Join us in congratulating Hector for becoming Piece by Piece’s newest Certified Artist. Hector is a bright spirit who brings a layer of fun and creativity to every workshop he joins. We talked to Hector and here’s what he had to say about his work at Piece by Piece!

How did you hear about Piece by Piece?
I was on my phone, and I was scrolling on social media to see if there were any free art events near me, and I saw a post on my Facebook feed about free basic mosaic classes for the residents of south LA, and I signed up!

Who inspires you?
People inspire me. Everyone around me inspires me, and I always learn something new from talking and listening to people. I grew up in South Los Angeles with many diverse people from different backgrounds, cultures, etc. and that has helped me be open-minded.

What materials do you like to use in your mosaic work?
I like recycled tesserae so I’ll use any material that is recyclable or that is donated here. It’s my favorite to use recycled material and give it a second home. 

How have you grown as an artist and a person since joining Piece by Piece?I’ve never done mosaics or knew what mosaic was until I came to Piece by Piece. At first, I was very nervous about cutting the tesserae pieces, and I struggled to figure out where to place my tesserae pieces, and my pieces would fly everywhere. Coming to the basic mosaic classes on Wednesdays and learning from Dawn, Bea, and the other instructors have helped me so much improve as an artist, and I have gained so much knowledge  and skills about mosaics that I feel comfortable and at peace.

What does Piece by Piece mean to you?
Piece by Piece means family and not a competition. I do feel sometimes like life is a competition but my colleagues show me that we’re all here and we all have struggles and because of that we know that it’s ok to be ourselves. 

What has Piece by Piece and creating mosaics added to your life?
Piece By Piece has given me hope and a voice. It’s very inspirational to be able to tell my story by putting broken recycled tesserae pieces together.  Being able to create art is something beautiful.

The Piece by Piece Social Enterprise had an amazing 2022. The artist team of 19 led by Dawn Mendelson and Luz Mack created over 985 mosaics, including 5 large scale commissions and 40 personal commissions/award orders. In 2022, the participants artists earned over $130,000 income, more than any prior year! Much of this was possible thanks to a SAM Initiative grant that funded the addition of our Social Enterprise Operations Manager, Jadie Delgado. Some highlights are featured below.

In May of 2022, we were able to welcome participant artists back to in-person classes in our new studio in South LA. It was wonderful to have both returning and new participant artists creating in the studio. We also continued to offer a zoom class for those who are not able to attend in person. We had 569 seats filled in our in-person classes and 1600+ views of our online classes. The visiting artist series also returned to in person workshops. This program brings renowned mosaic artists from all over the United State to Piece by Piece. These master-artists lead workshops that provide hands-on instruction in advanced mosaic art techniques to program participants. Some highlights from our classes and workshops are featured below.

Piece by Piece is grateful for our parters in the community who help support and promote our mission. Below we highlight a few notable partenrships form 2022.

Piece by Piece supports participant artists as they heal from past trauma, focus on their mental wellbeing, and build community as they learn the art of mosaics. Each individual is unique and brings a with them a wealth of life experiences. The one commonality they all share is their steadfast commitment to rebuilding their lives through art! We are pleased to share Vicki's recent interview with you.

How did you find out about Piece by Piece?
I found out about Piece by Piece before I started coming in the summer of 2014. I found out about it through the economic development department because I was unemployed at the time. It was their old location in Marina Del Ray and it had brochures and mosaics from Piece by Piece - they were part of the decor in that office!

What do you like about PXP?
There are so many things because it’s such a large part of my life, I got an MFA in film production from USC and then came to Piece by Piece while unemployed and homeless and was going to try something different. Everything was changing all the time for me then and then I made my first frame (which I still have now)! After a little time I started talking about completing the certification program. Piece by Piece became an anchor for me. It helped me through that period. I had a lot of things going on, and it helped me have a more regular schedule. It helps with art therapy and I enjoy getting lost in it, and as your skills grow, you get more competent and get to practice completion. It’s hard to complete things in transitions, and it’s an opportunity to get back into completion mode and get things under control.

What inspires you?
So many things! Just the world itself. I think that as I complete each project, I get more inspired. Each project represents my development, my achievement, and I get excited to start the next project. You can just get inspired by the process. 

What materials do you like to use?
I’ll use anything! I’ve mostly stuck to our standard, ceramic and glass. I feel more confident using things that I have more product knowledge about. How to clean it right, how to adhere it. I like to stick to what I know a bit more.

What do you want to learn more about?
There’s so much stuff! I would say working bigger for myself. I’m at the point where I can do more individual projects so I am working on that. We once did a show that was at the main museum and I wrote the intro for the show. They were so focused on studio space, especially in Skid Row, which is hard to come by. So I have the idea to work bigger. 

Do you participate in other creative arts? 
Oh yeah, I paint, I do pottery, anything that’s out there I’ll do! Music, I just do art period. Over the years I’ve been extremely varied. 

What can/do you contribute to the PXP community?
This is a place with so many people rotating in and out, and I see myself as part of the DNA. The time I’ve spent here, my uniqueness, my education.  I’ve been very devoted to art for such a long time.