Normal 0 It’s the unexpected that makes life interesting, like finding these mosaic artists in the middle of a South LA housing project.
Piece by Piece is not only a description of the process, but the name of a program, which was the brainchild of Sophie Alpert.
“I thought there was real value in teaching people skills to help themselves,” said Piece by Piece founder Sophie Alpert. “And I chose mosaic art because it was accessible materials that wouldn’t be expensive. I didn’t see the point of teaching something that they couldn’t later do on their own.”
For the people from this neighborhood this class has become much more than the some of its parts, its two parts art and three parts therapy.
“Its helped me pay my rent and my bills, my stress is no more,” said artist Gratte Estrada.
And with donated supplies and found objects, the people who are not always surrounded by beauty learn to find it and create it.
“A lot of these pieces here were donated to me specifically by a glass artist,” said artist Chad Sperandeo. “They gave me their glass scraps to use so I can create something and this is what I came up with.”
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What actually started as a crafts program quickly became an arts program.
“The ideas, creativity and enthusiasm, I am just blown away and inspired every time I walk through the workshop,” Alpert said. “I cannot believe the quality of the work.”
The program is constantly looking for wiling galleries to host a show, but you can see a lot of this work on their website and inquire about prices.
