Exciting news! Isaiah Zagar is opening up his studio for a special dinner!

Isaiah is opening up his NEW private studio at Watkins St. for another soirée, right before the SAMA Conference in Philadelphia!  On March 9th, Isaiah Zagar will be hosting a very special farm dinner to kick off this exciting week in Philadelphia!!

The five-course dinner will be prepared by Damon Menapace, currently executive chef at Kensington Quarters, one of Fishtown's newest dining experiences, who will be working closely with Kristina Huber of Erdenheim Farm, dedicated to sustainable farming practices. 

This is a limited seating event, so please get your tickets at http://dinneratisaiahs.ticketleap.com/march9

Use promo code "MSOP" to get a 5$ discount on the tickets.   

See you there!

Fragments, Shards & Pieces at City Hall Artists Announced!

The MSoP Exhibits Committee is proud and excited to announce the artists selected to exhibit their work at the Art Gallery at City Hall, one of three venues for the multi-site show. Congratulations to all the artists!!

Fragments, Shards & Pieces: Images in Mosaic  is a multi-site, representative collection of mosaic art by the members of the Mosaic Society of Philadelphia. Encompassing a multitude of materials and varied styles, from traditional setting techniques to contemporary takes on this ancient art once used mainly as architectural decoration, this exhibit strives to bring mosaic art to its rightful place as a powerful expression of fine art. The works in this exhibition evoke emotions and tell stories, capture the imagination and invite reflective thought, and are, collectively, a fine representation of contemporary mosaic art. 

Fragments, Shards and Pieces: Images in Mosaic at City Hall is presented by Art at City Hall, a program of the Office of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy of the City of Philadelphia, and it's presented in concert with The Mosaic Muse, a juried exhibit by the same office. The exhibit is held in anticipation of and in partnership with the Society of American Mosaic Artists (SAMA) Convention, held in Philadelphia, March 11-15, 2015, hosted by the Mosaic Society of Philadelphia.

Exhibiting at City Hall will be:
Allison Lit      
Amy Bruckner     
Anabella Wewer        
Andie Orlowitz            
Ann Shaver            
April Press            
Bonnie Fitzgerald        
Carol Hemsley        
Carol Shelkin            
Carol Tinkleman        
Claire Brill            
Deborah Wilkinson        
Donna Lutzky            
Eleanor Parr-DiLeo        
Ellen Tiberino            
Isaiah Zagar
Helene Rosenfeldt        
Jessica Cherry        
Jessica Liddell            
John Fansmith        
Judy Katz            
Judy McConomy        
Katia McGuirk            
Laura Lyn Stern    
Mara Schiffman        
Meagan Corrado        
Merryl Buttari            
Nancy Frank                       
Pris Ewing            
Rachel Kaufman        
Ricki Lent      
Risé Skobeloff
Roberta Cooks
Robyn Abrams
Robyn Miller
Rona Pietrzak
Ronnie Michael
Sharon Ritz
Stacy Heller
Susan Kelly
Susan Starr
Suzanne Daub
Terrie Lee Steinmeyer
Veronica Kairos    

Artists for the other venues will be announced after the extended entry deadline, which is Feb. 1, 2015.

Fragments, Shards and Pieces: Images in Mosaic will be exhibited at:

Art In City Hall: February 9 – March 27, 2015 (first floor, room 116)
Ludington Library: February 17 – March 26, 2015
Main Line Art Center: Welcome Lobby: March 10 – April 9, 2015

Artists Reception for The Mosaic Muse and Fragments, Shards and Pieces:
March 12, 2015
Philadelphia City Hall, Hallway outside the Art Gallery (Room 116)
5:00 pm -7:00 pm

"The Mosaic Muse" exhibiting artists have been announced, and EIGHT MSoP members have been selected!

Art at City Hall, a program of the City of Philadelphia Office of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy, has announced the artists selected for its upcoming show "The Mosaic Muse," and we are thrilled that eight of MSoP's members have been selected!

"The Mosaic Muse" will run February 9 to March 27, 2015, at Philadelphia's City Hall, 2nd and 4th floors, while City Hall is Open. The artist reception will be March 12, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m., concurrent with the Society of American Mosaic Artists (SAMA) Conference. 

Congratulations to all the artists!

1.    Ellen Benson
2.    Linda Billet
3.    Joe Brenman
4.    Claire Brill
5.    John Fansmith
6.    Carol Helmsley
7.    Jason Huber
8.    Leroy Johnson
9.    Norrine Kevolic
10.    Marilyn Lavins
11.    Itzik Lorant
12.    Paula Mandel
13.    Claire Marcus
14.    Marcella Marsella
15.    Nora McCloskey
16.    Robyn Miller
17.    Andie Orlowitz
18.    April Press
19.    Carol Shelkin
20.    Lynnette Shelley
21.    Laura Lyn Stern
22.    Vaughn Stubbs
23.    Valetta
24.    Dorothy Willse

The Mosaic Muse is a juried exhibit organized by Art In City Hall’s Exhibitions Advisory Committee.  A call was sent to professional artists from the region whose work explores traditional and innovative techniques related to mosaics.  Artists were not restricted to traditional materials like ceramics, glass or stone.  Works could have been submitted in any medium as long as it referenced the concept.  Artists were encouraged to explore patterning, surface texture, collage or other approaches that are associated with mosaic imagery.

Two great NEW reasons to join us at our next General Meeting!

General Meetings are were MSoP business gets conducted, information is shared, and we learn new things from great presenters. The upcoming meeting on January 25th was already looking pretty interesting, with updates about the upcoming SAMA conference, as well as a terrific presentation on hanging systems (timely, as many of us are getting work ready for Fragments, Shard and Pieces, as well as other shows), and now, there are two new reasons to attend!

Dawnmarie Zimmerman, Executive Director of the Society of American Mosaic Artists (SAMA), will be our guest at the meeting and give us a first hand look at what is going on with the planning for this massive and exciting conference (March 11-15, 2015 in Philadelphia!!).

And here's yet another reason to attend — a raffle, for tempered glass sheets!

We will be raffling off twenty 10" x 16" sheets of tempered glass, one at a time, for $2 per raffle ticket. Twenty sheets! So there's a really good chance you will walk away with at least one of them if you participate. Two dollars! That's less than that cup of coffee with the fancy logo on it! And you will be helping raise funds for MSoP!

So bring all those singles that clutter your wallet, walk away with some yummy tempered glass, and then... break it!

We hope to see all members there!

And don't forget — 2015 membership fees are due! Don't miss out!

Call to artists: Fragments, Shards & Pieces — Images in Mosaic

The prospectus for Fragments, Shards & Pieces — Images in mosaic is available now!

Please note that the deadline for application has been extended and there are now TWO deadlines: January 20, 2015 at 7:00 p.m.  to exhibit in the show at City Hall, and February 1 to exhibit at Ludington Library and Main Line Art Center. 

Time to get busy!

In conjunction with the SAMA Annual Conference, in March 2015, MSoP will be hosting, along with some great partners, not one, but three exhibits open to MSoP members ONLY. Details are still being worked out, but the prospectus will be available within the next week or two. This is in addition to the SAMA sponsored Mosaic Art International, which is a juried show. So it's time to get busy!! And if you are not a member of the Mosaic Society of Philadelphia and live in this region, become a member today!!

Volunteers needed for SAMA Conference 2015!

MSoP is deep in the planning stages, getting ready to host the SAMA Conference, March 11-15, 2015! Volunteers are needed in many areas, from Registration Desk duties, to Salon helpers, and everything in between! If you can spare an hour or two, or ten or twenty, and want to help, please send a message to msop@mosaicsocietyofphiladelphia.org and help us make the next SAMA Conference one to remember!

Start planning for the 2015 SAMA conference now!

Details are starting to emerge for the 2015 Society of American Mosaic Artists Annual Conference. Visit the SAMA website for updated information!! At this time, a call for presenters and vendor reservations has been made, and the host hotel, the Loews Philadelphia Hotel, is already taking reservations at the conference preferred rate. Make your reservations soon! The rooms are going fast!

Registration for the conference opens December 1st. We can't wait to welcome the mosaic world to Philadelphia!