January 25, 2010

Dear IMA Students and Friends,

I hope this e-mail finds you doing well in the New Year.

This letter is to inform you about our near future plans for Institute of Mosaic Art.

In the last five years we have offered hundreds of mosaic classes, beautified our neighborhood with 17 mosaic murals and helped to bring together the mosaic community both in the Bay Area and beyond. We have hosted many talented and acclaimed instructors and have had students and visitors come from all over the world to take classes, enjoy our exhibits and drink in the inspiring atmosphere at IMA. We are very happy about our role in the explosion of interest in the mosaic arts.

This summer we are coming to the close of our 5-year lease on our wonderful building. This and several other factors have converged and catalyzed a decision about our business.

We will be offering IMA and our retail store, Mosaic Studio Supply for sale, either together or separately.

After careful consideration, we have decided that if the business does not sell, we will close Institute of Mosaic Art on July 31, 2010, after our current round of programming is complete. We've made this decision in large part because I plan to relocate to New Orleans, where I have been teaching and living part time for many years.

Our business is healthy and our highest hope is that the business will sell and live on. In any case, we will be celebrating five amazing years of IMA during a celebration on the last weekend of July... mark your calendars!

In the meantime, we have a GREAT and full next round of programming published, with new instructors and new classes. We look forward to seeing you here over the next 6 months!

I want to thank all of you for your support of IMA, our retail store and your personal support. I know you all are aware of what a great and giant endeavor this is and has been. It has been amazing to have you all be a part of our community here.

While IMA has been an awesome adventure, I look forward to focusing more on True Mosaics Studio's public, architectural and community projects - as well as my own studio work. I'm also looking forward to slowing down my pace a bit and getting some down time. I will continue to teach regularly in New Orleans, in the Bay Area during scheduled chunks of time in summers and winters, as well as in locations around the country and abroad.

We are looking at this as a very positive transition and we know that what we have all worked to create here will live on whether in form or in spirit!

Please feel free to share this news. We will have a current sale package ready in a couple of weeks if you know of anyone who may be interested.

Best to Everyone,
Laurel True
Co-Founder and Creative Director
Institute of Mosaic Art
Mosaic Studio Supply