Throughout the past year, we worked in small safe pods and were able to continue creating amazing mosaic art. Piece by Piece also offered virtual classes twice a week, delivering needed materials to participants sheltering in place. These classes were a lifeline for many, offering connection, a place to create, and the therapeutic benefit of art. In spite of COVID challenges, Piece by Piece provided programing for over 150 individuals in our community.

I am very proud of the lessons learned and growth Piece by Piece has gained throughout this global pandemic. We are in a stronger position as an organization, with a deeper understanding of our need to ensure diversity, equity and inclusion. Although there has always been an organic, therapeutic benefit to our work, we have also become more intentional about our program’s focus on mental health and wellness.

We are grateful for our partnerships with other community organizations for their continued support in commissioning awards. Both The Village Well and A Community of Friends (ACOF) commissioned large scale projects that were completed in 2021. Additionally, Impact Museum’s Immersive Van Gogh exhibit, Hauser & Wirth and the Village Well provided us with wonderful retail sales opportunities that extend into 2022.

We amicably separated from Skid Row Housing Trust (SRHT) to address our organizational growth and settle into a much-needed permanent space of our own in South Los Angeles. The board and I are extremely grateful for all SRHT did for Piece by Piece over the years and look forward to working together on future projects.

Piece by Piece welcomed two new staff members, Maggie Bohlman as our new Executive Director and Jadie Delgado as Operations Manager. We bid farewell to Daniel Villa after his seven-year tenure with the organization. Daniel accomplished a great deal in his time with Piece by Piece, and on behalf of the entire organization, I want to express our gratitude for his friendship and support.

We have always been an organization driven by the passion and dedication of our staff, supporters and participants. We’ve built a community that thrives on being connected through art, creativity and hope. I sincerely thank each of you for your commitment and faith in the important work we are doing in the community. I am excited about all that we will accomplish in 2022 with your ongoing support.

With much gratitude,

Sophie Alpert

Founder

Kim reached out to Piece by Piece in September of 2019, looking to be creative and infuse some arts wellness into her life. She joined the free mosaic arts classes when she could for several months. When the pandemic hit Kim stopped attending classes. Happily, she reconnected with Piece by Piece in late March, 2021 and has been dedicated to honing her mosaic skills virtually ever since. She is an avid supporter of fellow artists, always present with positive input and comments. Through our free online mosaic art classes Kim found a lifeline to finding purpose and creativity in her life during the pandemic. She became a certified artist and contributed to the Village Well mural and the ACOF mural, her first large-scale mosaic projects.

We asked Kim a few questions about her work:

What do you like about Piece by Piece?
What I like about Piece by Piece is learning about the variety of designing and creating with Mosaics; the balancing of color and shapes; learning about the different artists and their processes. It feeds my inner child, and gives me more patience. It helps me look at art differently, to look at mosaic art and other art forms’ intricacies. I am impressed how a tiny piece of Mosaic can change into a big piece.

What inspires you to be creative?
The other artists in Piece by Piece. I marvel at their mosaic art. I'm inspired each day by new things: a yellow butterfly, the mountains outside my window, God, a breeze, listening to other people’s stories, filling the gaps in my artwork, discovering what I could do better, learning how to do people's faces is an inspiration, although they don't always come out looking like people.

What do you want to learn about more?
I'd like to learn how to do people's faces and their hair, and animals better. The colors primarily, I mean, cutting out their hair so that it flows better like June does with hers. Those are like marvelous pieces and she just amazes me every time I see her work. All of the artists amaze me. But, I really would like to learn that. I think everything else-- the nipping and the cutting and the placing and the shapes--after a lot of practice is going to get easier and easier.

What does Piece by Piece mean to you?
This is a really hard question because I pretty much can't find one answer. It's everything: the classes are challenging; the friends I've met; the kindness shown by the teachers; seeing and learning about art; the endless possibilities. It's a lifeline. The instructors make me laugh, and give all of us the opportunity to create a safe haven to feed our souls as well as our minds. I enjoy being part of a community. Piece by Piece is a sane place in an insane world.