0800TILES.COM

Mosaic Arts International 2010 will feature 48 extraordinary works of mosaic art, in 2D, 3D, and Architectural categories. The MAI exhibition offers more prize money than any other international mosaic arts exhibition, with awards totaling $5000. We are proud to announce those award winners as:

Best in Show, John Sollinger for Radiance
Best 2D, Diana Stevens for Indian Madonna
Best 3D, Kate Jessup for Cedar Stump
Best Architectural, Dianne Sonnenberg for Ocean(egg)graphy


Juror’s Choice Awards
Oliver Budd: Michael J. Kruzich for Corinthian
Juan Chavez: Connie Chantilis for Grotto
Janet Kozachek: Ilana Shafir for Temples


We are proud the show will this year be at The Smith Museum of Stained Glass at Chicago's Navy Pier, where the exhibition is expected to attract approximately 80,000 visitors during the two month run. This is a different kind of a venue for MAI; it is not one of the traditional white-walled gallery spaces that have showcased mosaic works in the past. This exhibition will feature our work placed throughout the museum, presented in lighted, glass-walled cases. Although it would be our preference for visitors to experience the texture, color, and play of light directly, the security and preservation of the work is paramount. We are very grateful to the Smith Museum of Stained Glass and the Navy Pier for the opportunity to present the work of our member artists to an audience of this scope. This exhibition is an important milestone in SAMA’s history that will underscore SAMA’s 10 year legacy of dedication to educating, inspiring, and promoting excellence in fine mosaic art.

Jurors for MAI 2010 included esteemed British mosaicist Oliver Budd, currently president of the British Association for Modern Mosaic (BAMM); Juan Chavez, a noted public artist and faculty member at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago; and Janet Kozachek, an Orangeburg, South Carolina artist and arts educator and a founding member and president of SAMA. Oliver Budd noted that he found the work to be of “consistently high quality” and was “really swayed by some of the fantastic abstract work.” Janet Kozachek also praised the field and reflected on the agonizing yet uplifting process of sorting through “so many incredible pieces of art.”

The jurors took great care in making their selections and the process went smoothly through our online jury contractor, Juried Arts Services. We would like to acknowledge their efforts in further advancing their technology to the needs of our process and the fairness of jurying artwork in the digital age. As a result of this technology, the MAI jurors were able to review the works multiple times via the internet from the comfort of their private environments, which spanned several thousand miles and the Atlantic Ocean. The work was scored using a point system and advanced through several rounds of scoring. The jurors cannot see artists’ statements or names; they can however retrieve size and material information for a piece if they choose. This blind-jury process, with the work being selected on merit alone, is fair and allows for the work to speak for itself. Jurors agree on the guidelines and requirements of eligibility that are on the prospectus and know that their selections are what they deem to be the most unique and exciting contemporary work in mosaics. It is indeed a difficult job and the jurors bring experience and understanding of art and mosaic, and a high level of excitement about the exhibition to the table. Every year a new pool of jurors contribute their unique aesthetics to the MAI show which keeps MAI a living, changing exhibition from year to year. We hope you make the trip to Chicago this spring to enjoy the spectacular views of Lake Michigan from Navy Pier, and more importantly the spectacular experience of viewing the exhibition in person.

We also invite you to attend the SAMA Conference, American Mosaic Summit 2010, in Chicago March 17-21st. We will feature a presentation and critical discussion about the MAI exhibition that will include one of the jurors and other members of the Chicago fine art community. On Friday, March 19th, Conference Attendees and their guests will honor the achievements of the MAI artists at a reception from 7:00pm – 10:00pm at the Museum. More information regarding the conference and its events can be found by clicking on Conference. See you there!

Click here for pdf of Press Release

This Year's Winners
Best In Show : John Sollinger, Ashland, Oregon for Radiance
Best 2D : Diana Stevens, Bellgrade, Montana for Indian Madonna
Best 3D : Kate Jessup, Seattle, Washington for Cedar Stump
Best Architectural : Dianne Sonnenberg, Austin, Texas for Ocean(egg)graphy

Juror's Choice Prizes
(Oliver Budd) Michael J. Kruzich, San Francisco, California for Corinthian
(Raul Chavez) Connie Chantilis, Dallas, Texas for Grotto
(Janet Kozachek) Ilana Shafir, Ashkelon, Israel for Temples

 Here are the award winners from previous SAMA exhibitions. Click on the artist name to see the mosaic. Enjoy!