CMA2 refers to Contemporary Mosaic Art, an online platform that was started by Pam Givens many years ago to create a community space for mosaic artists. The reason for the “2” is that the platform went dormant for a while, but was restarted during the pandemic, with more features and engagement than it had ever had before. This is a group you can join for free, set up a profile, and then participate in a wide range of activities. There’s a member gallery, discussion forums, event listings, online exhibits, artist talks, work-alongs and more.
In May 2024, CMA2 volunteers organized and executed a fabulous mosaic conference in Eugene, OR. It was held in a cluster of hotels that are very close together, so even though the rooms and events were in different buildings, it was very easy to navigate, and there were many common areas for people to gather, inside and out.
Some of the activities and events that took place include a vendor market, workshops, presentations, a panel discussion, dinners, an exhibition, a separate artist salon with silent auction, and a community mosaic project to benefit Ophelia’s Place, an organization supporting teen girls. This video shows a moment during the Mosaic Marathon event: https://youtube.com/shorts/850EMir9Lf0?si=tLZB-5uuIQrqeTgZ
Aside from the official conference events, it was a chance for mosaic artists of all stripes and levels of experience to join together and learn all about different approaches, techniques, terminology, business strategies, and other geeky mosaic conversation. Some of us have known each other for many years, having attended the annual SAMA conferences. More than half of the attendees had never been to a mosaic conference, which was very exciting. Some of the instructors and presenters had come from as far away as is possible, like Dr. Helen Bodycomb visiting from Australia and Mireille Swinnen from Belgium. In the evenings, groups gathered socially and some of us may have had more fun than others. I, for one, am still recovering!
The next time I have a chance to sit down and write a few paragraphs, I may expound more on some of the topics that were discussed, but I will quickly summarize that I very much enjoyed meeting and learning more about the work of Helen Bodycomb, PhD and I can’t wait to get a copy of her book. Annabella Wewer’s presentation exploring and outlining the precise definition of the term “andamento” was enlightening, even if it only leads to more questions for many of us. Gaining an understanding of her work and the narrative expressed through her use of lines was fascinating. Michelle Sider gave a presentation on using your phone camera to create more effective compositions for use in mosaic, and she walked us through all of the features in our phone cameras and how to use them. I’ve been playing with many of them in my garden since returning. And there was so much more!
In September 2024, SAMA (The Society of American Mosaic Artists) will hold a summit in Detroit, MI. I’ll be teaching a new workshop called “Meshing Around” that will cover two different techniques for working with fiberglass mesh, plus a bonus using cloth moisture barriers. I’m very excited about this class. I think it’s a good one! Details are still coming for this event, but here’s the link for more information: https://americanmosaics.org/conference/
There’s one more photo from the CMA2 conference, from when a group of us invaded the nearby Dennys Lounge. Featured: Me, Joanne Daschel, Daun Courtenay, Kim Wozniak (WitsEndMosaic), Angie Heinrich, Rochelle Schueler, Kate Kerrigan, Bonnie Fitzgerald, Dennis Reiter, Lynn Adamo, Elizabeth Raybee, and Kim Emerson.
