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Kefa — Coffee from Ethiopia to Jingletown

Mosaic mural by True Mosaics Studio and students of Mosaic Mural Making Intensive at Institute of Mosaic Art. Design and facilitation by Laurel True. Production and installation by Kim Grant, Pam Goode, Jill Montgomery , Renata Kolarova, Karla Silva-Ruiz, Susannne Takehara, Laurel True and Carol Waldren.

We had a wonderful Mural Making Intensive in April with students from across the country and across the ocean. We completed a large, public mural for a local coffeehouse in Oakland. Students worked hard to complete this stylized scene of the Ethiopian coffee growing region, Kefa.

Click for more information: http://www.truemosaics.com/gallery.html. Next Mural Making Intensive is August 11-17, 2008!

Summer Specials and Anniversary Thank You

IMA is heading for our 3rd Anniversary on June 1st! We want to thank everyone for their support and encouragement and are excited to offer some great Summer Specials and THANK YOU discounts to all of our students, past, present and future.

Sign up by June 1st 2008 for these special anniversary deals. • 30% off a class at IMA for students who have taken 4 or more    classes at IMA (Excludes week-long intensives). • 25% off ANY class for past, present and future students. • 50% off for second person when you sign up for    Mosaic Summer Camp with a buddy. These discounts can be used multiple times before June 1st! Please call for more details.

Through Summer

We are also offering group discounts for core classes at IMA (Mosaic 101, Intro to Glass, Exterior and Garden Applications, Glass Lamp, Intro to Smalti*, Architectural Applications). Sign up with a group of 4 or more at the same time and the 4th student is free.

Call us for more details!

Click here for a full class schedule: Online or download a pdf.

Pippa Murray's Indirect Methods

Pet Portraiture

Mosaic Garden Sphere

Ancient Meets Modern

Upcoming Visiting Artists May 17 - 18 — Only 2 spaces left! Laurel Skye — Garden of 1,000 Flowers (Millefiori Workshop) Join nationally known mosaic artist Laurel Skye for her signature course. June 7 - 8 Pippa Murray — Indirect Methods for Mosaics Part of our Classic Mosaic Series. Join classically trained mosaic artist Pippa Murray for this essential class.

May 31 - June 1
Making Concrete Forms for Mosaic With Myles Blackwood. Learn the concrete shell technique and make a base for a future garden sphere!

May 31 - June 1 and June 12 - July 17
Mosaic Pet Portraiture with Delaine Hackney. A student favorite. Immortalize your pet in this fun course.

Weekday programming at IMA
June 4, 11 & 18
Introduction To Glass Mosaics with Tracy Broback. Jump into a weekday class at IMA!

June 21 - 22
Mosaic Garden Sphere with Tracy Broback. A great opportunity to make a mosaic piece for your garden. As seen on DIY network.

June 21 - 22
Introduction to Smalti with Laurel True. Smalti is a gorgeous material that is not out of reach for the beginning student. Learn the basics of working with this unique material and the hammer and hardie.

June 26 - August 14
Ancient Meets Modern — Contemporary Contexts for Traditional Techniques with Laurel True. Only offered once a year, this course presents traditional setting styles and tool use with more contemporary materials and techniques. A must for continuing students.
"I learned more in this course than in all other mosaic course I have ever taken combined." - Ancient Meets Modern Student 2004

June 28 - 29
Public Art Mosaics: Going After Public Work — with Laurel True. Designed for students who have or would like to take their mosaics into the realm of public art. Part of our Professional Series at IMA.

Mosaic Lab!
Mosaic Lab is a perfect way to join like- minded folks in the mosaic community to work on projects at your own pace. We have lots of fun in lab and each session offers a network of encouragement and support for fellow mosaic artists and students.

This month we also offer
selections from our core classes
These courses are the essential building blocks of mosaic art.

Mosaic 101 — Introduction To Mosaics, Exterior And Garden Applications, Grout Clinic, Architectural Applications — Floors And Walls and Introduction To Glass Mosaics

For more classes go to:
Spring/Summer 2008 Class Schedule or
Download a pdf of the Spring/Summer 2008 Class Schedule

Every month we will be featuring a student artist who is part of our extended community at IMA. Please click the link to read more about the artist's path to mosaics.

Ohene Ba, Detail

Rose Wahome
Brentwood, CA

Words from Rose...

"I have always had an affinity for the arts, but opted for a business career. After taking classes in Ceramic Tile Making at the Concord Ceramics studio I had a natural curiosity of how the tiles could be used. During this time, a trip to Paris where I was able to view ancient and modern mosaics provided inspiration as well as direction. I was drawn to the tactile quality, expansive nature and durability of mosaics as an art form." Read More...

April 17th - June 1st
Sherri Warner Hunter: Fragments

Sherri Warner Hunter artists reception

Mixed media constructions in mosaic, concrete, wood, and found materials. Hunter's new constructions utilize three dimensional forms as gestural mark-making references. Sculptural forms are combined to create abstract pictographs and metaphors using mosaic forms, wood and concrete elements, found objects and materials. Come and enjoy this rare opportunity to see Hunter's magical creations.

June 4 - August 3rd
Pet Portrait Invitational curated by Delaine Hackney

Artists Reception to coincide with East Bay Open Studios, Saturday, June 7th 5-7 p.m.

A selection of amazing mosaic pet portraiture by students, guests and faculty.

This exhibit reflects the diversity of techniques and materials employed by students of Delaine Hackney's signature course at IMA. Exhibit also includes works by guest artists specializing in mosaic pet portraiture.

10% of all art sales go to local pet rescue groups.

Mind's Eye Exhibit is up in the lounge gallery through the end of May. DO NOT MISS THIS!

IMA Community Meeting

Join us for an IMA Community Meeting in June.

We are having a meeting to share and generate future ideas about Institute of Mosaic Art!

So many wonderful and exciting things have happened in the last three years since we opened — it's boggling really. Our extended community has grown by leaps and bounds and includes many wonderful, kind and talented people.

You, our community, have been an vital part of the development of IMA, and we welcome your feedback and creative energy about new ideas for moving into the future and making Institute of Mosaic Art even better in the coming years.

We would like to expand and deepen community involvement and hear your ideas about programs, events and other types of activities at IMA that will benefit and inspire you as well as share some of our future plans concerning IMA.

Please join IMA founders Laurel and Julia and the whole team for a hosted afternoon tea/happy hour mixer and rap session.

Saturday, June 14th 5p.m. in the afternoon.

Easy Bay Open Studios

Easy Bay Open Studios, sponsored by Pro Arts Gallery will be happening the first two weekends in June 7 and 8th and 14th and 15th. Come on down to IMA and the Jingletown Arts District and visit IMA as well as 22 other artists in our cool neighborhood!

http://www.proartsgallery.org/ebos2007/index.html

East Bay Business Times
IMA co-founder Laurel True was featured in an article in April in the East Bay Business Times. Mosaic Maven: Oakland Artist Laurel True Brings Color to Commercial Developments: http://www.bizjournals.com/eastbay/.

IMA t-shirts in! While supplies last!

To shop online go to: http://www.mosaicstudiosupply.com

Social Networking/Outreach/PR Coordinator

Click here for more information...

Job Opening at Mosaic Studio Supply

Mosaic Studio Supply is still searching for the perfect person to work in the store on Sundays! If you have retail and mosaic experience, and are interested in the this position please contact delaine@mosaicstudiosupply.com.

Call for Entries

Call for Entries for Mosaic Pet Portrait Exhibit, Click here for more information.