PAM GIVENS MOSAICS
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The world of mosaic art has been in my creative DNA for a long time. My parents were involved in the mosaic art movement of the 60’s and opened a retail store, “Mosaic Alcove,” in our Southern California town of El Monte. Both of my parents were artists and this store thrived due to their creative investments. I rediscovered mosaics after my sons were out on their own and I suddenly found a lot of time waiting to be filled.
Internet searching led me to a wonderful 2002 course with Martin Cheek
in Italy and Greece. This was my first experience seeing ancient mosaics,
being with others passionate about mosaics and being in a mosaic
workshop. This experience changed my life. I continue to be inspired by
the rich history of mosaics, and enjoy crafting mosaic out of natural stone
and Italian glass.
In 2008 I started an international web site exclusively for mosaic artists, Contemporary Mosaic Art - CMA. This website was the result of many conversations that I had over the years with people who loved mosaic making but felt isolated and wanted to have more connections with others in this field.
As the membership on CMA grew, Italian artist Giulio Menossi joined the site.
During the summer of 2008 I met with Giulio in Udine and he and I worked
together to develop classes for him in Udine, Italy. These classes brought
students from all over the world to discover his beautiful techniques. In 2012
I enjoyed being part of the team to curate the first mosaic art exhibition in
Clauiano, Italy, featuring artist from the Contemporary Mosaic Art Website.
These exhibitions have continued, and Giulio's work has expanded worldwide.
October 2014 was the first Contemporary Mosaic Art - CMA Summit, in Ashland, Oregon. I was a member of the 4-person team organizing these exciting events. 2016 was the final year of this wonderful event and our 3rd year of this Summit.
In 2011, Irit Levy and I published two books, “Mosaic Fine Art Portraits” and “Mosaic Fine Art Abstracts” Both books feature interviews with five professional artists and a gallery of beautiful mosaic art.
In 2014 I helped develop a fun and delicious cookbook “Edible Bits & Pleasing Pieces” which is an International collection of recipes accompanied by mosaic art, produced by Jacqueline Iskander.
