Exhibition will showcase mosaic artists from across the world as they take mosaic art to new levels

The Society of American Mosaic Artists has selected the work of California artist, Laurie Mika , to be included in this year’s Mosaic Arts International,(MAI) an annual juried exhibition of member’s work.   The Society of American Mosaic Artists (SAMA) and the Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center in Austin, Texas present “Mosaic Arts International”, a juried exhibition that explores the very best of this revitalization.  MAI will premier on February 18^th and remain on view through March 30th, 2011.

Laurie Mika's non-traditional mixed media mosaic, Katrina, is comprised primarily of handmade polymer clay tiles combined with jewelry parts, beads , charms, collage and glass tesserae. It is a narrative mosaic based on the popular drawings of Mexican artist Jose Posada’s illustration of Catrina and was created in the wake of hurricane Katrina in New Orleans.

MAI presents 42 works selected from more than three hundred entries submitted by artists in ten countries.   MAI is a highly competitive annual exhibition that unites innovative design and masterful technique as explored by some of the best international artists working in the medium.

The panel of jurors for this year’s exhibition included Dr. Jean Ann Dabb, a professor of art history at the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, Virginia; Nola Diamantopoulos, President of the Mosaic Art Association of Australia and New Zealand, and Jean Graham, coordinator of Austin Art in Public Places.