Mosaic Masterpiece Creation at The Chicago Mosaic School
1127 West Granville Avenue, Chicago, Illinois
773-856-6777
chicagomosaicschool.org
info@chicagomosaicschool.org
In June 2019, The Chicago Mosaic School (CMS) announced the installation of a stunning, placemaking artwork on the facade of its building in the North Side neighborhood of Edgewater, only a short walk from Lake Michigan. Designed by Principal Faculty Casey Van Loon, the 150-square-foot mosaic would commemorate CMS’ first year in its new home, deepening its roots in the community through a collaborative expression of public art.
Thanks to the generosity of its donors, the not-for-profit raised more than enough to break ground on the legacy project, and Van Loon was able to begin preliminary work on the mosaic by July. Alongside Van Loon, a team of local professional artists and community volunteers worked diligently on the installation of panels beautified by glass, smalti, and gold.
The final panel went up on June 23rd, 2020. Despite the limitations the 2020 pandemic imposed, masked artists worked hard to see the project through. “The Edge of The Water” adorns the building’s facade today, but it was only made possible through the incredible resilience of The Chicago Mosaic School’s community. In the words of CMS’ Founder and Creative Director Karen Ami, “it has given us a lot of joy and hope for the future to see it up on our walls at last.” CMS runs over 200 classes and workshops annually, welcoming over two thousand students each year, including teaching students how to make their own large-scale mosaics. Come see our facade at 1127 West Granville Avenue, Chicago, Illinois, and all we have to offer!
[All images courtesy The Chicago Mosiac School]