This 6 week class will cover all the basic information students will need to complete at least one project. This class is intended for beginning students who want to learn the process of creating a mosaic piece; cutting, adhesion, tile layout, and grouting. Students will complete a mosaic mirror or small panel to introduce them to the possibilities of mosaic art. All materials and use of tools are included. This course is limited to 12 students per session.

Permanent mosaic installations can add value and aesthetics to any interior or exterior space.  In this six week course, beauty meets function and practicality while students develop the confidence and skills to properly design, fabricate, and install a mosaic for an interior space.  Issues of architectural installation, such as creating appropriate designs, choosing materials, utilizing proper applications, and selecting the correct substrates, will be discussed as the class designs, constructs, and installs a project in a group effort.  Materials and use of tools will be provided.  Students are encouraged to bring a notebook to class.  This course is limited to eight students.

In this ten week class, students will use a reclaimed window as a
base and take advantage of the unique effects that transparency,
light and color create with mosaic on glass. Students will finish the
class with a large-scale piece with beautiful stained-glass qualities.
Information will be provided to students prior to the first class to
aid inspiration and development of individual designs. It is expected
that students come to the first class with rough sketches and ideas.
Class fee includes the window, materials and use of tools.

Receive professional instruction and experience to help make that home improvement idea a reality through our condensed weekend intensive version of the six week course.  Topics concerning design, fabrication and installation of an interior mosaic will be fully covered.

Welcome to the world of mosaics, where not only is it okay to break things, it is expected!  This 3 hour introductory class will introduce beginners to the basics of mosaic making:  the astonishing variety of materials and adhesives, design and composition, the cutting and laying out of tile, and the grouting process.  Supplies such as glass tile, ceramic tile, sheet glass, and china are available for students to explore and incorporate in their work, and all the necessary tools, adhesives, and materials are provided.  No prior art experience is necessary, just an openness to numerous possibilities mosaics afford.

Smalti, the oldest yet most vibrant material created for mosaic, provides artists with a wide array of rich color and texture.  This thick glass tile uniquely holds light like no other material, creating long-lasting, saturated color and limitless possibilities to achieve incredible, dynamic works of art.  The smalti used in this course is handmade at the Orsoni family factory in Venice, Italy, using the same ancient technique and traditions passed down through the generations.

Participants in this one-day intensive workshop will explore this beautiful, traditional material as each creates their own 6”x 6” mosaic panel.  Students will learn how to cut and set smalti through both ancient and contemporary techniques, methods, and tools.  Design, color, and composition will be discussed and addressed.  This class includes the use of tools and a beautiful selection of Orsoni Italian smalti.  This workshop is suitable for beginners and advanced students.

Have you been saving your broken nicknacks and dishes?  Have you collected coins, buttons, and keys but do not know why?  Memoryware is a folk art tradition with roots in African-American and Victorian craft where lost and broken pieces come together to create a unique and beautiful work of personalized art.  Students can create sentimental work or deeply personal objects using their collected relics.  Students will learn this process which involves embedding broken items and small objects onto a vessel.  Students should bring their own personal collection of broken bits and pieces, but will also have access to the School’s fine collection of shards.

Chicago Mosaic School Gift Certificates are great gifts for all occasions.

Don’t see an amount you would like to purchase? Feel free to add multiple values to your cart before checking out.

As a not-for-profit art education school, we rely on and appreciate any amount of donation that you can make.

Thank you.

Mosaic jewelry is all the rage in fashion magazines and boutiques.  In this class, you will make two mosaic jewelry projects showcasing your personal, one-of-a-kind sense of fashion.  Earrings, pendants, rings, and belt buckles all await your unique style.  Rudimentary mosaic techniques, methods, and application will be covered.  No prior mosaic experience is necessary!  All materials and use of tools provided.

Face your color fears and chose materials with confidence!
This is your chance to fine tune your understanding of color
in this informative weekend workshop.In this class you will learn
how to make better color choices and combinations for your
mosaics through design-oriented exercises that will help you
to see color for what it is (and what it is not). You will learn about
color definition and intensity,color schemes, tints, tones, shades
and blending and how these design basics can bring sophistication
to your mosaics and other art work. Materials and use of tools are provided.

From the French term “pique assiette”, which figuratively means “one who eats from others’plates”, picassiette is a style of mosaic that incorporates pieces of broken ceramics such as plates, dishes, cups and tiles as well as other found objects into a design. Students will discover how broken crockery and other curiosities come together to create a long lasting work of art. They will also learn about design, composition, and other details relating to this type of mosaic. Students can bring their own chipped or unloved dishes to incorporate into their work, but will also have access to the School’s fine collection of shards.

This course is an intended to be an exploration of the possibilities of both Italian and Mexican glass smalti.
Students will be introduced to all facets and applications of the marvelous and luminous material. Students will learn about mosaic design, composition, color, specific tools and cutting techniques, applications and adhesives. This intensive workshop is for absolute beginners as well as experienced mosaic artists who have not experimented with this material. Students will be asked to take notes and participate in the class critique the last day of class. Class includes $50 materials fee and use of tools. Cost includes $50 materials fee and use of all tools.

This exploratory studio course is designed for students with some prior mosaic experience who want to further their study and skills on a more independent basis.  In addition to ongoing dialogues of appropriate materials, adhesives, substrates, and grout, students will develop the confidence, independence, and courage to take their work to the next level. Experimentation with varied materials and different methods will be encouraged.  Students are strongly encouraged to explore and develop original designs.  Guidance and encouragement will be provided for students wanting to continue learning about the vast possibilities within mosaic art. Materials and tool usage for this class are included, yet we support participants to seek out unique supplies and project bases for more advanced work.

Over the course of this six week class, students will create projects that can be used to adorn and create focus in their gardens. he variety of functional and decorative projects is endless. students may choose structural projects such as mosaic planters and sculptural forms, or they may opt for more decorative focal points like birdhouses and mobiles. All techniques and methods for lasting outdoor mosaics will be discussed. Materials and use of tools will be provided.

Donations:

The Chicago Mosaic School is the first and only not-for-profit mosaic arts school in the world, so we rely on your generosity and appreciate any amount of donation that you can make. As we begin our 5th year, your giving will continue to help us grow and create a legacy in arts education.

Thank you.

Chicago Mosaic School Gift Certificates are great gifts for all occasions.

Don’t see an amount you would like to purchase? Feel free to add multiple values to your cart before checking out.

We are pleased to welcome British mosaic artist and author Martin Cheek to CMS for  a 3-day workshop  that is suitable for  both”beginners and Improvers”. Mr. Cheek will teach cutting, shaping techniques and classical layout techniques of the tesserae.  Old master techniques of andamento, opus regulatum, vermiculatum, musivum etc. will be discussed and demonstrated. Students will  get to experiment with these techniques while completing their own mosaic design. This class will take participants through the mosaic creative process-one step at a time, way beyond the naive concept of “crazy paving” and “coloring in” with broken tiles. Included in the workshop will be an hour long slide show of  Mr. Cheeks’s own work and  he will demonstrate how  various mosaic  materials can affect your finished piece. Please bring at least two design ideas,  photos and other glass or mixed media material that you wish to discuss with Martin that will aid in designing your piece.  The size will be equivalent to a 12″x12″ square surface. Cost  is $400 plus $60 materials fee.

Master maestro Verdiano Marzi comes to to teach for the first time in the US for an exclusive 5 day workshop. In this course, students will create a mosaic after reviewing and refining those designs and plans with Mr Marzi. Special attention will be  given to the sensitive use of varied andamento, texture,  and the importance of light and color to augment the impact of each design. Students will have the opportunity  to explore concepts of contrasting size, special shapes of tesserae using both traditional and cutting-endge andmenti. Mr. Marzi will give a presentation of his graceful and vibrant works and discuss his own process. The materials explored will consist mainly of natural stone, so participants who anticipate the need for a significant palette of smalti are encouraged to bring their own. This class is recommended for intermediate to advanced students. Class size is limited to 15. Cost is $750 plus a $50 material fee. SOLD OUT- Wait list only

Sonia King returns to CMS to offer  students an elevated sense of what mosaics are all about.  This workshop will challenge participants to think about their work in a new way so they may take it to the next level. The class will focus on sharpening skills and learning new techniques.  Technically there will be extensive inquiry into cutting skills, using varied materials, laying techniques and broadening skills and knowledge.  Participants work on projects of their own choosing with lots of individual attention, dealing with issues specific to their own work. Specific topics will include (but not limited to) cutting ergonomics, adhesives, substrates, framing and hanging as well as wide variety of materials and tools, etc.  Participants can expect to leave the workshop with a great deal of meaty knowledge that will be of use long after the class ends. Some prior mosaic experience is recommended.

Guidelines for developing your portfolio and resume

This free seminar will give you all the tools and information you will need to promote your artwork. You will learn about developing a strong portfolio, photographing your work, writing an artists resume and statement, and tips for approaching galleries. Karen Ami will lead this seminar and give valuable insights for promoting and marketing your work. Bring a notebook and questions.

Smalti is the original glass mosaic material that has been used for over 2000 years. Smalti’s saturated intense color, reflectivity and fascinating texture are only a few of the reasons why many mosaicists love to use it. This traditional material is usually set very close together and left ungrouted. The play of light reflected off of the different angles, varied surfaces and heights of the material gives these mosaics a highly textured and sculptural quality. This class will give students a chance to experiment and examine the possibilities of this beautiful byzantine glass material. The focus of this class is color, pattern, andamento, and texture. Students will interpret a tapestry design of smalti implementing basic techniques during this six week class. Class fee includes $50 material fee and use of tools.

This 2 day workshop will cover all the basic information students will need to complete a garden ornament appropriate for the outdoors. This class is intended for beginning through advanced students who want to learn the process of creating an exterior mosaic including: suitable substrates, adhesives, and installation. Students will choose an individual project using either pre made substrates that are ready to mosaic or using a concrete sand casting procedure to create a base such as a birdbath, garden lantern, or mushroom which can later be mosaicked.  The workshop is designed to introduce students to the many possibilities of outdoor mosaic art. All materials and use of tools are included. This course is limited to 8 students.

In the body of a mosaic, texture is not only the skin, but also a reflection of the emotions and of the soul of the artist who creates it. In this 5-day workshop, we will study the concept of the word texture as it applies to mosaic. We will look at examples as well as at connections and parallels with other media, and we’ll explore ways to achieve different textures.The goal of this 5 day workshop is to demonstrate how, using a single technique, it is possible to create many different textural effects just by manipulating the tesserae.  Participants will complete one mosaic each day, creating different textures which reflect a variety of thoughts, sensations, and emotions. The materials, either traditional or modern, will be cut using the hammer and hardie, and will be applied on thinset directly into a prepared frames. This workshop is aimed at those students who are familiar both with the direct method on thinset and the hammer and hardie who would like to improve their skills and increase their artistic vocabulary. Cost includes $50 materials fee and use of all tools.

Imagine being free from the grout and the flatness of 2D surface. The completion of your mosaic doesn’t need to end when the last empty spot on the board is filled. You can keep on working on your mosaic by introducing multiple layers of tesserae. This is the technique where andamento gains a new level of freedom. You will learn a multi-layered brush-stroke technique that uses small boat-shaped stained glass pieces. This technique is compared to painting in glass- you will learn to direct and control the flow of your pieces, stack them up to form rhythmic textures,  and use layering to achieve the shading effects. Price includes $50 materials fee and use of all tools.

A workshop to help you find your creative purpose, source your inspiration, expand your creativity & accessyour imagination. Australian artist Nola Diamantopoulos comes to CMS for the first time to teach her extraordinary 2 1/2 day workshop that will help to access your creativity and loosen the blocks to your inner artist. This weekend event will challenge your approach to your work through drawing, coloring, journaling and  fun and creative class exercises that will help you find a new clarity. “The Happiness Tree” is a metaphoric journey for the artist to experience insights into your artistic identity and what your intention can be in your art practice. Participants can expect to be thinking ‘outside of the box’ and will be challenged to understand something new about how and why you what you do. All supplies, journals, and resource materials are included.