As 2024 interns at UrbanGlass we got to experience the variety and diversity of glass art. From sculptures to bead-making, and working up close with the hot flame itself, the one thing that we honed in on the most was mosaics. Our first experience creating mosaics was here, initially all that we knew about mosaics was that it was a picture or pattern produced with intricate pieces of glass, stone, or tiles. With the help of Karina Oumov and John Drury, we learned the tools, materials, and processes needed to create a beautiful piece. The process was endearing and therapeutic, as we used the glass nippers to cut the tiles & stick our color shards of glass with adhesive to our panels. After cementing the tiles into place with grout, we wiped away the excess, revealing the vibrant colors of the tiles beneath. The contrast between the matte grout and the glossy tiles became pronounced, enhancing the mosaic’s beauty.
From there on, we went into planning an entire workshop dedicated to participants who were interested in the art of mosaics. Of course, we had to plan out a piece that most New Yorkers, specifically those in Brooklyn, could resonate with. From there on, we created the “Brooklyn City Blues Mosaic Workshop” where we would instruct people of all skill levels on the art of mosaics and encourage collaboration between participants. The idea for the mosaic was for it to be split into 8 different panels that would combine together horizontally to recreate the Brooklyn skyline. By inviting all participants to work on a smaller part of a larger image, we wanted to demonstrate that it is the effort of individuals working collectively that creates a bigger impact. We decided that the finished mosaic would be installed here at UrbanGlass to show off the collective effort the community put into these mosaics.
With the base plan of the workshop done, we now had 3 weeks to prepare all the materials needed for the lesson. During those 3 weeks, we sketched our ideas, measured the panel sizes we needed, got together the materials and tools, and planned out instructions that beginners could grasp. With the help from our lovely supervisors Karina Oumov and Aullar Mateo and the UrbanGlass staff, we knew the inside details on what it takes to plan a lesson for those who were interested in the world of glass art.
Now that we had completed all the necessary preparations for the lesson, it was up to us to actually act on our plan. In the hours before the lesson was set to start at 2 pm on August 13th, we hastily finished marking up the plywood boards, clipped some last minute glass, ran through our mosaic presentation multiple times, and set up the tables with all the tools participants would need. Karina Oumov, the Youth & Outreach Manager at UrbanGlass, was a huge help in this regard with not only helping us with the last minute prep but also with keeping our morale high by reassuring us that everything would work out. The run throughs of the presentation definitely helped because even when we stumbled through our words, we recovered quickly and conveyed the instructions well.
After the adrenaline from presenting in front of 15+ people wore off, it was easy to find a table and start helping out where we could with the mosaics. Everyone was relaxed, having fun, chatting, and eating snacks; which was the exact mood we were going for. We would be lying if we said there weren’t any hiccups along the way, but I feel that we navigated those situations with the appropriate amount of professionalism. Even as the workshop was entering its final half hour, there were still quite a few participants dedicated to completing their mosaics. The commitment people had to complete our mosaics warmed our hearts and made those hours of planning, sketching, and inking worth it.
Brianna’s Perspective
Many participants were eager and delighted to know they could come back and visit the finished mosaic that they had pieced together. This reassured us that even though we weren’t experts ourselves, we had held our own in giving advice and instructions while teaching a whole class of beginners.
Rosally’s Perspective
After everyone had filed out of the classroom, a big sense of accomplishment washed over me as I saw the boards filled with the glass tiles we had cut. As I’ve learned with previous experience, the hardest part of teaching a lesson is the 5 minutes of giving instructions where all eyes are on you. But the best part of teaching is the rest of the lesson, where you can slink away into the crowd of students and help everyone one-on-one.