt otherwise ignored and disenfranchised, and it brought unlikely people together, working and chatting side by side.

Top pic: A volunteer helps participants in Les Gove Park, Auburn, add to a mosaic panel.
Bottom pic: The completed panel lives in Auburn's Parks & Rec Building.

Many children, especially in less affluent school districts, have little to no art in school. For them, being invited to help create art for their community is very empowering. They may stay for a few minutes or a few hours to work on a panel, and later, they can visit the artwork and know that they helped to make something beautiful that is enjoyed by others. When there is only a small budget for public art, this is a way to stretch that budget much farther, and the participants feel a sense of ownership. There is more respect and appreciation for the artwork going forward.

Young people at a public event in Shelton, WA helping to complete a small mural for Choice High School.

Usually, I am able to facilitate a community project because I was selected due to my ability to make the most of a limited budget, and my reward is far more personal than financial. Recently, I launched a project out of frustration with the divisiveness in our country, with no financial backing of any kind. I call it the Diversity Mural, and it will be a wall of hearts that form a huge rainbow. Teens that I work with in Shelton, WA have been making hearts for the mural every week on Fridays, and I've been receiving heart contributions from mosaic artists around the globe. Still, we have about 950 hearts to go, and I have zero budget to buy supplies and to hold heart-making events with other groups through summer. I hope to install in the fall. (You can follow the project on facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/HeartMosaicMural)

I am determined to complete this mural, one way or another, and I'm exploring fundraising options. I'm not a non-profit, so many organizations and corporations won't donate to my cause. When other mosaic artists send hearts, it is a wonderful gift because it reduces the amount of supplies I need to generate. However, I still want to find ways to engage more people who also want to send the message of inclusiveness and solidarity, and I can't do it with good intentions alone. I welcome any ideas or assistance with this.

These are children in Scotland making hearts for the Diversity Mural!

Please contact me if you want to contribute to this project in any way. Do you have a group or organization that would like to make some hearts? Do you have fundraising skills and spare time? Are you a socially responsible corporation that would like to work together to create a program to bring public art to underserved communities? Get in touch! (jennifer@jkmosaic.com)

*This summer, I'll also be working with a community in Bellingham to add some whimsical mosaic to their neighborhood.

Thanks!

Thursday, February 16, 2017

Heart-Rainbow Diversity Mural Project

After the nightclub shooting in Orlando, I felt heartbroken. I have many friends and students who identify as LGBTQ, and I was at a loss as to how to express my condolences, support and advocacy. An idea came to me: filling a wall with mosaic hearts made by anyone wanting to express these sentiments.

Initially, I reached out to some graduates of my mosaic program involved in Stonewall Youth to see if we could run the project through the organization. But, it never got off the ground, and then the election sort of threw me for a loop and the project continued to germinate in my mind.

The most alarming aspect of last year's campaign and election, for me, was realizing the extreme level of divisiveness in the U.S. (and in much of the world, actually.) This project continued to nag at me, until I was chatting with the custodian at the high school where I teach mosaic on Fridays. I found myself telling her about my concept, and she became very excited. So, I met with the Principal of the school and asked if I could use class time on Fridays to create this mural with our students. She enthusiastically agreed to it, so we started the following week, without knowing where it would go.

Shortly after, I posted on facebook that I was looking for a wall for my mural. Within a half hour, I had a meeting arranged with the owner of Flourish in Olympia, who was already on board. By now, I have permission from the owner of the building, and the project will be installed on a huge wall in Downtown Olympia.

When standing and admiring this mural, made to honor Rachel Corrie, and with a similar community spirit, to the left up the block will be a wall of hearts. I've already had several mosaic artists say they will send me hearts to incorporate, including one from Canada and one from Australia! For experienced mosaic artists who want to send your heart, place fiberglass mesh over your design (which must be covered by plastic, or done onto slick freezer paper) and glue your tesserae to the mesh. Thinset is ideal, but I am using weldbond with my students because it is much easier in this situation. When it is dry, you can peel the paper template off the back and mail the heart to:

Choice High School

Attn: Jennifer Kuhns / Room 106

807 Pine St.

Shelton, WA 98584, U.S.A.

*I currently have zero budget to complete this project. I have applied for funds through one program, which would cover most of the expense. I also plan to seek sponsorships and to do fundraising events. If you have any ideas for me, please get in touch. We are in desperate need of opaque glass and glass tiles, mesh, and cash for supplies.

The first public heart-making event will take place on Saturday, April 22 during Arts Walk. Location TBD. I'll keep posting as more details are confirmed.

Mosaic Mural Making Workshop June 2017

I have just confirmed workshop dates for a Mosaic Mural Making Intensive at Arbutus Folk School in Olympia, WA.

Last November, a 4-day mosaic mural workshop was scheduled near Portland, OR, but due to unfortunate circumstances, the instructor's travel plans fell through. With only a few days to go and with some students flying from other states to attend, the host called me in a panic. I hadn't taught this workshop before, but I have a fair amount of experience with exterior installations and mosaic murals, so I agreed to step in. And it was a great experience!

Here are a few photos from the workshop:

With months to prepare, the next workshop will be even better. This time, it will be in lovely Downtown Olympia, WA, where shopping, food, cafes, parks, the port and the farmers market are within walking distance. The workshop will take place over 4 days, from Friday, June 23 to Monday the 26th. It will be an action- and information- packed workshop, with the students working hands-on to create a mosaic that will be installed in the school. Cost is $350 per person, all inclusive. (Please bring glass and tile cutting tools if you have them, but I will supply a selection as well.)

For more information: www.arbutusfolkschool.org

Installing a mural in Atlanta, GA.

Installing a mural in Walnut Creek, CA.

Installing mosaic embellishments on a pediatric clinic in Olympia, WA.

Wednesday, December 7, 2016

Art auctions can be a humiliating experience for donating artists.

*I originally wrote and published this post in 2013, but the issue still plagues me, and only seems to be getting worse. This time of year, requests for donations are more frequent, and I know many of my artist friends can relate.

There are many blog posts already written about the many reasons for artists to stop donating to benefit art auctions. I recommend this one: http://joannemattera.blogspot.com/2007/06/no-i-will-not-donate-to-your-auction.html

But, there is another aspect of the art auction experience that is harder to explain. I will try. Attending art auctions to which I have donated my artwork has felt a little bit humiliating. I think if I were a more established artist it would be different, as attendees and organizers may treat those artists with some level of respect - even celebrity. But as an emerging artist, it can be very uncomfortable.

I've donated to small and large organizations, and each event has a completely different character, but the dynamic of predominately struggling artists donating items of a very personal nature to be bid on by people with discretionary income is the same every time. Let me reiterate that art is very personal to the artist. It's like taking your dreams and putting them up for everyone to see and bid on.

Sometimes we are not even invited to the event. We are not present to meet potential bidders, discuss our process and techniques, or connect with the collector in any way. The first time I donated to a benefit, that was the case. I donated a $100 gift certificate toward a commission to support a children's museum, even though I couldn't afford a membership for my own child. The winning bidder sent me an anonymous email requesting a piece of work at the $100 value. They did not want me to know their name and requested that I drop off the completed work at the museum so that we wouldn't have to meet in person. That was rather unsettling.

For several years, I donated to the foundation for my alma mater, and I did get to attend the event. They never included background information about the artists so, one year, I approached the high bidder of my artwork to introduce myself. She looked at me like I had just asked what kind of sexual position she prefers and excused herself. I still wonder why she bought the art? And who was she? Artists like to connect with the new owners of their art.

Last year, I donated work of a higher value to a local arts organization. The required opening bid was for the actual retail value of the piece. I still have it. It is disheartening that artists making below minimum wage will donate to a cause, but supporters with solid incomes will usually not match the value. And it feels really crummy to donate your work for charity, and have it not sell. I was at the home of a collector one time who showed me a piece of mine he had acquired at one of these benefits for a fraction of the value. He was very proud, and had no idea that the experience was degrading for me. "Look! I bought this $800 artwork of yours for only $200! Isn't that great?"

And finally, at the higher-end art auctions, such as an art museum, there is a very obvious divide between the haves and have-nots in attendance. I've given my artwork (through a juried process, by the way) to a museum each year for its fundraiser, which is a swanky party with great food and an open bar. Guests wear formal attire and it is common to overhear, "What are you wearing?" in reference to the designer. The donating artists, who can't afford to bring a date, slowly identify each other by the lesser quality of their clothing. Artists and bidders are seated together at tables, but conversation is awkward. "You must be an artist!", someone will say, looking me up and down. Last year, a woman commented, "You are so brave to wear that outfit here," (referring to my secondhand dress and boots). Trying to be funny, I said, "You wait. Next year everyone will be dressed like this." "No," she said. "They won't."

So, I had a nice meal and free booze, and watched my $800 piece sell for $140 and drove home thinking I probably wouldn't donate to any more auctions. The fact is, I can't afford memberships to these organizations or tickets to their events. When I tried to have my jewelry displayed at the museum, I was rejected outright. They didn't even want to see it. During the first few years of donating to auctions, I felt altruistic, but increasingly, I just feel taken advantage of.

Here's me at an art auction. I do have a drink and a name tag. But, sadly, I am lacking a companion or social skills.

I do still donate small items to local organizations whose missions resonate for me. They are not targeting artists, exclusively, to provide donations. They generally don't invite me to their events, but their budgets are very low, so I don't expect it. I can give something small and feel ok about it, and I know it helps a little bit.

The blog post I linked to at the beginning does offer some suggestions for changing the yucky relationship between artists and fundraising auctions, and I hope some organizers start paying attention. If I can split the take with the organization, I am more likely to donate something of higher value and feel like I received something for my work. If they put some effort into promoting me and my work by giving bidders a lot of good information and posting a link to my website online, it shows respect, adds some benefit for me, and is more likely to generate higher bids, which is a win/win. Making sure the artists have name tags so that bidders can ask questions makes a huge difference. And treating the artists as if their contribution is at least as valuable as the money being raised is vital. Welcome us and talk to us, introduce us to potential bidders, and for Pete's sake, give us a glass of wine if it's a cash bar and we can't afford it. It's no fun being a socially awkward artist attending an event alone, standing in a corner without a drink and not knowing anyone in the room, waiting for someone to bid on your artwork. A little extra effort might make it a less painful experience.

*2023 update: I am now more established and I still don't contribute to art auctions. Instead I donate a portion of art sales and commissions to causes I care about. Sometimes I create work for the express purpose of donating the profit to a specific cause. It feels far more rewarding and empowering.