Community Projects
From time to time, Splashmosaic is involved in Community type mosaic projects where volunteers will try their hand at cutting, buttering and setting tesserae under our supervision.
The results are generally stunning and everyone typically has a good time. This collaborative effort can make possible works beyond the scope of a single individual.
Florida Maritime Museum Butterfly Garden
Original Butterfly Garden
What we now call Cortez Creek was an idea of an ex-student of mine wo became the manager of the Florida Maritime Museum in Cortez Florida. Kristin Sweeting contacted me about creating an ADA compliant mosaic pavement in the grounds butterfly garden, where only a shell path existed before. With over 200 square feet of ground to cover we knew it would need to be a community mosaic project so Kristin put a mosaic class together where we would teach the basic skills and offer the graduates the opportunity to participate in a community project. By October of 2019 Kristin had procured the necessary funding and the class was underway in the Barton House.
The plan was to cover the new concrete pavement with a series of numbered waves drawn on the ground and to trace each wave onto a piece of mesh. The volunteers could then take the mesh and a bunch of tiles home and make the wave at their leisure. Our intention was to create a creek between the museum wall and the garden gate. With the concrete set and the Rip Rap rock perimeter installed we began setting the interlocking waves. Each one bearing the signature style and colors of the artist.
Shortly before our final goal of reaching the garden entrance we were hit with Covid 19 and all activity came to a standstill. In the final month of 2020 I was able to complete the last segments alone and was helped by Suzy Venters and Tom Ney with the grouting.
When the dark clouds of the pandemic finally lift, it is my hope that everyone who participated in this project in any way at all can come together to celebrate this amazing achievement. I hope the pictures here do justice to all of the effort and long nights of nipping tile that it took to make this extraordinary artwork. It was not a project any artist would dare take on alone. It is a collective art work that will be enjoyed for many many years to come by so many people.
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Cortez Creek[/caption]
Fogartyville community mosaic unveiled.
Kumquat Court in downtown Sarasota is not exactly one of the cities tourist destinations, however when the Fogartyville Community Media and Arts Center ran a four week mosaic class this Summer, students wanted to do something with their new skills. The property has gates facing Kumquat Ct that are now covered front and back with glittering mosaic tesserae. The materials include bottles and discarded glass tile, the work was all volunteer. For three weekends the group of almost 20 helping hands braved the heat and rain to create what is now a sparkling tribute to our wonderful community center.
Here is the mosaic challenge.
Local volunteers will mosaic these gateposts at the entrance to Sarasota's Fogartyville Community Media and Arts Center. Thanks to Lacasa tile of Sarasota for donations of dumpster destined tile. Basically we are giving Kumquat Court a facelift with old bottles and recycled trash. Watch for developements..!
Kids Summer Camp
Working around sharp objects with a large group of kids can be challenging but so rewarding. Look what they made.
Mable Ringling Fountain
The Mable Ringling Fountain mosaic was commissioned by the Sarasota Alliance for Historical preservation to restore the disused fountain in Luke Wood Park Sarasota originally commissioned in honor of the wife circus tycoon John Ringling in 1936. The outer 80 foot, outer perimeter mosaic was required to be made from sliced paving brick tesserae to match the brick theme of the four stairways. The four sectioned Vitruvian Wave motif includes a rose centerpiece on each facade. The entire piece was cut and assembled on mesh segments at Splashmosaic Studios and later installed and grouted onsite. There are over 12,000 individual hand cut tesserae altogether and the project employed the help of over 20 volunteers from local high schools and the community at large.