Mosaic on a Stick, an art studio in St. Paul that centers on mosaic making, has outgrown its longtime home on Snelling Avenue.
As such, the studio is planning to expand operations this fall within the nearby Hamline Park Playground building.
It’s a big upgrade for the studio, informally known as "the Stick," which will go from 2,000 square feet to 3,500, according to owner and artist Lori Greene.
Securing more space means that the studio will be able to offer additional classes, have more open workspace, and host formal gallery shows and other community events. “The benefits are huge for both the Stick and the community,” she says.
Greene also needs more room for a new nonprofit organization that she’s starting, called the Urban Mosaic Collaborative, which is about introducing youth to art and community work.
Often, the Stick collaborates with local teens on mosaic-style murals. Recently, Greene led a group of teens from the
COMPAS program in the creation of a mural for Canvas at the
Hancock Recreation Center.
Separately, soon her handiwork will be visible at the in-progress Café 180 and
Holistic Health Farms, according to a St. Paul Monitor
story.
Since it opened in 2004, the Stick has become a neighborhood hub and something of a local recycling center. “People bring me their old plates and dishes and old tiles and plastic containers for reuse,” she says, adding that the items pour in weekly. “Most people tell me they would rather give it to me than throw it away.”
In the move, the place will retain its colorful, bright, and welcoming aesthetic, with mosaics everywhere, she says.
At the same time, the Stick will work with the city to preserve the building’s historic character.
“We’ve already made a difference and want to continue to be in the Midway Hamline Park Neighborhood so we can do more of what we’ve been doing,” she wrote in her application for the new space.
Source: Lori Greene, Mosaic on a Stick
Writer: Anna Pratt