Today we’d like to introduce you to Dawn Mendelson.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I am both a mosaic artist and a community teaching artist. I first found my love for mosaic when I was finishing my degree at Cal State Long Beach. I wanted to have a little creative release by doing something with my hands after intense studies. I found a small mosaic kit in an art store and completed the project as soon as I got home. I checked out some mosaic books from the library and once I discovered one could use recycled materials, I was hooked. Twenty-four years later, I am now a full-time artist, creating my personal work and also working on large-scale commissions. I work with two non-profits — Piece by Piece and ArtWorksLBC. Both of these programs focus on bringing creativity to communities that have little access to art and have been instrumental in my journey to becoming a community teaching artist.
Early on, as I practiced mosaic, I took many classes from professional artists, learning techniques and styles that have helped inform my own work as well as my public work. One thing that was consistent was my love for the texture, color and patterns of broken ceramic and crockery. The style, called “pique assiette”, calls to me for many reasons. First, because I love a good treasure hunt and finding unique pieces at yard sales, thrift stores, and now from broken “gifts” at my front door from friends and neighbors. Secondly, using recycled materials pulls them out of the waste bin and turns them into art. Sometimes, that artwork is very personal for someone — I have created several commissions for people using “grandma’s china” and preserving a family’s history through their often-unused dinner settings. Lastly, I love how adding small details from both new and vintage plates can add humor and verve to a piece. I enjoy how viewers find their own stories within my work–plates they grew up with or a cherished figure embedded in a piece–and how it gives delight and wonder.
After some years of creating, I started to yearn for ways to share my passion for mosaics with others. It was then that I connected with Sophie Alpert, a woman who was starting Piece by Piece, a nonprofit arts organization and social enterprise where residents of Skid Row and South Los Angeles experiencing economic insecurity and other trauma can attend free mosaic art workshops and go through a training program to earn income by selling their work. I taught the first Piece by Piece workshop in 2007 and have been with the organization since. I was fairly new to teaching at the time, but I was open and eager to share what I knew. After several workshops, the teaching space was at capacity with new artists as excited about mosaic as I was. I found a new passion of supporting others to find their own creativity. I also found an incredible community. Individuals who have faced hardships–both economic and personal–came together to be creative and support each other. The teaching team grew and included some of the most influential people in my life, giving me strength when I had my own challenges and celebrating successes as small as a finished artwork and as large as a 50-foot mural. I found some of my very best friends and mentors through this amazing organization.
My experiences with Piece by Piece led me to explore other ways to connect to communities that had little access to art. I soon connected with Gretchen Swanson and other wonderful neighborhood activists and advocates in my own city of Long Beach. I helped develop ArtWorksLBC, a part of Rose Park Neighborhood Association and a healthy neighborhood initiative. Through this venue, I’ve helped create opportunities to use art as a conduit to connecting communities by holding pop-up workshops in a local park and engaging people where they are. Mosaic is the perfect medium for this, as it is accessible to many, and people can jump in at any level of experience. Although mosaic is not the only medium, it remains a popular one in all of our program activities. What’s most important, I’ve learned, is providing space for people to gather, be creative, and become more active in their neighborhood and city.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
When I first started, I was self-taught and practiced daily, reading books and taking classes. I continue to study techniques and philosophies, and still find new ways to challenge myself. A natural progression was to teach others what I had learned. This came with its own set of challenges—not only making sure the information I was sharing was correct, but also understanding the needs of the students.
What I came to know more personally as an instructor was how powerful art can be for healing. I began to develop my own techniques for community work since I did not see a lot of what I envisioned around me. Working the early years at Piece by Piece, we started with a room of 10 people, which quickly swelled to almost 50. I learned how to coordinate a large group of new artists and support their personal journeys of creativity. I learned how to actively listen and provide support. As an instructor, it’s key to not just to instruct but to also understand the needs of the students. One of my mentors would remind me “process over product” when creating with people new to art. A small gesture of support can mean the world to a tender creative heart. This applies across the board for all levels of learners. This also means sometimes letting go of perfection and allowing for people to participate with success, however that looks to them.
As a teaching artist, I am continually celebrating others work and, in turn, learning new things myself. I still try to allow myself to take time to explore and play, showing up for inspiration and hoping it shows up for me.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I specialize in mixed media and a style of mosaic called “pique assiette”, which means “stolen plate.” It’s named after Raymond Isidore, a grave sweeper in Chartres, France who covered his entire home, inside and out, with materials he found on his way home from work. Although I have not covered my own home, I do take delight in finding unique found materials to use in my work.
I think I am known for the surprises and details in my work. I like to put in unusual pieces that catch the eye. I like to infuse humor and joy. Each commission I work on, I add personal details based on talking with the customer, and that is something I hear that most resonates with people–that level of detail that gives meaning to the work.
I am most proud of the work I’ve done with different communities throughout Los Angeles and Long Beach. I feel most excited and happy when I am teaching and collaborating with new artists on projects, both large and small. I value the connections we make and appreciate the impact art can have on individuals. My 20+ years of experience has developed into meaningful experiences for both myself and the artists I work with.
We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you?
My journey has been a series of moments of kismet and chance. Finding the mosaic kit in the art store changed the direction of my life in ways I could never have imagined. Connecting with Piece by Piece by chance years ago gave me a passion for community art — something I didn’t even know existed, and now is a huge part of what I do. Working with ArtWorksLBC has shown me how powerful art can be in creating change in our communities and society. Through the world of mosaic, I found my community. For me, this journey has been serendipitous and has taught me that connection with others is an important part of art and creativity — in both my personal work as I try to express my values visually and in my community, where I hope to contribute a positive impact through art.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.dawnmendelson.com
- Instagram: @dawnmendelson
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dawn.mendelson
- Other: https://www.flickr.com/photos/daybreakmosaics/collections
