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Dream of a Garden in in Philadelphia

Published by gertrud

Born in Philadelphia and educated at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Maxfield Parrish is best known for his idyllic landscapes and storybook illustrations. Parrish served on a committee convened by Cyrus Curtis and Edward W. Bok of the Curts Publishing Company to commission a mural for the lobby of their spectacular new building. After the first three artists chosen to paint the mural died, Parrish was asked to develop the design. At the same time, Bok decided that the mural would be executed by Tiffany Studios as a glass mosaic. The mural was to be fifteen by forty-nine feet, and would embody the publisher’s desire to make art accessible to a wide public. Parrish’s design was inspired by the real gardens he had built at his summer home, The Oaks, in Cornish, New Hampshire. The artist envisioned fantastical spaces where a visitor would chance upon places of tremendous beauty and solitude, improved by careful placement of foliage and flowers, large classical us, reflecting pools and fountains, walkways and steps. The masks in the …

Mosaic making with families in Washington DC

Published by gertrud

How do you bring children aged 2-4, their parents and teachers together? Let them mosaic! Two Friday afternoons in February at the Montessori Kindergarten were wonderfully lively! 25 mosaic tiles inspired by motifs from Montessori didactics are now waiting to be installed on the outside walls of the kindergarten building. My assistant Kim Ward captured beautiful moments of concentration and the joy of creating something together in her photos.

Afghanistan mosaic inaugurated in Washington

Published by gertrud

With much admiration for the dazzling colors and versatile shapes, the joint work “Hanging by the thread” in the form of 9 mosaic scarves was inaugurated in the foyer of the South Asia Department of the World Bank at the end of January 2025. The patterns of the more than 80 mosaic tiles were inspired by the vibrant colors and materials of clothes from Afghanistan. This campaign is intended to express the solidarity of mosaic artists with women in Afghanistan. The World Bank’s South Asia Department finances projects for women in Afghanistan, among other things. https://www.worldbank.org/en/country/afghanistan Thousands of mosaic artists around the world have taken part in this project. Exhibitions and workshops have been held in many countries. https://www.facebook.com/mosaicforafghanwomen? Kim Wozniak, who coordinated the project for the USA and Canada and was the artistic director, is delighted to have found a suitable location for the mosaic scarves. A place where the idea of global women’s solidarity is lived. In 2022, I established contact between Kim and the World Bank. It is a great pleasure for …