Intersections: An International Mosaic Arts and Education Symposium
From September 15 to 21, 2025, CMS will host the 1st International Mosaic Arts Symposium to celebrate their 20th anniversary, remaining the only art school of its kind outside of Europe. Intersections Symposium will serve as a round-table for shaping the future of Mosaic Arts education and engaging international artists. CMS Visiting Artists, who are both leaders and renowned experts in mosaic art and education, will conduct short workshops, lectures, presentations, and exhibitions in Chicago.
The Details:
Gallery Exhibitions
Opening and Closing Receptions
Tours showcasing public mosaics in Chicago
Workshops run by acclaimed visiting artists
Public discussions and lectures including
All of our workshops and activities below can be purchased A La Carte, or you can purchase in ONE BUNDLED PACKAGE
In this one-day workshop with Australian artist Pamela Irving, participants will learn to use paper collage techniques as a novel approach to art-making and mosaic. Pamela approaches collage sculpturally, using cardboard, objects, papers, old books, etc. Collage does not need to be flat; it can jump out from a surface. Collage is an excellent way to create new stories from discarded papers, tickets, travel mementos, books, and other forms of ephemera.
Students are encouraged to bring along their bits of inspiration…“you know, that stuff you’ve been hoarding in the junk drawer but didn’t want to throw out.” Bring it along, and Pamela will guide you in assembling it and giving it new form and life through an original art piece.
Please be sure to reference our cancellation policy for this event.
When we create a mosaic, we generally focus all our attention on the tesserae: shape, color, andamenti… but… mosaic is also made of the gap between the tesserae, the fuga/interstice! In this ½ day workshop, led by Italian artist Carolina Zanelli, the focus is on this aspect of mosaic: the consideration of fuga as the absence of tesserae and what can we discover in this approach. Students will work with pencils and colored paper, and they will share images and reflections, discussions, and new inspiration!
Please be sure to reference our cancellation policy for this event.
Workshops
Each one of us holds beautiful yet imperfect stories within us. Gathering, sorting, and assembling materials, images and pieces of memory allows us to discover new relationships and associations- an embodiment of the process of mosaic making. Through a series of writing, drawing and collage exercises, combining disparate words and images, students can access new ideas through novel approaches to personal storytelling through visual thinking. In this hands-on 3 hour studio workshop, breaking, deconstruction, and re-composition will allow for connections through association, meaning and memory. Students will use creative problem solving and especially play to access new possibilities in thinking and in studio practices. Participants will create workbook/journals as an intimate and free playspace to explore and reflect on memory, place and identity. This workshop is intended to help you find, rediscover and empower your creative voice.
Participants will be asked to bring in photocopies of images (family photos, places, etc); notebook and pens/drawing tools will be provided. Safe space guidelines will provide a groundwork for sharing and collaboration.
Please be sure to reference our cancellation policy for this event.
Is there a difference between a general mosaic artwork and a large-scale architectural mosaic? Should the location of a wall or floor mosaic influence it’s design? Can the design environment surrounding a mosaic installation help or hinder the design intentions of the artist? What approaches to design can we take to ensure a successful architectural mosaic?
These are just some of the questions raised in this half day workshop offered by renowned British artist Gary Drostle, who will discuss the relationship of the mosaic to it’s environments. By focusing on all aspects of the design phase, Gary critically discusses examples of public commission works that address fundamental questions around the concept of Site-Specific mosaics. This workshop is recommended for anyone considering proposing or executing a public art installation.
Please be sure to reference our cancellation policy for this event.
Toyoharu Kii has mastered fuga/interstices as an essential part of his specific mosaic language. In this one-day workshop, participants will explore new works using unique and irregularly cut tesserae and setting them into a white surface using the indirect method. This way of working will open up new possibilities and effects for expanding personal expression in studio practice.
Please be sure to reference our cancellation policy for this event.
In this exclusive one-day workshop, Italian scholar and historian Alessandro Lugari explores the interplay of lightness, darkness, and form. The workshop delves into how shapes and silhouettes evoke mental images, triggering recognition and association. As evidenced by early human pictorial representations—silhouettes depicting animals and people—form precedes intricate detail. Even the later development of mosaics drew inspiration from these kind of fundamental shapes.
In this sensory experimental workshop, participants will integrate sound and visual associations to construct mosaic shapes created with light and shadows. Following the rhythm of selected music, participants will create a mosaic using the direct method using stones, rocks, glass, and other elements.
Please be sure to reference our cancellation policy for this event.
Embark on a creative journey with renowned Scottish artist Dugald MacInnes in this immersive one-day workshop dedicated to the captivating the character of Scottish slate. This course offers an introduction to the unique qualities and artistic possibilities of this exquisite natural material. Inspired by rich textures and earthy hues, students will explore slate through a series of engaging short exercises, uncovering its remarkable potential for creating stunning mosaic compositions. The workshop will emphasize the crucial aspects of cutting and design and various methods for shaping and manipulating the slate to achieve your artistic vision. This workshop welcomes students of all skill levels, from absolute beginners to experienced mosaicists. This is a unique opportunity to explore the lush and earthy character of this exceptional material with MacInnes, who brings his passion for composition, geology and play to help to unlock your creative potential.
Please be sure to reference our cancellation policy for this event.
In this half-day workshop, artist Sue Giannotti will cover a key segment— Value—from her long-standing Design Fundamentals Workshop. Value is one of the key elements in design for any medium—and especially mosaics. This lively workshop is perfect for everyone—from students new to mosaics to alumni of the Design Fundamentals class—who’d like to experience this concept in new, fun exercises across different media.
Sue has been passionate about Value’s place in mosaic and has been teaching it for nearly 20 years, sharing its effects, magic and challenges with others. Join her for an energetic class, packed with fresh experiments that will help you understand and incorporate Value into your mosaics.
Please be sure to reference our cancellation policy for this event.
In this 2-day course, Maestro Verdiano Marzi will lead participants through the educational process of the composition of the mosaic. Beginning with a presentation, the Maestro will give a theoretical introduction of composition, followed by the hands-on portion of the workshop. Students will begin by dry-laying their components and the surrounding compositions, followed by Verdiano's individualized suggestions for improvements for the work. This workshop is an exclusive opportunity to understand the potential of mosaic and the process of integrating ideas with skills and materials. The final portion of the workshop will include a critical discussion of the works in progress lead by the Maestro.
Please note, at the moment this workshop is for students who purchase the Intersections Package.
Please be sure to reference our cancellation policy for this event.
Lectures and Panels
(subject to changes)
Mosaic Identity: How do we define this art form?
Mosaic as Creative Research
Mosaics within Contemporary Contexts
Ancient Mosaics as Context for Present Practices
The Character of Tesserae
The Alexander Mosaic Restoration
The purchase of the Intersections Package gets you access to 7 full days of events:
Walking Tour, Welcome Reception, Artist Workshops, Panels, Lectures, Closing Reception!
For the visiting artist workshops, you will build your own class schedule for each day. Please respond to the info@chicagomosaicschool.org confirmation email with your chosen workshop(s) to secure your spots.
Important information: we have several half-day workshops as well as the full day workshops. Therefore you may pick two(2) half day workshops or one (1) full day. Please look closely at the schedule so it aligns with your availability.
Please be sure to reference our cancellation policy for this event.
Where to stay:
The Chicago Mosaic School has reserved a block of rooms at Hampton Inn Loyola Station!
This hotel is just one stop away at the Loyola station, and we also have several restaurants around the station and in the hotel building/within steps including Chipotle, Raising Cane’s, bopNgrill Korean, Khmai Cambodian, Salt burgers + fries, Blaze Pizza, Starbucks, Dunkin, Potbelly, Taco Bell, CVS, UPS, and more. Our location is a great one-stop for fly-ins with no downtown traffic.
Please use this link to book your room!
Intersections Symposium Cancellation and Refund Policy
Cancellations received between July 1st - July 30th, 2025: $95 Cancellation Fee. Remaining Registration fees to be refunded.
Cancellations received between August 1st - August 31st, 2025 : $150 Cancellation Fee. Remaining Registration fees to be refunded.
Cancellations received between September 1st - September 21st, 2025: $200 Cancellation Fee. 50% remaining registration fees to be held as credit to use at The Chicago Mosaic School for the nest one (1) year.
The Chicago Mosaic School accepts NO liability for any fees, penalties, or expenses related to prevention of attending the conference due emergencies beyond a party’s reasonable control make it illegal or impossible for such party to attend the event. This includes any airline cancellation penalty incurred by the purchase of a non-refundable ticket.
It is strongly recommended that all participants purchase Trip Cancellation, Emergency Medical Evacuation, Baggage, Accident, and Medical insurance from a reputable insurance company.