Collaborative Mosaic Murals

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1 Collaborative Mosaic Murals by Lin Schorr It began innocently enough in August of 2008 in a flickr.com Mosaic Challenge Group started by Lynne Mosiman. One of my mosaic boxes of Atlantis had won the latest challenge, so it was my choice to select the next subject. I chose a 6 x6 swirl. Sounded simple enough. After some fast and furious brainstorming on the part of a few of the artists in the group, the little swirls had morphed themselves into a full blown mosaic quilt project. Being the instigator of the swirls I jumped at the chance to be the one to pull it all together. I do love a big project! Swirlendipity I Swirlendipity II...of Atlantis We ended the challenge on October 31st with 61 swirl entries! Though because not all were made on mesh I was sent the 56 that were. This created another challenge: To design the mural with the mosaics touching each other or break the project into 2 panels of 28? The swirls were almost perfectly divided into cool & warm colors so I decided to break it up. Before beginning to build the murals, these 2 panels now named Swirlendipity I & Swirlendipity II needed a home. In discussing this project with a friend, Ann Tronzo, she suggested that I look into the brand new medical complex and hospital that had just opened in September of 2008 she s also a nurse there.

2 A bit daunting to approach such a large place never having donated art before. I made 2 mural mock-ups and met with the manager, Elena Weissman, of the Assarian Cancer Center for the Healing Arts at the St John Medical Campus in Novi Michigan. Quite an interesting and very unexpected visit. I had no idea that a medical facility would house art classes, yoga, a full pottery studio and a gallery! Mosaic drip fountain in the Center for the Healing Arts by Gerome Kamrowski The swirl mural concept was welcomed with great enthusiasm. In a meeting that Assarian Cancer Center for the Healing Arts followed after the holidays, we looked for wall locations within the main hospital, Providence Park, as it is new with A LOT of empty white walls. We chose the public entrances on the 2nd & 3rd floors. The first floor is the main lobby and already complete. At the end of this meeting Elena asked if it would be possible to continue the mosaic theme on the remaining 2 floors. What could I say? So the next 2 murals were born the idea of them anyway. Swirlendipity I will be located on the Providence Park Hospital Orthopedics & Surgery level, Swirlendipity II on the Women s Services- Labor & Delivery / Neonatal level. The jigsaw puzzle Amuzapalooza, on the Neurological Sciences & Oncology level, and the 4th and final mural, still in its design phase, will be installed on the Cardiology & Surgery level...i'm thinking hearts'. Each of the mosaics will be 3 x5 with a Hardibacker substrate mounted on finished plywood. With the frame it will bring the artworks size to 4 x 6. Amuzapalooza

3 Shawn Hayes Bringing all of the mosaic artists together was never a difficult task. A very generous lot these artists. There was quite a list of mosaicists who had contacted me to see if it was still possible for them to donate a swirl. They were the first go-to when the puzzle mural was being established, along with the current swirl artists who were given another opportunity to participate. There are also artists from Providence Park Hospital involved in making 9 of the 50 puzzle pieces for Amuzapalooza. Linda Hooper As I write this, nearing the end of August a full year from the swirl ideas inception I m happy to report that Swirlendipity I has been successfully installed at the hospital as of July 31st. Swirlendipity I Hospital installation July 31 Swirlendipity II is well under way with a target......completion time of early October. Amuzapalooza is pretty much ready to be assembled as soon as Swirlendipity II is installed. Swirlendipity II The directive and templates for the 4th and final mural of this project, working name hearts, will be delivered to the contributing artists this fall. With an estimated installation time of late winter early spring 2010.

4 Contributing Mosaic Artists and a sample of their art Judy Adams Stacy Alexander Janet Althoff Francesca De Lorme Lori Desormeaux Lynn Dubnicka Maria Alvarez-Lundie Barb Arne Kim Barrow Julie Benette Brigitte Bezemer Christine Brallier Dennis Brown Cynthia Buhrig Candace Clough Susan Crocenzi Michelle Curow Alison DeBuc Katie Flanagan Ilona Fried Elsie Fontaine Gaertner Virginia Gardner Pamela Pardue Goode Edna Grainer Kim Grant Shawn Hayes Patricia Helzer Linda Hooper Wendy Husen Gretchen Kauffman

5 Caroline Kovacs Barbara Lewis Eve Lynch Rita Schelin Lin Schorr Carol Shelkin Eulavon Mallouf Ulrike Martinez Pat Mitchell Elsbeth Morselt Lynne Mosiman Junko Ota Maria Peak Donna Post Gila Rayberg Claire Roche Jessica Sanders Agnes Spitzer-Greig Suzanne Steeves Kathleen M. Stewart Debra Sutton Crystal Thomas Linda Vaden Martin Sherry Vesey Susan Walden Elena Weissman Cindy White Donna Wold Cindy Sbrissa