The news this week that one of the US’s most renowned artists, Chuck Close, will be doing as many as 12 ten foot tall mosaics for the new 86th Street and Second Avenue Station in New York City has much of the mosaic community abuzz.  The connection between Close’s signature technique and mosaic is unmistakeable and we briefly touched on this topic on MAN in 2010 (here).  Our Miss Marble, Lillian Sizemore, has more details on this MTA Arts for Transit commission her blog post highlighted below as a Tweet of the Week.   Not such good news was Chase Bank’s boarding over of Chagall’s Four Seasons mosaic in preparation for the NATO conference this weekend in Chicago.  Let’s hope that demonstrators will choose not to vent their frustrations on that city’s outstanding public art collection.

We are passionate about public art mosaics, especially when they connect authentically with the people who live with them day to day.  The three stories we’ve selected for you this week are about artists and artisans who are masters at making that kind of mosaic magic happen.  Gary Drostle (UK) captured the pulse of a community in his masterwork for the University of Iowa’s Wellness Center, River of Life.  Acclaimed painter Sam Gilliam and mosaic artisan Stephen Miotto captivated a neighborhood with the gorgeous From A Model To A Rainbow in Washington D.C.  Designer David Lee Csicsko and fabricator Erin Adams brought sheer joy to the experience of commuting with their  lively  Train in Chicago.

It’s Sunday.  There are artists to meet, videos to watch and mosaics to savor.  We hope you enjoy them all.  –  Nancie

Image via Wikipedia.  For more on Mr. Close  www.chuckclose.com