Mosaic Arts International 2016: Masters Invitational

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Dawnmarie Zimmerman, Dawnmarie@americanmosaics.org
The 15th Annual Mosaic Arts International Exhibition (MAI), sponsored by the Society of American Mosaic
Artists (SAMA), invigorates a new perspective of mosaic art in numerous contexts and celebrates established as
well as emerging artists working in the medium today. The selected works reflect the multiplicity of the mosaic
medium and its unlimited applications. But, regardless of the style, colors, textures, materials, or vision, each of the
works exhibited speaks an ancient language with a contemporary translation. The 2016 exhibition is comprised of
three segments, presented online and in two highly-energized venues at the NTC Liberty Station in San Diego,
California.
Mosaic Arts International 2016: Masters Invitational
Mosaic Arts International 2016: Masters Invitational will be presented at Casa Valencia Galería, March 31–May
27, 2016. SAMA will present the works of several, distinctly unique voices in contemporary mosaic art.
NIKI DE SAINT PHALLE , PIERRE MARIE LEJEUNE
Ω / OMEGA
- 2001
78.7 x 74.8 x 19.7 inches 200 x 190 x 50 cm
Mosaic Arts International 2016 Artwork copyrights retained by Artists Society of American Mosaic Artists PO Box 624, Ligonier, PA 15658 Release date: March 14, 2016 Mirror, Steel, Glass, Wood
(image by permission of the Niki de Saint Phalle Charitable Art Foundation)
In partnership with the Niki de Saint Phalle Charitable Art Foundation (NCAF), SAMA will celebrate French
artist, Niki de Saint Phalle (1930–2002), with a spotlight on her work while living in La Jolla, CA near the end of her
life. We are honored to present on loan from the NCAF archives, one of her many collaborations with Pierre Marie
Lejeune, Ω / OMEGA.
The exhibition will also include works by Irina Charny (Irvine, CA), an award-winning artist with an extensive list of
collectors, including the Crocker Museum in Sacramento, CA; and Lynne Chinn (Plano, TX), recognized with
several international art prizes and publication features; her fine art mosaics are represented in private homes and
in public places all over the United States and Canada. Lastly, there will be a special presentation honoring beloved
SAMA member, art historian, and mosaic scholar, JeanAnn Dabb.
Irina Charny
Byzantine Trio
2014
H 16.00” W 35.00” D 1.00”
Glass, gold, porcelain, beads, millefiori on wood panel
Mosaic Arts International 2016 Artwork copyrights retained by Artists Society of American Mosaic Artists PO Box 624, Ligonier, PA 15658 Release date: March 14, 2016 Lynne Chinn
Effluence
2014
H 22.00” W 35.50” D 5.00”
Smalti, 24k gold smalti, marble, vitreous glass, stained glass, quartz crystals, selenite, tourmaline
SAMA President and Exhibitions Committee Chair, Jacki Gran commented, “This will be a powerfully inspirational
exhibition. We are grateful to the Niki de Saint Phalle Charitable Art Foundation and the participating artists for this
stunning collection of exceptional mosaic art.”
Mosaic Arts International 2016: Fine Art
Mosaic Arts International 2016: Fine Art, a juried exhibit featuring the best in contemporary fine art mosaics from
SAMA’s diverse international membership, will be presented at the Women’s Museum of California, March 31–May
27, 2016. The Women’s Museum of California is a women’s history museum and community educational resource
dedicated to women and their stories by preserving the past and inspiring the future for women worldwide. This
exhibition was juried by Elaine M. Goodwin, internationally-celebrated mosaic artist; Sherri Warner Hunter,
American mosaic artist, sculptor, and author; and New York and Miami gallerist, Bernice Steinbaum, whose
lifelong drive to represent women and artists of color was honored with an award-winning documentary, which will
be screened during the SAMA Conference.
Elaine M. Goodwin was delighted with the entries from SAMA members commenting, “The final entries for the
exhibition, I feel, all point to SAMA in America as possessing a sound core of mosaic artists. Together, their mosaics
will display a highly developing and developed group of work. This is exciting and invigorating for the mosaic world
Mosaic Arts International 2016 Artwork copyrights retained by Artists Society of American Mosaic Artists PO Box 624, Ligonier, PA 15658 Release date: March 14, 2016 as a whole, as contemporary mosaic is still quite a new art form—but one that is becoming steadily established and
recognized in Europe and now the USA.”
Sherri Warner Hunter found the jury process enlightening, “It was a privilege to have the opportunity to view a wide
range of artwork and to work with two other distinguished professionals to select the pieces for this exhibition. I was
impressed by the process itself. There were multiple opportunities to view the images and to communicate with the
other jurors. Opinions were expressed, viewpoints considered, and the resulting selections—this exhibition—were
made.”
It is important to SAMA to balance our jury with a point of view outside the closely-knit mosaic art community, to
provide an objective voice and fresh eyes to the collaborative jury process. SAMA was honored to welcome Bernice
Steinbaum as a juror this year and as expected, she brought her special flair to the process noting, “Any jurors’
judgments or selections are at best limited to their particular tastes, or if you will, peculiar tastes at a particular time
in the jurors’ life and a particular time in the history of art. All artists make magic—for those of us that do not (like
me), it is virtually impossible to know or agree what are all the ingredients used for the magic potions. This juror
selected the magic that worked for her. The scope of the entrants was challenging. None of the jurors worried about
percentages of entrants to selections. We instead chose that work that spoke to each of us. “
Mosaic Arts International: Mosaic In Situ
Mosaic Arts International: Mosaic In Situ is a juried exhibit of the best in contemporary architectural and in situ
mosaics from SAMA’s diverse international membership. Juried by Sherri Warner Hunter, this exhibition will be
presented through images featured in the 2016 Mosaic Arts International Catalog, and in a dedicated image gallery
on the SAMA Website, americanmosaics.org (available March 30, 2016).
Hunter spoke of her appreciation for the entrants of this segment of the exhibition, “This category is near to my heart
and I want to congratulate all who submitted images for this exhibition. The commitment to ‘go big’ should not be
taken lightly. The investment of materials and time is multiplied from typical studio work and there is no hiding it! By
making it you have put it ‘out there’ twice, once in its creation, and again, by submitting it to this exhibition.
I’m encouraged by the new format of this category. A commissioned mosaic is very different from a communitybased mosaic and they should be recognized separately however, both still need to be held at high standards. Both
categories need to effectively serve the function they were deigned to accomplish.”
Mosaic Arts International 2016 Artwork copyrights retained by Artists Society of American Mosaic Artists PO Box 624, Ligonier, PA 15658 Release date: March 14, 2016 SAMA announces 2016 Mosaic Arts International Awards
FINE ART
2016 Best in Show: Millennium by Atsuko Laskaris
Mosaic Arts International 2016: BEST IN SHOW
Atsuko Laskaris
Millennium
2015
H 22.50” W 27.50” D 2.50”
Stained glass
Mosaic Arts International 2016 Artwork copyrights retained by Artists Society of American Mosaic Artists PO Box 624, Ligonier, PA 15658 Release date: March 14, 2016 2016 Technical Achievement Award, Roiling by Angela Sanders
Mosaic Arts International 2016:
Technical Achievement Award
Angela Sanders
Roiling
2015
H 19.50” W 30.00” D 2.00”
Smalti, antique gold, shells, onyx, marble, benitoite
Mosaic Arts International 2016 Artwork copyrights retained by Artists Society of American Mosaic Artists PO Box 624, Ligonier, PA 15658 Release date: March 14, 2016 2016 Contemporary Innovation Award, Defrag (Undone) by Erin Pankratz
Mosaic Arts International 2016: Contemporary Innovation Award
Erin Pankratz
Defrag (Undone)
2015
H 59.00” W 36.00” D 1.00”
Tinted mortar substrate, smalti, gold smalti, marble, mortar tesserae
Mosaic Arts International 2016 Artwork copyrights retained by Artists Society of American Mosaic Artists PO Box 624, Ligonier, PA 15658 Release date: March 14, 2016 Juror’s Choice: Elaine Goodwin, Tectonic Shift, New World Order by Cynthia Fisher
Mosaic Arts International 2016: Juror's Choice; Elaine M. Goodwin
Cynthia Fisher
Tectonic Shift; New World Order
2014
H 27.00” W 27.00” D .50”
Stained glass, vitreous glass, contorno, unglazed porcelain, ceramic shards, handmade pottery shards,
grout as an element
Mosaic Arts International 2016 Artwork copyrights retained by Artists Society of American Mosaic Artists PO Box 624, Ligonier, PA 15658 Release date: March 14, 2016 Juror’s Choice: Bernice Steinbaum, Judith’s Revenge by Lilian Broca
Mosaic Arts International 2016: Juror's Choice; Bernice Steinbaum
Lilian Broca
Judith’s Revenge
2015
H 70.5” W 8.00” D 1.50”
Smalti, gold smalti, ceramic tile borders
Mosaic Arts International 2016 Artwork copyrights retained by Artists Society of American Mosaic Artists PO Box 624, Ligonier, PA 15658 Release date: March 14, 2016 Juror’s Choice: Sherri Warner Hunter, Dialogue (The burden of the message) by
Julie Sperling
Mosaic Arts International 2016: Juror's Choice; Sherri Warner Hunter
Julie Sperling
Dialogue (The burden of the message)
2015
H 17.25” W 24.50” D 1.00”
Spray paint layers, shale
Mosaic Arts International 2016 Artwork copyrights retained by Artists Society of American Mosaic Artists PO Box 624, Ligonier, PA 15658 Release date: March 14, 2016 MOSAIC IN SITU
Best In Situ Project, Benito Juarez Park by Jolino Bessera
Mosaic Arts International 2016: BEST MOSAIC IN SITU PROJECT
Benito Juarez Park
2014
Jolino Beserra
Los Angeles, CA
H 5.00’ W 4.00’ D 5.00’
Location: Maywood, CA USA
Mosaic Arts International 2016 Artwork copyrights retained by Artists Society of American Mosaic Artists PO Box 624, Ligonier, PA 15658 Release date: March 14, 2016 Best Community Project, Broadway’s Blooming by Dawn Mendelson
Mosaic Arts International 2016: BEST COMMUNITY PROJECT
Broadway's Blooming
2015
Dawn Mendelson
Long Beach, CA
H 4.00’ W 32.00’ D 0.05’
Location: Los Angeles, CA USA
Jacki Gran, SAMA President and Exhibitions Committee Chair, discussed her excitement for bringing this exhibition
series to the NTC Arts & Culture District, Liberty Station. “We are thrilled to partner with the Women’s Museum of
California and Casa Valencia Galería in presenting the work of our members to visitors of this fast-growing, cultural
gathering place in San Diego.”
About SAMA
The Society of American Mosaic Artists (SAMA) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to educating, inspiring, and
promoting excellence in the mosaic arts.
SAMA was founded in 1999 by a small group of mosaic artists who wanted a venue through which they could share
their knowledge, expertise, and interest in mosaic art—this most ancient of art forms that was experiencing a
significant contemporary revival.
Today, fifteen years later, we remain a vibrant and ever-expanding group of more than 900 members, including
mosaic artists at all levels, mosaic aficionados, collectors, materials suppliers, and art educators. We have put
renewed emphasis on strengthening ties with other mosaic organizations around the globe to pursue common goals
and develop new programs relevant to our diverse membership.
Society of American Mosaic Artists
PO Box 624
Mosaic Arts International 2016 Artwork copyrights retained by Artists Society of American Mosaic Artists PO Box 624, Ligonier, PA 15658 Release date: March 14, 2016 Ligonier, PA 15658
AmericanMosaics.org
About Casa Valencia Galería
Casa Valencia Galería, born on August 3, 2012 and with it, the project "Un paso al norte" (A step to the north), with
the main objective of promoting the artists of Baja California, Mexico, in the United States. "Un paso al norte" means
to strengthen our artistic presence on both sides of the border, resulting in a better projection of our culture. Casa
Valencia Galería is committed to form an audience that spreads the force of artistic creation through the
dissemination and promotion of artistic work.
Casa Valencia Galería
2730 Historic Decatur Road
Barracks 16, Suite 101
San Diego, CA 92106
619-752-6118
valenciagallery.com
About Women’s Museum of California
The Women’s Museum of California is a women’s history museum and community educational resource dedicated
to women and their stories by preserving the past and inspiring the future for women worldwide.
Women’s Museum of California
2730 Historic Decatur Road
Barracks 16, Suite 103,
San Diego, CA 92106
619-233-7963
womensbuseumca.org
Mosaic Arts International 2016 Artwork copyrights retained by Artists Society of American Mosaic Artists PO Box 624, Ligonier, PA 15658 Release date: March 14, 2016