mosaic:  a picture or design composed by setting together small pieces of variously colored tile, stone, glass, or other objects into an adhesive on the surface of an object.

bottega:  Italian, “workshop”, or more specifically, the studio of a master artist where lesser artists, apprentices, or students learn by participating in the work.

The Office of Academic Research will partner with Student Life to coordinate the Mosaic Bottega, a celebration of one of the world’s oldest art forms, during Spring 2010.  This programming will offer Columbia College Chicago students and others in the community an opportunity to explore the rich history of mosaics, view many of Chicago’s captivating public mosaic installations, and participate in the creation of large scale group mosaic projects under the guidance of leaders in the field—all free of charge and without the hassles of tests and grades! 

Although mosaics thrive in the 21st century both as a professional and artistic medium, no institution of higher education offers mosaic arts as a major field of concentration, and all trade schools dedicated to training mosaic artists are located abroad.  Our Mosaic Bottega will offer the College’s students a unique opportunity to explore an art form not currently part of the College’s curriculum, and to further their own artistic experiences.  In addition, the Mosaic Bottega seeks to highlight the intersection of other subject fields within the College’s curriculum and that of mosaic arts and history, and create a framework to explore the mosaic medium and deepen our community’s understanding and appreciation of it.

We are seeking further partnerships and programming synergies both from within the Columbia community and with outside organizations as well.  If you would like to learn more or get involved with the Bottega, please contact Conrad Winke at 312/369-7165 or cwinke@colum.edu.

Mosaic Bottega EVENTS