Minutes from December Meeting/Holiday Party

Guild members enjoyed good company, good food, and a tessarae exchange the evening of December 8 at the home of Susan Mathis. Those in attendance were Gil Gragert, Judy Sell, Carolyn Clark-Hyland, Danette Poglase, Janeen  Irissari, Barbara Steen, Cheryl Anderson,Janet Houck, Susan Mathis, and Walter Mathis.

Several of our 2011 meetings and events were discussed and scheduled:

• February Meeting - Program and place to be announced
• April Meeting - "Outdoor Cement Sculptures" program to be held in Stillwater at either Gil's house or Judy's house.
• June Meeting - "Travel Night" featuring a slide show on the mosaics Susan saw on her trip to England.  Others will be invited to bring photos/slides from their travels to share as well.  Place: Home of Susan Mathis in Woodbury.
• September Meeting - No agenda yet.  Please submit your ideas.
• November Meeting - No agenda yet.  Please submit your ideas.
• December Holiday Party - Who would like to host the 2011 Holiday Party?

2011 Summer Show
Our 2011 Summer Show will be held at Edina Art Center.  The basics are the following (watch for more details as we get closer to show time:

• June 29: Set-up
• June 30: Artists Reception
• June 30-August 3: Exhibit
• August 4: Pick-up
• All mosaic pieces must be for sale.  Pieces to hang as well as 3-D pieces are welcome. We may submit as many pieces as can be displayed.  EAC has a good-sized space so we think there's lots of room for many pieces.

2012 Show
We're already thinking about our 2012 Show.  Gil and Danette are working on the venue.

Haiti Project
Susan provided an update on the Haiti Project as follows:

• Kick-off will be in February WATCH THE BLOG FOR KICK-OFF DETAILS--SOON!
• The design is well underway and everyone is excited about participating in the project.
• Installation date will be determined at a later time.  Due to the current outbreak in violence in Haiti, the installation team will schedule their trip to Haiti when the State Department issues an "all clear" travel rating for Haiti.  Those in attendance are excited & want to proceed with the project with the awareness that the installation date is unclear and may not happen in 2011.

December 8 Meeting

Wouldn't hurt to post the date and times of the December meeting, would it?

December MMG Meeting:
December 8, 2010
6:30 - 9:30

See details in previous posting

Mostly a social time, but we'll fit in some planning for next year too.

December 2010 Meeting

Location:
Susan Mathis' house
3670 Village Court, Woodbury MN
651-207-5872
Susan suggests using mapquest for directions
Consuting the map, here's what I found - Interstate 94 East; Woodbury Drive/County 19
South; Lake Road West; Left on Wedgewood Drive; Left on Village Court
Look for large Christmas wreath with multicolored lights over the garage door
Pot Luck - Susan's providing a casserole
Bring food and drink to share
Bring a bag of tassarae for holiday exchange

Topics:
Haiti Project
Planning for 2011
Membership
Board member/Guild responsibilities
Spring/Summer Show Edina Arts Center

Space available in mosaic class - in Jamaica!!

MOSAIC PARADISE IN NEGRIL, JAMAICA!

Register for classes with Lisa Arnold, professional mosaic artist from Minneapolis, MN - www.flickr.com/photos/xolaarts/
Jan. 1-8, 2011 at Negril Treehouse in Negril, Jamaica:

www.negril-treehouse.com/welcome.html

Stay right in the heart of seven-mile beach at the Treehouse Resort in beautiful, unforgettable Negril, Jamaica while learning how to make stained glass, tile and picassiette mosaics. All materials and tools included!

Classes will be held January 3-6, 9am-12pm. Afternoons can be spent sunning, swimming, snorkeling, sleeping, eating, drinking, reading, kayaking, parasailing, waterskiing, scuba diving, walking on the soft white sand beach, watching the sun set into the ocean, getting a massage or doing anything else you like!

This $850 introductory offer (based on double occupancy) includes a six-night stay at Treehouse Resort in Negril, six big breakfasts, four days of mosaic instruction, materials and tools. All ages and experience levels welcome! (Deadline to sign up: December 10, 2010).

Lisa Arnold is a professional mosaicist with 20 years experience teaching art. She is on the Minnesota and North Dakota State Arts Boards’ Rosters of Artists in Education, is a member of the Minnesota Mosaic Guild and the Society of American Mosaic Artists.

Please contact Lisa at xolaarts@gmail.com to register or receive more information.

November meeting minutes

Sheryl Tuorila showed us her work and provided an enriching opportunity for Guild members to experience a “Taste of Tile”.

Wearing our “Persona Aprons” provided by Sheryl, we slabbed clay and used various tools and treatments.

Sheryl will glaze the tile and get back to us when the tile is ready for pick-up

THANKS AGAIN SHERYL

December’s meeting will be held at Susan Mathis’ house

3670 Village Court, Woodbury

Phone 651-207-5872

She suggests that we use Mapquest for directions

There will be a large Christmas wreath with multi-colored lights over her garage door

Susan will provide a casserole – this is potluck, so bring food and beverages to share

Also bring a bag of goodies for tessarae exchange

December meeting topics:

The Haiti project – Susan Mathis and Lori Greene Coordinating

Planning for 2011 – meetings, projects/initiatives

Board positions and roles to fill

2011 Spring/Summer members show – Edina Arts Center

Edina Art Center MMG Members Show

Being coordinated by Susan Mathis

Delivery date, June 28

Set-up, June 29

Reception, June 30

Exhibit, June 30- August 3

Art pick-up August 4th

Remember, they only want us to bring items we wish to sell

Danette is our November Featured Artist on the Blog – Check it out

Many positive comments on her work and thoughtful narrative

November 20^th reception for Carolyn Clark at Mosaic-on-a-Stick, 7 – 9 PM

You’ll remember her wonderful blue people pieces from the Karen Gallery Show

Martin Cheek class at Mosaic-on-a-Stick, March 11, 12 and 13

Many workshop spots still available

Call Lori at 651-645-6600

A final note – we all wish Barb Steen well on her recovery. We miss her.

Danette Polglase - Featured Artist of the Month

Name: Danette Polglase

Website: http://www.flickr.com/photos/danettep

Email: polglase.danette@gmail.com

What kind of mosaics do you make? I keep experimenting with different methods and materials and create mosaics to try out different approaches to this ancient art form. Most of my mosaic pieces lean towards a fascination with vibrant color and combinations of different materials.

When did you start making mosaics? I was in a little coffee shop in Wyoming, Minnesota sipping a delicious latte, when I noticed a small little table in the corner made from tile with a simple but lovely pattern clearly made by hand and not machine. After learning from the owner that he indeed made the table himself in a class with our friend and mosaicist extraordinaire, Sheryl Tuorila. So I took her class in 2007 and have been experimenting ever since (albeit a little slowly at times). I constantly have to calm some of the critical messages I give myself and seek to return to the enthusiasm and joy of that first mosaic class but with greater skill and deliberateness!

What do you love about mosaics and why do you like working in this art form? There is so much to love about this wonderful art form and no two artists produce the same work. We mosaicists take a cold, impenetrable material like glass and with hundreds, thousands, or sometimes tens of thousands of pieces create art that has depth, softness and beauty. We can create a piece that is jaw-droppingly beautiful or a piece that is whimsical and makes us laugh. That intrigues me and keeps me at it.

What inspires you? Inspiration can color my world invading my every waking moment and the lack of it can leave me cold and unable to move forward. I have pages and pages of ideas and the difficult part for me is to move forward with one idea, execute it, and bring it into the world. Inspiration may come from nature, a single object, or an emotion or physical response to a situation or event. I’d love to capture, in my mosaics, how I perceive and view the world. I think when you can tap into that inner voice your mosaics are more meaningful to you and possibly others.

I constantly battle that voice within which tells me I should just quit the piece I’m currently working on! From the beginning, I issued a challenge to myself that I would finish every mosaic I started since I’m sometimes more in love with the idea and gathering than the execution and completion. I’m like the crow in the Disney movie who sees the sparkling object below and swoops down to investigate and marvel at its beauty. I love to stimulate my senses with objects that are new and exciting but sometimes this leaves me unable to move forward on my own ideas.

How did you develop your style? My style is very much in its infancy and I think it would be more accurate to say that “I’m without a style.”

How did you learn to make mosaics? I read books, have taken a few classes, and keep experimenting.

How do you work best? I need either a deadline or a goal either real or imagined.

What do you do with your mosaics once you finish? This is a problem since I do want to exhibit my work from time to time. I exhibited in a small art space in Osceola which has since closed. I’d love to find a few galleries where I could exhibit new work and maybe sell a piece now and again.

Where do you work? I’ve moved from chipping tiny little pieces in my living room to an existing out building on our property that is well on its way to being a true art studio. It has many possibilities and I hope to create a sanctuary for my creative world. It holds the key to a more focused, deliberate effort.

What is your favorite thing about working with mosaics? I love the gathering of the materials since it holds so much possibility. The birth of an idea made real by the concrete nature of the material which I can hold and touch.

Next meeting

The next meeting is coming up on November 10 and it sounds like fun! Please check the "Meetings" page for more info.

Brenda Hansen - Featured Artist of the Month

Name: Brenda Hansen

Email: bjhanscat@yahoo.com

What kind of mosaics do you make? stained glass, glass on glass, polymer clay, ceramics

When did you start making mosaics? 4 years ago, I took a class with Sharra Frank at Clay Squared to Infinity. The last 2 years, I have seriously worked in mosaics.

How did you get into mosaics? My whole life, I have been making pieces fit together. Artistically, I have worked in miniatures, ceramics, polymer clay, fabric art and wood working. I am naturally attracted to making sense out of parts and making something complete.

What inspires you? I see an object or a tile and see a bigger picture. I then create the bigger picture.

How did you develop your style? I create with my heart. People have commented on a sense of calm or peace in my work.

How did you learn to make mosaics? Dove in. Got books from the library.

How do you approach a mosaic? I ask the mosaic what it wants to be.

What do you do with your mosaics once you finish? I have been entering shows with my finished work.

What have you learned? I want to work towards a freer style since ceramics, tiles and stained glass can be seemingly rigid.

How do you fit mosaics into your personal/family life? Creating is essential to being me. I schedule time every week for some creative time.

Where do you work? I work in my lower level studio. I have lots of different materials around to play with and create.

What is your favorite thing about working with mosaics? I never know what the finished mosaic will look like until after I grout it. I love the unexpected. I find a sense of completion and wholeness when I set the last piece in place.

Stacia's "Green Spirals" is installed!

Congratulations to Stacia Goodman for her piece, "Green Spirals", which is now up at the St. Louis Park Rec Center. Here's what happened yesterday:

"Mosaic Mural Unveiling, Discussion and Demonstration

Come and meet the mosaic! Community members are invited to attend the grand unveiling of “Found Spirals,” a large, new colorful mosaic mural designed for The St. Louis Park Rec Center’s entrance atrium. Stacia Goodman, a local mosaic artist and recipient of a St. Louis Park 2010 Arts & Culture Grant, created the piece, which is nearly 9 feet by 5 feet in size. Unique to the mural is its “green” nature. The artist combined reclaimed trash items found or contributed by St. Louis Park residents and businesses with traditional mosaic materials such as tile, glass and grout. Stacia will discuss the mural’s meaning and its creation, answer questions, and give a mosaic demonstration after the unveiling.

Time: 2 - p.m., Saturday, September 25

Location: St. Louis Park Rec Center, Main Entrance

3700 Monterey Drive, St. Louis Park (just a block or so from Target and Byerly's)"

"Taste of Tile"

Sheryl Tuorila is hosting a "Taste of Tile" mini-workshop for the next MMG meeting. MMG members who have signed up for the workshop are:
Cheryl Anderson
Susan Mathis
Trudy Vrchota
Danette Polglase
Julie Reeve
Rachel Arntson
Liz Taras
Patty Wiltgen
Margie Rotondo
Gil Gragert
Janine Irisari
Barbara Steen
Stacia Goodman
Anyone unable to attend should contact me at 651-439-0566.

Sheryl's class is now full!

The class the Sheryl Tuorila is offering to MMG members for Nov. 10 is now full! Thanks for all of your interest!

Laurel Skye

Nice video about Laurel Skye and her studio and classes http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=av2IqoXrYMQ

MMG Meeting Minutes - September 8, 2010

Thanks to Lori Greene for hosting us at her store.

We welcomed six potential new members (WOW!) - Liz, Rachel, Deb, Trudy, Katie, and Patty.  (My feeble mind doesn't remember their last names.)  We hope they join The Guild.

November MMG Meeting
Cheryl Tuorila will be hosting the November 10 meeting in her studio in the Northrup King Building.  Her studio number is 403.  At the meeting, Cheryl will be offering her "Taste of Tile" class at no charge, except for a small charge for firing the tiles.  Several people have signed up for the class. We are encouraged to bring cookie cutters, etc to make tiles.  However, Cheryl will have lots of cookie cutters and other tools on hand at the studio.

MMG Annual Fall Members Show at Mosaic-On-A-Stick
The show will take place September 18-October 9, 2010.  The closing reception will be October 2, 6-8 PM.  Please drop off your pieces for the show by Tuesday, September 14 latest.

Minnesota Tile Festival
The Tile Festival will be held Saturday, September 18, at the Swedish Insitute in Minneapolis.  Danette Poglase is coordinating volunteers for the Festival.

Art-A-Whirl
Margie Rotendo offered her garage near the Northup King building as a site for us to use at Art-A-Whirl if we are interested.  Thanks, Margie.

Haiti Project
As a follow-up to the April meeting, we discussed the proposed Haiti Project in more detail.  The proposal is to design, create, and install a "Mosaic Quilt" in Haiti.  The design will be made by Lori Greene and Susan Mathis and will follow the theme of Haitian VooDoo Flags.  Elements in VooDoo Flags typically include serpents, hearts, twins, frogs, mermaids, fish and whales.  The concept is that participating members will pick up at least one design and mesh at Mosaic-on-a-Stick.  Participants can use their own materials.  A unifying border will be designed by Lori and Susan.  MMG has committed $600 to cover the following costs: Thinset, grout, mesh, and shipping.  We've identified the place of installation - the new Children's Hospital in Haiti.  Lori, Susan, and Connie Cohen will travel to Haiti at their own expense to install the quilt.  MMG members agreed to proceed with the Haiti Project.  The timeline is as follows:

• Lori Greene and Susan Mathis to develop design - Fall 2010
• Lori and Susan submit design to our Haitian contact for approval - Fall 2010
• Design submitted to MMG at Holiday Party in December.
• Design and mesh picked up at The Stick  by participating members - Februray 2011
• Quilting Bee at The Stick - February or March 2011
• Participating members submit completed pieces to Mosaic-on-a-Stick by April 30, 2011 latest.
• Date of installation in Haiti will be dependent the schedule of the Children's Hospital.

Holiday Party
Our annual Holiday Party will be held in December at the home of Susan Mathis in Woodbury.  We will have a tesserae exchange. Beth Karjala will give us a profile of her work. Susan will provide a casserole and beverages.  Members are encouraged to bring potluck (unless you want to have casserole only).  Details will be published at a later time.

Artist Profile
Susan Mathis gave an overview of her work and brought several pieces to show.

New Website
Barb Keith showed us the new MMG website.  This is a new format which includes a blog format and a rotating photo gallery.  Barb helped us understand how to add blogs and photos to the gallery.  Thanks, Barb.

Still Three Spots left for Sheryl's Taste of Tile!

At the meeting tonight Sheryl Tuorila told us about her class on November 10. It's free to MMG members and sounds like fun! That is our next meeting date. Sheryl is going to teach about how to make clay tiles and you will get to do some of your own. It will be in her studio in the Northrup King building in NE MPLS. If you want to sign up, comment below.

Featured Artist of the Month: Barbara Benson Keith

Name: Barbara Benson Keith

Website: www.barbarakeithdesigns.com

Blog: barbarakeithdesigns.blogspot.com

Email: bkeithdesigns@yahoo.com

What kind of mosaics do you make? Stained glass mosaics

When did you start making mosaics? 2004

How did you get into mosaics? I took a community education class about stained glass windows. I had a pile of scrap glass, so a few years later, I decided one day to make a mosaic. I didn’t know how, and didn’t even consult a book, I just did what felt right.

What inspires you? Nature, people, animals, the work of other artists

How did you develop your style? I’m self taught, and I resist taking classes so what I do is really mine.

How did you learn to make mosaics? Guessed.

How do you work best? During the day, listening to an audio book.

How do you approach a mosaic? For me the hardest part is deciding what to do. Once I have that figured out, I get to it. I am very focused while I work and I don’t really take breaks or get distracted unless it’s lunch time!

What do you do with your mosaics once you finish? Sell them, hopefully!

What have you learned? I’ve learned things about myself, like I’m a jumper. Even if I don’t know how to do something, I’ll say yes and jump in and figure out how to do it after that.

How do you fit mosaics into your personal/family life? I’ve got a wonderfully supportive hubby! This is my job and I feel very lucky.

Where do you work? I have a studio in the basement with a nice big southern exposure window. In the summer it’s cool down there and in the winter it’s warm.

What is your favorite thing about working as an artist? The freedom! I used to teach elementary school, which was very rewarding but demanding and stressful. I was always sick with colds and strep and had to drive to work in the cold and dark and snow… You know how it is! Now I can sleep in or take a day off. I set my schedule and get the work done when I want to do it. My commute is about 10 seconds. I love that!

Have you ever done public art, community art, worked with children, etc…? Doing public art is my passion! Over the years, I’ve been doing more and more public art and I love it! I love the challenges, and I love knowing that lots of people will see my work. This year I’ve done a lot of work for clinics and hospitals. Right now I’m also working on a big project up in Bemidji. I’ve designed the 15,000 sf terrazzo floor for a new convention center/hockey arena. It’s almost finished and looking amazing!

Stretching and Falling: Dysfunctional Art - MOS Fall Show

Karen Gallery - Art work pickup - Changes

New Pick up Time: Thursday, July 29th 4-8, Thursday
New Pick up Time: Friday, July 30th 4-6

A New Blog for the Minnesota Mosaic Guild!

Welcome to our new site! Soon we will make the transition from our old website to this new blogsite. On this site, you will be able to find members, get info on meetings and shows, leave comments, and more!

I will be looking to add some of you MMGers as authors for this blog. It's very easy and I'll show you what to do. Let me know if you can help out.

Thanks!

•April 2010 - Annual Members Show - The MMG member's show will be at Karen Gallery this year!

•April 2010 - Don't forget: MMG shop on CafePress! Now you can get your Minnesota Mosaic Guild apparel, aprons, tote bags and more. Ten percent of every sale goes to the Minnesota Mosaic Guild. Click here to find our shop.

December 2009 - MMG member Connie Glynn Cohen will be teaching a smalti class at the Minnetonka Center for the Arts this winter. The class will be 8 Tuesdays, 9:00 - 12:00 starting January 5. Here's the link if you'd like more information: http://www.minnetonkaarts.org/ classes_glass. html

She'll also be giving a short presentation on the "History of Mosaics" at Minnetonka Center for the Arts. This will be December 8 at noon. Hope you can attend one or both!

•November 2009 - New Survey
Please take a moment to fill in this survey. It's filled with great opportunities to make MMG great in 2010!

Click Here to take survey

•August 2009 - MN State Fair Fine Arts Competition
Congratulations to Janine Irisarri and Barb Keith! Their mosaics (Janine's "Poppies" and Barb's "Harriet") were accepted into the highly competitive fine arts competition! If you go to the fair, please check out their work.
UPDATE: Janine's piece won second place!

•August 2009 - Annual Fall Members Show
Following a great tradition, announcing the 4th Annual Fall Members Show at Mosaic-on-a-Stick!
Mosaic on a Stick, 595 N. Snelling Ave, St. Paul, MN 55104
651-645-6600 www.mosaiconastick.com

Show Dates: Wednesday, September 9, 2009 through Saturday, October 3rd, 2009
Reception: 6:30 to 9:30 PM, September 9
Drop off your work and sign the contract: Tuesday, September 1 through Saturday, September 5
(Remember, the stick closes at 4 PM on Wednesday and Friday)

Your Work: Showcase your style/ your signature/ what best represents your work. Drop off your work ready to be hung.

If you are not currently a member, now is a good time to join!

•May 2009 - Art A Whirl News - Message from Kim (the coordinator)
Hey Everyone! It's crunch time . I went to the meeting last week at the Thorp building . We still have the space and everything is a go. It would help me to know who is coming to the meeting/ set-up May 13 6-9pm? PLEASE shoot me an email or call me.

First: Please pick up postcards at Mosaic on a Stick and do your thing with them, baby!

If you can't volunteer but can donate food, please bring it to the May 13 set up at the Thorp Bldg.

Bring your pieces Wed night or contact me to make other plans. I'll be at the Thorp on Wed 13th at 1pm. If anyone wants to drop pieces off or help set up early, call me at cell phone 651-373-7156. I'll also be there Thurs 9:30am-1:30pm.

Remember to hang pieces on the metal studs on the wall in the big room we will need self-tapping drywall steel stud screws, which we will have. WE cannot put any nails or screws into drywall in big room! In the small room, we can use nails or drywall screws, but we must fill the holes at end of show.

Please label each piece that you wish to show with: your name, title, material, size, price. Tape this label on back and have one for next to your piece when it's hung. Each artist should make an inventory sheet- there is one on the MMG20yahoo group under files if you want to use that one. The inventory sheet should include the artist's name, phone #, email, and title of piece, material, size and price. Give me a copy the night of the meeting. If you're handling your own money, you don't have to do any labeling.

You do not have to be at AAW in person! Everyone is welcome to show or sell their work whether they can volunteer or not. (Of course, if you can volunteer, that's great!) We will have a central checkout and keep track of all sales, using the inventory sheets and labels on your pieces.

All checks & money will go to the MMG account. Within 14 days after AAW. the treasurer will mail you a check. If you want to handle your own money, you must be there the entire time and then give the Guild 10% of your take. No need to bring extra packing material/bags for sale. I will have a packing station set up.

The lease makes our space available Wed May 13th 12 noon to Tues, May 19th 12 noon, but it would be best to get most things out Sunday Eve.

AAW Schedule May 16-17-18
Friday Show 5-10pm
1st shift: 4-7pm: need 2 people
2nd shift: 7-10pm: need 2 people
Saturday Show 12-8pm
1st shift 12-4pm: need 2 people
2nd shift: 4-8pm: need 2 people
Sunday 12-5pm
1st shift: 12pm-3pm: full
2nd shift: 3-6pm: breakdown: need 4-6 people

I can't remember who volunteered to pick up the 8x8's and the banner & anything else from Mosaic on a Stick? Please let me know who before set-up.

Best door for customer entry: loading dock 5,6,7 (it's all one door) off 18th Ave. There's a small parking lot there with additional street parking. A 2nd Choice for door is loading dock 10 in diagonal alley behind building.

I would like to have a demo area. Anyone who's interested in demoing during the show, let me know.
I know this is a lot of info, if I'm missing anything or if you have questions, please contact me. For a quick answer: call me 763-522-5857. ( I like phone calls better than emails(:!)

•April 2009 - Red Wing show a success (and still going on!)
There was a great turnout for the reception of the Red Wing show (scroll down to see the poster with info) on Saturday! I stopped by around lunchtime to see the show because I couldn't attend the reception. The show is beautiful with impressive artwork by our members. Some pieces had even sold already! If you weren't one of the many to attend the reception, please find time to go see the show before it ends on May 11th. Below is a photo from the reception. Gil Gragert, who did so much work on this show along with Deb Wasmund, is at the microphone. Thanks to both of you and all the artists who participated and helped to make it such a wonderful show!

•Mar. 2009 - New Members!!! Please do these things:
1 - Check the member page to make sure your name is listed. If not, contact bkeithdesigns@yahoo.com and send a photo of your work and a link to your site.
2 - Make an 8" x 8" mosaic, ready to hang, for the group shows.
3 - Make a page for our member photo album (8.5" x 11" piece of paper as scrapbook base) for shows.

• Feb. 2009 - Details about the Red Wing Art Show:

Location: Red Wing Arts Association, 418 Levee Street, Red Wing, MN 55066, 651-388-7569
rwaa@redwing. net
Show Dates: April 3 – May 11, 2009
Reception: Saturday, April 18
Contact Person: Dan Guida
Posters and postcard are now available – extras at Mosaic-on-a-Stick

Dates to Deliver Art: Sunday, March 29 12-4 PM
Monday, March 30 8 AM – 4 PM
Tuesday, March 31 8 AM – 4 PM
Other times by appointment – call ahead
Gil will pick up from Mosaic-on-a-Stick on March 27 (Friday) and deliver to Red Wing on March 29 (Sunday). If necessary, Deb Wasmund will pick up at MOS as well.

Commission Rate: The Arts Association takes 35% commission for RWAA members, 40% for non-members

Red Wing Arts Association will do labels with artist’s statements. Send in your consignment form ASAP to Deb Wasmund at mosaicqueen57@yahoo.com, so that labels can be prepared. Consignment form can be downloaded HERE.

Anyone interested in doing a demo should contact Deb Wasmund at mosaicqueen57@yahoo.com

•Mar. 2009 - New Members!!! Please do these things:
1 - Check the member page to make sure your name is listed in the top section. If not, contact bkeithdesigns@yahoo.com and send a photo of your work and a link to your site.
2 - Make an 8"x8" mosaic, ready to hang, for the group shows.
3 - Make a page for our member photo album (8.5" x11" piece of paper as scrabook base) for shows.

•Dec. 2008 - Barbara Steen is participating in a show at the Karen Gallery Located at 927 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis, MN 55402 on the second floor of Rush's Bridal 612/343-9333 or 612/816-9511. The Grand Opening is Saturday January 10th, 2009, 4:00pm to 9:00pm "Please come and have some wine & art ...and see a few of my mosaics."

•Dec. 2008 - To download survey results for "The Future of MMG" poll (a pdf file), click HERE or HERE(for web version). (I'm not sure why, but both links work in Explorer, but neither work in Firefox...) We will be discussing results at next meeting in January.

•Dec. 2008 - Upcoming Show News: Lots to report...

WARM show - Linda Mix Yates and Connie Cohen are in it.
http://www.thewarm. org/pages/ index.php

Clay Squared Show - Laura Burlis has lovely things here!
http://www.claysqua red.com/gallery. htm

May is Art-A-Whirl and we want to have a presence there. So be ready
to contribute a piece and/or time. May 15-17, 2009.

Red Wing MMG show coming in the spring! It is looking like like we need to create create create!
Red Wing Arts Association and Gallery 418 Levee St.

Mosaic on a Stick MMG members show is in September 2009. That goes with our Tile
Festival presence at the same time.

•Nov. 2008 - Could you please fill out a survey if you have ever thought about coming to one of our meetings? Thanks! Here's the link:
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=RjDeD4maS1Zb_2fw5uLXT65Q_3d_3d

•Oct./Nov. 2008 - You are invited to a mosaic show at the Hopkins Center for the Arts. Barbara Keith's"Mosaic Zoo: An ABC Book" animal mosaics will be on display. Show runs Oct. 23 - Nov. 30 with a reception on Oct. 23.

•Art-A-Whirl May 2008 - The Guild had a large room and had no trouble filling it up with mosaics for a great show. Some pictures from the show...

Barbara Steen and Janine Irisari

Mike Sweere

Mimi Holmes

Lisa Arnold

•Apr. 2008 Click here if you would like to view our website statistics for the first quarter of 2008.

•SAMA April 2008 - There were three MMGers who had pieces in the juried show in Miami. See pics below. MMG members who attended the conference were Lori Greene, Maria Ricke, Connie Cohen, Linda Mix Yates, Barb Keith, Danette Polglase, and Sharra Frank.

Linda Mix Yates

Connie Cohen

Lori Greene, doing a pretty good impression of her piece

•SHOW: Art-A-Whirl, May 16, 17, 18, @ Thorp Building, 1618 Central Ave. NE, Mpls.

•SHOW: Mosaic on a Stick, Sept. 10 – Oct. 10, @ 595 N. Snelling Ave., St. Paul

•SHOW: A Necessary Ornamentation: Selections from the Minnesota Mosaic Guild Reception on Thursday April 17th 4pm-7pm at Metro State University in St. Paul. The show runs through July 25. Location: 745 East Seventh Street, Third Floor Gallery, St. Paul. We have 20 members participating. We hope you can make it!

•Feb./Mar. 2008 Sheryl Tuorila and others are having a show called "Art in the Home" at the Bloomington Center for the Arts. Reception is on Thursday, Feb. 21, 6-8 pm.
click for more info
click for location

•Feb 2008 The new mosaic magazine "Mosaic Art Now" has just come out. Six jurors picked their favorites from submissions all over the world to feature in the magazine. Congratulations to MMG members Cathy Weeks, Sharra Frank, Mike Sweere, Lisa Arnold, and Barb Keith.

•Jan. 2008 Click here if you would like to view our website statistics for the fourth quarter of 2007.

•Dec. 2007: MMG shop on CafePress! Now you can get your Minnesota Mosaic Guild apparel, aprons, tote bags and more. Ten percent of every sale goes to the Minnesota Mosaic Guild. Click here to find our shop.

•November 16-December 28, 2007 You are invited to the Bloomington Center for the Arts. MMG members Michael Sweere and Barbara Keith have an exhibition entitled "Modern Mosaics". It runs from November 16-December 28 and there is an artist’s reception on Friday, Nov. 16, 6-8 pm.

•Oct. 1, 2007 Our website hosting was recently upgraded. If you are interested in viewing the website stats for the third quarter of 2007 (actually, just from the last couple of weeks), you can download the pdf quarterly report here.

•Sept. 2007 The members of the Minnesota Mosaic Guild are having a show! We hope you can visit Mosaic on a Stick (595 N. Snelling Ave in St. Paul) to see it. The show runs through mid October.

•Saturday, September 15, 2007: We will have a booth at the Handmade Tile (and Mosaic) Show. Come visit us!

•May 2007: We had a booth (and a great time) at Art-a-Whirl!

Kim and Betsy at the booth.

•March 2007: SAMA Conference: We had a fun, inspiring, and informative time in Arizona attending the Society of American Mosaic Artist conference. Here's a picture of the Minnesota contingent...

L to R top row: Barb Keith, Betsy Mowry, Sharra Frank, Maria Ricke, Lori Greene, Hallie Bowman
L to R bottom row: Cheryl Anderson, Sheryl Tourila, Cathy Weeks

•Metro State University Show Gil's application for the MMG was accepted and we will have a Member Show in 2008 running from late April through the end of July at Metro State University. Besides having our work on display, we will host a reception and provide demonstrations on the mosaic process.

•A WINNER!! Best Large Scale Interior: Lori Greene, St. Paul, MN for Divination Systems - FatherSociety of American Mosiac Artists Click here, then on her name, to see her winning mosaic.Congratulations, Lori!

•Grant Winner: Barb Keith was awarded a Forecast grant for emerging artists, funded by the Jerome Foundation, to create three large window mosaics in a St. Paul Library. Also, her nursery rhyme mosaic book is for sale at www.brownianbee.com.

•Members in the news! Look at some recent press that MMG members have received...

Star Tribune Article about Sharra Frank, Sheryl Tourila, and Mercedes Austin

Lisa Arnold's Artist in Residency

Mosaic on a Stick and Barb Keith, St. Paul Illustrated Magazine, April 2007

•Members are invited to send news, written up as you would like it to appear, to bkeithdesigns at yahoo dot com.

Featured Artist of the Month: Robin Mueller

Featured Artist of the Month: Robin Mueller

Name: Robin Mueller
Website: whimsiesdesign.com
Email: whimsiesdesign@gmail.com

What kind of mosaics do you make? I like to work with stained glass the most, but I have a lot of old plates and tile ready to go when the mood strikes.

When did you start making mosaics? Around 3 years ago. I started with flower pots, picture frames, and table tops, and then branched out into stained glass.

How did you get into mosaics? About 15 years ago, I saw a segment on television about using old plates to decorate table tops. The program gave the process a French name. I tried looking it up at the library, but I had no luck. Then, 3 years ago, my friend, Jeanne found out that I was interested in this, and we did a little more investigation and found that what we wanted to learn about was mosaic.

What inspires you? If you look at my work, you would probably say, “circles”. I don’t know what that says about me, and maybe I don’t really want to know! I love putting colors together. Sometimes, I see a picture of something, and that will get me to thinking, and then a idea will spring from that. I do a lot of, “I wonder what it would look like if I did this?”

How did you develop your style? I can’t really say that I have a style. I do what comes to me.

How did you learn to make mosaics? My friend, Jeanne and I went to Mosaic on a Stick and told the friendly people there that we were interested in learning how to mosaic. We got about a 5 minute lesson on what tools to use and how, and we were on our way.

What do you do with your mosaics once you finish? When I first began, I either kept every single thing I made or asked my kids if they would like something. When I was laid off a couple of years ago, I became a mosaic fiend. The more I worked on mosaic, the better I felt. Until, at least, I looked around the room I was using as a work room, and discovered that there was so much ‘stuff’ sitting around me, that if I didn’t find a way to sell my mosaic, I’d have to either stop making mosaic (not an option), start filling a storage unit with them, or find a way to sell it.

What is your favorite thing about working with mosaics? Besides being a wonderful way to express myself, I love that each thing I do is unique. Change a shape here, a color or two there, and the finished piece can look so different.

(This note is from Barb Keith - Please check out Robin's website. She didn't even mention her sweet little "whimsies" in her interview! See below. They are really cute figures with very long legs, check them out! Her website is listed at the top of the page.)