One of Chicago’s Best Kept Secrets is Changing Spaces and Changing Lives through the Power of Art

May 23, 2012 - PRLog -- The new location offers additional classrooms, a resource library, and also houses the Gallery of Contemporary Mosaics (GoCM) which was previously located at Navy Pier.  The GoCM allows viewers an up close look at the amazing work that is being done in the mosaic fine art form today.  

The school has become a hub for study in both classical and contemporary Mosaic Arts.  Founded in 2005, CMS has developed an international flavor and offers a full array of courses from beginning classes to advanced workshops, attracting a remarkable list of visiting international artists such as Verdiano Marzi of France, Ilana Shafir of Israel, and Maggy Howarth of England. Artist Matteo Randi, originally from Ravenna, Italy, is the school’s Director of Education bringing unparalleled instruction in ancient and modern techniques.  Students from Chicago as well as such far-away places as Tasmania and South Africa have recommended the school to others, saying that the school has changed their lives through their experiences.  

The school works with various local institutions and universities such as Columbia College and Northeastern Illinois University to offer mosaic art experiences to their students.  CMS is part of the After School Matters program and regularly assists local schools and parks in producing sustainable mosaics that enrich the environment.  

In addition to beginning, intermediate and professional mosaic artists, many students who have demanding day jobs or responsibilities attend the school to tap into their creative sides as way to relieve stress.  It is a place to set your troubles aside and get lost in the amazing world of creating mosaic art, an art form that could be considered a “slow art” resulting in an amazing feeling of flow for those who practice it.  In painting, a simple brush stroke may take seconds; the equivalent line in mosaic can take hours.  

The new space allows an expansion of courses such as the new week long “Summer Mosaic Intensive” offering students an array of different classes working with mosaic concepts such as texture and andamento.  Students in the ‘Glass on Glass’ class create beautiful mosaics on vintage window frames.

The current exhibition in the Gallery of Contemporary Mosaics is titled “Inside/Out” and offers a revealing look at the process of creating mosaic art.  The show consists of over sixty mosaics by 9 artists and includes excerpts from journals and other documentation to show the viewer how these artists move from an idea to a finished mosaic work. The exhibit runs through August 31, 2012.  Watch for a Grand Re-Opening event in September.  Tours of the new space are offered to anyone interested.

For more information including hours, workshops, and class schedules, call 773-975-8966 or visit chicagomosaicschool.com. The school is located in the Ravenswood Arts Corridor, 1 block north of the CTA Irving Park Brown Line.