Mosaic Arts
Mosaic Memorial Park located on the corner of Carpenter Street and Mimosa
Mosaic Arts Apprenticeship Program
2016-2024
The mosaic arts apprenticeship program offered Binghampton neighborhood middle and high school students apprenticeship opportunities in mosaic design and build. Students worked with a professional artist, Suzy Hendrix, to understand the profession, explore specific ways to approach design, and begin creating on their own. In addition to learning a creative practice, students also explored the business aspects of a creative career, bolstering college and career readiness regardless of their chosen field through the Teen Job Hub.
Apprenticeship Program Included:
Paired 3-4 students with a professional artist mentor, for after-school hours, two days a week, over a year period for intensive, direct learning.
Supported students in creating a hands-on project that was presented or demonstrated at the end of the term.
Introduced business aspects of a creative career.
Provided students professional training opportunities through workshops and community talks.
Carpenter Art Garden and professional artists worked together to guide students considering a career in design or other creative fields. Whether or not students pursued these careers, the apprenticeship experience cultivated creative thinking work skills they can utilize in any profession.
The Mosaic Program grew and expanded in the community. The mosaic team embarked upon 3 projects. The "Welcome to Binghampton" sign, a partnership with Explore Bike Share (a Kresge grant) which offered the team an opportunity to create signage at the entrance of the Greenline pathway and along the developing “Hamp Line” connecting Tillman Street on the Eastend of Binghampton with West Binghampton, and another collaborative installation with the University of Memphis.
In between those major projects, the students participated in local youth arts opportunities in Memphis. They created tiles and fused glass to sell on the CAG website with 70% of their sales going directly back to the student artist. They worked on many different projects on our properties, and created a mosaic for the kitchen in our education building. They created donor mosaics for our major donors, including the Tennessee Arts Commission, that are on displayed on our properties.
Community Partners
First Horizon Foundation granted funds for this program into 2022 through the ArtsFirst grant.
Inspire Cafe is a community restaurant located on the same corner as the sign location. As part of our Community Engagement, they allowed staff and teens to survey their customers about the sign's location and purpose.
Carpenter Art Garden has worked with the Binghampton Development Corporation for site approval for the current mosaic project.
Montgomery Martin Contractors approved the drawings made by the students. They have fabricated and poured the mold. They created professional drawings for the permit application.
The City of Memphis approved the permit and has supported the Mosaic Program with a Community Coalition Grant.
Triumph Bank offered a financial literacy program for our teen staff apprentices through the Teen Job Hub.