Piece by Piece Arms Local Artisans with Recyclables to Create Mosaic Art - Beyond the Garden Wall

With support from Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs and the California Arts Council, a neglected block wall that once backed garden beds will be reclaimed as mosaic art, engaging South Los Angeles community members in its making

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

Los Angeles — In South Los Angeles, low-income residents take part in free workshops in mosaic art led by Piece by Piece artists. Piece by Piece has long held a weekly workshop at Broadway Village II (51st and Broadway), free to local residents with support from the Los Angeles Cultural Affairs Department.

Grant funding from the California Arts Council has made possible a special summer project, with workshops at Broadway Village and throughout the local community culminating in the unveiling of a large-scale mosaic mural to permanently adorn a neglected garden wall in the Broadway Village II residential complex. Piece by Piece artists led local residents in this community art project. Flowers on mesh were created during Open Studio Fridays at Broadway Village II, involving participants of all ages, and workshops were additionally held in multiple community venues and public spaces throughout summer months.  

The wall will be transformed to display blooming flowers made from recycled tile, dishes and other materials. Drought tolerant plants will complete the garden bed. Piece by Piece Artisans, participants of the program who have attained Artisan-level skill, will work with instructors to design this public art installation, practicing elements of design, environment, and placement, as well as form and content and the use of materials to achieve expressive qualities. The group will work to design a garden mosaic that expresses the creative assets of the community, with unveiling to be held October 2015 in conjunction with a culminating exhibit of mosaic art by Piece by Piece participants. 

Piece by Piece has committed its artistic staff and studio resources to the Project. Ron Finley Project will lead the collection of donated plants for the garden. Deep Green Housing Corporation, operator of the Broadway Village II affordable housing complex will provide the soil and mulch needed to revive the garden's bed.

Piece by Piece has since 2008 provided a weekly workshops at Broadway Village II, made possible in part by a grant from the City of Los Angeles, Department of Cultural Affairs.  With support from the California Arts Council Creative California Communities program, open workshops held in multiple locations throughout South Los Angeles and Skid Row have engaged residents of both communities in creating blooms for the project.  As part of a cultural exchange, mosaics on mesh have been mailed in by mosaic artists abroad, including artist Chris Piloto, who engaged street children of Rio de Janeiro to create blooms for the mural.

Visitors or volunteers are welcome to pitch in. View images of Piece by Piece workshops and art projects at www.piecebypiece.org and facebook.com/piecebypiecela. Residents and volunteers may contact info@piecebypiece.org to become involved or to donate dishes or other recyclables to the effort.

Piece by Piece is a non-profit organization operating in South Los Angeles and Skid Row to fulfill its mission to provide low-income and formerly homeless people free mosaic art workshops using recycled materials to develop marketable skills, self-confidence, earned income and an improved quality of life. Learn more at www.piecebypiece.org.

The Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs generates and supports high quality arts and cultural experiences for Los Angeles’ 4 million residents and 25 million annual visitors. DCA advances the social and economic impact of the arts and assures access to arts and cultural experiences through grant making, marketing, public art, community arts programming, arts education, and partnerships with artists and cultural organizations in neighborhoods throughout the City of Los Angeles. www.culturela.org

The Mission of the California Arts Council, a state agency, is to advance California through the arts and creativity. The Council is committed to building public will and resources for the arts, fostering accessible arts initiatives that reflect contributions from all of California's diverse populations, serving as a thought leader and champion for the arts and providing effective and relevant programs and services. www.arts.ca.gov.

Deep Green Housing and Community Development is a non-profit corporation that has been assisting families through provision of affordable housing since its inception in 1990.  Our objective is to develop services-enriched housing that will help families combat chronic poverty, welfare dependency and homelessness.  www.deepgreenhousing.org