Chicago Mosaic School in Edgewater teaching students to piece together their creativity

By JAMAICA PONDER

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    CHICAGO (WBBM) — You may not know it but a top destination for mosaic artists around the world is tucked away in Edgewater.

The stream’s Jamaica Ponder takes us to the school that’s behind much of the city’s mosaic art.

I’m at the Chicago Mosaic School in Edgewater. This nonprofit is the only art school of its type in the entire country.

They teach support and amplify mosaic artists from around Chicago— but also from all over the world.

In the nearly two decades they’ve been open, they’ve been able to foster an international community of mosaic artists. So, I had to pop on in here and find out how they create that community and how they create their art.

“I would say we’re one of Chicago’s best-kept secrets. There are no other schools like this in the world,” said Founder and Executive Director Karen Ami.

Back in 2005, practicing artist, Karen Ami, decided she wanted to study the ancient art of mosaics, but when she went looking for a place to learn, she realized her options were infinitely limited.

“Before the school existed, there was really no place to learn or collaborate on sustainable mosaic works,” Ami said.

Not just in Chicago, but across the country, she struggled to find academic-based instruction and study of the art form.

So, she went looking – traveling across Europe, in search of classically trained mosaic artists to teach her their ways and to bring back to Chicago.

“I was able to find practicing artists in Europe with been raised for decades in the art form. And I invited them to come to Chicago to teach. And they didn’t know me, but they still said yes. So that is basically how the foundation of the school started.”

Now, 18 years later, the Chicago Mosaic School is an American epicenter of mosaic teaching, exhibition, and collaboration. They host nearly a dozen faculty, a full administrative staff, and eight visiting.

Artists from around the world — in addition to students who come to the school from all over.

The impact of the school isn’t confined to its spot in Edgewater, the school often partners with city organizations, from CPS to CTA, commissioning public art pieces — which their students then volunteer their work for…

“We have done tons of public projects around the city,” Ami said. “We’re not-for-profit, so the students become involved in different ways and doing community projects or large-scale projects is another way that they can practice the art form and be involved and create something that has a legacy.”

“There’s something really beautiful about the experience of breaking things, and then also spending the time to puzzle it back together to create something new and beautiful.”

Casey Van Loon has been teaching at the mosaic school for nearly a decade. She says once people get a taste for mosaics, it’s hard to stay away.

“I have students that have been repeating the class over and over again because it’s their moment to not worry about anything else. “We have a lot of students who come because it’s their happy place.”

While it is a school, it’s not just for learning. Local artists have an opportunity to display and sell their art, either here in the gallery at the front of the school or in the shop out back.

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