I could have used air quotes for the phrase Emerging Artist, which I guess aren’t air quotes since they are printed on your screen, because I wonder sometimes if Mosaic artists aren’t given enough credit for being artists.

Granted, some of us (like yours truly the editor of this blog) haven’t graduated beyond the mosaic as a craft skill. But there are clearly real artists in this community of Mosaic Practictioners. Sandy Ozz & Elaine Goodwin are famous examples of Mosaic Artists that immediately come to mind – but there are many, many less well known mosaic artists who have produced stunning installations in public spaces, and art gallaries alike, and perhaps quietly and anonomysly in their own home studios.

So, today when I checked my Facebook page and received an invitiation from Salazar Fine Art putting out a casting call, as it were, for Emerging Artists to participate in up coming Art Fair, the first thing I wanted to do was send to invite to my friends on the mosaic users group on Yahoo, just in case any of them wanted to participate, but then I hesitated?

Would mosaic artists be considered? Would a mosaic artist make the list of potential candidates for Reality TV Shows like “Work of Art?” Is our art form so restrictive we can’t call ourselves ‘artists’ – no matter how talented we become?

I think if a sculptor can be considered an artist than so can a mosaic artist provided their work actually is a piece of art and not just a piece of craft. As it has been said in art circles, “the only thing in art that matters is that it works.”

So, can a mosaic artist make something for an “emerging artists fair,” that ‘works’ and competes with all those painters, scultpors, photographers and conceptuals artists?

I say – yes. So, if you’re local – and your work is artsy enough -why not enter this fair?

Here’s the invite details: E.A.SEL -San Diego Art (af)FAIR-September 1-7, – Seeking Emerging Artists
Location:7th Avenue
Time:9:00AM Wednesday, September 1st

Mosaic Madness.org
Editor
Heidi White