Karen Ami
B. Chicago, MCMLXI
Founder/ Executive Director, The Chicago Mosaic School, 2005-Present
Education
PhD Researcher, TransArt Institute for Creative Studies, Liverpool School of Art and Design (Liverpool John Moore University), 2021- Present
MFA, School of the Art Institute Chicago, 1995, Sculpture, Ceramics
BFA. Tufts/Boston Museum School, 1986 Sculpture, Meso-American Art History
Post Baccalaureate Diploma. Boston Museum School, 1985
Independent Study: Mexico, 1984, Ireland, 1985, Ecuador and Costa Rica, 1986-1987, Nevis, West Indies, 1994, Italy, 2004
Selected Exhibitions
2024
Solo Exhibition, SomoS Arts Berlin, March 2024
Danse Vulnerable, Exhibition Research Lab, LJMU, Liverpool July 2024
Well Kept Ruins, ARC Gallery, September 2024
2023
InterConnected, Meyer Gallery, Tel Aviv, Israel, December 2023- January 2024
ARC 50th Anniversary Exhibition, ARC Gallery, Chicago IL Sept-October 2023
REDUX, Gallery GoCM, Chicago IL September-November 2023
Figures and Faces, La Laguna Gallery, Laguna Beach California, March 2023
American Mosaics Now, Gallery GoCM, Chicago, IL March-April 2023
2022
Le Corps Evocateur, Exhibition Research Lab, Liverpool, UK July 2022
InterTextura: Fiber-Mosaic, Gallery GoCM, Chicago IL September- November 2022
Breaking (NOT) Bad, Gallery GoCM, Chicago, IL November- December 2022
2021
“Observing Motherhood” ARC Gallery, Chicago IL April-June 2021
“Breaking Ground”, GoCM Gallery, Chicago IL August- September 2021
“Japanese Mosaic Invitational Exhibition”, Tokyo, Japan, September 2021
2020
“Pandemic Self Portraits” Next Gallery, Lakewood, CO December 2020
“Mi Familia” GoCM Gallery, Chicago IL March- September 2020
2019
“Savage Liaisons”, GoCM Gallery Chicago, IL, Nov-Dec ’19
“Savage Liaisons” at SOFA CHICAGO, Oct 2019
“BiblioMosaico” Ravenna, Italy October 2019
“Mosaic Arts International, The Parthenon Museum, Nashville, TN Jan-May ‘19
2018
“The Text” SOFA Chicago, Chicago IL November ‘18
“The Text”, GoCM Gallery, Chicago, IL
“Marks That Make”, GoCM Gallery Chicago, Sept ’18- Nov ‘18
“Debut”, GoCM Gallery, Chicago IL July-Sept 18
2017
“Variations”, GoCM Gallery/SOFA, Chicago, IL, November ‘17
“GoCM @ Gallery 1070” Chicago IL November ‘17- January ‘18
“Birth Marks” Solo Exhibition, SXU Gallery, Chicago, IL Sept ‘17
“Meditations on Suffering” at Chicago Sinai Synagogue, Illinois, June ’17
“Cuyler’s Last Stand” GoCM Chicago, Illinois January-February ‘17
2016
“International 2016” Kyoto, Japan, December
“Organic”, Prairie State College, Illinois, November-December
“Manucripts” Chartres, France October - November
“Savage Curiosities” GoCM Chicago, Illinois, September-November
“ A Passover Story”, The Museum of Bibical Art, Dallas, Texas, April
2015
“Six by Six”- Atelier De Luca, Ravenna, Italy October- January 16
“Mosaici Dal Mundo” RavennaMosaico, Ravenna, Italy Oct-Nov
“Mosaics Abroad” Traveling Exhibition, Tokyo, Japan, 2015-2016
“BiblioMosaico” Ravenna, Italy; Riga, Latvia; Obernai, France 2014-2016
“Pictor Imaginarius”, Museo di Fiume, Nazzano, Italy, May
“MAI Invitational at The Clay Studio, Philadelphia, PA March- April
“Prix Picassiette 2014”, Chartres, France, October- November
“Noir et Blanc”, Parlay le Monial, France, June-August
“Museum of Archeology Aquileia”, Aquileia, Italy, March- April
Selected Collections
Chicago Sinai Synagogue, The Museum of Bibical Art, Dallas Texas, Columbia College, Chicago; CoolGlobes Permanent Collection, USA; Severino Mosaic Collection, California;
Anshe Emet Synogogue, Chicago; TransArt Project, Istanbul, Tel Aviv, Amsterdam, Paris, Moscow, Tokyo, New York, London; City of Chicago
“Tesserae” Clauiano, Italy, March-April
“Tesserae” Gradisca d”Isonzo, Italy, March- April
“Learning Curve”, GoCM Gallery, Chicago Illinois, January
2013
“Mosaic Yarismasi Competition”, Zeugma Museum, Gaziantep, Turkey, October
“Ardore”, Chapel St Eman, Chartres, France, October
“Bibliomosaico”, Ravenna Italy, October
“Mosaics dal Mundo” RavennaMosaico, Ravenna, Italy, October-November
“INTERSTICES”, Sucy en Brie, France June
“Pictor Imaginarius”, Museo di Fiume, Nazzano, Italy, April
“Inside/Out II”, Gallery of Contemporary Mosaics, Chicago, April
2012
Prix Picassiette, Chartres, France October
“Open Walls” City of Chicago 44th Ward Office, Chicago, November
“Transformations”, Gallery of Contemporary Mosaics, Chicago
“Unbroken”, Featherstone Center for the Arts, Martha’s Vineyard, MA, July
Inside/Out, Gallery of Contemporary Mosaics, Chicago,
2011- 1996
Cool Globes, Amsterdam, Netherlands, 2011
SOCA Gallery, Chicago, December- March 2010
Cool Globes, Washington DC, Copenhagen, Geneva, Houston, 2010
OIMC Exhibition, Jerusalem, Israel March 2009
Our Roots Are Showing, CMS Gallery, March 2010
UnCorked, Ethnic Arts Center, Johnstown, Pennsylvania, Sept-Nov 2009
Cool Globes, San Diego, Los Angeles, and San Francisco California 2009
An Ancient Language/A Modern Translation, Center for the Arts, Garland Texas, Sept-Oct 2009
Ahlmquist Gallery, Winnetka IL 2009
Womanmade Gallery, Chicago, 2008
CMS Gallery, Chicago, 2006, 2007
Cool Globes, Washington, DC, 2008
CoolGlobes, Chicago, 2007
Vietnam Veterans Museum, Chicago 2006
Ellipse Art Center, Arlington, VA, 2005
Museo ItaloAmericano, San Francisco, 2004
ARC Gallery, Chicago 2004
TZ Gallery, Chicago, 2004
Uncommon Ground, Chicago, 1999
SAIC Gallery, Chicago, 1996
Artemesia Gallery, Chicago, 1995
Lannon Gallery, Chicago, 1991
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, 1996
Cyclorama Boston, 1996
Selected Publications
Chicago Tribune, January 2019
Chicago Magazine July 2018
Chicago Woman Magazine February 2018
Chicago Times September 2017
Edgeville Buzz, Chicago, March 2017
Edgewater News, Chicago, June 2016
Grout Magazine, Summer 2015
Midwest Magazine, June 2015
Groutline, May 2015
Mosaique Magazine, April 2014
Mosaique Magazine, January 2013
Groutline- Ask a Pro, January 2013
Center Square Journal, May 2012
Grout Magazine, March 2012
Groutline; 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011
Houston Magazine, October 2009
LXTV Interview, September 2009
Profitable Glass Quarterly, October 2009
Complete Pebble Mosaic Handbook, Maggy Howarth, 2009
Timeout Magazine Chicago, October 2006
Chicago Tribune, September 2005
Mosaic Art and Style, JoAnn Loctov, 2005
CAC News, 2001
ARC Chicago: 30 years, 2001
Chicago Tribune: February 1996
New Art Examiner, April 1991; March 1990
Selected Lectures, Presentations
SAMA Annual Conference, Nashville, TN April 2019
SOFA Chicago 2018, Navy Pier, Chicago IL November 2018
19th Century Charitable Association, Oak Park IL, March 2018
SOFA Chicago, Navy Pier Chicago November 2017
Chicago Public Library November 2017
Saint Xavier University, Chicago, IL October 2017
Edgewater Arts Festival September 2017
School of the Art Institute of Chicago, May 2016
Chicago Public Library, November 2015
British Association of Modern Mosaic, Symposium at Kings College, London, October 2014
Society of American Mosaic Artists, Annual Symposium, Tacoma WA
“Passion, Process and Purpose”- April, 2013
Prix Picassiette Symposium, Chartres, France 2012
Chicago Public Libraries – 2012/2013 Lecture Series
Featherstone Center for the Arts, Oak Bluffs, MA, 2012
Mosaic Association of Australia/New Zealand, 2011 Symposium, Adelaide Australia
Society of American Mosaic Artists, Annual Conferences, 2007-2012
Mosaic of Art Radio, February, 2010
MAANZ Symposium, Brisbane Australia, October 2009- Keynote Address
“Beyond Our Pieces; The importance of partnerships, education, and artisanry in contemporary Mosaics, Coverings-Chicago, May 2009
“Relevance of Art Education in Public Arts”
South Suburban College, April 2008
Chicago Cultural Center, Chicago Artists Month, 2008-2012
Guest Artist Lecture Series School of the Art Institute of Chicago,
Continuing Ed Dept, September 2007, 2008
Mosaic Arts Educational Presentation
Chicago Mosaic School, November 2007-2012 “The Marvel of Mosaics”
Loyola University, February 2006
Guest Artist Presentation
Harold Washington College, October 2006
“Survey of Contemporary Mosaic Arts”
Associations
Association of International Mosaic Artists (AIMC)
The British Association of Modern Mosaic (BAMM)
Tile Heritage Foundation (THF)
Chicago Artists Coalition (CAC)
The Chicago Mosaic School (CMS)
American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)