Past Shows

Shine: The Fine Art Mosaics of Ariel Finelt Shoemaker

March 1 - April 12, 2007

Life is made of little pieces. That sentiment has been physically expressed by mosaicists for over 4,000 years through the use of glass, tile, stone, pottery shards, seashells and whatever materials might have been on hand. People tend to think of mosaic art within the context of religious expression, but it has also been used to warn of vicious dogs guarding Roman villas, to depict peacocks and kitchen vessels flying across mausoleum ceilings, and to exalt the wonder of social revolutions and everyday sunsets. Vitality, beauty and imagination are what link mosaic works of art, no matter their composition or intent.

From March 1 to April 12, 13FOREST Gallery in Medford Square is presenting an exhibition by Waltham-based mosaicist Ariel Finelt Shoemaker. The show, appropriately titled SHINE, features a cross-section of the artist’s functional and aesthetic works ranging from variously sized mirrors to intricate wall hangings. About her work the artist states, "I root myself in the colors I choose before setting out to design a piece, or to develop organically formed patterns that become the mosaic work." The results are unique, complex works that endlessly change with the light and one’s vantage point. Some evoke images of Gustav Klimt's and Egon Schiele's more luminous works of art.

"SHINE: The Mosaic Art of Ariel Finelt Shoemaker" can be viewed at 13FOREST Gallery at 13 Forest Street, Medford Square through April 12. Come meet the artist at a closing reception on Wednesday, April 11 from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m., which is free and open to the public.

ARTIST'S BIOGRAPHY
Shoemaker earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Emerson College, with a concentration in writing, literature and publishing. In June 2004, she obtained a Masters of Education from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, with a concentration in the arts in education.

The artist teaches mosaic making at her studio in Waltham and across the Boston-metropolitan area. She has taught at Out of the Blue Gallery, Spark Craft Studios, Munroe Center for the Arts, Boston Center for the Arts, the Watertown Adult Education Center and the Devotion School. Shoemaker has also taught mosaic arts to at-risk youth through Citizen Schools of Boston, and to mentally and physically disabled adults through Outside the Lines, the Cambridge-based arts cooperative. Other teaching engagements have included Sidwell Friends Academy in Washington, DC and the Fletcher Farm School for Arts and Crafts in Ludlow, Vermont.

Inspired by her students and the vast array of creative people in her life, Shoemaker hopes to continue cultivating motivational environments where members of communities and schools can find healing, confidence and inspiration through the arts.

The artist lives with her husband on the Charles River in Waltham where she also works and teaches in her home studio. She is also available to homeowners for custom installations.